Case Study

Impact statistics

• Over 70% of search traffic from Grants.gov now goes through Simpler Search

• 600% increase in people using Simpler Search a year after launch

Summary

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) manages Grants.gov, a federal service that connects grant seekers with more than $300 billion in public funding each year. With the goal of making Grants.gov the simplest, most effective, and easiest way to find and apply for financial assistance, HHS tapped Nava to help scale the program’s modernization efforts. 

Most recently, we helped HHS integrate Simpler Search, a human-centered search experience, as the default search option for Grants.gov. Simpler Search is a feature that enables grant seekers to search for and save grant opportunity listings. Grant seekers can also save searches, create lists of their saved opportunities, and subscribe to email alerts for saved searches. 

Approach

Simpler Search was built with grant seekers, not just for them. In early 2025, HHS convened a Co-Design Group, a recurring cohort of grant seekers with lived experience of the federal grant application process. The first Co-Design Group helped shape the initial features HHS prioritized and test the redesigned search results and filters. The second Co-Design Group helped continue our user research and informed later iterations. 

At the same time, HHS leveraged an iterative delivery model, known as agile methodology, which includes delivering small, testable pieces of software every two weeks. This process enabled HHS to gather user feedback along the way to help inform the final product in real time, rather than at the end. This iterative delivery cadence included features such as:

• Redesigned search results (side-by-side opportunity details, information hierarchy from user research)

• Filters designed around grant seeker priorities 

• Workspace — saved searches and saved opportunities in one place

• Shareable search URLs

• Easy access to download all Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) documents

Finally, we helped HHS gradually transition Simpler Search to the default option by integrating it at different points in a grant seeker’s journey on Grants.gov, enabling a progressive shift to the new experience, rather than forcing grant seekers into something unfamiliar. By implementing Simpler Search first as a menu bar option, HHS was able to double traffic from Grants.gov and ensure performance and infrastructure capabilities could handle the increased traffic. 

Outcomes

When Simpler Search became the default experience, it redirected more than 50% of all search traffic through Simpler Search, proving the feature could handle the increased traffic and grant seekers would not experience any system performance problems. That share has since grown to more than 70% of traffic. Launching Simpler Search as the default search helps HHS get a wider array of grant seekers who provide feedback about their experience using the new search function. This also helps solidify Simpler Search as the standard option and furthers HHS’ mission to iteratively build and deliver working software without a single “big bang” replacement of the entire Grants.gov system all at once.

Process

We first helped HHS add the new Simpler Search feature as an option on the Grants.gov menu bar, while also enabling grant seekers to use the legacy option. In collaboration with the Grants.gov vendor, we developed a requirements document, which included mockups of the expected user experience and exact links, to ensure clear and easy communication between vendors. The links were able to track the volume of traffic coming from Grants.gov and provide people who navigated to Simpler Search via Grants.gov an easy way to return back and use the legacy search.

During this iteration of Simpler Search, HHS added a survey option to gather feedback and implement new features. We helped HHS analyze the feedback and establish actionable insights. The feedback was used to prioritize several improvements to the Simpler Search experience, like adding a new “Posted Date” filter so grant seekers could quickly view the newest grants first.

A Simpler Grants digital co-planning board lets grant seekers vote on feature updates they’d like to see.

In partnership with HHS, we also leveraged a co-planning board, enabling grant seekers to vote on the features or issues most important to them in a public space. This board is used by HHS when considering future updates for Simpler.Grants.gov. HHS maintains control over the board by prefilling the suggested feature updates that grant seekers vote on. The co-planning board helped HHS select three issues to address before integrating Simpler Search as the default search option.

The Simpler Search experience is the default option for grant seekers using Grants.gov who are not logged into Grants.gov.

Finally, we helped HHS integrate Simpler Search as the default search option for all grant seekers who are not already logged in to Grants.gov. We worked again with the Grants.gov vendor to develop requirements and simulate a testing process. The legacy search option is still available to create a gradual shift to the new experience. 

Conclusion

Integrating Simpler Search as the default search option for Grants.gov helps HHS get one step closer to making the program the simplest and most effective way to find and apply for financial assistance. With the option to use Simpler Search or the legacy search function, HHS is able to gradually shift grant seekers to the new feature without a gap in service and while also seeking feedback to make improvements.