Electronic Payments

You can choose to use electronic funds transfer (EFT) to receive your grant payments.

All grantees wishing to receive their award through electronic funds transfer must submit a Electronic Payment Authorization form to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

If EFT has already been set up for your organization, you do not need to submit another authorization form unless you have changed bank accounts.

To download this form visit the Direct Deposit sign-up information for Vendors page on the Department of Financial Services web site. That page also includes tools and information that allow you to check on payments.

Payment Schedule

Payments are made in quarterly installments. Process Dates, or when grant funds are disbursed, are as follows:

• First quarter: 7/1 (July 1st)
• Second quarter: 10/1 (October 1st)
• Third quarter: 1/1 (January 1st)
• Fourth quarter:4/1 (April 1st)

You should not expect to receive grant funds until six weeks after the payment process date each quarter.

Note: Payments will not be processed if the organization is in non-compliance status with the Division.

Organizations may be put into non-compliance status because of overdue reports on any Division grant, if missing or incomplete Grant Award Documents, or for administrative reasons.

Can I expend funds relating to the grant project or period before or after the project dates?

No. All funds must be committed and all matching funds must be received and committed by the end of the grant period.

State funds may not be committed prior to July 1 in the appropriated fiscal year, or the date of the grant award agreement, whichever is later.

Set Up a Grant File.

When you receive the Grant Award Package, create a grant file to organize grant-related materials such as:

• a copy of the grant proposal and any financial worksheets used to compile the proposal budget
• your copy of the Award Letter and signed Grant Award Agreement
• copies of any Grant Amendment Requests, or letters pending or approved correspondence from the Division
• a copy of the final report; copies of financial worksheets and grant statistical data source used to compile the final report
• copies of flyers, brochures, programs, catalogs, and news reviews and articles (particularly those showing compliance with credit language and logo) for final report purposes

Insure accessibility to the public.

For help see our accessibility resources.

Credit the Department of State.

Use our statement and logo on all publicity.

Notify the Division of changes

Contact the Division if there are any changes to your project. Changes to project scope must be approved.

• Use a Grant Amendment Request to request changes in project scope, such as program reductions, budgetary adjustments, or major program revisions.

  Do not wait to file a Grant Amendment Request. You may not request changes to a Grant Award Agreement after the grant period has ended.

Signatures on all documents filed with the Division are compared against the signatures on the Grant Award Agreement, not the signatures on the grant application.

Notify the State of International Travel

Cultural organizations that receive state funding and will be traveling internationally must notify the Department of Economic Opportunity with their intention to travel and include date, time and location of each appearance. These same organizations must also notify the Department of State at least 30 days prior to the date the international travel is to commence, or as soon as feasible (section 15.182 Florida Statutes).

Where to Send

Department of Economic Opportunity
Division of Strategic Business Development
The Capitol, Suite 1902
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Fax: 850.414.1734

AND

Office of the Secretary
Florida Department of State
500 South Bronough Street
R.A. Gray Building
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Track Grant Expenditures

You must use an accounting system that provides a complete record of the use of all grant and match funds.

Use the Grant Funds Expenditure Log to keep track of grant spending as it happens. This helps you keep grant financial records in the level of detail required by your grant agreement.

You may use a different tracking document but be sure that you can provide the required level of detail on request.

File a timely Final Report.

All final reports for all programs are due on July 30th; The final report form is available online. Support materials must be postmarked by July 30th

Final Report extensions may be granted, but an interim report must be submitted by July 30th.If you do not submit a Final Report by July 30th, your organization will be in non-compliance.