Grant Closeout Checklist: Closing Out a Federal Award
Closeout is the formal process of ending an award after its project period. Sponsors impose firm deadlines, often 120 days after the end date, and unresolved closeouts can block new funding to the entire institution.
Work this list in the final weeks of the award and through the closeout window.
Final progress report
- Submit the Final RPPR (or sponsor equivalent), typically due within 120 days of the end date.
- Include a final inclusion enrollment report if human subjects were involved.
Final financial report
- Submit the Final Federal Financial Report (FFR / SF-425) with final expenditures.
- Reconcile it to the general ledger: no overdrafts, no charges posted after the end date.
Inventions, equipment & property
- For NIH/HHS, submit the Final Invention Statement and Certification (HHS 568), even if there's nothing to report.
- Account for and report equipment and property per the award terms, and follow disposition instructions.
Close out subawards
- Collect final invoices and reports from every subrecipient.
- Deobligate and release remaining subaward funds.
Reconcile and retain
- Move any unallowable or misposted costs off the award.
- Confirm all committed cost sharing was met and documented; clear encumbrances.
- Retain award records (generally three years after the final report).
Common pitfalls
- Missing the 120-day window. Final reports are usually due within 120 days of the end date, and overdue closeouts can block new funding to the whole institution.
- Leaving unliquidated obligations open. Reconcile and liquidate every commitment before the final financial report.
- Forgetting the final invention and property reports, which are easy to overlook but required to close.
Closeout deadlines are firm and institution-wide: one overdue final report can freeze other awards.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to close out a federal award?
Most sponsors require the final progress, financial, and property or invention reports within 120 days of the project end date.
What happens if a closeout is late?
Unresolved closeouts can trigger enforcement and can freeze other awards to the institution, since sponsors track overdue final reports across the recipient.
Which reports are required at closeout?
Typically a final progress report, a final financial report, and final property and invention reporting, plus reconciliation of all expenditures.
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