Portable Assistance OSBDC-2020-03_Instructions_Final Version (002).docx

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATIONON GRANTS.GOV

INSTRUCTION PACKAGE & NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

FOR THE

SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER PORTABLE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Funding Opportunity Numbers: OSBDC-2020-03

Opening Date: September 1, 2020 Closing Date: October 15, 2020

IMPORTANT:

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY via GRANTS.GOV.

If your organization has not already done so, it must register with Grants.gov before applying for this Funding Opportunity.

THE REGISTRATION PROCESS, WHICH MAY TAKE UP TO 1-2 WEEKS, MUST BE COMPLETED TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION ELECTRONICALLY. IT IS STRONGLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU START THE REGISTRATION PROCESS IMMEDIATELY.

If you experience any problems registering with Grants.gov, call the Grants.gov Support Line at 1-800-518-4726.

The hours of operation are 24 hours a day/7 days a week except for federal holidays.

1. Registering with Grants.gov SBA requires the use of the Grants.gov website for submission of all grant application packages. If your organization has not already done so, it must register with Grants.gov before it can apply for this Funding Opportunity. Registration creates a profile of basic information about your organization including the staff members who are authorized to submit applications on its behalf. These steps take a number of days, so please do not wait until the last minute if you have a deadline approaching! If you have problems registering with Grants.gov, call the help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or email at support@grants.gov. The phone line is open 24/7 except for federal holidays.

The checklist below has been designed to help guide you through the Grants.gov registration process. Complete instructions for registering with Grants.gov are located at www.Grants.gov.

A glossary of terms and links to important online resources follow the checklist.

2. List of Required Forms To apply for this Funding Opportunity, you must provide the forms and attachments listed below through Grants.gov. Also, you must download the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for other mandatory requirements.

3. What you need to do, the time it takes and tips:

A. Find your institution's DUNS number All institutions applying for federal grants are required to provide a DUNS number. The Federal Government has adopted the use of DUNS numbers to keep track of how federal grant money is dispersed.

Ask your grant administrator or chief financial officer to provide your institution's DUNS number. Research universities and most colleges, independent libraries, and large organizations already have DUNS numbers.

If your institution does not have a DUNS number, call the special Dun & Bradstreet hotline at 1-866-705-5711 to receive one free of charge.

More information about DUNS numbers is available at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.

1-2 business days Record and protect your DUNS number and have it available for quick reference in the following steps.

B. Register your institution with System of Award Management (SAM) SAM is a government-wide registry for organizations that seek grants from or otherwise do business with the Federal Government. SAM will house your organizational information, allowing Grants.gov to verify your identity and to pre-fill organizational information on your grant applications. Ask your chief financial officer, grant administrator, or authorizing official if your organization is already registered with SAM.

Remember registration with the System of Award Management (SAM) must be confirmed each year for your www.Grants.gov registration to remain valid.

Entities registering in SAM must submit a notarized letter appointing their authorized Entity Administrator (SAM POC). Read updated instructions on SAM.gov to learn more about changes to the notarized letter review process and other system improvements.

If your organization is not registered, you can register online at https://sam.gov or apply by phone at 1-866-606-8220.

When your organization registers with SAM, you must designate: a SAM Point of Contact (SAM POC). This individual is responsible for maintaining the accuracy and timeliness of the information in SAM's registry. Upon successful registration, SAM POC will receive a T-PIN (Trading Partner Identification Number) that will enable him or her to update your organization's SAM information as necessary.

This is the most cumbersome step. We recommend that you allow, at minimum, three days to gather information and prepare the application. Remember SAM.gov now requires a notarized letter formally appointing the authorized Entity Administrator for your entity before they will activate your SAM.gov entity registration. This can take some time to complete. Allow up to ten business days after you submit your registration including the notarized letter for it to become active in SAM and an additional 24 hours before that registration information is available in other government systems.

The SAM.gov site uses terminology that is more appropriate for profit-making organizations than for non-profits. Do not be confused by terms such as vendor, contractor, etc.; just provide the requested information.

Record and protect your T-PIN and M-PIN. Keep track of the staff designated as Points of Contact.

C. An Ebiz Point of Contact (Ebiz POC) This individual will have sole authority to designate the staff member(s) who can submit grant applications on your organization's behalf through Grants.gov. The same individual may serve as both SAM POC and as Ebiz POC.

During registration, you also will be asked to designate a special password called a Marketing Partner ID or "M-PIN." This password will be used in the step below.

D. Register with www.Grants.gov Finally, your organization's Authorized Official Representative (AOR) must register with Grants.gov at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister using their User IDs and passwords.

Registration creates an account on Grants.gov that enables your organization to name and confirm authorization for one or more AORs and then allows the AOR(s) to submit applications on your organization's behalf.

When an AOR registers with Grants.gov, the Ebiz POC for your organization will receive an e-mail notification. Your Ebiz POC must then log on to Grants.gov (using the DUNS number from Step 1 and the MPIN password from Step 2 and approve the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. When an Ebiz POC approves an AOR, Grants.gov will notify the AOR via email.

AORs can also log in to the Applicant home page at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/OrcRegister using their username and password to check if they have been approved.

CHECKLIST: SBA on GRANTS.GOV

· SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance – this form asks for basic information about your organization. This form can be completed on Grants.gov.

· SF-424(A), Budget Information – This form is the applicant's estimate of the total cost of performing the project or activity described in the technical proposal. The Federal amount should not exceed the funding level stated in the funding opportunity. All proposed costs reflected in the budget must be necessary to the project, reasonable and otherwise allowable under applicable cost principles and Agency policies.

To streamline the Federal financial assistance application process, please note that SAM.gov implemented a new process on or around Feb. 2, 2019 for Federal Government-wide certifications and representations, which are now being done in SAM.gov, as non-Federal entities renew and re-register their respective SAM.gov account. If your organization has already completed its certifications and representations in SAM.gov, then it is not required to provide these certifications and representations to the SBA at the time of application submission.

· SF-424(B), Assurance – Non-Construction Programs - This form can be completed on Grants.gov. It is for certification that the organization will comply with all applicable requirements of the Federal laws, executive orders, regulations, and policies governing the grant program.

· Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) – This form requests disclosure of any lobbying activities pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1352.

Please attach the proper file to the corresponding button as listed below. Note that only standard file format types are accepted. (Password protected and ZIP files will not be accepted.)

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #1 – Technical Proposal Your Technical Proposal must include a table of contents, program narrative, organization chart, Network listing, resumes and other required information; and must not exceed 35 pages. Pages must be numbered.

Name this document: Technical Proposal.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or Technical Proposal.pdf (if in pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #2 – Budget Detail Worksheet for 12-Month Budget Period This worksheet supports and details the expenditures listed in the Budget Information–Non Construction Programs (SF-424A). Download this form from the OSBDC website, submit your Budget Detail Worksheet for 12-Month Budget Period as Attachment #2.

Name this document: Budget Detail Worksheet.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or Budget Detail Worksheet.pdf (if in pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #3 – Planned Milestones Planned Milestone Accomplishments - This form demonstrates the incremental execution of the project and requires the applicant to perform certain project goals and accomplishments within specified timeframes.

Download this form from the OSBDC website, save it as a file, and submit the Planned Milestone Accomplishments as Attachment #3.

Name this document: Planned Milestones.xls (if in Microsoft Excel format) or Planned Milestones.pdf (if in .pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #4 – Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters (SBA Form 1623) This form assures that the applicant, presently and within the past three years, has not been debarred, suspended, declared ineligible, or been excluded from transactions by and Federal department of Agency, nor indicted or criminally or civilly charged. Download the form from the OSBDC website, save it as a file and submit the Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other as Attachment #4.

Attach your Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters. This form/worksheet is available at SBDC Forms and Worksheets.

Name this document: Debarment.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or Debarment.pdf (if in .pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #5 – Certification Regarding Lobbying -SBA Form 1711 Attach your Certification Regarding Lobbying. This form/worksheet is available at SBDC Forms and Worksheets. This form certifies that funding has not and will not be used for any lobbying purposes and that the same restrictions will apply to all sub-awards. Download this form from the OSBDC website, save it as a file and submit the Certification Regarding Lobbying as Attachment #5.

Name this document: CertificationRegardingLobbying.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or CertificationRegardingLobbying.pdf (if in pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #6 – Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements This requires the applicant to certify that the organization will provide a drug-free workplace by adhering to certain conditions. Download this form from the OSBDC website, save it as a file, and submit the Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements as Attachment #6.

Attach your Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements. This form/worksheet is available at SBDC Forms and Worksheets.

Name this document: DrugFreeCert.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or DrugFreeCert.pdf (if in pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #7 – Schedule of Indirect Costs Worksheet Attach your Indirect Cost Rate Agreements negotiated with the cognizant agency of each center that will include indirect costs as match to this button. Save it as a file and submit the Indirect Cost Rate Agreements Attachment #.

Attach your Schedule of Indirect Costs Worksheet. This form/worksheet is available at SBDC Forms and Worksheets.

Name this document: Indirect Cost Allocation Worksheet.xls (if in Microsoft Excel format) or Indirect Cost Allocation Worksheet.pdf (if in .pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #8 – A-133 Audit Report Attach the applicant’s most recently completed A-133 Audit Report, or provide the link to a webpage with instructions on how the report can be viewed and downloaded.

Name this document: A-133 AuditReport.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or A-133 AuditReport.pdf (if in pdf format).

· Upload as ATTACHMENT #9 – Additional information or other documentation the Applicant believes is necessary to support its Proposal.

Use the remaining Attachment button if you have additional files you need to attach to provide other forms or documentation to support the application. Please give each attachment a meaningful file name (50 character limit) and ensure it is in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or .pdf format.

Attach your Additional Documentations.

Name this document: AdditionalDocs.doc (if in Microsoft Word format) or AdditionalDocs.pdf (if in pdf format).

After submitting the application to Grants.gov, an assigned a Grants.gov tracking number will appear on the screen and will be e-mailed to your AOR.

For additional help on how to use Grants.gov, please see the help screens on the Grants.gov website at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html. You can also send an e-mail to the Grants.gov helpdesk at support@grants.gov or call them at 1-800-518-4726.

For specific questions regarding this Funding Opportunity you should contact the Office of Small Business Development Centers (OSBDC) at HQ.OSBDC@sba.gov.

Glossary Authorized Official Representative (AOR): A person authorized by your E-Business POC to accept and counter-sign awards from Grants.gov.

DNS Number: DUNS stands for "data universal numbering system." DUNS numbers are issued by Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) and consist of nine digits. If your institution does not have one, call 1-866-705-5711 to receive one free of charge.

System for Award Management (SAM): Institutions receiving any type of award from the federal government must register with SAM.

Useful Links and Resources If using IE, recipients must use an Internet Versions older than IE9 to access this website.

· DUNS Number information: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

· System for Award Management (SAM): https://sam.gov/SAM

· Register with Grants.gov: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

· Grants website: www.Grants.gov

· Grant Help Desk e-mail: support@grants.gov

· Grant Support Line: 1-800-518-4726