Federal Records Management

Frequently Asked Questions about GRS 1.2, Grant and Cooperative Agreement Records

Updated: April 2024

1. What is the difference between a grant, a cooperative agreement, and a contract?

A grant is money or property that the federal government gives to an eligible grantee to carry out a specific purpose. Grantees are state or local governments, organizations, or individuals.

A cooperative agreement is another form of financial aid. The granting agency and the grantee work together to carry out the purpose of the award.

Contracts are financial transactions. Federal agencies buy property or services for their direct benefit or use from a service provider. Contract records are covered by GRS 1.1, item 010.

Federal law defining grants and cooperative agreements is in 31 U.S.C. 6304 and 6405.

 

2. Why does this schedule exclude government-wide grant-related systems?

We have excluded government-wide grant-related systems due to the nature of their information. 

  • GRANTS.GOV and GRANTSOLUTION.GOV contain only copies of records. The agency posting information or using the system has the recordkeeping copy. 
  • USASPENDING.GOV aggregates data in a way that makes it more valuable. 

These systems are also already scheduled by their hosting agencies.

 

3. Does this schedule cover Service Level Agreements or inter-agency agreement (IAA)?

No. Service Level Agreements (SLA) and inter-agency agreements (IAA) are contracts between a customer (the agency, in this context) and a service provider (sometimes another agency). Agencies pay for the services, but it is not a funding or obligation document. GRS 1.1, item 010, covers these contracts.


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