A6 - Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (fdpne) (slt)

OMB Control No.: 0584-0512

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Grant Program

Fiscal Year 20XX Request for Applications

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.594

Dates:

Release Date: XXX XX, 20XX

Application Due Date: 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), XXX XX, 20XX

Anticipated Award Date: XXX XX, 20XX

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the following address: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 1014, Alexandria, VA 22302, ATTN: PRA (0584-0512). Do not return the completed form to this address.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov officially retired the legacy .PDF application package as a method to apply for a Federal grant. This changed the way many Grants.gov users completed and submitted their grant applications.

For information on Workspace application process, visit:

https://grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Additional questions should be addressed to the Grants Officers listed in Section IV, Subsection A of the RFA (pg. 11).

Application Checklist

This application checklist provides a list of the required documents; however FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application.

In order to apply, at least four weeks prior to submission, you must have:

• Obtained a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

• Registered the DUNS number into the System for Award Management (SAM); and,

• Registered in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

• Your application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV: Application and Submission Information, including page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following information is included:

• All key staff who are paid by this grant.

• The percentage of time the project director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents.

• Your organization’s fringe benefit amount along with the basis for the computation.

• The type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds.

• Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justifications and basis for lodging estimates.

• Types of equipment and supplies, justifications, and estimates, ensuring that the budget is in line with the project description.

• Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts.

• Justification, description and itemized list of all consultant services.

• Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or if no agreement exists, the basis of the indirect costs requested). If none requested, please indicate this in the budget narrative.

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following:

• SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

• SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

• SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.

• Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (in Section VII: Other Information, Subsection C)

• Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15)

• Copies of sub-grantee agreements (if appropriate)

• Copies of Memoranda of Understanding with partners (if appropriate)

• A statement requesting waiver of the match requirement (if appropriate)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 4

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 5

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 9

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 11

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 18

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 20

7. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 25

8. OTHER INFORMATION 25

9. ATTACHMENT A 30

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

1. Authorizing Program Legislation

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246, authorizes the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to award funds to Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) to conduct nutrition education activities for FDPIR and FDPIR-eligible participants.

2. Description of the Opportunity

Since 2008, FNS awards funding for nutrition education projects through Food Distribution

Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants each fiscal year. Indian Tribal Organizations

(ITOs) and State agencies (SAs) that are current FDPIR allowance holders (have a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR) are eligible to apply for funds to conduct projects that provide nutrition information and services to FDPIR participants. The Fiscal Year (FY) 20XX SNAP Education Plan Guidance is the basis for FDPNE nutrition, gardening, and physical activities. FNS selects components of this guidance for development of FDPNE project requirements. The FY 20XX SNAP Education Plan Guidance may be reviewed at https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/national-snap-ed/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published in January 2016. FNS selects components of the guidelines for development of FDPNE project goals. Visit http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ to review the current recommendations.

Anticipated Award Date: FNS anticipates awarding these grant projects in XXX 20XX.

Under this RFA, approximately $1 million is available for this competitive grant opportunity.

3. Indicators of Successful Applications Include:

1. Clear documentation that activities will benefit FDPIR participants and others who are eligible for the program;

2. Clear documentation that all activities have nutrition education activities or messages as a central focus. Please follow the guidelines listed as “Examples of Activities and Services that may be Funded through FDPNE”, and “Examples of Items that will not be Funded through FDPNE” found on pages 6 to 9 of this RFA;

3. Selection of activities that relate directly to the goal or goals selected (see next page for example);

For example:

Goal Selected: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Focus on whole fruits and vary your veggies.



Activity Selected: Conduct food demonstrations using vegetables offered as USDA Foods. Use recipes that are easy to prepare. Provide recipe handouts.

4. Budget narratives that document expenses directly related to goal or goals and activities;

5. Documentation of the number of participants expected to benefit from activities; and

6. Project Collaboration: FNS encourages ITOs and SAs to work with other ITOs or SAs, other FNS programs that serve FDPIR participants, and other nutrition education providers when designing and implementing FDPNE projects. Other agencies or programs include, but are not limited to, Cooperative Extension programs, Tribal colleges, Tribal organizations, and youth summer camps.

3. Desired Outcomes:

Desired outcomes of this grant program include:

1. Improve nutrition-related knowledge among FDPIR participants, resulting in healthier food choices and a better understanding of healthy food preparation methods;

2. Foster Tribal capacity to provide nutrition education through the development of nutrition education resources (e.g., lesson materials, videos) and facilities (e.g., food demonstration spaces, educational gardens); and/or or

3. Develop skills among FDPIR participants (e.g., canning, preparing fresh produce, using lower fat cooking methods), leading to greater self-sufficiency and providing participants with greater flexibility in how they utilize healthy foods.

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Total Funding

FNS expects to award administrative funding totaling approximately $1 million in FY 20XX for FDPNE projects. In prior years, individual awards ranged from $3,000 to $200,000. FNS will award as many applications as possible, based on application quality, the total available funds, and the amounts requested by the applicants. These awards are contingent upon the availability of funding. The submission of an application does not guarantee funding.

2. Agency Priority

All projects must focus on nutrition education.

Important! Be sure to follow all directions in Attachment A to select and document your project goal or goals.

3. Period of Performance

The period for performance of these grants is one year. All grant funds must be obligated and all program activities under the grant project (other than activities relating to the close out of the grant) must be completed by the end of the award period.

4. Obligation and Liquidation of Funds

The close out of the grant must occur no later than 90 days following the end of the award period, and all obligations incurred under the grant must be liquidated by this date. Any funds that are not liquidated within 90 days following the end of the award period must be returned to FNS. In addition, the final progress and final financial status reports are due to FNS no later than 90 days following the end of the grant award period.

5. Nutrition Education Reinforcement Materials for Participants

Nutrition education reinforcement materials refer to products given to participants of FDPNE grant activities that help convey the nutrition education messages of those activities. As such, reinforcement materials given to FDPNE participants must convey nutrition messages and promote good nutrition.

1. Reinforcement materials must have a direct relationship to the project goal or goals and the desired nutrition education outcome(s).

2. Reinforcement materials must not cost more than $4.00 per item.

1. Reinforcement materials are intended for individuals who attend activities and not to be distributed by other means, such as through monthly food boxes.

2. These materials should not be the primary focus of a project and should play a role in supporting the nutrition education components of projects.

3. Reinforcement materials cannot constitute the majority of a proposed budget.

4. Reinforcement materials should be offered only after weighing and assessing other relative needs and cost effectiveness.

3. FNS shall apply the general rules for determining allowable and reasonable costs of reinforcement materials. Items not allowable include celebratory items, items designed primarily as staff rewards, and items that are not reasonable or necessary and/or have no nutrition education message.

4. Under Federal regulations any material developed under this grant may be copyrighted; however, the Federal government retains a royalty-free right to use and authorize others to use the material. This applies to any material developed whether copyrighted or not.

6. Examples of Activities and Services that may be Funded through FDPNE

The provisions of 2 CFR 200 Subpart E allow FNS to make reasonable judgments as to what is necessary and reasonable to conduct activities that improve the likelihood that persons eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA food guidance system. The items listed below are examples of activities and services that may be funded through FDPNE. When FDPIR participants or potentially eligible persons are not the primary target of a nutrition class or the nutrition education is provided in conjunction with another program (e.g., SNAP-Ed, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children [WIC], and the Indian Health Service), FDPNE may fund the pro rata share of the class that includes FDPIR participants. For example, if a nutrition education class has 100 participants and 25 students are FDPIR-eligible, FDPNE funds may cover 25 percent of the cost.

1. Staff/Labor Costs – Salaries and benefits should be restricted to those directly involved in nutrition education. It is not allowable to use FDPNE funds to pay for staff and labor costs for essential staff covered by administrative funds, e.g. the FDPIR director. Individuals may not be paid from multiple Federal funding sources.

1. Caution: Remember that there is no guarantee that grant funds will be available or awarded next year. The salary of any staff time covered by FDPNE funds cannot be guaranteed after the end of the performance period.

2. Nutrition Classes - The primary purpose of the class must be to provide nutrition education to FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons. The classes must be directly related to the goal or goals selected. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Meal planning;

2. Food portions;

3. Nutrient composition of foods;

4. Healthy cooking; and

5. Food safety.

3. Cost of Food - Food for recipe/taste testing purposes and cost of kitchen supplies necessary for food storage, preparation, food samples associated with educational lessons, and display of food prepared for demonstration purposes.

   1. Cooking demonstrations and taste tests should be designed as opportunities to learn food preparation skills and sample new recipes. These events should not provide full meals to participants using FDPNE funds.

4. Nutrition Education Materials - Materials, supplies, and resources needed to conduct nutrition education activities and classes.

5. Nutrition Education Reinforcement Items and Incentives - Might include refrigerator magnets, measuring cups, measuring spoons, or other items of nominal value that reinforce a nutrition message. Nutrition messages may come from ChooseMyPlate.gov or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, for example. NOTE: FNS policy does not authorize spending more than $4.00 each for these items.

6. Gardening Projects - Gardening is a beneficial activity that can help individuals or families increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Educational supplies and staff salaries to teach gardening concepts that reinforce the beneficial nutrition aspects of gardening are allowable costs. However, the cost for the rental or purchase of garden equipment (e.g., fertilizer, tractors), the purchase or rental of land for garden plots, and the purchase of seeds, plants, and other gardening supplies can only be allowable costs if they directly relate to the provision of nutrition education.

   1. Gardening projects that do not include a nutrition education component will not be funded. Below are examples of a project that could not receive funding and a project that could receive funding. Disclaimer: These examples are intended to serve as illustrations of how nutrition education might be implemented in a project and do not reflect projects that are guaranteed to receive FDPNE funding.

      1. Could Not Receive Funding: An ITO proposes building a community garden. Participants can attend classes where they learn the basics of gardening and are given seeds to begin their own garden. They are sent home with an information sheet with reminders of gardening basics (e.g., how much sun different plants need, how frequently they should be watered).

         1. This project could NOT be funded because it does not include any nutrition education components.

      2. Could Receive Funding: An ITO proposes building a community garden. Participants can attend classes where they learn the basics of gardening, are taught the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables, and are given seeds to begin their own garden. They are sent home with an information sheet with reminders of gardening basics (e.g., how much sun different plants need, how frequently they should be watered) as well as nutritional guidance on how many vegetables they should be eating each day. In addition, participants will be sent home with recipe suggestions for the vegetables they intend to grow.

         1. This project COULD receive funding because it includes a strong nutrition education component.

   2. Gardening supplies and labor may only be used to support community gardens.

   3. Gardening projects should not be used to grow produce for the purpose of supplementing the food package.

7. Local Radio and Television Spots - Reasonable costs for local public service radio or television announcements and ads that promote nutrition education events for FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons.

8. Physical Education Activities or Promotion Materials - Any physical education activities and demonstrations must be part of a nutrition education activity and include nutrition messages on healthy eating behaviors.

9. ChooseMyPlate.gov Promotion – Utilize resources provided on http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to provide nutrition education to FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons.

7. Examples of Items that will not be Funded through FDPNE

See the list that follows for examples of activities or items that will not be funded through FDPNE grant funds.

1. Food Purchases - Food purchases are not allowable unless used for recipe/taste testing or demonstration purposes such as samples provided in nutrition education activities. These activities are not intended to provide full meals to participants.

Request for funds to purchase food must describe how the project intends to use the food for nutrition education activities. Purchasing food for distribution to FDPIR participants as a supplement to their monthly food package or as refreshments during a nutrition education activity is not allowable. Serving community meals, ongoing snacks or food service, meal sized portions, or complete meal service using FDPNE funds are not reasonable costs and will not funded. Costs for food provided as groceries or supplemental food are not allowed.

2. Door Prizes or Giveaways - FNS policy prohibits spending Federal funds on prizes or giveaways.

3. Clinical Nutrition Services - Any clinical nutrition services, such as health screenings (e.g., diabetes and blood pressure checks) and medical treatments, will not be funded through FDPNE.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

ITOs and SAs that administer FDPIR may apply individually and/or as a consortium (e.g., as a region or a regional nutrition advisory council). A current FDPIR allowance holder (i.e., an entity that has a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR) must submit the application. If one or more ITOs wish to apply as a consortium, one ITO must be designated as the lead agency and apply on behalf of the other ITOs. The lead agency is responsible, fiscally and operationally, for the overall administration of the project.

2. Matching Funds Requirement

ITOs and SAs must provide a 25 percent match of the total amount of funds spent on FDPNE. When ITOs and/or SAs apply as a consortium, the matching funds may come from one or more of the consortium members but must total 25 percent of the requested funding. FNS will consider compelling justification to waive the match requirement, completely or in part.

• Applicants requesting a waiver of matching funds should not include proposed matching funds in their budget narrative. The Federal request column should include all the funds the applicant is requesting.

Funds received from other Federal sources cannot be used to meet the matching funds requirement unless specifically allowed by legislation. For more information, please see FNS Instruction 716-4 or FNS Handbook 501, section 2102 at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/instructions-handbooks.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

FNS will accept only one application from each organization or consortium in response to this solicitation. An ITO/SA may apply both individually and as part of a consortium.

4. Pre-Application Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, Federal Awarding Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400, are required, prior to making a Federal award, to review information available through various OMB-designated repositories for eligibility qualification or financial integrity, and to have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated repository systems and the risk assessment may result in FNS imposing special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed. The Federal repository systems FNS will review include:

1. SAM, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS;

2. FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, is a database that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance;

3. Dun and Bradstreet, the system where applicants establish a DUNS number which is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements, and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic grant application systems. The Federal government requires that all applicants for Federal grants and cooperative agreements with the exception of individuals other than sole proprietors have a DUNS number; and

Applicants must also respond to the pre-application assessment questions (provided later in the RFA) to allow FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. A questionnaire containing these questions has been provided to facilitate the process. Applicants must answer all the pre-application questions. While answering “yes” may be an indicator of risk, the consideration and evaluation of these questions is only an indicator of potential risk and may or may not result in an additional oversight requirements or special conditions be placed on an award should an award be made. Decisions regarding additional oversight requirements will take into consideration the total number of risks identified.

5. Acknowledge USDA support

As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity. Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

• When acknowledging USDA support, use the following language: "This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.” Grantees are asked to follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

6. USDA Site Visits

Grant recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in grant budgets.

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Request for a Paper Copy of the Solicitation

Applicants may request a paper copy of the solicitation and required forms by contacting the FNS Grants Officer at:

XXXXXX,XXXXX Grants Officer

Grants Management Operations Branch

Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

3101 Park Center Drive Room 740

Alexandria, VA 22302

E-mail: [email protected]

2. Application Format

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying for this grant to adhere to the following application format. The proposed project plan must 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 summary with relevant information should be captured on no more than two pages. All pages, excluding the form pages, must be numbered.

Applicants must submit all required application content and forms and follow all instructions for formatting application content.

2. Special Instructions

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

2. Applications not submitted via the Grants.gov portal will not be considered. E-mailed, hand-delivered, or mailed applications will not be considered.

3. If multiple application packages are submitted through the Grants.gov web portal by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

4. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in future fiscal years should additional funds be made available.

5. Grant awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

6. Applicants must adhere to the budget narrative format documented in Attachment A.

7. Requests to waive the match requirement in full or in part are not used as a factor in the evaluation of applications.

8. ITOs and SAs that administer FDPIR may apply individually and/or as a consortium.

2. Application Content – Attachment A

Applicants must use the format provided in Attachment A, Application Content and Budget Narrative Format, to prepare an application package. Instructions for Attachment A begin on page 30. Attachment A provides instructions for describing your project and contains the following sections. Your application must not exceed the number of pages indicated below in parentheses, except for other required forms and agreements.

1. Cover Sheet: Applicant Information (one page)

The cover page should include, at a minimum:

1. Applicant’s name and mailing address;

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

3. Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable).

2. Table of Contents (one page)

3. Organization Information (one page)

4. Application Project Summary (two pages)

The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal is funded. The application should explicitly describe how the propose project activities and anticipated outcomes meet the RFA program scope (i.e., provide nutrition education).

5. Goal Selection (one page)

6. Project Activities and Timeline (three pages)

For each project activity, applicants must provide the number of participants expected to benefit. The timeline should show how the applicant intends to implement the activity throughout the course of the performance period.

7. Progress and Success Monitoring Chart (three pages)

8. Application Budget Narrative (five pages)

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. Costs for Budget Categories (e.g., office supplies) should be broken down by individual item types (e.g., pens, pencils, ink, etc.) in the Narrative/Justification column. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate: All applicants charging for indirect costs must have either (1) an approved indirect cost rate negotiated with their cognizant Federal agency (e.g., Department of Interior) for the current year, or (2) a submitted indirect cost rate proposal for the current year.  All applicants charging for indirect costs must provide verification of indirect cost rates when requested by USDA.

1. For applicants with an approved indirect cost rate for the current year:  Indicate the percentage and base on your application.  Note that indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated approved rate. 

2. For applicants with a submitted indirect cost rate proposal for the current year:  An interim rate may be used and indicated on your application.  The interim rate is the indirect cost rate most recently approved by the cognizant Federal agency. 

If, at the time of application, an indirect cost rate has not been established, the applicant may indicate “None—will negotiate” on their application and include a reasonable dollar amount for indirect costs, which will be subject to subsequent approvals.  If the application is recommended for funding, an indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted to the cognizant Federal agency prior to award being made and to support the amount of indirect costs requested.

An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and, instead, use all grant funds for direct costs.  If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase "None requested" should be stated in the budget narrative.

2. Required Grant Application Forms

Please refer to the Application Checklist on page 2 for a list of required grant forms.

2. Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM)

In order to submit an application to the Grants.gov system, applicants must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and register in both the new System for Award Management (SAM) and on Grants.gov. Additional information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering for SAM are provided below.

2. Submission Date and Times

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), on XXXXX XX, 20XX.

• Late applications will not be considered.

• FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are submitted.

• Applications must be submitted via the Grants.gov web portal. Mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted.

• Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

• FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants this or subsequent fiscal years should additional funds become available.

USDA strongly encourages applicants to begin the process at least four weeks before the due date and to submit applications to Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to allow time to troubleshoot any issues, should they arise.

2. Electronic Submission Details

Please be aware that the grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to www.grants.gov should contact the grant support team noted in Section VII: Federal Awarding Agency Contacts.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a 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, 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 ET. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number.

• It may take 2-3 business days to obtain a DUNS number.

2. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM)

• SAM combines Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. For additional information regarding SAM, see the following link: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/

• Must have organization’s DUNS, entity’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on last tax return). It typically takes 3-5 business days to register in SAM; however, in some instances, it may require 5-7 business days or more to complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of the entity record.

• All applicants must have current SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25.

• We strongly encourage applicants to begin the process at least 3 weeks before the due date of the grant solicitation.

3. Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request for applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review. The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will need the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role.

• For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:
  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html

4. Authorize Grants.gov Roles: After creating an account on Grants.gov, the EBiz POC receives an email notifying them of your registration and request for roles. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been approved as an AOR.

• For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:
  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html

• Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization's AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

5. Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:
   https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html

2. How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Be sure to read Section H: Electronic Submission Details prior to beginning your application on Grants.gov. Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

• Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:
  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

• For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

• Additional submission information and instructions is available at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-standard-language.html

• Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at [email protected]. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

  • If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

1. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace, complete all the required forms, and check for errors before submission.

   1. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

      4. NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

   2. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

   3. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4. Track a Workspace: After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the package. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission.

2. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

1. Online Submission: All applications must be received by XXXX XX, 20XX 11:59 PM Eastern time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant AOR will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

2. When FNS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by FNS.

3. Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

2. Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process

NOTICE: Special characters are 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):

1. 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.

2. Additional information and applicant resources is available at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review Criteria

FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure the applicants are eligible entities and are in compliance with all Program regulations.

Follow all directions in Attachment A to document your project and budget requests.

2. Review and Selection Process

Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. The selecting official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of order to meet agency priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity. 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. FNS reserves the right to fund any submitted grant project, in totality or in part.

NOTE: If a discrepancy exists between the total funding request (submitted on SF-424,

SF-424A, and budget or budget narrative) within the application package in response to this solicitation, FNS will only consider and evaluate the estimated funding request contained on SF-424.

3. Anticipated Announcement Date

FNS anticipates notifying participants of awards in XXXX 20XX.

4. Evaluation Factors and Criteria

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

1. Project Design and Implementation (40 points)

   1. The project goal or goals are clearly identified and appropriate for the proposed project. The applicant followed directions in the RFA for selecting goal or goals, activities, and timeline. Activities are reasonable and appropriate for proposed goal or goals;

   2. Timeline appears reasonable and feasible given proposed activities. In other words, under normal circumstances, would it be possible for the organization to complete the described tasks during the funding period;

   3. The application documents methods that will determine progress and successes and the number of participants reached through activities;

   4. The method(s) selected to monitor progress and success is sufficient to determine if the goal or goals are accomplished; and

   5. All application content requirements, as listed in Attachment A of this RFA, are included.

2. Budget Appropriateness (30 points)

   1. Attachment A contains the budget narrative format required with instructions and details for documenting the expenditure of grant funds;

   2. The budget is consistent with project goal or goals and activities;

   3. Calculations of all costs, including the match requirement, are correct; and

   4. Funding requested is allowable, economical, and reasonable in relation to the proposed scope and effort of the proposed project. In other words, are individual line items within the scope of the FDPNE grant, and do the described costs reflect a prudent use of funding?

3. Need, Originality, Creativity, and Cultural Appropriateness (30 points)

   1. The applicant documented the target audience. The target audience is appropriate;

   2. Proposed project is original and creative as documented in the Project Summary;

   3. The applicant documented how it will continue these activities after the funding period ends; and

   4. The application demonstrates efforts to include other nutrition education partners such as the Indian Health Service and the USDA Cooperative Extension System.

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal 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, FNS to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. 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.  Under the Privacy Act of 1974, 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.  Furthermore, the applications for authorization contain personally identifying information on individuals doing business with Food and Nutrition Service.  Therefore, the Food and Nutrition Service published USDA e-Authentication Service (system of records) July 26, 2006 in the Federal Register Volume 71 page 42346 to specify the uses to be made of the information in this collection.  Access to records is limited to those persons who process the records for the specific uses stated in this Privacy Act notice.  Records are kept in physically secured rooms and/or cabinets.  Paper records are segregated and physically secured in located cabinets.  Various methods of computer security limit access to records in automated databases.    Any 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.

Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable information, April 2010).

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable information, April 2010).

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.  All federal and non-federal employees (e.g., contractors, affiliates, or partners) working for or on behalf of FNS are required to acknowledge understanding of their responsibilities and accountability for using and protecting FNS PII in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-06-15, Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information; M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information; M-07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information; and the NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information.

By submitting an application in response to this RFA, applicants are assuring that all data exchanges conducted throughout the application submission and pre-award process (and during the performance of the grant, if awarded) will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws. By submitting a grant application, applicants agree to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality, including the following: (1) ensuring that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained or otherwise associated with UDSA FNS funded grants is securely transmitted. Transmission of applications through Grants.gov is secure; (2) ensuring that PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, and that PII and other sensitive data is not submitted via email; and (3) Data transmitted via approved file sharing services (WatchDox, ShareFile, etc.), CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must be encrypted.

2. 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.

3. Administrative Regulations

Federal Tax Liabilities Restrictions

None of the funds made available by this or any other 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 a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

Felony Crime Conviction Restrictions

None of the funds made available by this or any other 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 of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

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 System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.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 SAM 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 SAM 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 SAM database, and suspension and debarment information from the SAM. 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.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, provides individuals with a right to access records in the possession of the Federal Government. The Government may withhold information pursuant to the nine exemptions and the three exclusions contained in the Act.

Application packages submitted in response to this grant solicitation may be subject to FOIA by requests by interested parties. In response to these requests, FNS will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including departmental regulations.

FNS will forward a Business Submitter Notice to the requested applicant’s point-of-contact. Applicants will need to review requested materials and submit and submit any recommendations within 10 days from the date of FNS notification. FNS will redact Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

For additional information on the Freedom of Information (FOIA) process, please contact Jennifer Weatherly, FNS Freedom of Information Act officer at [email protected].

Privacy Policy

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service does not collect any personal identifiable information without explicit consent. To view the Agency’s Privacy Policy, visit: www.fns.usda.gov/privacy-policy.

4. Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

This grant will be awarded and administered in accordance with the following regulations 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subtitle A, Chapter II. 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 System for Award Management”

• 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 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

• 2 CFR Part 400: USDA’s implementing regulation of 2 CFR Part 200 “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

• 2 CFR Part 415: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations”

• 2 CFR Part 416: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”

• 2 CFR Part 417: USDA “Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension”

• 2 CFR Part 418 USDA “New Restrictions on Lobbying

• 2 CFR Part 421: USDA “Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”

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

• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Public access to Federal Financial Assistance records shall not be limited, except when such records must be kept confidential and would have been excepted from disclosure pursuant to the “Freedom of Information” regulation (5 U.S.C. 552)

General Terms and Conditions of the award may be obtained electronically. Please contact the Grants Officer at:

XXXX XXXXX, Grants Officer

Grants Management Operations Branch

Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

3101 Park Center Drive Room 740

Alexandria, VA 22302

E-mail: [email protected]

3. Financial Reporting

1. 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. For additional information on FPRS, visit: www.fprs.fns.usda.gov. Detailed instructions for reporting will be included in the FNS Federal financial assistance award package. Financial Status reports are administered by the applicant’s FNS regional office staff. Regional office staff should be contacted with questions regarding these reports.

2. The lead agency of a consortium must submit a consolidated SF-425 that reflects the total outlay of FDPNE funds by all members of the consortium and the total matching contributions of all members of the consortium.

3. The Awardee must ensure that FDPNE project operators spend funds appropriately and must provide technical assistance to sub-grantees to support the ITO’s/SA’s FDPNE goal or goals and objectives. The Awardee is fully liable for repayment of Federal funds should those costs later be determined unallowable.

4. Progress Reporting

The recipient will be responsible for managing and monitoring the progress of the grant project activities and performance. The grant terms and conditions 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, including results of the grant project.

7. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

For questions regarding this solicitation, please contact the Grants Officer at:

XXXX XXXX, Grants Officer

Grants Management Operations Branch

Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

3101 Park Center Drive Room 740

Alexandria, VA 22302

E-mail: [email protected]

8. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Debriefing Requests

Non-selected applicants may request a debriefing to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of submitted proposals. This information may be useful when preparing future grant proposals. Additional information on debriefing requests will be forwarded to non-selected applicants. FNS reserves the right to provide this debriefing orally or in written format.

2. 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, as well as forms SF-424 and SF-424A must be in line with the proposal project description (statement of work) bona fide need. FNS reserves the right to request information not clearly addressed. All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

	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.

THIS FORM IS FOR GRANT APPLICANT USE ONLY. DO NOT RETURN THIS FORM WITH THE APPLICATION.

3. Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

Purpose

Recipients of Federal funds must maintain adequate accounting systems that meet the criteria outlined in 2 CFR §200.302 Standards for Financial and Program Management. The responses to this questionnaire are used to assist in the Food and Nutrition Service Agency’s (FNS) evaluation of your accounting system to ensure the adequate, appropriate, and transparent use of Federal funds. Failure to comply with the criteria outlined in the regulations above may preclude your organization from receiving an award. This form applies to FNS’ competitive and noncompetitive grant programs. Please return this questionnaire with your application package to us.

Organization Information

Legal Organization Name:

D-U-Ns Number:

Financial Stability and Quality of ManagEment Systems

Requirement	Yes	No
Has your organization received a Federal award within the past 3 years?	☐	☐
Does your organization utilize accounting software to manage your financial records?	☐	☐
Does your accounting system identify the receipt and expenditure of program funds separately for each grant?	☐	☐
Does your organization have a dedicated individual responsible for monitoring organizational funds, such as an accountant or a finance manager?	☐	☐
Does your organization separate the duties for staff handling the approval of transactions and the recording and payment of funds?	☐	☐
Does your organization have the ability to specifically identify and allocate employee effort to an applicable program?	☐	☐
Does your organization have a property /inventory management system in place to track location and value of equipment purchased under the award?	☐	☐

Audit Reports and Findings

Requirement		Yes	No
Has your organization been audited within the last 5 fiscal years? (If the answer is “Yes” and this report was issued under the Single Audit Act please note this in the box below marked “Additional Information” and if not issued under the “Single Audit Act”, please attach a copy or provide a link to the audit report in the Hyperlink space below).		☐	☐
If your organization has been audited within the last 5 fiscal years, was there a “Qualified Opinion” or an “Adverse Opinion”?		☐	☐
If your organization has been audited within the last 5 fiscal years, was there a “Material Weakness” disclosed?		☐	☐
If your organization has been audited within the last 5 fiscal years, was there a “Significant Deficiency” disclosed?		☐	☐
Hyperlink (if available):
Additional information including expanding on responses in previous sections:

Applicant Certification

I certify that the above information is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge.

Authorized Representative’s Signature and Date
Name:
Phone:
Email:

9. ATTACHMENT A

IMPORTANT! The pages that follow, Attachment A, contain application content templates. You must use the format documented in the templates to document project content. Upload the pages, along with all required forms, on Grants.gov.

Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE)

Grant Application - Fiscal Year 20XX

CFDA#: 10.594

Section 1: Cover Sheet - Applicant Information (one page)
Organization Name:
Organization Address:
Name of Contact Person and Title:
Project Director:
Name of Authorizing Official:
Email Address:
Phone Number:
Fax Number:

section 2: Table of Contents (one page)

Add your Table of Contents below.

SECTION 3: Organization Information (one page)

Instructions: Use the space below to describe your organization. Providing a list or a narrative statement is acceptable. Include the following:

• Administrative structure of the organization and FDPIR. (You may submit the same background information included in your FDPIR Plan of Operation.)

• Unique features of the Reservation or geographic location. (You may submit the same background information included in your FDPIR Plan of Operation.)

• Number of FDPIR families served per month and number of FDPIR participants served per month.

• Current nutrition education efforts as well as any resources available and partnerships.

SECTION 4: Application Project Summary (two pages)

Instructions: Use the space below to provide a summary of the project. The following information must be included.

• 

  Example

  Problem: Participants do not eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended by the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Many participants want to add more fruits and vegetables to their diets but are unfamiliar with some items offered by FDPIR and do not know how to prepare them.

  

  Goal Selected: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Focus on whole fruits and vary your veggies.

  

  Addressing the Problem: Use fruits and vegetables offered by FDPIR to conduct food demonstrations. Use healthy recipes that are easy to prepare. Provide recipe handouts.

  

  How this addresses the Problem: Participants learn to prepare a food that is unfamiliar to them and taste-test the food after it’s prepared. They receive recipes to use to prepare the food at home. Participants learn basic cooking methods.

  What is the problem you wish to address by providing nutrition or physical education activities?

• Brief, specific details regarding the activities you will conduct and how the activities will address the problem.

• The number of participants you will reach with each activity or session, and the results you expect.

• Designate a Project Director/Coordinator. Write the name of that person, or indicate that you intend to hire a person to fulfill this position. It is recommended that a Project
  Director contribute a minimum of 25% time to oversee complex projects.

• Provide a list of staff that will work on the project and explain their responsibilities.

• Target Audience: Provide brief details about who will benefit from your nutrition education activities. For example, FDPIR participants or those eligible, reservations they reside on, their ages and gender, and other program sites where recruitment will occur.

• Document how activities may continue after the funding period ends.

• List all organizations, agencies, or individuals who will provide or assist with nutrition education or nutrition services and describe the assistance they will provide.

• If the applicant is a consortium, identify the member organizations of the consortium. Attach Memoranda of Agreements from all participating FDPIR programs.

• Written agreements. Describe agreements and collaborations with sub-grantees and other programs or organizations. Attach Memoranda of Agreements with sub-grantees and partners and submit with your application. Sub-grantees must sign an agreement with the FDPIR allowance holder that documents programmatic and fiscal agreement between the FDPIR allowance holder and the sub-grantee. Submit the agreement with your application.

SECTION 5: Project Goals (one page)

Background Information: The goals selected for FDPNE 20XX are based on certain components of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that focus on healthy eating patterns. You may review the guidelines at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ or information at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to help with developing your activities. An excerpt from the new guidelines is below.

The Key Recommendations for healthy eating patterns should be applied in their entirety to reflect an overall healthy eating pattern.

• Consume a healthy eating pattern that accounts for all food and beverages within an appropriate calorie level.

A healthy eating pattern includes:

• ​A variety of vegetables from all of the subgroups— dark green, red and orange, legumes (beans and peas), starchy, and other

• Fruits, especially whole fruits

• Grains, at least half of which are whole grains

• Fat-free or low-fat dairy, including milk, yogurt, cheese, and/or fortified soy beverages

• A variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, legumes (beans and peas), and nuts, seeds, and soy products

• Oils

​ A healthy eating pattern limits:

• ​Saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium

Instructions: You must select at least one goal from the list below (a through d).

Place an X on the line(s) below to select your goal(s).

___a) Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Focus on whole fruits and vary your veggies. (Note that gardening activities under this goal must include nutrition education messages or nutrition education activities.)

___b) Reduce sodium intake.

___c) Make half your grains whole grains.

___d) Move to fat-free or low-fat dairy products.

SECTION 6: Project Activities and Timeline (two pages)
Instructions: List the activities that you plan to use to accomplish your project goal or goals. Provide a timeline for each activity (e.g., when you expect the activity to occur), and estimate the number of participants you expect to reach. The items listed here should match activities documented in SECTION 4: Application Project Summary.
Project Activity Description	Timeline: When will this happen? (month(s)/year)	Number of participants you expect to reach?
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]
[insert activity here]	[insert expected timeline]	[# participants]

SECTION 7: Progress and Success Monitoring Chart
Instructions: Choose the methods you will use to monitor the progress and success of your FY20XX nutrition education project. You are required to select at least 2 methods. The methods listed in the table below are intended as examples of approaches you might use to monitor your project’s progress and success. You can add any additional methods you propose below. Examples include: recording the number of participants who attend a nutrition education class, documenting the number of participants who receive nutrition education handouts, or comparing the knowledge gained by participants after they have taken a class to what they knew before.
Method	Place an “X” by the methods you will use.
Participant surveys
Results of tests administered before and after educational sessions, topic of tests, number of persons who will take the test
Nutrition education session sign-in sheets
Food demonstration sign-in sheets
Number of participants referred to other agencies for nutrition education
Observations of activities (Include the # of activities and participants observed)
Photos or videos
[insert additional method here]
[insert additional method here]
[insert additional method here]

SECTION 8: Budget Narrative

Instructions: You must use the format below. Use the categories and columns that are relevant for your budget request. Be sure to explain how you calculated each cost and the reason each expense is necessary in the Narrative/Justification column. All dollar amounts should be rounded up to the nearest whole dollar.

Reminders:

• When appropriate, provide cost breakdowns for each line item in the Narrative/Justification column such that the expected cost of each item is listed. For example, the total cost of office supplies should include prices for specific items (e.g., pens, pencils, ink, etc.).

• When calculating the cost for food, and materials for cooking demos and nutrition education activities, applicants should use the expected number of participants at the nutrition education activities, not the total number of FDPIR participants.

1. Match Requirement

Are you requesting a waiver of the 25% match requirement? [Yes/No]

• If so, what match percentage are you requesting? (if requesting a complete waiver of the match requirement, write 0%) _____

Note: If requesting a complete waiver of the match requirement (0% match), the “Matching Funds” column should be left blank.

2. Personnel Please use the format provided below to list all personnel to be funded by this grant. Note: FTE stands for Full-Time Equivalent, which represents what a person would be paid for full-time employment.
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
2a. [Insert Title Here], at X% FTE, salary $XX,XXX per yr			[Insert job duties and responsibilities here]
2b. [Insert Title Here], at X% FTE, salary $XX,XXX per yr			[Insert job duties and responsibilities here]
2c. [Insert Title Here], at X% FTE, salary $XX,XXX per yr			[Insert job duties and responsibilities here]
Personnel Subtotal

3. Fringe Benefits Provide the Fringe Benefits cost for all personnel listed in Section 2. Organization Fringe Benefit Rate:____
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
3a. Personnel 2a Fringe Benefits			[List benefits covered]
3b. Personnel 2b Fringe Benefits			[List benefits covered]
3c. Personnel 2c Fringe Benefits			[List benefits covered]
Fringe Benefits Subtotal

4. Travel For all travel, include origin and destination information as well as the anticipated dates of travel. Provide justifications for each trip and each person traveling. Enter each trip as a separate line item (e.g., flights to two separate conferences should be two line items: one for flights for Conference 1 and one for Conference 2). Examples for how to report each form of travel are included below.
4a. Out-of-State	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
Airfare, round trip name of Airport to and from name of Airport, name of Airline, cost as of date, # people at $XXX per person ($XXX base fare + $XX tax and fees)
Airline checked baggage fee: # bags at $XX per bag
Airport parking: # days x # people at $XX per day

Ground transportation: # days x # people at est. $XX per day
Lodging: out-of-state rate, date, # days x # people at $XX per day
Lodging tax: out-of-state rate, XX% per day, # days x # people at $XX.XX per day
Mileage, round trip from place of business to destination, type of transportation, # mi. x # people at $0.XXX per mi.
Per diem (M&IE): out-of-state rate, full day, # days x # people at $XX.XX per day
Per diem (M&IE): out-of-state rate, first & last days of travel, # days x # people at $X per day
Out-of-State Subtotal

4b. In-State Travel Follow the format utilized for Out-of-State Travel (Section 4a).
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
Airfare, round trip name of Airport to and from name of Airport, name of Airline, cost as of date, # people at $XXX per person ($XXX base fare + $XX tax and fees)
Airline checked baggage fee: # bags at $XX per bag
Airport parking: # days x # people at $XX per day
Ground transportation: # days x # people at est. $XX per day
Lodging: in-state rate, date, # days x # people at $X per day
Lodging tax: in-state rate, XX% per day, # days x # people at $XX.XX per day
Mileage, round trip from place of business to destination, type of transportation, # mi. x # people at $0.XXX per mi.
Per diem (M&IE): in-state rate, full day, # days x # people at $XX.XX per day

Per diem (M&IE): in-state rate, first & last days of travel, # days x # people at $XX.XX per day
In-State Travel Subtotal
Combined Out-of-State and In-State Travel Subtotal

5. Supplies Supplies are items with a unit cost of less than $5,000. See Section II F-G (pg. 7-9) of the RFA for restrictions. Requests for supplies must be accompanied by a justification for the need for such items.
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
5a. [Insert Item Here]
5b. [Insert Item Here]
5c. Food Demo Supplies			[if applicable; include an itemized list of the supplies requested and prices]
5d. Office Supplies			[include an itemized list of the supplies requested and prices]
Supplies Subtotal

6. Equipment Equipment is nonexpendable, tangible personal property with a unit cost of $5,000 or more with a useful life of more than one year. See Section II F-G (pg. 7-9) of the RFA for restrictions. Requests for equipment must be accompanied by a justification for the need for such items.
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
6a. [Insert Item Here]
6b. [Insert Item Here]
Equipment Subtotal

7. Contractual For all contract work, provide the number of hours the contract is expected to take as well as the anticipated hourly rate (e.g., # hrs. at $XXX per hr.)
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
7a. [Insert Service/Personnel Here]			[provide a justification for why this service is justified; explain rationale for estimated cost]
7b. [Insert Service/Personnel Here]			[provide a justification for why this service is justified; explain rationale for estimated cost]
Contractual Subtotal
Amount of Contractual Not Subject to Indirect Costs
Are there indirect costs associated with any of the proposed contractual costs? [Yes/No] If yes, provide the total amount of indirect costs associated with contracts in the space below. $_____________

8. Other Reminder: Costs associated with subgrantees should not be included when calculating indirect costs.
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
8a. [Subgrantee Here]
8b. Postage, Shipping/Handling
8c. Nutrition Education Materials
8d. Program Incentives
Other Subtotal

9. Totals
Total Direct Costs (Section 9a): The total direct costs should be the sum of all bolded subtotals listed for Sections 2-8. This number represents the total of all costs prior to calculating indirect costs. Indirect Costs (Section 9b): The Indirect Cost Rate should be applied to all appropriate funds as stipulated in your organization’s Indirect Cost rate Agreement. Be sure to reference the terms of your organization’s Indirect Cost Rate Agreement prior to calculating indirect costs. If you require assistance, please contact your FNS Regional Office or the Grants Officer listed in Section IV A (pg. 11) of the RFA. Total Funds (Section 9c): In Section 9c, the value in your Federal Funds Requested column should be the sums of the totals for Sections 9a and 9b. The value in the Matching Funds column should be the value provided in Section 9a. Total Project Cost (Section 9d): This amount represents the total cost to complete the project. To calculate this amount, add together the Federal Funds Requested and Matching Funds listed in Section 9c. As a reminder, unless you have requested a waiver of the match requirement, your value in the Matching Funds column of section 9c should be 25% (or the proposed match %) of the Total Project Costs listed in 9d. For example, if your Total Project Cost in Section 9d is $100,000, then your match should be $25,000 for a 25% match.
	Federal Funds Requested	Matching Funds	Narrative/Justification
9a. Total Direct Costs			[Leave Blank]
9b. Indirect Costs			[Insert Indirect Cost Rate applied to your budget here as well as the effective date of your Indirect Cost Rate agreement]
9c. Total Funds			[unless requesting a waiver, Matching Funds in 9c should be 25% (or the proposed match %) of the Total Project Cost listed in 9d]
9d. Total Project Cost