Grants Management

The Department of Commerce (DOC) was established on February 14, 1903, to promote American businesses and trade. Its broad range of responsibilities include, but are not limited to, expanding U.S. exports, developing innovative technologies, gathering and disseminating statistical data, measuring economic growth, granting patents, promoting minority entrepreneurship, providing effective management and environmental stewardship of the nation’s coastal and marine resources, and predicting and monitoring the weather. Although DOC’s missions are very diverse, they are unified by one over arching mandate — to work with the business community to foster economic growth and the creation of new American jobs to ensure sustainable economic opportunities.

There is no general Department-wide financial assistance authority. Such authority must be provided by specific statute. The Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act (31 U.S.C. 6301-6308), in and of itself, does not provide such authority. The operating unit’s basic legislation must be analyzed to determine whether an assistance relationship is authorized, and if so, under what circumstances and conditions. The following operating units are authorized to provide financial assistance.

• Census
• Economic Development Administration (EDA)
• International Trade Administration (ITA)
• Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)