What you get
- A written NOFO breakdown: eligibility, required attachments, page limits, and how the points are distributed.
- A project narrative organized to match the scoring criteria, heading for heading.
- The SF-424 family completed and reconciled, so the forms and the budget agree.
- A budget and budget narrative built to the 2 CFR 200 cost principles and the program's own limits.
- Logic model, evaluation plan, letters of support and other attachments the NOFO requires.
A government grant writer prepares applications for funding from federal agencies and from state programs that pass federal money through. We write the full application for you: we read the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), map its scoring criteria, write the project narrative and attachments, complete the SF-424 forms, and build a budget that meets the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR 200. You review and approve; your authorized representative submits.
What makes a federal application different
Federal applications are screened before they are scored. An applicant that is not eligible, misses a required attachment, exceeds a page limit or submits through an expired registration never reaches a reviewer. Only then does the content compete, against a published point scale, read by reviewers who must justify every score against that scale.
That changes how the work is done. Foundation proposals are persuasive letters to a program officer; federal applications are closer to a scored response to a specification. Our overview of how to apply for federal grants walks through the sequence from registration to submission.
How we build the application
1. NOFO breakdown. Before drafting, we produce a short written breakdown of the NOFO: eligibility, the funding priorities and any priority points, every required section and attachment, page and formatting limits, cost-sharing rules, and the point value of each criterion. Our explainer on what a NOFO is shows how to read one.
2. Registration check. SAM.gov registration must be active and is renewed every year; Grants.gov roles must give someone the authority to submit. A lapsed registration is the most common avoidable failure, so we check it on day one. See our guide to Grants.gov and SAM.gov registration.
3. Outline against the criteria. Every scored criterion gets its own heading, in the order the NOFO lists them, using its language. A reviewer working down the scoring sheet should never have to search. If you are drafting in house, our government grant proposal writing guide walks through each section.
4. Drafting. The need statement with local data, the project design, goals and measurable objectives, the logic model, the evaluation plan, organizational capacity and key personnel, and the budget narrative. Points follow weight: if the project design is worth 40 points and capacity 10, the pages are split the same way.
5. Forms and final check. The SF-424 family completed and reconciled, attachments named and formatted as the NOFO requires, and a final pass against the breakdown from step one.
Budgets under 2 CFR 200
A cost that looks reasonable can still be unallowable. The Uniform Guidance sets the cost principles, and the 2024 revisions changed several numbers applicants still get wrong: the de minimis indirect rate rose to 15 percent of modified total direct costs, the equipment threshold rose to $10,000, and the single audit threshold rose to $1,000,000 in federal expenditures a year.
We build the budget so every line traces to an activity in the narrative, apply your negotiated indirect rate or the de minimis rate on the correct base, and document cost sharing where the program requires it. Our primers on 2 CFR 200 basics and the SF-424A budget form cover the detail.
A note on fees: under 2 CFR 200.460, the cost of preparing an application is treated as an indirect cost, not a direct charge to the award. That is one reason a grant writer paid a percentage of the award is a poor fit for federal funding. We quote a fixed fee for a defined scope.
The SF-424 family
Most federal packages include the SF-424 cover form, a budget form such as the SF-424A for non-construction programs, and program-specific forms. Inconsistencies between them, such as a funding request on the SF-424 that does not match the SF-424A totals, are easy to make because the forms are completed at different times. We complete and reconcile the set; our field-by-field SF-424 instructions explain each entry. The SF-424B assurances are now covered by SAM.gov certifications for most agencies, so check whether your NOFO still asks for the form.
What you provide, and timing
Send the funding opportunity number or NOFO link, a description of the project, your most recent budget and audit, and any data you have on the need you will address. Federal deadlines are fixed and Grants.gov validates submissions after upload, so we plan to finish several days early. Most competitive applications need four to eight weeks of work; our schedule starts when the engagement begins, after payment.
No one can promise a federal award. After award, our grant management services cover the compliance that follows, and our proposal review scores an existing draft against the NOFO if you have written one yourself. Small companies seeking research funding should see our SBIR and STTR proposal service.
