Your TL;DR: A shutdown does not have to stall your grant journey. By focusing on strategy, documentation, and evaluation, applicants and recipients can stay prepared. EBHC helps you take control of what you can control.
Government Shutdowns Are Beyond Your Control, but Preparation Isn’t
When federal agencies go quiet during a government shutdown, grant applicants and recipients are often left waiting. Proposals may sit in review queues, and program officers may be unreachable.
This uncertainty is stressful, but here’s the key: you don’t have to wait idly. There are steps you can take right now to strengthen your project or proposal so that once operations resume, you are ahead of the curve.
👉 For background on how shutdowns impact federal grants, see our earlier post here.
Action Steps for Applicants
If you are in the process of applying for a federal grant, use this downtime strategically:
- Polish your evaluation plan: Reviewers will scrutinize how you plan to measure outcomes. Strong evaluation stands out.
- Strengthen partnerships: Confirm letters of support and refine roles so collaborators are ready when submissions reopen.
- Refine your budget: Use the pause to double-check that your costs align with program goals.
- Build your narrative: Tighten your project’s story so it is both compelling and measurable.
Action Steps for Current Awardees
If your project is already funded, a shutdown may slow down reimbursements or approvals, but it does not have to halt progress:
- Continue data collection: Track progress against your goals, even if reports are delayed.
- Document activities: Keep detailed records of milestones achieved during the pause.
- Evaluate in real-time: Use your evaluation framework to identify what is working and what needs adjustment.
- Plan for sustainability: Show how your project can withstand disruptions and keep moving forward.
The Gap Without Preparedness
Applicants and awardees who take a passive approach during a shutdown may lose valuable time and credibility. Proposals that fail to strengthen evaluation plans risk rejection when reviews resume. Projects without ongoing documentation may appear inactive to program officers once reporting systems are back online.
How EBHC Helps You Stay Ahead
At EBHC, we specialize in helping organizations turn uncertainty into opportunity. Our evaluation expertise ensures you are not only meeting NSF, NIH, and DOE expectations but also positioning your work as resilient and results-driven.
We have successfully supported clients through periods of funding disruption by:
- Designing evaluation frameworks that continue delivering insights even when federal systems are offline.
- Helping applicants strengthen proposals with metrics that reviewers trust.
- Equipping recipients to show progress, accountability, and sustainability despite delays.
Taking Control of What You Can During a Government Shutdown
A shutdown is out of your hands. Your readiness is not. By focusing on evaluation, documentation, and strategic refinement, you can keep your project moving and strengthen your credibility with funders.
EBHC is here to help you take those steps.
Ready To Take the Next Step?
We assist our clients in locating, applying for, and evaluating the outcomes of non-dilutive grant funding. We believe non-dilutive funding is a crucial tool for mitigating investment risks, and we are dedicated to guiding our clients through the entire process—from identifying the most suitable opportunities to submitting and managing grant applications.