Guide to Applying for Grants

INTRODUCTION

Utah’s Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) is the steward of the world’s best economy. Among its many responsibilities, GOEO administers grants for business and community economic development. These grants are legislatively directed and funded with the intent to promote strong business environments.

The Guide to Applying for Grants is for any and all who pursue funding through one or more of GOEO’s many grant opportunities. This guide offers tips and best practices for successful grant writing by addressing the topics of grant preparation, proposal development, and post-award activities.

GUIDE TO Applying for Grants

GRANT PREPARATION

Most grants are competitive, meaning there is a limited pool of funds, statutorily defined qualifications and priorities, and time-sensitive application schedules. As such, grant writing takes planning and preparation. Potential applicants should regularly visit GOEO’s website at business.utah.gov/grants to stay aware of current and upcoming grant opportunities. They may also subscribe to GOEO’s email newsletter by signing up at cloud.comms.utah.gov/newsletter Early research into GOEO’s grant opportunities will help potential applicants determine whether their organization is eligible to apply.

Pre-proposal Activities

Upon discovering a grant opportunity, potential applicants should thoroughly review the grant details and application requirements. Potential applicants should begin research early to develop strong, detailed proposals, paying particular attention to the grant’s purposes and priorities. Once a potential applicant determines that the organization’s needs and intended proposal align with the purpose of a grant, they should create a checklist to organize and track proposal development through to the submission date. Being well in front of an application deadline gives potential applicants time to collaborate with stakeholders and partners which can lead to support and buy-in from those who will carry a project to completion.

The GOEO outreach managers and grant administrators are always available to help, and asking questions to get clarity about grants and their requirements is encouraged.

Pre-proposal Tips

• Plan ahead

• Conduct preliminary research

• Interpret proposal requirements

• Prepare a checklist and timeline for submission

• Collaborate with stakeholders and partners

• Make contact with GOEO

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Applicants should become aware of requirements commonly found in most grants administered by GOEO. Knowing ahead of time what will likely be expected in a grant proposal, an applicant can begin outlining a plan and compiling information about their organization. Here is a list of common requirements, and a short description of what they mean:

Grant Commonalities

General Information — General organization information is always requested in GOEO applications. This typically includes the company/ entity name, address, industry type, NAICS Code, EIN, primary contacts, emails and phone numbers, and occasionally financial information.

Mission and Purpose — A short narrative that includes information about an applying organization serves as an introduction to application evaluators, and identifies how the organization’s mission and purpose align with the intended uses of the grant.

Scope of Work — A Scope of Work is the primary opportunity to answer questions such as what a proposed project will be, what type of work will be done, what the benchmarks and goals are, and how the project will be completed. The scope of work should detail the needs of an organization and give a narrative that justifies the grant funding request.

Budget Spreadsheet — Applicants will need to prove they have a plan for spending grant funds based on their Scope of Work. A line-item budget, such as an Excel spreadsheet, should calculate anticipated project expenses, identify where grant funds will be spent, and detail overall funding sources, including matching funds, if required.

Budget Narrative — A written explanation that supports the budget spreadsheet helps grant evaluators, and strengthens an applicant’s argument for the need for grant funds. Often, it brings to light the intended use of funds beyond what is listed in line-items and proves that a project is ready to be carried out.

Timeline — All grants will have a performance period and deadline. It is important to acknowledge what will be accomplished within the project performance period. This can be explained in a narrative and supported by a spreadsheet or visual graphic such as a Gantt Chart. Timelines also help prove project readiness.

Outcomes and Deliverables — The Outcomes and Deliverables outline the expected results of a completed project. Here, an applicant will define the metrics that demonstrate success, measured against benchmarks and goals set in the Scope of Work. They must predict tangible, measurable outcomes that will benefit the organization and the community it serves.

Supporting Documents — Certain documents legitimize an organization and its purposes. They can validate grant funding requests by showing pre-planning, project readiness, and stakeholder collaboration and buy-in. Some examples of documentation often requested are:

• Letters of Support — From departments, committees, boards, partners, stakeholders, etc.

• Maps — Visual displays of affected areas

• Construction plans — Drafts of building projects

• Bids and estimates — Professional cost estimates from third-party experts

• Financials — W9 documentation and other tax filing information

• Compliance documentation — Balance sheets, bank statements, invoices and proofof-payment, proof of matching funds, minutes from meetings, verification of reporting, etc.

Finally, applicants must be timely with proposal development. GOEO recommends that applicants refine their grant proposals outside of the actual grant application portal using Microsoft Word or another word processing application. This not only gives the applicant the ability to review and edit over time, but also facilitates review by others within the organization, by stakeholders, and by partners. Hasty, poorly written proposals often happen when application deadlines are approaching and an applicant has not made time for others to review it for content, quality, and technical writing. GOEO strongly encourages applicants to be thorough and complete when responding to application questions and preparing their proposals.

Proposal Development Tips

• Use an outline to plan a proposal

• Prepare narratives, work plans, and budgets outside of the application portal

• Compile supporting documents in advance

• Forecast outcomes and deliverables

• Allow time for technical and merit review from others

• Make a timely, complete submission

APPLICATION REVIEW, SCORING AND AWARDING

After all applications for a given grant are received, they are reviewed by GOEO staff, administrators, and specially organized committees and boards. Each application is reviewed by multiple evaluators to generate a blended score. Evaluations take into account application quality, project merit, budget proposals, as well as the purposes, goals, and measurable outcomes of a grant proposal. Application evaluators also consider the applicant’s justification of the need for grant funds and the dollar amount requested.

Scoring is not always the final means of determining awards. Reviewing committees may meet to discuss and deliberate the merit of applications considering program priorities, project readiness, matching contributions, and stakeholder support.

POST-AWARD ACTIVITIES

Approval of a grant application means evaluators believe a project fits the purposes of the grant, and that it is ready to be carried out. Application approval leads to a contract between the applying organization and the state of Utah. Contracts will vary, but generally include the award amount, performance terms, a description of the project to be performed, compliance requirements based on expected deliverables and outcome, reporting requirements, the method of fund distribution, and instructions for receiving full grant reimbursement.

After the terms of a contract are agreed to, awardees should begin executing their projects. This is when grant funds are judiciously used by the awardee to benefit the organization and community it serves. Awardees are especially encouraged to

continuously track and document the progress of a project. Diligent tracking will help awardees fulfill all compliance requirements such as data collection, grant fund and matching fund uses, financial documentation, reports, and finally reimbursement and distribution of funds requests.

Not all award methods for grants offered by GOEO are the same. Distribution of funds will be described in the information and instructions for each grant. Potential applicants should be aware of each grant’s described method of fund distribution prior to applying to determine whether the organization can comply with requirements for full disbursement of funds.

Post-award Tips

• Carry out the planned project

• Adhere to timelines and deliverables

• Meet reporting deadlines

• Ensure compliance to the requirements specified in the contract

• Document all expenses and collect all supporting documentation

• Fulfill fund reimbursement/distribution requirements

ACCESSING GRANTS

Grants administered by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity can be found on its website at business.utah.gov/grants. Other grants specific to rural economic development can be found under the Programs & Services tab, on the Center for Rural Development webpage. Each grant landing page will have broader explanations of the grants, eligibility requirements, and other resources such as information and instructions documents, one-pagers, and links to application portals and reimbursement request portals.

GOEO uses Salesforce to manage accounts, reports, and applications. New users to the system will need to create an account and request access to the application portal using the following link: goed.my.salesforce-sites.com/econ/ptlcase

Potential applicants can access the various funding opportunities offered by GOEO using the following steps:

1. Log into the application portal at utahecon.secure.force.com/econ

2. Click on the blue “Apply” circle, or select “Funding Opportunities” from the navigation bar at the top of the page

3. Find the grant opportunity you are interested in from the list and click “Apply” in the right hand column, or click on the name of the grant opportunity, then click “Apply for this Opportunity” on the application page

CONCLUSION

The mission of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity is to improve and enhance the state’s economy. Grants issued by GOEO are intended to produce tangible, measurable outcomes that have a positive economic impact.

For questions regarding GOEO grants, please contact us via email at econgrants@utah.gov