Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I would like to apply for a grant, how do I get started?

Although the Guam State Clearinghouse functions as the state central review point for federal assistance applications, it is not directly involved with the federal application process and does not maintain current information on upcoming federal deadlines, specific grant requirements, etc. The following suggestions are offered to those who are in search of federal assistance but are unsure of where to begin. These sites are not maintained by the Clearinghouse and are subject to change without notice.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) lists all federal programs available to state and local governments, as well as federally recognized Indian tribal governments and private profit or non-profit organizations. This is published and updated twice yearly by the US General Services Administration. A listing of these projects and application instructions can be found at www.cfda.gov.

The Federal Register, published daily, announces newly authorized and/or funded programs, and announces annual application deadlines and award amounts for continuing programs. The Federal Register also provides an online subscription service for current issues. Archives of the Federal Register can be found at www.archives.gov. Both the CFDA and the Federal Register are available in most major libraries.

You may also want to visit: www.grants.gov, an electronic storefront for Federal grants.

For information on grants which have previously been awarded, consult the Federal Assistance Awards Data System (FAADS), which is a codified report by quarter of all federal assistance grants. FAADS can be accessed online at http://blue.census.gov/govs/www/faads.html.

 

Q: What are the requirements when submitting an application to the Guam State Clearinghouse?

In order for the process to remain efficient, there are a few requirements that applicants must comply with:

 1. Contacting the Clearinghouse to determine whether the proposal requires an intergovernmental or area wide governmental review.

2. Obtaining a State Application Identification (SAI) Number

3. Providing the following notification information in the application for the Clearinghouse: 

• GSC Notification of Intent to Apply (3 pages) ;

▪ OMB Standard Form 424;

• Type, purpose, scope, explanation and justification of proposed activities;

• Budget and funding resources (OMB Standard Form 424A);

• Grant budget proposals must include indirect costs;

• All grant applications must accurately identify cost sharing (matching) resources;

• All grant applications requiring cost sharing (matching) schemes must comply with Title 48 U.S.C. §1469a(d) cost sharing (match) waivers;

• Federal project review assistance;

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Program number and title;

• DUNS Identification applicable to a federal program;

• All applications must indicate current and proposed number of employees that are federally funded; and

• Submission of a digital copy of the Grant application narrative; and, the original with two (2) copies of the application for reviewing purposes.

 

Q: Why do I have to send so many copies of my project application to the Guam State Clearinghouse, and why does it take so long to get a clearance letter?

The Guam State Clearinghouse bases its response to the applicant upon comments received from a multitude of reviewing agencies. Each agency is given a reasonable deadline to review the application and forward comments to the Guam State Clearinghouse. To meet federal response deadlines, it is necessary to circulate the application to all reviewers at the same time. Although the Guam State Clearinghouse can sometimes make additional copies if necessary, it cannot reproduce extremely large documents, permanently bound documents, colored or oversize maps or charts, or other materials that cannot be handled by a standard photocopier. The basic prerequisite for an efficient turnaround is a complete application with the adequate number of copies.

 

Q: Can I ask the Guam State Clearinghouse to expedite the review process for my project?

If your project is under a very tight time deadline for state clearance, or of an emergency nature, the applicant should notify the Guam State Clearinghouse of the circumstances when submitting the project. Depending upon the nature of the project and the time frame involved, the Guam State Clearinghouse can assist the applicant by getting the project to the reviewers as quickly as possible and establishing shorter review deadlines. The applicant may also have the option to submit concurrently to the Guam State Clearinghouse and the federal agency. However, applicants should be aware that although the Guam State Clearinghouse can request for expedited reviews, this is not guaranteed, and therefore early preparation is always recommended to ensure a timely agency response.

 

Q: Can I send my application to the Guam State Clearinghouse at the same time that I submit it to the federal agency, or do I have to receive Guam State Clearinghouse approval first?

For maximum assurance that a project complies with Guam law and can receive federal funding, the application should be submitted to the Guam State Clearinghouse sufficiently in advance to receive a clearance letter prior to submitting it to the federal agency. This is especially important for projects that involve construction or potential environmental impacts – without the state's consistency determination, the federal agency cannot authorize activities or release funds to the applicant! For projects solely involving activities such as research or service-based activities, purchase of equipment, or hiring personnel (i.e., general projects), the applicant can often submit concurrent applications to the Guam State Clearinghouse and the federal agency if  the applicant indicates on the application that it has also been sent to the Guam State Clearinghouse for review. This informs the federal agency that the applicant has not bypassed the Guam State Clearinghouse process, and that the government of Guam’s consistency response will be forthcoming. Always check with your granting agency to ascertain the specific requirements for your grant! For both consistency and general projects, it is the applicant's responsibility to forward the clearance letter to the federal agency to complete the applicant's file.

 

Q: If I know that one of the reviewing agencies has concerns about my application, can I deal directly with that agency, instead of the Guam State Clearinghouse, to resolve the concerns?

The Guam State Clearinghouse exercises the central review and response authority in the federal application process; therefore, the Guam State Clearinghouse must be a party to any correspondence or negotiations regarding concerns which may affect the outcome of the clearance letter. The Guam State Clearinghouse serves as a facilitator or mediator when conflicts arise between the applicant and reviewing agencies, and will provide the final determination of federal consistency if applicable. Applicants should not contact reviewing agencies directly without prior Guam State Clearinghouse contact and mutual agreement on issues to be resolved.

 

Q: If I change something on my application or modify my project after I've submitted it to the Guam State Clearinghouse, do I need to resubmit my application or give the Guam State Clearinghouse additional information?

To be safe, the applicant should contact the Guam State Clearinghouse and describe the nature of the proposed modification. If the change will be relatively minor, such as a slight increase in requested funds (without corresponding changes in project activity) or a change in the date of program completion, the applicant may only need to send a written explanation of the changes to the Guam State Clearinghouse for inclusion in the project record. If the change is moderately significant, such as an expanded scope of work or inclusion of new alternatives, that information should be submitted to the Guam State Clearinghouse for review as a revised project. If major changes are proposed, depending on the circumstances, the information may be re-reviewed as a revised project or the Guam State Clearinghouse may require that the original submittal be withdrawn and the revised proposal be submitted for review. If an applicant proposes significant changes to a federal grant application after it has been submitted for funding, the Guam State Clearinghouse MUST be informed; otherwise the applicant will jeopardize the project's funding eligibility. Conducting federally assisted activities without I Maga’lahen Guåhan’s approval and review of the Guam State Clearinghouse is a violation of law.

 

Q: Can I call the Guam State Clearinghouse to check on the status of applications?

Applicants are welcome to contact the Guam State Clearinghouse as needed to make sure that their projects have been received, to ascertain deadlines, or to find out which reviewing agencies have returned comments. The Guam State Clearinghouse, however, does not have information on the federal agency review status and cannot give out information concerning other current projects.

 

Q: What is Presidential Executive Order 12372?

Executive Order 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” signed by President Reagan on July 14, 1982, mandates federal policy governing review and coordination with state and local government officials regarding federal government actions affecting their jurisdictions, including the award of federal grants. The Executive Order is intended to provide a flexible state-administered system of intergovernmental coordination rather than a uniform one directed by the federal government. It requires states, in consultation with their local governments, to decide whether or not to have an intergovernmental review process under the provisions of the order, design their own process, select the eligible federal government activities they wish to review and delegate the review function.

 

Q: Who is the State Single Point of Contact?

The State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) is the official or organization designated by the State to coordinate the State process and to transmit official State process recommendations to the Federal Government. The Guam State Clearinghouse of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Guam has been designated as the State SPOC.

 

Q: What is a CFDA number?

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a list of all federal programs available to state and local governments, as well as federally recognized Indian tribal governments and private profit or non-profit organizations. This is published and updated twice yearly by the US General Services Administration. A listing of these projects and application instructions can be found at www.cfda.gov.

 

Q: What should I submit to comply with Executive Order 12372?

The application should include the following items:

• Application for Federal Assistance (SF424 Form), including the CFDA number

• Budget information (SF 424A Form or 424C Form), including budget summary, narrative and funding source

• Program narrative, executive summary, or abstract to include purpose, scope, justification, area to be served, staffing and other pertinent data

• If applicable, maps which show project activity locations.

-Guam’s Official Grants Site-

Serving the interest of Guam and her people!