Award ceiling and floor

American notices publish three numbers that Europe usually omits: the total programme funding, the expected number of awards, and the ceiling and floor for an individual award. Together they describe the shape of the competition far better than a European topic fiche does.

The CEILING is the largest single award the agency expects to make; the FLOOR is the smallest. Requesting above the ceiling normally makes an application non-responsive, rejected without review, which is the cheapest possible way to waste two months.

The numbers are usually honest about the agency's intent, and they should drive the design of the project rather than the other way round. Total funding divided by expected awards gives the realistic target, and a proposal sized at the ceiling in a programme whose average will be half of it needs a reason for being twice the size of its competitors.

Read them together with the period of performance. A $500,000 ceiling over five years and a $500,000 ceiling over one year are completely different programmes, and the notice states which, often in a different section from the money.

One caution: ceilings are frequently subject to the appropriation. Notices carry language making everything contingent on the availability of funds, and awards made under a reduced appropriation can come in below the ceiling and below the expected number. Plan the project so that a smaller award is still a coherent piece of work.