0301 Overview

This chapter establishes the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) financial policies regarding the Grant Funding Availability Announcement and Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

Key items covered in this chapter include:

• VA will ensure that information regarding Federal financial assistance information is communicated to prospective applicants;
• VA will follow 2 C.F.R. § 200.203 and § 200.204 on funding opportunity announcements and posting requirements;
• Grant Program Offices (GPOs) should provide applicants at least 60 calendar days from the date of issuance of a funding announcement to prepare and submit applications. VA may modify the availability period of an opportunity as needed, but no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days; and
• Office of Business Oversight – Grants Management Service (OBO-GMS) and Office of General Counsel (OGC) will review NOFOs prior to publication to ensure compliance.

0302 Revisions

Section	Revision	Office	Reason for Change	Effective Date
Various	Added or updated citations.	OBO- GMS	Reason for Change Added citations to provide clarity where needed and updated citations that are no longer in effect.	April 2026
Various	Updated language to align with terminology used in updated 2 C.F.R. 200.	OBO- GMS	Alignment with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) revisions to Title 2 C.F.R. Part 200.	April 2026
0301 and 030502	Revised availability period for NOFOs.	OBO- GMS	Revisions are to align with updates made to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 in April 2024.	April 2026
0303	Updated to align with Uniform Guidance at 2 C.F.R. Part 200.	OBO- GMS	OMB released revisions to Title 2 C.F.R. Part 200 in April 2024.	April 2026
030501	Added information about OMB requirement to streamline and simplify NOFOs.	OBO- GMS	OMB released Memo M-24-11 outlining requirements to  use plain language in NOFOs and make them more accessible.	April 2026
030502	Added information on GMS concurrence of NOFOs.	OBO- GMS	OMB included a requirement in its budget guidance that GMS review all grants-related materials prior to publication.	April 2026
030502	Revised language regarding technical assistance.	OBO- GMS	Revised 2 C.F.R. Part 200 updated in April 2024 specifies allowability of technical assistance.	April 2026
030503	Updated language to align with required components of a NOFO.	OBO- GMS	Updated 2 C.F.R. Part 200 revised and clarified required content that must be in NOFOs.	April 2026
0306	Updated hyperlinks	OBO- GMS	Updated due to invalid or incorrect hyperlinks referenced	April 2026

For a complete list of previous policy revisions, see Appendix A: Previous Policy Revisions.

0303 Definitions

Assistance Listing Number – A unique number assigned to identify an Assistance Listing.

Assistance Listings – The publicly available listing of Federal assistance programs managed and administered by the General Services Administration (GSA) at SAM.gov.

Award –The Federal financial assistance that a recipient receives directly from a Federal agency or indirectly from a pass-through entity, as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.101.

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) – A formal announcement of the availability of Federal funding through a financial assistance program from a Federal agency. The NOFO provides information on the award, such as who is eligible to apply, the evaluation criteria for selecting a recipient or subrecipient, the required components of an application, and how to submit the application. The NOFO is any paper or electronic issuance that an agency uses to announce a funding opportunity, whether it is called a “program announcement,” “notice of funding availability,” “broad agency announcement,” “research announcement,” “solicitation,” or some other term.

Grants.gov – An OMB designated government-wide website for posting summary information about funding opportunities.

Recipient – An entity that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program. The term recipient does not include subrecipients or individuals that are participants or beneficiaries of the award.

Senior Appointee – An individual appointed by the President, a non-career member of the Senior Executive Service, or employees encumbering a Senior Level, Scientific and Professional, or Grade 15 position in Schedule C of the excepted service.

0304 Roles and Responsibilities

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is responsible for administering the Federal budget and oversees the performance of Federal agencies in its role as the business division of the Executive Office of the President.

VA Senior Appointee is responsible for establishing a process for reviewing NOFOs and discretionary grant awards and serves as the final approving authority before Administrations post NOFOs and issue discretionary grant awards. The VA Senior Appointee is responsible for ensuring VA grants are fiscally responsible and aligned with VA and Presidential priorities. VA Secretary (SECVA) designated the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer (ASM/CFO) as the VA Senior Appointee.

Administration Senior Appointee is responsible for approving NOFOs and proposed grant awards before concurrence by OGC and the VA Senior Appointee.

Office of Business Oversight (OBO) is responsible for ensuring that the grant program offices properly conduct administrative, financial, and compliance oversight of grants throughout their lifecycle. OBO, through Grants Management Service (GMS), is also responsible for providing expertise in grant laws, regulations, and policy; drafting and updating grants policy; advising grant program offices; reporting on VA’s grants portfolio; delivering technical assistance and support services to the VA grants community; and collaborating with Federal partners.

Office of General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for providing legal advice and services to SECVA and all Department components and for conducting legal reviews of grant-related materials, including grant regulations, NOFOs, and grant awards. 

Grant Program Office (GPO) is responsible for responding promptly to the OBO and other data calls and audits inquiring about progress toward meeting benchmarks.

GPO Senior Executive is responsible for signing grant awards after approval by the VA Senior Appointee and ensuring the grant awards comply with established guiding principles and approved general terms and conditions are consistently applied.

Head of a GPO is responsible for the grant program, including the execution and administration of grant awards. Head of a GPO ensures compliance with all applicable statutory, regulatory, and administrative requirements, ensures that program guidance and NOFOs use the appropriate templates and includes the correct administrative and national policy provisions, and complies with OMB and VA regulations.

Office of Regulatory Oversight and Management (ROM) is responsible for providing centralized management and control for the formulation and publication of all VA regulations and advises SECVA and senior officials on all matters related to regulations including coordination and publication in the Federal Register (FR).

0305 Policies

030501 General Policies

1. VA will develop and issue Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that adhere to 2 C.F.R. § 200.203-204, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidelines, and DATA Act implementation guidance, 68 Federal Register 37379.
2. VA will disseminate federal financial assistance information concerning the availability of funding opportunities.
3. In accordance with OMB Memo M-24-11, Reducing Burden in the Administration of Federal Financial Assistance, and Executive Order (EO) 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking, VA will simplify NOFOs to improve clarity, accessibility, and usability for applicants. Grant Program Offices (GPOs) will work with Office of Business Oversight – Grants Management Service (OBO-GMS) to simplify their NOFOs.
4. GPOs will communicate the NOFO in plain language, make efforts to limit the length and complexity of the NOFO, and only include information necessary for effective communication of program objectives.

030502 Announcements

1. To ensure an award is issued in a timely manner, the process for the development of a draft NOFO must begin early enough to maximize the time available for the applicant to prepare their application, and for the GPO to carry out its objective and business review.
2. A NOFO will align with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. part 200 Appendix I, be written in plain language, and require only information necessary for the adequate evaluation of the application.
3. A NOFO shall contain required language, as provided by OBO-GMS, aligning to guiding principles as outlined in Volume X, Chapter 1, Appendix B for specific references to EOs applicable to grant recipients.
4. GPOs must obtain concurrence on the NOFO from the following entities prior to publication:
   1. Office of Management (OM) – GPOs are required to submit the NOFO to OBO-GMS for review to ensure compliance with Presidential EOs, OMB Memoranda, and 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements. Program offices can contact VAGMS@va.gov to begin this review;
   2. Office of General Counsel (OGC) – GPOs are required to submit the NOFO to OGC Procurement Law Group (PrLG) for a legal review to ensure compliance with statutes, regulations, Presidential actions, OMB Memoranda, and other relevant guidance. PrLG will coordinate review with other OGC law groups as appropriate.
   3. VA Senior Appointee – GPOs are required to submit NOFOs to VA Senior Appointee to ensure the NOFO is aligned with VA and Presidential priorities.
5. All NOFO packages submitted for concurrence shall contain a complete NOFO Checklist signed by the GPO Senior Executive. The Checklist will be maintained by OBO-GMS.
6. The Head of GPO shall ensure that a NOFO:
   1. Meets the programmatic needs established within statute;
   2. Complies with EO 14332 “Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking;”
   3. Has been appropriately approved;
   4. Is published on Grants.gov, and in the Federal Register if required by statute or regulation.
7. VA must notify the public of Federal programs in the Assistance Listings maintained by the General Services Administration (GSA) per 2 C.F.R. § 200.203.
8. VA must post information about funding opportunities on Grants.gov and, if required by statute or regulation, in the Federal Register.
9. The funding opportunity synopsis on Grants.gov must include a PDF of the NOFO.
10. GPOs that are required by statute or regulation to also post their notice in the Federal Register must use the approved template from the Office of Regulatory Oversight and Management (ROM). GPOs may request the most up-to-date template from ROM by emailing regulations@va.gov.
11. VA grant programs may publish NOFOs across multiple external and internal platforms, including but not limited to, program websites and after publication, emailing to eligible applicants in a universe of known applicants.
12. When multiple platforms are used to disseminate information about funding opportunities, GPOs will attempt to ensure that potential variations in the information provided and the timing of the release of the information do not create an unfair advantage to the users of one source rather than another.
13. GPOs should provide applicants at least 60 calendar days from the date of issuance of a NOFO to prepare and submit applications. VA may determine that an availability period of less than 60 days is sufficient for a particular funding opportunity. However, no funding opportunity should be available for less than 30 calendar days unless the VA determines that exigent circumstances exist. GPOs should submit a written justification for shortened application windows to OBO-GMS for awareness.
14. Each NOFO will follow a uniform naming convention (i.e., VA-Administration-Grant Program-FYXXXX-Shortened Grant Name (VA-VHA-Grants Per Diem-FY2026-GPD-CM)). Additional designations may be added if the grant program has multiple opportunities in a single fiscal year.
15. GPOs will not unjustifiably tailor NOFOs to selected projects or outcomes (e.g., by using unduly restrictive evaluation criteria that only select applicants can meet).

030503 Content Requirements for NOFOs

1. A NOFO, is a grant program office’s formal means of conveying to the public detailed information abGPOs must adhere to NOFO requirements identified in their grant program’s statutory authority.
2. GPO’s must adhere to NOFO content requirements specified in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix I, Part-200(a)(3). Specifically, the NOFO should include at a minimum these sections:
   1. Basic information;
   2. Eligibility;
   3. Program Description;
   4. Application Contents and Format;
   5. Submission Requirements and Deadlines;
   6. Application Review Information;
   7. Award Notices; and
   8. Post-Award Requirements and Administration.
3. NOFOs will include the following information (refer to 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix I for a full description and list of all required components):
   1. A summary of information about the funding opportunity including:
      1. Federal Awarding Agency Name (i.e., Department of Veterans Affairs).
      2. Funding Opportunity Title.
      3. Announcement Type (whether the funding opportunity is the initial announcement or a modification of a previously announced opportunity).
      4. Funding Opportunity Number (required, if the VA has assigned a number to the funding opportunity announcement).
      5. Assistance Listing Number(s).
      6. Funding Details to include the total amount of funding that the VA expects to award, the anticipated number of awards, and the expected dollar values of individual awards, which may be a range.
      7. Key Dates include due dates for submitting applications or Executive Order 12372 submissions, as well as for any letters of intent or preapplications. For any announcement issued before a program’s application materials are available, key dates also include the date on which those materials will be released; and any other applicable information. If possible, an anticipated award date should be provided. If the NOFO states that applications will be evaluated on a “rolling” basis, an estimate of the time needed to process an application and notify the applicant of VA’s decision should be provided.
      8. A brief Executive Summary, written in plain language and summarizing the goals and objectives of the program, the target audience, and eligible applicants. The text of the Executive Summary should not exceed 500 words.
      9. Agency contact information.
   2. Full programmatic description of the funding opportunity to include:
      1. Eligibility criteria and any eligibility restrictions;
      2. Program purpose, expected achievements, goals, and objectives;
      3. Application components, formatting requirements, and required documentation;
      4. Submission information, instructions, and required registrations (i.e., SAM.gov and/or Grants.gov);
      5. Application review information, including the criteria and process to be used to evaluate applications;
      6. Federal Award administration information to include agency contact(s);
      7. Post-award requirements including administrative and national policy requirements and reporting requirements; and
      8. Any additional information that may be helpful for potential applicants.
   3. A statement informing applicants of the requirements of the Build America, Buy America Act, enacted as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) on November 15, 2021. The IIJA established a domestic preference for all Federal financial assistance obligated for infrastructure projects after May 14, 2022. All applicants must be informed prior to seeking agency funding that the Guidance establishes sourcing requirements for three key types of products that might be used in an infrastructure project, including iron, steel, and manufactured projects.
   4. NOFOs must include a statement that awardees will comply with all laws, rules, regulations, and executive orders (e.g., P.L. 117-58, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which includes the Build America, Buy America Act; OMB M-24-02, Implementation Guidance on Application of Buy America Preference in Federal Financial Assistance Programs for Infrastructure, P.L. 89-665, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, P.L. 91-190, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969).
4. GPOs must utilize the agency-wide NOFO template provided by OBO-GMS. The template can be found in the Grants Management Practice Guide, which can be obtained by contacting VAGMS@va.gov.

030504 Review and Approval of NOFOs

1. NOFOs will be reviewed and approved by one or more Administration senior appointee prior to submitting the package in VA Integrated Enterprise Workflow Solution (VIEWS) for concurrence.
2. Administration senior appointee(s) may assign an appropriate subject matter expert (SME) to review NOFO packages prior to approval. SMEs will review the NOFO package and provide to the Administration senior appointees any pertinent information necessary to facilitate the decision to approve/disapprove the NOFO.
3. Administration senior appointees shall use independent judgment in approving NOFOs and not routinely defer to the recommendations of others.  
4. After approval by an Administration senior appointee, concurrence packages shall be submitted in VIEWS to OGC and Office of Management (OM).
5. After OGC concurrence and OM review, OBO-GMS will assist the GPO in obtaining final approvals from OMB. OMB requires a review period of 30 calendar days. If OMB does not provide a response within 30 calendar days, the VA Senior Appointee may determine the NOFO can proceed with publication.
6. The VA Senior Appointee will review the NOFO prior to submission to OMB.
7. After OMB’s review and approval, the VA Senior Appointee will sign the NOFO as the designated official responsible for oversight of VA’s grantmaking programs.
8. After concurrence and signature by the VA Senior Appointee for Grants, the Administration or GPO may post the NOFO. GPOs shall notify OBO-GMS when the NOFO is posted.
9. For more specific information on the review and approval of NOFOs refer to Volume X, Chapter 1, Appendix B.

030505 Deadlines for Submission of Competing Applications

1. To be considered timely, applications must be submitted on or before the published deadline date.
2. Applications not meeting the deadline specified in the NOFO are deemed late and may not be considered.
3. VA may modify the availability period of an opportunity as needed. For example, extending the period may be necessary to provide technical assistance to an applicant pool that was not anticipated when the announcement was made or has less experience with applying for Federal financial assistance.
4. Heads of the GPO may authorize or delegate the authority to grant a general extension of a published application deadline that affects all applicants or only those applicants in a defined geographical area when justified by circumstances such as acts of God (e.g., floods or hurricanes), widespread disruptions of mail service, or disruptions of electronic (e.g., application receipt services) or other services, such as a prolonged blackout, that affect the public at large. The Head of the GPO must notify OBO-GMS in advance of granting any extension to a published application deadline.

030506  Assisting Applicants

1. Head of the GPO may designate appropriate staff to provide pre-application technical assistance to applicants. Pre-application technical assistance should be limited to providing:
   • Explanations of programmatic requirements, regulations, guidelines, technical evaluation, and funding criteria;
   • Guidance to applicants on possible linkages with other resources; and
   • Information related to the technical requirements of the funding announcement, completing forms, use of Grants.gov, and other information that while publicly available may need limited explanation.
2. All questions asked from potential applicants during the open competition period (e.g., via email to GPO staff) must be answered in written format and posted on a public-facing website for all potential applicants. Answers to questions posed by potential applicants must not be provided over the phone. For details on the Question-and-Answer process, GPOs are encouraged to seek assistance from OBO-GMS.
3. If technical assistance is provided, the assistance will be provided in written format (e.g., PowerPoint) and made available to all potential applicants via posting on a public-facing website. In all cases, the ultimate responsibility for the quality of the application remains with the applicant. Care will be taken to ensure that the technical assistance provided is consistent among potential applicants and does not affect the review process for applications.
4. If letters of intent or pre-applications are required, staff may review them to determine relevance to the program announcement’s topics, whether any required activities are included, and the conformance of the project plan with program regulations and guidelines. Letters of intent or pre-applications also may be handled and reviewed by a designated review function external to VA.

0306 Authorities and References

• Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental review of Federal programs
• Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking
• Public Law (P.L.)
  • P.L. 89-665, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
  • P.L. 91-190, National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
  • P.L. 106-107, Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act (FFMIA) of 1999
  • P.L. 113-101, Data Act
• Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R)
  • 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
  • 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Appendix I
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.101, Applicability
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.203, Requirement to provide public notice of Federal financial assistance programs.
• M-24-02 Build America, Buy America Act
• M-24-11 Reducing Burden in the Administration of Federal Financial Assistance
• Office of Management and Budget Policies
• Federal Register
• Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) Guidance for Financial Assistance
• OFFM Policy Directive on Use of Grants.Gov FIND
• Grants.gov
• SAM.gov: Assistance Listing Numbers for Federal Users

0307 Rescissions

Volume X, Chapter 3 – Grant Funding Availability Announcement, May 2025.

Appendix A: Previous Policy Revisions

Section	Revision	Office	Reason for Change	Effective Date
030502	Realigned requirements from General Grants Policy  requiring grant program offices (GPOs) to send grant NOFOs to GMS and OGC.	OFP	Realigned requirements to appropriate chapter applicable.	May 2025
Various & Appendix B	Updated Notice of Funding Availability to Notice of Funding Opportunity section and deleted Appendix B.	GMS	This terminology is in alignment with 2 CFR 200. Template in Appendix B was moved to the Grants Management Practice Guide.	October 2023
030503 Content Requirements for NOFOs	Added language specific to compliance with Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and Build America, Buy America Act.	GMS	This language will inform all applicants of the need to comply with IIJA and BABA requirements should they be awarded a grant.	October 2023
Various	Reformatted to new policy format and completed five-year update.	OFP (047G)	Reorganized chapter layout	April 2020
030201.01 A, C, D, and E	Updated references “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated references	July 2014
030201.01 E	Updated items for inclusion in Notice of Funding Opportunity to be consistent with the updated OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030201.02 Approvals	Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance. Incorporated reference to Administrative involvement in the regulatory and notice process.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030201.03 Timing	Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030201.04 Technical Assistance	Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030201.05 Clarity and Simplicity	Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030202 Content Requirements for Funding Opportunity Announcements	Incorporated references to Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030202.02 B	Removed references to superseded guidance; replaced Central Contractor Registry with updated System for Award Management. Updated references to superseded 2 CFR guidance with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance references.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030203 Deadlines for Submission of Competing Applications	Incorporated references to Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030204 Assisting Applicants	Incorporated references to Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA). Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
0303 Authority and References	Updated references to superseded 2 CFR guidance with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance references.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
030405 Roles and Responsibilities	Updated to include Regulatory offices which are involved in the NOFA and regulation development process.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014
0306 Definitions	Updated references to “grants,” “grant programs,” and “grant offices” to incorporate definition clarifications from OMB Uniform Grant Guidance.	OFP (047G)	Updated for consistency with OMB Uniform Grant Guidance	July 2014