1810-0722 DEMO Application Package_3.16.23

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of Indian Education

Washington, D.C. 20202-6200

Fiscal Year 20XX

Application for New Grants Under

the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program

ALN 84.299A

Dated Material - Open Immediately

Closing Date: [DATE]

Approved OMB Number: 1810-0722

Expiration Date: [DATE]

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1810-0722.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit under 20 U.S.C. 7441.  If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact:

Donna Bussell,

U.S. Department of Education,

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-6200

[email protected]

[Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.]

Table of Contents

Dear Colleague Letter 2

Program Overview 4

Definitions 6

Application Procedures 7

Helpful Reminders 7

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 10

Part 1: Preliminary Documents 12

Part 2: Budget Information 13

Part 3: ED Abstract Form 15

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form 16

Part 5: Budget Narrative 18

Part 6: Other Attachments 23

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications 25

Reporting and Accountability 28

Legal and Regulatory Information 29

Notice Inviting Applications 29

United States Department of Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of Indian Education

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Indian Education Demonstration Grant program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). This document includes information for applicants seeking funding for new grant projects in Fiscal Year 20XX under the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program, authorized under Title VI of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. The purpose of the Demonstration Grants Program is to improve educational opportunities and achievement of Indian children and youth.

Please take the time to review the applicable priorities, selection criteria, and all the application instructions. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program (34 CFR 75.216 (b) and (c)).

As a part of a broader effort to reduce barriers for applicants seeking funds under a grant competition, the Department has issued a set of Common Instructions for Applicants.

Please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

To apply for this competition, please use the government-wide website, http://www.grants.gov. We encourage that early in the process of compiling an application for submission you familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and register or identify who has access to your entity’s registration within your entity and become a user or clarify roles for submitting application using grants.gov. We recommend that you submit early. In order to successfully submit your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) register as an applicant using your UEI number and (2) be designated by your organization's E-Biz Point of Contact as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: https://www.grants.gov/​web/​grants/​register.html.

Please note, the narrative portion of an application must be submitted using either read-only, flattened Portable Document Format (PDF) or a Microsoft Word document. Please see related instructions within this application package.

Using Fiscal Year (FY) 20XX funds, the Department expects to award $XXXX for new grants under this competition. We will award discretionary grants on a competitive basis for a project period of up to 60 months; we will award grants for an initial period of not more than three years and may renew such grants for an additional period of not more than two years if we find that the grantee is achieving the objectives of the grant. Grants are expected to be awarded by September 30, 20XX.

Please visit our program website at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oie/index.html for further information, including a pre-application webinar. You may also follow us on Twitter using the @OIEIndianED handle to stay current on upcoming events and announcements. If you have any technical questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Donna Bussell by telephone at 202-453-6813 or via e-mail at [email protected].

Donna Sabis-Burns

Group Leader

Office of Indian Education

U.S. Department of Education

I. Program Background Information

Program Overview

The purpose of the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children (Demonstration Grants) program is to provide financial assistance to projects that develop, test, and demonstrate the effectiveness of services and programs to improve the educational opportunities and achievement of preschool, elementary, and secondary Indian students. These projects must include activities authorized under section 6121 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA).

Official Documents Notice

The official document governing this competition is the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) published in the Federal Register on DATE, 20XX (See Legal and Regulatory Documents of this application package). The NIA is also available electronically at the following Web sites: www.FederalRegister.gov and www.gpo.gov.

Eligible Applicants

The following entities, either alone or in a consortium, are eligible under this program:

1. a State educational agency (SEA);

2. a local educational agency (LEA) including charter schools that are considered LEAs under State law;

3. Indian tribe;

4. Indian organization;

5. federally supported elementary school or secondary school for Indian students (BIE);

6. a tribal college or university (TCU)

The definitions for eligible applicants, in addition to all applicable definitions, may be found in 34 CFR 263.20 at the following Website: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=981d98d73a166b030f40209581f21cc7&mc=true&n=pt34.1.263&r=PART&ty=HTML#se34.1.263_120

Absolute Priorities

For FY 20XX and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(ii), we consider only applications that meet either Absolute Priorities established in future notices inviting applications.

The Absolute Priorities for this competition will be announced in the next NIA.

Competitive Preference Priorities:

For FY 20XX, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we may award additional points to an application, depending on how well an application meets Competitive Preference Priorities that will be established in a future NIA .

Program Contact:

Please contact Program Officer Donna Bussell by telephone at (202) 453-6813 or via email at [email protected] after reviewing the application package if you have any questions about the program.

Project Period

The project period for this grant is for up to 60 months; we will award grants for an initial period of not more than three years and may renew such grants for an additional period of not more than two years if we find that the grantee is achieving the objectives of the grant.

Grants are expected to be awarded by September 30, 20XX.

Note: Continuation of each successive grant period is subject to satisfactory performance, submission of an annual report, and availability of funds.

Grant Award Estimations

We estimate that awards will average $XXXX within the range from $XXXX to $XXXXX. We expect to award XX grants.

Application Due Date

Applications must be submitted on or before DATE, 20XX. Please note that the Department of Education (Department) grant application deadlines are 11:59:59 P.M. Washington, D.C. time.

Late applications will not be accepted. We strongly suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

Applicant Guide

Applications are entered into the Grants.gov system; applications submitted via email will not be accepted. For more information, including how to submit a paper application in cases in which electronic submission is not possible, please read the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

A completed application will include a program narrative. The program narrative is the section of the application that directly responds to the selection criteria. The program narrative should follow the order of the selection criteria. Applicants should describe, in detail, activities planned for each of the funding periods of the grant. The program office suggests that applicants limit the program narrative to 30 pages. Narrative attachments must be submitted as files in a read-only, flattened Portable Document Format (PDF) or as a Microsoft Word document. If applicants upload a different file type or submit a password-protected file, we will not review that material.

A minimum of 3 peer reviewers will evaluate each proposal. Reviewers will be asked to review the applicants’ responses to each criterion and score each of their assigned proposals. Not responding to a specific criterion could negatively impact the score.

The Notice Inviting Applications for this competition provides the priorities, selection criteria, application requirements, program requirements, eligibility, and definitions.

Selection Criteria

All selection criteria will be from 34 CFR 75210 and section 4303(g)(1) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7221b(g)(1)).

Definitions

Definitions for this program are from the next Notice of Finalized Priorities published in the Federal Register and from the statute governing this program. These definitions apply to the FY 20XX grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

II. Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program applications through Grants.gov is 11:59:59 p.m. EST on DATE, 20XX.

Application Transmittal Instructions

This program requires the electronic submission of applications--specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

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

Helpful Reminders

1) REGISTER EARLY – Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Please note that these Common Instructions supersede the version published on December 27, 2021.

Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov), which usually takes approximately 7 to 10 business days, but can take longer depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

To register in SAM.gov, click on the “Get Started” link under the “Register Your Entity…” heading in SAM.gov. Grantees, and other entities wanting to do business with the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., entities applying for a grant), that are not already registered in SAM.gov must complete the “Register Entity” registration option and NOT the “Get a Unique Entity ID” option. The “Get a Unique Entity ID” option, which is not a full registration, is only available to entities for reporting purposes. Failing to complete the “Register Entity” option may result in loss of funding, loss of applicant eligibility, and/or delays in receiving a grant award. Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To further assist you with registering in SAM or updating your existing SAM registration, see the Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations and the Entity Registration Video at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, in order to submit your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) register as an applicant using your UEI number and (2) be designated by your organization's E-Biz Point of Contact as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: https://www.grants.gov/​web/​grants/​register.html.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Washington, DC Time on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below.

Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or at support@grants, or access the Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: : https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. Remember, to submit successfully you must (1) register as an applicant using your UEI number and (2) be designated by your organization's E-Biz Point of Contact as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: https://www.grants.gov/​web/​grants/​register.html.

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace .

Slow Internet Connections:

When using a slow internet connection, such as a dial-up connection, to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. Failure to fully upload an application by the deadline date and time will result in your application being marked late in the G5 system. If you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions and the 2022 Common Instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips

Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, flattened .PDF files in their application:

• Ensure that you attach .PDF files only or Microsoft Word files for any attachments to your application, and any PDFs must be in a read-only, flattened format (meaning any fillable documents must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files). PDF files and Microsoft Word files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the common instructions. If an applicant submits PDF files, it must submit only individual .PDF files. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are file types other than .PDF files or Microsoft Word files, or are password protected files will not be read.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name. Be sure to check for consistent line spacing throughout your application.

• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Electronic Application Submission Checklist

It is recommended that your electronic application be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process. Instructions for all parts and forms of the application are found either on the following pages of the application package or individually for each form on Grants.gov.

Review your electronic application to ensure you have completed the following forms and sections:

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

• Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424)

• ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

Part 2: Budget Information

• ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

• Project Abstract

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

• Application Narrative

Part 5: Budget Narrative Attachment Form

• Budget Narrative

Part 6: Other Attachments

Application Requirements: Required of All Applicants

To be considered for an award under this competition, each eligible applicant must provide a detailed project narrative and budget narrative. Along with the application narrative, an applicant will provide:

• A description of how Indian Tribes and parents and families of Indian children and youth have been, and will be, involved in developing and implementing the proposed activities;

• Assurances that the applicant will participate, at the request of the Secretary, in any national evaluation of this program;

• Information demonstrating that the proposed project is evidence-based, where applicable, or is based on an existing evidenced-based program that has been modified to be culturally appropriate for Indian students;

• A description of how the applicant will continue the proposed activities once the grant period is over;

• Signed and dated Partnership Agreement(s) of any required partner(s); and

• Individual resumes for Project Directors and Key Personnel

Application Requirements: Required if Applicable

• Documentation of Indian Organization

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

• Administrative Cost Limit Waiver Request

• Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372) State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) List

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form)

• Grants.Gov Lobbying Form – “Certification Regarding Lobbying” (ED 80-0013 Form)

• General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

• Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

• Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424)

• ED Supplemental Information for SF 424

These forms require basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name, address, e-mail address and UEI number).

You must provide the UEI on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424) first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct CFDA and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms.

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application.

Part 2: Budget Information

• ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

This part of your application contains information about the Federal funding you are requesting. Remember that you must provide all requested budget information for each year of the project (up to 60 months) and the total column in order to be considered for Federal funding. Specific instructions for completing the budget forms are provided within this application package.

Instructions for completing ED Form 524 Section A:

Name of Institution/Organization: Enter the name of the applicant in the space provided.

Personnel (line 1): Enter project personnel salaries and wages only. Include fees and expenses for consultants on line 6.

Fringe Benefits (line 2): The institution’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be charged to the program. Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.

Travel (line 3): Indicate the travel costs of employees and participants only. Include travel of persons such as consultants on line 6. Applicants are strongly encouraged to budget funds for a representative from the partnering entities to accompany the project director in attending a Project Director’s Meeting in the first three years of the grant.

Equipment (line 4): Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article. Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy.

Supplies (line 5): Show all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving the goals of the project.

Contractual (line 6): The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.

Construction (line 7): Not applicable.

Other (line 8): Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example, include costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

Total Direct Costs (line 9): The sum of lines 1-8.

Note: Direct administrative costs are limited by statute to 5% of the total grant award.

Indirect Costs (line 10): Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per 34 CFR 75.560 – 75.564. If an applicant’s approved indirect cost rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency has expired and the applicant wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant, the applicant may use a temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages while it negotiates a rate with its cognizant agency, per 34 CFR 75.560. An applicant with no previous ICR can use a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC); these applicants do not need to negotiate for this rate (2 CFR 200.414(f)).

Training Stipends (line 11): This line item is generally not applicable to this program. The training stipend line item only pertains to costs associated with long term training programs and college or university coursework, not workshops or short-term training supported by this program.

Salary stipends paid to teachers and other school personnel for participating in short-term professional development should be reported in Personnel (line 1). Note: This limitation does not apply to State agencies, local governments or federally-recognized Indian tribal governments. [EDGAR §75.562(c)(2)]

Total Cost (line 12): This should equal to sum of lines 9-11 (total direct costs + indirect + stipends). The sum for column one, labeled Project Year 1 (a), should also be equal to item 15a on the application cover sheet (SF Form 424).

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the ED Abstract Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

• Project Abstract

The project abstract should not exceed two double spaced pages and should identify the applicant, including all consortium members (i.e., the tribe(s), Tribal Colleges and Universities, and the LEA(s) or Bureau-funded school(s)) if applicable, and should concisely describe the following:

• The purpose and expected outcomes of the project

• How applicable absolute and competitive priorities are addressed by the project

• Estimated number of students to be served

• Service area, including participating schools or school districts

• The Indian Tribe(s), if any, involved in the project

Note: Grants.gov may include a note that indicates that the project abstract may not exceed one page; however, an abstract of more than one page may be uploaded.

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the

Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

• Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page.

• Application Narrative

The application narrative responds to the selection criteria found in this application package and should follow the order of the selection criteria.

• We encourage applicants to limit this section of the application to the equivalent of no more than 30 pages and adhere to the following guidelines: A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. An application submitted in any other font (including Times Roman or Arial Narrow) will not be accepted.

The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the budget narrative justification; the consortium or partnership agreement; the assurances and certifications; or the abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or other required attachments.

Selection Criteria for Project Narrative

The maximum score for all criteria is XXX points. The points or weight assigned to each criterion are indicated in parentheses and found in the published Notice Inviting Applicants. Non-Federal peer reviewers will review each application. They will be asked to evaluate and score each program narrative against selection criteria. The applicant must address all the listed criteria, which come from 34 CFR 75.210 as well as the Notice of Final Regulations, published in the Federal Register on [insert date].

Panel readers will award points only for an applicant’s response to a given selection criterion that is contained within the section of the application designated to address that particular selection criterion. Readers will not review, or award points for responses to a given selection criterion that are in any other section of the application or appendices. However, readers will use the information contained within the Budget and Budget Narrative sections of the application to award points for relevant selection criteria responses.

In describing the proposed project, applicants should address the selection criteria in the order in which they are listed. The selection criteria, sub-criteria, and corresponding points are provided in the NIA available at [insert link]

Part 5: Budget Narrative

This section should be attached as a single document to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. It should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the length of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend file names be less than 50 characters.

Each application must provide a Budget Narrative (which serves to meet the requirements of ED Form 524, Section C) for requested Federal funds. The Budget Narrative for requested Federal funds should provide a justification of how the money requested for each budget item will be spent.

This section requires an itemized budget breakdown for each project year and the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel, materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected expenditures. Be sure to complete an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for each year of the proposed project (up to 60 months).

The Budget Narrative provides an opportunity for the applicant to identify the nature and amount of the proposed expenditures. The applicant should provide sufficient detail to enable reviewers, program office staff, and project staff to understand how requested funds will be used, how much will be expended, and the relationship between the requested funds, project activities, and anticipated outcomes.

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.232, Department of Education staff perform a cost analysis of each recommended project to ensure that costs relate to the activities and objectives of the project, are reasonable, allowable and allocable. We may delete or reduce costs from the budget during this review.

Important Note

Applicants are encouraged to review the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations Uniform Guidance, Cost Principles in preparing their budget and budget narrative.

The Uniform Guidance may be found at the following link: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

Suggested Guidelines for the Budget Narrative

To facilitate the review of your Budget Narrative, we encourage each applicant to include the following information for each year of the project:

1. Personnel

• Provide the title and duties of each position to be compensated under this project.

• Provide the salary for each position under this project.

• Provide the amounts of time, such as hours or percentage of time to be expended by each position under this project.

• Explain the importance of each position to the success of the project.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

1. Fringe Benefits

• Give the fringe benefit percentages of all personnel included under Personnel.

• Provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.

1. Travel

• Explain the purpose of the travel, how it relates to project success, how it aligns with the project goals and objectives and which program participants or staff will participate.

• Submit an estimate for the number of trips, points of origin and destination, and purpose of travel.

• Submit an itemized estimate of transportation and/or subsistence costs for each trip.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

1. Equipment

• Indicate the estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased.

• Identify each type of equipment.

• Provide adequate justification of the need for items of equipment to be purchased.

• Explain the purpose of the equipment, and how it relates to project success.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

1. Supplies

• Provide an itemized estimate of materials and supplies by nature of expense or general category (e.g., instructional materials, office supplies, etc.).

• Explain the purpose of the supplies and how they relate to project success.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

1. Contractual

• Provide the purpose of the contract and its relation to project success.

• Describe the products to be acquired, and/or the professional services to be provided.

• Provide a brief justification for the use of the contractors selected.

• Identify the name(s) of the contracting party, including consultants, if available.

• Provide the cost per contractor.

• Provide the amount of time that the project will be working with the contractor(s).

• For professional services contracts, provide the amounts of time to be devoted to the project, including the costs to be charged to this proposed grant award.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

Note: see Important Information Regarding Professional Services Contracts below.

7. Construction

• Not applicable.

1. Other

• List and identify items by major type or category (e.g., communications, printing, postage, equipment rental, etc.).

• Provide the cost per item (printing = $500, postage = $750).

• Provide the purpose for the expenditures and relation to project success.

• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

1. Total Direct Costs

• The sum of expenditures, per budget category, of lines 1-8.

1. Indirect Costs

• Identify indirect cost rate (if the applicant will charge indirect costs to the grant)

Note: Remember to provide a copy of the most recent approved indirect cost rate agreement in the Other Attachments section of the application. The indirect cost rate agreement establishes the maximum amount of indirect costs the applicant may charge to the grant. However, applicants are not required to use the full negotiated indirect cost rate and may choose to devote greater resources to direct costs. Additionally, see Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs below.

11. Training Stipends

• Not applicable.

1. Total Costs

• Sum total of direct costs, indirect costs, and stipends.

• Please provide total costs for each year of the project as well as grand total cost for the entire project period (up to 60 months)

Statutory Administrative Cost Limit

• Due to a statutory limitation, budgets cannot include direct administrative costs that exceed 5% of the total costs of the grant.

• We note that certain costs, such as travel, the project director salary, and evaluation, may not necessarily all be administrative but may be partly direct program cost and partly administrative.

• Please describe in sufficient detail the costs and the parts of the budget lines that you include in the calculation of administrative costs.

Important Information Regarding Professional Services Contracts

Generally, applicants other than States must comply with the procurement requirements in 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.326 and States must follow the same policies and procedures they use for procurements from their non-Federal funds.

However, there are two exceptions. Under 34 CFR 75.135(a), an applicant may contract, without regard to the procurement procedures in 2 CFR part 200, to obtain services from an entity that provides a site or sites where the applicant would conduct the project activities. Also, under 34 CFR 75.135(b), an applicant may use the small purchase procedures authorized under 2 CFR 200.320(b) to procure data collection, data analysis, evaluation services, or other essential services that are needed to meet a statutory, regulatory, or priority requirement related to the competition.

If you relied on either of these exceptions please contact Donna Bussell by phone at (202) 453-6813 or via e-mail at [email protected] for additional guidance.

Important Information Regarding Indirect Costs

The Department reimburses grantees for the portion of indirect costs that a grantee incurs on a project funded by the Demonstration Grants program (ALN 84.299A).

If an applicant has a current ICR agreement and intends to charge indirect costs to the Demonstration grant, the applicant must submit a copy of the ICR agreement as part of its application. The ICR agreement must be negotiated with and approved by the grantee’s cognizant agency, i.e., either (1) the Federal agency from which it has received the most direct funding, subject to indirect cost support; (2) the Federal agency specifically assigned cognizance by OMB; or (3) the State agency that provides the most subgrant funds to the grantee (if no direct Federal awards are received). For federally-recognized tribes, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is the cognizant agency.

An applicant selected for funding that has an expired ICR agreement and intends to charge indirect costs to the Demonstration grant must follow the Department’s regulations at 34 CFR 75.560. Those rules permit an applicant to use a temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages while it negotiates a rate with its cognizant agency (e.g., DOI); the applicant must then submit an ICR proposal to its cognizant agency within 90 days after the Department issues the grant award notification (34 CFR 75.560).

Applicants with no previous ICR can use a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC); these applicants do not need to negotiate for this rate. Should such an applicant decide to use this MTDC as its ICR, it must use this rate for a full fiscal year; it cannot negotiate for a different rate (2 CFR 200.414(f)).

Please note that, in accordance with OMB’s Cost Principles at 2 CFR 200, applicants that have an expiring ICR agreement can apply to the cognizant agency for a one-time extension of up to four years (2 CFR 200.414(g)). If a successful applicant has an expiring ICR agreement, after the expiration date of the original agreement the grantee will be required to submit evidence to the Department that its cognizant agency granted an extension of the ICR agreement in order to charge indirect costs to the Demonstration grant at the approved rate.

Note: Applicants should pay special attention to specific questions on the application budget form (ED 524) about their cognizant agency and the ICR being used in the budget. Applicants should be aware that the Department is very often not the cognizant agency for its grantees. Rather, the Department accepts the currently approved ICR established by the appropriate cognizant agency.

Applicants with questions about charging indirect costs on this program should contact the program contact person noted elsewhere in this application package.

Part 6: Other Attachments

Attach one or more documents to the Other Attachments Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. You may provide all of the required information in a single document, or in multiple documents. Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/​documents/​2022/​12/​07/​2022-26554/​common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Required of All Applicants

• Applicant Information Form and Program-Specific Assurances.

• A description of how Indian Tribes and parents and families of Indian children and youth have been, and will be, involved in developing and implementing the proposed activities. If a Tribe is a documented partner or consortium member, then this requirement is satisfied as to the involvement of Indian Tribes, however the applicant must still address the involvement of parents and families.

• Information demonstrating that the proposed project is evidence-based, where applicable, or is based on an existing evidence-based program that has been modified to be culturally appropriate for Indian students.

• A description of how the applicant will continue the proposed activities once the grant period is over. This information should be provided as a separate document uploaded in Part 6.

• Any signed Partnership Agreement(s) including the signature by the partners in the proposed project which identifies the responsibilities of each partner in the project. Signatories to the agreement must include at least one tribe (or its TEA) and at least one LEA or BIE-funded school, as described in the absolute priority. Letters of support do not meet the requirement for a signed agreement.

• Individual resumes for Project Directors and Key Personnel or job descriptions that describe their qualifications for the responsibilities they will carry out under the project

• Letters of support

• References or bibliography

• Copy of current Indirect Cost Agreement

Required, if Applicable

• Documentation of Indian Organization. For an application submitted by an Indian organization or by a partnership or consortium of which an Indian organization is a member, the application must include adequate documentation to demonstrate that the organization meets each element of the definition of Indian organization in 34 CFR 263.20 (see Definitions section above). Acceptable documentation may include the organization’s charter, bylaws, articles of incorporation, or mission statement; as well as a list of current board members demonstrating that a majority are Indian.

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement. If the budget includes indirect costs and the applicant has a current Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) Agreement, the applicant must attach a copy of it. For any lapse in coverage the program office will issue a special condition on the award.

• Administrative Cost Limit Waiver Request. An applicant may request the Department to waive the administrative cost limits by adhering to the detailed requirements for waiver requests in Section 9401 of the ESEA (20 USC §7861), which is available on the U.S. Government Publishing Office website at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2013-title20/pdf/USCODE-2013-title20-chap70-subchapIX-partD-sec7861.pdf 2013-title20/pdf/USCODE-2013-title20-chap70-subchapIX-partD-sec7861.pdf.

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications in Grants.gov, and include all required information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications required for this application are:

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form)

• Grants.Gov Lobbying Form – “Certification Regarding Lobbying” (ED 80-0013 Form)

• General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

• Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF SF-LLL, DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether subawardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section 1352. The filing of a form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional information.

1. Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying activity is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered Federal action.

2. Identify the status of the covered Federal action.

3. Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this is a follow up report caused by a material change to the information previously reported, enter the year and quarter in which the change occurred. Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by this reporting entity for this covered Federal action.

4. Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the reporting entity. Include Congressional District, if known. Check the appropriate classification of the reporting entity that designates if it is, or expects to be, a prime or subaward recipient. Identify the tier of the subawardee, e.g., the first subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are not limited to subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under grants.

5. If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks “Subawardee,” then enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the prime Federal recipient. Include Congressional District, if known.

6. Enter the name of the federal agency making the award or loan commitment. Include at least one organizational level below agency name, if known. For example, Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard.

7. Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered Federal action (item 1). If known, enter the full Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and loan commitments.

8. Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for the Federal action identified in item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal (RFP) number; Invitations for Bid (IFB) number; grant announcement number; the contract, grant, or loan award number; the application/proposal control number assigned by the Federal agency). Included prefixes, e.g., “RFP-DE-90-001.”

9. For a covered Federal action where there has been an award or loan commitment by the Federal agency, enter the Federal amount of the award/loan commitment for the prime entity identified in item 4 or 5.

10. (a) Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the lobbying registrant under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 engaged by the reporting entity identified in item 4 to influence the covered Federal action.

(b) Enter the full names of the individual(s) performing services and include full address if different from 10(a). Enter Last Name, First Name, and Middle Initial (MI).

11. The certifying official shall sign and date the form, print his/her name, title, and telephone number.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, 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 OMB No. 4040-0013. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including 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 the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (4040-0013), Washington, DC 20503

Instructions for Meeting the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427 Requirements

The NOTICE TO ALL APPLICANTS: EQUITY FOR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND OTHER PROGRAM BENEFICIARIES is a standard form used by the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) for applicants seeking Federal assistance under the Department’s grant programs. Applicants submit in their grant application a description of steps that they propose to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, their Federal grant as required by the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Section 427.

GEPA Section 427 highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Applicants based on the design of their proposed grant project, the participants and community the project proposes to serve, and local circumstances determine whether these or other barriers may prevent all beneficiaries such access or participation. General instructions for completing the standard form are contained below.

o Applicants may identify any barriers that may impede equitable access and participation in the proposed project or activity, including, but not limited to, barriers based on economic disadvantage, gender, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, disability, age, language, migrant status, rural status, homeless status or housing insecurity, pregnancy, parenting, or caregiving status, and sexual orientation.

o Applicants must respond to each question using the associated text box. Each text box allows approximately 4000 characters; therefore, if copying and pasting into the text box from another document be sure to check that everything copied.

o Applicants will receive an error message if any response is missing and will not be able to submit the application due to the missing information.

o Applicants that have already undertaken steps to address barriers must provide an explanation and/or description of the steps already taken in each text box, as appropriate.

o Applicants that believe no barriers exist must provide an explanation and/or description to each question to validate that perception and satisfy the GEPA Section 427 requirement

III. Reporting and Accountability

Successful applicants with multi-year grants must submit an annual performance report (APR) demonstrating their progress in meeting approved project objectives. Grantees must also provide the most current financial and performance measure data for each year of the project.

At the end of the project period, applicants will also be required to submit a final performance report (FRP).

Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program under 34 CFR 75.110: The performance measures for this program can be found in the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register.

For specific requirements on grantee reporting, please go to the ED Performance Report Form 524B at https://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

IV. Legal and Regulatory Information

Notice Inviting Applications

[LINK TO NIA]

Program Statute

Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended, Title VI, Part A, Subpart 2, Sec. 6121 (20 U.S.C. 7441).

[Program Regulations]

[LINK TO PROGRAM REGULATIONS, – here you will enter the link to the ecfr, assuming it is updated in time to include the new NFR regs. If it’s not, you’ll need to use both the ecfr and the Fed Reg cite.]