2018-NTIA-SLIGP-2 NOFO.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 1

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

STATE AND LOCAL IMPLEMENTATION GRANT PROGRAM (SLIGP) 2.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A. Federal Agency Name

National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of

Commerce

B. Funding Opportunity Title

State and Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP) 2.0

C. Announcement Type

Initial

D. Funding Opportunity Number

2018-NTIA-SLIGP-2

E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)

11.549, State and Local Implementation Grant Program

F. Key Dates

Applications will be accepted from September 27, 2017 until December 28, 2017 at

11:59 p.m. Eastern Time; or from September 27, 2017 until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the 91 st calendar day from the date that the Governor of an applicant State receives notice from FirstNet of its final State Plan, whichever is later.

Applicants are encouraged to submit SLIGP 2.0 applications as soon as possible in the application window once their respective Governor has made a decision regarding the FirstNet State Plan for deployment of the Radio Access Network. The earlier submission of applications will assist NTIA with workflow challenges during the abbreviated application review time period.

Complete applications for the SLIGP 2.0 must be submitted electronically through www.grants.gov and received no later than December 28, 2017 or no later than 91 days after the Governor of an applicant State receives notice from FirstNet of its State Plan, whichever is later. The date and time stamp on the validation generated by www.grants.gov will be deemed the official submission date and time. Applications or portions thereof submitted by postal mail, courier, email, or by facsimile will not be accepted. See Section D in the Full Announcement Text of this Notice of Funding

Opportunity (NOFO) for detailed information concerning application submission requirements.

47 U.S.C. 1442(e)(2). All references to “State Plan” herein refer to the final State Plan that each

Governor receives from FirstNet.

http://www.grants.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 2

When developing your submission timeline, please keep in mind that (1) all applicants are required to have a current registration in the System for Award Management

(www.SAM.gov); (2) the free annual registration process in the electronic System for

Award Management (www.SAM.gov) (see Section D.3.b of this NOFO) generally takes between three and five business days, but may take more than two weeks, so applicants should plan accordingly; (3) all applicants are required to have a current registration in

Grants.gov; and (4) applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages from Grants.gov over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application. Please note that a federal assistance award cannot be issued if the designated recipient’s registration in SAM.gov is not current at the time of the award.

G. Funding Opportunity Description

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issues this

NOFO to describe the requirements under which NTIA will award grants for the State and Local Implementation Grant Program 2.0 (SLIGP 2.0), authorized by section 6302 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act), to assist state, local and tribal governments with planning activities for the nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network.

H. Funding Instrument

Grant.

I. Eligibility

Any State, territory, or the District of Columbia is eligible for a grant under the SLIGP

2.0

J. Cost Sharing/Matching

The SLIGP 2.0 requires cost sharing, also known as a matching fund requirement. By statute, the Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out under the grant program may not exceed 80 percent of the eligible cost of carrying out grant activities.

Thus, NTIA expects that SLIGP grant recipients will provide at least 20 percent non-Federal matching funds toward the total eligible project cost. Applicants must document their capacity to provide matching funds. Matching funds may be in the form of either cash or in-kind contributions consistent with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost

Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR Part 200.

NTIA will provide up to 80 percent of the total eligible costs of the project, unless the applicant petitions the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

(Assistant Secretary) for a waiver of the matching requirement and a full or partial waiver is granted, as discussed below.

47 U.S.C. 1442(b).

2 CFR Part 200, available at http://go.usa.gov/SBYh.

http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://go.usa.gov/SBYh

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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

A. Program Description

The statutory authority for the SLIGP 2.0 is the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job

Creation Act of 2012 (Pub. L. No. 112-96, Title VI, 126 Stat. 256) (codified at 47 U.S.C.

1401 et seq.) (Act), which mandated the creation of the nationwide public safety broadband network (NPSBN) dedicated to police, firefighters, emergency medical service professionals and other public safety entities. The Act’s governing framework for the development, deployment and operation of the NPSBN created the First Responder

Network Authority (FirstNet), an independent authority within the National

Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of

Commerce. The Act also charged NTIA with establishing a grant program, the State and

Local Implementation Grant Program (SLIGP), to assist State, regional, tribal, and local jurisdictions with identifying, planning, and implementing the most efficient and effective means to use and integrate the infrastructure, equipment, and other architecture associated with the NPSBN to satisfy the wireless broadband and data services needs of their jurisdictions. As required by the Act, NTIA consulted with FirstNet in establishing the programmatic requirements for SLIGP.

NTIA awarded $116.5 million in grant funds to 54 active state and territorial recipients between July 2013 and June 2014.

Currently, active SLIGP grants have a period of performance of up to four and a half years, with all grants expiring by February 28, 2018. However, many recipients have expended their grant funds at a lower rate of spending than the NTIA anticipated. NTIA also recognizes the importance of States’ and territories’ continued planning and coordination efforts after FirstNet delivers State Plans in mid- to late-2017 and after

SLIGP grants expire between December 2017 and February 2018. NTIA, in consultation with FirstNet, intends to make SLIGP 2.0 awards in order to provide recipients with the necessary resources for coordination efforts during the post-State Plan period as Radio

Access Network (RAN) buildout occurs. NTIA will leverage excess funds from original

SLIGP grants that recipients with large projected unspent balances voluntarily deobligated to make these awards. In this scenario, States could submit an application for

SLIGP 2.0 funding immediately after the Governor transmits a decision to FirstNet or when the 90-day opt-out window elapses.

This NOFO is the initial announcement of this funding opportunity. NTIA issues this

NOFO to open the application window for the SLIGP 2.0 grant program, provide further information on the amount of funding available for the award, discuss how NTIA will allocate funds to applicants, give instructions on the application process, and describe the evaluation criteria for application review.

47 U.S.C. 1442(c).

47 U.S.C. 1442(e).

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 4

Program Activities:

The purpose of SLIGP 2.0 is to provide support to States and territories as they further plan for NPSBN deployment and public safety user adoption in the post-State Plan period.

SLIGP 2.0 recipients have the discretion to choose among the allowable activities described in Section D.6.a, as it is not mandatory to perform all of the activities listed in that section. At the highest level, SLIGP 2.0 provides funding to engage and plan with the entity deploying the RAN within the State (either FirstNet, the State itself, or another third party) and to help further plan for public safety user adoption.

Please note that the Governor’s designation of a single officer is required under the Act, but recipients are not required to cover associated personnel costs with grant funds. For any State, territory, or the District of Columbia that may choose to officially opt-out of

FirstNet’s plan to operate a RAN within its borders, allowable activities will differ based on whether the State has entered into a Spectrum Manager’s Lease Agreement (SMLA) with FirstNet yet or not.

For full details on allowable and unallowable activities plus costs for Opt-In and for Opt-

Out States please see section D.6.a and D.6.b of this NOFO. Original SLIGP recipients should note that this list of activities and costs differs from the list of program priority areas and allowable and unallowable activities under original SLIGP grants.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Funding Availability

NTIA will make up to $43.4 million available for Federal assistance under the SLIGP

2.0. NTIA will utilize an incremental funding mechanism for SLIGP 2.0 awards and will only fund the first increment with the initial awards. The first increment will provide funding for the initial 9 months (anticipated: March 1, 2018 to November 30, 2018), and the second increment will provide funding for the next 15 months (anticipated:

December 1, 2018 to February 29, 2020) for a two-year period of performance. The ceiling amount available for the first increment of funding is $15.5 million. The second increment of funding is contingent upon the availability of funds. The second increment of funds will be awarded at NTIA’s discretion.

In FY 2018 through FY 2020, NTIA anticipates a total of up to $43.4 million may be available to fund awards with project performance periods of up to two (2) years.

The proposed allocation of funds listed in the table below is based on a formula accounting for each state and territory’s population reflected in the 2010 Census as a likely indicator of the number of public safety entities within that State, territory or

District of Columbia. Based on the Census data, States will be placed into one of three tiers. The most populous States and territories are eligible for Tier One funding which is a maximum of $425,000 in the first increment. The States and territories eligible for Tier

Two funding are eligible for a maximum of $250,000 in the first increment. Tier Three

States and territories are eligible for a maximum of $200,000 in the first increment.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 5

Each State and territory will remain in the same tier for both increments. Funding allocated to Tier One represents 33 percent of the total amount of funds possibly available. Funding allocated to Tier Two represents 52 percent of the total amount of funds possibly available. And funding allocated to Tier Three represents 15 percent of the total amount of funds possibly available. Since the second increment is subject to the availability of funds and the exact amount available is unknown at this time, NTIA will proportionally allocate the available second increment funding into the above-stated proportions and will equitably allocate the second increment funding across the grantees placed within those three respective tiers.

If a State or territory received supplemental funding with its original SLIGP award, NTIA will subtract the amount of the supplemental award from the first increment of SLIGP 2.0 funding as a corresponding offset to its SLIGP 2.0 grant award.

The second increment funding is contingent on funds recovered from current SLIGP grants during the close-out period, and as a result, NTIA has built in a variance to the anticipated funding ceiling to account for any additional recovered funds. The table below represents the allocated amounts in the first increment and the anticipated ceiling amount for the second increment for each State; however, funding in the second increment will be based on the availability of funding.

SLIGP 2.0 Funding Allocation Table

State/Territory

1st Increment

Federal Share

(9 months)*

2nd Increment NTE

Federal Share

Ceiling (15 months)

Total Federal

Share

California $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Florida $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Georgia $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Illinois $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Michigan $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

New Jersey $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

New York $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

North Carolina $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Ohio $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Pennsylvania $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Texas $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Virginia $425,000 $775,000 $1,200,000

Alabama $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Arizona $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Arkansas $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Colorado $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

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State/Territory

1st Increment

Federal Share

(9 months)*

2nd Increment NTE

Federal Share

Ceiling (15 months)

Total Federal

Share

Connecticut $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Hawaii $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Idaho $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Indiana $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Iowa $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Kansas $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Kentucky $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Louisiana $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Maine $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Maryland $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Massachusetts $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Minnesota $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Mississippi $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Missouri $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Nebraska $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Nevada $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

New Hampshire $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

New Mexico $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Oklahoma $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Oregon $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Puerto Rico $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Rhode Island $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

South Carolina $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Tennessee $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Utah $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Washington $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

West Virginia $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Wisconsin $250,000 $450,000 $700,000

Alaska $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

American Samoa $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

CNMI $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Delaware $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 7

State/Territory

1st Increment

Federal Share

(9 months)*

2nd Increment NTE

Federal Share

Ceiling (15 months)

Total Federal

Share

District of Columbia $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Guam $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Montana $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

North Dakota $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

South Dakota $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

US Virgin Islands $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Vermont $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Wyoming $200,000 $350,000 $550,000

Total State

Allocation

$15,500,000 $27,900,000 $43,400,000

* If a State or territory received supplemental funding with its original SLIGP award, NTIA will subtract the amount of the supplemental award from the first increment of

SLIGP 2.0 funding as a corresponding offset to its SLIGP 2.0 grant award.

2. Project/Award Period

The period of performance for all awards under the SLIGP 2.0 will be two years. A no-cost extension may be considered based on demonstrated need.

3. Award Amount

States and territories eligible for Tier One funding in the first increment will be eligible for $425,000. States and territories eligible for Tier Two funding in the first increment will be eligible for $250,000. States and territories eligible for Tier Three funding in the first increment will be eligible for $200,000. NTIA anticipates awarding a maximum of

56 SLIGP 2.0 grants. In the second increment, award amounts for each of the tiers will be consistently proportional to each other based on remaining available funds.

SLIGP 2.0 grants will be funded through incremental obligations. When an application for a multi-year award is approved, funding will usually be provided for only the first part of the project. If a project is selected for funding, NTIA has no obligation to provide any additional funding in connection with that award. Continued funding will be contingent upon the availability of funds. Under this NOFO, NTIA may elect to fully fund awards or to partially fund awards.

4. Renewal or Supplementation

NTIA does not anticipate soliciting or accepting applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects for this grant program, but retains discretion to make further supplemental or renewal awards as appropriate.

5. Type of Funding Instrument

The funding instrument for awards made pursuant to the NOFO will be a grant.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 8

C. Eligibility Information

Any State, territory or the District of Columbia is eligible to apply for the SLIGP 2.0.

1. Eligible Applicants

A designated State or territory-level agency that meets the description above is eligible to apply for the SLIGP 2.0. Please note the applicant agency for the SLIGP 2.0 does not necessarily need to be the same agency as the original SLIGP recipient.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

The SLIGP 2.0 requires cost sharing, also known as a matching fund requirement. By statute, the Federal share of the cost of any activity carried out under the grant program may not exceed 80 percent of the eligible cost of carrying out grant activities.

Thus, NTIA expects that SLIGP 2.0 grant recipients will provide at least 20 percent non-

Federal matching funds toward the total eligible project cost. Applicants must document their capacity to provide matching funds. Matching funds may be in the form of either cash or in-kind contributions consistent with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards at 2 CFR Part 200.

In-kind contributions, which include third party in-kind contributions, are non-cash donations of property, goods or services, which benefit a Federally-assisted project, and which may count toward satisfying the non-Federal matching requirement of a project’s total budgeted costs when such contributions meet certain criteria.

In-kind contributions must be allowable project expenses. The rules governing allowable in-kind contributions are very detailed and encompass a wide range of properties and services. NTIA encourages applicants to consider thoroughly potential sources of in-kind contributions that, depending on the particular property or service and the applicable Office of

Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles, could include: employee or volunteer services; equipment; supplies; indirect costs; computer hardware and software; and use of facilities.

Generally, Federal funds may not be used as matching funds, except as provided by

Federal statute.

As provided in 48 U.S.C. 1469a, NTIA waives the requirement for local matching funds under $200,000 (including in-kind contributions) for the Territorial governments in Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

NTIA will provide up to 80 percent of the total eligible costs of the project, unless the applicant petitions the Assistant Secretary for a waiver of the matching requirement and a full or partial waiver is granted, as discussed below.

47 U.S.C. 1442(b).

See 2 CFR 200.306.

See id.

See id

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3. Cost Match Waiver Process

The Act provides that the Assistant Secretary may waive, in whole or in part, the matching requirement for good cause shown if the Assistant Secretary determines that such a waiver is in the public interest.

NTIA fully anticipates that recipients will provide the full 20 percent cost match; thus, the Assistant Secretary will grant full or partial waivers of the cost match requirement only when the applicant demonstrates good cause that warrants such action.

An applicant requesting a waiver of all or part of the 20 percent non-federal matching share contribution must present its justification for a waiver with its application submission.

The applicant must show good cause to warrant the grant of a full or partial waiver by fully explaining its inability to provide the required cost match and documenting its attempts to obtain sources of matching funds. The applicant may document its lack of revenue options to supply the cost match by, for example, describing how it faces severe budgetary imbalances or expenditure cutbacks resulting in significant reductions in state services, has experienced extraordinary or unanticipated non-recurring expenses, or exceptionally high unemployment, relative to other States.

The Assistant Secretary will evaluate the information provided by the applicant in support of its matching waiver request and determine whether there is good cause shown and the public interest is served by granting a full or partial waiver.

D. Application and Submission Information

Applications will be accepted from September 27, 2017 until December 28, 2017 at

11:59 p.m. Eastern Time; or from September 27, 2017 until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the 91 st calendar day from the date that the Governor of an applicant State receives notice from FirstNet of its State Plan, whichever is later.

Applicants are encouraged to submit

SLIGP 2.0 applications as soon as possible in the application window once their respective Governor has made a decision regarding the FirstNet State Plan for deployment of the Radio Access Network. The earlier submission of applications will assist NTIA with workflow challenges during the abbreviated application review time period.

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available on the Grants.gov website

(www.grants.gov). To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov, select “Apply for Grants,” and then select “Download Application Package.” Enter the funding opportunity number 2018-NTIA-SLIGP-2. Select “Download Application Package,” and then follow the prompts. To download the instructions, go to “Download Application

Package” and select “Instructions.” We recommend applicants visit Grants.gov prior to

47 U.S.C. 1442(b)(2).

States may subsequently petition NTIA for a waiver upon determining that good cause warrants such a request. The Assistant Secretary will retain this waiver authority throughout the entire grant program.

47 U.S.C. 1442(e)(2).

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 10 filing their applications so that they fully understand the process and requirements.

Failure to properly register and apply for the SLIGP 2.0 grants by the deadline established in this NOFO may result in forfeiture of the grant opportunity. Applications are accepted until the deadline and are processed as received. Applications submitted by e-mail, paper, or facsimile will not be accepted. Applicants may also request an application package by contacting the Federal Awarding Agency contact listed in Section

G of this NOFO.

With respect to electronic methods for providing information about funding opportunities or accepting applicants’ submissions of information, NTIA is responsible for compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Act of

1998.

2. Content and Form of Applications

a) Required Forms and Documentation

Applications must be complete and follow the format described in this NOFO. The application consists of the following forms and required submissions, which are discussed in more detail below.

The following elements are required for a complete application package:

i. Letter of Designation

The Act states that the Assistant Secretary shall require each State to certify in its application for grant funds that the State has designated a single officer or governmental body to serve as the coordinator of implementation of the SLIGP grant funds. To implement this statutory requirement, NTIA requires applicants to provide a Letter of

State Designation signed by the Governor or equivalent chief executive of the State, or his duly authorized designee, that reaffirms the existing, or identifies a new, State officer or governmental body designated as the coordinator of the implementation of the grant funds. This individual must be a current government employee, not a contractor or consultant. If the Governor designates a governmental body, NTIA requires a point of contact for that body.

ii. Standard Form 424, Application for Federal Assistance

This form (and all additional forms requiring a signature) must be must be signed by the applicant’s AOR. Electronic signatures submitted through www.grants.gov satisfy this requirement.

o SF-424, Item 8.d. Zip/Postal Code field, should reflect the Zip code + 4

(#####-####) format.

o SF-424, Item 12, should list the NOFO number as 2018-NTIA-SLIGP-2.

SF-424, Item 18, should list the total Federal budget amount requested for the entire project.

For SF-424, Item 21, the list of certifications and assurances is contained in the SF-424B.

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iii. Standard Form 424A, Budget Information—Non-Construction

Programs

Applicants must complete this form and provide an accompanying Budget Narrative and

Detailed Budget Justification.

Please carefully follow the directions found at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html when filling out this form.

iv. Standard Form 424B, Assurances for Non-Construction

Programs (SF-424B)

v. CD-511 Certification Regarding Lobbying. Enter “2018-

NTIA-SLIGP-2 in the Award Number field. Enter the title of the application used in field 15 of the SF-424, or an abbreviation of that title, in the Project Name field.

vi. Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if applicable)

vii. Application Narrative

The Application Narrative is a word-processed document of no more than ten (10) single or double-spaced pages responsive to the program description (see Full Announcement

Text, section A. Program Description, of this NOFO), and the evaluation criteria (see Full

Announcement Text, section E. Application Review Information, 1. Evaluation Criteria, of this NOFO). The Narrative must contain the following information:

o a comprehensive explanation of the allowable activities that will be conducted using SLIGP 2.0 funds, how the applicant aims to resource and conduct these activities, the objectives and outcomes of these activities, and how conducting these activities will support the deployment of the

NPSBN in their State. Note that applicants have the discretion to choose among the allowable activities described in section D.6.a, as it is not mandatory to perform all activities listed in that section;

o a description of capacity to manage and conduct programmatic activities of the award and ability to adhere to NTIA grant reporting and compliance requirements described in section F.3.; and o a high-level staffing plan that clearly designates which individuals or positions will be responsible for fulfilling programmatic and grant management requirements.

viii. Budget Narrative and Detailed Budget Justification

In addition to the Standard Form 424A Budget Information form, applicants must include a Detailed Budget Justification in the form of a spreadsheet as well as a detailed Budget

Narrative in the form of a word document. All budget information submitted with the application must match the dollar amounts on required Standard Form 424 and Standard

Form 424A. The Budget Narrative must be accompanied by a spreadsheet listing itemized costs by category (e.g., salary, fringe, supplies, contractual, etc.) and supporting http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/form-instructions/sf-424a-instructions.html

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 12 how the budget request was calculated. The spreadsheet must be formatted to fit letter-sized paper (8.5" x 11"). A budget justification in narrative form must also be provided to explain and justify all project costs, including contractual costs. This narrative must be organized to clearly correspond to the information provided in the budget table or spreadsheet. Detail provided in the spreadsheet and/or the narrative must also be sufficient so that reviewers can interpret how costs were estimated or calculated, especially for costs over $5,000 (including any contractual costs). The Budget Narrative

(and the Standard Form 424A form) and spreadsheet must clearly distinguish those costs proposed to be supported with Federal funds. (Budget Narrative not to exceed 5 pages.

Budget Detail must be in the form of a spreadsheet.)

ix. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (as applicable)

If indirect costs are included in the proposed budget, provide a copy of the approved negotiated agreement if this rate was negotiated with a cognizant Federal audit agency. If the rate was not established by a cognizant Federal audit agency, provide a statement to this effect. If the successful applicant includes indirect costs in the budget and has not established an indirect cost rate with a cognizant Federal audit agency, the applicant will be required to obtain such a rate in accordance with the Department of Commerce

Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions.

This does not count toward the page limit.

Alternatively, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.414(f), applicants that have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate may elect to charge indirect costs to an NTIA award pursuant to a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs, in which case a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement is not required. In order to request indirect costs under a de minimus rate, the applicant agency must not receive more than $35 million a year in direct Federal funding. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. Once chosen, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time. Applicants proposing a

10 percent de minimis rate pursuant to 2 CFR 200.414(f) must note this election as part of the budget portion of the application.

x. Opt-Out letter from Governor (as applicable)

The applicant must submit a copy of the official opt-out notification from the Governor if that applicant has chosen to opt-out.

xi. Cost Match Waiver Letter (as applicable)

See U.S. Department of Commerce, Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and

Conditions (Mar. 31, 2017), available at http://osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Stan dard%20Terms%20&%20Conditions%2031%20March%202017.pdf (Standard Terms and Conditions).

http://osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Standard%20Terms%20&%20Conditions%2031%20March%202017.pdf http://osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/documents/Department%20of%20Commerce%20Standard%20Terms%20&%20Conditions%2031%20March%202017.pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 13

If the applicant is requesting a full or partial waiver of the cost matching requirement, a letter that addresses the necessary elements must be provided.

When submitting the application electronically via Grants.gov, items D.2.a.ii through

D.2.a.vi above are part of the standard application package in Grants.gov and can be completed through the download application process. Items D.2.a.i and D.2.a.vii through ix must be completed and attached by clicking on “Add Attachments” found in item 15 of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. This will create a zip file that allows for transmittal of the documents electronically via Grants.gov.

Applicants should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions at www.grants.gov to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from

Grants.gov indicates only that an application was transferred to the Grants.gov system. It does not provide details concerning whether all attachments (or how many attachments) transferred successfully. Applicants using Grants.gov will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether a Federal agency’s electronic system has received its application.

The Grants.gov Online Users Guide available at the Grants.gov site

(http://go.usa.gov/cjaEh) provides vital information on checking the status of applications. See especially the “Check My Application Status” option, found by clicking first on Applicants, and then by clicking on Applicant Actions.

Applicants can track their submission in the Grants.gov system by following the procedures at the Grants.gov site (http://go.usa.gov/cjamz). It can take up to two business days for an application to fully move through the Grants.gov system to NIST, however, applicants can immediately check that they properly submitted the application in Grants.gov by following the Grants.gov tracking procedures cited above.

Agency Tracking Numbers will not be issued. The Tracking Numbers assigned by

Grants.gov are sufficient.

b) Additional application materials

No additional application materials are required, beyond what is enumerated above.

c) Application Format

i. E-mailed and facsimile (fax) submissions

Will not be accepted.

ii. Figures, graphs, images, and pictures

Should be of a size that is easily readable or viewable and may be landscape orientation.

iii. Font

Easy to read font (10-point minimum). Smaller type may be used in figures and tables but must be clearly legible.

iv. Line spacing http://www.grants.gov/ http://go.usa.gov/cjaEh http://go.usa.gov/cjamz

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Applicants may use single spacing or double spacing.

v. Margins

One (1) inch top, bottom, left, and right.

vi. Page layout

Portrait orientation except for figures, graphs, images, and pictures. Paragraphs are to be clearly separated from each other by double spacing, paragraph formatting or equivalent.

vii. Page limit

The Application Narrative is limited to 10 pages.

Page limit includes: The text of the Application Narrative, as described in section

D.2.a.vii of this NOFO. A separate 5 page limit exists for the Budget Narrative.

Page limit excludes: Designation Letter, SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance; SF-

424B, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs; CD-511, Certification

Regarding Lobbying; SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities; Detailed Budget

Justification, Indirect Cost Rate Agreement; Opt-out letter from Governor; and Request to Waive the Matching Requirement.

viii. Page numbering

Number pages sequentially.

ix. Page size

21.6 centimeters by 27.9 centimeters (8 ½ inches by 11 inches).

x. Application Language

English.

xi. Pre-Applications, white papers and letters of intent

Pre-Applications, white papers and letters of intent are not required and nor will they be accepted for this program.

xii. Typed document

All applications, including forms, must be typed

d) Application Replacement Pages

Applications should be submitted by the submission deadline in full. If revisions or replacement pages are necessary, applicant may submit pursuant to NTIA’s request as described in Section E (Application Review Information).

e) Certifications Regarding Federal Felony and Federal Criminal

Tax Convictions, Unpaid Federal Tax Assessments and Delinquent

Federal Tax Returns

In accordance with Federal appropriations law, an authorized representative of the selected applicant(s) may be required to provide certain pre-award certifications

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 15 regarding Federal felony and Federal criminal tax convictions, unpaid Federal tax assessments, and delinquent Federal tax returns.

3. Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS number) and System for Award

Management (SAM)

Pursuant to 2 CFR Part 25, applicants and recipients (as the case may be) are required to:

(i) be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which they have an active

Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency, unless otherwise excepted from these requirements pursuant to 2 CFR 25.110.

NTIA will not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that NTIA is ready to make a Federal award pursuant to this NOFO, NTIA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award.

a) DUNS Number

All applicants must supply a DUNS number. Applicants can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

b) System for Award Management

All applicants must register in the SAM before submitting an application. Additionally, the applicant must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. Applicants can register for the SAM at https://www.sam.gov/.

4. Submission Dates and Times

Complete applications for SLIGP 2.0 must be electronically submitted through www.grants.gov, under announcement 2018-NTIA-SLIGP-2. Applications or portions thereof submitted by mail, courier, email or by facsimile will not be accepted.

Applications submitted electronically through the online www.grants.gov system must be received no later than December 28, 2017 or no later than 91 days after the Governor of an applicant State receives notice from FirstNet of its State Plan, whichever is later. All application forms and documents must be included with an applicant’s submission via www.grants.gov.

Applicants should be aware, and factor in their application submission planning, that the

Grants.gov system routinely closes for maintenance. Applications cannot be submitted when Grants.gov is closed.

Submitters of electronic applications should carefully follow specific Grants.gov instructions to ensure the attachments will be accepted by the Grants.gov system. A receipt from Grants.gov indicating an application is received does not provide http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.sam.gov/

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 16 information about whether attachments have been received. For further information or questions regarding applying electronically for the announcement, contact the Federal

Awarding Agency contact listed in Section G of this NOFO.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not wait until the approaching due date before logging on and reviewing the instructions for submitting an application through Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process must be completed before a new registrant can apply electronically. If all goes well, the registration process takes three (3) to five (5) business days. If problems are encountered, the registration process can take up to two (2) weeks or more. Applicants must have a valid unique entity identifier number and must maintain a current registration in the Federal government’s primary registrant database, the System for Award Management (https://www.sam.gov/), as explained on the Grants.gov Web site. See also Section D.3.b of this NOFO. After registering, it may take several days or longer from the initial log-on before a new

Grants.gov system user can submit an application. Only authorized individual(s) will be able to submit the application, and the system may need time to process a submitted application. Applicants should save and print the proof of submission they receive from

Grants.gov. If problems occur while using Grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received and (b) call Grants.gov directly for immediate assistance. If calling from within the United States or from a U.S. territory, please call

800-518-4726. If calling from a place other than the United States or a U.S. territory, please call 606-545-5035. Assistance from the Grants.gov Help Desk will be available around the clock every day, with the exception of Federal holidays. Help Desk service will resume at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time the day after Federal holidays. For assistance using Grants.gov, you may also contact support@grants.gov.

To find instructions on submitting an application on Grants.gov, Applicants should refer to the “Applicants” tab in the banner just below the top of the www.grants.gov home page. Clicking on the “Applicants” tab produces two useful sources of information, Applicant Actions and Applicant Resources, which applicants are advised to review.

Applicants will receive a series of e-mail messages over a period of up to two business days before learning whether NTIA’s electronic system has received its application.

Closely following the detailed information in these subcategories will increase the likelihood of acceptance of the application by the NTIA’s electronic system.

Applicants should pay close attention to the guidance under “Applicant FAQs,” as it contains information important to successful submission on Grants.gov, including essential details on the naming conventions for attachments to Grants.gov applications.

All applicants should be aware that adequate time must be factored into applicants’ schedules for delivery of their application. Applicants are advised that volume on

Grants.gov may be extremely heavy as the deadline date approaches.

The application must be both received and validated by Grants.gov. The application is

“received” when Grants.gov provides the applicant a confirmation of receipt and an application tracking number. If an applicant does not see this confirmation and tracking number, the application has not been received. After the application has been received, it https://www.sam.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 17 must still be validated. During this process, it may be “validated” or “rejected with errors.” To know whether the application was rejected with errors and the reasons why, the applicant must log in to Grants.gov, select “Applicants” from the top navigation, and select “Track my application” from the drop-down list. If the status is “rejected with errors,” the applicant may still seek to correct the errors and resubmit your application before the deadline. If the applicant does not correct the errors, the application will not be forwarded to NTIA by Grants.gov.

5. Intergovernmental Review

Applications under this program are subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” which requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials. All applicants are required to submit a copy of their applications to their designated State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) offices.

6. Funding Restrictions

Grantees may only use funds awarded under the SLIPG 2.0 to pay for eligible costs. Eligible costs are consistent with the cost principles identified in 2 CFR Part 200, including Subpart E of such regulations.

In addition, costs must be reasonable, necessary and allowable for the proposed project, and conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Grant funds may be used to cover only eligible costs incurred by the grantee during the period of performance, and for allowable costs incurred by the grantee during the grant closeout process.

a) Eligible Costs

SLIGP 2.0 funds are available to states that opt-in and opt-out of FirstNet’s plan to deploy and operate a RAN in their state. As outlined below, SLIGP 2.0 will have different allowable activities and costs based on the State’s opt-in or opt-out status. For any State or Territory that chooses to officially opt-out of FirstNet’s plan to deploy and operate a RAN in their State, activities may focus on public safety outreach to further plan for public safety user adoption until such time that the State enters into a Spectrum

Manager’s Lease Agreement (SMLA) with FirstNet. After the State successfully executes an SMLA to operate the RAN in the State, grant funded activities will be similar to those performed by Opt-In States, except these activities will be performed either by the State or with a possible State RAN Partner instead of by FirstNet and its partner.

Should the State not receive approval of its alternative plan upon submittal to the FCC, FirstNet assumes responsibility for the building of the State RAN. At that point, the State can submit revised application documents to be subject to the allowable activities and costs that apply to Opt-In States. If such revised application documents are approved, such a state will receive a Special Award Condition (SAC) modifying its SLIGP 2.0

The government has established a set of principles for determining eligible or allowable costs. Allowable costs are determined in accordance with the cost principles applicable to the entity incurring the costs. For example, the allowability of costs incurred by State, local or Federally-recognized

Indian tribal governments is determined in accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 18 award to incorporate the allowable Opt-In activities and costs to its award. This same criteria will apply should the State be unsuccessful in its application to NTIA’s State

Alternative Planning Program (SAPP) for the authority to enter into a required lease of spectrum capacity, or if a State cannot come to agreement with FirstNet on the SMLA itself. As part of their final award package, recipients will receive a SAC noting eligible activities and costs for the period prior to the signing of the SMLA and then for the remaining period of performance.

i. Allowable activities for States where FirstNet is deploying the

RAN (Opt-In States)

Single officer (or governmental body) and staff to, at a minimum, provide for ongoing coordination with NTIA and implementation of grant funds.

Existing governance body to provide input to the single officer and to contribute towards planning activities to further identify potential public safety users of the

NPSBN and prepare for data sharing.

Data collection in specific areas identified to be helpful as requested by FirstNet.

Development of policies and agreements to increase sharing of data between existing public safety systems across various agencies within the State or territory using the NPSBN.

Individuals, such as the single officer and governing body members, to perform planning activities to help FirstNet and its partner further identify potential public safety users of the NPSBN.

Planning efforts to help FirstNet gain inclusion on applicable statewide contract vehicles.

Planning activities to prepare for emergency communications technology transitions.

Activities to identify and plan for the transition of public safety applications, software, and databases.

Identifying and documenting on-going coverage needs/gaps within the State.

Activities to convene stakeholder outreach events to continue planning for NPSBN implementation, as requested by FirstNet.

ii. Allowable costs for States where FirstNet is deploying the RAN

(Opt-In States)

Personnel costs, including salaries and fringe benefits, associated with individuals responsible for programmatic and reporting activities for the SLIGP 2.0 grant and providing planning and strategic advice to FirstNet and its partner, including a single officer, program managers, grants managers, supervisors, or other staff members contributing to the project.

Notice of Funding Opportunity - 19

Travel costs including airfare, ground transportation, lodging, meals, and incidental expenditures associated with stakeholder attendance at governance body meetings, FirstNet meetings, data collection, or other allowable program activities.

Supply costs necessary for implementation, management, and performance of the award and program activities, including but not limited to information technology

(IT) expenses, software, phone service, printing, office supplies, or other items.

Please note that an item may only be classified under “Supplies” if its value is under $5,000.

Contractual costs associated with carrying out programmatic activities of the SLIGP 2.0 grant, including requested data collection, data sharing, or other allowable activities. SLIGP 2.0 recipients are responsible for monitoring the activities and expenditures of vendors and are responsible for ensuring that all solicitation documents reflect activities within the scope of the SLIGP 2.0 program.

Other miscellaneous costs associated with implementing the SLIGP 2.0, including but not limited to donated stakeholder time at governance meetings, meeting or office space, or other program costs associated with the allowable activities such as costs to convene stakeholder outreach events as requested by FirstNet.

Administrative services costs, equipment costs and supplies necessary to prepare for and manage the grant award.

Legal costs related to managing the grant award.

Indirect costs associated with managing and implementing the SLIGP 2.0 program, including overhead, office space, salaries of individuals employed by the recipient agency who are indirectly involved in program or grants management, or other approved indirect costs. Recipients who charge indirect costs to the grant must submit an active Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) with a cognizant Federal agency or request the 10 percent de minimis rate if the agency does not have a NICRA and meets the requirements for the de minimis rate.

Pre-award costs may be authorized by the Grants Officer for any allowable and allocable costs incurred exclusively during the period of when the NOFO opened on Grants.gov through the award start date of the SLIGP 2.0 grant.

iii. Allowable activities for States deploying the RAN (Opt-Out

States) prior to the execution of SMLA (pre-SMLA)

At the initiation of the grant until the execution of an SMLA with FirstNet, allowable activities under the SLIGP 2.0 for States that chose to opt-out include the following:

Single officer (or…