This blog post was updated on March 21, 2020, to note that Login.gov integration will be turned on in the coming weeks, following the release.
In mid-March, Grants.gov will roll out its Release 18.1 system enhancements. These enhancements include new integration with Login.gov, the ability to narrow searches via a new category called Opportunity Zone Benefits, and field label changes that will lay the foundation for the planned December rollout of the Unique Entity Identifier by the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
Login.gov Integration
With Release 18.1, applicants will be able to link a Login.gov account to their Grants.gov account. [Editor’s Note: Login.gov integration will be turned on in the coming weeks, following the release.]
The process for doing this will be simple: A user will click the Login.gov button (pictured here) and enter a Login.gov username and password on the next screen. The user will then be directed back to Grants.gov to log in with their Grants.gov username and password and complete the account linking process.
After linking the two accounts, users will be able to access Grants.gov using their Login.gov credentials, if they choose.
Opportunity Zone Benefits Category
When you run a keyword search for Federal Funding Opportunities on Grants.gov, you can segment the search results by selecting a Funding Instrument Type, an Eligibility type, a Category or an Agency.
With Release 18.1, Grants.gov is adding a category option for “Opportunity Zone Benefits.” Ticking this category will narrow results to those opportunities associated with the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law on December 22, 2017. The law aims “to stimulate economic development and job creation, by incentivizing long- term investments in low-income neighborhoods.”
There are more than 8,760 designated Qualified Opportunity Zones (PDF) located in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five United States territories, according to the U.S. Economic Development Administration.
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Field Labels
With Release 18.1, Grants.gov will be implementing a label change to DUNS fields in preparation for SAM.gov’s transition to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).
Fields formerly labeled “DUNS” within Grants.gov will be labeled “UEI” starting in March. (Note: These field changes in Release 18.1 will appear only on the system interface – and not on application forms themselves. Form field changes will be rolled out during a later release.) Until further notice, users will continue seeing/using their DUNS Number in fields labeled UEI.
Grants.gov Community Blog 