Grants and Contracts Department

How To Procedures on Getting a Grant Set-Up

1. Grant Setup
2. Grant Proposal
3. Grant Billing and Receiving
4. Grant Closure

Flow Chart - Establishing a Grant-Funded Account

Introduction

The Grant process can be a difficult yet pleasant opportunity to provide services that are not provided through the Alamo Community College District regular funding streams. Questions that individuals ask are:

1. What do I do now that I have a grant that was funded?
2. Now that I’m awarded a grant where is the money to provide the services?
3. What do I do with those entities, organizations, and/or individuals that are not employees of the district that are listed in the award to provide services?
4. Who are the individual that I need to work with in the ACCD system to get my account setup?

These are just a few questions and we hope will be addressed as “HOW TO GET A GRANT SETUP IN THE ACCD SYSTEM IN ORDER TO BEGIN PROVIDING SERVICES.”

Individuals, departments, and colleges all apply for outside funding that will benefit ACCD and its employees, student and the community. Many funding sources will send an email informing you your grant has been awarded based on the application submitted. This is good news but no brass ring. That is only an unofficial notice to inform you to keep your eyes open for the official paperwork that is forthcoming.

The official notice is an award letter that is received after the agreement is signed by all parties. The agreement can be only signed by the Chancellor or one of the college Presidents if it is a direct grant to benefit that college and it was submitted by that college. The Chancellor will signed District Wide grants and those grants submitted by District personnel.

Even before those agreements are signed they must be submitted to the Office of Legal Affairs before submission to the Chancellor and Presidents for signature.

Once the agreement is reviewed Legal will initial indicating the go-a-head for the Chancellor and/ or Presidents to sign. Legal will forward the agreement to the Chancellor and/or President that is listed on the agreement for signature.

Once the agreement is signed it will be sent to the funding source for processing. The funding source will either send a copy of the fully executed agreement or send us an award letter that denotes funding amounts per year, total award amount, contract period and number of years of service if it is a multi year grant. When the agreement and/or award letter is received is the time project directors and/or the principle investigators should begin the process of getting a grant setup in the ACCD Accounting system. In order to get this done the “ACCD Grant Approval Form” will need to be completed along with “ACCD Grants Operational Budget”, include the agreement and/or award letter and the “Banner Finance-New Client Access Request Form” will be needed with the completed paperwork sent to the District’s Grants Manager.

All ACCD Forms must have proper signatures before they are submitted to the Grants Manager in the office of the Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development. Once the paperwork is received, it will be reviewed and if no items are missing and all items are correct and properly signed it will be forwarded to the Grants Accounting Office for further processing.

NOTE: Sending paperwork directly to Grants Accounting Office will delay an account being setup.

You have just received information on getting an account setup.

Grants received by the Alamo Community College District and its colleges will either receive an Advancement Agreement with the funding source or a Cost Reimbursement Agreement. A majority of the grants receive by the District are Cost Reimbursement Agreements.
This means that costs must be incurred before reimbursement is made. The Grants Accounting Office is the unit responsible for requesting draw-downs from funding sources. Monthly activity and monthly expenditure reports are sometimes required by the funding source before reimbursements are made. This is why it is important that each project directors for grants work closely with their campus budget officer and the Grants Accounting Office.

What if I have an outside evaluator or we will be working with another institution or organization? It will be required to execute a sub-agreement; sub-award or sub-contract either way an agreement will need to be in place to authorize the District and its colleges to reimburse an entity for its services provided under the approved grant. The agreement is necessary to maintain a paper-trail and show the District is accountable for the funds received and disbursed by the District and its colleges. Copies of the sub-agreement can be obtained from your grant development office or the Vice Chancellor of Economic and Workforce Development Grants Department.

All individuals’ organizations and entities that will receive funding must be on the ACCD Vendor list before payments can be made on a sub-award/agreement/contract. If they are not a vendor a “Vendor Application” and a “W-9” must be completed and submitted to the Acquisitions Department. Once a vendor is on the list then and only then can payments be made.

Individuals that you need to know when attempting to get an account setup:

• Contacts