Instructions and Mandatory Forms

Complete application packages for all ECA competitions are available on grants.gov and the open opportunities page of this website. Each Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) contains comprehensive information on eligibility, programmatic details, and methods of submission. The Agency contact for each NOFO is listed within the announcement and can answer questions you may have, after reviewing the complete solicitation package.

A complete solicitation package for ECA grants and cooperative agreements is comprised of the following documents:

1. Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) — The NOFO provides information on the award, who is eligible to apply, the evaluation criteria for selection of an awardee, required components of an application, and how to submit the application, including the due date.
2. Proposal Submission Instructions (PSI) The PSI document contains standard technical instructions and other information for submission of a complete application for all ECA awards:
Proposal Submission Instructions for NOFOs (PSI) (21 pages) (PDF).
3. Required Forms — The first two Standard Federal forms listed below are a required part of every application and must be completed and submitted with proposals responding to all NOFOs. Additional forms, including the third bullet below, may be required if it is applicable to your organization.
SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance (3 pages) (PDF)
SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance Instructions (8 pages) (PDF)
SF-424A Budget Information, Non Construction Programs (3 pages) (PDF)
SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, if applicable.
Any organization that lobbies or intends to lobby, must include with their application. (1 page) (PDF)

Additional documents may be referenced in the solicitation or included as attachments for the specific solicitation announcements, if they are applicable to that NOFO. If you are interested in submitting a proposal for any ECA NOFO you must ensure that all parts of the Solicitation Package have been obtained before beginning work on the proposal.

4. Program Objective, Goals, and Implementation (POGI) — If available, a POGI will elaborate on the program guidelines outlined in the NOFO, providing more specifics to assist in your proposal development. In some cases the program office may have included complete program details in the NOFO and a POGI is not necessary.
5. Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) — ECA utilizes the Monitoring Data for ECA (MODE) Framework to measure the performance of ECA programs. The MODE Framework provides standard indicators and corresponding survey questions to ensure consistent measures across all ECA programs. Many NOFOs will suggest use of a Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) to guide applicants in establishing their performance monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans, which are then a required element of all proposals. NOFOs requiring the MODE Framework as part of your proposal submission will provide a suggested PMP format as part of the NOFO attachments on Grants.gov. The links below include the suggested PMP format, as discussed in the NOFOs that require the MODE Framework as a part of your proposal submission. Please see each NOFO for more information about M&E plans.
ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (36 pages) (DOCX)
ECA Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) (34 pages) (PDF)
6. Other Attachments — some programs may provide additional attachments, such as a sample budget or other items. Please refer to the NOFO announcement on grants.gov or the open opportunities page of this website for specific guidance.

Please visit the Applying for a Grant page to learn more about the ECA awards process, obtain best practices for making your proposal as competitive as possible, and other information you may need to begin work on your application.