Non-Construction Awards

What are the Key Steps in Managing an EDA Award?

Award Process

Non-Construction Award Process: 1. Set up Payment Account; 2. Get Familiar with Grants Online (GOL); 3. Review Rules & Regulations; 4. Monitor & Report; 5. Close Out & Report on Success

Step 1:  Set Up Payment Account

Step 2:  Get Familiar with Grants Online (GOL), your grants management system

GOL is EDA’s one-stop shop for grantees – here you will:

  • find and accept your award package;
  • assign or reassign tasks;
  • get notices about reports due (and submit reports); and
  • request payment

This GOL resource page has user guides and videos to explain how to use the system. For quick answers to common issues such as forgetting a password, go to the online Help Desk.

Step 3: Review Rules and Regulations for Grant Compliance 

Your award package has many resources to guide you on federal laws and EDA- or Department of Commerce specific policies.  

Step 4:  Monitor and Report on Project Activity

Tracking and reporting project milestones and spending alerts the project officer to any challenges you may be experiencing so EDA can help get the project back on track.

Report on Project Expenditures with the Federal Financial Report (also known as FFR or SF-425)  

Update EDA on milestones and any challenges with the Project Progress Report (PPR)

PPR forms vary by program and region. The EDA project officer will provide any required form and instructions. 

Submitting the Federal Financial Report (FFR) and the Project Progress Report (PPR) on time is important to avoid a hold on payments.

Step 5:  Close Out Project and Report on Success

Close Out: The EDA project officer will explain the process to finalize the project. To ensure final payment, grantees need to submit a final Federal Financial Report and final Project Progress Report.

Report Success: To evaluate the impact of federal awards on communities, the Government Results and Performance Act (GPRA) requires recipients to complete a detailed online questionnaire about the outcomes of the project. A link to the questionnaires will be sent to the grantee point of contact. 

One of these questionnaires will be due semi-annually while the grant is still active; the other questionnaire will be due annually for a period of five years, regardless of the length of the period of performance. Learn more about GPRA and reporting with these Frequently Asked Questions. To watch videos and webinars tailored for each grant program, visit EDA's Performance Data Collection Instruments and Processes page.