(a) Applications may be filed in either paper or electronic format. RUS will not accept applications by fax or e-mail.

(b) Paper applications for DWS grants may be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) or courier delivery services. Applications submitted by mail or courier must be postmarked no later than the filing deadline to be considered for the grant period. Applications delivered by mail or courier must be addressed to the attention of the Assistant Administrator, Water and Environmental Programs as follows: ATTN: Assistant Administrator, WEP, Rural Utilities Service, Stop 1548 Room 5145 South, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20250-1548.

(c) Electronic applications may be filed through Grants.gov, the official Federal Government Web site at http://www.grants.gov. The applicant must be registered with Grants.gov before they can submit a grant applicant. The applicant should refer to instructions found on the Grants.gov Web site for procedures for registering and using this facility. An applicant who is not registered on Grants.gov should allow a sufficient number of business days to complete the process. Applications submitted electronically must be show an electronic date and time stamp on or before the filing deadline to be considered for the grant period.

(d) The methods of submitting applications may be changed from time to reflect changes in addresses and electronic submission procedures. The applicant should refer to the most recent FOA for notice of any such changes. In the event of any discrepancy, the most recent FOA must be followed.