2012artmethod2 signed memo.pdf

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

United States Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Dr.

Alexandria, VA 22301-1500

January 31, 2012

Dear State Directors:

The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (P.L. 108-265) amended Section 22 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (NSLA), to establish a requirement that State agencies (SAs) conduct additional administrative reviews of selected local educational agencies (LEAs). It also amended Section 7 of the Child Nutrition Act to provide funding for States to be used for administrative reviews and training of LEAs. Both of these requirements are focused on LEAs which have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error.

To assist SAs in achieving program improvements, the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has up to $4 million available in fiscal year (FY) 2012 to fund Administrative Reviews and Training (ART) Grants. The grant funds will be available only to the 57 SAs that administer the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) for the purpose of identifying, reviewing, monitoring, and training LEAs that have demonstrated a high level of, or a high risk for, administrative error.

In FY 2012, FNS will award ART Grants under two methods: Method I ART Grants provide funding for additional administrative reviews and Method II ART Grants provide funding for training and oversight activities. This announcement describes the FY 2012 Method II ART Grant process. Information pertaining to Method I ART Grants was issued via a memorandum to State directors on January 3, 2012.

FNS is offering two types of Method II ART Grants -- Planning grants and Implementation grants. Planning grants are intended for NSLP Agencies that know they need to improve and address their State’s administrative errors, but may need to conduct additional research to identify the most effective way of doing so to ensure that a chosen approach is actually the most effective approach. Implementation grants are intended for NSLP Agencies that know what they need to do to improve their State’s administrative training and oversight processes, but lack the resources to implement those changes.

FNS is soliciting proposals from SAs for funding for planning or implementation initiatives, as described in the Request for Applications (RFA). The enclosed application materials outline the requirements to which a State must adhere in order to be considered for funding. SAs may apply for either type of grant, but not for both. Only one grant application will be accepted from an SA in response to this solicitation. FNS will consider and evaluate all proposals using the criteria described in the RFA and award funds for both Planning and Implementation grant types on a competitive basis.

State Directors

To apply for this funding opportunity, applicants must submit an application electronically through the Grants.gov website at www.grants.gov. To be considered for an award, applications must be submitted successfully via this website. Applicants will receive a confirmation notice that the application has been accepted by the system. Applicants must then send an email to notify the FNS Grant Officer that the proposal has been submitted through the www.grants.gov portal and that you have received a confirmation notice from Grants.gov that the application has been accepted by the system. The FNS Grant Officer must receive notification of successful electronic submission no later than 5:00 p.m.

Eastern Time on May 1, 2012. Applications will not be accepted by any other method.

FNS intends to work collaboratively with grant applicants and grantees throughout the application process and the life of grants awarded through this RFA. Accordingly, within approximately three weeks of this RFA’s publication, FNS will conduct a webinar with all State agencies and FNS regional offices to review the RFA and address questions regarding the application process. Notification of the webinar date, time, and call-in information will be communicated to SAs via the FNS Regional offices and the FNS Child Nutrition Division’s PartnerWeb at https://www.partnerweb.usda.gov.

If you have questions regarding this funding opportunity, please contact Grant Officer Carla Garcia via email at Carla.Garcia@fns.usda.gov or by telephone at (703) 305-2760.

We look forward to receiving your applications for funding.

Sincerely, Lael J. Lubing Cynthia Long Director Director Grants and Fiscal Policy Division Child Nutrition Division

Enclosures