State, Local, Tribal Competitive

OMB Control Number: 0584-0512

Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Fiscal Year 20XX Longitudinal Data Grants Program

Fiscal Year 20XX Request for Applications (RFA)

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.537

Release Date: X X, 20XX

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

Anticipated Award Date: X X, 20XX

Period of Performance: X X, 20XX to X, 20X

OMB Burden Statement:  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 39 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. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.  Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5^th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512).  Do not return the completed form to this address.

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Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required documents. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and should not be submitted as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

• Obtain a Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

• Register the DUNS number in the System for Award Management (SAM); and,

• Register in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV “Application and Submission Information.” This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments.

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

• All key staff proposed to be paid by this grant.

• The percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

• Your organization’s fringe benefit rate and amount, as well as 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 and the applicant has never been approved for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis). If applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not 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

• FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (Appendix)

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

Application Checklist (continued)

When applicable, application packages are required to include the following documents:

• AD-3030 – Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

• AD-1047 – Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters Primary Covered Transactions

• AD-1048 – Certification Regarding Department, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions

• AD-1049 – Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Grants) Alternative I – For Grantees Other Than Individuals

• AD-1052 – Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace State and State Agencies, Federal Fiscal Year

• AD-3031 – Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status For Corporate Applicants 

Table of Contents

Application Checklist 2

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES 6

Program Description 6

Key Objectives 8

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 8

Allowable Costs 9

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 10

Eligible Applicants 10

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations 10

Other Eligibility Criteria 10

Pre-Award Screening Requirements 11

Acknowledgement of USDA Support 11

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 12

Address to Request Application Package 12

Content and Form of Application Submission 12

Submission Date 14

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov 15

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov 16

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission 16

Intergovernmental Review 17

Funding Restrictions 17

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 18

Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria 18

1. REVIEW CRITERIA 18

2. EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA 18

3. Review and Selection Process 20

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates 21

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 21

1. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICE 21

2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS 21

Confidentiality of an Application 21

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process 22

Administrative Regulations 22

Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements 24

3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 24

Financial Reports 24

Performance Progress Report (PPR) 25

7. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 25

8. OTHER INFORMATION 25

Debriefing Requests 25

APPENDIX 26

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist 26

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only 30

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the SNAP E&T Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) Grants is to support the development of State SNAP E&T data collection and reporting systems.

Program Description

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance programs. It began in its modern form in 1961, but has its origins in the Food Stamp Plan to help the needy in the 1930s. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net and provides nutrition assistance benefits via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to millions of low income people. These benefits help supplement household food budgets so recipients can purchase more healthy food.

SNAP participants are expected to seek and accept work if they are able. Participants who are not specifically exempted by statute, such as those who are caring for a dependent child under 6 or who cannot work due to a physical or mental condition, are subject to work requirements as a condition of eligibility. General SNAP work requirements include: registering for work, not voluntarily quitting a job or reducing work hours, taking a suitable job if offered, and participating in an employment and training program as assigned by the State agency. In addition to these general work requirements, able-bodied adults without dependents are required by statute to work or participate in a work program for at least 20 hours per week or participate in workfare in order to receive SNAP benefits for longer than 3 months in a 36-month period.

States are required to operate a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program to help participants gain skills, education, training, and experience that lead to good, stable jobs and greater economic self-sufficiency. USDA is committed to working with States and interested stakeholders to develop E&T programs that are data driven, more effective and efficient, and which have improved employment and earnings outcomes for program participants.

The SNAP Employment and Training Program Monitoring, Oversight & Reporting Measures interim final rule was published on March 24, 2016. This rule implements section 4022(a)(2) of the Agriculture Act of 2014 (the Act) requiring State agencies to report on, among other things, earnings and employment outcomes for SNAP E&T participants. State agencies included planned outcome reporting measures in their fiscal year (FY) 2017 SNAP E&T annual State plans and began reporting outcome data beginning in January 2018.

Many States do not currently have a user friendly way to collect this data or conduct robust analyses of this data to continuously improve programs. The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 (P.L. 116-94), provides approximately $3 million in discretionary grant funds to support State and local agencies in collecting and reporting outcome data for SNAP E&T programs, as well as additional funds for technical assistance, so that States can become more effective, data driven E&T providers. All funds are contingent upon the availability of funding.

Purpose

The purpose of the SNAP E&T Data and Technical Assistance (DATA) Grants is to support the development of State SNAP E&T data collection and reporting systems. FNS is interested in funding projects that improve States’ ability to use administrative data, such as Quarterly Wage Record (QWR) information, as the source for employment and earnings of E&T participants and former participants, because it is the preferred and most reliable and efficient method to meet reporting requirements. States using random sampling to gather information are doing so as an interim approach until systems to use administrative data are in place. Therefore, proposals that include random sampling of participants or former participants as a long term strategy will not be considered.

These grants are intended to help States better report outcome measures for SNAP E&T participants, meet reporting expectations, and, thereby, support improved, data driven programs. Proposed projects must: have a direct impact on State capacity to accurately and efficiently track outcomes for SNAP E&T participants; increase understanding of effective strategies to improve employment and earnings outcomes for SNAP E&T participants; and/or increase a State’s ability to use outcomes data to continuously improve its SNAP E&T programs. Funds from this RFA shall not be used for the ongoing cost of carrying out existing operations.

The SNAP E&T DATA grants are intended to support the full range of needs States may have related to the development, collection, reporting, analysis and use of SNAP E&T participant outcomes data. The use of funds should be for one or more of the following purposes: 1) training and capacity building, including efforts to improve E&T data quality; 2) information technology (IT) systems development to support the collection, reporting, and analysis of SNAP E&T data; and/or 3) continuous program improvement of SNAP E&T programs, including the provision of effective and efficient services that move SNAP participants toward stable, good jobs. Funds can be used for more than one purpose, but applicants should clearly state the purpose(s) for which the funds will be used. Examples of possible activities grant funds may be used for include, but are not limited to:

• Developing appropriate component measures, including measures that capture interim milestones prior to completion of a component or before a participant enters employment;

• Purchasing, developing, or adapting software for SNAP E&T outcomes data collection and reporting systems;

• Developing or expanding capacity to match SNAP E&T participant data with Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage records to calculate employment and earnings outcomes;

• Addressing other IT needs related to SNAP E&T outcomes data collection and reporting, including creating operational processes, such as data dictionaries, or technology tools, such as Application Program Interfaces (APIs), that facilitate data aggregation for required State and Federal reporting and/or enable data analysis for program improvement;

• Developing systems to analyze SNAP E&T data to better understand which E&T services and strategies are most effective in helping SNAP participants gain skills, earn industry-linked certificates and credentials, obtain stable, good jobs, move toward economic self-sufficiency, and reduce their need for nutrition assistance; and

• Using SNAP E&T data for continuous improvement of SNAP E&T.

Proposals should clearly describe the intent and scope of the proposed activities and how they will contribute to improving the State’s ability to collect and report outcome data for SNAP E&T participants and/or the State’s ability to utilize such data to improve its E&T program. Each project design should include quantifiable objectives, measures to assess progress toward meeting those objectives, project activities linked to meeting specific objectives, and a list of deliverables and/or milestones for the duration of the project.

Partnerships with Other Entities

State or local agencies without the internal capacity to develop SNAP E&T outcomes reporting system may choose to partner with an external entity (such as a research university or a State workforce development agency) to develop, maintain, and use such data systems.

If an agency chooses to partner with another entity, the following must be considered in the development of the partnership model:

• The entity must have a demonstrated capacity to assist in the collection, reporting, and use of such outcomes data; and

• The entity must be able to ensure that the data collected will be stored, accessed, and used in accordance with local, State, and Federal confidentiality and personally identifiable information (PII) protective provisions.

Key Objectives

Below is a list of the Program Objectives. As noted in the Section below, within “Activities/Indicators Tracker”, proposed activities should be clearly aligned to these Objectives and their associated Activities and Indicators.

#	Objectives
1.	Support the development of State SNAP E&T data collection and reporting systems that meet one or more of the following purposes: 1) training and capacity building, including efforts to improve E&T data quality; 2) information technology (IT) systems development to support the collection, reporting, and analysis of SNAP E&T data; and/or 3) continuous program improvement of SNAP E&T programs, including the provision of effective and efficient services that move SNAP participants toward stable, good jobs.
2.	Fund projects that improve States’ ability to use administrative data.
3.	Help States better report outcome measures for SNAP E&T participants, meet reporting expectations, and, thereby, support improved, data driven programs.

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

• Total amount of funding expected to award: $X

• Anticipated number of awards: X to X

• Expected amounts of individual Federal awards: $X to $X

• Application due date: X X, 20XX

• Anticipated award announcement date: X X, 20XX

• Anticipated period of performance: X X, 2021 to X X, 20XX

Type of Award

These projects will be awarded in the form of a Federal grant.

Procurement Contracts

Procurement contracts may be awarded by grantees under this grant project.

Please note:

• 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 year or in the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

Allowable Costs

Funds can be used for more than one purpose, but applicants should clearly state the purpose(s) for which the funds will be used. Examples of possible activities grant funds may be used for include, but are not limited to:

• Developing appropriate component measures, including measures that capture interim milestones prior to completion of a component or before a participant enters employment;

• Purchasing, developing, or adapting software for SNAP E&T outcomes data collection and reporting systems;

• Developing or expanding capacity to match SNAP E&T participant data with Unemployment Insurance (UI) wage records to calculate employment and earnings outcomes;

• Addressing other IT needs related to SNAP E&T outcomes data collection and reporting, including creating operational processes, such as data dictionaries, or technology tools, such as Application Program Interfaces (APIs), that facilitate data aggregation for required State and Federal reporting and/or enable data analysis for program improvement;

• Developing systems to analyze SNAP E&T data to better understand which E&T services and strategies are most effective in helping SNAP participants gain skills, earn industry-linked certificates and credentials, obtain stable, good jobs, move toward economic self-sufficiency, and reduce their need for nutrition assistance; and

• Using SNAP E&T data for continuous improvement of SNAP E&T.

Funds from this RFA shall not be used for the ongoing cost of carrying out an existing project. Also, FNS reserves the right to request information on all contractual awards and costs after the award of the grantee’s contract. Furthermore, projects predicated on waiving SNAP regulations are not allowable and will not be considered for funding. However, if after the grant is awarded, a State agency determines a waiver is needed, the State may apply for one but there is no guarantee FNS will approve the waiver.

Among other costs, budgets may include expenses related to personnel, contractors, equipment and supplies, meeting expenses, travel, and trainings.

Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more) and supplies are allowable expenses.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

The entities eligible to receive grants under this competition are State and local agencies that administer SNAP.

Again, State or local agencies without the internal capacity to develop SNAP E&T outcomes reporting systems may choose to partner with an external entity (such as a research university or a State workforce development agency) to develop, maintain, and use such data systems. If an agency chooses to partner another entity, the following must be considered in the development of the partnership model:

• The entity must have a demonstrated capacity to assist in the collection, reporting, and use of such outcomes data; and

• The entity must be able to ensure that the data collected will be stored, accessed, and used in accordance with local, State, and Federal confidentiality and personally identifiable information (PII) protective provisions.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this program.

Other Eligibility Criteria

Limitations on the Number of Applications

Any of the 53 State agencies that administer SNAP (50 States and the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands) may apply for a grant. If a County in a County-administrated State wishes to apply, the State agency must submit the application on behalf of the County. State agencies may submit more than one application. For example, a State agency may submit applications on behalf of several County-administered agencies. However, State Agencies should thoroughly review the grant proposals prior to submittal to ensure projects are appropriate and in-line with State policies and procedures.

If the grant proposal is submitted by the State agency on behalf of a County agency, the State agency must provide a Letter of Support to attest that it will support and cooperate with the local agency in implementing the grant. It must be provided on the State Agency’s letterhead and be signed by an authorized individual.

Responsiveness Criteria

The complete application must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59pm, Eastern Standard Time, on X X, 20XX. Applications received after the deadline date will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed or considered. USDA will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. USDA will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand delivered applications.

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, prior to making a Federal award, Federal awarding agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205, are required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualifications or financial integrity information. Additionally, Federal awarding agencies are required to have a framework in place for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The FNS review of risk posed by applicants will be based on the following:

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

• FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance

• Dun & Bradstreet, the system where applicants establish a DUNS number that is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, AD-3030, Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants, (as applicable)

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire

• Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. The questionnaire contains a number of questions that may be an indicator of potential risk.

The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated systems and the risk assessment questionnaire may result in FNS imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

Acknowledgement of 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 should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo. 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

Address to Request Application Package

Applicants may request a paper copy of this solicitation and required forms by contacting contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA.

Anna Arrowsmith, Grant Officer

Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

E-mail: [email protected]

Content and Form of Application Submission

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced, in 12-point font. The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 10 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter of commitment(s), endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. All pages, excluding the form pages, must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

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

• Applications missing a written proposal or budget narrative will not be considered.

• FNS reserves the right to request clarification on any application submitted in response to this solicitation.

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

• If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov 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.

Letters of Commitment and Support

FNS recognizes that the grant proposals responding to this RFA will directly affect State agency operations. Therefore, if the grant proposal is from an entity other than a State agency, it must show that a State agency strongly endorses or is involved in the proposed project.

A Letter of Commitment is required if a State or County agency is proposing to work in partnership with another organization(s). States and Counties are encouraged to work with subject matter experts and other organizations that have demonstrated expertise dealing with these types of data issues. The applicant must submit a letter(s) of commitment from its partners. The letter(s) of commitment from the partner must describe:

• The organization’s role in the project;

• The amount of time it intends to commit to the project;

• An attestation that it will cooperate with the grant applicant in implementing the project; and

• Must be provided on the respective organization’s letterhead and be signed by an individual authorized to communicate on behalf of the agency.

A Letter of Support is required if the grant proposal is submitted by the State agency on behalf of a County agency. The State agency must attest that it will support and cooperate with the local agency in implementing the grant. It must be provided on the State Agency’s letterhead and be signed by an individual authorized to communicate on behalf of the agency.

Required Application Content

Cover Sheet

The cover page should include, at a minimum:

• Applicant’s name and mailing address

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

Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents should include relevant sections, subsections and associated page numbers. Specifically the Table of Contents must include the following:

• Soundness or Merit of Project Design

• Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency

• Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management

• Implementation and Evaluation

Application Project Summary

The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal were to be funded.

Project Narrative

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

Necessary parts of the narrative include and will be judged on including: 1) Soundness or Merit of Project Design, 2) Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency, 3) Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management, 4) Implementation and Evaluation. The detailed description of this criteria is found in section Application Review Information under Evaluation Factors and Criteria.

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described in Section I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION) in the below format (note that additional Activities/Indicators can be added as needed).

Note: Indicators are defined as any metric you anticipate will be able to be tracked during the period of performance of the grant. Common examples include Number of People Attended, Number of People Impacted, Number of Conferences Delivered, Number of Materials Created, Number of Trainings, and Number of People Trained.

(Example)

Objective #	1
Activity	Grant-funded activities or trainings
Indicator(s)	No. Trained
Activity	Measuring Students’ Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors
Indicator(s)	No. Impacted

Objective #
Activity
Indicator(s)

Objective #
Activity
Indicator(s)

Application Budget Narrative

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

A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a Federal negotiating agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, the percentage and base should be indicated. If the applicant does not have, and has never been approved for, a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. 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. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer as noted in Section VII of this RFA.

Required Grant Application Forms

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

Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST, on X X, 20XX.

Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, go here.

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov 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.

FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration 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. Please note that upon submission, Grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to Grants.gov should contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA. FNS will evaluate submission issues on a case-by-case basis.

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

Applicants must register with Grants.gov, Dun and Bradstreet and Sam.gov in order to submit an application to FNS via Grants.gov, as required. FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a DUNS number

1. If your organization does not have a DUNS number, or if you are unsure of your organization’s DUNS, contact Dun & Bradstreet at https://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.

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

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

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

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

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

4. 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.gov. 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/grantors/grantor-registration.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/workspace-overview/workspace-roles.html

5. Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to
   https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview/workspace-roles.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.

How to Submit an Application via 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 web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA) or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

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

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at [email protected]. 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.

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59pm EST on the due date listed on the cover sheet, as detailed here. 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.

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 FNS funding.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission could 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.

Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process:

NOTICE: Special Characters and Naming Conventions
All applicants MUST follow Grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided by Grants.gov (per the Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :

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

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (examples: & – * % / # ’ -). This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore, as in the following example: Attached_File.pdf.

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.

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

Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is subject to the requirements of EO 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs”. This Executive Order was issued with the desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The Order allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function.

If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency.

For a list of State Agency contacts, please visit the Office of Management website at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SPOC-July2018.pdf

Funding Restrictions

Pre-award costs will not be awarded for this grant project. Projects predicated on waiving SNAP regulations are not allowable and will not be considered for funding. However, if during the grant period, a State agency determines a waiver is needed, the State may apply for one but there is no guarantee FNS will approve the waiver.

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

REVIEW CRITERIA

FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure the applicants are eligible entities and are in compliance with all Program regulations. FNS will not approve any waivers from Program regulations for any projects submitted in response to this solicitation.

Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria

FNS will screen all applications that meet the published deadline for submission to ensure their completeness and conformity to the requirements of this announcement. Application packages are required to be complete upon submission. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are received under any circumstances. Applications that are fully responsive to the initial screening requirements will be reviewed competitively and scored based upon the five evaluation criteria and weights listed below. One or more review panels may be comprised of USDA staff, other Federal agency staff, or other individuals committed to furthering the goals of the SNAP. The review panel will evaluate each grant application on how well it addresses each grant evaluation criteria. The resulting scores will provide a ranking of applications according to technical merit for use by selecting official.

EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

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

Soundness or Merit of Project Design (40 points)

1. Problem Analysis: The proposal clearly describes the problem to be solved and provides evidence that the proposed approach is well-suited to solve the identified issue.

2. Impact:

   • The proposal demonstrates a direct impact on: State capacity to accurately and efficiently track outcomes for SNAP E&T participants; increasing understanding of effective strategies to improve employment and earnings outcomes for SNAP E&T participants; and/or increasing States’ ability to use outcomes data to continuously improve SNAP E&T programs.

   • The proposal shows a clear progression from idea to practice in a State agency or County office.

   • If the project is not statewide, the proposal demonstrates how the project will impact, interact with, or otherwise inform Statewide SNAP E&T outcomes data collection and reporting efforts.

3. Quality: The proposal shows thoughtfulness, critical analysis, clarity, and the use of relevant facts and knowledge.

4. Sustainability: States should ensure that the work begun under the grant can be continued after grant funds have been expended and the grant project has ended.

   • FNS recognizes that the grant proposals responding to this RFA will directly affect State agency operations. Therefore, if the grant proposal is from an entity other than a State agency, it must show that a State agency strongly endorses or is involved in the proposed project through a Letter of Support.

5. Letters of Commitment: Required if a State or County agency is proposing to work in partnership with another organization(s). States and Counties are encouraged to work with subject matter experts and other organizations that have demonstrated expertise dealing with these types of data issues. The applicant must submit a letter(s) of commitment from its partners. The letter(s) of commitment from the partner must describe:

   • The organization’s role in the project;

   • The amount of time it intends to commit to the project;

   • An attestation that it will cooperate with the grant applicant in implementing the project; and

   • Must be provided on the respective organization’s letterhead and be signed by an individual authorized to sign on behalf of the organizations.

6. Letter of Support: Required if the grant proposal is submitted by the State agency on behalf of a County agency. The State agency must attest that it will support and cooperate with the local agency in implementing the grant. It must be provided on the State Agency’s letterhead and be signed by an authorized individual.

7. Feasibility: The application proposes projects that are capable of being accomplished and likely to be implemented in a timely fashion to help the State report outcome data for E&T participants beginning in January 2025.

Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (25 points)

1. Budget: The proposal includes:

• A line item budget. See Appendix – RFA Budget Narrative Checklist to assure each category is addressed in the budget.

• A narrative that demonstrates how funds will be spent, by whom, and for what itemized purpose, along with a cost breakdown for larger budget items.

  1. The narrative should provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and from what they derived, and how they relate to the goals and objectives of the project. There should be adequate justification for budget costs based on current industry costs/standards. Information on costs should be obtained from applicable organizations or from online sources. Applicants should ensure that all costs listed in the budget narrative are linked to activities described in the proposal narrative.

• A copy of the approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be attached if indirect costs are shown as a budget expense to the project.

• If applicable, the budget must show how the costs are allocated among the benefiting programs and demonstrate that this grant is only going to fund SNAP’s share.

• If desired, applicants may provide a tiered budget and narrative that describes adjustments the applicant would make if it were awarded funding at different levels (only the primary budget will be analyzed against this criterion).

2. Efficiency: The proposal is cost effective. It demonstrates that the anticipated results are commensurate with the cost of the project.

3. Contractual and Consultant Costs: Proposals that include hiring of a consultant(s) or contract must provide the following information:

   1. Consultant’s name and description of service;

   2. Itemized list of all direct costs and fees;

   3. Salaries must have the number of personnel including the position title;

   4. Specialty and specialized qualifications as appropriate to the salary;

   5. Number of estimated hours times hourly wage; and

   6. All expenses and fees directly related to the proposed services to be rendered to the project.

4. Applicants that are required to issue a bid should provide a narrative explaining the requirement and provide a reasonable estimate of Contractual and Consultant Costs.

NOTE: Proposal submissions which omit the required budget forms, budget narratives and/or line item descriptions will not receive the full point value for this criterion. Therefore, applicants should recognize that a well-written budget narrative which justifies the proposed project expenditures assists the reviewers during the review process.

Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management (20 points)

1. Credibility: The proposal establishes the applying organization’s credibility and capabilities.

2. Oversight: The proposal demonstrates that effective and consistent oversight by a qualified project manager(s) will be implemented throughout the project. The proposal must include a dedicated project manager and detail the roles and responsibilities of the project manager. The proposal should also include the percentage of the time the project manager will be devoting to the project.

3. Communication: The proposal demonstrates that effective communication will exist within the organization and, if applicable, with partnering organizations. The proposal includes an organizational chart of the proposed project.

4. Staff: The proposal identifies the project director or manager and other key staff. The proposal includes resumes that demonstrate that the proposed staff has the appropriate technical and experiential backgrounds for their proposed roles. If the applicant is unable to identify the project director or manager and key staff, it must include with the application package job descriptions with required experience and education for positions that must be advertised. Applicants should address their contingency or back-up plans in the event of key staff departures.

5. Time Commitment: The proposal outlines the amount of time and effort the project director or manager, key staff, and, if applicable, partnering organizations, will contribute to the project.

Implementation and Evaluation (15 points)

1. Timeline: The proposal includes a project timeline that outlines proposed tasks and major milestones, and demonstrates that sufficient time is allotted for each activity.

2. Evaluation: The proposal describes a well-thought-out, organized review and evaluation process that will measure whether the goals of the project have been met. The evaluation should focus on measuring the impact of the project. Please be sure to include information on who will measure the goals of the project, how the goals will be measured, when the goals will be measured and what the organization will measure.

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. If the panel review indicates that FNS has received few or no technically acceptable proposals, the selecting official may determine that FNS will make no awards, or commit less than the funds set aside for this purpose.

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.

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.

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

The anticipated date the selected applicants will be announced by FNS is in May 2021. The anticipated grant project award date is no later than May 30, 2021.

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.

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICE

The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. 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 (FNS-529). Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Confidentiality of an Application

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. 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).

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.

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.

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 https://www.beta/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 SAM.gov. If you were registered in the CCR, your company’s information should be in SAM and you will 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.gov 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) is designed to address these requirements. FAPIIS contains integrity and performance information from the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System, information from SAM.gov, 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 the 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: https://www.usda.gov/privacy-policy. https://www.usda.gov/privacy-policy. https://www.usda.gov/privacy-policy.

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

1. 2 CFR Part 25: “Universal Identifier and System for Award Management”

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

3. 2 CFR Part 175: “Award Term for Trafficking in Persons”

4. 2 CFR Part 180: “OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-Procurement)”

5. 2 CFR Part 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

6. 2 CFR Part 400: USDA’s implementing regulation of 2 CFR Part 200 “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

7. 2 CFR Part 415: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations”

8. 2 CFR Part 416: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”

9. 2 CFR Part 417: USDA “Non-Procurement Debarment and Suspension”

10. 2 CFR Part 418 USDA “New Restrictions on Lobbying

11. 2 CFR Part 421: USDA “Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”

12. 7 CFR Part 16: USDA “Equal Opportunity for Religious Organizations”

• 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 (T&Cs) of FNS grant awards may be obtained electronically in advance of an award. For a copy of T&Cs, please contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA.

3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Financial Reports

The award recipient will be required to enter the SF-425 (Financial Status Report) 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..usda.gov.

Performance Progress Report (PPR)

Grantees will be required to submit progress reports to FNS 30 days following the end of each quarterly period, using the FNS-908 PPR form that will be sent to grantees at the time of award. The reports should cover the preceding period of activity. A final report identifying the accomplishments and results of the project will be due 90 days after the end date of the award. For reference, sample of the PPR form can be found in the Appendix. Please note: the FNS-908 PPR form specific to this opportunity will be sent to grantees at the time of award. Use of the FNS-908 PPR form for progress reports is required.

7. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

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

Anna Arrowsmith

Grant Officer, Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS

E-mail: [email protected]

8. OTHER INFORMATION

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.

APPENDIX

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

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

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.

IIIITEM	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 and hourly wages per hour, 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 within “Other” 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 a Federal Agency? If yes, a copy of the most recent and signed negotiated rate agreement must be provided along with the application.

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 submit this questionnaire along with your application package.

Organization Information

Legal Organization Name:

DUNS 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.

Signature of Authorized Representative		Date

Name of Authorized Representative:
Phone Number:
Email:

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only

The following pages contain screenshots of the PPR form that grantees are required to use for progress and final reports submitted to FNS. Upon award, a PPR form (Adobe PDF), customized for the specific FNS program, will be included in award packages.

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only (Continued)

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only (Continued)

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