Form 1122-0020 OVW Solicitation Template
Office on Violence Against Women Grant Program Solicitation Template
FY 2019 Discretionary Template Final
Office on Violence Against Women Grant Program Solicitation Template
OMB: 1122-0020
U.S. Department of Justice
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
OVW Fiscal Year 2019
[Insert Program Name]
[Solicitation or Invitation to Apply]
Release Date: on or about [insert date]
Eligible applicants are limited to: [insert eligible applicants].
(See “Eligibility Information”)
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (E.T.) on [insert date].
(See “Submission Dates and Times”)
Registration Information: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number and register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with [Grants.gov or the Grants Management System (GMS)]. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a DUNS Number and register online with SAM and with [GMS or Grants.gov] immediately, but no later than [insert date from the MIT calendar].
(See “Registration”)
Letter of Intent: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent to [insert email address] by [insert date on MIT calendar]. This letter confirms that the applicant has registered with SAM and [Grants.gov or GMS]. Submitting a Letter of Intent will not obligate a potential applicant to submit an application. Interested applicants who do not submit a Letter of Intent are still eligible to apply.
(See “Letter of Intent”)
[Note: optional. This is for interactive sessions] Pre-Application Information Session(s): OVW will conduct [insert number if more than one and delete “a” before “web-based”] a web-based Pre-Application Information Session(s) for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. Participation in [this/these] session(s) is optional. Interested applicants who do not participate are still eligible to apply.
(See “Pre-Application Information Session(s)”)
OR
[Note: optional. This is for recorded sessions] Pre-Application Information Session: OVW will post a pre-recorded Pre-Application Information Session on its website for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. Listening to this session is optional. Interested applicants who do not listen to the pre-recorded session are still eligible to apply. The session is tentatively scheduled to be available by [insert date] on the OVW website [insert link].
(See “Pre-Application Information Session”)
[the link and the heading will have to be created if this option is being used. Amy, Janice, or Kyle will do this for program(s)]
For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email OVW at [insert Unit’s email address]. Alternatively, interested parties may call OVW at (202) 307-6026.
Submission and Notification Information
Submission: Applications for this program will be submitted through [Grants.gov or GMS]. For technical assistance with [Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Line at 1-800-518-4726 OR GMS, contact OVW GMS Support at 1-866-655-4482.]
[if using GMS remove the following sentence]. The Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement is OVW-[insert number].
Notification: OVW anticipates notifying applicants of funding decisions by October 1, 2019.
Content
s
About the OVW [Insert program name] 1
Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability 2
Activities Requiring Prior Approval 2
B. Federal Award Information 2
Mandatory Program Requirements 4
Other Program Eligibility Requirements 5
D. Application and Submission Information 6
Address to Request Application Package 6
Content and Form of Application Submission 7
Formatting and Technical Requirements 8
Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative 10
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 12
Additional Required Information 12
OVW Policy on Late Submissions 18
Intergovernmental Review - Single Point of Contact Review 19
Other Submission Requirements 21
Submitting a Grant Application 22
E. Application Review Information 22
Review and Selection Process 23
Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates 24
F. Federal Award Administration Information 24
Administrative and National Policy Requirements 24
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 25
OVW [Insert Program]
(CFDA [Insert #])
A. Program Description
Overview
The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW administers grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership on issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. OVW grants support coordinated community responses to hold offenders accountable and serve victims.
About the OVW [Insert program name]
This program is authorized by [insert authorizing statute]. [Note: for ICJR, also include a sentence with the cite for the regulations]. [insert program specific information. This section should be brief: [1-2 sentences]. For additional information about this program see https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs and [Insert Muskie link for grant program]
[Note: The Muskie link will not be included in the Tribal Jurisdiction solicitation unless the reporting data for the Tribal Jurisdiction program is available.]
Program Scope
Activities supported by this program are determined by statute, federal regulations, and OVW policies. If an applicant receives an award, the funded project is bound by the provisions of this solicitation, the DOJ Financial Guide, including updates to the guide after an award is made, the section of the Solicitation Companion Guide entitled “Post-Award Requirements for All Federal Grant Recipients,” and the conditions of the award.
Purpose Areas
Pursuant to [insert statutory citation], funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes [not Consolidated Youth]:
[insert purpose areas – use exact statutory language]
OVW Priority Areas
In FY 2019, OVW is interested in supporting the priority area(s) identified below. Applications proposing activities in the following areas will be given [special consideration, additional points, etc. The unit should include only the applicable priority areas based on the approved program plan].
[Note: A program solicitation should only include from the list below those priorities (or that priority) addressed in the unit’s FY 2019 program plan. If the unit chooses to include priority area #2 the solicitation must direct applicants to identify how they will engage in outreach to trafficked victims of sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence and stalking and tailor services to address the unique needs of these victims. The solicitation also must state whether applicants proposing to address this priority must submit an MOU with, or a Letter of Support from, a law enforcement or prosecution agency. If the unit chooses to include priority are #3 on substance abuse issues, the unit must consult with OVW attorneys to ensure that they propose to support activities that may be funded under their program statutes.]
Reduce violent crime against women and promote victim safety.
Increase the response to victims of human trafficking.
Include substance abuse professionals in a coordinated community response to VAWA crimes and increase victim access to substance abuse services.
Increase efforts to combat stalking.
Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability
OVW does not fund activities that jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions. Information on activities that compromise victim safety and recovery and undermine offender accountability may be found in the Solicitation Companion Guide.
Applications that propose any activities that compromise victim safety and recovery or undermine offender accountability may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely.
Out-of-Scope Activities
The activities listed below are out of the program scope, and they will not be supported by this program’s funding.
Research projects (This does not include program assessments conducted only for internal improvement purposes. For information about DOJ regulations on research involving human subjects, see “Research and Protection of Human Subjects” in the Solicitation Companion Guide).
[insert program specific information]
Applications that propose activities that are deemed to be substantially out-of-scope may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely.
Activities Requiring Prior Approval
Activities listed below will require prior approval in order to be supported by grant funds.
Surveys.
NEPA (JFF, Disability and Campus).
B. Federal Award Information
Availability of Funds
All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. There is no guarantee that funds will be available in the future. OVW may elect to make awards in a future fiscal year for applications submitted under this solicitation but not selected for FY 2019 funding, depending on the merits of the applications and the availability of funding.
Award Period and Amounts
The award period is [insert number] months. Budgets must reflect [insert number] months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” on the SF-424 must reflect [insert number] months. Generally, the award period will start on October 1, 2019.
This program typically makes awards in the range of [insert dollar range $XX - $XX]. OVW estimates that it will make up to [insert number] awards for an estimated [insert FY 2018 amount available to support grants if the FY 2019 appropriation has not been passed at the time of drafting the solicitation.]
Awards under this program for FY 2019 will be made for up to [insert maximum individual award amount(s)] for the entire [# of months].
OR
Funding levels under this program for FY 2019 are:
[insert applicant type, sub-type and funding level] for the entire [# of months]
[insert additional information as necessary]
OVW has the discretion to make awards for greater or lesser amounts than requested and to negotiate the scope of work and budget with applicants prior to making an award.
Awards will be made as [insert grants or cooperative agreements.] [if making awards as cooperative agreements then include: Cooperative agreements are a form of award when OVW expects to have ongoing substantial involvement in award activities. For this program, the substantial involvement includes…].
Types of Applications
In FY 2019, OVW will accept the following types of applications for this program from the following:
New: applicants that have never received funding under this program.
[Also use if applicable…”or whose previous funding expired more than 12 months ago.”]
Continuation: applicants that have an existing or recently closed (within the last 12 months) award under this program [and/or] [insert any additional program specific information]. Continuation funding is not guaranteed.
This program’s grant recipients that received an FY [insert year(s)] award(s) are NOT eligible to apply.
Additionally, current grantees with a substantial amount of funds remaining ([insert recommended percentage of award] of the award) at the time of application submission without adequate justification may not be considered for funding, or may receive a reduced award amount if selected for funding in FY 2019. [Note: match language in program plan]
[this paragraph is optional] Sub-Type: In addition to new and continuation applications, OVW has determined that applicants for this program must also identify as one of the sub-types listed below.
[insert sub-type 1]
[insert sub-type 2]
[insert sub-type 3]
Mandatory Program Requirements
[Note: these are activities that are required if an applicant receives an award. For example, Disability grantees must engage in a planning period; Abuse Later in Life grantees must attend the training of trainers and redeliver the curriculum provided to each grantee; TH grantees are expected to provide at least 6 months of services. These requirements are NOT documents. This section is designed to inform applicants of expectations if they receive an award. This section is NOT connected to BMR and does not address eligibility requirements. These are activities that grantees must engage in and should be stated briefly here with a cross-reference to additional information in the Project Narrative section (what will be done, MOU, etc.)].
[Note: Work with attorneys to include statutory citations where applicable]
Applicants that receive funding under this program will be required to engage in the following activities:
Recipients must participate in OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance.
[insert program specific requirements]
C. Eligibility Information
Applications that are submitted by ineligible entities or that do not meet all program eligibility requirements will not be considered for funding. [Note: modify previous sentence for JFF and ICJR] In addition, an application that is deemed deficient in one or more of the following categories may not be considered for funding: 1. activities that compromise victim safety, 2. out-of-scope activities, 3. unallowable costs, 4. financial accounting practices, 5. completeness, and 6. timeliness. Further, an applicant with past performance issues, long-standing open audits, or an open criminal investigation also may not be considered for funding.
Eligible Applicants
The following entities are eligible to apply for this program: [Note: Work with attorneys to include statutory citation for eligible entities]
[insert program specific information]
[Note: Statutory definitions that affect eligibility, if included, must be in a footnote in this section and must include a statutory cite].
Nonprofit Organization Requirement – 501(c)(3) Status [Note: use this for Tribal Coalitions, Underserved, TSASP, SASP CSS, ICJR, Disability, Elder, and JFF]. Any entity that is eligible for this program based on its status as a nonprofit organization must be an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code. See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B)(i).
Nonprofit Organization Requirement – Offshore Accounts [Note: use this for all programs except STOP and SASP formula].
Any nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code is not eligible for a grant from this program. See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B)(ii).
This program has no match or cost sharing requirement.
Other Program Eligibility Requirements
In addition to meeting the eligible entity requirements outlined above, applications for this program must also meet the requirements below. All certification and other eligibility related documents must be current and developed in accordance with the FY 2019 solicitation. [Note: Work with attorneys to include statutory citations, where applicable]
Certification of Eligibility [Note: If applicable, ICJR, LAV, JFF, and Campus, STOP Certification Requirement, etc.]
[insert program specific information]
Certification of Minimum Requirements [Note: Campus]
[insert program specific information]
Other Certifications [Note: If applicable, HIV Cert/ICJR, etc. Make sure the certification is in alphabetical order.]
[insert program specific information]
Delivery of Legal Assistance Certification [Use this language only for LAV, STOP, Rural, Tribal Governments, JFF (with edits), and Consolidated Youth]
Pursuant to [LAV: 34 U.S.C. § 20121(d); JFF: 34 U.S.C. § 12464(d); all other programs: 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(12)], to be eligible for an award, any recipient or subrecipient providing legal assistance with funds awarded under this program must certify in writing that:
any person providing legal assistance with funds through this program
has demonstrated expertise in providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in the targeted population; or
is partnered with an entity or person that has demonstrated expertise described in subparagraph (A); and
has completed, or will complete, training in connection with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking and related legal issues, including training on evidence-based risk factors for domestic and dating violence homicide;
any training program conducted in satisfaction of the requirement of paragraph (1) has been or will be developed with input from and in collaboration with a tribal, state, territorial, or local domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking victim service provider or coalition, as well as appropriate tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement officials;
any person or organization providing legal assistance with funds through this program has informed and will continue to inform state, local, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault programs and coalitions, as well as appropriate state and local law enforcement officials of their work; and
the grantee’s organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or child sexual abuse is an issue.
This certification shall take the form of a letter, on letterhead, signed and dated by the authorized representative. Failure to provide a letter certifying to these requirements may disqualify an application from further consideration. At a minimum, an application missing the required legal assistance certification letter will be required to submit a certification letter prior to receiving an award. The signed certification letter must be uploaded as a separate attachment in Grants.gov. A sample Certification Letter can be found on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.
Eligible Service Area [Note: Rural]
[insert program specific information]
Required Partnerships [Note: If applicable. This section must be included if applications without the required partners will be removed from consideration. It is not necessary to say that they will not be considered for funding without these partnerships, as the introductory text above already says that these are eligibility requirements that must be met to be considered for funding.]
[insert program specific information]
[Note: This section is optional] Organization Definition (victim service provider) [Note: inserted here if the victim service provider is a required partner and not an eligible entity].
A victim service provider is a nonprofit, nongovernmental or tribal organization or rape crisis center, including a state or tribal domestic violence and/or sexual assault coalition, that assists or advocates for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victims, including a domestic violence shelter, faith-based organization or other organization, with a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(43). Victim service providers must meet all of the following criteria: 1) provide direct services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or stalking as one of their primary purposes and have a demonstrated history of effective work in this field; 2) address a demonstrated need in their communities by providing services that promote the dignity and self-sufficiency of victims, improve their access to resources, and create options for victims seeking safety from perpetrator violence; and 3) not engage in or promote activities that compromise victim safety.
[Unit: create title for the requirement] [Note: insert additional requirements related to eligibility if necessary, but only include those that, if not met, would remove the application entirely from consideration.]
[insert program specific information]
Limit on Number of Applications
OVW will consider only one application per organization for the same service area in response to this solicitation. In addition, if an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OVW will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted before the deadline. [Note: modify language for TA to reflect that OVW will only review one application “in response to each purpose area.”]
D. Application and Submission Information
Address to Request Application Package
The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to required forms) is available on Grants.gov or the OVW website. Applicants wishing to request a paper copy of these materials should contact [must include phone number and email address for office].
[Note: interactive sessions] Pre-Application Information Session(s)
[Note: every program should do at least one Pre-application Information Session] OVW will conduct [insert number if more than one and delete “a” before “web-based”] a web-based pre-application information session(s) for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. During [this session/these sessions], OVW staff will review this program’s requirements, review the solicitation, and allow for a brief question and answer period. [The session/These sessions] is/are tentatively scheduled for:
[insert date and time] [Note: do not use the number format if you are holding only one session]
[insert date and time]
The
total number of participants for each/the
session
may be limited, and therefore interested participants from the same
agency/jurisdiction are expected to participate together. OVW
reserves the right to deny multiple registrations from a single
agency/jurisdiction to allow as many interested applicants as
possible to participate.
To register, contact [insert program name or POC] at [insert email address] or at [insert telephone number]. Registration must be received at least [insert number of days] days prior to the start of the session. Participants are not registered until they receive a confirmation email. Webinars/The webinar will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact this program’s POC at [insert email address] or at [insert telephone number] as soon as possible, but no later than [add date 21 days after release date.]
OR
[Note: pre-recorded sessions] Pre-Application Information Session: OVW will post a pre-recorded Pre-Application Information Session on its website for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. Listening to this session is optional. Interested applicants who do not listen to the pre-recorded session are still eligible to apply. The session is tentatively scheduled to be available by [insert date] on the OVW website [insert link]. The session will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact this program’s POC at [insert email address] or at [insert telephone number] as soon as possible, but no later than [add date 21 days after release date.]
Content and Form of Application Submission
The information below (“Letter of Intent through “Additional Required Information”) describes the full content and form of application submission. For a complete checklist of required contents, see the “Other Information” section in this solicitation.
Letter of Intent
Applicants intending to apply for FY 2019 funding under this program are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent. The letter should state that the applicant is registered and current with SAM and with Grants.gov. The letter should be submitted to OVW at [insert program email address] by [insert date from the MIT Calendar]. This letter will not obligate the applicant to submit an application. See https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants for a sample Letter of Intent.
Formatting and Technical Requirements
Applications must follow the requirements below. Points may be deducted for applications that do not adhere to the following requirements:
Double spaced (Project Abstract, Summary Data Sheet and charts may be single spaced)
8½ x 11 inch paper
One-inch margins
Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman font
Page numbers
No more than [insert number] pages for the Project Narrative
Word documents in the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or Text Documents (.txt).
Headings and sub-headings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation.
Application Contents
Applications must include the following required documents and demonstrate that the program eligibility requirements have been met. OVW will not contact applicants for missing items on the list below. [Note: Each unit must make a decision whether to include or omit the previous sentence. In addition, you also may need to modify the following sentence to indicate exactly what will happen to applications that do not include the documents on the list below (e.g. negatively affect review and may not be considered for funding, if awarded, may have special conditions precluding access to funds).] Applications that do not include all of the following documents will be considered substantially incomplete and will not be considered for funding:
Project Narrative
Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU, MOE, EMOU, IMOU, MOI, Letters of Commitment, or letters of support in lieu of MOU)
[insert program specific information] [only include items that would eliminate an application at BMR, unless the paragraph before this list indicates that we may contact applicants for missing items or that failure to include them may negatively affect review of the application or may result in removal from consideration].
Summary Data Sheet (XX Points Total)
[Note: point values per section are flexible, but must equal a total of 100 points. Points should be eliminated for non-competitive solicitations.]
The Summary Data Sheet should be one to four pages and may be single or double spaced. The Summary Data Sheet does not count toward the [insert number] page limit for the Project Narrative. Provide the following information:
Name, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the individual with authority to accept grants on behalf of the applicant.
Name, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address for the grant point-of-contact. This person must be an employee of the applicant.
Statement as to whether the applicant (the organization whose DUNS number is being used for the application) will serve as a fiscal agent/sponsor for an entity or entities that will implement the project, and the applicant itself will not be involved with implementation of the project beyond issuing subaward(s) to these entities. If this is the case, the applicant also must list these subrecipients and include a statement acknowledging that, should an award be made, the applicant will be responsible for all applicable statutory, fiscal, and programmatic requirements, including those of 2 C.F.R. Part 200, as well as all project deliverables. In such situations, the fiscal agent/sponsor must be an eligible applicant for the program.
Statement as to whether the applicant has expended $750,000 in federal funds in the applicant’s past fiscal year. If so, specify the end date of the applicant’s fiscal year.
Summary of current and pending OVW grants (if applicable). If the applicant has a current grant or cooperative agreement under any OVW grant program or an award that has been closed within the last 12 months from the date this solicitation closes, the information must be provided in a table using the sample format found on the OVW website https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. Failure to provide the required table will result in a loss of points. The applicant should also provide the same information regarding any current OVW grants or pending applications on which the applicant is a subrecipient.
Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of that Code. [use this for Tribal Coalitions, Underserved, TSASP, SASP CSS, ICJR, Disability, Elder, and JFF.]
A list of other federal grant programs from which the applicant currently receives funding or for which it has applied for funding in FY 2019 to do similar work. Provide this information in a table using the sample format found on the OVW website https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants .
Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that uses the Internal Revenue Service's three-step safe-harbor procedure to establish a rebuttable presumption that its executives' compensation is reasonable. If the applicant is not a nonprofit organization or is a nonprofit that does not use the safe-harbor procedure, provide a statement to that effect. For additional information about the safe-harbor procedure, see "Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation" in the Additional Required Information section.
The percentage of grant activities, should the application be funded, that will address each of the following issues (the total percentages should not exceed 100%): [Note: use the list as appropriate for each program – don’t use at all for any SASP program.]
Sexual assault;
Domestic violence;
Dating/teen dating violence;
Stalking; and/or
Sex Trafficking [use this for Consolidated Youth, Tribal Governments, SASP Programs, and Tribal Coalitions.]
Statement as to whether the application addresses the trafficking priority area. [Note: use if applicable]
[insert program specific information]
Proposal Abstract (not scored)
The Proposal Abstract must provide a short summary (no more than two pages double-spaced) of the proposed project, including names of applicant and partners, primary activities, products and deliverables, the service area, and who will benefit. Applicants must not summarize past accomplishments in this section.
Project Narrative (XX Points Total)
The Project Narrative may not exceed [insert number] pages, double-spaced. The Project Narrative must include the following [insert number] sections:
Purpose of Application (XX points) [Note: this section should be crafted to elicit the information that is most relevant to the program. Bullets should ask about the need to be addressed, current services, gaps in services, service area, target population, etc.]
This section must:
Describe the communities to be served, including the geographic location, the populations in the service area, and any marginalized and/or underserved population(s);1
[insert program specific information];
What Will Be Done (XX points) [Note: this section should be crafted to elicit the information that is most relevant to each program. Bullets should ask about goals and objectives, tasks and activities, possible outcomes, minimum requirements (if appropriate), etc. Program specific information should reflect any program requirements, if applicable.]
The application must provide a clear link between the proposed activities and the need identified in the “Purpose of Application” section above.
This section must:
[insert program specific information];
Describe how the proposed project will be accessible to individuals with disabilities, individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and persons with limited English proficiency.
Who Will Implement the Project (XX points) [Note: this section should be crafted to elicit the information that is most relevant to each program. Criteria should include key personnel and project partners and should address personnel qualifications and the capacity of the organization(s). Program specific information should reflect any program requirements, if applicable].
This section must:
Identify the key individuals and organizations involved in the proposed project;
Demonstrate that the individuals and organizations identified have the capacity to address the stated need, including the expertise necessary to appropriately serve any marginalized and/or underserved populations identified in the Purpose of the Application section, and can successfully implement the proposed project activities;
[insert program specific information]
Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative (XX Points)
All applications must include a detailed budget and budget narrative. A sample Budget Detail Worksheet is available on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. Keep in mind that budgetary requirements vary among programs. Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their projects in their specific geographic location.
Award Period and Amount [Insert program specific information. Note: make sure this is consistent with the information listed in Award Period and Amounts above.]
The budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the proposed project narrative. The budget narrative must describe each line item requested in the budget and explain all costs included in the budget, including how the costs of goods and services are determined and how they will fulfill the objectives of the project.
The budget must:
Display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items and not contain items that are not supported by the project narrative.
Include funds to attend OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance in the amount of [$XX] for states and [$XX] for territories, Hawaii, and Alaska. [Note: Programs should evaluate annually the amount of money set aside for TA travel and decrease where appropriate to maximize funds for services while retaining necessary funds for TA.] This amount is for the entire [insert project period] and NOT per year. Applicants also may budget expenses in excess of the required amount if they are aware of relevant non-OVW sponsored conferences or training for which they would like permission to use grant funds to support staff/project partner attendance.
[insert program specific information].
Include funds or describe other resources available to the applicant to support activities to ensure access for individuals with disabilities, Deaf/hard of hearing individuals, and persons with limited English proficiency. See Accessibility under F. Federal Award Administration Information for more information.
Compensate all project partners as reflected in the [MOU/EMOU/Letters of Support]. [Note: each program should edit this requirements to make it fit].For more information on compensating project partners, see the sample Budget Detail Worksheet on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants .
Distinguish clearly between subawards and contracts in allocating any grant funds to other entities. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.330, a subaward is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, such as compensating an MOU partner, and a contract is for the purpose of obtaining goods and services for the grantee’s own use. The substance of the relationship is more important than the form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass-through funds is a subrecipient or a contractor. The awarding and monitoring of contracts must follow the recipient’s documented procurement procedures, including full and open competition, pursuant to the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.329. The issuance and monitoring of subawards must meet the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.331, which includes oversight of subrecipient/partner spending and monitoring performance measures and outcomes attributable to grant funds. For more information, see the sample Budget Detail Worksheet and the Solicitation Companion Guide on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.
OVW awards are governed by the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and the DOJ Financial Guide, which include information on allowable costs, methods of payment, audit requirements, accounting systems, and financial records. For additional information on allowable and unallowable costs, go to the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation and the sample Budget Detail Worksheet on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (XX Points Total)
For purposes of this solicitation, the MOU is a document containing the terms of the partnership and the roles and responsibilities between two or more parties. The MOU must be a single document and must be signed and dated by the Authorized Representative of each proposed partner organization during the development of the application. If necessary, an MOU can include multiple signature pages so long as each page includes the names and titles of all signatories to the MOU.
The MOU must:
Clearly identify the partners and provide a brief history of the collaborative relationship among those partners, including when and under what circumstances the relationship began and when each partner entered into the relationship;
Clearly state the roles and responsibilities each partner will assume to ensure the success of the proposed project;
Clearly state that each project partner has reviewed the budget and is aware of the total amount being requested and the funding being requested for each project partner;
[insert program specific information]
[Note: information/opening paragraph for the EMOU, IMOU, MOI, MOE or letters of support/commitment should be inserted here. The grant program may use the language used in previous solicitations.]
The [EMOU/IMOU/MOI] must:
[insert program specific information]
Additional Required Information
The following documents will not be scored during the review process but they must be included with the application. Failure to include any of the information may result in the application being removed from consideration for funding. Some documents will be generated during the application submission process while other documents will be uploaded and attached to the application.
The following documents will be generated and completed during the application submission process:
Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)
Applicants must complete the SF-424 online. For “Type of Applicant,” do not select “other.” The amount of federal funding requested in the “Estimated Funding” section of this form must match the amount of federal funding requested in the budget section of the application package. This program does not requires a match; therefore, the values for the Applicant line should be zero. The individual who is listed in “Authorized Representative” must be an individual who has the authority to apply for and accept grant awards on behalf of the organization or jurisdiction.
Standard Assurances and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Form 4061/6)
Carefully review the assurances and certification forms online. Applicants will receive a request to compile these forms online during the application submission process. All applicants must complete the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the detailed information requested on the form. Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the required highlighted fields.
The following documents must be uploaded and attached separately to the application:
Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable)
All nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that apply for funding from OVW and have not previously (or within the last three years) received funding from OVW must complete an Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire. In addition, applicants may be required to submit their current year’s audit report at a later time. The questionnaire can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/how-apply#ra.
Confidentiality Notice Form
All applicants are required to acknowledge that they have received notice that grantees and subgrantees must comply with the confidentiality and privacy requirements of VAWA, as amended. Applicants must submit the acknowledgement form available on the OVW website at http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ovw/pages/attachments/2015/01/20/confidentiality_acknowledgement_form_42015.pdf. This form must be signed by the Authorized Representative.
Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation (if applicable) [Note: use for all programs except Tribal Jurisdiction].
An applicant that is a nonprofit organization may be required to make certain disclosures relating to the processes it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees.
Under certain circumstances, a nonprofit organization that provides unreasonably high compensation to certain persons may subject both the organization’s managers and those who receive the compensation to additional federal taxes. A rebuttable presumption of the reasonableness of a nonprofit organization’s compensation arrangements, however, may be available if the nonprofit organization satisfies certain rules set out in Internal Revenue Service regulations with regard to its compensation decisions.
Each applicant must state at the time of its application (in the Summary Data Sheet mentioned earlier) whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that uses the Internal Revenue Service's three-step safe-harbor procedure to establish a rebuttable presumption that its executives' compensation is reasonable. If the applicant states that it uses the safe-harbor procedure, then it must disclose, in an attachment to its application (to be titled "Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation"), the process it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees (together, "covered persons"). See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B)(iii).
At a minimum, the disclosure must describe in pertinent detail: (1) the composition of the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; (2) the methods and practices used by the applicant nonprofit organization to ensure that no individual with a conflict of interest participates as a member of the body that reviews and approves a compensation arrangement for a covered person; (3) the appropriate data as to comparability of compensation that is obtained in advance and relied upon by the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; and (4) the written or electronic records that the applicant maintains as concurrent documentation of the decisions with respect to compensation of covered persons made by the body that reviews and approves such compensation arrangements, including records of deliberations and of the basis for decisions. For a sample letter, see the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.
For purposes of the required disclosure, the following terms and phrases have the meanings set out by the Internal Revenue Service for use in connection with 26 C.F.R. § 53.4958-6: officers, directors, trustees, key employees, compensation, conflict of interest, appropriate data as to comparability, adequate documentation, and concurrent documentation.
Following receipt of an appropriate request, OVW may be authorized or required by law to make information submitted to satisfy this requirement available for public inspection. Also, a recipient may be required to make a prompt supplemental disclosure after the award in certain circumstances (e.g., changes in the way the organization determines compensation).
Pre-Award Risk Assessment
Each applicant must respond to the questions below. This information will be used for a mandatory pre-award risk assessment. Failure to provide this information or to respond to questions from OVW regarding this information in a timely manner could result in the applicant being removed from consideration or a delay in access to funds. Provide complete responses that address all questions included for each numbered item. This section of the application should be no more than four pages.
Will all funds awarded under this program be maintained in a manner that they will be accounted for separately and distinctly from other sources of revenue/funding? Provide a brief description of the applicant’s policies and procedures that ensure funds will be tracked appropriately.
Does the applicant have written accounting policies and procedures? How often are these policies and procedures updated? Provide a brief list of the topics covered in the applicant’s policies and procedures. OVW may request a copy for review during the application/award process or as part of the grant monitoring process.
Is the applicant’s financial management system able to track actual expenditures and outlays with budgeted amounts for each grant or subgrant? Provide a brief summary of the organization’s process for tracking expenditures, including tracking budgeted versus actual amounts.
Does the applicant have procedures in place for minimizing the time between transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and disbursement for project activities? Provide a short summary of the applicant’s policy for requesting payments for grant awards.
Does the applicant have effective internal controls in place to ensure that federal funds are used solely for authorized purposes? Provide a brief description of the applicant’s internal controls that will provide reasonable assurance that the award funds will be managed properly.
Does the applicant have a documented records retention policy? If so, briefly describe the policy and confirm that the policy complies with federal regulations. Information on Record Retention and Access can be found at 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.333-200.337.
Does the applicant or any of its employees have any potential personal or organizational conflicts of interest related to the possible receipt of OVW award funds? Applicants are required to disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest to their awarding agency. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.112 and Chapter 3.20, Grant Fraud, Waste and Abuse, of the DOJ Financial Guide for additional information.
Is the individual primarily responsible for fiscal and administrative oversight of grant awards familiar with the applicable grants management rules, principles, and regulations including the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 C.F.R. Part 200)? Provide a short list of the individual’s qualifications/experience. If the individual is not familiar with the applicable rules and regulations, the applicant must contact OVW’s Grants Financial Management Division at [email protected] or 1-888-514-8556 immediately after the applicant is notified of its award to coordinate training.
Does the applicant have policies and procedures in place to manage subawards and monitor activities of subrecipients as necessary to ensure that subawards are used for authorized purposes, in compliance with laws, regulations, and terms and conditions of the award, and that established subaward performance goals are achieved (2 C.F.R. §§ 200.330-200.332)? Provide a brief description of the organization’s policies and procedures on subrecipient management and monitoring.
Does the applicant currently require employees to maintain time distribution records that accurately reflect the work performed on specific activities or cost objectives in order to support the distribution of employees’ salaries among federal awards or other activities (2 C.F.R. § 200.430)? Budget estimates do not qualify as support for charges to federal awards. Provide a brief description of the organization’s established timekeeping policies and procedures.
Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)
Applicants that intend to charge indirect costs through the use of a negotiated indirect cost rate must have a current, signed, federally-approved indirect cost rate agreement. Applicants that have never received a federally-approved indirect cost rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs, which may be used indefinitely. This includes state, local, and tribal governments that have never negotiated an indirect cost rate with the federal government and receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding per year.
Organizations that wish to negotiate an indirect cost rate should contact OVW’s Grants Financial Management Division at OVW.GF[email protected] or 1-888-514-8556 for more information.
Letter of Nonsupplanting
Applicants must submit a letter to OVW’s Director, signed by the Authorized Representative, certifying that federal funds will not be used to supplant non-federal funds should a grant award be made. A sample letter is available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.
Proof of 501(c)(3) Status (Nonprofit Organizations Only) [Note: use this for Tribal Coalitions, Underserved, TSASP, SASP CSS, ICJR, Disability, Elder, and JFF].
As noted under Eligible Applicants, an entity that is eligible for the [insert program] based on its status as a nonprofit organization must be an organization that is described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Code. All such applicants are required to submit a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service recognizing their tax-exempt status. OVW cannot make an award to any nonprofit organization that does not submit a 501(c)(3) determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service.
Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number), System for Award Management (SAM), and Grants.gov Registration
Applicants for federal grants and cooperative agreements are required to have a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number to submit an application. A DUNS Number is a unique, nine-character identification number provided by the commercial company Duns & Bradstreet (D&B). Once an applicant has applied for a DUNS number through D&B, its DUNS Number should be available within two business days.
Federal regulations require that an applicant (1) be registered in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application; (2) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and (3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration by a federal awarding agency. Also, federal agencies may not make an award to an applicant until that applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time that OVW is ready to make an award, then OVW may make the determination that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making the award to another applicant.
SAM centralizes information about grant recipients and also provides a central location for grant recipients to change organizational information. Grants.gov uses SAM to establish roles and IDs for electronic grant applicants. [remove paragraph if using GMS]
If the applicant already has an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the SAM registration will take up to two weeks to process. If the applicant does not have an EIN, then the applicant should allow two to five weeks for obtaining an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service. There is no fee associated with these processes. Additionally, these processes cannot be expedited. OVW strongly discourages applicants from paying a third party to apply or register on their behalf in an attempt to expedite these processes. To ensure all applicants are able to apply by the deadline for this solicitation, applicants must have obtained a DUNS number and registered online with the SAM and with [Grants.gov or GMS] no later than [insert date from the MIT calendar].
Submission Dates and Times
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete and submitted by the deadline. Failure to meet the submission deadline will result in an application being removed from consideration. Applicants should refer to the chart below to ensure that all required steps and deadlines are met.
Applicant Action |
Information |
Dates/Deadline |
Apply for a DUNS number |
Obtain a DUNS number at the following website http://www.dnb.com/us/ or call (866) 705-5711. |
[insert date from the MIT Calendar] |
Register with SAM |
Access the SAM online registration through the SAM homepage at https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1#1 and follow the online instructions for new SAM users. If the applicant already has the necessary information on hand, the online registration takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, depending upon the size and complexity of the business or organization. Organizations must update or renew their SAM registration at least once a year to maintain an active status. |
[insert date from the MIT Calendar] |
Register with Grants.gov |
Once the SAM registration becomes active, the applicant will be able to complete the Grants.gov registration (see Other Submission Requirements for more information on registering for and using Grants.gov). |
[insert date from the MIT Calendar] |
Submit Letter of Intent |
[insert contact name, email address and telephone number] |
[insert registration date from MIT Calendar] |
Download Updated Version of Adobe |
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the most up-to-date version of Adobe Acrobat is installed on all computers that may be used to download the grant application package and submit the proposal. To verify if the Adobe software version is compatible with Grants.gov, visit the following link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. |
At least 48 hours before application deadline [insert deadline, date and time] |
Request Hardcopy Submission (If Needed) |
Applicants that cannot submit an application electronically due to lack of internet access must contact the POC at [insert telephone number] or [Insert email address] to request permission to submit a hardcopy application. |
[insert registration date from MIT Calendar] |
Begin Application Submission Process |
Applications must be submitted electronically via [Grants.gov or GMS] |
[insert date and time 24 hour before application due date and time] |
Complete Application Submission Process |
[Grants.gov or GMS] |
[insert deadline, date and time] |
Confirmation of Application Receipt [This row is applicable for Grants.gov only; if using GMS, replace it with a row stating that GMS does not provide acknowledgment of receipt.] |
OVW does not send out these notifications, nor does OVW receive a copy of these notifications. It is the responsibility of the applicant to notify OVW of any problems with the application submission process. |
Submitting the application at least 48 hours before [insert application deadline] will enable the applicant to receive notice of a failed submission and provide an opportunity to correct the error before the deadline. |
OVW Policy on Late Submissions
Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. E.T. on [insert date] will not be considered for funding, unless the applicant receives OVW permission to submit a late application. In limited circumstances, OVW will approve a request to submit an application after the due date. The charts below provide a description of the circumstances under which OVW will consider such requests. OVW’s approval of a late submission request is not an indication of the application’s final disposition. Applications approved for late submission are still subject to all of the review process and criteria described in this solicitation.
Failure to begin registration or application submission by the deadlines stated in the chart above is not an acceptable reason for late submission. To ensure fairness for all applicants, OVW requires that applicants requesting late submission adhere to the following:
Severe Inclement Weather or Natural Disaster |
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OVW may not be able to accommodate all requests resulting from severe inclement weather or a natural disaster. |
Experiencing Technical Difficulties Beyond the Applicant’s Reasonable Control |
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Issue |
Applicant Action |
OVW Policy |
Issue with SAM or Grants.gov Registration |
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Failure to begin the SAM or Grants.gov registration process in sufficient time (i.e., by the date identified in this solicitation) is not an acceptable reason for late submission.
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Experiencing Unforeseeable Technical Difficulties During the Application Submission Process |
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Common foreseeable technical difficulties for which OVW will not approve a late submission requests include:
Through Grants.gov, OVW can confirm when submission began. Applicants who start the submission process less than 24 hours before the deadline will not be considered for late submission.
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Intergovernmental Review - Single Point of Contact Review
Executive Order 12372 requires applicants from state and local units of government or other organizations providing services within a state to submit a copy of the application to the state Single Point of Contact (SPOC) if one exists and if the program has been selected for review. Applicants must contact their state SPOCs to determine whether their programs have been selected for state review. The applicant must enter the date that the application was sent to the SPOC or the reason such submission is not required in the section of the SF 424 that refers to EO 12372. Applicants can find a list of SPOCs on the Office of Management and Budget website at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf
Funding Restrictions
The following information is provided to allow applicants to develop an application and budget consistent with program requirements.
Unallowable Costs
The activities listed below are unallowable, and costs for them must not be included in applicants’ budgets.
Lobbying [Note: add the following phrase for STOP, ICJR, Tribal Governments, Tribal Coalitions, and JFF -“except with explicit statutory authorization”.]
Fundraising
Purchase of real property
Physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting) [modify for Disability, Campus, and JFF]
Construction
Food and Beverage/Costs for Refreshments and Meals
Generally, food and beverage costs are not allowable. OVW may approve the use of grant funds to provide a working meal at a meeting, conference, training, or other event, if one of the following applies:
The location of the event is not in close proximity to food establishments, despite efforts to secure a location near reasonably priced and accessible commercial food establishments.
Not serving food will significantly lengthen the day or necessitate extending the meeting to achieve meeting outcomes.
A special presentation at a conference requires a plenary address where there is no other time for food to be obtained.
Other extenuating circumstances necessitate the provision of food.
Justification for an exception listed above must be included in the applicant’s budget narrative, and grantees may only use funds to purchase food and/or beverages if OVW approves the specific expenditures in advance. For additional information on restrictions on food and beverage expenditures go to https://www.justice.gov/ovw/conference-planning.
[Note: for programs using cooperative agreements only: Budget clearance does not constitute prior approval of food and beverage costs. Recipients must seek approval of these costs through the OVW conference approval process.]
Conference Planning and Expenditure Limitations
Applicants’ budgets must be consistent with all requirements (including specific cost limits and prior approval and reporting requirements, where applicable) governing the use of federal funds for expenses related to conferences (which is defined to include meetings, retreats, seminars, symposiums, training, and other similar events), and costs of attendance at such events. Information on conference planning, minimization of costs, and conference reporting is available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/conference-planning. This includes requirements pertaining to:
Cost of Logistical Conference Planning
Cost of Programmatic Conference Planning
Conference Space and Audio-Visual Equipment and Services
Prohibition on Trinkets at Conferences
Prohibition on Entertainment at Conferences
Food and Beverages at Conferences
Prior Approval Required Before Entering Into Contracts or Expending Funds for Conferences
Conference Reporting
[Note: for programs using cooperative agreements only: Budget clearance does not constitute prior approval to hold a conference. Recipients must seek approval of these costs through the conference approval process.]
Program Assessments
Grantees under this program are prohibited from using OVW funds to conduct research. They may use funds to assess their work for quality assurance and program improvement purposes only, such as by surveying training participants about the quality of training content and delivery or convening discussion forums with key stakeholders. Applicants considering such assessments must refer to the DOJ/OJP decision tree to ensure that the activity does not qualify as human subjects research. For additional information on federal requirements related to assessments or surveys, see the Solicitation Companion Guide.
Pre-Agreement Cost Approval
OVW generally does not allow pre-award costs. Costs incurred prior to the start date of the award may not be charged to the project unless the recipient receives prior approval from OVW. See the DOJ Financial Guide for more information on pre-award costs.
Other Submission Requirements
As discussed in the Submission Dates and Times section above, applications must be submitted electronically via [Grants.gov or GMS]. Applicants that are unable to submit electronically must follow the instructions in that section.
After applicants obtain their DUNS number and register with SAM, they can begin the Grants.gov registration process. The applying organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process prior to beginning an application for a federal grant. The E-Business Point of Contact (E-Biz POC) must register the applicant organization with Grants.gov. The E-Biz POC oversees the applicant’s Grants.gov transactions and assigns the AOR. The AOR submits the application to Grants.gov and must register with Grants.gov as well. In some cases the E-Biz POC is also the AOR for the applicant. Complete instructions can be found at Grants.gov.
This registration process generally takes between three and five business days and may take as long as four weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner. The application process can move forward once the applicant successfully registers with Grants.gov. Grants.gov is not the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Grants Management System (GMS). If applicants experience difficulties at any point during this process, they should call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 1-800-518-4726.
Note: Grants.gov limits the use of specific characters in names of attachment files. Valid file names include only the characters shown in the table below. Grants.gov is designed to reject any application that includes an attachment(s) with a file name that contains any characters not shown in the table below.
Characters |
Special Characters |
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Upper case (A – Z) |
Parentheses ( ) |
Curly braces { } |
Square brackets [ ] |
Lower case (a – z) |
Ampersand (&) |
Tilde (~) |
Exclamation point (!) |
Numbers (0-9) |
Comma ( , ) |
Semicolon ( ; ) |
Apostrophe ( ‘ ) |
Underscore (__) |
At sign (@) |
Number sign (#) |
Dollar sign ($) |
Hyphen ( - ) |
Percent sign (%) |
Plus sign (+) |
Equal sign (=) |
Space |
When using the ampersand (&) in XML, applicants must use the “&” format. |
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Period (.) |
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Use simple titles for all documents, such as “FY 2018 OVW Project Narrative.” Visit the Grants.gov website to review the most up-to-date guidelines about the use of specific characters.
Submitting a Grant Application
Grants.gov has updated its application tool. The legacy PDF application package was phased out and retired as of December 31, 2017. Grants.gov Workspace is now the standard application method for applying for grants. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Workspace format. For complete information and instructions on using Workspace (and other changes), go to the Workspace Overview page at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.
The Grants.gov Help Desk can be reached at 1-800-518-4726 and is available 24/7, except federal holidays.
E. Application Review Information
Criteria
Applications will be scored based on the degree to which the application responds to each section and addresses each element in the section. Furthermore, applications will be scored based upon the quality of the response and the level of detail provided. Each element must be addressed in the section in which it is requested. Points may be deducted if the applicant does not include the information in the appropriate section even if it is included elsewhere within the application. Each section will be reviewed as a separate document and will be scored as such. Specifically, for the [insert program], scoring will be as follows:
Summary data sheet: (xxx) points
Project narrative: (xxx) points, of which
Purpose of the project: (xxx) points
What will be done: (xxx) points
Who will implement: (xxx) points
Budget narrative and detail worksheet: (xxx) points
[MOU/IMOU/EMOU/MOI]: (xxx) points
[other program specifics, including possible point additions, including for priority areas]: (xxx) points [if peer reviewers add points, remove #5 from the list below]
Voluntary match or other cost sharing methods will not be considered in the evaluation of the application.
Review and Selection Process
Applications will be subject to a peer review and a programmatic review.
Peer Review
OVW will subject all eligible, complete, and timely applications to a peer review process that is fair and based on the criteria outlined in this solicitation. OVW may use internal reviewers, external reviewers, or a combination of both.
All applications that are considered for funding will be subject to a programmatic review. The programmatic review consists of assessing the application for compliance with the program’s scope, activities that compromise victim safety, and, if applicable, past performance and priority area review. OVW reserves the right [to add up to 10 points to applications fully addressing OVW priority areas and] [this is optional] to deduct points from applications for the following reasons:
Activities that compromise victim safety and recovery and undermine offender accountability (deduct up to 25 points.)
Out-of-scope and unallowable activities (deduct up to 25 points)
Past performance (deduct up to 25 points)
Formatting and Technical Requirements (deduct up to 5 points)
Other program specifics, including possible point additions [if adding points in peer review, remove]
An application that is deemed to be substantially out of scope, proposes a substantial number of activities that are unallowable, or proposes activities that pose a significant threat to victim safety or a serious breach of confidentiality will not be considered for funding. An applicant with considerable past performance issues may receive a deduction in points as described above or be removed from consideration entirely regardless of the application’s peer review score.
As a part of the programmatic review process described above, applicants will be reviewed for past performance and risk based on the elements listed below.
Demonstrated effectiveness of the current project indicated by timely progress toward meeting project goals and objectives. [this question should be included in the internal review form]
Demonstration that past activities supported with OVW grant funds have been limited to program purpose areas
Adherence to all special conditions of existing grant award(s) from OVW
Adherence to programmatic and financial reporting requirements, including timely submission of required reports
Completion of close-out of prior awards in a timely manner
Appropriate use of and active participation in OVW-sponsored workshops and other technical assistance events as required by a special condition of the current or recent award
Receipt of financial clearances on all current or recent grants from OVW
Timely resolution of issues identified in any audit or on-site financial or programmatic monitoring visit
Adherence to the Office of Management and Budget single-audit requirement
Timely expenditure of grant funds
Adherence to the requirements of the DOJ Financial Guide
[insert program specific information]
Prior to making an award, OVW is required to review and consider any information about applicants included in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS). Applicants may review and comment on information in FAPIIS about themselves that another Federal awarding agency has previously entered. OVW will consider the applicant’s comments as well as other information available in FAPIIS in making its judgment about the risk posed by making an award to the applicant as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.205.
Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final award decisions will be made by the OVW Director, who also may give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, reaching underserved populations, geographic diversity, OVW priorities, past performance, and available funding when making awards. All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
Based on DOJ’s assessment of each grantee with regard to current or previous funding, unresolved audit issues, delinquent programmatic and fiscal reporting, and prior performance, a grantee may be designated “high risk.” Awards to high-risk grantees may carry special conditions such as increased monitoring and/or prohibitions on drawing funds until certain requirements are met. High-risk grantees with substantial or persistent performance or compliance issues, long-standing open audits, or open criminal investigations will likely not receive an additional OVW award until all issues are resolved.
Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates
It is anticipated that all applicants will be notified of the outcome of their applications by October 1, 2019.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
Federal Award Notices
Successful applications will receive OVW award notifications electronically from the OJP Grants Management System (GMS) (not Grants.gov). This award notification will be sent to the individuals listed as the Authorized Representative and the Point of Contact on the SF-424 for the application that was selected for funding and will include instructions on accepting the award. Recipients will be required to log in; accept any outstanding assurances and certifications on the award; designate financial points of contact; and review, sign, and accept the award. The award acceptance process involves physical signature of the award document and terms and conditions by the Authorized Representative, scanning the fully executed award document, and returning the scanned document to OVW via facsimile or email.
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Information for All Federal Award Grantees
Applicants selected for awards must agree to comply with additional legal, administrative, and national policy requirements. OVW strongly encourages applicants to review the information pertaining to these additional requirements prior to submitting an application. This information can be found in the section of the Solicitation Companion Guide entitled “Post-Award Requirements for All Federal Grant Recipients.”
Terms and conditions for OVW awards are available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/award-conditions. These terms are subject to change prior to the issuance of the awards.
Violence Against Women Act Non-Discrimination Provision
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 added a civil rights provision that applies to all FY 2019 OVW grants. This provision prohibits OVW grantees from excluding, denying benefits to, or discriminating against any person on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability in any program or activity funded in whole or in part by OVW. For more information on this prohibition, see http://www.justice.gov/ovw/docs/faqs-ngc-vawa.pdf. Additional information on the civil rights obligations of OVW funding recipients can be found in the Solicitation Companion Guide under "Civil Rights Compliance.”
Recipients of OVW funds must comply with applicable federal civil rights laws, which, among other things, prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and national origin. Compliance with these laws includes taking reasonable steps to ensure that persons with limited English proficiency have meaningful access to recipients’ programs and activities and that these programs and activities are readily accessible to individuals with disabilities. More information on these obligations is available in the Solicitation Companion Guide under “Civil Rights Compliance.”
Reporting
OVW grantees are required to submit semi-annual progress reports and quarterly Federal Financial Reports (SF-425). Appropriate progress report forms will be provided to all applicants selected for an award. Forms will be submitted electronically via GMS. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)
For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation contact the following: for programmatic questions, contact the POC for this program at [insert telephone number] or [insert email address], for financial questions, contact [insert telephone number] or [insert email address, and for technical support, contact [insert telephone number for Grants.gov or GMS helpdesk] or [insert email address (if applicable)].
H. Other Information
Application Checklist
Applicants must submit a fully executed application to OVW, including all required supporting documentation. Prior to peer review, OVW will not contact applicants for missing items. [Note: The previous sentence is optional]. Additionally, if an applicant plans to submit an application under any other OVW grant program this fiscal year, it is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that only documents pertinent to this solicitation are included with this application. OVW will not redirect documents that are inadvertently submitted with the wrong application (e.g., a Rural Program letter submitted with a Transitional Housing Program application will not be transferred to the Rural application).
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17. Other Program Specific items |
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Any materials submitted as part of an application may be released pursuant to a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Public Reporting Burden - Paperwork Reduction Act Notice
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. OVW tries to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood, and impose the least possible burden on applicants. The estimated average time to complete and file this form is 30 hours. Comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate or suggestions for simplifying this form can be submitted to the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice, 145 N Street, NE, Washington, DC 20530.
1 Applicants should use U.S. Census and other government data, as well as the Limited English Proficient Mapping Tool, available at www.lep.gov/maps/, to obtain this information.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Neville, Somelea (OVW) |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-20 |
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