NIH, CDC and other HHS awards are paid through the Payment Management System (PMS). Before you can draw down a single dollar, you need two things set up: a PMS user account and a bank account on file. Here's how to do both.
Plan on 2 to 3 weeks start to finish. Most of that is waiting on signatures and approvals, so start as soon as you get your Notice of Award.
Before you start
Have these ready:
Your Notice of Award (NoA). It shows your 12-digit PMS EIN. That's your 9-digit IRS tax ID with extra digits added by HHS.
Your organization's exact legal name, as registered in SAM.gov.
A personal work email for each person who needs access. PMS doesn't accept shared addresses like info@ or finance@.
A supervisor's name and email for each user. This is the person who confirms the user works for you. They don't need PMS access themselves.
Step 1: Verify your identity with ID.me
PMS uses ID.me to sign in. Each user creates an ID.me account and verifies their identity. Use the same work email you'll use for PMS. If you get stuck, ID.me offers video call verification.
Step 2: Request PMS access
Go to pms.psc.gov and select New User Access.
Sign in with ID.me.
Choose Grantee/Recipient as the user type.
Enter your organization's name and 12-digit PMS EIN from the NoA. The name must match SAM.gov.
Enter your contact details and your supervisor's details.
Pick the access you need (see below).
Check the certification box and submit.
Your supervisor gets an email to approve the request. After that, PMS verifies it and emails you when your access is live.
Which access to request
Payment Request: to draw down funds
Add/Update Banking: to add or change your bank account. You need this for Step 3.
FFR Preparer or Certifier: to file the Federal Financial Report
Read Only: to view balances and history
On a small team, it's common for one founder to have everything. If Forge is helping with drawdowns or reports, message us and we'll tell you what access we need.
Step 3: Add your bank account (SF-1199A)
PMS won't pay you until a bank account is on file. To add one, you complete an SF-1199A Direct Deposit Sign-Up Form and upload it inside PMS.
Fill in Sections 1 and 2. Type everything. Section 2 is always Payment Management Services, US Department of Health and Human Services, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
Sign Section 1 in pen. The person signing must have signature authority on the bank account.
Take it to your bank. They complete Section 3 and sign in pen.
Scan and upload it in PMS. Start an add bank information request, enter the same bank details, and attach the scan. Don't mail it.
Download the forms: a blank SF-1199A with Section 2 filled in, a filled-in sample, and the official HHS instructions are in our template folder.
Avoid these rejections
PMS is strict. Any of these will get the form sent back:
Typed, digital, DocuSign or pasted signatures. Both signatures must be wet ink.
White-out, strike-throughs or any visible edits
A P.O. Box for your address or the bank's
An individual's name instead of your organization's name
A depositor account title that doesn't match your organization name exactly
Any blank field in the bank's Section 3
For a field-by-field walkthrough, see How to add or update your bank account in HHS Payment Management System (SF-1199A).
Step 4: Get ready for your first drawdown
Once your bank account is approved, you can request funds. A few rules to know:
Draw only what you need now. NIH expects you to request funds no more than 3 business days before you need them.
Spend it fast. Funds should be paid out by the end of the next business day after they land.
Keep the backup. Every drawdown should tie to actual costs: payroll, invoices and receipts.
Most SBIR teams draw down monthly, after payroll and bills are paid. We prepare the drawdown package for you each month.
Need help?
Sign-in or ID.me problems: [email protected]
Free PMS training is available on the PMS website.
Anything else: message us.