Attachment B_Budget-Narrative-Template.xlsb

Budget Narrative Example

Applicants/recipients must demonstrate that costs are allowable (2 C.F.R. § 200.403). In other words, costs must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and must be allocable under the cost principles in 2 C.F.R § 200 Subpart E. A cost is “necessary” if it meets a program objective and is necessary and reasonable for the performance of the HVRP. A cost is “reasonable” if it meets the “prudent person” standard (2 C.F.R. § 200.404). See section IV.B.2.a of the FOA for additional requirements for the budget narrative. Shared costs among multiple programs or projects should be proportionate: (ex. Program Manager who works HVRP 20% of the time, the amount charged to HVRP for items such as the Program Manager's cell phone or laptop, would be cost shared among the other programs).

If charging indirect costs in Section J. Indirect Charges, ensure costs are not duplicated under any of the direct costs categories. Costs must not be duplicated or inconsistently charged, costs must be charged as either indirect or direct costs.

The Budget Narrative must include a justification for all proposed costs and align with the SF-424A and the estimated funding amount in the SF-424 (Section 18). The Budget Narrative must be consistent with and support the activities, resources, staff, and other items described in the project narrative.

To add more rows or space to any budget line-item, select the “Add” button to the right of the field.

a. Personnel:

List all staff positions (including individuals hired by an employment contract) by title (both current and proposed) and provide the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant. Do not list positions that will be covered under Indirect Costs.

In the Justification of Costs section, include the corresponding roles and responsibilities for each position.

b. Fringe Benefits:

Provide information on the rate of fringe benefits used and the basis for the calculation. If not using a fringe benefits rate, itemize how the fringe benefits amount is computed in the Justification of Costs section.

Fringe benefits may be in the form of employer contributions or expenses for FICA (Social Security and Medicare tax), employee life, health, unemployment, worker's compensation insurance, paid absences, and other similar reasonable and allowable benefits as required by law, organization – employee agreement, or established written policies of the applicant/recipient organization per 2 C.F.R § 200.431. Fringe benefits are for the personnel listed in budget category (a) and are only for the percentage of time devoted to the project.

c. Travel (for grant recipient staff only):

Travel costs are allowable as expenses by employees who are in travel status on official business/project-related travel. Itemize travel expenses of personnel by purpose (e.g., staff training, field interviews, advisory group meeting, etc.) and include funds to cover travel to DOL-sponsored training events such as the annual post-award conference, professional conference, and/or any other offered trainings. Travel for participants (e.g., travel stipends for program participants) should be specifically itemized and placed in the Other category.

Include the basis of computation (e.g., six people to 3-day training at $X airfare, $X lodging, $X subsistence) for each travel expense. Specify the purpose, location (e.g., location or whether in-state or out-of-state), type of expense (select from dropdown), basis (e.g., round-trip, day/night, mileage, etc.), cost or cost and quantity (e.g., number of nights or miles), number of staff traveling, and number of trips for each type of travel.

In the Justification of Costs section, describe the purpose of each travel expenditure in reference to the project objectives. Applicants must provide a justification for travel expenditures that exceed 10 percent of the one-year budget.

NOTE: Per 2 C.F.R § 200.475(a), applicants must have policies in place related to travel costs. In the absence of an established travel policies, applicants/recipients must comply with the Federal travel regulations (48 C.F.R. § 31.205-46(a)), most easily accessible via the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) website, see 2 C.F.R § 200.475. For reimbursement on a mileage basis, the HVRP grant program cannot be charged more than the maximum allowable mileage reimbursement rates authorized for Federal employees. Mileage rates must be checked annually at GSA’s Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates webpage to ensure compliance.

d. Equipment:

Per 2 C.F.R. §200.1, equipment is an item of tangible, non-expendable, personal property (including information technology systems – means computing devices, ancillary equipment, software, and firmware etc.) having a useful life of more than one year AND an acquisition cost of at least $5,000 per unit or more regardless of the non-Federal entity’s capitalization threshold.

List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. In the Justification of Costs section, describe the need for the equipment, i.e., explain how the use of each item of equipment is related to the implementation of the required/approved activities to achieve the specific project objectives. List expendable items or materials in Supplies. Generally, DOL/VETS does not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the award.

e. Supplies:

Per 2 C.F.R. §200.1, supplies are items that cost less than $5,000 per unit and often have a one-time use, that is, materials which are expendable or consumed during the performance of the federal award. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than the lesser of the capitalization level established by the organization for financial statement purposes or $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life.

List the items by type of supply (e.g., training materials, desktop computer, laptop, projector etc.), cost per unit, quantity, or cost per month. Note: subscription services such as cellular phone service or internet service are not tangible and must be listed in Other.

For each item or cost, include an adequate justification in the Justification of Costs section.

f. Contractual:

Describe contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 as a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity purchases goods or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award. A subaward, defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a federal program.

For each contract or subaward, list the purpose, goods and/or services to be provided, and the amount. In the Justification of Costs section, describe the goods and/or services to be provided by each contractor or sub-awardee, and how the goods and/or services relate to the accomplishment of specific project objectives.

All procurement transactions for the acquisition of goods and/or services required under a federal award must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the federal procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. § 200.319 (Competition.) and 2 C.F.R. §200.320 (Methods of procurement to be followed). Applicants must follow their documented procurement procedures which reflect applicable state, local, and tribal laws, and regulations. These procedures must also conform to applicable Federal laws, regulations and the standards identified in 2 C.F.R § 200.318. Applicants must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors and sub-awardees perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their legal agreement. For additional guidance, refer to 2 C.F.R. § 200.318 through 2 C.F.R. § 200.327 on Procurement Standards.

List participant support costs (e.g., training, clothing, etc.) and provide clear and specific detail, including costs and quantity, for each item so that we can review factors affecting allowability of costs as discussed in 2 C.F.R. § 200.403. Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, participant support costs means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.

Item Cost Per Unit Quantity Cost Per Month % Charged to HVRP Total Justification of Costs (max 2,620 characters including spaces; users may adjust row height manually to display full text)

List items or expenses not covered in other budget line-items, and provide specific details including the costs and quantity, for each item. Show the basis for the calculations – breakdown costs into the cost per unit or month (e.g., cost per square foot, cost per participant etc.).

Item Cost Per Unit Quantity Cost Per Month % Charged to HVRP Total Justification of Costs (max 2,620 characters including spaces; users may adjust row height manually to display full text)

j. Indirect Costs:

Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 indirect (facilities and administrative (F&A)) costs are costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective, and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. To facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served, it may be necessary to establish several pools of indirect (F&A) costs.

Include the type of rate or agreement (e.g., Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement (NICRA), Cost Allocation Plan (CAP), or the de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC)), the total approved base (if applicable), and the approved rate (if applicable).

If using a NICRA, in the Justification of Costs section, provide an explanation of how the indirect costs are calculated. This explanation should include which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your allocation base.

If using the de minimis rate of 10% of MTDC, in the Justification of Costs section, provide an explanation of which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your allocation base. Note that there are various items not included in the calculation of MTDC, see 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for specific exclusions.

If using a CAP, in the Justification of Costs section, provide estimated indirect costs based on your approved allocation methodology.

Leveraged Resources:

The HVRP grant program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. However, the Budget Narrative should include a section describing any leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities. DOL/VETS considers any resources contributed to the project, beyond the funds provided by the agency, as leveraged resources. Applicants are encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden and sustain the impact of the project itself. The Budget Narrative should provide a description of the leveraged resources provided to support grant activities, the specific activities they will cover, the way they will support HVRP goals and the funding source. Valuation of leveraged resources follows the same requirements as matching funds.

Description of Leveraged Resources (max 3,225 characters including spaces)

**DOL/VETS does not allow the purchase of construction, motor vehicles, buildings, or land.

Budget Narrative Template

If charging indirect costs in Section J of the SF-424A. Indirect Charges, ensure costs are not duplicated under any of the direct costs categories. Costs must not be duplicated or inconsistently charged; costs must be charged as either indirect or direct costs, but not both.

The Budget Narrative must include a justification for all proposed costs and align with the SF-424A and the estimated funding amount in the SF-424 (Section 18). The Budget Narrative must be consistent with and support the activities, resources, staff, and other items described in the project narrative.

To add more rows or space to any budget line-item, select the “Add” button to the right of the field.

List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed) and provide the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant. Do not list positions that will be covered under Indirect Costs. Grant recipients that charge Personnel positions among multiple HVRP grants cannot exceed 100 percent FTE collectively among potential and active grants.

Provide information on the rate of fringe benefits used and the basis for the calculation. If not using a fringe benefits rate, itemize how the fringe benefits amount is computed in the Justification of Costs section.

Travel costs include the transportation, lodging, subsistence, and related items incurred by employees who are in travel status on official business of the recipient or subrecipient. These costs may be charged on an actual cost basis, on a per diem or mileage basis, or on a combination of the two, provided the method used is applied to an entire trip and not to selected days of the trip. The method used must be consistent with those normally allowed in like circumstances in the recipient’s or subrecipient’s other activities and in accordance with the recipient’s or subrecipient’s established written policies. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 200.444, travel costs of officials covered by that section are allowable with the prior written approval of the Federal agency or passthrough entity when they are specifically related to the Federal award. Travel for participants (e.g., travel stipends for program participants) should be specifically itemized and placed in the Other category.

Include the basis of computation (e.g., six people to three-day training at $X airfare, $X lodging, $X subsistence) for each travel expense. Specify the purpose, location (e.g., location or whether in-state or out-of-state), type of expense (select from dropdown), basis (e.g., round-trip, day/night, mileage, etc.), cost or cost and quantity (e.g., number of nights or miles), number of staff traveling, and number of trips for each type of travel.

In the Justification of Costs section, describe the purpose of each travel expenditure in reference to the project objectives. Applicants/ grant recipients must provide a justification for travel expenditures that exceed 10 percent of the one-year budget.

NOTE: Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.475(a), applicants/ grant recipients must have policies in place related to travel costs.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, means tangible means tangible personal property (including information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost that equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the recipient or subrecipient for financial statement purposes, or $10,000. Items with a unit cost of less than $10,000 are supplies, not “equipment.” DOL/VETS does not allow the purchase of motor vehicles, buildings, or land.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, means all tangible personal property other than those described in the equipment definition. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is below the lesser of the capitalization level established by the recipient or subrecipient for financial statement purposes or $10,000, regardless of the length of its useful life.

Applicants/ grant recipients must list the items by type of supply (e.g., training materials, desktop computer, laptop, projector, etc.), cost per unit, quantity, or cost per month if rented or leased.

Note: subscription services such as cellular phone service or internet service are not tangible and must be listed in Other. Cost allocations for supplies that are not broken down by individual item in the narrative must document the methodology used in determining the amount allocated for this line item, per 2 C.F.R. § 200.405(d). Note: Supplies for participants should be placed in the “Other” line item.

Describe contracts and subawards separately. The term contracts is defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 and means, for the purpose of Federal financial assistance, a legal instrument by which a recipient or subrecipient conducts procurement transactions under a Federal award. Contractor means an entity that receives a contract. Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to contribute to the goals and objectives of the project by carrying out part of the Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

For each contract or subaward, list the purpose, goods and/or services to be provided, and the amount. In the Justification of Costs section, describe the goods and/or services to be provided by each contractor or sub-awardee and how the goods and/or services relate to the accomplishment of specific project objectives.

Participant Support Costs:

Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1. participant support costs mean direct costs that support participants and their involvement in a Federal award, such as stipends, subsistence allowances, travel allowances, registration fees, temporary dependent care, and per diem paid directly to or on behalf of participants.

A participant support cost is allowed only when incurred to enable the eligible veteran’s participation in HVRP services and must be tied to a specific HVRP service. It is not meant to cover all the participant’s needs. A participant support cost must be reasonable and necessary to help the participant engage in services and activities related to the employment plan. A participant support cost should not duplicate a service a participant receives from another program (i.e., federal, state, local programs). For specific guidance on Participant Support Costs, please see VPL 06-24 HVRP Requirements and Functions or the most current guidance on this topic.

List items or expenses not covered in other budget line items and provide specific details including the costs and quantity for each item. Show the basis for the calculations—break down costs into the cost per unit or rate (e.g., cost per square foot, cost per participant, etc.).

Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, Indirect cost means those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. It may be necessary to establish multiple pools of indirect costs to facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served. Indirect cost pools must be distributed to benefitted cost objectives on basis that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived.

Include the type of rate or agreement (e.g., Negotiated Indirect Costs Rate Agreement [NICRA], Cost Allocation Plan [CAP], or the de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified total direct costs [MTDC]), the total approved base (if applicable), and the approved rate (if applicable).

If using a NICRA, in the Justification of Costs section, provide an explanation of how the indirect costs are calculated. This explanation should include which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your allocation base.

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Regarding the de minimis rate, applicants/grant recipients and subrecipients that do not have a current Federal negotiated indirect cost rate (including provisional rate) may elect to charge a de minimis rate of up to 15 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC). The recipient or subrecipient is authorized to determine the appropriate rate up to this limit, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. §200.414(f). Additionally, applicants/ grant recipients and subrecipients are not required to use the de minimis rate. If using the de minimis rate of 15 percent of MTDC, in the Justification of Costs section, provide an explanation of which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your allocation base. Note that there are various items not included in the calculation of MTDC.

Per 2 C.F.R.§ 100, MTDC means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs, and the portion of each subaward more than $50,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

If using a CAP, in the Justification of Costs section, provide estimated indirect costs based on your approved allocation methodology.

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Applicants/recipients must demonstrate that costs are allowable (2 C.F.R. § 200.403). In other words, costs must be necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award and must be allocable under the cost principles in 2 C.F.R § 200 Subpart E. A cost is “necessary” if it meets a program objective and is necessary and reasonable for the performance of the HVRP. A cost is “reasonable” if it meets the “prudent person” standard (2 C.F.R. § 200.404). See section IV.B.2.a of the FOA for additional requirements for the budget narrative. Shared costs among multiple programs or projects should be proportionate: (ex. Program Manager who works HVRP 20% of the time, the amount charged to HVRP for items such as the Program Manager's cell phone or laptop, would be cost shared among the other programs).

If charging indirect costs in Section J. Indirect Charges, ensure costs are not duplicated under any of the direct costs categories. Costs must not be duplicated or inconsistently charged, costs must be charged as either indirect or direct costs.

The Budget Narrative must include a justification for all proposed costs and align with the SF-424A and the estimated funding amount in the SF-424 (Section 18). The Budget Narrative must be consistent with and support the activities, resources, staff, and other items described in the project narrative.

To add more rows or space to any budget line-item, select the “Add” button to the right of the field.

a. Personnel:

List all staff positions (including individuals hired by an employment contract) by title (both current and proposed) and provide the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant. Do not list positions that will be covered under Indirect Costs.

In the Justification of Costs section, include the corresponding roles and responsibilities for each position.

b. Fringe Benefits:

Provide information on the rate of fringe benefits used and the basis for the calculation. If not using a fringe benefits rate, itemize how the fringe benefits amount is computed in the Justification of Costs section.

Fringe benefits may be in the form of employer contributions or expenses for FICA (Social Security and Medicare tax), employee life, health, unemployment, worker's compensation insurance, paid absences, and other similar reasonable and allowable benefits as required by law, organization – employee agreement, or established written policies of the applicant/recipient organization per 2 C.F.R § 200.431. Fringe benefits are for the personnel listed in budget category (a) and are only for the percentage of time devoted to the project.

c. Travel (for grant recipient staff only):

Travel costs are allowable as expenses by employees who are in travel status on official business/project-related travel. Itemize travel expenses of personnel by purpose (e.g., staff training, field interviews, advisory group meeting, etc.) and include funds to cover travel to DOL-sponsored training events such as the annual post-award conference, professional conference, and/or any other offered trainings. Travel for participants (e.g., travel stipends for program participants) should be specifically itemized and placed in the Other category.

Include the basis of computation (e.g., six people to 3-day training at $X airfare, $X lodging, $X subsistence) for each travel expense. Specify the purpose, location (e.g., location or whether in-state or out-of-state), type of expense (select from dropdown), basis (e.g., round-trip, day/night, mileage, etc.), cost or cost and quantity (e.g., number of nights or miles), number of staff traveling, and number of trips for each type of travel.

In the Justification of Costs section, describe the purpose of each travel expenditure in reference to the project objectives. Applicants must provide a justification for travel expenditures that exceed 10 percent of the one-year budget.

NOTE: Per 2 C.F.R § 200.475(a), applicants must have policies in place related to travel costs. In the absence of an established travel policies, applicants/recipients must comply with the Federal travel regulations (48 C.F.R. § 31.205-46(a)), most easily accessible via the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) website, see 2 C.F.R § 200.475. For reimbursement on a mileage basis, the HVRP grant program cannot be charged more than the maximum allowable mileage reimbursement rates authorized for Federal employees. Mileage rates must be checked annually at GSA’s Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Mileage Reimbursement Rates webpage to ensure compliance.

d. Equipment:

Per 2 C.F.R. §200.1, equipment is an item of tangible, non-expendable, personal property (including information technology systems – means computing devices, ancillary equipment, software, and firmware etc.) having a useful life of more than one year AND an acquisition cost of at least $5,000 per unit or more regardless of the non-Federal entity’s capitalization threshold.

List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. In the Justification of Costs section, describe the need for the equipment, i.e., explain how the use of each item of equipment is related to the implementation of the required/approved activities to achieve the specific project objectives. List expendable items or materials in Supplies. Generally, DOL/VETS does not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the award.

e. Supplies:

Per 2 C.F.R. §200.1, supplies are items that cost less than $5,000 per unit and often have a one-time use, that is, materials which are expendable or consumed during the performance of the federal award. A computing device is a supply if the acquisition cost is less than the lesser of the capitalization level established by the organization for financial statement purposes or $5,000, regardless of the length of its useful life.

List the items by type of supply (e.g., training materials, desktop computer, laptop, projector etc.), cost per unit, quantity, or cost per month. Note: subscription services such as cellular phone service or internet service are not tangible and must be listed in Other.

For each item or cost, include an adequate justification in the Justification of Costs section.

f. Contractual:

Describe contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 as a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity purchases goods or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award. A subaward, defined by 2 C.F.R. § 200.1, means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a federal program.

For each contract or subaward, list the purpose, goods and/or services to be provided, and the amount. In the Justification of Costs section, describe the goods and/or services to be provided by each contractor or sub-awardee, and how the goods and/or services relate to the accomplishment of specific project objectives.

All procurement transactions for the acquisition of goods and/or services required under a federal award must be conducted in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the federal procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. § 200.319 (Competition.) and 2 C.F.R. §200.320 (Methods of procurement to be followed). Applicants must follow their documented procurement procedures which reflect applicable state, local, and tribal laws, and regulations. These procedures must also conform to applicable Federal laws, regulations and the standards identified in 2 C.F.R § 200.318. Applicants must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors and sub-awardees perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their legal agreement. For additional guidance, refer to 2 C.F.R. § 200.318 through 2 C.F.R. § 200.327 on Procurement Standards.