Whats the difference between a grant, a contract, and a cooperative agreement?
A Grant: The purpose is to transfer money, property, services, or anything of value to a recipient in order to accomplish a public purpose. The sponsor allows more freedom and less oversight with a grant. A Contract: The purpose is to acquire property or services (deliverables) for direct benefit or use of the sponsor. It’s a procurement mechanism and allows the sponsor to determine the terms of the procurement contract. A Cooperative Agreement: The purpose is to transfer funds to the recipient to accomplish a public purpose. These awards are characterized by substantially more collaboration and involvement between the sponsor and recipient.
