Print this when a grant window is open or about to open. Missing items delay awards more often than weak prose.
Eligibility (confirm first)
- Applicant of record identified — district, 501(c)(3), local government, or your business (not “we hope the church qualifies”)
- Program allows hardware — SVPP/NSGP yes for target hardening; BJA STOP does not buy cameras or locks
- Site ownership — owned or long-term lease; NSGP requires control of the facility being hardened
- Match funding — local cash share identified (often 25% on federal school grants)
- Deadline — NOFO date, portal registration (SAM.gov / Grants.gov if federal), state portal account
Site documentation
- Street address and parcel / tax ID if required
- Floor plan or fire-escape map (daycares: no photos of children or playground in grant packets unless the funder explicitly asks)
- Exterior photos — entries, parking, loading, playground perimeter
- Prior incident summary (police report numbers if you have them — redact victim PII)
Design artifacts (what Orbit delivers)
- Door schedule — each opening, hardware set, fail-safe / fail-secure, power note
- Camera schedule — location, purpose, lens type, retention requirement
- Network / PoE note — switch ports, VLAN intent, head-end location
- Bill of materials — orderable part numbers, quantities, unit costs, install labor line
- Single-line diagram or riser — how access, cameras, and network connect (even a simple sketch counts)
Narrative sections funders expect
- Problem statement — what is unsecured today and what could happen
- Project description — what you will buy and install, tied to the door/camera schedule
- Timeline — order, install, commissioning, training staff
- Sustainability — who maintains the system after the grant period ends
- Privacy / civil rights — especially for cameras near public sidewalks or pickup areas (school and daycare applications)
After award (reimbursement grants)
- Keep paid invoices and proof of install
- Photos after install matching the approved scope
- Do not buy equipment before approval if the grant requires pre-authorization
- Use only approved vendors / equipment categories listed in the NOFO
When to involve us
Before the window opens: site photos, door count, rough budget target.
During the window: finalize BOM and schedules for attachment.
After award: we stay available for questions against the approved package — install is yours, an electrician’s, or an integrator’s.
Security grants funding guide — program-by-program detail.