Notice of Opportunity To Register Early and Other Important Information for Electronic Application Submission via Grants.gov, 64070-64076 [E6-18224]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 210 (Tuesday, October 31, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64070-64076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18224]



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Part V





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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 Notice of Opportunity To Register Early and Other Important 
Information for Electronic Application Submission via Grants.gov; 
Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 210 / Tuesday, October 31, 2006 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5107-N-01]


Notice of Opportunity To Register Early and Other Important 
Information for Electronic Application Submission via Grants.gov

AGENCY: Office of Assistant Secretary for Administration, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The purpose of this notice is to provide instructions and 
advice to potential applicants applying for funding under HUD's 
competitive grant programs that are available through Grants.gov. This 
notice provides information to help applicants better understand the 
electronic submission process. To facilitate the Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 
federal grant application process, prospective applicants for HUD 
funding should immediately begin the registration process or renew 
their registration from prior years. HUD believes that by facilitating 
a better understanding of the electronic submission process, applicants 
will be able to more easily make the transition to electronic 
application submission.
    Grants.gov is the Federal portal for applicants to electronically 
find and apply for over 1,000 funding opportunities made available by 
the twenty-six federal grant-making agencies. Grants.gov offers the 
applicant community a common Web site where applicants can use one 
password and ID to apply for a variety of federal assistance programs. 
To date, all 26 Federal grant-making agencies have posted their funding 
opportunities and electronic application packages to Grants.gov.
    To apply on-line electronically, Grants.gov requires an 
electronically authorized signature, known as eAuthentication. This 
requirement for an authenticated electronic signature serves to protect 
the applicant and the applicant's information, and to assure federal 
agencies that they are interacting with officials authorized to submit 
applications on behalf of applicant entities.
    Through this notice, HUD is encouraging applicants to complete or 
update their registration, in advance of HUD posting its FY2007 grant 
opportunities. HUD found that issuing an Early Registration Notice in 
FY2006 eliminated many of the registration issues that applicants faced 
in FY2005, the first year that HUD used Grants.gov for posting its 
annual SuperNOFA. HUD believes that by issuing this notice in advance 
of the FY2007 funding cycle, applicants will have sufficient time to 
carefully review registration and submission requirements and to have 
their questions addressed regarding the registration and submission 
processes. HUD anticipates that it will post its funding opportunities 
in late 2006 or early 2007. HUD strongly encourages prospective 
applicants for FY2007 HUD grants to register or renew their 
registration for application submission via Grants.gov as soon as 
possible by following the instructions in this notice.

DATES: Early registration commences with the issuance of this notice 
and ends when HUD publishes its SuperNOFA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you need further information about 
this Notice, contact the NOFA Information Center, at (800) HUD-8929 
((800) 483-8929). Persons with hearing or speech impairments may access 
this number via TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 
(800) HUD-2209 ((800) 483-2209). The NOFA Information Center is open 
between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday, except on federal holidays.
    If you have questions about registration or submissions issues, 
contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at (800) 518-GRANTS (4726).

Full Text of Announcement

    This Notice is divided into two sections. Section 1 describes the 
registration process including steps to renew/update an existing 
registration. Section 2 provides guidance to applicants that are 
experiencing upload or transmission issues. In FY2006, HUD successfully 
received over 5,000 applications via grants.gov. Less than 1% of 
applicants experienced submission issues. While these numbers are 
relatively small, HUD strives to assist all applicants in gaining a 
better understanding of the electronic submission process. This notice 
also serves to remind applicants to submit their applications in 
advance of the deadline date and when the Grants.gov help desk is open 
so that if issues arise, there is sufficient time to provide timely 
assistance.
    Appendix A of this notice provides step-by step registration 
instructions to follow. Appendix B provides information on Do's and 
Don'ts regarding electronic application submission.

Section 1--Completing the Registration Process for New Applicants and 
Updating a Registration for Applicants That Are Currently Registered

A. The Need To Register With Grants.gov

    Many federal grant-making agencies provide funding to 
organizational entities and some agencies are permitted to fund 
individuals; however, HUD only provides funding to organizations. This 
information, therefore, is directed to HUD applicants that are 
organizational entities.
    Before an applicant can apply for a grant opportunity, the 
applicant must first register with Grants.gov to provide and obtain 
certain identifying information. Please note, however, that 
registration is a multi-step process. In addition, the registration 
process requires the applicant to provide information at Web sites 
other than Grants.gov. Registration protects both the applicant and the 
applicable federal agencies. Registration confirms that the applicant 
has designated a certain individual or entity to submit an application 
on behalf of the applicant and assures the federal agency that it is 
interacting with the designated representative of the applicant that 
has been authorized to submit the application.

B. Registration Steps for Organizations

    1. Use of DUNS Numbers. In 2003, the federal government adopted a 
policy that applicants must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System 
(DUNS) number in order to receive funding. In order to submit an 
electronic application via Grants.gov, your organization must have a 
DUNS number. Dun and Bradstreet (D&B), a company that provides business 
information credit, marketing and purchasing decisions for more than 70 
million businesses worldwide, issues DUNS numbers. Its data universal 
numbering system issues unique 9-digit numbers that are used by 
businesses and the federal government to track funding and business 
related information and relationships. The information provided in the 
D&B registration will be used by the Central Contactor Registration 
system in the registration process, so applicants should carefully 
review their Dun and Bradstreet information for accuracy.
    2. Registration in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The 
CCR is the primary vendor database for the federal government. The CCR 
was established to assist federal government agency acquisitions and 
procurements. The CCR collects, validates, stores and

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disseminates data in support of agency acquisitions. Registration in 
CCR has been extended from the procurement and acquisition area to 
grants. For grants, CCR stores an applicant's information, allowing 
Grants.gov to verify an applicant's identity and identify key business 
contacts for the organization. The CCR registration process consists of 
completing a Trading Partner Profile (TPP), which contains general, 
corporate, and financial information about your organization. While 
completing the TPP, you will need to identify a CCR Point of Contact 
(POC) who will be responsible for maintaining the information in the 
TPP and giving authorization to individuals to serve as Authorized 
Organization Representatives (AOR) and an E-Business Point of Contact 
(E-Business POC). The AOR will submit applications through Grants.gov 
for your organization. The person that completes the TPP can be the CCR 
POC, E-Business POC, and the AOR or they can be different people.
    3. CCR Use of Dun and Bradstreet Information. As part of CCR's 
ongoing effort to ensure that all registration information is 
standardized, easily shared across many government systems, and to 
reduce data entry by registrants, CCR pre-populates the following data 
fields from D&B: Legal Business Name, Doing Business Name (DBA), 
Physical Address, and Postal Code/Zip+4. Registrants will not be able 
to enter/modify these fields in CCR; they will be pre-populated using 
D&B Data Universal Numbering System record data. During new 
registration or when updating a record, the registrant has a choice to 
accept or reject the information provided from D&B. Under the revised 
system, if the CCR registrant agrees with the D&B supplied information, 
the D&B data will be accepted into the CCR registrant record. If the 
registrant disagrees with the D&B supplied information the registrant 
will need to go to the D&B Web site https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform to 
modify the information currently contained in D&B's records before 
proceeding with its CCR registration. Once D&B confirms the 
modification, the registrant must revisit the CCR Web site and 
``accept'' D&B's changes. Only at this point will the D&B data be 
accepted into the CCR record. D&B can take two business days to send 
modified data to CCR and that timeframe may be longer in some 
countries.
    Large organizations and organizations that set-up separate bank 
accounts for different grants can set up what is known as DUNS+4 within 
the CCR record, to track the flow of funding and disbursements within 
the parent organizations and any number of sub-agencies or departments 
within the organization. States and universities frequently identify 
their sub-organizations through the use of DUNS+4 numbering.
    4. CCR Employer Identification Number/Taxpayer Identification 
Number (EIN/TIN) Validation. Please note that as of October 30, 2005, 
the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) began validating the TIN and 
Taxpayer Name of each new and updating CCR registrant with the Internal 
Revenue Service (IRS). The EIN/TIN matching process is a joint effort 
between the General Services Administration (GSA), Department of 
Defense (DoD), and the IRS to improve the quality of data in government 
acquisition systems. If there are discrepancies in the taxpayer 
information at IRS and the registration information provided through 
D&B, the discrepancies must be cleared before the registration can be 
completed or updated.
    A notice has gone out to CCR registrants informing them of the IRS 
validation in CCR registration. In order to complete your CCR 
registration and qualify as a vendor eligible to bid for federal 
government contracts or apply for federal grants, the EIN/TIN and 
Employer/Taxpayer Name combination you provide in the IRS Consent Form 
at CCR must match exactly to the EIN/TIN and Employer/Taxpayer Name in 
the IRS database. It will take at least one to two business days to 
validate new and updated records prior to becoming active in CCR. 
Therefore, please be sure that the data items provided to D&B match 
information that you have provided to the IRS. Otherwise, when the 
validation check with IRS is done, the registration in D&B, and the CCR 
will not match the IRS information and will result in an error message 
being generated. This will prevent you from completing your 
registration until the discrepancies have been resolved. Applicants 
should allow sufficient time to review their D&B and CCR information. 
HUD recommends that applicants carefully review their D&B and CCR 
registration information for accuracy immediately upon publication of 
this Notice and make any necessary corrections. Beginning the 
registration process now will help an applicant avoid possible delays 
with the timely submission of applications.
    5. Registration with a Credential Provider. In order to safeguard 
information, Grants.gov uses E-Authentication, the federal program that 
ensures secure transactions. E-Authentication defines the level of 
trust or trustworthiness of the parties involved in a transaction 
through the use of credential providers. Credential Providers are 
organizations that validate the electronic identity of an individual 
through electronic credentials, personal identification numbers, 
passwords or other identifying information, for Grants.gov. This is the 
process of determining, with a degree of assurance, that someone is 
really who he or she claims to be. An Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR), the person(s) named by an agency who has legal 
authority to submit an application for funding on behalf of the agency, 
must register with a Credential Provider to obtain a USER ID and 
Password that will be used to register with Grants.gov.
    Beginning August 30, 2007, organizations will have a choice of 
three federally approved credential providers to obtain their 
authentication services--(1) The Agriculture Department; (2) the Office 
of Personnel Management's Employee Express; and (3) the current 
provider--Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC). HUD applicants 
who already hold a Grants.gov user name and password through ORC and 
submit applications prior to August 20, 2007, do not have to make any 
changes to their ORC registration. After August 20, 2007, users will 
have an option to retain their registration with ORC or choose from the 
other credential providers on the list.
    6. Registration with Grants.gov. After creating a username and 
password identity at a Credential Provider, an AOR, the person(s) named 
by an agency to submit an application for funding on behalf of the 
agency, must register at Grants.gov. The AOR must have legal authority 
to submit the application on behalf of the organization. Designated 
AORs register the USER ID and Password created with the Credential 
Provider at Grants.gov. After the AOR registers with Grants.gov, the 
organization's E-Business POC will be sent an e-mail from Grants.gov, 
indicating that someone from the organization has registered as an AOR.
    7. Approval of the AOR. The E-Business POC must enter Grants.gov 
and give the AOR approval to submit an application to Grants.gov. By 
authorizing a person to submit on behalf of the organization, the 
organization is stating that the person has the legal authority to 
submit the application and make a legally binding commitment for the 
organization. The registration is complete when an AOR has been 
approved to submit an application on behalf of the organization. If the 
E-Business POC does not provide

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authorization, Grants.gov will not accept the grant application.

C. Renewing Your CCR Registration.

    Applicants are required to renew/update their information in CCR on 
an annual basis. Applicants can renew their organizations' registration 
at https://www.ccr.gov. If you do not renew your registration it will 
expire, resulting in the rejection of your Grants.gov application. 
Applicants can renew their organizations' registration at https://
www.ccr.gov.

D. Time Allotted for Registration

    Registration with Grants.gov, which must be completed prior to any 
grant application submission, takes approximately two to four weeks. 
The length of time depends on when the steps in the registration 
process are completed; the volume of traffic on the various sites 
involved in the registration process; and the ability of the applicant 
to determine who will be the person responsible for submitting the 
grant application, and having that person authorized through the 
registration process as the AOR. Registration can take longer if the 
information provided to D&B and captured in the CCR does not match IRS 
Taxpayer information data previously provided by the applicant 
organization. Registering early should allow the applicant sufficient 
time to complete the registration process and respond to any questions 
that might arise during the process.
    Appendix A of this Notice provides step-by-step registration 
instructions to follow.

Section 2--Corrective Actions for Application Submission Problems That 
Affected HUD Applications in FY2006

A. Application Submission

    In FY2006, HUD successfully received over 5000 electronic 
applications and only 30 paper applications. Less than 1 percent of the 
applicants submitting electronically had a problem that resulted in an 
application not being successfully submitted. Applicants are advised to 
submit their applications 24-72 hours prior to the application deadline 
date so that if any problem arises, the applicant will have sufficient 
time to correct it and successfully submit the application prior to the 
deadline date. Please remember that to have a successful submission, 
applications must be received and validated by Grants.gov prior to 
11:59:59 p.m. on the application deadline date. For example, if an 
application is due on November 10, 2006, you should submit your 
application no later than November 7, 2006 to allow sufficient time for 
your application to be validated by Grants.gov.

B. Applications Rejected by Grants.gov and Corrective Actions

    The following describes the most common HUD grant application 
submission problems and recommended corrective actions for them.
    1. Incorrect DUNS number. The DUNS number in the application does 
not match the applicant DUNS number registered at Grants.gov. An 
improper DUNS number will result in the submitter receiving a rejection 
notice that states ``INVALID--DUNS--ERROR'' and ``UNAUTHORIZED--
SUBMITTER--ERROR'' .
    Corrective Action: Upon receiving the ``INVALID--DUNS--
ERROR,'' the applicant should immediately check the 
application DUNS number, correct the error (if any) and resubmit the 
application. If the DUNS number is correct, the applicant should 
immediately contact Grants.gov to notify them of the problem and ask 
why it received the ``INVALID--DUNS--ERROR'' and take any 
corrective measures required.
    2. You receive a rejection message with the following error 
message: ``UNAUTHORIZED--SUBMITTER--ERROR.''
    This error occurs if a submitter has not registered with a 
Credential Provider and with Grants.gov, or when the E-Business Point 
of Contact has not approved the submitter as an Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.
    Corrective Action: The AOR should verify that he or she has 
registered with a Credential Provider and has registered the credential 
at Grants.gov. If the answer to both these questions is yes, the E-
Business Point of Contact should immediately go to the Grants.gov Web 
site and approve the submitter as an AOR.
    3. Unsuccessful Submission Attempt. The applicant has tried to 
submit the application but was unsuccessful. When trying to submit the 
application, the following occurs:
     Nothing happens.
     The screen goes blank.
     The wheel keeps spinning.
    Corrective Action: In these cases, your files are not connecting to 
Grants.gov and the transmission problems are occurring locally. There 
are several reasons that may be the cause of the problem. Applicants 
should be aware that every computer is configured differently and many 
organizations have firewalls that limit the size of files going out or 
into an organization. These instructions are designed to address the 
most common reasons faced by applicants.
    a. Check to see if you have downloaded the newest version of the 
application software from Grants.gov. The application will not operate 
properly if the most recent software update has not been downloaded and 
completely installed. The Grants.gov software requires applicants to 
download the software, run an install procedure, and then reboot the 
computer for the installation to work properly.
    b. Grants.gov also recommends uploading the application from your 
desktop. Call the Grants.gov help desk at (800) 518-4726; operators can 
walk you through techniques that allow you to upload through your 
Internet browser.
    c. Check to see if your computer has sufficient memory. Check your 
system, including Random Access Memory and the hard drive, to ensure 
that your computer has enough available memory to process the 
application. If your hard drive is nearly full and you have multiple 
grant applications on your computer that you have successfully 
submitted or submitted in a previous year, remove those applications 
from your computer and save them on a CD, DVD, or jump drive so that 
you can free up needed space on your computer. If the upload still 
remains a problem, reduce the size of your application by using the 
facsimile solution for some or all of your attachment files. HUD will 
not accept an application that is sent entirely by facsimile. At a 
minimum, the downloaded application package with the xml-based files, 
including a completed SF-424, must be submitted to Grants.gov. If these 
suggestions do not solve the problem, immediately contact the 
Grants.gov help desk.
    d. Check if your organization or your Internet Service Provider 
limits the size of the files sent over the Internet. HUD has found that 
many organizations have firewalls that set limits on file sizes or 
access to particular sites. HUD has also found that some dial-up 
Internet Service Providers limit the size of files uploaded to the 
Internet. In these circumstances HUD recommends reducing the size of 
the application package by zipping files using WinZip10. In addition, 
several other techniques are described below to reduce the file size of 
a document if you are using Microsoft Word 2000.
    (1) Turn off fast saves. Using fast saves to save a document 
requires more disk space while your document is open than using a full 
save. You may be able to save disk space by turning off fast

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saves. On the Tools menu, click ``Options'', and then click the 
``Save'' tab. Clear the Allow fast saves check box.
    (2) Delete one or more versions of a document. Creating multiple 
versions of a document using the Versioning feature may increase file 
size. To check whether a document contains other versions, click 
Versions on the File menu. If other versions exist, you may be able to 
reduce the file size by deleting the oldest versions. Delete one or 
more versions of a document. On the ``File'' menu, click ``Versions''. 
Click the version of the document you want to delete. To select more 
than one version, hold down CTRL as you click each version. Click 
``Delete''.
    4. Disk Full or Out of Memory. This is related to the size of the 
files that you are trying to upload and the capacity of your computer 
to handle the load. See item 3 above.
    Corrective Action: Create more room on your computer by taking off 
old files that are not needed, reducing the size of the files being 
uploaded, or submitting part of your application using the facsimile 
solution. There are other ways to address this issue, but because each 
computer is configured differently and there are numerous variables to 
take into account as to why an application can not upload to make the 
connection to Grants.gov, HUD stresses the need to apply early and to 
submit your application when the Grants.gov help desk is open so that 
if problems arise, you can contact Grants.gov when the service 
representatives are there to help you.
    5. Computer keeps freezing. Often a computer will ``freeze'' 
because there is not enough memory or hard storage space to handle the 
files.
    Corrective Action: If your computer freezes, one possible cause may 
be that you do not have enough memory or hard storage to handle the 
file. Follow these steps to check your computer's resources. The 
information will also be useful to the help desk staff in analyzing 
your problem.
    a. Use the Task Manager capability on your computer to close down 
the task that is not running properly. If needed, shut down the 
computer and reboot. Be aware that if you have not saved your work in 
progress when you reboot, you may lose the unsaved portion of your 
submission. Always periodically save your work.
    b. If you have a My Computer Icon on your desktop, right click on 
it. If you do not have a My Computer Icon on your desktop, go to step 
d.
    c. In the Properties dialog box, on the General tab, look in the 
lower right corner and record the Processor speed and amount of RAM, 
then click OK to close the dialog box.
    (1) Double click on the same My Computer icon to open Windows 
Explorer.
    (2) Right click on the hard drive or server to where you are saving 
the file or from which you are uploading the file and select 
Properties.
    (3) Record the size and amounts of free space on the drive.
    (4) If the RAM or hard drive free space on your computer is no 
bigger or only slightly bigger than the file you are working with, that 
may be the problem.
    (5) Be sure to give this information to the help desk when you 
call.
    d. If you do not have a My Computer Icon on your desktop, click on 
the Start button in the lower left corner of your screen, then select 
My Computer from the pop-up menu. Select view system information to 
record processor speed and RAM as in 5c above, then click OK. The 
Windows Explorer window showing My Computer should remain on your 
screen. Follow step c above.
    6. MEC Error. This is a general Microsoft error that is preventing 
communication between your computer and Grants.gov. This error is NOT a 
grants.gov-generated error; it is on the user's end. Grants.gov cannot 
troubleshoot this type of error code. There could be any number of 
reasons for this error, but the most common is that the size of the 
submission is causing a communication interruption.
    Corrective Action: You should try to reduce the size of your 
application package by removing optional attachments or submitting 
required attachments manually (requires Agency approval). A firewall 
issue, either within your domain or with your Internet Service 
Provider, may also cause this.
    7. Page not found/Error 404. This is an error message when a URL 
page that you requested is not available. You may not be able to find 
the page because of the following: The page does not exist; a mistyped 
address; an out-of-date bookmark/favorite; or a search engine has an 
out-of-date listing.
    Corrective Action: Check the address to be sure that it is correct. 
If it is, wait a few moments and try again.
    8. Web site found waiting for reply. Message is related to the 
user's desktop machine/browser.
    Corrective Action: Most literature point to spyware/adware 
infestation that practically hijack the user's browser and cause 
tremendous slow down or no access at all. This is not related to any of 
the Grants.gov servers. This may be due to the user's desktop running 
two firewall software systems. Other industry literature talks about 
some corporate firewall that can cause this message to appear. There is 
also evidence that this message is related to users who are using a 
router connected to residential DSL/Cable services. In this case, it is 
a bandwidth issue.
    9. Submission has been archived for later submission.
    Corrective Action: Open Pure Edge viewer, click on the `` gear'' 
symbol, which is user preferences, and ensure the setting is to ``work 
online''.
    10. Cannot launch viewer. This message occurs when trying to open 
up a saved application file. It indicates that the previous save 
resulted in a corrupt file, i.e. unusable.
    Corrective Action: Applicant should try to revert to a previously 
saved version of the file or start over.
    11. A virus was detected during the submission of your grant 
application package.
    Corrective Action: Verify if any of your file attachments have a 
virus. When you have confirmed that you do not have a virus, resubmit 
your application.
    12. Form was illegal XFD format--Processing Exception. You may 
receive this message after submitting an application. The grant 
opportunity for which you have applied is no longer accepting 
applications or may have been removed by the offering agency, or if the 
agency posted a new application package, you may be submitting an old 
application.
    Corrective Action: Confirm the close date of your application. 
Confirm that the Funding Opportunity Number and the Competition ID on 
the package you are trying to submit matches the current package on 
Grants.gov. If you require additional information, contact the grantor 
agency directly.
    Appendix B provides information on Do's and Don'ts to follow 
regarding electronic application submission.

For Additional Assistance

    If you have questions about registration or submission issues, call 
the Grants.gov Contact Center at (800) 518-GRANTS (4726) or e-mail 
support@grants.gov. The Contact Center hours of operation are Monday-
Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
    If you need further information about this Notice, contact the NOFA 
Information Center at (800) HUD-8929 ((800) 483-8929).
    If you are a hearing or speech-impaired person, you may reach any 
of the telephone numbers in this notice by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

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    In addition, HUD has a detailed Desktop Users Guide for Submitting 
Grant Applications that walks applicants through the electronic 
process, beginning with finding a funding opportunity, completing the 
registration process, and downloading and submitting the electronic 
application. The Desktop Users Guide includes helpful step-by-step 
instructions, screen shots, and error proof tips to assist applicants 
in becoming familiar with submitting applications electronically. The 
Desktop Users Guide is available on line at https://www.hud.gov/grants/
index.cfm.

    Dated: October 23, 2006.
Keith A. Nelson,
Assistant Secretary for Administration.

Appendix A--Registering for Electronic Application Submission

    The following five steps must be completed to register with 
Grants.gov.

Step One: Obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number

    In order to submit an electronic application via Grants.gov, 
your organization will need a DUNS number. A DUNS number is a unique 
nine-character identification number provided by Dun & Bradstreet 
(D&B). You will use the same DUNS number throughout the registration 
and application process.
    Prior to requesting a DUNS number, find out if your organization 
already has a DUNS number by contacting your chief financial officer 
or grant administrator. If your organization does not have a DUNS 
number you can immediately receive one by calling D&B at (866) 705-
5711. It takes approximately ten minutes to get a DUNS number and 
there is no charge.

    Note: Your registration is not finished until Steps Two through 
Five are completed.

Step Two: Register With The Central Contractor Registration (CCR)

    Registering with CCR. Your organization must register or 
annually renew their registration with CCR to establish roles and 
IDs for representatives that will use Grants.gov to submit 
electronic applications. If you need assistance with the 
registration process, you can contact the CCR Assistance Center 24 
hours, 7 days a week at (888) 227-2423 or (269) 961-5757 or online 
at www.ccr.gov. In addition, a CCR Handbook is available by clicking 
on the ``CCR Handbook'' tab at the top of the page at www.ccr.gov.
    IRS Employer/Taxpayer Name Validation. When you register or 
renew your registration at CCR, during the registration process, you 
will complete an IRS Consent Form to allow the validation of your 
legal business name and Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Tax 
Identification Number (TIN). The information that you enter in CCR 
must match the IRS records for the most current tax year reported. 
Prior to becoming active in CCR, it will take at least one to two 
business days to validate new and updated records, longer if there 
are discrepancies. If you have questions about your EIN or TIN, call 
(800) 829-4933.
    CCR Use of DUNS Information. During the CCR registration, your 
Legal Business Name, Doing Business Name (DBA), Physical Address, 
and Postal/Zip+4 will be pre-populated from the Dun and Bradstreet 
(D&B) database. If the information is correct, you can proceed with 
your registration. If not, you can make corrections at https://
fedgov.dnb.com/webform. When D&B confirms that a modification has 
been made, you must re-visit CCR and ``accept'' D&B's changes. This 
process may take two to five business days.
    Trading Partner Profile (TPP). The CCR registration process 
consists of completing a TPP.

    Note: While completing the TPP, you will need to identify a CCR 
Point of Contact (CCR POC), who will be responsible for updating and 
renewing the CCR registration, an E-Business Point of Contact (E-
Business POC) and an alternate, who will be responsible for 
identifying and naming individual as an Authorized Organization 
Representative (AOR).

    The AOR will submit applications through Grants.gov for your 
organization and must be someone that has the right to enter into a 
legally binding commitment for the organization. The person that 
completes the TPP can be the CCR POC, E-Business POC, and the AOR or 
they can be different people.
    To Start the CCR Registration Process:
     Go to www.ccr.gov. On the left side of the screen, 
click on ``Start New Registration''.
     Enter your DUNS number at the next screen, ``New 
Registration''.
     At the next screen, the CCR will assign a temporary 
confirmation number that allows you to save your registration as a 
work in progress. Your temporary confirmation number, along with 
your DUNS number, will let you access CCR to complete your 
application at a later date.
     To access your application at a later date, at 
www.ccr.gov, select ``Finish Saved Registration Using Confirmation 
Number''.
     At the next screen, enter your DUNS number and 
temporary confirmation number.
     Follow the instructions on the next screens until you 
complete the TPP.
    Create a MPIN. The final step of the TPP requires you to create 
a Marketing Partner ID Number (MPIN). The MPIN is a self-defined 
nine character password that the E-Business POC will need to access 
Grants.gov to authorize the AOR to submit a grant application.
    CCR Registration Confirmation. After you complete the TPP, you 
will receive two notices if your registration was submitted 
successfully. The first notice welcomes you to CCR and will include 
a copy of your registration. The second notice provides you with a 
Web link/address where you can enter your DUNS number and temporary 
confirmation number to obtain your confidential TPIN.

    Note: A Trading Partner Identification Number (TPIN), which is 
assigned by CCR, will replace the temporary confirmation number when 
your registration is approved and becomes active.

    The TPIN is also your confidential password that confirms that 
you successfully registered in CCR and allows you to change your CCR 
information.
    Current Registrants without a MPIN. If you currently have an 
active registration in CCR and you do not have a MPIN you will need 
to:
     Access your CCR registration by clicking on ``Update or 
Renew Registration using TPIN''.
     Enter your DUNS number and TPIN. Click on the tab named 
``Points of Contact'', complete all fields for the E-Business POC 
and the alternate E-Business POC.
     Scroll down to the bottom of the ``Points of Contact'' 
page and create your own MPIN.
     Click on the ``Validate/Save'' button.
    Renewing your CCR Registration. Applicants are required to 
renew/update their information in CCR on an annual basis. If you do 
not renew your registration it will expire and result in your 
Grants.gov application being rejected.
     To renew your registration, go to www.ccr.gov, and 
click on ``Update or Renew Registrations Using TPIN''.
     Enter your DUNS number and TPIN, and click ``Submit''.
     If there are no changes to the registration, click the 
``Validate/Save'' button for the information to register in the 
system, then click ``Submit''.
     If there are changes, enter the changes, and then click 
``Submit''.

    Note: You must click on the ``Validate/Save'' or the ``Renew 
Profile'' button in ``Registration Tools''.

    Don't Know Your TPIN?
     If you are registered in CCR, but do not know your 
TPIN, go to www.ccr.gov. Click on ``Update or Renew Registrations 
Using TPIN''.
     At the next screen click on ``Don't Know Your TPIN? 
Click Here for a TPIN Letter request''.
     On the next screen enter your DUNS number and click on 
``Send TPIN Letter''. A confidential TPIN letter will be mailed to 
the CCR Point of Contact (POC) identified in the TPP. If you do not 
know your organization's CCR POC, call (888) 227-2423 for 
assistance.
    Verify Status of Your CCR Registration. You can verify the 
status of your registration online at www.ccr.gov by clicking on 
``Search CCR''. When prompted, enter your DUNS number and click 
``Search''. The registration status is located at the top of the 
page. You can also call the CCR Assistance Center for the status of 
your registration. You should also check the ccr.gov Web site for 
any registration updates or changes.

    Note: Your registration is not finished until Steps Three 
through Five are completed.

Step Three: Register With the Credential Provider

    In order to safeguard the security of your electronic 
information, Grants.gov utilizes a Credential Provider to determine 
with certainty that someone is really who they claim to be. An 
assigned AOR must register with the Grants.gov Credential Provider 
to receive a username and password, which are needed to submit an 
application package through Grants.gov.

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     To register with the Credential Provider go to: https://
apply.grants.gov/OrcRegister.
     Scroll down the page and enter your DUNS number and 
click on ``Register''.
     At the next screen scroll down and select ``Get Your 
Credentials''.
     Complete and submit all information on the 
eAuthentication User Information screen.
     On the next screen you will confirm your information, 
create your own ``User Name'' and ``Password'', and click on 
``Submit''. If all information has been entered correctly, you will 
receive a notice of Registration Success.

    Note: Your registration is not finished until Steps Four and 
Five are completed.

Step Four: Register With Grants.gov

    The AOR must register with Grants.gov in order to submit an 
application for an organization.
     To register with Grants.gov go to: https://
apply.grants.gov/GrantsgovRegister.
     Enter your Username and Password supplied by the 
Credential Provider and click on ``Register''. Complete all 
information on the ``Authorized Organization Representative User 
Profile'' screen and click ``Submit''.
    Upon following all steps correctly, you will receive an e-mail 
notice that you successfully registered with Grants.gov. The E-
Business POC will receive an e-mail notice stating that someone has 
registered to submit grant applications on behalf of your 
organization.

    Note: Your registration is not finished until Step Five is 
completed.

Step Five: Authorize an AOR To Submit a Grant Application

    This is a final and very critical step in the registration 
process. Once a potential AOR registers with a Credential Provider 
and Grants.gov, the E-Business POC will receive an e-mail stating 
that someone has signed up to become an AOR for their organization. 
The E-Business POC will need to authorize the AOR as the Authorized 
Applicant that is approved to submit applications on behalf of the 
organization, before that person can submit an application.

    Note: If an AOR has not been authorized by their E-Business POC, 
any application that is submitted will be rejected.

     To authorize an AOR to submit applications on behalf of 
the organization go to: https://apply.grants.gov/agency/AorMgrGetID. 
Or go to https://www.grants.gov, under Quick Links, click on E-Biz 
POC Login.
     Enter your DUNS and MPIN and click on ``Login''. The 
next screen welcomes you to the ``E-Business Points of Contact'' 
section where you will be able to add and revoke AOR privileges.
     On the left side of the screen, select ``Manage 
Applicants''.
     Click on the box (es) next to the name of the AOR(s) 
that you are assigning rights.
     Click on ``Reassign Roles''.
     At the next screen, use the arrows to move the roles 
from one box to the other. To provide authorization, the ``Current 
Roles'' should indicate ``Authorized Applicant''.
     Click on ``Continue''. You will receive a notice that 
the role has been successfully reassigned.
     Click on ``Continue''. Repeat the steps if you are 
assigning rights to multiple AORs.
     The AOR will receive an e-mail advising that the E-
Business POC has provided them authorization to submit applications 
on behalf of their organization.
    Check your AOR Status.
     An AOR can check their status at https://
apply.grants.gov/ApplicantLoginGetID.
     Or go to https://www.grants.gov, under Quick Links, 
click on Applicant Login.
     At the next screen enter your Username and Password 
supplied by the Credential Provider, click on ``Login''.
     On the left side of the screen, select ``Manage 
Applicant Profile''. Your status will be either--``Approved'' or 
``AOR Request Sent''.
     If the status is ``Approved'' you are authorized to 
submit grant applications on behalf of your organization.
     If the status is ``AOR Request Sent'' you have not been 
approved and you should contact your E-Business POC and have them 
authorize you as an AOR with Grants.gov.
    For Additional Assistance the following resources are available:
    HUD's Desktop Users Guide for Submitting Electronic Applications 
at: https://www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm. The Guide includes helpful 
detailed step-by-step instructions, screen shots, and error proof 
tips to assist applicants in registering, finding, and applying for 
grants electronically.
    Grants.gov registration checklists that guide you through the 
registration process are available at: https://www.grants.gov/
applicants/register_your_organization.jsp.
    If you have questions or need additional information, call the 
Grants.gov Contact Center at (800) 518-GRANTS (4726) or e-mail 
support@grants.gov. The Contact Center hours of operation are 
Monday-Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern standard time.
    If you are a hearing or speech-impaired person, you may reach 
any of the telephone numbers in this guide by calling the toll-free 
Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

Appendix B--DO'S and DON'TS Regarding Electronic Application Submission

A. What You Should Do

    1. DO register early.
    2. DO renew your registration with CCR annually.
    3. DO provide to Dun and Bradstreet the same Legal Business Name 
on record at the IRS. The Legal Business Name, Doing Business Name 
(DBA), Physical Address, and Postal Code/ Zip+4 will be pre-
populated in CCR from D&B's records.
    4. DO contact the IRS at (800) 829-4933 if you have questions 
about your Legal Business Name and/or EIN/TIN.
    5. DO provide to CCR the same Legal Business Name and Employer 
Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN) or Taxpayer Identification 
Number (TIN) that you provided to the IRS. This data must match 
exactly. If these two fields are not identical at CCR, D&B, and the 
IRS, an error message will result and you will not be able to 
complete your registration until the discrepancies have been 
resolved.
    6. DO check your AOR status at Grants.gov to make sure your E-
Business POC has authorized you to submit an application on behalf 
of your organization.
    7. DO look at HUD's Desktop Users Guide for Submitting Grant 
Applications, which walks applicants through the electronic process, 
beginning with finding a funding opportunity, completing the 
registration process, and downloading and submitting the electronic 
application. The Desktop Users Guide includes helpful step-by-step 
instructions, screen shots, and error proof tips to assist 
applicants in becoming familiar with submitting applications 
electronically. The Desktop Users Guide is available online at 
https://www.hud.gov/grants/index.cfm.
    8. DO create a special folder for each new application and save 
all files related to the application in that folder. Some applicants 
create the folder directly on their computer's desktop. Check all 
attachment files and make sure they have a file extension of .doc, 
.pdf, .xls, .jpg, .jpeg or .zip.
    9. DO make sure that file extensions are not in upper case. File 
extension must be lower case for the file to be opened.
    10. DO keep file names not more than 50 characters without 
special characters or spaces in the file name.
    11. DO review the application package and all the attachments to 
make sure it contains all the documents you want to submit. If it 
does, save it to your computer and remove previously saved versions.
    12. DO review the application package and all the attachments to 
make sure it contains all the documents you want to submit. If it 
does, save it to your computer and remove previously saved versions.
    13. DO run the Check Package for Errors feature on the 
application package and correct any problems identified.
    14. DO expect a Confirmation notice from Grants.gov, which 
advises that your application has been received and is being 
processed. This Confirmation includes the Grants.gov Tracking 
Number; record this number for future use. Until you see a 
confirmation message on your screen, your application has not been 
submitted to Grants.gov.
    15. DO use the Fax Form HUD-96011 as your Fax Cover Page if you 
fax attachments. In order for HUD to correctly match a fax to a 
particular application, the applicant must use and require third 
parties that fax documentation on its behalf to use the form HUD-
96011 as the cover page of the facsimile.

B. What You Should NOT Do

    1. DO NOT fax your entire application to HUD. HUD will 
disqualify applications submitted entirely by fax. Applicants should 
only use the fax method to submit required documents when they 
cannot be attached to the electronic application package as a pdf, 
.doc, .xls, jpeg, or jpg, or the size of the submission is too large 
to upload from the applicant's computer.
    2. DO NOT use more than one of the following search fields (CFDA 
Number,

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Funding Opportunity Number or Funding Opportunity Competition ID) 
when downloading the grant application package and instructions. If 
you enter more than one, you will not find the instructions. HUD 
recommends that you use the CFDA Number.
    3. DO NOT wait more than one hour for your application 
submission to be uploaded to Grants.gov. Stop the transmission and 
check the available disk and RAM space on your computer. HUD has 
found that difficulty in uploading a file from the applicant's 
desktop often occurs because the application package is too large 
for the applicant's computer to handle, or the applicant's network 
limits the size of files going in or out, or the Internet service 
provider has a file size limit. Therefore, in such instances, the 
application should be reduced in size by removing attachment files 
and submitting the information via the facsimile method using the 
form HUD 96011 as the cover page.
    4. DO NOT use special characters (example: , %, /, etc) 
in a file name.
    5. DO NOT include spaces in the file name.

[FR Doc. E6-18224 Filed 10-30-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P