Beginning October 1, 2017, all NIFA capacity programs require an SF-425 report to be submitted through the ezFedGrants system. These are some frequently asked questions and their answers.
SF-425 Financial Report Submission in ezFedGrants for Capacity Grants Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- I don’t have access to ezFedGrants? What should I do?
- Who is required to submit an SF-425?
- When is the SF-425 due?
- I logged into ezFedGrants, where do I enter the SF-425 report?
- Do I need to email a paper copy of the SF-425?
- Is there anything different in the information I am submitting than the paper SF-425 we submitted last year?
- Who is the Certifying Official for the SF-425?
- How do I select a Certifying Official?
- I assigned the Certifying Official to the SF-425 report, and now the screen is asking for attachments. What should I attach?
- I submitted the SF-425 financial report for certification, but I need to change something on it. How do I make the change?
- I have submitted the SF-425 report but am unclear about how to submit a performance report. What should I do?
- I am an SF-425 Certifying Official. How do I know if the document was submitted with my signature?
- As an SF-425 Certifying Official, can I edit a submitted, certified report?
- If I have more questions, who should I contact?
I don’t have access to ezFedGrants? What should I do?
- In order to complete the SF-425, you will need an eAuthentication Level 2 account and access to ezFedGrants. To create an eAuthentication Level 2 account, you can view this powerpoint or the eAuthentication Level 2 Account job aid. To access ezFedGrants after you have a Level 2 account, you can view this powerpoint or the ezFedGrants external portal access job aid.
Who is required to submit an SF-425?
- All institutions with FY 2017 or newer capacity awards are required to submit an annual SF-425 in ezFedGrants.
When is the SF-425 due?
- Beginning October 1, 2017, all NIFA capacity programs require an SF-425 report to be submitted through the ezFedGrants system within 90 days of the anniversary date on the award. That means if an award’s reporting period ends on September 30th, 2017, an SF-425 report for that period will be available in the ezFedGrants system on September 30th and will be due 90 days later, or on December 29th, 2017. Previously, some extension reports were due in April, however, NIFA has aligned all the report due dates to streamline the process for grantees.
I logged into ezFedGrants, where do I enter the SF-425 report?
- You will submit the SF-425 report from your “actionable items” list. The actionable items list is shown in a box on the ezFedGrants External Portal home screen. It shows the number of actionable items that have appeared in the past 90 days. Select the required report by clicking on it in the “Transaction ID” column. A SF-425 template will open in a “Create Report” screen with fillable fields. The SF-425 report will not be available before September 30th, the end of your reporting period.
Do I need to email a paper copy of the SF-425?
- No, submitting the SF-425 through ezFedGrants is all that you need to do. NIFA awards management branch will no longer accept paper submissions, for awards that are processed in ezFedGrants. Older awards will continue to submit annual and final SF-425 reports by email, until the awards are closed.
Is there anything different in the information I am submitting than the paper SF-425 we submitted last year?
- No, the SF-425 form has not changed. The information requested is the same as previous years. The only change is that you will fill in the form electronically and not on paper. Also, the basic award data will be prepopulated for you.
Who is the Certifying Official for the SF-425?
- A Certifying Official is the individual that reviews and signs reports. The role is temporary and specific to the project. The Certifying Official for the SF-425 may be different than the ezFedGrants Certifying Official. Your institution determines who certifies the SF-425, so you will need to contact your grants administration office to find out who your SF-425 Certifying Official is. A list of all roles can be found on the ezFedGrants website on the ezFedGrants External Portal User Roles Definitions job aid.
How do I select a Certifying Official?
- You will need to contact your grants administration office to find out who your SF-425 Certifying Official is. If the SF-425 Certifying Official has access to ezFedGrants, you will assign that individual from the signature page as you fill out your SF-425 report. If the SF-425 Certifying Official is not in ezFedGrants, they will need to request access.
I assigned the Certifying Official to the SF-425 report, and now the screen is asking for attachments. What should I attach?
- NIFA does not require attachments. You can click “submit” without adding attachments.
I submitted the SF-425 financial report for certification, but I need to change something on it. How do I make the change?
- Your Certifying Official will need to return the document to you so it again appears in your actionable items list. Contact your Certifying Official and let them know to return the document to you.
I have submitted the SF-425 report but am unclear about how to submit a performance report. What should I do?
- NIFA Performance reports are not submitted via ezFedGrants. NIFA collects performance reports in another system called REEport. While some USDA agencies utilize ezFedGrants for performance reports, NIFA does not. You will continue to submit performance reports to REEport as has been done in previous years.
I am an SF-425 Certifying Official. How do I know if the document was submitted with my signature?
- The report status will read as “submitted” in your report screen.
As an SF-425 Certifying Official, can I edit a submitted, certified report?
- External system users cannot edit a report once submitted. If an error exists, you will need to contact NIFA’s Capacity Branch (capacitygrantquestions@usda.gov) to request the form be returned to you for editing.
If I have more questions, who should I contact?
- NIFA’s Capacity Branch addresses all NIFA related questions to ezFedGrants. You can reach them by emailing capacitygrantquestions@usda.gov.
- There are additional frequently asked questions addressing reports specifically on the ezFedGrants website.
- General ezFedGrants questions and questions not related to SF-425 financial reporting can be found on the ezFedGrants page.
Page last updated: October 3, 2024