Frequently Asked Questions - Grants Management and Aministration

No. Program Development Grants are the primary mechanism for funding organizational business plans, and they require that the beneficiary organization fund portion of the overall program budget. The size of that portion will vary depending on the organization and the specific program. Generally however, most organizations must fund at least 10% of the program. More information about cost sharing is provided as appendices to the various Grant Agreements for FOG Grants (Annex A-5a), Small and Mini-Grants (Annex A-5b) and Program Development Grants (Annex A5-c).

The frequency and content of reporting requirements are dependent on the type of grant your organization is awarded. For all grants, a Grant Completion Report is required which details the final summary, comments, and achieved results of that activity. However, interim reports may be required for all grants as indicated in the grant agreement. Format for these reports are provided as appendices to the various Grant Agreements for FOG Grants (Annex A-5a), Small and Mini-Grants (Annex A-5b) and Program Development Grants (Annex A5-c).

The following costs are not allowable, reimbursable costs under any of the grant types mentioned above:

• Creation of endowments (Note: financing of loan portfolios is not an endowment);
• Any commodity which does not comply with, or which is not procured in a manner that compiles with, the USG/USAID commodity procurement procedures specified herein in annexes thereto; 
• Any previous obligations by USAID to the beneficiary;
• The bad debts of the beneficiary;
• Fines imposed on the beneficiary;
• Penalties imposed on the beneficiary;
• Any expenses related to ceremonies, parties, and celebrations;
• The purchase of any goods restricted and prohibited under USAID regulations such as alcoholic beverages;
• The purchase of surveillance equipment, military equipment or arms whether new or surplus, police or law enforcement equipment, abortion equipment and services, weather modification equipment, luxury goods and gambling equipment;
• The purchase of goods which have their origin in Cuba, Syria, North Korea, Myanmar, Iran and other countries or suppliers as may be identified by USAID’s consolidated list of debarred, suspended or ineligible sub-contractors especially those engaged in support of terrorist activities (these must be reported); and
• Any expenses related to purchases or activities, which are illegal under Jordanian or U.S. law.

Allowable costs vary from grant agreement to grant agreement. They depend on the undertakings you make in your Business Plan, if you are required to submit one, on the specifics of your grant agreement and on AID regulations. However, the following costs are generally allowable in the following grant types:

• Small Grants & Mini-Grants: Allowable costs include, but are not limited to, the cost of seminars, workshops, conferences and other events, technical assistance services, training courses, including trainers, course materials, site costs, etc. Such costs generally do not include international airfares or indirect costs.
• Program Development Grants: Allowable costs include, but are not limited to, the cost of personnel, technical assistance, travel and transportation, equipment, training, office supplies, rent and utilities, telephone, fax, internet connection, postage, educational materials, bank charges, legal and audit fees, insurance, and maintenance related to premises and equipment.
• FOG Grants: No specific costs are assigned to FOG grants. FOG grants are awarded to achieve specific benchmarks.