Sf-424

Federal Financial Report Instructions
Report Submissions
1) Recipients will be instructed by Federal agencies to submit the Federal Financial Report (FFR) to
a single location, except when an automated payment management reporting system is utilized. In
this case, a second submission location may be required by the agency.
2)

If recipients need more space to support their FFRs, or FFR Attachments, they should provide
supplemental pages. These additional pages must indicate the following information at the top of
each page: Federal grant or other identifying number (if reporting on a single award), recipient
organization, Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, Employer Identification Number
(EIN), and period covered by the report.

Reporting Requirements
1) The submission of interim FFRs will be on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis, as directed by
the Federal agency. A final FFR shall be submitted at the completion of the award agreement. The
following reporting period end dates shall be used for interim reports: 3/31, 6/30, 9/30, or 12/31. For
final FFRs, the reporting period end date shall be the end date of the project or grant period.
2) Quarterly and semi-annual interim reports shall be submitted no later than 30 days after the end of
each reporting period. Annual reports shall be submitted no later than 90 days after the end of each
reporting period. Final reports shall be submitted no later than 90 days after the project or grant
period end date.
Note: For single award reporting:
1) Federal agencies may require both cash management information on lines 10(a) through 10(c) and
financial status information lines 10(d) through 10(o).
2) 10(b) and 10(e) may not be the same until the final report.

Revised 10/11/2011

Line Item Instructions for the Federal Financial Report
FFR
Reporting
Number
Item
Cover Information
1

Instructions

Enter the name of the Federal agency and organizational element identified in the
award document or as instructed by the agency.

4a

Federal Agency
and
Organizational
Element
to
Federal Grant
Which
or OtherReport is
Submitted
Identifying
Number
Assigned
Recipient by
Federal
Organization
Agency
DUNS Number

4b

EIN

Enter the recipient organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN).

5

Recipient Account
Number
or Identifying
Number

Enter the account number or any other identifying number assigned by the recipient
to the award. This number is for the recipient’s use only and is not required by the
Federal agency. For multiple awards, report this information on the FFR
Attachment. Do not complete this box if reporting on multiple awards.

6

Report Type

Mark appropriate box. Do not complete this box if reporting on multiple awards.

7

Basis of
Accounting
(Cash/Accrual)

Specify whether a cash or accrual basis was used for recording transactions related
to the award(s) and for preparing this FFR. Accrual basis of accounting refers to
the accounting method in which expenses are recorded when incurred. For cash
basis accounting, expenses are recorded when they are paid.

8

Project/Grant
Period,
From: (Month,
Day, Year)

Indicate the period established in the award document during which
Federal sponsorship begins and ends.

2

3

For a single award, enter the grant number assigned to the award by the
Federal agency. For multiple awards, report this information on the FFR
Attachment. Do not complete this box if reporting on multiple awards.
Enter the name and complete address of the recipient organization including zip
code.
Enter the recipient organization’s Data Universal Numbering System
(DUNS) number or Central Contract Registry extended DUNS number.

Note: Some agencies award multi-year grants for a project period that is funded
in increments or budget periods (typically annual increments). Throughout the
project period, agencies often require cumulative reporting for consecutive budget
periods. Under these circumstances, enter the beginning and ending dates of the
project period not the budget period.
Do not complete this line if reporting on multiple awards.

9

Project/Grant
Period, To:
(Month,
Day,
Reporting
Period
Year)
End
Date: (Month,
Day, Year)

See the above instructions for “Project/Grant Period, From: (Month, Day,
Year).”
Enter the ending date of the reporting period. For quarterly, semi-annual,
and annual interim reports, use the following reporting period end dates:
3/31, 6/30, 9/30, or 12/31. For final FFRs, the reporting period end date shall be
the end date of the project or grant period.
Revised 10/11/2011

FFR
Reporting
Instructions
Number
Item
10
Transactions
Enter cumulative amounts from date of the inception of the award through the end date of the
reporting period specified in line 9.
Use Lines 10a through 10c, Lines 10d through 10o, or Lines 10a through 10o, as specified by the
Federal agency, when reporting on single grants.
Use Line 12, Remarks, to provide any information deemed necessary to support or explain FFR data.
Federal Cash (To report multiple grants, also use FFR Attachment)
10a
Cash Receipts
Enter the cumulative amount of actual cash received from the Federal agency as of
the reporting period end date.
Enter the cumulative amount of Federal fund disbursements by the grantee (such as
10b
Cash
Disbursements
cash or checks) as of the reporting period end date. Disbursements are the sum of
actual cash disbursements (of Federally authorized funds) for direct charges for
goods and services, the amount of indirect expenses charged to the award, and the
amount of cash advances and payments (of Federally authorized funds) made to
subrecipients and contractors.
For multiple grants, report each grant separately on the FFR Attachment. The sum
of the cumulative cash disbursements on the FFR Attachment must equal the
amount entered on Line 10b, FFR.
10c

Cash On Hand
(Line 10a
Minus Line 10b)

Enter the amount of Line 10a minus Line 10b. This amount represents immediate
cash needs.
Use of Aggregated Amounts of Disbursements and Advances. A recipient must
compute the amount of Federal Cash on Hand due to undisbursed advance
payments using the same basis that it uses in requesting the advances. Therefore, in
doing the computation, a recipient may only aggregate the amounts of its advance
payments received and disbursements of Federal funds under multiple awards only
if it is authorized to aggregate its requests for advance payments in the same
manner. The following examples should help to illustrate what is permissible:
 If a recipient is authorized to consolidate its requests for advance payment
for a group of awards—i.e., it requests a single amount to cover its
anticipated cash needs for the awards in the aggregate, then it may similarly
compute the Cash on Hand by subtracting the aggregated amount of
disbursements from the aggregated amount of the advances received for
those awards.
 If the same recipient is required to request payment individually for other
Federal awards, it must compute the Cash on Hand for each of those awards
on an award by award basis and correspondingly report these awards on
separate FFRs.
Exclusion of Negative Balances of Cash on Hand. In computing the total amount of
Cash on Hand for its Federal awards in the aggregate, a recipient must exclude any
negative balance of Federal Cash on Hand for an individual award or for a group of
awards paid through a consolidated payment request.

Revised 10/11/2011

FFR
Number

Reporting
Item

Instructions
This includes each award paid by the reimbursement method and any award using
the advance method that has disbursements in excess of advances received to date.
The computation must include only positive balances of cash on hand.
If more than three business days of cash are on hand, the Federal agency may
require an explanation on Line 12, Remarks, explaining why the drawdown was
made prematurely or other reasons for the excess cash.

Federal Expenditures and Unobligated Balance: Do not complete this section if reporting on multiple awards.
10d
10e

10f

Total Federal
Funds
Authorized
Federal Share of
Expenditures

Enter the total Federal funds authorized as of the reporting period end date.

Federal Share of
Unliquidated
Obligations

Unliquidated obligations on a cash basis are obligations of Federally authorized
funds which are incurred, but not yet paid as of the end of the reporting period. On
an accrual basis, they are obligations of Federally authorized funds which have
been incurred, but for which an expenditure has not yet been recorded, as of the end
of the reporting period. Enter the amount of unliquidated obligations of Federally
authorized funds. Those obligations include direct and indirect expenses incurred
but not yet paid or charged to the award, including amounts due to subrecipients
and contractors. On the final report, this line should be zero unless the awarding
agency has provided other instructions.

Enter the amount of Federal fund expenditures. For reports prepared on a cash
basis, expenditures are the sum of cash disbursements for direct charges for
property and services; the amount of indirect expense charged; and the amount of
cash advance payments and payments made to subrecipients. For reports prepared
on an accrual basis, expenditures are the sum of cash disbursements for direct
charges for property and services; the amount of indirect expense incurred; and the
net increase or decrease in the amounts owed by the recipient for (1) goods and
other property received; (2) services performed by employees, contractors,
subrecipients, and other payees; and (3) programs for which no current services or
performance are required. Do not include program income expended in accordance
with the deduction alternative, rebates, refunds, or other credits. (Program income
expended in accordance with the deduction alternative should be reported
separately on Line 10m.)

Do not include any amount in Line 10f that has been reported in Line 10e. Do not
include any amount in Line 10f for a future commitment of funds (such as a longterm contract) for which an obligation or expense has not been incurred.

10g

Total Federal
Enter the sum of Lines 10e and 10f.
Share (Sum
of
Lines 10e and Enter the amount of Line 10d minus Line 10g.
10h
Unobligated
10f)
Balance
of
Federal Funds
10dDo not complete this section if reporting on multiple awards.
Recipient(Line
Share:
Minus Line 10g)
Revised 10/11/2011

FFR
Reporting
Number
Item
10i
Total Recipient
Share
Required

10j

Instructions
Enter the total required recipient share for reporting period specified in
line 9. The required recipient share should include all matching and cost sharing
provided by recipients and third-party providers to meet the level required by the
Federal agency. This amount should not include cost sharing and match amounts
in excess of the amount required by the Federal agency (for example, cost
overruns for which the recipient incurs additional expenses and, therefore,
contributes a greater level of cost sharing or match than the level required by the
Federal agency).

Recipient Share of Enter the recipient share of actual cash disbursements or outlays (less any rebates,
Expenditures
refunds, or other credits) including payments to subrecipients and contractors. This
amount may include the value of allowable third party in-kind contributions and
recipient share of program income used to finance the non-Federal share of the
project or program. Note: On the final report this line should be equal to or greater
than the amount of Line 10i.

10k

Remaining
Enter the amount of Line 10i minus Line 10j. If recipient share in Line
10j is greater than the required match amount in Line 10i, enter zero.
Recipient Share
to be Provided
10i Do not complete this section if reporting on multiple awards.
Program (Line
Income:
Minus
Line10j)
10l
Total Federal
Enter the amount of the Federal share of program income earned. Do not report any
Share of Program program income here that is being allocated as part of the recipient's cost sharing
Income Earned
amount included in Line10j.
10m
Program Income Enter the amount of program income that was used to reduce the Federal share of
Expended
the total project costs.
in Accordance
With
the Income Enter the amount of program income that was added to funds committed to the total
10n
Program
Deduction
Expended
project costs and expended to further eligible project or program activities.
Alternative
in
Accordance
With
the
10o
Unexpended
Enter the amount of Line 10l minus Line 10m or Line 10n. This amount equals the
Addition
Program
program income that has been earned but not expended, as of the reporting period
Alternative
Income
(Line 10l end date.
Minus Expense: Complete this information only if required by the awarding agency. Enter
Indirect
11
Line
10m oramounts
Line from date of the inception of the award through the end date of the reporting
cumulative
10n)
period specified in line 9.
11a
Type of Rate(s)
State whether indirect cost rate(s) is Provisional, Predetermined, Final, or
Fixed.
11b
Rate
Enter the indirect cost rate(s) in effect during the reporting period.
11c
Period From;
Enter the beginning and ending effective dates for the rate(s).
Period
11d
Base To
Enter the amount of the base against which the rate(s) was applied.
11e
Amount Charged Enter the amount of indirect costs charged during the time period
specified. (Multiply 11b. x 11d.)
11f
Federal Share
Enter the Federal share of the amount in 11e.
11g
Totals
Enter the totals for columns 11d, 11e, and 11f.
Remarks, Certification, and Agency Use Only
12
Remarks
Enter any explanations or additional information required by the Federal sponsoring
agency including excess cash as stated in line 10c.
Revised 10/11/2011

FFR
Reporting
Instructions
Number
Item
13a
Typed or Printed Enter the name and title of the authorized certifying official.
Name and
Title of Authorized
Certifying
Official The authorized certifying official must sign here.
13b
Signature of
Authorized
Certifying Official
13c
Telephone
(Area Enter the telephone number (including area code and extension) of the individual
Code,
listed in Line 13a.
Number
and
13d
Email Address
Enter the email address of the individual listed in Line 13a.
Extension)
13e
Date Report
Enter the date the FFR is submitted to the Federal agency using the month, day,
Submitted
year format.
(Month,
Day,
14
Agency Use Only This section is reserved for Federal agency use.
Year)

Revised 10/11/2011