What is The Grant Gateway?

The Grant Gateway is the AmeriCorps grant application and review system — a purpose-built platform designed specifically for state service commissions that administer AmeriCorps Formula grants. It provides a complete grant application system for collecting, reviewing, scoring, and managing grant applications — replacing spreadsheets, email chains, and generic tools with a streamlined, auditable workflow.

Who built The Grant Gateway?

The Grant Gateway is built by America Learns, a company that has partnered with the AmeriCorps community since 2003. With over two decades of experience serving state service commissions, AmeriCorps programs, and national service organizations.

How much does The Grant Gateway cost?

The Grant Gateway is one annual license — Unlimited Competitions — at $7,500 per year, or $3,500 per year for organizations using the America Learns Impact Suite. Summer pricing is $4,500 through September 1, 2026. The license includes unlimited applicants, reviewers, and commission staff.

Does The Grant Gateway support the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF)?

Yes. The Grant Gateway supports multiple concurrent competitions, so your commission can run Formula, Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), and any other grant competitions simultaneously — each with its own timeline, application template, scoring rubric, and reviewer pool.

How quickly can our commission get started?

Your commission can go live in as little as one day. The Grant Gateway is a cloud-hosted SaaS platform — there's no software to install, no servers to configure, and no lengthy implementation process.

Is The Grant Gateway secure and compliant for government use?

Absolutely. The Grant Gateway is a secure platform with encryption at rest and in transit, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, complete audit trails, and multi-tenant data isolation.

How does The Grant Gateway compare to other grants management platforms?

Unlike general-purpose grants management software (such as Submittable, Fluxx, or Foundant), The Grant Gateway is the only AmeriCorps grant application and review system purpose-built for Formula grant competitions. This specialization means less configuration, faster setup, and a platform that fits your process out of the box.

Can our state procurement office sole-source this?

Yes. The Grant Gateway is a purpose-built, niche solution specifically for state service commissions managing AmeriCorps Formula grant applications. There is no comparable off-the-shelf product. A sole-source justification template is available upon request. America Learns is registered on SAM.gov with an active UEI.

Why was The Grant Gateway created?

When AmeriCorps shifted to block grants, state service commissions suddenly needed their own systems to collect and review Formula grant applications — a process previously handled at the federal level. The Grant Gateway was built to solve that problem with a dedicated, compliant, and easy-to-use platform.

What features does The Grant Gateway include?

The Grant Gateway includes a flexible form builder, structured reviewer scoring with customizable rubrics, conflict-of-interest management, real-time reviewer progress tracking, in-platform clarification requests and resubmissions, aggregated score ranking, exportable reports, and a branded applicant portal with custom welcome video support.

How does reviewer management work?

Commissioners can invite internal or external reviewers and assign them to specific applications. Built-in conflict-of-interest disclosure and recusal tools ensure fair, unbiased reviews. Reviewers score independently using your custom rubric — they cannot see each other's scores.

The full picture

How The Grant Gateway works

From competition setup to final award decisions — here's exactly what happens at every stage.

Your commission can go live in one day

01
Step 01
Set Up Your Competition
Configure everything in minutes, not months
- Create one or more grant competitions — each with its own timeline and parameters
- Build application and budget templates using a flexible form builder
- Define scoring rubrics and evaluation criteria
- Set submission deadlines, review windows, and decision dates
02
Step 02
Applicants Complete & Submit
A guided experience for every organization
- Applicants receive a branded portal with your commission's welcome video
- Multiple staff members from the same organization can collaborate on one application
- Built-in validation ensures complete submissions — no missing fields or attachments
- Applicants can save drafts, preview, and submit when ready
03
Step 03
Assign & Manage Reviewers
Structured, fair, and fully auditable
- Invite internal or external reviewers and assign them to specific applications
- Manage conflicts of interest with built-in disclosure and recusal tools
- Reviewers score independently using your rubric — no peeking at each other's scores
- Track reviewer progress in real-time from your admin dashboard
04
Step 04
Review & Score Applications
Your rubric, enforced consistently
- Each reviewer completes a structured scoring form aligned to your criteria
- Reviewers can add narrative comments alongside numeric scores
- Score validation prevents accidental out-of-range entries
- All scores are timestamped and immutable for audit purposes
05
Step 05
Clarifications & Resubmissions
Two-way communication, fully tracked
- Request clarifications from applicants on specific sections of their application
- Applicants respond directly within the platform — no lost emails
- Allow targeted resubmissions for revised budgets or narratives
- Every exchange is logged with timestamps for your records
06
Step 06
Decide & Report
From aggregated scores to final awards
- View aggregated scores with automatic ranking across all reviewers
- Issue funding decisions directly from the dashboard
- Generate exportable reports for your board, federal partners, or public records
- Archive the full competition for future reference and compliance

Built for government

Compliance & Security

The Grant Gateway meets the security, accessibility, and audit requirements your commission demands.

Secure Cloud Infrastructure

Hosted on secure cloud infrastructure with encryption at rest and in transit, robust access controls, and continuous monitoring.

WCAG 2.1 AA Compliant

Fully accessible to users with disabilities. Screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and high-contrast modes built in — not bolted on.

Complete Audit Trails

Every action — submissions, score changes, clarification exchanges, decisions — is timestamped and immutable. Ready for any audit or FOIA request.

Multi-Tenant Isolation

Your commission's data is fully isolated. No cross-tenant access, no shared databases. Your data is yours alone.

For procurement teams

Purchasing made simple

We've worked with state procurement offices before. Here are answers to the questions they always ask.

Can we sole-source this?

Yes. The Grant Gateway is a purpose-built, niche solution for state service commissions managing Formula grant applications. A sole-source justification template is available upon request.

Do you accept purchase orders?

Absolutely. We routinely work with state procurement offices and accept POs, ACH, wire transfers, and credit card payments.

Are you registered on SAM.gov?

Yes. America Learns is a registered entity on SAM.gov with an active UEI. Details available upon request for your procurement paperwork.

What about a W-9 or vendor registration?

We'll complete any vendor registration forms your state requires. W-9 is available immediately upon request.

Is there a contract or terms of service?

We provide a straightforward service agreement. We're happy to work with your legal team on any required modifications or state-specific terms.

Need to share with your team?

Download a one-page overview you can attach to a procurement request, share with your board, or forward to your CIO.

Go live in one day

Ready to get started?

Plans start at $4,500/year ($3,500/year for Impact Suite users). Your commission can be up and running today.