​Competitive Grant Process

Grant Initiative Funding Application Process

The following is a general overview of the standardized process the DDAP follows when issuing, reviewing and rewarding competitive grants to applicants.

STEP 1: Establishing a Grant Initiative Funding Opportunity

Grant initiative funding opportunities are established through service needs and grant funding availability. These opportunities are developed by DDAP staff and may include collaboration with other Commonwealth agencies.

STEP 2: Submission of applications

Grant initiative funding announcements will be posted on the right sidebar of the Funding Opportunities page. These announcements will include:

• Grant Initiative Funding Application (GIFA) Title
• GIFA Number
• Due Date for Application
• Estimated Number of Grant Awards Available
• Maximum Dollar Amount Thresholds for Individual Application Submissions
• Criteria for Eligible Applicants
• Project Summary
• Grant Initiative Guidelines

STEP 3: Review and Scoring

DDAP will establish a committee unique to each initiative based on the subject matter.  This committee will include no less than five and no more than seven administrative and program staff to review all applications.
 
Each committee member will score applications based on a standardized scoring sheet for that initiative. This scoring sheet will include, at a minimum, a separate score for both an application’s program narrative and budget.  It is estimated that the application review process will take between two to four weeks to complete.  Applications will be reviewed and scored according to the criteria identified in the funding announcement.

STEP 4: Approval Process

The final application will be selected based on scoring and recommendations from the review committee.

STEP 5: Notification

Barring any unresolved issues with applications, grantees are notified within 30 days.