Update on S2S Applicant Submission Issues

Summary

We performed released a system build the weekend of April 28-29, 2012. 

As of Monday, April 30, 2012, many in the S2S community started to experience the following issues which continue to today:

Error Message 1

1. XML validation error: Exception caught getting schemaLocation value: null

2. Exception caught during S2SReceiving process:Schema validation failed

or

Error Message 2

1. XML validation error: Exception caught getting schemaLocation value: -1  

2. Exception caught during S2SReceiving process:Schema validation failed

or

Error Message 3

Rejected with Errors:Exception caught during S2SReceiving process:Number of attachments declared in the Grant Application XML does not match the number of attachments sent/received.

or

Error Message 4

Exception caught during S2SReceiving process:Attachment hash values in the Grant Application XML are out of sync with the attachment(s) sent/received.

or

Error Message 5

Exception caught during S2SReceiving process:Grant Application XML hash is incorrect.

What Changed After This Weekend?

In a nutshell, without getting into details and minutiae right now, we've been bringing our system up to par with best practices in XML standards. This adversely impacted you because your systems were developed to old XML practices and standards as instructed in guidance dating back to the old days of Northrop Grumman.

What's Causing these Errors?

About Error Messages 1 & 2 - schemaLocation

These are caused by the same issue. In the XML schema header, the xsi:schemaLocation is missing from your submissions. Example: 

The line highlighted in Orange is missing in your submissions.

http://apply.grants.gov/system/MetaGrantApplication" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:header="http://apply.grants.gov/system/Header-V1.0" xmlns:glob="http://apply.grants.gov/system/Global-V1.0" xmlns:PerformanceSite_1_2="http://apply.grants.gov/forms/PerformanceSite_1_2-V1.2" xmlns:globLib="http://apply.grants.gov/system/GlobalLibrary-V2.0" xmlns:RR_Budget="http://apply.grants.gov/forms/RR_Budget-V1.1" xmlns:att="http://apply.grants.gov/system/Attachments-V1.0" xmlns:RR_OtherProjectInfo_1_2="http://apply.grants.gov/forms/RR_OtherProjectInfo_1_2-V1.2" xmlns:RR_SF424_1_2="http://apply.grants.gov/forms/RR_SF424_1_2-V1.2"xsi:schemaLocation="http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/opportunities/schemas/applicant/oppDE-FOA-0000646-cfda81.049-cidDE-FOA-0000646.xsd">

About Error 3 & 4 - Number of Attachments

This is currently under investigation.

About Error 5 - Hash Values

There was a condition that existed before that did not verify the hash value of submitted applications. This was fixed in the recent build. Please make sure that your application hash value is correct and resubmit.

Next Steps

Our team has been working day and night all week to analyze, address, and bring these issues to resolution. We have developed and tested a fix that will address the schemaLocation issue as this is the prevalent issue. We are rolling back to the way things were so that you do not need to include schemaLocation at this time. (We ask that in the meanwhile you start planning to add this to your XML submission headers. We will release proper documentation far ahead of time before deploying this and will provide a window of time for you to make the necessary adjustments to your systems.)

We are in process of deploying the schemaLocation fix to Production and will inform the community once this has been completed today.

The Number of Attachments issue is still undergoing analysis and will need another day to develop, test, and deploy a fix. We will continue to keep you abreast of resolution to this issue.

As mentioned above regarding Hash Values, please make sure that your application hash value is correct and resubmit.

We recommend that you contact the Program Point of Contact on the funding opportunity announcements for guidance. The PMO has reached out extensively to our Federal agencies to inform them of the issues currently faced by you, the applicants.  Please keep all of your documentation, submission receipts, contact center help desk tickets. 

You always have the alternative to download the Adobe PDF application package from the Grants.gov website to fill out and submit. (Please note that you must be properly registered with DUNS, CCR, Grants.gov and approved as an AOR by your organization's eBIZ Point of Contact in order to successfully submit your application.)

We will continue to keep you posted on further developments.

We thank you enormously for your patience during this time.

Sincerely,

Ed, Kevin, and the entire Grants.gov Team.