Government Contracts Monitor

In Wake of Stimulus, Federal Government Struggles to Improve Grants Website

March 30, 2009

Grants.gov – the central portal for federal grant opportunities – may not be able to keep up with the unprecedented volume of grants expected to be awarded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

According to a memo issued by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Peter Orzag, the Grants.gov site is expected to see a 60% increase in usage due to ARRA.  The website is ill equipped to handle the increased traffic – potentially limiting agencies’ ability to post new grant opportunities.  At one point last week, over 3000 users were signed on to the site and 1200 were simultaneously conducting searches – as a result, users reported experiencing slowness and receiving Error messages. In addition, according to the Association of American Universities and other grantee groups, the website has been unable to keep up with grant submissions even under normal circumstances.   

In light of the site’s limitations, Mr. Orszag has instructed both the Department of Health and Human Services (which operates and maintains Grants.gov) and the General Services Administration (GSA) to make immediate improvements to the site. 

Meanwhile, as we wait for site upgrades, OMB is seeking alternative ways to ensure that ARRA grant funds are awarded expeditiously. Mr. Orzag instructed federal grantors to identify alternative methods to accept grant applications until the portal is upgraded. 

Grants.gov remains a valuable tool for identifying federal grant opportunities. But until it is fully upgraded, applicants should also consult other sources for federal grant opportunities, including Recovery.gov and individual Grantor Agency Recovery websites.