Government Procurement Certification Grant Writing & Proposals 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a logic model in a federal grant proposal?
- To show the budget breakdown by line item
- To visually map inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes (Correct answer)
- To list the qualifications of key personnel
- To summarize the organization's past grant awards
Correct answer: To visually map inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes
A logic model visually connects resources and activities to expected outputs and long-term outcomes, demonstrating program coherence.
Question 2: Under 2 CFR Part 200, what is the threshold for a single audit requirement for non-federal entities?
- $500,000 in federal expenditures per year
- $750,000 in federal expenditures per year (Correct answer)
- $1,000,000 in federal expenditures per year
- $250,000 in federal expenditures per year
Correct answer: $750,000 in federal expenditures per year
2 CFR Part 200.501 requires a single audit when a non-federal entity expends $750,000 or more in federal awards during a fiscal year.
Question 3: Which section of a grant proposal typically describes the problem the applicant intends to solve using data and evidence?
- Budget narrative
- Statement of need / needs assessment (Correct answer)
- Evaluation plan
- Organizational capacity section
Correct answer: Statement of need / needs assessment
The statement of need (or needs assessment) uses data and evidence to establish the problem's severity and justify the proposed solution.
Question 4: What does 'indirect cost rate' mean in the context of federal grants?
- The percentage of direct costs charged to subcontractors
- A negotiated rate applied to a base to recover shared overhead costs (Correct answer)
- The maximum allowable administrative fee charged by the prime recipient
- The portion of the grant reserved for contingency spending
Correct answer: A negotiated rate applied to a base to recover shared overhead costs
An indirect cost rate, negotiated with a cognizant federal agency, allows grantees to recover overhead expenses not directly attributable to a single project.
Question 5: A Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) is most commonly used by federal agencies to solicit:
- Competitive sealed bids for construction projects
- Basic and applied research and development proposals (Correct answer)
- Small business set-aside contracts under $150,000
- Sole-source grants for nonprofit service providers
Correct answer: Basic and applied research and development proposals
BAAs are used by agencies such as DoD and NSF to solicit R&D proposals where the government does not have a definitive specification.
Question 6: In grant proposal writing, 'matching funds' or 'cost share' refers to:
- Federal funds transferred between agencies to support the same project
- Non-federal resources contributed by the applicant toward the project (Correct answer)
- Budget line items shared equally between two co-applicants
- Overhead costs split between the grantee and subrecipient
Correct answer: Non-federal resources contributed by the applicant toward the project
Cost share is the applicant's contribution of non-federal resources—cash, in-kind, or third-party—toward project costs required by the federal agency.
Question 7: Which federal register notice type formally announces a new federal financial assistance program and invites applications?
- Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) (Correct answer)
- Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 12 notice
- Solicitation for Offers (SFO)
Correct answer: Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
A Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is the standardized announcement required by the Grants.gov uniform format that publicly invites grant applications.
Government Procurement Certification Grant Writing & Proposals 2
What is the primary purpose of a logic model in a federal grant proposal?