Solicitations

OCAST evaluates applications according to published procedures and criteria to eliminate the potential for arbitrary and subjective allocation of resources. Peer reviewers, who are nationally recognized experts primarily from outside Oklahoma, review proposals and rank them for funding and evaluate contract performance. This promotes objectivity, avoids conflict of interest and protects the award funding from political influence. Peer review also encourages performance that meets national standards of excellence and gives Oklahoma activities national visibility.

 When you download a solicitation, you will notice that it is made up of four sections.

• The first section is introductory material and instructions.
• The second section is the Statement of Intent form.
• The third section is the Proposal Application form.
• The final section of the solicitation describes in detail the Required Attachments to the application.

Instructions
You should read this section carefully and follow all instructions. The instructions vary slightly between the programs and from year to year, so please read them each time you download a new solicitation.

Step 1: Statement of Intent
The first step in applying for an OCAST program award is to submit a Statement of Intent. Once you download this form from the OCAST web site, you can complete it electronically. Fill the form out completely and accurately. Do not leave blanks. If a question does not apply put “Not Applicable.” Your Statement of Intent may be submitted in person, by mail or by fax by the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that OCAST receives the intent by the Statement of Intent deadline.

Step 2: Proposal
The next step will be to complete your proposal. The proposal will consist of:

• The Application Forms
• The Required Attachments as described in the solicitation instructions

Like the Statement of Intent, once you download the Proposal Application form, you can complete it electronically. Complete the forms and attachments fully and accurately. Please include the Zip+4 on all application forms. Do not leave blanks. If a question or statement does not apply, put “Not Applicable.” Your proposal may be submitted in person or by mail by the deadline. It is your responsibility to ensure that OCAST receives the proposal by the Proposal Deadline.

Please contact the Programs Officer or Coordinator listed on the main page of the specific program with any questions or assistance you may need.

Note: Many of the online documents and links refer the reader to files in the Adobe Acrobat format (.pdf file extension). The files may be printed within the free Adobe Reader 8.0 stand-alone program or browser plug-in. Versions 5.0 and above work for most files, but for optimum results use the latest version 8.0. The latest Adobe Reader is available free by clicking on this link and following the download instructions.

The free Acrobat Reader does not allow you to save documents to disk. The ability to save documents is available by purchasing the Adobe Acrobat family of products. For best results, download the document and open it from your local hard drive.