BudgetBuilder Guide
Overview
BudgetBuilder helps you create SF-424A-compliant budgets for federal grant applications. It handles the federal cost categories, splits federal vs. non-federal funding, applies your indirect cost rate, and generates budget justification narratives — all while checking against constraints extracted from the NOFO.
This feature is available on Professional plan and above.
Key Features
SF-424A category support — Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Travel, Equipment, Supplies, Contractual, Construction, Other, and Indirect ChargesFederal vs. non-federal split — Track your federal request alongside cost share and matchPeriod-based budgets — Multi-year grants with per-period line itemsIndirect cost rate application — Applies your NICRA rate from your profile automaticallyNOFO budget constraint extraction — Reads the NOFO for budget restrictions (indirect cost caps, prohibited categories, cost sharing requirements) and flags violationsAI-generated line items — Suggests realistic budget items based on your program descriptionBudget justification narratives — Generates line-by-line justification text that connects each cost to a project activityHow to Use
Creating a Budget
1. Open the application workflow for a tracked grant
2. Navigate to the budget section
3. BudgetBuilder loads with the SF-424A categories pre-configured
4. If a NOFO is uploaded, budget constraints are extracted automatically — you'll see badges showing indirect cost caps, prohibited categories, and cost sharing requirements
Adding Line Items
Click Add Line Item under any categoryEnter the description, federal amount, and non-federal amountFor each item, add unit detail (quantity, unit cost, duration) for transparent calculationThe system flags items that violate NOFO constraints (e.g., equipment exceeding the cap)Budget Justification
Click Generate Justification to create narrative text for each line itemThe justification explains why the cost is necessary and how it connects to project activitiesEdit the generated text to add specifics the AI couldn't inferNOFO Constraint Badges
When a NOFO is analyzed, BudgetBuilder shows constraint badges:
Indirect cost cap — Shows the maximum allowed indirect rateCost share required — Shows the match percentage and basisProhibited categories — Categories that are not allowable under this NOFOCategory caps — Maximum amounts or percentages for specific categoriesEach badge links to the exact NOFO passage it was extracted from.
Tips
Upload the NOFO before building the budget — constraint extraction prevents errors you'd otherwise catch only at submissionYour indirect cost rate from your profile is applied automatically. If you don't have a negotiated rate, the 10% de minimis rate is usedEvery line item should trace back to an activity in your project narrative — reviewers check thisUse the unit detail fields to show your math (e.g., "1 Project Director × $85,000/yr × 50% FTE = $42,500") — transparency increases reviewer confidence
Want to learn more? Module 2: Building a Competitive Application covers SF-424A budget categories, indirect cost rates, and how to write budget justifications that earn maximum points.
