U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services
ACF
Administration for Children and Families
Program Instruction
To: All Head Start and Early Head Start Grantees
Subject: Electronic Submission of Real Property Standard Form (SF)-429 and Attachments
In accordance with 45 CFR §75.343, non-federal entities are required to submit reports at least annually on the status of real property in which the federal government retains an interest. As such, beginning July 1, 2017, the following Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved real property and request forms, OMB Control No. 3090-0296, are included in this electronic submission requirement:
- SF-429 Cover Page
- Please note that the system automatically requires the submission of the cover page with each attachment.
- SF-429-A General Reporting or No Property
- SF-429-B Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish
- SF-429-C Disposition or Encumbrance Request
Effective for budget periods beginning on or after May 1, 2016, all grantees, including those with no covered real property, are instructed to prepare and submit SF-429 with Attachment A on an annual basis at the same time as their annual SF-425 Federal Financial Report is due.
How to Submit Forms
To access and submit the SF-429 forms, please log in to www.grantsolutions.gov. Navigate to the forms according to the instructions provided in the guides and training recordings.
Guides and Training Recordings
The training recordings and guides detail the step-by-step process to logging in, navigating to, and completing the forms. The materials are stored on the GrantSolutions site and located in one of two places, dependent upon how you access the system. For example, grantees with access to GrantSolutions Grants Management Module (GMM) will find the materials under the GrantSolutions Help/Support link. All others will find these materials under the OLDC News and Tips link.
Login (note differences in Step 4):
Grantees with access to the GrantSolutions GMM:
- Visit www.grantsolutions.gov.
- From the “Grants Center of Excellence” homepage, choose Login to GrantSolutions.
- The “GrantSolutions” login screen displays. Enter your username in the Username field and your password in the Password field. Select the Login button.
- The “My Grants List” screen appears. From the menu bar, select Online Data Collection.
- The Online Data Collection “Home” page appears.
Grantees that do not use the GrantSolutions GMM:
- Visit www.grantsolutions.gov.
- From the “Grants Center of Excellence” homepage, choose Login to GrantSolutions.
- The “GrantSolutions” login screen displays. Enter your username in the Username field and your password in the Password field. Select the Login button.
- The GrantSolutions “Portal” screen appears. From the menu bar, choose OLDC to open the Online Data Collection page in a new window.
- The Online Data Collection “Home” page appears.
Accessing the Forms
To access the forms, please utilize the guides and trainings applicable to the SF-429 attachment being submitted because the instructions are slightly different.
Once data is entered and saved for each section, the entire form must be validated. Validation checks the form for errors and missing data.
- If the report status is Saved with Errors, an error message appears at the top of the Report screen. The errors must be corrected and the form revalidated.
- If the status is Saved with Warnings, the warnings can either be corrected or the form can still proceed through the approval process.
- If the status is Saved—Validated, there are no warnings or errors and the form can proceed through the approval process.
After the entire form is successfully saved and validated with no errors, the form can be certified and submitted by a user with these permissions. Please refer to the guides.
Once submitted, the assigned grants specialist will review the form. Depending on the review, the grant specialist may follow up with questions or request additional supporting documentation.
Questions
For any login or system issues, please contact the GrantSolutions Help Desk at help at grantsolutions dot gov or 1-866-577-0771. If you email the Help Desk, please Cc your assigned grant specialist.
For any content-related questions about the SF-429 forms, please contact your assigned grant specialist in the Regional Office.
Description of Forms
The status of real property purchased, constructed, or subject to major renovations paid for in whole or in part with federal Head Start funds must be reported annually on form SF-429-A. Likewise, grantees who do not have covered real property with federal interest must submit the SF-429-A No Property form annually. Attachments SF-429-B and SF-429-C are required only when a grantee requests approval of actions related to real property as noted on each attachment. General facilities guidance is available in ACF-IM-HS-17-01 Facilities Guidance. Please carefully read the instructions accompanying SF-429 and its attachments when filing to ensure that forms are accurate and complete. A description of each required form follows.
- SF-429 Cover Page must accompany all reports and requests.
- The cover page provides recipient (grantee) information. Include the SF-429 cover page when submitting each form.
- SF-429-A General Reporting must be submitted annually on the same date the grantee’s annual SF-425 Federal Financial Report for the budget period is due.
- A separate Attachment A is required for every parcel of real property subject to a federal interest as defined in 45 CFR §1305.2.
- SF-429-A No Property must be submitted annually on the same date the grantee’s annual SF-425 Federal Financial Report for the budget period is due.
- A separate Attachment A is required when there is no real property.
- SF-429-B Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish must be submitted along with the additional information required by 45 CFR §1303 Subpart E whenever a grantee is seeking ACF approval to use Head Start funds to engage in purchase, construction, or major renovation of facilities as defined in 45 CFR §1305.2.
- Information included in SF-429-B can be cross-referenced if also required by 45 CFR §1303 Subpart E.
- A request to acquire property includes the use of Head Start funds to engage in all purchase activities defined in 45 CFR §1305.2, including payments made in satisfaction of a mortgage or other loan agreement.
- SF-429-C Disposition or Encumbrance Request must be submitted at closeout and whenever a grantee is seeking ACF approval to sell, transfer, or encumber property subject to a federal interest, including the refinancing of existing indebtedness and subordination of a federal interest to the rights of a lender under 45 CFR §1303.51.
- SF-429-C implements the requirements for grantees making requests for disposition of real property under 45 CFR §75.318.
- Any use of real property subject to a federal interest as collateral for a loan or mortgage requires prior approval, and an encumbrance includes the use of Head Start funds to make payments for a previously purchased facility under 45 CFR §1303.41 and any use of property subject to a federal interest as collateral for future borrowing.
If you have any technical issues with the system, please contact the GrantSolutions Help Desk and copy your assigned grant specialist. If you have specific content-related questions about SF-429, please direct these questions to your assigned grant specialist in the Regional Office.
/ Ann Linehan /
Ann Linehan
Acting Director
Office of Head Start