By Shayna Thompson and Timothy Riddlestorffer
A Simple and Effective Guide to Navigating Grant Agreements and Cooperative Agreements
Federal funding provides unique opportunities to help your organization pursue meaningful projects that may otherwise not be attainable. Two commonly used federal funding opportunities available to the public and organizations are Grant Agreements and Cooperative Agreements.
The primary difference between these types of funding opportunities is that in a Cooperative Agreement, a joint action or collaboration between the recipient and federal awarding agency during project performance is considered necessary or desirable to achieve successful project implementation. Conversely, in a Grant Agreement, the federal stakeholder takes on a purely monitoring role once the grant is awarded, allowing the recipient autonomy over performance of the agreement.
For example, the Department of Justice (DOJ) offers funding via Grant Agreements to support and implement programs that improve criminal, civil, and juvenile justice systems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers funding via Cooperative Agreements to collaborate with organizations in support of the public health system in research or outcomes for specific health conditions.
In pursuing either a Grant Agreement or Cooperative Agreement opportunity, there are some key factors in determining which option is best for your organization. Once determined, there are best practices to keep in mind when developing your organization’s application proposal for submission to the funding agency.
What to Know When Pursuing Federal Funding Opportunities
Federal Funding Pursuit: Best Practices
How Can Guidehouse Help?
The elements of federal funding can be complex, and determining which opportunity is best for your organization can be challenging. Guidehouse has extensive experience in supporting organizations with the development and implementation of highly functioning and effective processes that can help your organization succeed in current and future federal funding pursuits.