Award amendments allow you to modify the terms and conditions of your existing award agreement when circumstances change. This article walks you through both receiving amendment requests from program administrators and initiating your own amendment requests.

If you are a Program Administrator looking for help, please see this article.

Receiving an Amendment Request 

When a program administrator initiates an amendment to your award agreement, here's what you can expect:

Getting Started

You'll receive an email notification that an amendment agreement proposal has been initiated and needs your attention. You can click directly from the email to access your portal.

⚠️Important Note: While an amendment is in progress, you'll see this message in your portal: "Amendment in progress. Some post-award activities will be paused until completed"

What's paused during the amendment process:

• Progress Reports: You cannot start new progress reports that haven't been filled out yet. However, if you have progress reports already in draft status, you can still submit them, and program staff can continue to review and approve them.
• Disbursements: New disbursements cannot be initiated until the amendment process is completed.
• Expenses: You cannot log expenses until the amendment process is completed.

Reviewing the Amendment

1. Click Award Agreement to view your original agreement. Select the View hyperlink next to the preview (eye) icon to see the amendment agreement labeled with "Proposed" status.

2. Once the agreement is open, select "Amendment Request" in the top right corner to see program administrator's comments.

Adding Your Input

1. A right panel will open showing the program administrator's comments. Here you can:

• Add your own comments in the textbox to communicate with the program administrator - whether you're simply acknowledging the changes (such as "Looks good, thank you") or requesting revisions to the proposed amendment.
• Upload any supporting documentation
• Comments and documentation will be sent back to the program administrator

Making Your Decision

1. Scroll down to find the Accept or Decline options:

➜ If you choose to Decline:

• A pop-up box will appear where you can include comments explaining your decision

➜ If you choose to Accept:

• You'll be prompted to confirm that you've reviewed the agreement and changes
• After accepting, you'll be alerted that your post-award activities are accessible again
• You'll be able to view both the original agreement and the new amendment

Initiating Your Own Amendment Request

If your program administrator has enabled the amendment initiation feature, you can request changes to your award agreement when circumstances require modifications. 

This capability allows you to proactively address changing project needs or requirements.

Submitting Your Request

1. Navigate to your award agreement and select to view your Agreement. 

2. In the top right corner, select Initiate Amendment. 

3. Choose the reason for your amendment request, include justification comments (this field is required), and upload any supporting documents.

💡 Requesting a budget revision or increase to your award amount? Use this same process — select a reason, explain what you need changed and why, and upload any supporting documents. Your program admin will review your request and make changes if approved.

What Happens Next

• You'll be notified that your post-award activities will be paused while your request is under review
• Once you submit your request, you'll see the Submitted status in your portal
• You'll receive email notifications when the program administrator:
  • Needs additional clarification
  • Denies your request
  • Approves your request

Follow-Up Actions

If your request is approved or if additional clarification is needed, you'll be prompted to either:

• Accept your award amendment, or
• Supply any additional clarification 

Key Reminders

• Amendment processes temporarily pause certain post-award activities
• All communication and documentation related to amendments is tracked in your portal
• Email notifications keep you informed at each step of the process
• Both you and program administrators can request revisions during the review process