🎓 US Grants.gov Forecast-to-Posted Transition Watch

The moment a forecasted federal opportunity becomes a real, appliable posting.

## Source
    Grants.gov public Search2 and FetchOpportunity APIs (public, logged-out)
    - https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/search2

• https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/fetchOpportunity

  Public, logged-out only — no API key, login, cookie or CAPTCHA.
  
    ## The eight delta types
    | value | fires when |
    |---|---|
    | `new-opportunity` | an opportunity appears in the watched set |
    | `forecast-to-posted` | status moves `forecasted` → `posted` |
    | `deadline-amendment` | the close date or synopsis response date moves |
    | `funding-range-change` | award ceiling, floor, estimated funding, number of awards or cost sharing changes |
    | `eligibility-change` | the set of eligible applicant types changes |
    | `opportunity-cancellation` | status moves into closed/archived/withdrawn, or the record is delisted |
    | `agency-program` | the agency, agency code or CFDA programme list changes |
    | `opportunity-document-change` | the attached document set changes |
  
    Leave `delta_types` empty for all eight. Every emitted delta carries `delta_kinds`
    naming which ones it satisfied.
  
    The last three need a per-opportunity detail read. Selecting any of them narrows
    the watched set to `max_detail_reads` opportunities, newest first, and uses a
    separate baseline — so a list-mode baseline is never diffed against a detail-mode
    read.
  
    ## Pricing
    | Event | Price (FREE tier) |
    |---|---|
    | Actor start (`apify-actor-start`) | $0.02 one-time |
    | Source check (`source-check`) | $0.10 |
  

| Per delta (grant-opportunity-delta) | $0.10 |

`source-check` ladder, GOLD-floored: **$0.10 / $0.09 / $0.08 / $0.067**.
    Charged once per run after the source enumeration terminates — seed runs and
    genuine-zero runs included. It is **not** charged when the source refused the read.

    The per-delta value event (`grant-opportunity-delta`) is the **primary** event and is priced at **$0.10 per delta** at the FREE tier. Ladder, GOLD-floored: **$0.10 / $0.09 / $0.08 / $0.067** (FREE / BRONZE / SILVER / GOLD-PLATINUM-DIAMOND). `source-check` still charges; it is no longer the headline event. Billed deltas are capped at 500 per run and any overflow is reported as a withholding rather than charged.

    ## Snapshot mode is a PREVIEW
    `watch_mode: false` returns at most **25 records**, hard-capped in code, labeled
    `output_mode: "preview"`. This actor sells change detection, not bulk export.

    ## Watch semantics
    The first watch run stores a private baseline and emits **zero** deltas. Billed
    deltas are capped at 500 per run; the overflow is a named PARTIAL withholding,
    never billed, and re-detected next run. When a read is truncated, `REMOVED` is
    suppressed rather than reported as a cancellation.

    ## Terminal states
    `NORMAL` · `SUCCEEDED-0: GENUINE_EMPTY` · `SUCCEEDED-0` (no change) · `PARTIAL` · `BLOCKED`.
    A zero with no evidence FAILS loud rather than exiting 0 quietly.

Output is one grant_opportunity_record row per result; billing is pay-per-event, the value event being one grant opportunity delta (a $0.02 start fee per run, then $0.10 per grant opportunity delta plus one $0.10 source check per run that reads the source). Source: api.grants.gov.

📊 Sample Output

Real rows from run RUDBJJZrtYbKXeBio on build 0.1.10 (2026-09-17), the same input as the Quick start below — every value is as the source published it (emails masked, long text shortened):

opportunity_number	agency	cfda_list	open_date	opp_status	doc_type
DE-FOA-0003657	Office of Science	["81.049"]	09/17/2026	posted	synopsis
20261209-EDK-EDU	National Endowment for the Humanities	["45.039"]	09/17/2026	posted	synopsis
O-NIJ-2026-172757	National Institute of Justice	["16.560"]	09/16/2026	posted	synopsis
PAR-28-070	National Institutes of Health	["93.989"]	09/16/2026	forecasted	forecast
RFA-MH-27-150	National Institutes of Health	["93.242"]	09/16/2026	forecasted	forecast
PAR-29-002	National Institutes of Health	["93.351"]	09/16/2026	forecasted	forecast
PAR-29-005	National Institutes of Health	["93.859"]	09/16/2026	forecasted	forecast
PDR-2600-DC-0006	Department of Housing and Urban Development	["14.259"]	09/16/2026	forecasted	forecast

The run finished with the status message: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s)

✅ What you get

Each row is flat JSON with these fields (from the dataset schema and the sample run; a field the source does not publish for a given row is null):

• record_key (string/null) — e.g. grants:363869
• opportunity_id — e.g. 363869
• opportunity_number — e.g. DE-FOA-0003657
• title — e.g. The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition
• agency — e.g. Office of Science
• agency_code — e.g. PAMS-SC
• cfda_list — e.g. ["81.049"]
• open_date — e.g. 09/17/2026
• close_date — e.g. 10/19/2026
• opp_status — e.g. posted
• doc_type — e.g. synopsis
• detail_read — e.g. False
• opportunity_url — e.g. https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363869
• record_type (string) — e.g. grant_opportunity_record
• delta_type (string/null) — null in every sample row
• delta_kinds (array/null) — null in every sample row

⚙️ Sample inputs

1. Quick start — the Store example (this is what the sample above came from)

{
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 10,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The sample run charged exactly: 1 × $0.02 apify-actor-start + 1 × $0.10 source-check + 0 × $0.10 grant-opportunity-delta = $0.12 on the Free tier — snapshot preview rows are delivered unbilled; only the source check and the start fee were charged.

2. A smaller, narrowed run

{
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 5,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": false,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

Caps the run at 5 rows; same billing shape as the sample run above. opp_statuses narrows what the source is asked for.

3. Watch mode on a schedule

{
  "opp_statuses": "forecasted|posted",
  "max_items": 10,
  "max_detail_reads": 10,
  "watch_mode": true,
  "baseline_id": "default"
}

The first run seeds a private baseline and emits zero deltas; every later run emits one row per change, billed at $0.10 each plus the $0.10 source check; billed deltas are capped at 500 per run.

🧾 JSON sample record

One real record from run RUDBJJZrtYbKXeBio, exactly as it lands in the dataset (emails masked, long text shortened):

{
  "record_key": "grants:363869",
  "opportunity_id": "363869",
  "opportunity_number": "DE-FOA-0003657",
  "title": "The DOE Quantum Genesis Q Competition",
  "agency": "Office of Science",
  "agency_code": "PAMS-SC",
  "cfda_list": [
    "81.049"
  ],
  "open_date": "09/17/2026",
  "close_date": "10/19/2026",
  "opp_status": "posted",
  "doc_type": "synopsis",
  "detail_read": false,
  "opportunity_url": "https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363869",
  "record_type": "grant_opportunity_record",
  "schema_version": "1.0",
  "output_mode": "preview",
  "preview_cap": 25,
  "preview_truncated": 0
}

🔧 How it works

Source. The actor reads api.grants.gov — endpoints: https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/fetchOpportunity, https://api.grants.gov/v1/api/search2. Public pages and feeds only; nothing behind a login.

Transport. Plain HTTPS from the Apify platform, no proxy. robots.txt is read first and a disallowed path is never fetched. Every request carries an identified contact User-Agent.

Watch semantics. Snapshot mode (watch_mode: false) returns a preview capped at 25 records. Watch mode keys every record on a source-native id, stores a private baseline in a named key-value store, and on each later run emits one delta row per change (new / changed / removed). A blocked fetch is never diffed, so a source outage cannot show up as a mass removal.

Terminal states. A run ends NORMAL, CAPPED (your cap was reached), PARTIAL (something was withheld and the message says what), GENUINE_EMPTY (the source was read and truly had nothing in scope) or BLOCKED (the source refused or changed shape — the run FAILS loud and bills nothing). A zero-row run is never reported as a silent success.

Charging. Each grant opportunity delta is charged at the moment it is pushed (grant-opportunity-delta); a row that fails to charge is not delivered, so the dataset count always equals the charged count. One source-check is charged per run that actually read the source.

One delta type per Actor

This Actor watches forecast-to-posted and nothing else. The other delta types in this family are separate Actors, each with its own price and its own baseline — so you pay for the feed you want and no other.

What is not done. No login, no cookie or CAPTCHA bypass, no private or personal-account data, no browser automation.

⏰ Set it on a schedule

A single run is a snapshot. The value is the feed: open the actor in Apify Console → Schedules → Create new, add this actor with input 3 above (watch_mode: true), and pick a cadence:

• Daily — 0 7 * * * (07:00 UTC): catch changes within a day.
• Weekly — 0 7 * * 1: a Monday digest.

The baseline persists in a named key-value store between runs, so every scheduled run compares against the last one; use a different baseline_id for independent watches. Schedules can also POST results to a webhook (Console → Integrations).

💰 Pricing example

Event	Free	Bronze	Silver	Gold
Actor Start (apify-actor-start)	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02	$0.02
Source check (source-check)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.07
Grant Opportunity Delta (grant-opportunity-delta)	$0.10	$0.09	$0.08	$0.07

Worked at the live Free-tier price (watch mode, one delta per change):

• 8 grant opportunity deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 8 × $0.10 = $0.92
• 25 grant opportunity deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 25 × $0.10 = $2.62
• 1000 grant opportunity deltas: $0.02 start + $0.10 source check + 1000 × $0.10 = $100.12

A run that delivers zero rows charges the $0.02 start fee plus the $0.10 source check (the source was read and reported empty). A BLOCKED run (source refused) fails loud and charges no value event. The start fee is charged once per GB of run memory; the default run memory is 1024 MB.

Yield on the sample run: NORMAL: emitted 10 item(s). max_items is a hard ceiling on what is delivered and billed, never a target. Snapshot output is capped at 25 records regardless of the cap you set; watch mode is the full feed.

⚖️ Legal & ToS

This actor reads public, logged-out pages and feeds published by api.grants.gov. It collects only what the source publishes to any visitor, keeps to the source's robots rules (checked on every run), identifies itself with a contact User-Agent, and does not access accounts, private data or anything behind authentication. Use the output in line with the source's terms and your local law; the intended use is B2B research and monitoring.

❓ FAQ

Q: Do I need an API key or a login?
A: No. The source (api.grants.gov) is read logged-out; the input schema has no key field and the actor carries no secrets.

Q: Why did my run return 0 rows?
A: Read the run's status message. GENUINE_EMPTY means the source was read and had nothing in scope for your input (in watch mode the first run always seeds the baseline and returns zero deltas); BLOCKED means the source refused and the run failed without billing a value event — retry later or narrow the input. A zero-row run bills the start fee plus one source check.

Q: How many rows can one run return?
A: Up to max_items (default 1000); snapshot previews stop at 25. Raise the cap for a bigger run; you pay per delivered row.

Q: What does watch mode remember between runs?
A: A private baseline of source-native record ids in a named key-value store (baseline_id names it, so several independent watches can coexist). Each later run diffs the live source against it and emits only changes.

Q: How fresh is the data?
A: Every run reads the source live at run time; nothing is cached between runs except the watch baseline. Put it on a schedule for a continuous feed.

Q: What formats can I export?
A: The dataset downloads as JSON, CSV, Excel, XML or RSS from the run's Dataset tab or the Apify API, and any run can push to a webhook or integration.

Q: How is this different from the other grant and research-funding watches actors?
A: Same output shape and billing model; this one covers api.grants.gov. The siblings under Related Actors cover the other sources or slices — run several on one schedule for a combined feed.

🆘 Troubleshooting

• Run FAILED with BLOCKED → the source refused the request or changed its page shape → nothing was billed beyond the start fee; retry after a while, and if it persists open an Issue with the run id.
• Status says CAPPED → your cap (max_items) was reached → raise it for a bigger run.
• Input validation error on start → a field is outside the schema's allowed values → start from the Quick start block and change one field at a time.
• Run TIMED-OUT → a very wide request on a slow day → raise the run timeout in Run options or narrow the input; what was delivered before the timeout is still in the dataset.
• First watch run shows no deltas → expected: it seeds the baseline; changes appear from the second run.

🔗 Related Actors

• California New Grant Opportunity Watch — New grant opportunities as the California Grants Portal publishes them - the portal's own id, the funding agency, who may apply, the deadline exactly…
• US Grants.gov Application Deadline Amendment Watch — Close-date changes on federal funding opportunities — extensions and pull-ins. Sourced from the public Grants.gov Search2 and FetchOpportunity APIs,…
• US Grants.gov Applicant Eligibility Change Watch — Changes to who may apply for a posted federal funding opportunity. Sourced from the public Grants.gov Search2 and FetchOpportunity APIs, logged-out,…
• US Grants.gov Award Funding Range Change Watch — Changes to award ceiling, floor, or total program funding on posted opportunities. Sourced from the public Grants.gov Search2 and FetchOpportunity AP…
• US Grants.gov New Funding Opportunity Watch — Every newly posted federal funding opportunity on Grants.gov, as it appears. Sourced from the public Grants.gov Search2 and FetchOpportunity APIs, lo…
• US Grants.gov Opportunity Cancellation Watch — Federal funding opportunities withdrawn or cancelled before close. Sourced from the public Grants.gov Search2 and FetchOpportunity APIs, logged-out,…
• 🏢 About NexGenData — NexGen Watch is NexGenData's fleet of 256 public monitoring and lookup actors built on official sources, pay-per-result. Browse the catalog at apify.com/nexgenwatch.

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