CACFP RFA - FINAL.pdf

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE

Child Nutrition Programs (CNP) Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Training Grant

FY 2017

REQUEST FOR APPLICATIONS (RFA)

CFDA#: 10.587

RFA Release Date: 6/20/2017

Application Due Date: 7/20/2017

Anticipated Award Date: 9/7/2017

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

III. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

VII. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Introduction

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers 15 Federal nutrition assistance programs of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mission of FNS is to reduce hunger and food insecurity in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and needy people access to food, a healthful diet, and nutrition education in a manner that supports American agriculture and inspires public confidence. Among the programs that FNS administers are the Child Nutrition Programs (CNP), including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), the Special Milk Program (SMP), and the Farm to School Program. Administered by State agencies, each of these programs helps to fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for providing healthy meals to children.1

This is an announcement of the availability of funds for one new cooperative agreement for a 2-year time-frame (September 2017 – August 2019) with an accredited public or private Academic Institute of Higher Learning, a Research, or Training Institution (i.e. entity that provides training such as a corporation or non-profit). The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expects to fund a competitive cooperative agreement award of approximately $3 million in Fiscal Year 2017 to a qualified applicant to develop, design, promote, conduct, and evaluate a training initiative that will equip State agencies administering CACFP with the knowledge and skills necessary to then effectively train and provide technical assistance on key topics to CACFP operators (including CACFP institutions such as sponsoring organizations and/or independent centers as well as CACFP facilities including child care centers and day care homes). This award is contingent upon the availability of funds. FNS may fund this project, in whole or in part, without further competition, in this or subsequent fiscal years.

The training tools, resources, or programs developed under this grant should support the activities of those who administer CACFP and/or improve service delivery that ultimately benefits program participants.

Legislative Authority

Section 17 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766) provides authority to assure the effective and proper administration of the Child and Adult Care Food Program. Under this program, subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary of Agriculture may award competitive grants and cooperative agreements for the support of training programs.

1 http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/child-nutrition-programs

Purpose

The purposes of this Request for Applications (RFA) are to:

• Provide background information and context related to the goals of this funding opportunity,

• Describe the type of cooperative agreement available,

• Describe which entities are eligible to apply for grant funds,

• Solicit funding applications from eligible entities,

• Describe the requirements for submitting a successful application,

• Describe how applications will be reviewed and selected, and

• Describe the terms and conditions to which the grantee must adhere, including how the funds can be used.

FNS intends to select one accredited public or private Academic Institute of Higher Learning, a Research, or Training Institution to develop, design, conduct, and evaluate a training initiative, as described previously. In addition, the Grantee will evaluate the impacts of the training initiatives on relevant program experiences and operations of participants. The Grantee will also work with FNS to disseminate the resulting tools and resources developed.

Background

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The Child Nutrition Program (CNP) covered by this RFA is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). CACFP is a priority in the CNP as the program plays a vital role in improving the quality of day care and making it more affordable for many low-income families.

Each day, approximately 4.28 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP (3.5 million through child care centers and approximately 0.76 million through family day care homes). The program also provides meals and snacks to 130,000 adults who receive care in nonresidential adult day care centers. CACFP also provides meals to children residing in emergency shelters, and snacks and suppers to youths participating in eligible afterschool care programs.2

FNS administers CACFP through agreements with States. The program is administered within most States by the State educational agency.3 In a few States, it is administered by an alternate agency, such as the State health or social services department. The child care component and the adult day care component of CACFP may be administered by different agencies within a State, at the discretion of the Governor.

Independent centers and sponsoring organizations enter into agreements with their administering State agencies to assume administrative and financial responsibility for CACFP operations.

CACFP serves nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers. CACFP also

2 https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/child-and-adult-care-food-program 3 https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/cacfp-contacts https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/child-and-adult-care-food-program https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/cacfp-contacts provides meals and snacks to children and youth who participate in afterschool care programs or reside in emergency shelters.

CACFP is authorized at section 17 of the National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1766). Program regulations are issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at 7 CFR part 226. The current federal CACFP regulations that contain the provisions described above can be accessed at https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-04-25/pdf/2016-09412.pdf

Priority CACFP Training Topics

This RFA focuses on several priority topics, as identified in various needs assessments with State Agencies and sponsoring organizations from across the country, and from several recent conferences (CACFP National Professional Association, Food Research and Action Center, National CACFP Sponsors Association, USDA State Agency Meeting). Priority topics include program administration, operation, financial accounting and management and should include current regulations and technical assistance materials as a basis and be reflective of the current training needs and perspectives of the CACFP community. Training on these topics should assist CACFP providers to enhance their program administration, operation, and financial management.

Evidence of the Tiered/Cascade Approach to Training

Child Nutrition Programs has successfully delivered training to school nutrition professionals across the country in a variety of formats. One recent initiative4 utilized the train-the-trainer approach to training, which included State agency involvement. This particular training exemplifies an important collaborative policy implementation model between USDA, State agencies who administer the Child Nutrition Programs, partner organizations, and local-level operators. While this delivery mechanism has been successful, FNS is interested in learning about a variety of training mechanisms that can be utilized, as further discussed in the program requirements section of this RFA.

Project Goals

Goal: The overall goal of this project is for the selected applicant to plan, develop, design, promote, and ultimately execute and evaluate a training program that uses a tiered approach to equip State agencies with the knowledge and skills necessary to train their CACFP program operators (including CACFP institutions such as sponsoring organizations and/or independent centers as well as CACFP facilities including child care centers and day care homes) to effectively operate the CACFP at the local-level.

Key components of this project are:

4 https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-school-nutrition-success https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-04-25/pdf/2016-09412.pdf https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-school-nutrition-success

• Tiered or Cascade Approach: Train-the trainer model approach must be used where the awardees primary focus is providing training to State agencies, who will then train program operators (sponsors, institutions, day care homes)5.

• Usability: Tangible training materials must be developed that can be used to train State agencies and that State agencies can use to train program operators.

• Uniformity: Uniformity of training where message and materials are consistent across all training locations/delivery mechanisms.

• Differentiation: Differentiated training tools and approaches for use in training program operators with different levels of experience

Format The training format should include a variety of delivery mechanisms, which must include some in-person training and also may include others such as:

• Webinars

• Online, on-demand modules

• Peer-to-peer mentoring

• Interactive approach/hands-on approach

Topics The training should focus on, but is not limited to, the following categories:

• Program Administration and Operation: Subtopics may include o Program reviews o Claims for reimbursement o Management Plans o Monitoring and Oversight o Recordkeeping o Serious Deficiencies

• Financial accounting and management: Subtopics may include o Accounting o Budgets o Financial statements o Recordkeeping/Reporting o Financial viability and internal controls o Meeting audit requirements

These trainings should include current regulations6 and technical assistance materials7 as a basis but also consider the current training needs and perspectives of the CACFP community (day care

5 The primary focus of the training approach will be on training State agencies. However, the training plan supported by this grant may include some training activities which include sponsoring organizations and/or independent centers as part of a strategy focused on building State training capacity.

6 https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/regulations 7 https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/management-improvement https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/policy https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/regulations https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/management-improvement https://www.fns.usda.gov/cacfp/policy homes, sponsoring organizations, States). Under the cooperative agreement, the Grantee will work with FNS to develop a training initiative (including all applicable tools, resources, materials, and programs) that will address the specific needs of program operators at the time of training.

Project Deliverables Key activities and/or deliverables may include:

• Development of a training program concept that includes an outline for training curricula and recommendations for training delivery formats/methods and complementary materials best suited for the topic and subtopics covered.

• Development and design of training curricula intended for the target audience that covers key priority training topics (to be provided by FNS).

• Development and design of accompanying/supplementary materials, such as PowerPoint slide decks, participant workbooks, instructor’s guide materials, and/or other resources necessary to conduct the training(s).

• Development of a training implementation plan which may include recommendations for:

o Training date/times, as needed.

o Recommended locations, as needed.

o Participant identification and recruitment strategies (see Marketing Plan details below) o Logistical needs for implementing the training (registration, technology needs, supplies)

• Execute the training program:

o May include a pilot project to test effectiveness of training content and materials.

o May include selecting training date/times and locations, securing facilities, handling logistics (such as technology, supplies), and managing training participant identification, registration, and tracking.

• Marketing Plan: Development and design of marketing materials to promote the training(s) to State agencies and CACFP program operators.

• Monitoring of training program implementation including tracking of performance measures to describe the reach, implementation, and outcomes of cooperative agreement activities. Monitoring/oversight metrics may include:

o Process evaluation measures to describe the reach and implementation of grant-funded activities, which may include:

Number of trainings and activities offered.

Number of participants reached via trainings and activities offered, to include breakdown of child care sites and types who could be reached via these trainings.

Follow-up with State agencies to obtain information on number and duration of trainings they have held after they were trained and to obtain feedback on their experiences.

o Outcome measures of participant’s knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors before and after exposure to cooperative agreement activities (via pre- and post-assessment):

Number and percentage of participants with increases in topic-specific knowledge.

Self-efficacy related to delivering the training using the train-the-trainer model (in the case of State agencies).

All finalized files and associated design files will be provided electronically to FNS and will become property of FNS. The grantee shall submit drafts deliverables to FNS electronically in Microsoft Suite, as requested. The grantee shall provide a schedule of deliverables (which will be approved by FNS), and will work with FNS to allow adequate review periods for FNS comments. The grantee will coordinate with FNS to obtain comments. The grantee shall incorporate FNS comments into all final deliverables. The grantee shall also provide electronic copies of all references cited in the final deliverables. The grantee shall submit the final deliverables in electronic format (both PDF and Microsoft Suite). For all promotional materials, electronic print-ready files and/or files ready for posting on the Internet for State agencies and CACFP providers will be provided to FNS (including, but not limited to, files on DVD).

Data/Document Rights

The Government has unlimited rights to all programs/documents/materials produced under this cooperative agreement. All documents and materials, to include the source codes of any software, produced under this cooperative agreement shall be Government owned and are the property of the Government with all rights and privileges of ownership/copyright belonging exclusively to the Government. These documents and materials may not be used or sold by the grantee without written permission from the Grants Officer. All materials supplied to the Government shall be the sole property of the Government and may not be used for any other purpose. This right does not abrogate any other Government rights.

Duplication or disclosure of the data and other information to which the Grantee may have access as a result of this cooperative agreement is prohibited by Public Law.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Cooperative Agreement

This grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement. This agreement is a legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal government and the Grantee.

Cooperative agreements allow more involvement and collaboration by FNS in the project compared to a grant, and they provide less direction of project activities than a contract. The roles and responsibilities of both the Grantee and FNS will be stated in the terms and conditions of the cooperative agreement.

FNS’s involvement in this cooperative agreement will include, but is not limited to, reviewing and providing feedback on proposed deliverables and other sources of dissemination of best practices learned from implementation and training efforts, such as proposed publications and proposed presentation materials.

Use of Funding

The cooperative agreement will be awarded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 on a competitive basis, and the total amount of funds to be awarded to the one cooperative agreement designee is approximately $3 million, contingent on the availability of Federal funds. Funding of this award will be provided through the Grant Award/Letter of Credit. The submission of an application does not guarantee funding. Additional funds for this grant project may be provided in this or subsequent fiscal years contingent upon the availability of Federal funds.

FNS will ONLY accept one application package per applicant and may elect to fund an organization’s application in its entirety or only a portion of the submitted application contained within an application, and/or may negotiate with proposed applicants to stay within available funding.

Allowable Use of Funds

All costs must be considered as allowable, allocable, necessary, and reasonable in accordance with 2 CFR part 200, as appropriate. Allowable use of funds includes, but is not limited to:

personnel costs, office and research supplies, travel for data collection, and technology (both hardware and software) necessary for operating the training.

Funds must be used by the grantee to provide training for CACFP program operators as described in the RFA. Expenditures must conform to the project design and budget identified in the Grantee’s approved proposal. Funds expended by the Grantee may be used to pay sub-grantees for specific elements of the project, as described in the approved proposal.

Unallowable Use of Funds

Cooperative agreements provided through this RFA are intended to provide training to program operators on the CACFP. A project’s proposed budget cannot include:

1. Any pre-award cost or those costs associated with the development of the award application;

or

2. Payments to contracted sub-grantees not directly specified by the Grantee or associated with the project goals described in this RFA.

Sub-grantees are also subject to the applicable cost principles and uniform administrative regulations.

Terms and Conditions of Award

Cooperative agreements are assistance mechanisms and subject to the same administrative requirements as grants; however, they are different from a grant or a contract. Cooperative agreements allow more involvement and collaboration by FNS in the project compared to a grant, and they provide greater flexibility in direction of project activities than a contract. The roles and responsibilities of both the Grantee and FNS will be clearly stated in the cooperative agreement.

This cooperative agreement will be awarded and administered in accordance with 7 U.S.C.

3318(b) and applicable documents can be found in Terms and Conditions of Award. The electronic Code of Federal Regulations can be found at http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse.

Period and Place of Performance

FNS anticipates awarding a cooperative agreement to one accredited public or private Academic Institute of Higher Learning, a Research, or Training Institution by September, 2017. The anticipated period of performance of the cooperative agreement will be from September 2017 – August 2019.

Performance will take place at a minimum of 3 physical locations around the country, where training will be provided in person. The grantee will work closely with FNS Child Nutrition Program (CNP) staff to identify training locations; develop and design training curricula, tools, and materials; implement the training plan, evaluate the training initiative; and accomplish the overall goals of the cooperative agreement. CNP may serve as technical advisors as appropriate.

The grantee will follow all guidelines of its Academic Institute of Higher Learning, a Research, or Training Institution.

The grantee may be expected to perform occasional travel as related to specific project needs and will be expected to meet with FNS CNP staff in-person at least once, and participate in monthly conference calls to provide project updates.

Roles and Responsibilities

Grantee: At a minimum, the grantee of this cooperative agreement is expected to work collaboratively with FNS through the planning, development, and implementation phases of this training initiative. Specifically, the grantee will:

• develop all applicable tools, resources, materials, and programs (deliverables of the training initiative) that will address the specific needs of program operators at the time of training, with input from FNS;

• determine training initiative implementation (format/delivery mechanism) to address the specific needs of program operators at the time of training, with input from FNS;

• execute training initiative as specified in the program requirements section of this RFA, with input from FNS;

• manage and monitor the progress of the grant project activities and report on progress to FNS using an agreed-upon time frame;

• evaluate participant’s knowledge and skills, before and after exposure to training initiative activities using assessments created;

• share evaluation results with FNS at the conclusion of each training and determine whether improvements can be made.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/ECFR?page=browse

FNS: Substantive involvement by FNS is inherent in the cooperative agreement award. At a minimum, FNS will assist in developing applicable tools, resources, materials, and programs of the training initiative. Specifically, FNS will:

• review deliverables of the training initiative;

• evaluate suggested format/delivery mechanisms of the training initiative;

• participate in progress meetings to discuss accomplishments, difficulties, assistance needed from FNS on technical issues, and major planned activities.

• discuss evaluation results with grantee at the conclusion of each training.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

This is a competitive, limited solicitation. Competition for the one cooperative agreement award to train State agencies in CACFP is only open to accredited public or private Academic Institute of Higher Learning, a Research, or Training Institutions. Special consideration will be given to applicants who have expertise in CACFP and/or have successfully implemented training initiatives with a child nutrition focus.

This cooperative agreement will be made on a competitive basis to a single entity. However, the grantee may sub award, by contract or subgrant, tasks to other organizations in order to complete or provide aspects of the development of the curricula and training. Any known subgrantee must submit a Letter of Commitment to the applicant, for inclusion with the cooperative agreement application, which describes its role in this project, the amount of time it intends to commit to this project, and an affirmation that it will cooperate with the grantee in implementing this project. The Letters of Commitment should be on the respective companies or organization’s letterhead and should be addressed to the prospective applicant.

Application Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, Federal Awarding Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400, are required, prior to making a Federal award, to review information available through various OMB-designated repositories for eligibility qualification or financial integrity, and to have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated repository systems and the risk assessment may result in FNS imposing special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed. The Federal repository systems FNS will review include:

1. SAM, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS;

2. FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, is a database that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance;

3. Dun and Bradstreet, the system where applicants establish a DUNS number which is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements, and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic grant application systems. The Federal government requires that all applicants for Federal grants and cooperative agreements with the exception of individuals other than sole proprietors have a DUNS number.

4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, AD-3030, Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants.

Applicants must also respond to the application assessment questions below to allow FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. A questionnaire containing these questions has been provided to facilitate the process. Applicants must answer all the pre-application questions.

While answering “yes” may be an indicator of risk, the consideration and evaluation of these questions is only an indicator of potential risk and may or may not result in an additional oversight requirements or special conditions be placed on an award should an award be made.

Decisions regarding additional oversight requirements will take into consideration the total number of risks identified.

1. Has your organization received a Federal award within the past 3 years?

Yes_____ No_____

2. Does your organization utilize accounting software to manage your financial records?

Yes_____ No_____

3. Does your accounting system identify the receipt and expenditure of program funds separately for each grant?

Yes_____ No_____

4. Does your organization have a dedicated individual responsible for monitoring organizational funds, such as an accountant or a finance manager?

5. Is there a separation of duties for staff handling the approval of transactions and the recording and payment of funds?

Yes_____ No_____ __

6. Does your organization have the ability to specifically identify and allocate employee effort to an applicable program?

7. Does your organization have a property/inventory management system in place to track the location and value of equipment purchased under the award?

8. Has your organization been audited within the last 5 fiscal years?

9. If the answer to question number 8 is yes, was this report issued under the Single Audit requirement? If no, a hyperlink or copy of the report will be required.

10. If answer to question 8 is yes, was there a “Qualified Opinion” or “Adverse Opinion”?

11. If answer to question 8 is yes, is there a material weakness disclosed?

12. If answer to question 8 is yes, is there a significant deficiency disclosed?

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applicants may request paper copy of this solicitation and required forms by contacting the FNS Grants Officer at:

Carla Garcia, Grant Officer Grants and Fiscal Policy Division

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS 3101 Park Center Drive Room 740

Alexandra, VA 22302 Carla.Garcia@fns.usda.gov

Application Format and Requirements

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be typed on 8 ½” X 11” white paper with at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced, in 12 point font. The project narrative with relevant information should be captured on no more than 25 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. All pages, excluding the form pages, must be numbered.

Required Standard Application Forms

All applicants must complete the following forms:

The following grants.gov forms are required of grant applicants. They are located at http://www.grants.gov/agencies/aforms_repository_information.jsp:

Non-Construction Grant Projects Forms: SF-424 Family

1. Application and Instruction for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

2. Budget Information and Instruction (SF-424A)

3. Assurance-Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

4. SF LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities): Indicate on the form whether your organization intends to conduct lobbying activities. If your organization does not intend to lobby, write “Not Applicable.”

Optional Form

1. AD-3030, Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants. (To be completed by all corporate organizations/for-profit applicants)

Application Content Requirements

Cover Sheet The cover page should include, at a minimum:

1) Applicant’s name and mailing address

2) Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

3) Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

Table of Contents Include the title and page number of each application section.

Project Summary Include a concise description of the project proposal, including the target audience(s), key strategies and activities (design, implementation, monitoring/oversight) and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal is funded.

Project Narrative The project narrative should clearly identify the activities necessary to meet the goals and objectives of this RFA, specifically how the applicant proposes to plan, develop, design, promote, implement, and evaluate a training initiative for State agencies that will support them in their duties to provide training on key CACFP topic areas and address CACFP operators’ training needs. Applicants should also include a proposal for evaluation of the efficacy of the training, and the expected results and/or benefits once the training is delivered. In no more than 25 pages, the proposal should address how the proposed project will fulfill the RFA program scope and objectives, as well as the specificities of the development, promotion, implementation, and evaluation of the CACFP training initiative, management plan, budget and staffing needs, http://www.grants.gov/agencies/aforms_repository_information.jsp and subgrantee selection process (where applicable), and expected results and/or benefits upon grant competition.

The proposed project methodology should include specific methodology, training, or technology needs and requirements, complete procedures, timetables, subgrantee monitoring/oversight (as applicable), and the organization’s project staffing.

In preparing your proposal narrative, provide the information requested below, in the order presented below:

• Introduction: Provide background information on the proposed team’s experience developing, promoting, implementing, and evaluating similar training initiatives.

• Approach and Program Plan: Provide details on the project design and deliverables (such as recommendations and plans for training curricula design/development, delivery methods, promotion strategies, implementation considerations, and evaluation strategies); and address program specific methodology needs and procedures.

• Objectives, Activities, and Timetables: Clearly state project objectives; use descriptive statements that specifically discuss what you hope to accomplish, include specific activities you will perform to accomplish the project objectives as stated in the Purpose of Cooperative Agreement section, and include deadlines. All objectives should lead to a clearly stated goal relevant to this RFA. Your project timeline should start on September 1, 2017. Please include:

1. A description of how the institution will execute and evaluate a training program that uses a tiered approach to equip State agencies with the knowledge and skills necessary to train program operators to effectively operate the CACFP at the local-level.

2. A description of how the applicant will structure the competitive process for awarding subgrants (if applicable).

3. A table with anticipated timeframes for subgrantee RFP posting, subgrantee proposal due date, subgrantee start dates, webinar and conference timeframes with FNS approval, and all other deliverables and events (as applicable).

• Evaluation: Provide a proposed evaluation plan to be carried out with CACFP operators.

• Management Plan (Project Management, Staffing, and Quality assurance): Provide a clear description of the activities to be undertaken to manage the project to ensure that project activities are completed on time, within budget, and with quality results. Identify the staff and/or grantees who will manage the project. Describe roles and responsibilities of these employees and/or grantees, as well as relevant qualifications and experience, and a level of effort specified for specific staff proposed, as well as the means to provide quality assurance. Note any relevant experience in managing similar activities.

o Chain of Command and Responsibilities: Provide an organizational chart that shows all key personnel, management relationships, and lines of authority, including a written description of how the management plan would be implemented.

o Contingency Plans: Discuss contingency plans for ensuring that the project is not unduly disrupted by any unforeseen changes in key personnel.

o Delineation of FNS involvement: Substantive involvement by FNS CNP is inherent in the cooperative agreement award. FNS will be directly involved in the guidance and development of the training materials and may participate as a reviewer and advisor. Indicate how the Grantee proposes to integrate FNS into its planning process.

• Experience and Past Performance: Please provide a clear description of previous experience and performance in grant management, subgrantee selection, and partnerships across fields. The description of past performance should contain at least 2 relevant projects within the past five years of grants, contracts, or task orders for work of the same or similar to the requirements specified in the RFP.

• Any additional RFA specific requirements.

Budget Narrative

• The budget narrative should correspond with the proposed project narrative, timeline, and application budget. The narrative must justify and support the bona fide needs of the budget’s direct cost.

• If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement and a written explanation for how the indirect costs were applied to the budget.

• The budget narrative should provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and how they related to the goals, objectives, and specific activities of the project.

• Use of Subgrantees: Please identify any subgrants that you expect to award if this grant is awarded to you. Indicate whether the procurement will be competitive or sole source.

• All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Special Instructions:

1. Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are received.

2. Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, certification will not be considered.

3. Applications not submitted via the Grants.gov portal will not be considered.

4. If multiple application packages are submitted through the grants.gov web portal by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

5. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available.

6. Grant awards are subject to the availability of funds.

7. Cost sharing is encouraged including, but not limited to, partial salary support for administrative staff and in-kind support (i.e. faculty salaries and facilities costs). There is no cost matching requirement to participate in this cooperative agreement competition.

8. The Institution is responsible for oversight of grant activities and fiscal matters. The Institution will exercise effective internal control of funds that are provided to any sub-grantees.

Submission Information

Electronic Submission: The complete application must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time, on 7/20/2017. Applications received after the deadline date will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed or considered. USDA will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. USDA will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications.

Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) Number

In order to submit an application via grants.gov, applicants must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered in both the new Systems for Award Management (SAM) and on grants.gov. The applicant is strongly advised to allow ample time to initiate the grants.gov application submission process. Please visit the following websites to obtain additional information on how to obtain a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and register in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/).

DUNS Number: In order to obtain a DUNS number, if your organization does not have one, or if you are unsure of your organization’s number you can contact Dun and Bradstreet via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am-9pm EST. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number. Obtaining a DUNS number may take several days to obtain.

System for Award Management (SAM)

What is SAM?

The System for Award Management (SAM) is combining Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system.

For additional information regarding SAM see the following link:

https://www.acquisition.gov/SAM_Guides/Quick%20Guide%20for%20Grants%20Registrations %20v1.pdf

Below is some additional information that should assist the applicant through this process:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.acquisition.gov/SAM_Guides/Quick%20Guide%20for%20Grants%20Registrations%20v1.pdf https://www.acquisition.gov/SAM_Guides/Quick%20Guide%20for%20Grants%20Registrations%20v1.pdf

SAM Registration: For applicant organizations that were previously registered in the CCR, relevant applicant information is already in SAM; set up a SAM account as necessary to update any information. To register in SAM, the applicant’s DUNS number, Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on the applicant’s last tax return) are all required. SAM verifies all information submitted by the applicant using several systems. This verification takes at least 48 hours after your registration is submitted to SAM. Applicants must have a valid SAM registration no later than 3 days prior to the application due date of this solicitation. Applicants that do not receive confirmation that SAM registration is complete and active should contact SAM at: https://www.fsd.gov/app/answers/list.

SAM Presentation/Training

GSA has created a presentation of a SAM training. To view the presentation, please visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmHcKCchaiY

This will be extremely useful for SAM users that are:

• Registering at SAM for the first time

• Setting up user permissions from CCR into the SAM registration (called migrating)

• Updating / renewing CCR record in SAM

PLEASE BE AWARE: In some instances the process to complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of the entity record will require 5-7 days or more. We strongly encourage grantees to begin the process at least 3 weeks before grant the due date of the grant solicitation.

Grants.gov Registration: In order to apply for a grant, your organization must have completed the above registrations as well as register on Grants.gov. The Grants.gov registration process can be accessed at www.grants.govapplicants/get_reistered.jsp. Generally, the registration process takes between 3-5 business days.

If you are a new or experienced user, please ensure that your organization’s Point-of-Contact (POC) has designated you as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). If you are not designated as an AOR, you will be unable to submit your application package through the grants.gov web portal.

Allow your entity ample time to complete the necessary steps, for the submission of your grant application package, on grants.gov. Please be aware that the grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

NOTICE: Special Characters not Supported

All applicants MUST follow grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided in the grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmHcKCchaiY http://www.grants.gov/applicants/submit_application_faqs.jsp http://www.grants.gov/applicants/submit_application_faqs.jsp

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (example:

&,–,*,%,/,#’, -), this includes periods (.), spacing followed by a dash in the file and for word separation, use underscore (example: Attached_File.pdf) in naming the attachments. Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from www.grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

In order to submit an application via grants.gov, applicants must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and registered in both the new Systems for Award Management (SAM) and on grants.gov. The applicant is strongly advised to allow ample time to initiate the grants.gov application submission process. All applicants must have SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a federal award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25. Please visit the following websites to obtain additional information on how to obtain a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) and register in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/).

Please be aware that the grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; you need to be sure that you have confirmation that the application was accepted. For tools and tips regarding www.grants.gov, please visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html.

APPLICATION DUE DATE

The complete application must be uploaded on www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Time 7/20/2017. Applications received after the deadline date will be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed or considered. FNS will not consider any additions or revisions to an application once it is received. FNS will not accept mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications.

Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to www.grants.gov should contact the grants.gov Support Center at Local Toll Free: 1-800-518-4726 or via e-mail at support@Grants.gov

Funding Restrictions

Pre-award costs will not be provided for this grant project.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Review Criteria

Initial Requirements

FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure that they contain the required documents and information.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-tools-and-tips.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@Grants.gov

After the initial screening of applicants, a review panel of technical and program staff will be convened to review and determine the technical merits of each grant application. The panel will evaluate each grant application on how well it addresses each application component.

The panel will assign each application a score using the evaluation criteria and weights specified below.

Evaluation Factors and Criteria

The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications for this RFA.

Project Design and Implementation (35 points)

1. Goals are clearly identified and appropriate for the proposed project. The applicant followed directions in the RFA for goals, activities, and timeline. Activities are reasonable and appropriate for proposed goals;

2. The timeline is included and appears reasonable and feasible given proposed activities;

3. The application documents methods that will determine progress and successes and the number of participants reached through activities;

4. The method(s) selected to monitor progress and success is sufficient to determine if goals are accomplished;

5. Proposed project is original and creative as documented in the Project Summary; and

6. All application content requirements, as listed in Attachment A of this RFA, are included.

Budget Appropriateness (15 points)

1. Attachment A contains the budget narrative format required with instructions and details for documenting the expenditure of grant funds;

2. The budget is consistent with project goals and activities;

3. Calculations of all costs, including any match, are correct; and

4. Funding requested is allowable, economical, and reasonable in relation to the proposed scope and effort of the proposed project.

Organizational Experience and Management/Staff Capability (30 points)

1. Demonstrates that key personnel have an understanding of FNS child nutrition programs.

Greater consideration will be given to applicants with personnel who have expertise working with these programs, especially CACFP.

2. Includes resumes and/or job descriptions for key personnel in management, administration, and technical assistance, and describes the specific expertise that qualifies such personnel for their proposed roles. Supporting documentation (i.e. resume/vita and position descriptions for vacant positions) is included for all key personnel.

3. Demonstrates time commitment and availability of key personnel.

4. Provides a contingency plan for the loss of key personnel.

Experience and Past Performance (20 points)

1. Demonstrates success in past performance of training projects by providing a description of the projects’ size, scope, cost and timely completion. Supporting documentation (i.e.

references from past projects) is included for past projects. Greater consideration will be given for experience in projects involving food and nutrition, especially CACFP.

Review and Selection Process

Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. The selecting official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of order to meet agency priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity.

FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available.

NOTE: If a discrepancy exists between the total funding request (submitted on SF-424, SF- 424A, and budget or budget narrative) within the application package in response to this solicitation, FNS will only consider and evaluate the estimated funding request contained on

SF-424.

1. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

It is anticipated that the selected applicant will be announced by FNS in September 2017 and funding is anticipated to be awarded in September 2017.

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notice

Unless an applicant receives a signed award document with terms and conditions; any contact from a FNS grants or program officer should not be considered as a notice of a grant award. No pre-award or pre-agreement costs incurred prior to the effective start date are allowed unless approved and stated on FNS’ signed award document.

The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, FNS to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

CONFIDENTIALITY OF AN APPLICATION

When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law.