Assurances and Certifications

(Updated January 30, 2025)

As part of their SAM entity registration and by signing and submitting the Application for Federal Domestic Assistance (Standard Form 424 Short Organizational or Standard Form 424 Individual), applicants for NEH funds agree to:

  1. comply with all applicable government-wide requirements (including federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and public policies) that govern federal financial assistance awards. This list can be found in Appendix I of the SAM Entity Registration Checklist.
  2. comply with any resulting terms and conditions if awarded. NEH’s General Terms and Conditions for Awards to Organizations can be found here.

When applicable, NEH requires a separate certification or assurance for lobbying, performance labor, and the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). Applicants submit these certification and assurance forms with their application packages in Grants.gov. 

NEH will not release funds until it has received these certifications and assurances. 

Lobbying Certification

When applicants request more than $100,000 in award funds, they must certify that no federal funds have or will be paid to persons to influence the funding decision (i.e., lobby) for the proposal that is being submitted for consideration. Applicants make this certification by submitting the Certification Regarding Lobbying form with their application package in Grants.gov.

Regardless of funding amount, if applicants have or will use non-federal funds for lobbying, they must submit Standard Form - LLL (“Disclosure of Lobbying Activities”) with their application package in Grants.gov. Follow these instructions for how to fill out the SF-LLL.

Performance Labor Assurances

If an applicant employs professional performers, scriptwriters, and related or supporting professional personnel, they must provide an assurance that they will abide by 29 CFR Part 505—Labor Standards on Projects or Productions Assisted by Grants from the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities by submitting the Assurances as to Labor Standards form with their application package in Grants.gov. Specifically, this assurance acknowledges that:

  1. such individuals will not be paid less than the minimum union or guild rates, and 
  2. no part of any project or production will be performed or engaged in under working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to the health and safety of such individuals.


For additional information, refer to the NEH/NEA Fact Sheet – Performance Labor Assurances.

Build America, Buy America Act 

BABA (P.L. 117-58, Section 70901, et seq.) requires recipients of NEH awards that involve infrastructure activities—including alterations to or construction of buildings, real property, and structures—to use iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials produced in the United States. 

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) specifies whether BABA applies. If it does, applicants must provide a written assurance to NEH that they “have read and will comply with the BABA contract and certification requirements summarized on the Build America, Buy America Act and Waivers and the Recipient and Subrecipient Build America, Buy America Act Assurance webpages.” Recipients must ensure that the requirement is included in relevant contracts and subcontracts and retain documentation on the sourcing of iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials funded with NEH matching funds and third-party, non-federal gifts.