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Grants Quality Service Management Office (Grants QSMO) Marketplace

The Grants QSMO seeks to transform grants management by empowering and enabling federal awarding agencies, applicants, and recipients with modern tools to efficiently and effectively deliver on the federal grants mission. The Marketplace consists of Grants QSMO-validated federal shared solutions/services that provide high quality, innovative, and trusted services. The Marketplace covers functions and activities across the grants management lifecycle aligned to the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) for Grants Management (GRM).

If you are a federal awarding agency interested in learning about grants award management IT acquisition tools and resources, please visit the Grants QSMO Acquisition Gateway (fed-only, log-in required).

Visit Acquisition Gateway

Legend

  • Solution leverages Login.gov for single sign-on authentication
  • Validated
    Solution has completed the Marketplace Validation Process and has been validated by the Grants QSMO
  • Approved
    Solution addresses an activity within the grants lifecycle

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FAQ

This Grants QSMO Marketplace has been developed for use by all federal agencies that award grants and/or cooperative agreements. The Marketplace has been aligned to the Federal Integrated Business Framework (FIBF) for grants management and provides agencies with transparent information on validated shared solutions/services across the grants lifecycle to support and inform agency decisions related to adoption of shared solutions/services.

Federal agencies that have identified a requirement for grants IT for any part of the grants lifecycle should consult this Marketplace, the Grants QSMO team, and the respective shared service providers to determine if Marketplace offerings can meet their grants IT requirements. If an agency cannot meet its grants management IT requirements with a Marketplace offering, the agency should also review the Grants QSMO’s Catalog of Market Research (Fed only - login required) to evaluate possible commercial acquisition options. In either case, the agency is to coordinate directly with the Grants QSMO as required by OMB Memos M-19-16, M-21-20, and M-22-12.

The Grants QSMO will assist in the acquisition process (e.g. reviewing draft documents, serving as an adviser to the Technical Evaluation team) with the level of support dependent on agency specific requirements. The Grants QSMO has prepared an Agency Acquisition Guide (fed-only), which describes the acquisition process and will assist an agency in its preparations.

Note: Both the Catalog of Market Research and Agency Acquisition Guide are available on the Grant’s QSMO Acquisition Gateway.

Grants QSMO Investment Details Form

Please contact the Grants QSMO team at GrantsQSMO@hhs.gov if your agency or organization is:

  • gathering requirements for an investment in grants IT for any part of the grants lifecycle;
  • interested in acquiring a Marketplace offering;
  • requesting Technology Modernization Funds to address a grants IT requirement;
  • considering modernizing an existing grants IT solution/service;
  • considering developing a new grants IT solution/service;
  • considering procuring a commercial grants IT solution/service;
  • considering becoming a Federal Shared Service Provider;
  • interested in providing feedback about current Marketplace solutions/services;
  • wondering why your current shared service provider is not listed here; and/or
  • looking for more information about the Grants QSMO (visit our Grants QSMO Collaboration site here).

The Grants QSMO Marketplace Validation Process (MVP) is a 3-step evaluation process that externally shared federal grants management solutions/services are required to complete to be considered for inclusion onto the Marketplace. If the functionality and offerings of the solution/service are approved by the Grants QSMO, the validated solution/service is formally onboarded to the Marketplace. To read more about the MVP process, visit the December 2023 GAO Report.

MVP Process

Note: The detailed process described above is the first step towards creating a high-quality foundation for the Grants QSMO Marketplace. The MVP process and the Marketplace itself will continue to evolve as we develop and implement a Marketplace maturity framework, incorporate user feedback, and bring on additional shared solution/service offerings.

If you are interested in learning more about Marketplace Validation Process, and/or would like to provide suggestions or ideas to help shape the future of the Marketplace, please contact our team at GrantsQSMO@hhs.gov.

The Grants QSMO is committed to being responsive to federal awarding agencies’ grant technology needs through ongoing assessments. Consequently, the Grants QSMO released a Request for Information (RFI) in March 2023 to gain a better understanding of the commercial grants IT solution ecosystem and learn industry best standards on how to operationalize a commercial side of the Grants QSMO Marketplace. A government-wide team of over 19 reviewers across 13 federal agencies reviewed the RFI responses from 60 respondents and participated in one-on-one sessions with 14 specified vendors with existing end-to-end solution offerings.

The Grants QSMO has since successfully completed a pilot program with a small federal awarding agency and has launched its Acquisition Gateway. The Acquisition Gateway is an informational hub that leverages Grants QSMO market research including vendor cost estimates and current capabilities. Resources on the Acquisition Gateway will support agencies in their initial acquisition planning efforts and streamline the acquisition process to save hundreds of hours of market research.

The Grants QSMO intends to operationalize and mature the Marketplace by assessing multiple approaches to offer and support the acquisition of commercial solutions/services on the Marketplace. This includes developing and finalizing a formalized vetting process for potential commercial providers with the hope of expanding shared service offerings to meet nearly all customer needs.

Please contact us at GrantsQSMO@hhs.gov with any questions or feedback.

The Grants QSMO is developing a customer-focused Marketplace Maturity Framework to guide updates to the content, appearance, and user experience of the Marketplace. This customer-centric approach aims to deliver seamless access to provider capabilities, transparent and relevant financial information, and advance customer satisfaction. Additionally, expansion of the Marketplace to include more Federal Shared Service providers as well as commercial solutions and services is an important goal for the Grants QSMO. Currently, in lieu of validating commercial providers for inclusion in the Marketplace, the Grants QSMO conducts annual Commercial Market Research and shares its results with federal awarding agencies via the Catalog of Market Research (available on the Grant’s QSMO Acquisition Gateway).

The Grants QSMO acknowledges the following Shared Principles as it carries out its designated responsibilities per OMB Memo M-19-16:

  • The Grants QSMO will minimize any additional administrative and bureaucratic burden for all stakeholders, particularly for validated Marketplace solutions/services and providers;
  • The Grants QSMO will partner with validated solutions/services and providers as they define the types of customers that are the best fit for their solution/service, to help enable the Grants QSMO to properly help validated solutions/services and providers manage customer expectations;
  • The Grants QSMO and validated solutions/services and providers will collaborate to support implementation of grants management data standards, in alignment with any forthcoming determinations from OMB and the Grants Standard Setting Agency;
  • The Grants QSMO and validated solutions/services and providers will continue to collaborate and share information via recurring 1:1 meetings, work group meetings with other validated solutions/services on the Grants QSMO Marketplace (e.g., via the Marketplace Partnership Work Group (MPWG)), and other forums, as appropriate;
  • The Grants QSMO and validated solutions/services and providers will continue to collaborate and share information on planned investments in new modules or system functionality, as well as significant modernization efforts to enhance existing services; and
  • The Grants QSMO will continue to collaborate with validated solutions/services and providers to strategize on how best to develop more common customer engagement and feedback models that can better enable continuous improvement and performance management, improve customer and user experience, and reduce burden for recipients and federal awarding agency partners.


Grants Management: Externally Shared Federal Solutions/Services

Externally shared federal solutions are non-mandatory, federal solutions that accept external customers. These solutions are validated by the Grants QSMO after completing our Marketplace Validation Process.

Solution Name
eRA
GrantSolutions
Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP)
Payment Management System (PMS)
Interior Business Center (IBC) Indirect Cost Rate Negotiation Service
Program Support Center Cost Allocation Services (PSC/CAS) Indirect Cost Rate Negotiation Service
Validation Status Validated Validated Validated Validated Validated PSC/CAS is re-assessing their capabilities, in coordination with the Grants QSMO.
Solution Description eRA provides mission-critical support for federal agencies awarding grants and other funding mechanisms. eRA’s electronic grants management services and business intelligence capabilities allow agencies to manage the receipt, processing, review, award and monitoring of grants and are used by applicants and grantees worldwide, including the U.S. and 55 countries. GrantSolutions supports Federal agencies throughout the full grants lifecycle - from pre-award planning through application, award, and closeout. As a shared service provider, GrantSolutions offerings solve for shared mission needs across agencies while incorporating unique business and regulatory processes for grant programs. The Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) is a completely electronic system that federal agencies use to quickly and securely transfer money to recipient organizations. Payment Management System (PMS) is a secure, online grants payment platform which provides awarding agency and grant recipient customers with efficient grant and grant-like payments, cash management, and personal grant accounting support services. The Interior Business Center (IBC) is a federal shared services provider that operates under a fee-for-service, full cost recovery business model, offering indirect cost rate negotiation services. Program Support Center's Cost Allocation Services (CAS) is responsible for reviewing and negotiating facility and administrative (indirect) cost rates, fringe benefit rates, special rates as determined to be appropriate, research patient care rates, statewide cost allocation plans and public assistance cost allocation plans, resolving audits, and technical assisstance.
Provider Agency HHS NIH HHS TREAS HHS PSC DOI HHS PSC
Website URL https://era.nih.gov/ https://home.grantsolutions.gov/home/ https://fiscal.treasury.gov/asap/ https://pms.psc.gov/ https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/indirect-cost https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/asa/psc/indirect-cost-negotiations/index.html
Contact Details eRAinfo@mail.nih.gov information@grantsolutions.gov or Renee.Lobanovskyy@hhs.gov asaphelpdesk@fiscal.treasury.gov PMSSupport@psc.hhs.gov https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/contact-us or craig_wills@ibc.doi.gov CAS-Bethesda@psc.hhs.gov
Agency Customers HHS1, DOC2, DOD1, VA1, USDA-NIFA, ARPH-H DHS1, DOI, GCERC, HHS1, HUD1, SBA, SSA, TREAS1, USDA1, DOL2, EAC2, CPSC, ONDCP2, FCC2, DOT-FRA, FAA, FHWA DHS1, DOC, DOE, DOI, EPA, GCERC, NRC, SSA, TREAS, USDA1, DOJ HHS, AmeriCorps, DHS, DOD, DOL, DOS, EOP, NASA, SBA, TREAS, USAID, USDA, VA DOI, EAC, IMLS, NASA, NEA, NEH, NSF, USCG, USDA1, DOC1, HUD1, DOS1, EPA, TREAS1, DOT PHMSA, DOT FHWA, Denali Commission, EAC Current Customers: HHS, AmeriCorps, DHS1, DOD1, DOT1, EAC, HUD, MCC, USDA1
Notes   N/A*
*This is a service and not a system requiring login		 Grants QSMO is not recommending new customers move to PSC/CAS during review process.
GRM.010 - Grant Program Administration
GRM.010.010
Grant Program Set-up & Maintenance
Approved Approved        
GRM.010.020
Grant Program Funding Opportunity 		Approved Approved        
GRM.020 - Grant Pre-Award Management
GRM.020.010
Grant Application Support and Receipt 		Approved Approved        
GRM.020.020
Grant Application Review and Selection 		Approved Approved        
GRM.030 - Grant Award Management
GRM.030.010
Grant Award Issuance 		Approved Approved Approved Approved    
GRM.030.020
Grant Award Payment Processing 		Approved Approved Approved Approved    
GRM.040 - Grant Post-Award Management and Closeout
GRM.040.010
Grant Award Modification 		Approved Approved        
GRM.040.020
Grant Award Performance Review 		Approved Approved        
GRM.040.030
Grant Award Financial Review 		Approved Approved Approved Approved    
GRM.040.040
Grant Award Compliance Review 		Approved Approved   Approved    
GRM.040.050
Grant Award Risk Management 		Approved Approved   Approved    
GRM.040.060
Grant Award Closeout 		Approved Approved Approved Approved    
GRM.050 - Grant Program Oversight
GRM.050.010
Grant Program Reporting and Review 		Approved Approved Approved Approved    
GRM.050.020
Grant Program Closeout 		  Approved   Approved    
GRM.060 - Grant Recipient Oversight
GRM.060.010
Grant Recipient Indirect Cost Rate Negotiation 		  Approved     Approved Approved
GRM.060.020
Grant Recipient Single Audit 		  Approved   Approved    
  • 1Solution is leveraged by specific offices and/or programs within the agency.
  • 2Customers that are migrating to a shared services provider, as of 08/19/2022.

Grants Management: Mandatory Shared Federal Solutions/Services

Mandatory solutions/services are interoperable systems required by federal law or regulation that cover select business processes within the grants management lifecycle. Currently, Mandatory solutions/services are not included in the Marketplace Validation Process.

Solution Name
Grants.gov
SAM.gov
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Subaward Reporting System (FSRS)
Federal Audit Clearinghouse (FAC)
Entity Registration
Assistance Listings
Responsibility & Qualifications (formerly FAPIIS data)
Provider Agency HHS GSA GSA GSA GSA GSA
Website URL Grants.gov https://sam.gov/content/entity-information https://sam.gov/content/assistance-listings https://www.fapiis.gov https://www.fsrs.gov/ https://fac.gov
Contact Details support@grants.gov IAEOutreach@gsa.gov IAEOutreach@gsa.gov IAEOutreach@gsa.gov IAEOutreach@gsa.gov fac@gsa.gov

Media Requests: Please complete this Grants QSMO Media Request intake form to request an interview or quote from a member of the Grants QSMO team.

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