Demonstration Projects to End Childhood Hunger (HHFKA)

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

Demonstration Projects TO END Childhood Hunger

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS

CFDA #: 10.592

DATES

RFA Release Date: March 28, 2014

Letter of Intent to Apply Date: May 16, 2014 no later than 11:59 PM (EDT)

Application Submission Date: July 25, 2014, no later than 11:59 PM (EDT)

Award Date: October 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 3

BACKGROUND 4

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS 11

APPLICATION FORMAT 17

APPLICATION ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION 19

CONFIDENTIALITY OF AN APPLICATION 25

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS 25

AWARD NOTICE 25

FINANCIAL REPORTING 25

PROGRESS REPORTING 25

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS 26

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS 28

RFA APPLICATION CHECKLIST 29

RFA BUDGET NARRATIVE CHECKLIST 30

ATTACHMENT A: Letter of Intent to Apply 32

ATTACHMENT B: Agreement to Cooperate with Evaluation Contractor 33

ATTACHMENT C: Letter(s) of Commitment 34

ATTACHMENT D: Data Supporting Prevalence of Diabetes on Indian Reservation 35

INTRODUCTION

Authorization

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, under Section 141, added a new Section 23 on Childhood Hunger Research to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act. This section provides substantial new mandatory funding to research the causes and consequences of childhood hunger and to test innovative strategies to end child hunger and food insecurity. The authorizing program legislation and relevant section for this Request for Application (RFA) is: Childhood Hunger Research Demonstration Projects to End Childhood Hunger (42 U.S.C. 1769d).¹

The HHFKA provided $40 million to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct and evaluate the demonstration projects. The funding was authorized as of October 1, 2012 and will remain available until September 30, 2017. USDA will commission and oversee a rigorous independent evaluation of each demonstration project. The primary outcome of interest for the projects and the evaluation is the change in the prevalence of food insecurity among children.

Purpose

The purpose of the demonstration projects is to test innovative strategies to end childhood hunger, including alternative models for service delivery and benefit levels that promote the reduction or elimination of childhood hunger and food insecurity. Projects may include enhanced SNAP benefits for eligible households with children; enhanced benefits or innovative program delivery models in school meals, afterschool snacks programs, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP); and other targeted Federal, State or local assistance, including refundable tax credits, emergency housing, employment and training, or family preservation services, for households with children who are experiencing food insecurity.

USDA is interested in targeting areas or populations where there are currently elevated levels of food insecurity or gaps in nutrition assistance program coverage. HHFKA requires that at least one demonstration project be carried out on an Indian reservation in a rural area with a service population having a prevalence of diabetes that exceeds 15 percent, as determined by the Director of the Indian Health Service. The primary outcome measure for the demonstrations will be the change in the prevalence of food insecurity among children as measured by the USDA food security measure. Other site-specific outcomes related to particular interventions may be considered for the evaluation, but will be secondary to food insecurity among children.

Funding

The RFA is for a new, one-time initiative. Approximately $30 million will be awarded for up to five demonstration projects in the form of cooperative agreements between USDA-FNS and grantees. The remaining funds will be used for independent evaluations of each project. Depending on the nature of the proposals submitted, up to five (5) applicants may be awarded grants, with no single project exceeding $10,000,000. Applicants that commit matching resources, including in-kind resources, to the project will receive competitive priority. The cooperative agreements will provide for an implementation phase of up to 12 months and the demonstration projects will operate for at least 12 months, but no more than 24 months.

Limitation on Number of Applications Each Applicant Can Submit

FNS will consider only one application from each State, U.S. Territory, District of Columbia or Indian Tribal Organization (ITO). FNS will consider applications from both a State and an ITO with different proposed project sites in the same State.

Letter of Intent

The eligible applicant that intends to submit an application should submit a Letter of Intent notice (See Attachment A) no later than May 16, 2014, 11:59 PM (EDT). This notice does not obligate the applicant to submit an application but provides FNS with useful information in preparing for the review and selection process. The notice should include the potential applicant’s name and address, organization’s name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the primary point of contact. The applicant can send the letter via the mail or e-mail to the FNS Grants Officer identified below:

Leslie Byrd

Grant Officer, Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

3101 Park Center Drive Room 732

Alexandria, VA 22304

E-mail: [email protected]

BACKGROUND

Prevalence of Childhood Hunger and Food Insecurity

USDA monitors food security annually as an ongoing assessment of the overall effectiveness of federal nutrition assistance programs, private food assistance programs and other public-private initiatives in reducing or preventing food insecurity in the United States. Food security is defined as access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is defined as unable to acquire adequate food for one or more household members because they had insufficient money and other resources for food.

Distinguishing between food insecurity among households with children and food security among children is important to this discussion. The food security status of the household is assessed by the number of food-insecure conditions reported on the food security survey. Within a food-insecure household, each household member may be affected differently by the household’s food insecurity. Some members—particularly young children—may experience only mild effects or none at all, while adults are more severely affected.² Food insecurity among children is assessed by responses to a subset of questions about the conditions and experiences of children.³

Food insecurity levels, since reaching the peak in 2008, have remained relatively steady. The most recent annual measure notes that in 2012, 14.5 percent or 17.6 million households were food insecure at some time during the year. In 3.9 million households with children, or 10 percent of households with children, the children experienced food insecurity at some time during the year. In 463,000 of these households, the children experienced very low food security, the more severe range of food insecurity.⁴

Food security is important for children because their nutrition affects their current and future health, as well as their physical, mental, and social development. Previous empirical research documents that children in families suffering from food insecurity are more likely to suffer from a wide range of negative health, nutrition, and educational outcomes.⁵ Research findings show there are associations of food insecurity with: poorer health of children and adolescents; lower bone mineral content in adolescent boys; impaired development of non-cognitive abilities among school-age children; iron deficiency anemia among young children and adolescents; insecure attachments and less advanced mental proficiency in toddlers; higher rates of developmental risk among young children; and more stomach aches, frequent headaches, and colds among children.⁶

Research also shows that economic and demographic circumstances of households are closely correlated with food security:⁷

• Household Income: Nearly 25 percent of households with annual incomes below the Federal poverty line had food insecurity among children in 2010-11.

• Employment and Labor Force Status of Adults in the Household: Food insecurity among children was much higher for households with no employed adults (due to unemployment and/or disability).

• Disability Status of Working-Age Adults in the Household: Food insecurity among children was more than twice as prevalent in households with an adult who was unable to work due to disability and in households with a working-age adult with other reported disabilities as in households with no working age adult with a disability.

• Educational Attainment of Adults in Household: Food insecurity was six and a half times as prevalent in households in which no adult had completed high school (24 percent) as in households where an adult had a 4-year college degree (almost 4 percent).

A major interest of USDA-FNS in these projects is finding approaches to target interventions to households with these circumstances and characteristics, to determine if this can reduce food insecurity among children.

USDA Nutrition Assistance Programs

Through its 15 nutrition assistance programs, USDA-FNS collaborates with state and local governments and Indian Tribal Organizations works to improve food security and diet quality among children and low-income people throughout the nation. These programs either target children explicitly or include them among their beneficiaries. USDA’s domestic food and nutrition assistance programs improve children’s food security by providing low-income households with access to a healthful diet and nutrition education. These programs include:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP is the largest nutrition assistance program in the U.S. and provides low income individuals and families with additional resources to purchase food each month. In fiscal year (FY) 2013, SNAP served an average of 47.6 million low-income people each month at total costs of over $76 billion in benefits. SNAP is available to nearly anyone who qualifies with little income and few resources. In 2011, most SNAP participants were children or elderly. Nearly half (45 percent) of participants were under age 18 and nearly 9 percent were age 60 or older.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

The NSLP provides funds to States for lunches served to students at school and for snacks served to children participating in after school care programs. Children with families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines qualify for free meals and up to 185 percent qualify for reduced price meals. In FY 2013, average daily participation was 30.6 million in about 100,000 schools and residential child-care facilities. Approximately 70 percent of all lunches served were provided to children free or at reduced price.⁸

School Breakfast Program (SBP)

SBP provides funds to States to operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential childcare institutions across the U.S. In FY 2013, the SBP served over 13.1 million school children each day, in about 90,000 schools and residential child-care facilities. In School Year 2012-2013, SBP reached 27.3% of school children, with over 80% of participating schools serving low-income areas; almost 85% of meals served free or at reduced price. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines are eligible for free meals; those from families with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of poverty are eligible for reduced-price meals.

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

The WIC program provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education. The target population for WIC benefits is low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are determined to be at nutritional risk. Low-income is defined in terms of a household income at or below 185 percent of poverty. States and Indian Tribal Organizations receive Federal grants which in turn are used to cover the cost of foods purchased with WIC benefits, along with specified nutrition services and administrative costs. In FY 2013, WIC served an average of 8.7 million participants each month.

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

CACFP provides aid to child and adult care institutions and family or group day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled persons. In FY 2013, CACFP served more than 3.3 million children and 120,00 adults through child care institutions, family day care homes, adult day care centers, and after-school care programs.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

The SFSP provides meals and snacks to children in low-income areas when school is not in session. Free meals, that meet Federal nutrition guidelines, are provided to all children 18 years old and under at approved SFSP sites in areas with significant concentrations of low-income children. SFSP served over 2.4 million children during an average day in July 2013.

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

The FDPIR is a Federal program that provides USDA foods to low-income households, including the elderly, living on Indian reservations, and to Native American families residing in designated areas near reservations and in the State of Oklahoma. In FY 2013, FDPIR served an average of about 75,600 low-income Native Americans each month. Five States and 100 ITOs operated FDPIR on 276 Indian reservations.

Monitoring Food Security

USDA uses its food security measure, collected through the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS), to monitor food security across the nation. CPS-FSS has 18 core items for assessing food security of households with children and 10 items for households without children. The CPS-FSS questions ask about experiences in the last 12 months and may probe about the past 30 days depending on the response. In addition to the 12 month instrument, USDA has developed and validated an instrument that focuses on the past 30 days (http://www.ers.usda.gov/Data/foodsecurity/CPS/) designed to elicit information on recent experience.

The food security status of each interviewed household is determined by the number of food-insecure conditions and behaviors the household reports. Households are classified as food insecure if they report three or more food-insecure conditions. Households are classified as having food-insecure children if they report two or more food-insecure conditions among the children. Food-insecure households are further classified as having either low food security or very low food security. The very low food security category identifies households in which food intake of one or more members was reduced and eating patterns disrupted because of insufficient money and other resources for food. Households with children are classified as having very low food security if they report six or more food-insecure conditions. Households with children age 0-17 are classified as having very low food security if they report eight or more food-insecure conditions, including conditions among both adults and children. They are classified as having very low food security among children if they report five or more food-insecure conditions among the children.⁹

In addition to food security, the CPS-FSS collects information on household food expenditures and use of nutrition assistance programs. The questions that comprise the CPS-FSS can be reviewed in the questionnaire for the December 2012 Food Security Supplement (http://www.ers.usda.gov/datafiles/Food_Security_in_the_United_States/Current_Population_Survey/2012/qn2012.pdf). The relationship between household food security and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs is complex. The 2012 national household food security survey reported that 52 percent of households receiving SNAP benefits were food insecure, 47 percent of households that received free or reduced-cost school lunches were food insecure, and 40 percent of those that received WIC benefits were food insecure.^10,11

Recent Research on Reducing Child Food Insecurity

Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children (SEBTC)¹²

The SEBTC demonstration is an example of an alternative approach to providing food assistance to children in the summer months. Benefits ($60 per month per child) were provided monthly on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card and prorated for partial months in 2012. These benefits could be used in some States to purchase any food for home consumption, as in SNAP, or a specific food package, using the WIC program structure. Benefits were administered by grantees in the summer for the period when the schools were not in session. This demonstration exhibited large, significant reductions in the prevalence in food security and very low food security among children. Among the group participating in the demonstration, SEBTC reduced very low food security among children (VLFS-C) during the summer of 2012. The prevalence of VLFS-C was reduced from 9.5 percent in the control group to 6.4 percent in the treatment group. Thus, SEBTC eliminated VLFS-C for about one-third of the children who would otherwise have experienced it. Analyses of related measures of food security—general food insecurity among children plus measures of both severe and general food insecurity among adults and households as a whole—indicates similarly large proportional reductions.

Measuring the Effect of SNAP Participation on Food Security

Estimating the effect of SNAP on food insecurity using household survey data is challenging because households that choose to participate in SNAP can differ in systematic ways from households that do not participate, making it hard to distinguish the impact of SNAP from these other factors. The study Measuring the Effect of SNAP Participation on Food Security¹³ sought to control for the SNAP participation “selection bias” by comparing information collected from households within days of entering the program (new entrants) to information obtained after about 6 months of participation. Study findings show that SNAP was associated with a decrease in the percentage of households that were food insecure by 4.6 percentage points in the cross-sectional sample and 10.6 percentage points in the longitudinal sample. Participating in SNAP was also associated with a decrease in the percentage of households that experienced very low food security of 5.0 percentage points in the cross-sectional sample and 6.3 percentage points in the longitudinal sample. For households with children in which children were food insecure, SNAP was associated with a decrease in the percentage. Moreover, SNAP was associated with a decrease in the percentage of households in which children experienced very low food security. For most household composition subgroups, including households with and without children, households without an elderly member, and households with and without a disabled member, SNAP was also associated with an improvement in food security.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) Impact on Food Security

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 increased benefit levels for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and expanded SNAP eligibility for jobless adults without children. One goal of the program changes was to improve the food security of low-income households. Study findings suggest that the ARRA SNAP enhancements contributed substantially to improvements for low-income households. ¹⁴ Food expenditures by low-income households increased by 5.4 percent and their food insecurity declined by 2.2 percentage points from 2008 to 2009. Food security did not improve for households with incomes somewhat above the SNAP eligibility range.

Workshop on Understanding the Relationship Between Food Insecurity and Obesity

The Institute of Medicine organized this workshop in 2010 to explore the relationship between food security and obesity, the current state of the research, and the data and analyses needed to better understand their relationship. ¹⁵ Participants explored the biological, economic, psychosocial, and other factors that may influence the relationship between food insecurity, overweight, and obesity in the United States. Examined and discussed were current concepts, research findings, and considerations for future research—study designs, data analysis, and selection of measures, among others—to advance the understanding from its current state. Participants also explored the occurrence of food insecurity and obesity in a variety of groups, including children, immigrants, Native Americans, and rural populations, in addition to the U.S. population as a whole.

Workshop on Research Gaps -- Causes and Consequences of Child Food Insecurity and Hunger

The National Academies organized this workshop in 2013 to provide a forum for expert discussion of research gaps and opportunities to advance understanding of the causes and consequences of child hunger and food insecurity in the United States.¹⁶ The workshop reviewed the adequacy of current knowledge, identified research gaps, and papers were presented on the following topics: determinants of child food insecurity and hunger; individual, community, and policy and program responses to hunger; impacts of child food insecurity and hunger and; measurement and surveillance issues.

Research Program on Childhood Hunger, University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research (UKCPR)

UKCPR seeks to develop a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of why children experience very low food security in the United States (http://www.ukcpr.org). UKCPR, with funding from the Food and Nutrition Service in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, competitively awards grants to qualified individuals and institutions to provide rigorous research that expands our understanding of hunger among children in the United States and the attendant policy implications. UKCPR’s priority areas include identification of families with food-insecure children; description of coping strategies of at-risk families to avoid or reduce children’s food insecurity; description of the circumstances and processes in families with food security; and program participation and families with food insecure children. Available on the UKCPR’s website are working papers and grantees’ research on childhood hunger.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligibility

Competition for the cooperative agreements is open to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories or Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) that administer Federal nutrition assistance programs. The application must be signed by the Governor of the State or U.S. Territory, the Mayor of the District, or the leader of the ITO that has the responsibility and authority to designate which entity or group of entities will oversee the demonstration project and administer the funds on behalf of the State agency. ¹⁷

ITOs applying for the cooperative agreements must either:

1. apply independently and include letter(s) of commitment from the State and/or the entities that administer affected programs that are not already administered by the ITO, or

2. submit a joint application with the State.

For proposed projects on Indian reservations, the application should include data to show that the prevalence of diabetes is greater than 15 percent (of the total reservation population) on the Indian reservation, as required by the authorizing legislation. If the applicant chooses not to provide this data, then the proposal will be considered for funding under the remaining criteria described in this RFA only if this requirement is met by another funded project.

Other Eligibility Requirements and Restrictions

• Demonstration projects cannot be Statewide.

• Demonstration sites must be in areas where at least 15 percent of households with children have incomes below the official poverty line.

• Any requests for waivers of existing policies and rules must be consistent with existing waiver authority in each affected program. All waivers required for implementing the demonstration project should be identified/noted in the application.

• States will have up to 12 months to implement the project; demonstration projects must operate for at least 12 months, but no more than 24 months.

• For projects that cannot be evaluated with a randomized controlled trial, applicants must identify a comparison site or population group for the demonstration and provide information supporting this choice.

• Applicants must agree to cooperate fully with the FNS evaluation contractor.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Purpose

The main purpose of these demonstration projects is to test innovative strategies to end childhood hunger, including alternative models for service delivery and benefit levels that promote the reduction or elimination of childhood hunger and food insecurity. Each demonstration project will be independently evaluated using rigorous experimental design and methodologies to measure the impact on food security. The results will be shared broadly to inform policy makers, service providers, other partners, and the public to promote wide use of successful strategies.

Funding Priorities

USDA is interested in testing the impact of innovative strategies to reduce child food insecurity, particularly in areas or populations where there are currently elevated levels of food insecurity or gaps in program coverage. The proposed project will build on the promise of prior research that has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing child food insecurity or will provide a strong logic model, based on research, which illustrates how the proposed project will reduce child food insecurity.

Demonstration projects designed to feature one of the following intervention strategies are of particular interest to USDA:

• an earned income disregard in the SNAP benefit calculation for households with children with earnings at or below 50 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines, resulting in enhanced SNAP benefits for working households with children;

• enhanced SNAP benefits for eligible households with children under the age of five with gross income at or below 75 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines;

• alternative models for service delivery and enhanced SNAP benefits for populations with elevated levels of child food insecurity such as households with an adult who is unable to work due to a disability and households with only one adult;¹⁸ or

• innovative strategies that help a community maximize access to the full range of Federal child nutrition programs for eligible households – National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program, and Summer Food Service Program.

Projects proposed with these designs may also include as an intervention another social service such as child care, transportation, housing, family preservation services, or additional income support. Services that facilitate work and support very low-wage working families are of particular interest. This add-on service to the selected design should serve only a portion of households in the demonstration project, in a manner that allows the evaluation to measure the incremental impact of the additional service as compared to the nutrition policy change.

In addition to the above intervention designs, USDA would consider other innovative and promising designs that provide a strong logic model for how the proposed project would reduce child food insecurity. Projects may build on an existing or ongoing project by adding a component that addresses childhood hunger and food insecurity. However, applicants must make clear what will be learned from the addition of this component including how it is expected to reduce childhood hunger and food insecurity, how this is different from other components in the existing or ongoing project, and how those differences will be evaluated.

The demonstration projects may request waivers of existing program policies and rules but must be consistent with the existing waiver authority for any affected program.

Demonstration Sites

The demonstration projects cannot be implemented Statewide. The demonstration site must have a specific geographic boundary that is less than Statewide. The demonstration site should be in an area where at least 15 percent of households with children have incomes below the official poverty line, to help ensure that a sufficient number of households in the sample are facing food insecurity among children.

Evaluation

Each awarded demonstration project will be independently evaluated to determine its effectiveness in reducing child food insecurity. The primary outcome of interest is the change in the prevalence of food insecurity among children as measured by the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. Other site-specific outcomes related to particular interventions may be considered, but will be secondary to the primary outcome. The final evaluation report will contain a comparative assessment of cross-site impacts on food insecurity among children.

For projects that cannot be evaluated using an experimental study design with random assignment to treatment and control groups, the application must identify an appropriate comparison group for a quasi-experimental design evaluation.

The evaluation contractor will be competitively selected and managed by FNS. The evaluator will work closely with the State agencies through the award period. As a condition of the cooperative agreement, State agencies and their partners will be required to cooperate fully with the evaluation contractor to ensure the integrity of the evaluation and quality of the data provided to the contractor before, during, and after demonstration project operations. See Attachment B of this RFA.

Cooperative Agreement

This grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement. This agreement is a legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal government and the Grantee (the State, U.S. Territory, the District of Columbia or ITO). The principal purpose of this relationship is to transfer something of value to the grantee to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by law. Cooperative agreements are subject to the same administrative requirements as grants; however, they are different from either a grant or a contract. Cooperative agreements will allow more involvement and collaboration by FNS in the project compared to a grant, and they provide less direction of project activities than a contract. The roles and responsibilities of both the State agency and FNS will be stated in the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement.

Demonstration Project Roles and Responsibilities

FNS. FNS will oversee the demonstration projects and provide direction and technical assistance both to the Grantee and the evaluation contractor and coordinate their efforts. FNS will approve major aspects for the demonstration projects in advance of their implementation in a manner and timeframe agreed upon between the Grantee and FNS. FNS will establish a funding mechanism consistent with grants to the selected State agencies and provide the Grantee with detailed directions on claiming and accounting for funds.

Grantee. The Grantee is the State agency that will be selected competitively based on the merits of its application to operate the demonstration project. The Grantee has overall responsibility for planning, implementation, and operations of the demonstration project.

The Grantee shall:

• Obtain the necessary waivers required for implementing the demonstration project identified in the application.

• Select or hire appropriately credentialed personnel to manage and operate the demonstration project.

• Delegate responsibilities to agency staff or other partners as appropriate.

• Conduct appropriate training and provide necessary support for agency staff and other partners to successfully handle demonstration project responsibilities. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • providing data on participants to the evaluation contractor;

  • facilitating access to participants for the evaluation contractor;

  • providing agency and partners with necessary support, resources and oversight.

• Cooperate fully with the FNS evaluation contractor to:

  • facilitate periodic interviews with agency staff;

  • maintain records on project costs;

  • assist with arrangements for site visits from FNS and the evaluation contractor.

• Seek FNS approval at critical junctures and checkpoints after award of cooperative agreement, including management plan, budget plan, training plans, and design and implementation plans that are submitted in preliminary form in the application.

• Meet specific obligations and approval points that will be further delineated by FNS in the terms of the cooperative agreement between FNS and Grantee upon award.

• Submit timely progress reports, financial reports and special reports throughout the award, and a final progress report and a final financial report.

• Attend orientation and close out meetings at FNS headquarters.

• Make a formal presentation to FNS at the close out meeting.

• Attend progress meetings via teleconference as needed.

• Account for demonstration project funds separately from federal food nutrition assistance administrative funds and establish financial and management reporting and controls to assure that demonstration project funds are not commingled or used inappropriately. A separate and distinct audit trail must be established and maintained for the expenditure of demonstration projects funds that clearly demonstrates that they are used solely for demonstration project purposes.

Evaluation Contractor. The awarded demonstration projects will be evaluated independently by an evaluation contractor competitively selected by FNS. The evaluation contractor will work closely with the awarded grantees through the award period. The primary objective of the evaluation contractor will be to conduct an independent evaluation of each demonstration project using rigorous study designs and methods, focusing on the key outcome of interest – the change in the prevalence of food insecurity among children as measured by the Current Population Survey Food Security Supplement. An agreement to cooperate with the evaluation contractor must be submitted in the application (See Attachment B).

Other Partners. A State agency may engage additional partners in the demonstration projects. Duties of such partners should be clearly described in the application, along with an overview of how the State agency will provide oversight to their activities throughout the demonstration project. A Letter of Commitment from the partner(s) should be submitted with the application (See Attachment C). Applicants are encouraged, but not required, to consult or work with:

• Academic poverty experts in designing project,

• Foundations or other organizations that commit external resources,

• Organizations with an anti-hunger mission,

• Organizations involved in economic development or work support services,

• County and municipal governments in the project areas, and

• Local and community organizations to coordinate services.

Demonstration Project Administration

Orientation and Close Out Meetings. The Grantee shall attend an orientation meeting at FNS headquarters within two months following the award of the cooperative agreement to meet FNS and the evaluation contractor, to review the research design, and to discuss preparations for meeting the research objectives. The Grantee shall also attend a follow‐up meeting at the conclusion of the demonstration project to present findings and exchange information on lessons learned. The Grantee shall provide a formal presentation to FNS at that time.

Monthly Conference Calls. Monthly conference calls shall provide an overview of the activities conducted during the previous month, major accomplishments with completion dates and budget, deviations from the proposed plan, difficulties encountered, solutions developed to overcome difficulties, assistance needed from FNS on technical issues, and major planned activities for the next month. Should a major issue arise between monthly calls, the grantee should contact the FNS Grants Officer immediately. The Grantee shall provide FNS with an agenda 5 business days prior to each call. The Grantee shall also prepare minutes for each call and distribute to FNS no later than 5 business days after the call.

Project Reporting Requirements.

Quarterly Progress Reports. Quarterly progress reports and quarterly financial reports must be submitted to FNS. As outlined in 7CFR 3016, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Agreements, quarterly progress reports must provide a description of the activities conducted during the reporting period, major accomplishments with completion dates and budget, deviations from the proposed plan, difficulties encountered, solutions developed to overcome difficulties, and major planned activities for the next quarter. The Grantee is responsible for obtaining the necessary information from the other partners to complete this report. These reports are due within 30 days after the end of each Federal quarter.

Final Progress Reports. A final written progress report (no more than 20 pages in length) will be due 90 days after the close of the demonstration project (unless otherwise noted and justified in the application). The final progress report will be composed of a short Executive Summary and the following:

• description of the demonstration project site and project including a rationale for project design, how it was implemented, challenges encountered and solutions;

• major accomplishments;

• difficulties encountered and solutions developed to resolve the difficulties;

• costs of implementing and operating demonstration project; discussion of lessons learned;

• recommendations for future policy consideration;

Financial Reporting Requirements.

The award recipient will be required to enter the SF-425, Financial Status Report data into the FNS Food Program Reporting System (FPRS) on a quarterly basis. In order to access FPRS, the grant recipient must obtain USDA e-Authentication certification and access to FPRS. More detailed instructions for reporting will be included in the FNS Federal financial assistance award package.

Quarterly Reporting: Use Form SF-425, Federal Financial Report, to report status 30 days after the end of each quarter for which funding is received. (For example January 30, April 30, July 30, and October 30.)

Final Financial Report. Use Form SF-425, Federal Financial Report to report final expenditures. Report matching contributions for the FDPNE grant on the SF 425. The final Federal Financial Report is due 90 days after the end of project period of performance.

More detailed specifications for progress and financial reporting, assistance with preparation of FNS yearly reports to Congress, and the final project and financial reports will be included in the cooperative agreement established with the Grantee.

Presentation. The Grantee shall make a formal presentation to FNS at the close‐out meeting, which will take place within 90 days of the close of the demonstration project (unless otherwise noted and justified in the application).

Use of Grant Funds. All costs must be allowable, allocable, necessary and reasonable in accordance with OMB Circular A‐87; and A‐21, and A‐122 where appropriate. Allowable use of funds includes, but is not limited to, personnel costs; training; translation of forms; other supplies; printing, duplication, and dissemination of materials; and technology (both hardware and software) necessary for operating the demonstration project and/or participating in the evaluation of the demonstration project. An audit trail and strict accounting system to guard against commingling or improper expenditure of funds is necessary.

Award Period and Project Timeline

FNS plans to enter into a cooperative agreement with State agencies by October 2014. The Grantee will be allowed to used the funds until expended consistent with its application plans. Assuming an October 2014 award date, the general expectation is that the demonstration projects will be completed by September 2017.

The Grantee will have up to 12 months to implement the project. Within these 12 months, the Grantee is expected to launch the demonstration project in a fully operational form. Demonstration projects must operate for at least 12 months, but no more than 24 months.

Instructions for Application Submission

APPLICATION FORMAT

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be typed on 8 ½” X 11” white paper with at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced, in 12 point font. The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 25 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter of commitment(s), endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. All pages must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are received.

• Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, certification will not be considered.

• Applications not submitted via the Grants.gov portal will not be considered.

• FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available through future appropriations.

• Applications must be signed by the Governor of the State or U.S. Territory, the Mayor of the District, or the leader of the ITO that has the responsibility and authority to designate which entity or group of entities will oversee the demonstration project and administer the funds on behalf of the State agency

• Letter of Agreement to cooperate with evaluation contractor must be submitted.

• If an ITO is applying for the cooperative independently, Letter(s) of Commitment from the State and/or the entities that administer the affected programs that are not already administered by the ITO must be submitted with the application.

• For proposed projects on Indian reservations, the application should include data to support that the prevalence of diabetes is greater than 15 percent (of the total reservation population). If the applicant chooses not to provide this data, then the proposal will be considered for funding under the remaining criteria described in this RFA only if this requirement is met by another funded project.

• Demonstrations cannot be Statewide.

• Demonstration sites must be in areas where at least 15 percent of households with children have incomes below the official poverty line.

• Any requests for waivers of existing policies and rules must be consistent with existing waiver authority in each affected program. All waivers required for implementing the demonstration project should be identified/noted in the application.

• Grantees will have up to 12 months to implement the project; demonstration projects must operate for at least 12 months, but no more than 24 months.

• Applicants that commit matching resources, including in-kind resources, to the project will receive competitive priority in the scoring of proposals (see Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria).

Cover Sheet

The one-page cover page should include, at a minimum:

• Applicant’s name and mailing address

• Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

• Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

Table of Contents

Include a one-page relevant topic page number.

Application Project Summary

The one-page summary should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal is funded.

Project Narrative

The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing and how it will address a solution, the expected results and/or benefits once the solution is achieved, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and objectives. The proposed project methodology should describe the project design, address program specific methodology needs, procedures, timetables, monitoring/oversight, and the organization’s project staffing. The project narrative must be limited to 25 pages.

Application Budget Narrative

The budget narrative should correspond with the proposed project narrative and application budget. The narrative must justify and support the bona fide needs of the budget’s direct cost. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. The budget narrative must be limited to three pages.

Appendices

This section must include only required supporting documentation that addresses the applicant’s capacity to carry out the proposed project such as resumes, personnel or letters of support from supervisors of key personnel, signed Agreement to Cooperate with Evaluation Contractor, Letter(s) of Commitment, and Indian Tribal Organization’s Data Supporting Prevalence of Diabetes.

Required Grant Application Forms

All applicants must complete the following forms:

The following grants.gov forms are required of grant applicants. They are located at http://www.grants.gov/agencies/aforms_repository_information.jsp:

The following required OMB forms can be obtained at: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormsMenu?source=agency

Research and Related Forms: R&R Family

1. Standard Form 424 (SF-424) – Application for Federal Assistance

2. Standard Form 424A (SF-424A) – Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

3. Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs

In addition, in compliance with Sections 738 and 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-55) applicants are required to submit Assurance Statements regarding Corporate Felony Convictions and Corporate Federal Tax Delinquencies, using U.S. Department of Agriculture forms (AD-3030 and AD-3031).

SF LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities): Indicate on the form whether your organization intends to conduct lobbying activities. If your organization does not intend to lobby, write “Not Applicable.”

APPLICATION ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

FNS Application Instructions

LETTER OF INTENT (if applicable)

The eligible applicant that intends to submit an application should submit a Letter of Intent notice by May 16, 2014 no later than 11:59 PM (EDT). This notice does not obligate the applicant to submit an application but provides FNS with useful information in preparing for the review and selection process. The notice should include the potential applicant’s name and address, organization’s name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the primary point of contact. The applicant can send the letter via the mail or e-mail to the FNS Grants Officer identified below:

Leslie Byrd

Grant Officer, Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

3101 Park Center Drive Room 732

Alexandria, VA 22304

E-mail: [email protected]

APPLICATION DUE DATE

The complete application must be uploaded on www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time July 25, 2014. Applications received after the deadline date will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed or considered. FNS will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. FNS will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications.

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION

In order to submit your application via www.grants.gov, you must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered in both the new Systems for Award Management (SAM) and on Grants.gov. The applicant is strongly advised to allow ample time to initiate its grants.gov application submission. All applicants must have current Central Contractor Registry (CCR) status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25. Please visit the following websites to obtain additional information on how to obtain a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and register in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/).

What is SAM?
The System for Award Management (SAM) is combining federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. This consolidation is being done in phases. The first phase of SAM incorporated the functionality from several systems, including the CCR.

For additional information regarding SAM see the following link:

https://www.acquisition.gov/SAM_Guides/Quick%20Guide%20for%20Grants%20Registrations%20v1.pdf

Below is some additional information that should assist the applicant through this process:

DUNS Number: In order to obtain a DUNS number, if your organization does not have one, or if you are unsure of your organization’s number you can contact Dun and Bradstreet via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am-9pm EST. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number may take several days to obtain.

SAM Registration: For applicant organizations that were previously registered in the CCR, relevant applicant information is already in SAM; set up a SAM account as necessary to update any information. To register in SAM, the applicant’s DUNS number, Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on the applicant’s last tax return) are all required. SAM verifies all information submitted by the applicant using several systems. This verification takes at least 48 hours after your registration is submitted to SAM. Applicants must have a valid SAM registration no later than 3 days prior to the application due date of this solicitation. Applicants that do not receive confirmation that SAM registration is complete and active should contact SAM at: https://www.fsd.gov/app/answers/list.

SAM Presentation/Training

The General Services Administration (GSA) has created a SAM training presentation. To view the presentation, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmHcKCchaiY

Grants.gov Registration: In order to apply for a grant, your organization must have completed the above registrations, as well as register on Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process can be accessed at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html. Please ensure that if your organization has previously registered in Grants.gov that the individual who is submitting the application has been designated as an Authorized Organization Representative by the E-Business Point of Contact in your organization. Generally, the registration process takes between 3-5 business days.

Allow your organization ample time to complete the necessary steps, for the submission of your grant application package, on grants.gov.

The grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

Electronic Submission: The complete application must be uploaded on www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on July 25, 2014. Applications received after the deadline date will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed or considered. USDA will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. USDA will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications.

NOTICE: Special Characters not Supported

All applicants MUST follow grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided in the grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (example: &,–,*,%,/,#’, -), this includes periods (.), spacing followed by a dash in the file and for word separation, use underscore (example: Attached_File.pdf) in naming the attachments. Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from www.grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

EVALUATION OF GRANT APPLICATION CRITERIA

FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure that they contain the required documents and information. Applications that do not include Attachment B, C, and D (if applicable) will cause the application to be considered non-responsive. If an application does not include all appropriate information, FNS will consider the application to be non-responsive and will eliminate it from further evaluation.

Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a peer panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The peer panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components. The peer panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a cooperative agreement award based on the evaluation scoring. The selecting official reserves the right to award a cooperative agreement to meet agency program and policy priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional cooperative agreements in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available through future appropriations.

Selection Criteria

The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications for this RFA.

1. Demonstration Project Design and Implementation Plan (50 points)

• Applicant demonstrates understanding of the goals and objectives of the HHFKA demonstration project.

• Applicant proposes an intervention with demonstrable likelihood of success based on previous research, promising practices, or clearly articulated logic model.

• Applicant proposes innovative models to reduce childhood food insecurity, particularly in areas or populations where there are currently elevated levels of food insecurity or gaps in program coverage.

• Proposed demonstration project is suitable for an evaluation using rigorous experimental design or quasi-experimental design with comparison sites that are sufficiently similar across various social, economic, and policy characteristics to reliably minimize alternative explanations of observed effects. If necessary, applicant identifies an appropriate comparison site within the State, Territory, or reservation and provides data supporting the selection of this site.

• Proposed demonstration is thoroughly described and meets specifications outlined in RFA.

• Applicant demonstrates the site’s potential for operating a successful demonstration grant, including providing relevant data and information as appropriate.

• A clear and realistic timeline for successfully implementing, operating, and closing the demonstration project is included. The timeline includes a project activity chart showing key activities and their due dates.

• Implementation and operation plans show understanding of the FNS evaluation requirements, along with capacity and commitment to fulfilling those requirements.

• Proposed project demonstrates feasibility and replicability of the implementation plan.

• Application contains all supporting documentation including narrative proposal, Letters of Commitment, Agreement to Cooperate with Evaluation Contractor, and supporting data, as required,

2. Staffing Plan (15 Points)

• Staffing Plan describes the roles and responsibilities of key personnel and partners involved in demonstration project.

• Staffing Plan includes a chart showing key personnel and partners and lines of authority.

• Staffing Plan documents that the key personnel have the necessary and relevant education, skills, and experience for their proposed roles on the demonstration project. Includes supporting documentation as appendices in the form of resume/vita, and position descriptions for all key positions, including vacancies.

• Staffing Plan provides sufficient information to document that the time commitment of key personnel appears to be appropriate for their roles in the demonstration project. Includes supporting documentation (i.e., letters of support from supervisors) for all key personnel.

• Staffing plan demonstrates that partners, if any, have appropriate experience and commitment to effectively fulfill their proposed roles within the time and financial constraints of the demonstration project. (Letters of commitment are required in the application serve as evidence of these commitments, but narrative supporting the State agency’s plan should also be included).

3. Management Plan (15 Points)

• Management Plan articulates how the applicant will provide oversight necessary to ensure high quality products, services, or outcomes and to keep the demonstration project on time and within budget.

• Management Plan demonstrates effective internal controls of funds that are provided to partners and local agencies that ensure funds are used only for demonstration project purposes, with an accounting record and audit trail.

• Management Plan provides a plan for managing personnel associated with the demonstration project and for addressing any contingencies such as loss of key personnel.

• Management Plan shows potential for strong interrelationships, teamwork, and cooperation between the State agency and partners.

4. Budget (15 points)

• Budget considers all necessary demonstration implementation and operation costs. Costs are allowable and reasonable.

• Application includes a budget narrative describing how costs within the budget categories were derived and links between expenditures and specific activities/tasks.

5. Matching Resources (5 points)

• Applicant commits matching resources, including in-kind resources, to the project.

Total Possible Points = 100

ADMINISTRATIVE NOTICES AND REQUIREMENTS

CONFIDENTIALITY OF AN APPLICATION

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. The original copy of an application that does not result in an award will be not released to the public. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE REVIEW PROCESS

The agency requires all panel reviewers to sign a conflict of interest and confidentiality form to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may affect the application review and evaluation process. Names of applicants, including States and tribal governments, submitting an application will be kept confidential, except to those involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. In addition, the identities of the reviewers will remain confidential throughout the entire process. Therefore, the names of the reviewers will not be released to applicants.

AWARD NOTICE

Unless an applicant receives a signed award document with terms and conditions; any contact from a FNS grants or program officer should not be considered as a notice of a grant award. No pre-award or pre-agreement costs incurred prior to the effective start date are allowed unless approved and stated on FNS’ signed award document.

The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

FINANCIAL REPORTING

The award recipient will be required to enter the SF-425, Financial Status Report data into the FNS Food Program Reporting System (FPRS) on a quarterly basis. In order to access FPRS, the grant recipient must obtain USDA e-authentication certification and access to FPRS. More detailed instructions for reporting will be included in the FNS Federal financial assistance award package.

PROGRESS REPORTING

The recipient will be responsible for managing and monitoring the progress of the grant project activities and performance. The award document will indicate the reporting schedule for submitting project performance/progress reports to FNS. Any additional reporting requirements will be identified in the award terms and conditions.

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS

Debarment and Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 and 2 CFR Part 417

A recipient chosen for an award shall comply with the non-procurement debarment and suspension common rule implementing Executive Orders (E.O.) 12549 and 12669, “Debarment and Suspension,” codified at 2 CFR Part 180 and 2 CFR Part 417. This common rule restricts sub-awards and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. The approved grant recipient will be required to ensure that all sub-contractors and sub-grantees are neither excluded nor disqualified under the suspension and debarment rules prior to approving a sub-grant award by checking the Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) found at www.epls.gov.

Universal Identifier and Central Contractor Registration 2 CFR Part 25

Effective October 1, 2010, all grant applicants must obtain a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number as a universal identifier for Federal financial assistance. Active grant recipients and their direct sub-recipients of a sub-grant award also must obtain a DUNS number. To request a DUNS number visit: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

The grant recipient must also register its DUNS number in the new Systems for Award Management (SAM). If you were registered in the CCR, your company’s information is already in SAM and you will just need to set up a SAM account. To register in SAM you will need your entity’s DUNS and your entity’s Tax ID Number (TIN) and taxpayer name (as it appears on your last tax return). Registration should take 3-5 days. If you do not receive confirmation that your SAM registration is complete, please contact SAM at https://www.fsd.gov/app/answers/list..

FNS may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with the requirements described in 2 CFR 25 to provide a valid DUNS number and maintain an active CCR registration with current information.

Reporting Sub-award and Executive Compensation Information 2 CFR Part 170

The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) of 2006 (Public Law 109–282), as amended by Section 6202 of Public Law 110–252 requires primary grantees of Federal grants and cooperative agreements to report information on sub-grantee obligations and executive compensation. FFATA promotes open government by enhancing the Federal Government’s accountability for its stewardship of public resources. This is accomplished by making Government information, particularly information on Federal spending, accessible to the general public.

Primary grantees, including State agencies, are required to report actions taken on or after October 1, 2010, that obligates $25,000 or more in Federal grant funds to first- tier sub-grantees. This information must be reported in the Government-wide FFATA Sub-Award Reporting System (FSRS). In order to access FSRS a current CCR registration is required. A primary grantee and first-tier sub-grantees must also report total compensation for each of its five most-highly compensated executives. Every primary and first-tier grantee must obtain a DUNS number prior to being eligible to receive a grant or sub-grant award. Additional information will be provided to grant recipients upon award.

Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009, Public Law 110-417

Section 872 of this Act requires the development and maintenance of a Federal Government information system that contains specific information on the integrity and performance of covered Federal agency contractors and grantees. The Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) was developed to address these requirements. FAPIIS contains integrity and performance information from the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, information from the CCR database, and suspension and debarment information from the EPLS. FNS will review and consider any information about the applicant reflected in FAPIIS when making a judgment about whether an applicant is qualified to receive an award.

Sections 738 and 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (P.L. 112-55)

Section 738 (Felony Provision) None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to any corporation that was convicted (or had an officer or agency of such corporation acting on behalf of the corporation convicted) of a felony criminal violation under any Federal or State law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation, or such officer or agent, and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interest of the Government.

Section 739 (Tax Delinquency Provision) None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation that (has) any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless the agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS

This grant will be awarded and administered in accordance with the following regulations and the corresponding OMB Circulars that establish the principles for cost determination found at

2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subtitle A, Chapter II: Part 220, Education Institutions (OMB Circular A-21); Part 225, State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments (OMB Circular

A-87); and Part 230, Non-Profit Organizations (OMB Circular A-122). Any Federal laws, regulations, or USDA directives released after this RFA is posted will be implemented as instructed.

Government-wide Regulations

• 2 CFR Part 25: “Universal Identifier and Central Locator Contractor Registration”

• 2 CFR Part 170: “Reporting Sub-award and Executive Compensation Information”

• 2 CFR Part 175: “Award Term for Trafficking in Persons”

• 2 CFR Part 180: “OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-Procurement)”

• 2 CFR Part 417: “Office of the Chief Financial Officer: Department of Agriculture Implementation of OMB Guidance on Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension”

• 41 U.S.C. Section 22 “Interest of Member of Congress”

USDA Regulations

• 7 CFR Part 15: “Nondiscrimination”

• 7 CFR Part 3015: “Uniform Federal Assistance Regulations”

• 7 CFR Part 3016: “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”

• 7 CFR Part 3018: “New Restrictions on Lobbying”

• 7 CFR Part 3019: “Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations”

• 7 CFR Part 3021: “Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”

• 7 CFR Part 3052: “Audits of State, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations”

RFA APPLICATION CHECKLIST

All proposals submitted under this RFA must contain the applicable elements as described in this announcement. The application must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov, by midnight on July 25, 2014. The following checklist has been prepared to assist in ensuring that the proposal is complete and in the proper order prior to submission.

• Read the RFA carefully, usually more than once.

• Have you obtained a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered the number in the System for Award Management (SAM)?

• Have you registered your entity in grants.gov and are you authorized as a user in grants.gov to submit on behalf of your agency?

• Have you prepared and submitted the appropriate forms as shown under the Required Grant Applicant Forms section of this RFA?

• Have you included the RFA CFDA # 10.592 on your application?

• Have you included your contact information: telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address?

• Have you addressed, met, and considered any program specific requirements or restrictions?

• Have you identified the waivers you would need to implement the demonstration project?

• For proposed projects on Indian reservations, have you provided data to support the prevalence of diabetes greater than 15 percent of the total reservation population?

• Is the project’s proposal clearly stated?

  • Does it comply with any format requirements?

  • Does it comply with the page limitation?

  • Most importantly does it directly relate to the RFA’s purpose and priorities?

  • Don’t assume that reviewers know anything about your organization and its work.

  • Are all applicable attachments submitted?

    • Attachment B: Agreement to Cooperate with Evaluation Contractor.

    • Attachment C: Letter(s) of Commitment.

    • Attachment D: Indian Tribal Organizations Data Supporting Prevalence of Diabetes (if applicable). Applications for projects on Indian reservations should include data to support the prevalence of diabetes is greater than 15 percent (of the total reservation population).

• Have one or more persons read your proposal that did not participate in its writing and ensure that it was it clear to them?

• Does the proposed project and budget meet the bona fide needs of the RFA?

• Is the budget summary included?

  • Does it agree with the calculations shown on the OMB budget form?

  • Is the budget in line with the project description?

• Be sure to submit a timely application into www.Grants.gov in order to meet the RFA application deadline.

• FNS reserves the right to request additional information not clearly addressed in the initial application.

RFA BUDGET NARRATIVE CHECKLIST

This checklist will assist you in completing the budget narrative portion of the application. Please review the checklist to ensure the items below are addressed in the budget narrative.

NOTE: The budget and budget narrative must be in line with the proposal project description (statement of work) bona fine need. FNS reserves the right to request information not clearly addressed.

	YES	NO
Personnel
Did you include all key employees paid for by this grant under this heading?
Are employees of the applicant’s organization identified by name and position title?
Did you reflect percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTE)?
Fringe Benefits
Did you include your organization’s fringe benefit amount along with the basis for the computation?
Did you list the type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds?
Travel
Are travel expenses itemized? For example origination/destination points, number and purpose of trips, number of staff traveling, mode of transportation and cost of each trip.
Are the Attendee Objectives and travel justifications included in the narrative?
Is the basis for the lodging estimates identified in the budget? For example include excerpt from travel regulations.
Equipment
Is the need for the equipment justified in the narrative?
Are the types of equipment, unit costs, and the number of items to be purchased listed in the budget?
Is the basis for the cost per item or other basis of computation stated in the budget?
Supplies
Are the types of supplies, unit costs, and the number of items to be purchased reflected in the budget?
Is the basis for the costs per item or other basis of computation stated?
Contractual: (FNS reserves the right to request information on all contractual awards and associated costs after the contract is awarded.)
Has the bona fide need been clearly identified in the project description to justify the cost for a contract or sub-grant expense(s) shown on the budget?
A justification for all Sole-source contracts must be provided in the budget narrative prior to approving this identified cost.
Other
Consultant Services. – Has the bona fide need been clearly identified in the project description to justify the cost shown on the budget. The following information must be provided in the justification: description of service, the consultant’s name and an itemized list of all direct cost and fees, number of personnel including the position title (specialty and specialized qualifications as appropriate to the costs), Number of estimated hours X hourly wages, and all expenses and fees directly related to the proposed services to be rendered to the project.
For all other line items listed under the “Other” heading, list all items to be covered under this heading along with the methodology on how the applicant derived the costs to be charged to the program.
Indirect Costs
Has the applicant obtained a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) from an Federal Agency? If yes, a copy of the most resent and signed negotiated rate agreement must be provided along with the application.
If no negotiated agreement exists, the basis and the details of the indirect costs to be requested should also be reflected in the budget.

ATTACHMENT A: Letter of Intent to Apply

State agencies¹⁹ intending to submit an application for a grant for the demonstration grants are requested to submit a Letter of Intent. This can be fulfilled by completing the information below and sending it to FNS by May 16, 2014 no later than 11:59 PM (EDT). This Letter of Intent does not obligate the State agency in any way, but will provide useful information to us as we prepare for the reviews and selection process. FNS thanks State agencies in advance for their cooperation with this request.

The Letter of Intent may be mailed or e‐mailed. Please submit letter of intent to:

Leslie Byrd, Grants Officer, [email protected]

or

Food and Nutrition Service, USDA

Grants & Fiscal Policy Division

Demonstration Projects to End Childhood Hunger

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 732

Alexandria, VA 22302

Voice: (703) 305-2867

Demonstration Projects TO END Childhood Hunger

Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010

INTENT TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

Applicant (State agency name and address):

Contact Person: Title:

Telephone: Email:

ATTACHMENT B: Agreement to Cooperate with Evaluation Contractor

Date:

As an applicant for the Demonstration Projects to End Childhood Hunger in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 HHFKA, ________________________________,

(State Agency or ITO name)

agrees to foster and support full cooperation with the evaluation contractor and its designated agents in all aspects of the evaluation of HHFKA demonstration grants, including but not limited to:

• Providing data or access to data on participants on a timely basis to the evaluation contractor.

• Working in cooperation with the evaluator to trouble-shoot and resolve issues and refine procedures to the extent of the Grantee’s control.

• Making all efforts to maintain the integrity of the evaluation and ensure the quality of the data provided to the contractor.

• Facilitating access of the evaluation contractor to participants, Agency staff, contractor staff and other partners for interviews, providing address and contact information and updates to that information as necessary.

• Providing copies of documents, such as meeting notes, memoranda, test results, etc.

Signed________________________________________________________________________

(Grantee representative with authority to obligate the State Agency to this agreement).

ATTACHMENT C: Letter(s) of Commitment

INSTRUCTIONS

If an Indian Tribal Organization is applying for the cooperative independently, Letter(s) of Commitment from the State and/or the entities that administer the affected programs that are not already administered by the ITO must be submitted with the application.

State agencies ²⁰ partnering with entities that do not administer the affected programs must provide a Letter(s) of Commitment from the partnering entity.

The letter(s) of commitment must:

• describe the organization’s role in the project,

• describe the amount of time the organization intends to commit to the project,

• provide an attestation from the organization that it will cooperate with the grant applicant in implementing the project,

• be provided on the respective organization’s letterhead, and

• be signed by an authorizing individual.

ATTACHMENT D: Data Supporting Prevalence of Diabetes on Indian Reservation

For proposed projects on Indian reservations, the application should include data to support that the prevalence of diabetes is greater than 15 percent (of the total reservation population). If the applicant chooses not to provide this data, then the proposal will be considered for funding under the remaining criteria described in this RFA only if this requirement is met by another funded project.

The data provided should be the most recent data available and include the data source and a description of the data including:

• year of data;

• source of data (e.g., name of survey or data collection);

• number of persons the percentage is based on;

• a narrative describing the data;

• signature by an authorizing individual.

1 Section 23(b) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act as added by Pub. L. 111–296, title I, §141, Dec. 13, 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1769d). http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/NSLA.pdf

2 Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Mark Nord, and Anita Singh. Household Food Security in the United States in 2012, ERR-155, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2013.

3 Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, William McFall and Mark Nord. Food Insecurity in Households With Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics, 2010-11, EIB-113, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic

Research Service, May 2013.

4 Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Mark Nord, and Anita Singh. Household Food Security in the United States in 2012, ERR-155, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2013.

5 National Research Council. Research Opportunities Concerning the Causes and Consequences of Child Food Insecurity and Hunger: A Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 2013.

http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18504

6 Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Mark Nord, and Anita Singh. Household Food Security in the United States in 2012, ERR-155, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2013.

7 Ibid.

8 NSLP National Level Annual Summary Tables: 2013. http://www.fns.usda.gov/pd/slsummar.htm

9 Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, Mark Nord, and Anita Singh. Household Food Security in the United States in 2012, ERR-155, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, September 2013.

10 Ibid.

11 Participation bias should be considered. Statistics may be biased downward due to underreporting by household survey respondents including those in CPS. See Meyer, Bruce D., Wallace K.C. Mok, and James X. Sullivan. 2009. The Under-Reporting of Transfers in Household Surveys: Its Nature and Consequences, NBER Working Paper No. 15181, Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

12 Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer for Children: http://www.fns.usda.gov/ops/summer-electronic-benefit-transfer-children-sebtc

13 Mabli, James, Jim Ohls, Lisa Dragoset, Laura Castner, and Betsy Santos. Measuring the Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation on Food Security. Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, August 2013.

14Nord, Mark, and Mark Prell. Food Security Improved Following the 2009 ARRA Increase in SNAP Benefits, ERR-116, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, April 2011.

15 IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2011. Hunger and Obesity: Understanding a Food Insecurity Paradigm: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Hunger-and-Obesity-Understanding-a-Food-Insecurity-Paradigm.aspx

16 National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. (2013). Research Opportunities Concerning the Causes and Consequences of Child Food Insecurity and Hunger: A Workshop Summary. N. Kirkendall, C. House, and C.F. Citro, Rapporteurs. Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE/CNSTAT/DBASSE_081775

17 Throughout this Request for Applications the term “State agency” refers to the agencies of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories or ITOs that administer federal nutrition assistance programs.

18 For more information on populations with elevated child food insecurity please see Coleman-Jensen, Alisha, William McFall and Mark Nord. Food Insecurity in Households With Children: Prevalence, Severity, and Household Characteristics, 2010-11, EIB-113, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, May 2013. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eib-economic-information-bulletin/eib113.aspx

19 “State agency” refers to the agencies of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories or ITOs that administer federal nutrition assistance programs.

20 “State agencies” refers to the agencies of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories or ITOs that administer federal nutrition assistance programs.

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