GAO Reports Applicants Lack Info on How to Use Grants.gov Alternatives

Washington, April 29 – With federal officials predicting that the surge in applications flowing through Grants.gov for Recovery Act funds will last until August or later, federal agencies continue to flesh out alternatives to the overcrowded system. But a new report from the Government Accountability Office, sent to Congress today, says that although these alternate routes for applications have most likely prevented a total Grants.gov failure, applicants lack a centralized source of information on how and when to use them.

Despite the fact that 10 of the 26 federal grant-making agencies have started accepting applications via mail, e-mail, fax and their own electronic services in place of using Grants.gov, there is currently no mention of these alternate routes on Recovery.gov, the central hub of Recovery Act information and the starting point for most applicants looking to get their hands on recovery dollars.