Agencies
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Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act
Please allow extra time for completing the application process this year as the application requirements have changed as mandated by the Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act.
The Illinois Arts Council Agency (IACA) provides public funding to:
- Not-for-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations
- Units of government (e.g., Municipal, County, Libraries, Park Districts, etc.)
- Charitable trusts
- Schools and PTOs, PTAs and other school affiliate organizations
- Religious organizations
Before submitting an application through the IACA’s eGrant system, applicants must provide proof of eligibility by completing a validation process through the State of Illinois’s Grantee Portal and obtain a pre-qualification status. The IACA recommends that applicants start this process as soon as possible to allow time to address requirements related to their pre-qualification status. The IACA will not able to consider an application for funding until the applicant has completed this step.
To obtain a pre-qualification status, go to the Grantee Portal (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal):
- Create an account for accessing the portal.
- Sign in through the portal and register your organization. Preparing and having on-hand the following proof of eligibility information for your organization will help expedite the registration and pre-qualification process:
After registration is complete, applicants can view their pre-qualification status in the Grantee Portal (see example below). If any pre-qualification requirements need further attention, the Help section provides guidance on remediation steps applicants can take.
The Pre-Qualification Status section of the Grantee Portal displays a summary of an organization’s eligibility status.
Pre-qualification through the Grantee Portal is required for all organizations, units of government, and schools and school-affiliate organizations applying for grant funding from the IACA. Please note that each applicant needs to complete the pre-qualification process only once annually. If your organization has already completed this step as part of receiving a state award from another Illinois agency, you do not need to create an additional account or registration for the purposes of applying for funding from the IACA.
DUNS Number
The Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) is Dun & Bradstreet’s copyrighted, proprietary means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis. It is a unique nine-digit number recognized as the universal standard for identifying and keeping track of businesses and is required by the U.S. federal government.
All applicants must have a current DUNS number. Provided below are two options for obtaining a DUNS number:
- DUNS number by web, visit: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/pages/CCRSearch.jsp
- DUNS number by phone, call: 1-866-705-5711, Monday – Friday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST
If you have misplaced or forgotten your DUNS number, follow this link for step by step instructions on how to retrieve your number from Duns & Bradstreet.
Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)
Applicants are required to provide a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. Applicants must hold tax-exempt status from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and must qualify as a charitable organization under Section 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended. Units of government, institutions of higher education, and Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments are not required to obtain this status and are still eligible to apply.
The IACA uses Guidestar’s Charity Check to verify status. For information on how to obtain tax-exempt status, go to: https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/application-process.
Organization Type and Illinois Secretary of State File Number
The IACA provides public funding to not-for-profit, tax exempt 501(c)(3) organizations, units of government, and institutions of higher education.
All applicants must indicate their correct organization type when registering through the Grantee Portal. Additionally, applicants of the organization type “Corporation – Not For Profit” must provide their eightdigit Illinois Secretary of State file number. Other types of organizations, such as branches of government, schools, and religious organizations, are not required to provide an Illinois Secretary of State file number as such entities are not required to be incorporated in Illinois.
SAM Registration and CAGE Code
The System for Award Management (SAM) is an official website of the U.S. federal government. Applicants must register with and be validated through SAM as part of the pre-qualification process for receiving a grant from an Illinois state agency. It may take up to 10 business days after submitting your organization’s information through SAM for your organization’s registration to become active.
The Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code is a five-character, alpha-numeric identifier assigned by the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency. Organizations that do not have a CAGE Code will be automatically assigned one during processing after completing SAM registration.
To register your organization through the SAM website (https://sam.gov/SAM/):
1. Create an Individual User Account by clicking on Log In and then Create an account. You will need to provide a valid email address and phone number as part of the account creation process.
2. Log in and register your organization through the SAM website’s Entity Registration function. Preparing and having on-hand the following information for your organization will help expedite the registration process:
- DUNS number as well as the legal business name and physical address from your organization’s Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) record
- Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), i.e. FEIN
- CAGE Code, if your organization already has one (otherwise, one will be assigned during processing)
For more information and detailed guidance on registering with SAM, refer to Section 3 of the SAM User Guide: https://sam.gov/sam/SAM_Guide/SAM_User_Guide.htm