BIA-LLGP-2023-OIED.pdf

4337-15-P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[2341A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]

Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP); Solicitation of Proposals

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Table of Contents A. Program Description

A1. Authority A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

B. Federal Award Information B1. Total Funding B2. Expected Award Amount B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates B4. Number of Awards B5. Type of Award

C. Eligibility Information C1. Eligible Applicants C2. Cost Sharing or Matching C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information D1. Address to Request Application Package D2. Content and Form of Application Submission D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) D4. Submission Dates and Times D5. Intergovernmental Review D6. Funding Restrictions D7. Other Submission Requirements

E. Application Review Information E1. Criteria E2. Review and Selection Process E3. CFR – Regulatory Information E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information F1. Federal Award Notices F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) G1. Program Technical Contact G2. Program Administration Contact G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description

A1. Authority This is a competitive discretionary grant program authorized under the Snyder Act (25 U.S.C.

13) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (PL 117-164). The Snyder Act authorizes the BIA to expend such monies as Congress may appropriate for the benefit, care, and assistance of Indians for the purposes listed in the Act. The LLGP grants facilitate one of the purposes listed in the Snyder Act: “General support and civilization, including education.” The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, authorizes the BIA to “carry out the operation of Indian programs by direct expenditure, contracts, cooperative agreements, compacts, and grants, either directly or in cooperation with States and other organizations.”

Further, the Conference Report specifies, the agreement continues $5,676,000 for grants to federally recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to provide native language instruction and immersion programs to Native students not enrolled at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, including those Tribes and organizations in states without Bureau-funded schools. The Secretary or their designee will make the final determination on all grant awardees.

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements It is very important to thoroughly review this Full Announcement to fully understand how to apply for a LLGP grant. Please utilize our Technical Assistance, provided by Tribal Tech, which can be requested via their in-take form:

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=98a8ecfd0f3d452693e589c6a0a678d8

Background The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, through the Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED), solicits proposals from eligible entities for LLGP grants. Indian Tribes are referred to using the term “Tribe” throughout this notice, see Section C. Eligibility Information. While only eligible Indian Tribes or Tribal Organizations may apply for LLGP grants, grantees may select or retain for-profit or non-profit Tribal Organizations to perform a grant’s scope of work for grant funding to support Tribal programs to revitalize and restore Native languages and build Tribal capacity to create or expand language immersion programs.

The two previously funded LLGP grant offerings focused on small or start-up programs whose objective was to document or build capacity to preserve Native languages losing users, but which still had active users at the grandparent generation. The LLGP had sought to document, preserve, and revitalize languages used for face-to-face communication; languages that could be used by a child-bearing generation, but were not being transmitted to children; languages whose only active users were members of the grandparent generation or older but who had little opportunity to use them; and languages that served as a reminder of heritage identity for an ethnic community, but which lacked proficient speakers.

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/publish?EQBCT=98a8ecfd0f3d452693e589c6a0a678d8

Currently, there has been a shift in Native federal policy toward approaching language revitalization at a long-term level commitment as a key component of a comprehensive approach to revitalize Native communities. A U.S. federal draft framework for a 10-year National Plan on Native Language Revitalization (10-year Plan) has been released with a full plan to be released later. The framework is built upon four foundational pillars:

• Awareness – Creating national awareness of the importance of Native languages.

• Recognition – Policy recognition of the U.S. policies to eradicate Native languages and the need to devote resources toward Native language revitalization.

• Integration – Determine ways to integrate Native languages into mainstream society and federal policy.

• Support – Identify and increase funding for Native language revitalization.

This solicitation is based upon the draft framework and incorporates a Native language revitalization ecosystem approach and recommendations from Tribes and Native language revitalization practitioners. In a climate that is confronted with a global pandemic, boarding school reports and the accelerated loss of elder first language speakers, the need to look forward and prioritize Native language revitalization has never been greater.

OIED has historically offered grant program solicitations in a broad format to meet the individual and unique Tribal needs, as well as at their capacity. The draft 10-year Plan includes Planning Principles that mirror those initiatives, recognizing there is not a one size fits all approach, and that Native communities have the solutions to their own challenges. This LLGP solicitation provides broad program requirements that incorporate some structured guidance but still provides maximum flexibility and responsiveness to the various needs of each individual Tribal community. Various sections of the 10-year Plan will be threaded throughout this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

FY 2023 LLGP “All-Of-Community” This Fiscal Year 2023 LLGP cohort will focus on providing funding for Native language immersion projects to support a cohesive Tribal community approach through collaborative instruction based on current language immersion models. The LLGP expands on the knowledge obtained from previous federally funded language projects, existing language immersion success traits, and from current subject matter experts who are at the front of the language revitalization efforts. The structure of this solicitation was derived directly from the various inputs provided by those leaders in the communities who offered their time and experiences to help formulate certain success parameters into a project framework.

The LLGP’s objective is the development of a language immersion program that is implemented with measures and means for long-term sustainability success. As evident in the increased award amounts and project terms, Indian Affairs (IA) has allowed for continuity by single source funding to address a full spectrum of needs through a multi-year grant.

https://www.bia.gov/sites/default/files/dup/inline-files/framework_for_10yr_national_plan.pdf

The following sections on Project Structure and Parameters are suggested to be used as a guide toward supporting a cohesive Tribal community approach language immersion program.

Whereas each proposal will tackle their community’s own distinctive needs and have the freedom to provide for that flexibility, the methods outlined in the proposal should demonstrate the same level of Tribal community cohesion and depth. The application should show quality and descriptiveness in the details and provide a clear concept & program compliant design.

The following sections will outline the “all-of-community” structure by which the LLGP will solicit applications from tribes and Tribal Organizations interested in language immersion projects, the evaluation of applications received, and the criteria by which the applications will be competitively reviewed:

1. Identification and Implementation of an Immersion Model

1.1 Known Model Baselines

1.2 Breadth of Plan

2. Full Time Employees (FTEs) and Resource Allocations

2.1 Direct Hiring

2.2 FTE Allocation

2.3 Strategic Planning

2.4 Workforce Development

3. Collaborations

3.1 Education, Certification and Designation

3.2 Community, Family Members and Elders

3.3 Cultural and Religious Leadership

3.4 Health and Social Services

3.5 Stakeholders and Public Relations

3.6 Food Sovereignty and Food as Medicine

4. Additional Activities

5. Objectives, Milestones, Timelines

1. Identification and Implementation of an Immersion Model Language Immersion by most linguists and language educators is defined as “instruction through full immersion in the secondary target language (Native language) where the primary language (English) is used at a bare minimum, if ever.” This is recognized as the preferred method to promote the learning and retention of that language during those instructional periods. This becomes problematic when there are no first language speakers remaining, the language is extremely endangered or lost, or the lack of infrastructure to provide physical space to provide the language immersion successfully is limited where there are remaining speakers.

Many Indigenous populations from Alaska to Florida are now learning English as their first and primary language, and Native “heritage” languages are now secondary languages or not learned at all. Thus, the LLGP will be a critical asset by providing diverse levels of educational language instruction. The LLGP provides an innovative way to promote capacity building to establish a new language immersion program or continue to build on existing programming that fits each applicant’s particular needs. It will allow for the implementation of educational techniques where the secondary Native language is acquired with the needed instruction from the primary English language as a base or reference. No model is preferred over the other with success and rigor being emphasized. Each application will approach immersion in whichever format is appropriate and effective towards a sustainable foundation. An identified model should provide supporting data, documentation, milestones and timelines to establish obtainable goals towards the sustainable language program addressing the unique needs of the particular language group. Whichever model may be a function of baseline data such as language fluency surveys or community outreach to be implemented into a program with known success rates.

As any Native language revitalization and reclamation endeavor must be multidimensional and interdisciplinary in nature, so must the implemented model be “all-of-community.” The model should encompass and interconnect the Tribal community needs by addressing:

• Agriculture

• Art & Culture

• Conservation

• Economic development

• Education

• Healthcare

• Job training

• Public safety

Additionally, Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and Native languages are intrinsically bound to one another. Successful grant applications will weave IK into all facets of programming.

1.1 Known Model Baselines

There is a wealth of data from various resource guides, comprehensive studies, research on educational attainment and evidence-based approaches, and research on native language retention and revitalization that supports some well-known immersion models. Any model selected among known frameworks will naturally be tailored towards addressing the “all-of-community” approach for the language community. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Language Nests (Hawai’ian Nest, Māori Model, etc.)

• Dual Language Immersion (90:10, 50:50, etc.)

• Methods (Silent Way, Master Apprentice, etc.)

• Models (Montessori, Waldorf, etc.)

Any model should be considered a starting point as it begins to address the unique needs of the Tribal community. Associated reference materials may assist in the formal and informal learning plans as they add to a holistic language community learning environment. Materials may include dictionaries, song collections, grammar handbooks, mobile apps, computer programs, books, etc. Apart from integrating immersion types (systems, spatial, empathic/social, narrative/sequential) the model must integrate age ranges, grade levels, care-givers, staff, collaborations, social programs and additional activities (formal and informal).

1.2 Breadth of Plan

Regardless of beliefs and cultural identities, all native people recognize the critical formative years in children from 0 to 5 years which often starts from the womb. A breadth of plan for language immersion should include detailed plans for all age groups, which may include, but not limited to:

• Early Childhood – Pre-birth/Birth to 5 years. Includes all education not limited to daycare, pre-school, early Head Start, etc.

• Elementary – Kindergarten through 5th Grade

• Middle and High School – 6th Grade through 12th Grade

• Post-Secondary and Adult Learning – College/University through Adulthood through entire lifetime.

• Distance Learners

Each group may share in the utilization of sequenced curriculum, as well as the development of pedagogical materials. Every Tribal community will address their own needs that may determine why and how to combine different group segments. Certain societal and religious factors may design the learning of key tribal language information as appropriate.

Given limited resources, successful applications will demonstrate that programming for every age group will be provided. More specifically, specialization and focus within a plan should describe how a particular program is planning to address every age group, is conscious of a gap in programming for a particular age group or touches upon these age groups through enhancement activities. These efforts could be accomplished through an anchor program such as a language immersion school.

2. Full Time Employees (FTEs) and Resource Allocations Applicants implementing a Native language program should demonstrate they have qualified and vetted staff with the necessary licensing and experience of operating and administering a Native American language immersion program. Commitment letters of core staff which if awarded should fill those roles identified in the application per industry standards (30-60 days, etc.).

2.1 Direct Hiring

FTEs or allocation of FTEs may also be directly charged to the grant. LLGP funding will allow for competitive retainment of personnel through the 3-year duration of the project, as demonstrated as necessary and reasonable with compensation that is commensurate to similar industry standards. All recipients must comply with applicable federal, tribal, or state laws with respect to criminal history record checks and clearances on child abuse, neglect and sex offender registries. Key personnel should be identified for each role and responsibility they will provide in the program.

2.2 FTE Allocation

Particular attention should be placed on the various roles and responsibilities that each FTE will oversee, overlap and cross-train. There should not be individuals saddled with multiple responsibilities that will bottleneck the project continuity in the event they are unavailable.

Maximum distribution of roles and activities within the program group are key to avoid personnel “wearing too many hats.” The program must start immediately under a team approach, who all add their collective talents and roles/responsibilities to the team and wellness factor. Identification of the organization for the personnel descriptions, role justification, resumes, estimated salary & fringe, etc., will be required for roles such as, but not limited to:

• Grant Point of Contact (Programmatic and Financial)

• Facilitator(s)

• Administrator(s)

• Teacher(s)

• Curriculum Designer(s)

• Reclamation Coordinator(s)

• Parents & Caregivers

• Elders

• Tribal Leaders

• Other Needed FTEs – Religious, Cultural, Education, Spiritual, etc.

Hiring and training are important aspects to identify FTEs. Hiring must follow organization policies and procedures following verified hiring practices. Teacher training and professional development should be made available as an important factor in revitalization efforts and in addressing staff retainment challenges fostering a successful, sustainable program.

As with any learning program, the development and implementation of rigorous standards at all group levels is critical to ensuring Tribal community learning programs implement effective learning in and out of the Tribal community. The language program will routinely develop and utilize assessment materials and methodologies critical to continued success.

Certain communities may benefit from the advances of current and emerging technologies that can add to the language initiatives. It is acknowledged that some communities may have religious restrictions that would prohibit certain technology involvement.

2.3 Strategic Planning

Key personnel may work in conjunction with other funded programs (federal, state, private, etc.) due to scarcity in the Tribal community of individuals who can fulfill the necessary language needs. Every community has the right to implement strategic language revitalization plans that align with government, schools, NGOs and the community at large. Each applicant will demonstrate a clear distinction between LLGP program goals, compensation, and roles & responsibilities, and that of any other program they may be involved.

While there can be no duplication of efforts, co-mingling of funding resources, or double-dipping, there may be allocation of FTE resources that can satisfy personnel involvement in other programs without violating the regulation and policy of each entity. Project goals, funds and reporting mechanisms must be independent of other language resources with no co-mingling of assets. Assurances and confirmation of this may be required. While each program in the community has their own, unique goals, revitalization of the language is the mission that can unite and maximize the effectiveness of every available language teacher.

2.4 Workforce Development

The development and hiring of FTEs is critical to fulfill the language immersion goals. Various areas of support may also be considered from the Tribal community at large to encourage the community engagement and reinforcement. Workforce development can encompass a wide range of creative means to harness community buy in, contribute to the language being use outside of the classroom, and provide for learning across age groups.

Parent(s) and caregiver(s) are particularly encouraged, if not be required, that they be directly connected to the program with the child in every way possible. Ideally, the entirely family would be involved in the program towards being language learners and advocates. Building capacity involves incorporating all the different immediate and extended family structure as it relates to the society.

Compensation and volunteer arrangements can be made in a variety of different ways to involve the community members, particularly that of the young learner nucleus. This may include, but not limited to, designs for cleaning staff, maintenance and facilities, teacher support, grounds keepers, cultural guides, religious heads, and community leaders.

3. Collaborations Collaboration is the cornerstone of every successful program. Retaining language immersion learners, vital FTEs, associated networks and Tribal community engagement start by addressing barriers often associated within structured learning. The applications submitted for LLGP funding consideration must provide the necessary demonstration of established partnerships as well as the outreach support towards anticipated collaborations. Regulatory limitations (see D6.

Funding Restrictions) per the OIED grant program and 2 CFR 200, may restrict extensive travel, food as a budget item, and large-scale fund allocation proposals.

Collaboration may also extend (sometimes must) to the other federally funded language programs in the community. While it is imperative that there is no overlap or duplication of federal funds, it is also important not to compete on mission or project goals. Project goals, funds and reporting mechanisms must be independent of other language resources with no comingling of funds/assets, however, approaching language immersion at a community-wide level will include the concert of other language efforts.

Each community will develop their own approach, collaborate with language-family organizations, and build upon strengths that many times will not be a one single approach.

Covering many facets may entail aspects of educational sovereignty, collaborating with BIE operated schools, Department of Education, and participating in innovative projects.

3.1 Education, Certification and Designation

Appropriate training and professional development should be available which may include acquiring specific teaching certificates and designations. Maintaining a high level of education standards entails utilizing individuals with the necessary language skills. In addition, the training should include the development and growth of those individuals over the long run. The sustainability of the program beyond the grant term will require staff retainment of these highly effective individuals. Participation may include national Native language efforts for instruction, certification, designation, continuing education, and attendance at workshops and conferences.

3.2 Community, Family Members and Elders

The Breadth of Plan will indicate the various segments the Tribal community may wish to provide as a structured focus. Models have shown the inclusion of the Parent(s), Guardian(s) and Caregiver(s) of the younger segments is crucial to carrying the learning into the home. The Workforce Development will provide ways to harness relative strengths and needed assistance to thread those nucleus members to a level of engagement and ownership. Every effort should be made to include those important influencers.

The community elders must be identified as contributors to the program, regardless of their position in the relative front or the center. Undeniably, the elders in the community incorporate the language into the culture and depth of the language application. They are the natural keepers of culture, religious observance, and leadership. The program must connect with the elders as an anchor in the system to place them in a valued role to share their knowledge.

Elders are mentors to all, allowing them to lead and be the backbones of the program. Every effort shall be made for their inclusion, as well as providing support with any technological challenges.

3.3 Cultural and Religious Leadership

Many Tribal communities will require the involvement of cultural, religious, clan, societal, medicine, etc., members depending on the structure of the Tribe. While it is very beneficial and encouraged, it is not a mandatory component across all applications. The involvement of societal groups should be dictated by the community at large, with the program mission indicated how and when to include them.

The language usage and understanding of those cultural and historical components can help to cross pollinate the language revitalization mission. Cultural activities like prayer and conversations attend to the family well-being as a priority. Putting those relationships first, helping community members as individuals will benefit the youngest language learners on multiple levels.

3.4 Health and Social Services

As it is well known throughout Indian Country, Native Americans have the highest death rates from causes such as alcoholism, diabetes, and homicides than other Americans. Funding and resources to address this barrier and unmet need are scarce. The language program will provide networking partnerships and collaborations to address many periodic social hurdles of the language learners. The opportunities for the program to harness the social worker expertise when the learners and families encounter loss of jobs, addiction, abuse, illness, mental health, etc., will strengthen those community connections.

Native communities are being challenged to address many hurdles from economic depression, addiction and substance abuse, mental health, broadband connectivity digital divides, food scarcity, employment, and COVID-19 impacts. The longer duration of this grant term, combined with the involvement of many members of the community, will strive to address these social issues at the ground level. The language program can look at these instances as opportunities to provide help and support for individuals and families where the motivation to accept help may have previously not been experienced.

3.5 Stakeholders and Public Relations

The immersion program will collaborate with systems already in place as well as develop new systems as the community buy-in and ownership grows. Publicity and outreach among the community members through social networks, media, traditional media, and involvement in community events will add to the visual recognition of the program. The development of those initiatives will help build upon future language immersion growth.

3.6 Food Sovereignty and Food as Medicine

There has been a resurgence in Native Food revitalization to connect our Native People back to traditional and sustainable food practices. These healthier food options are being cultivated across Tribal communities that impact all segments of age and society levels. Language immersion may hold valuable implementation of those strategies as it builds a collaborative approach of the language to every area of the community structure. Food as medicine strategies, like language, can be best rooted when they are implemented at early ages.

Collaborative opportunities with local Native food enterprises will have life-long residuals.

4. Additional Activities Additional activities to utilize the language outside of the classroom is imperative towards fluency in the Tribal community. “Stealing back time” and learning through the language reinforces the learning process as the community is bombarded with social media, applications and predominant English-speaking forums. Activities in the language, through the language, as a function of daily life should be implemented as the opportunities are available. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Traditional craft creation and utilization that are culturally driven and done in the language.

• Social get-togethers corresponding to seasonal, holiday and cultural observances.

• Sports and Team oriented associations that are done exclusively in the language.

• Production of videos, phone apps, digital resources that can steal time back while they are away from the immersion area. This will help infiltrate the home unit.

• The recording and documenting of language related recordings. An invaluable resource to record stories, commands, etc.

• Language activities centered around food cultivation, food preparation, diet, wellness, etc., that the language will root itself for years and generations to come.

Regulatory limitations (see Section D6. Funding Restrictions) per the OIED grant program and 2 CFR 200, may restrict extensive travel, food as a budget item, and large-scale fund allocation ideas. The applicant should be mindful of the language mission focus as a priority and paramount to any activities that may be too onerous. However, the ability to explore alternative methods in the community to expose the language to all is an opportunity worth exploring.

5. Objectives, Milestones, Timelines and Work Plan Appropriate timelines and reporting activities identified should correlate with the overall mission and intent of the program to create a “Native language immersion projects that support a cohesive community approach through collaborative instruction based on current language immersion models.” Each immersion grant awarded will differ from any other as each uniquely addresses their challenges and barriers towards an “all-of-community” approach. Objective goals should center around addressing the components of Sections A2, D2, D7 and E of this NOFO solicitation.

The project will be limited to a maximum of three measurable project objectives for the entire 3-year period. These must be measurable language immersion objectives that track goal achievements across the grant term at identified milestones in one-year increments. While the objectives and milestones are at full-term and at one-year segments, reporting capabilities will be at 6-month intervals (see Section F3. Reporting). Funding will be made annually and based on the identified budget plans for the 3-year term. The milestones and timelines should base measurable accomplishments to be reported annually.

There will be a variation of an Objective Work Plan that will be utilized for the reporting function of the program, which will be vetted through Office of Management and Budget. In the absence of an official form, any objective work plan may be utilized. Each applicant has the freedom to incorporate their own objectives, milestones/outcomes and timelines into an objective work plan that provides for the best demonstration of those elements throughout the term(s) of the grant. The project objectives must identify the timeline approach to the annual milestones. The key elements of the project objectives and milestones can incorporate desirable age segment outputs and outcomes, staff growth and responsibilities, collaborative and networking creations, additional activities as appropriate, and timeframes for the completion of each activity. The actual work plan objective and milestone approach should complement those mission parameters stated in the project narrative and be supported consistency throughout the application. The actual work-plan should identify how (through key activities), when (by established timeframes for key activities), and by whom (staff responsible for activity completion) the project will be implemented, tracked, time-limited and completed within the grant term(s).

The application objectives can also thread various sections of the application sections and project criteria to include networking and collaborative associations to address additional future funding for the immersion program. Sustainability of the program beyond the scope and funding of this grant award should be a priority from the very beginning.

Applicant Procurement Procedures The applicant is subject to the procurement standards under 2 CFR 200.318 through 200.326.

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.318, an applicant must use its own documented procurement procedures which reflect Tribal laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to applicable Federal law and standards identified in Part 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Limitations LLGP grant funding must be expended in accordance with applicable federal statutory and regulatory requirements, including 2 CFR part 200. As part of the grant application review process, OIED may conduct a review of an applicant's prior OIED grant(s). Applicants currently under BIA sanction Level 2 or higher resulting from noncompliance with the Single Audit Act are ineligible for a LLGP grants. Applicants at Sanction Level 1 will be considered for funding.

Only one application will be accepted from an eligible Tribe or Tribal Organization.

Applications should address one project and any submissions that contain multiple project proposals will not be considered.

Ineligible and Incomplete Applications Applicants that do not satisfy the definition of Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations, as defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) (25 U.S.C. 5304), including Tribal Consortia, will be considered ineligible for LLGP funding and the application will not be reviewed.

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Eligible applicants that do not submit a complete application (see Section D. Application and Submission Information) will be considered incomplete for LLGP funding and the application will not be reviewed.

Please ensure that all forms, sections, mandatory components and supporting documentation as listed in this announcement are completed and submitted in grants.gov. These grants will be funded under a non-recurring appropriation of the BIA budget. Congress appropriates funds on a year-to-year basis. Thus, while the LLGP projects may extend over several years, funding for successive years depends on each fiscal year’s appropriations. OIED administers this program through its Division of Economic Development (DED). The funding periods and amounts referenced in this solicitation are subject to the availability of funds at the time of award, as well as the DOI and Indian Affairs priorities at the time of the award. Neither DOI nor Indian Affairs will be held responsible for proposal or application preparation costs. Publication of this solicitation does not obligate DOI or Indian Affairs to award any specific grant or to obligate all or any part of available funds. Future funding is subject to the availability of appropriations and cannot be guaranteed. DOI or Indian Affairs may cancel or withdraw this solicitation at any time.

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $5,676,000

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award $300,000, annual funding Minimum Award $250,000, annual funding Term 3-year term

OIED anticipates awarding approximately 18 to 22 grants under this announcement ranging in value from approximately $250,000 to $300,000 in annual funding. LLGP awards will remain active for a three-year period of performance. OIED will use a competitive evaluation process for awarding based on criteria described in Section E. Application Review Information of this notice. Only one application will be accepted from an eligible Tribe. LLGP funding is intended for immersion projects that can provide a “all-of-community” language program with measurable outcomes which will be achieved within the proposed period of performance.

No project shall be funded that has comparable activities previously carried out under other federal assistance.

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates Anticipated Award Date October 30, 2023

B4. Number of Awards Expected Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type G - Grant

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 11 – Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) 07 – Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

Eligibility for Funding The Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs, through OIED, is soliciting proposals from eligible applicants. Eligible applicants are Indian Tribes and Tribal Organizations, as defined in Section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) (25 U.S.C. 5304), including Tribal Consortia. Eligible applicants may select or retain for-profit or non-profit Tribal Organizations to perform a grant’s scope of work for grant funding to support Tribal programs to create or expand a language immersion program. The LLGP will exclude as grantees BIE schools and BIE-funded schools or programs targeting students enrolled in those schools.

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C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement No

C3. Other Excluded Parties: BIA conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. BIA cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package The required method of submitting proposals is through Grants.gov. For information on how to apply for grants in Grants.gov, see the instructions available at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/HowToApplyForGrants.htm. Proposals must be submitted to Grants.gov by the deadline established, no later than 5 p.m. EST, as indicated in Sections B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates and E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission The mandatory components, and forms identified below, must be included in the proposal package. Links to the mandatory forms can be found under the “package” tab on the LLGP FY 2023 grant opportunity page at Grants.gov. Any information in the possession of the BIA or submitted to the BIA throughout the process, including final work product, constitutes government records and may be subject to disclosure to third parties under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, and the Department of the Interior’s FOIA regulations at 43 CFR part 2, unless a FOIA exemption or exception applies, or other provisions of law protect the information.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/HowToApplyForGrants.htm http://www.grants.gov/

The Applicant is responsible to confirm that all mandatory documents have been properly uploaded and submitted within the Grants.gov system before the deadline. Following are the names of the required forms:

• 1. Cover Page

• 2. Cover Letter

• 3. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) [V4.0]

• 4. Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) [V1.0]

• 5. Project Abstract Summary [V2.0]

Project Narrative Attachment Form [V1.2]

• 6. Budget Narrative

Line-Item Budget

• 7. Attachments [V1.2]

• 8. Key Contacts [V2.0]

1. Cover Page A Cover Page must be included in the application and contain the following:

• Category of Funding for the LLGP application (15.032)

• Proposal Title

• Total Amount of funding requested from the Program

• Full and Proper Name of the applicant organization

• For federally recognized Tribes, please utilize the name as listed in the Federal Register Notice 88 FR 2112 (1/12/2023) for Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.

• Statement confirming the proposed work will have the potential to reach the intended goals and objectives.

• Confirm active registration in SAM, attaching print-out from sam.gov to the cover page. See instructions in Section D7. Other Submission Requirements.

• Provide active enrollment in ASAP and your Recipient ID with the BIA. Allow 3-4 weeks to complete all steps of enrollment prior to submission deadline. The organization must be enrolled in ASAP with BIA, current enrollment with other federal agencies is not sufficient. See instructions in Section D7. Other Submission Requirements.

• Confirmation of other completed Mandatory Components identified in this section (SF- 424, Project Abstract Summary, etc).

• Identification of Point of Contact personnel that will provide project oversight and management.

• Identification of notable partnerships such as Tribes, other Tribal Organizations or Entities.

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2. Cover Letter A cover letter is not to exceed one (1) page that summarizes the interest and intent, complete with authorized signature(s) of organization leadership.

3. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance [V4.0] Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), must complete the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form. All other applicants must complete the standard SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Please indicate the Legal Name of the organization that will be consistent in other federal programs on for all correspondences. For federally recognized Tribes, please utilize the name as listed in the Federal Register Notice 88 FR 2112 (1/12/2023) for Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The programmatic point of contact should be provided as the individual to contact pertaining to all matters of the application. The UEI indicated must match what is registered as a vendor in SAMs/FBMS and must be current. Identify the County and the Congressional Districts in the fields provided. The Authorized Representative should be the Tribal Leader or their official designee. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, signed, and dated. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs section below).

Please use a descriptive file name that includes tribal name and project description. For example: LLGPSF424.Tribalname.Project. The SF-424 [V4.0] form requires the County as well as the Congressional District number of the applicant, which can be found at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find- your-representative.

4. SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form and Budget Narrative. For non-construction programs or projects, applicants must complete and submit the SF-424A, “Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” form. All required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in 2 CFR 200.

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Applicants are required to utilize the SF-424A for the budget submission. Please use a descriptive file name that includes tribal name and project description. For example:

LLGPBudget.Tribalname.Project. The budget must identify the amount of grant funding requested and a comprehensive and itemized breakdown of all projected and anticipated expenditures, including contracted personnel fees, consulting fees (hourly or fixed), travel costs, data collection and analysis costs, computer rentals, report generation, drafting, advertising costs for a proposed project and other relevant project expenses, and their subcomponents.

• Travel costs should be itemized by airfare, vehicle rental, lodging, and per diem, etc., based on the current Federal government per diem schedule. See below for required OIED Grantee Meeting travel.

• Data collection and analysis costs should be itemized in sufficient detail for the OIED review committee to evaluate the charges.

• Personnel may be charged directly or covered indirectly. Do not include the personnel costs or travel of consultants or contractors under this category. For any position, provide: the name of the individual (if known), their title; time commitment to the project in months; time commitment to the project as a percentage or FTE equivalent;

annual salary; grant salary; wage rates; etc. Identify the project director or principal investigator, if known at the time of application. Costs of employee fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by employers to their employees in addition to regular salaries and wages. Typically, fringe benefit amounts are determined by applying a calculated rate for a particular class of employee (full-time or part-time) to the salary and wages requested. Fringe benefits, like salary, will also be as direct cost (Health insurance, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, retirement, taxes, etc.)

• Other expenses may include computer rental, report generation, drafting, and advertising costs for a proposed project.

5. Project Abstract Summary and Project Narrative Attachment Form Project Narratives are not judged based on their length. Please do not submit any unnecessary attachments or documents beyond what is listed above, e.g., Tribal history, unrelated photos and maps. All information below will follow those structures in Section A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements.

The first paragraph of the project narrative must include the title and basic summary description of the proposed language immersion project. The Project Narrative must not exceed 50 pages.

Supplemental information such as letters of support, graphs, charts, maps, photographs and other graphic and/or other relevant information may be included as an Attachments and not counted against the 50-page Project Narrative Limit. At a minimum, it should include:

• A detailed technical description of the project that incorporates an “all-of-community” approach to a language immersion project as structured in Section A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements.

• It must be indicated if any existing Tribal community language initiative information and programs are available, and if applicable, an explanation of how the proposed new language immersion program would benefit the applicant and will not duplicate previous or on-going work.

• Any utilized immersion model should be identified in depth, with baseline data available (if available), by which to provide a starting point as the model applies to the particular Tribal community.

• A detailed breath of plan for each age group should be provided as it correlates to the any immersion model, collaborations and activities. Detailed methodologies, plans, objectives, curriculum, etc., should be discussed for each group.

• Resume and Qualifications of all identified personnel who would be providing project oversight and management must be submitted. These individual(s) may be a full-time FTEs brought on specifically for the 3-year duration of the project or be a portion of an FTE allocation. The utilization of various personnel must be demonstrated as necessary and reasonable with compensation that is commensurate to similar industry standards. The responsibilities of those project personnel, with sufficient qualifications to fulfill those responsibilities, must be demonstrated by the Applicant.

If new staff members are to be hired, applicants should describe the recruitment and hiring process. Common challenges include, but not limited to, identification and retention of qualified staff, policies and procedures that delay hiring, etc. Applicants must describe accessibility of potential candidates and include contingency plans to describe how the project will progress until vacant positions are filled.

• All strategic planning and workforce development, as it collaborates and elevates the program, must be mindful of federal duplication of efforts, co-mingling of funding resources, double-dipping, or over allocating of FTE resources that can satisfy personnel involvement in other programs without violating the regulation and policy of each entity.

• All planning and development must be justified and commensurate with the needs of the language immersion program. They must be necessary and reasonable to accomplish the program objectives.

• Collaborations established prior to the language immersion program should be documented in the application, as well as those that will be developed. Those entities should all be identified, and their qualifications provided. Any agreements between both parties are at the other’s discretion, however, they may provide a framework by which to realize the collaborative relationship.

• No formalized agreement will include DOI and OIED as a participating or liable partner. The federal aid provided with reporting requirements is the extent of DOI and OIED involvement.

• Collaborative overlap or duplication of federal funds is prohibited. It is also important not to competing on mission or project goals. Project goals, funds and reporting mechanisms must be independent of other language resources with no comingling of assets, however, approaching language immersion at a community-wide level will include the concert of other language efforts.

• Applicants must also demonstrate qualifications for key partnerships and of any consultants, as well as those responsible for project management oversight, towards the implementation of project activities. Applicants must describe the role of the partner organization and staff, including relevant expertise and experience, as well as clear roles and responsibilities for project implementation. If formal agreements have not been established at the time of application, the applicant must describe plans to finalize any partnership agreements, including firm commitments and contingency plans for these partners. The resumes of key consultants and personnel to be retained, if available, and the names of subcontractors, if applicable, may be included as an attachment to the application and will not be counted towards the 50-page limitation.

• A description of the project objectives, milestones, timelines, and a work plan will…