Chapter 13 follows the proposal beyond drafting and submission into the decision, award, implementation, compliance, reporting, and closeout stages of the grant lifecycle. It begins by treating submission as a distinct project phase, emphasizing final solicitation review, submission methods, portal risks, deadlines, and the importance of retaining proof of transmission. The chapter then examines what happens after submission, including administrative and programmatic review, down-selection, requests for clarification, Best and Final Offers, continued project planning, rejection, reviewer feedback, and resubmission. For funded proposals, attention shifts to reviewing award documents, understanding the differences among grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, and establishing effective systems for project management, records management, fiscal controls, performance measurement, and reporting. Compliance and risk management are framed as forms of stewardship rather than merely administrative burdens. The chapter concludes with grant closeout, lessons learned, preservation of organizational knowledge, and the cultivation of long-term funder relationships. Throughout, the chapter emphasizes that proposal promises become operational obligations after award and that effective grant writing extends into responsible stewardship.

The chapter covers: