CNPP FAQ (Set 2).pdf

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

ON GRANTS.GOV

Office of Entrepreneurial Development Community Navigator Pilot Program

Funding Opportunity Number: CNP-2021-01

FAQ (Set 2)

1. Can a Spoke apply for direct funding from SBA without a Hub?

No, Spokes cannot apply for direct funding from SBA.

2. Will SBA help create partnerships between Hubs and Spokes?

SBA will not assist in creating consortiums.

3. Are Tier 1 submissions for National Hubs required to have five (5) Spokes in five (5) different service areas/markets, meaning there is a requirement of a minimum of a total of 25 different Spokes?

No. Tier 1 applicants are not required to have twenty-five (25) individual Spokes. The requirement of five (5) Spokes in five (5) different service areas/markets permits the applicant to use the same Spoke to serve multiple geographical markets. Thus, the minimum number of Spokes is five (5).

Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) section 4.1.2 – Technical Proposal for complete information.

4. Please clarify whether “service population” means the number of people that reside in a geographical market or the number of people that are directly impacted by the service?

The “service population” is the total number of people that reside in a geographical market.

5. If a Hub has five Spokes in two (2) or more States, but not five (5) States, would that be considered a Tier 2 or Tier 3 application for purposes of this grant?

It depends on the total service population identified in the application. An application covering an individual state or a multi-state region (less than 5 states), is a Tier 2 application if the total service population is more than 500,000. If the total service population is less than 500,000;

however, it would be a Tier 3 application.

http://GRANTS.GOV

6. Please clarify if the 10% de minimis rate applies to all applicants/organizations i.e., Hubs and Spokes?

No, the de minimis rate does not apply to individual entities. Under the Community Navigator Pilot Program, only 10% of the total proposal can be spent on indirect costs, regardless of whether an entity has a current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Please refer to NOFO section 4.1.3 – Cost Proposal for complete information.

7. Can Community Navigator Pilot Program funds be used as direct funding for small businesses through a Community Development Financial Institution or another group?

Can the funds be used to set up revolving loan funds or other investment funds?

No, Community Navigator Pilot Program funding cannot be used as direct funding for small businesses, for setting up revolving loan funds, or for setting up other investment funds.

8. Will funds be given all at once to the Hub or will it be disbursed in installments?

Funds will be disbursed in installments as defined by the Terms and Conditions of the award.

9. Is there a limit on the Hub funding?

Yes, awards are limited to the funding amounts stated in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

10. On the Community Navigator Pilot Program opening page on Grants.gov, it states that an eligible organization includes a 501(c)(3). However, the pdf under relevant documents in sections 3.2 and in the information, session says a 501(c) is eligible. Are all 501(c) nonprofit organizations eligible?

All private nonprofit organizations as described in section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such code are eligible to participate.

11. Can the Hub provide direct outreach or services that could be funded like a Spoke?

While a Hub may also provide direct outreach or services, it cannot be identified or funded as a Spoke in a proposal.

http://Grants.gov