3.5 Adjustments to Awards
Grant Adjustment Notice
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Budget Modifications
Changes in the Recipient’s Authorized Signing Official and/or Official’s Contact Information
Changes to the Scope of the Award
Change in Project Period
Changes to the Organization
Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS, Changes
Sole Source Approval
For OJP and OVW, a Grant Adjustment Notice (GAN) is a request to make a programmatic, administrative, or financial change to a grant. GANs may be submitted by the recipient, grant manager, or automatically generated by the Grant Management System (GMS). All GANs must be submitted electronically through the GAN module in GMS.
For the COPS Office, grant recipients must request to make a programmatic, administrative, or financial modification through the COPS Agency Portal at www.cops.usdoj.gov. For additional information on submitting a grant modification request, please contact your program manager at 800-421-6770.
Once the DOJ grant-making component has made a decision on the proposed adjustment, the grantee is sent an email notification that becomes a permanent part of their award file, and the record is updated as appropriate.
Recipients are limited to specific grant award adjustment(s). The following sections describe situations in which recipients must or may initiate a GAN.
► OJP/OVW Component Specific Tip
After submission of a GAN, OJP and OVW recipients should monitor for returned GANs in case additional information or changes are required. Untimely responses could delay the processing of the GAN. An untimely response may also result in the request being denied, and the grantee having to restart the GAN process. This can be a problem, especially if the request is to extend the grant period and the project end date is near.
COPS Office Specific Tip
For COPS Office recipients, once your modification request is received, the COPS Office will evaluate the request and notify your agency of a decision in writing via the COPS Agency Portal at www.cops.usdoj.gov. Implementation of the modification may begin following written approval from the COPS Office. Please note that modification approvals for active grants will often be accompanied by a modified award document and/or a modified Financial Clearance Memorandum reflecting the approved changes. If applicable, your agency is required to sign and submit the modified award document via the COPS Agency Portal link to officially accept the grant modification.
Budget Modifications
For OJP and OVW, you may initiate a GAN for a budget modification if the request is to modify an approved budget to reallocate funds among the budget categories. This type of GAN can also be used to de-obligate a portion of the award amount; however, the original award amount may not be increased by this procedure.
OJP and OVW award recipients must initiate a GAN for budget modification if:
- The proposed cumulative change is greater than 10%of the total award amount. The 10% rule does not apply to an award of less than $150,000.
- The budget modification changes the scope of the project. Examples include altering the purpose of the project, authorizing use of a subcontractor or other organization that was not identified in the original approved budget, or contracting for or transferring of award-supported efforts.
- A budget adjustment affects a cost category that was not included in the original budget. For example, if the direct cost category “Travel” did not exist in the original budget, the adjustment to transfer funds from Equipment to Travel requires a GAN.
COPS Office award recipients may reprogram up to a total of 10 percent of their entire budget (over the course of the award) without submitting a formal budget modification. Once the reprogramming of funds reaches 10% of the award, the recipient must submit a formal budget modification through the COPS Agency Portal.
►OJP/COPS Specific Tip
OJP/COPS Office recipients must initiate a GAN or a budget modification if there is any dollar increase or decrease to the indirect cost category of an approved budget.
OJP Specific Tip
For recordkeeping purposes and audit documentation, it is advised to submit a GAN even if the proposed budget modification is less than 10% of the total award amount. This also provides the grant manager with notification.
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Changes in the Recipient’s Authorized Signing Official and/or Official’s Contact Information
For OJP and OVW, you must initiate a GAN if you want to make changes to the person who is responsible for authorizing and signing official documents (such as award documents, Standard 424 documents, etc.). The request must include the name, address, phone number, e-mail address, fax number, and title of the new Authorized Signing Official.
For the COPS Office, you may update the authorized signing official and contact information in “Account Access” on the COPS Office website at wwww.cops.usdoj.gov, or by calling the Response Center at 1-800-421-6770 for technical assistance.
► OJP/OVW Component Specific Tip
The contact name used on the GAN must exactly match the name in the GMS.
Action Item
Many awards require prior approval for changes in key staff.?? See 2 C.F.R. ?? 200.308(c)2 (requiring prior approval where key staff member is specified in the application or award documents).??
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Changes to the Scope of the Award
For OJP and OVW, you are not required to initiate a GAN if you make minor changes in methodology, approach, or other aspects of the award to expedite achievement of the award???s objectives.
However, you must initiate a GAN for changes in scope, duration, activities, or other significant areas.
COPS Office recipients must request a modification via the Agency Portal.
These changes include but are not limited to:
- Altering programmatic activities
- Changing the purpose of the project
- Changing the project site
- Experiencing or making changes to the organization or staff with primary responsibility for implementation of the award, contracting out, subawarding (if authorized by law), or otherwise obtaining the services of a third party to perform activities which are central to the purpose of the award
- Changes in scope that affect the budget
Financial Management Tip
If you are not sure whether your change would be considered a change in scope, contact your grant manager.
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Change in Project Period
For OJP and OVW, a request to change the start date may be submitted by the recipient or the grant manager. There is no systematic time limit on when a Start Date GAN can be submitted. These requests are rarely approved except for programs that are, by statute, allowed to change the start date based on the draw down date. In general, in order for a Start Date GAN to be approved, you must not have drawn down funds.
For OJP and OVW, a request to change the project end date may be submitted by either the recipient or the grant manager no later than 30 calendar days before the project period end date. Any request to change the project end date after that time must be submitted by the grant manager.?? ??
For all DOJ grant-making components, a one-time extension for no more than 12 months past the original end date is typically granted. A request to extend the project period for more than 12 months requires additional justification of the circumstances.
Financial Management Tip
Some awards have statutory maximum grant periods beyond which they cannot be extended.
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Changes to the Organization
For OJP and OVW:
- You may initiate a GAN to request a change to the organization???s mailing address.
- You may initiate a GAN request to change the name and contact information of the recipient or key recipient staff due to a permanent withdrawal, change in staff, or in case of a temporary absence.
- You must initiate a request to change the name of a recipient organization on record with DOJ.
- You may not initiate a GAN to request a change to the vendor number or the type of organization (e.g., profit vs. nonprofit). Please contact the grant manager regarding changes to the organization.
COPS Office recipients may request a change to the organization in COPS Agency Portal or by calling the Response Center at 1-800-421-6770.
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Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS, Changes
You may initiate a GAN to request a change to your organization???s DUNS number.
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Sole Source Approval
For OJP and OVW, you must initiate a GAN to request to enter into a non-competitive contractual relationship with a contractor under a grant where the contracted cost exceeds $150,000. Please see Chapter 3.8: Procurement Under Awards of Federal Assistance for more information.
For the COPS Office, a request to enter into a non-competitive contractual relationship for equipment, technology, or services in excess of $150,000 must be submitted to the COPS Office in writing certifying that the award of a contract through full and open competition is infeasible.
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