consolidatedfaqs-yvptarfp revised 3-24-15.pdf

OJJDP-2015-4057

Frequently Asked Questions

OJJDP FY 2015 Youth Violence Prevention Coordinated Technical Assistance Program

Updated to reflect the increase in funding and the extension of the project period posted on 3/25/15.

1. How many sites will need full financial support to attend the three meetings (per

RFP p. 22)?

Use the guidance on page 22 of the solicitation to determine estimates of the number of site participants that will attend. We anticipate some sites will have travel resources through direct grants from OJJDP.

2. Will any of these meetings be held virtually?

Per the solicitation page 22 these meetings will be held in-person.

3. Will the current TTA and evaluation contractors on the three initiatives still be supporting the sites alongside this center? If yes, would we coordinate that support for the current contractors?

The successful applicant will coordinate with current TTA providers identified by OJJDP and collaborate with evaluators to the extent feasible. Note that there is a formal evaluation associated only with the Defending Childhood initiative, and another grantee is providing limited program assessment and measurement support.

4. A project web portal is mentioned in the RFP. Can you give more information on this website and will it be associated with the existing NTTAC website?

Per page 9 of the solicitation, the applicant must propose how they will keep information up to date on existing web pages. The project Web portal can be developed as a standalone site or as part of an existing web site.

5. Why is the funding period 24 months? Won’t that mean the project ends in the middle of a grantee’s funding year?

The 24-month period allows sufficient time for planning, implementation and necessary follow through on project activities.

6. Why is this RFP being released again, when it was just awarded in September and had optional non-competitive continuation years available in that award?

Additional funding became available, thus it was determined to post another solicitation. We are looking to a competitive process to identify the applicant to undertake this work.

7. Will more grantees be added to these initiatives during the 24 month period? Will any grantees drop off during this period?

While it is possible that OJJDP would expand the initiatives to include more cities and it is anticipated that the projects in some cities will no longer receive federal funding at some point during the next 24 months, the solicitation calls upon applicants to develop proposals based on support for 39 programs. It may be that various levels of technical assistance support are appropriate considering the differing levels of maturation and development across the sites. Nonetheless, the TTA project is expected to support the 39 sites for the duration of the project period.

8. Does the project director need to be based in Washington, D.C.?

No, the project director does not need to be based in Washington, D.C. but would need to be able to come to D.C. for the in-person meetings as directed by OJJDP.

9. Regarding the Financial Management and System of Internal Controls

Questionnaire, must all contractors submit this form, or only those that are considered “high risk”?

See page 26 of the solicitation, all applicants must submit this information.

10. How much of the T/TA assistance to OJJDP grantees is "brokered by" as opposed to being "paid for" by the grant?

We anticipate a combination of both the TTA provider coordinating services that may not be paid for directly from this grant and TA engagements that will be covered with grant funding, but OJJDP has not specified a specific percentage for either case.

11. If we have an eligibility question specific to our agency, is there someone we can follow up with after the webinar?

Yes, please send an email to responsecenter@ncjrs.gov or the Web Chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp per the guidance in the solicitation page 2.

12. Does this mean that individual forums will occur in each of these cities?

If this question means, “Does on-the-ground, direct TA have to happen in all the cities that we mentioned?” the answer is both yes and no. We do not expect the successful applicant to provide on the ground TTA to every city, but we do anticipate the coordinated approach will assist all of the cities in some fashion, whether that is through Webinars, making available different training curriculums that we provide, arranging peer-to-peer or bringing them together. So, the successful applicant will propose a plan to reach all of the cities but not necessarily in each city.

13. What relationship do you envision this grant will create between your awardee and your current T/TA providers?

The successful applicant will collaborate with current TTA providers identified by OJJDP. We work stronger together in partnership because, again, we cannot do this in isolation. We are not looking just for (TTA in) one specialty area, we are looking for different strategies, different approaches. We expect this award will strengthen the mailto:responsecenter@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp relationship between our current TA providers and any future TA providers that we may bring onboard.

The key reason for this solicitation is because the federal government is funding a number of resources through different funding streams and different providers. And we want to make sure that we are leveraging those resources -- resources that are being provided by DOJ, by other federal agencies and other non-federal agencies. And to the extent practical, we want folks to take advantage of what has already been done, the expertise there is residing out there in the field, and provide a structure to make it available to the 39 sites that we are funding.

14. The violence prevention programs cited are those that we should model our proposal around?

Yes, this solicitation encompasses the 39 sites that participate in the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, Defending Childhood and Community-Based Violence Prevention initiatives.

15. Will the applicant be expected to pay for all T/TA that it cannot provide or will the awardee be able to tap other providers to use their OJJDP grants in service of this effort?

No, the successful applicant will not be expected to pay for all T/TA services. That applicant will be expected to propose how it will provide, how it will manage and fulfill the requirements articulated in the solicitation through a combination of strategies.

While the core of this work needs to be managed with $2,185,000 million, we recognize this is a significant amount of work, and so we are looking for the successful applicant to propose a plan. The successful applicant will be required to work with other providers in support of the sites. (OJJDP is able to task grantees and contracts;

grantees can cooperate, coordinate or collaborate with one another.) Again, we anticipate a combination of both the TTA provider coordinating services and leveraging resources to support TTA requests and needs from the sites that may not be paid for directly from this grant as well as TA engagements that will be covered with grant funding, but OJJDP has not specified a specific percentage for either case.

16. How does this solicitation differ from the FY 14 Youth Violence Prevention

Technical Assistance Program in scope of work and will that awardee continue to work on this Initiative?

The solicitation does not differ substantially in scope. Additional funding became available, thus it was determined to post another solicitation. The current applicant is expected to continue its work on this Initiative for the project period specified in its award documents. There could be a period of time when both awards are concurrently active.

17. Are there documents available that will provide insight into the current work/progress in the 39 sites?

There is information on the following websites for these initiatives:

http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/preventing-youth-violence/about-national-forum http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/FundingDetail.asp?fi=229

Additionally, information on the models of the Community Based Violence Prevention programs (Gang Reduction Program also known as the OJJDP Comprehensive Gang model, Cure Violence and Operation Ceasefire now known as the Group Violence Intervention) can be found on www.crimesolutions.gov as well as by googling each program.

18. With the 1.435 million, how many awardees do you anticipate?

It is anticipated that one award will be made. Per the Eligibility section, page one, OJJDP strongly encourages applications that involve two or more entities where one eligible entity is proposed as the applicant and is specified as the fiscal and administrative lead, and other project partners are proposed as subrecipients. The composition of any proposed consortia is entirely up to the lead applicants and its partners. Note that OJJDP has neither restrictions nor guidelines on the number of proposed arrangements with lead applicants entered into by potential partners.

OJJDP reserves the right to make one or more awards from this solicitation and may elect to make supplemental awards to the grantee or grantees selected or may make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on grantee performance, the merit of the applications, and availability of appropriations.

19. Can the awardee leverage other Federal T/TA providers to use their grant dollars to support this effort?

This question isn’t clear. If it is a question of whether the successful applicant can leverage in the sense of to direct or make decisions about the use of the resources of other TTA providers, the answer is no. See FAQ # 15 for further information.

20. Is the grant opportunity open to pending 501C's with fiscal conduits?

No. OJJDP will only accept applications from non-profit organizations with a 501(c)(3) designation.

21. The RFP envisions a minimum of 1 national meeting and two regional cluster meetings. Is travel to get representatives from the 39 sites to these meetings supposed to come out of the 1.435 mil?

Yes. Use the guidance on page 22 of the solicitation to determine estimates of the number of site participants that will attend. We anticipate some sites will have travel resources through direct grants from OJJDP.

22. This is my first time participating with OJJDP; I am a very small community based non-profit mentoring program soon to open a group home for boys, how would I possibly connect with someone on the level of being qualified to apply for this funding? I may need to speak to someone offline later if possible.

http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/preventing-youth-violence/about-national-forum http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/preventing-youth-violence/about-national-forum http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/FundingDetail.asp?fi=229 http://www.crimesolutions.gov/

Please refer OJJDP’s web site for information regarding mentoring programs/funding.

www.ojjdp.gov and to OJJDP’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center (www.nttac.org ), which maintains a repository of TTA grantees funded by OJJDP.

OJJDP staff are unable to connect potential applicants to each other.

23. I have done TA for these types of programs, but I am not part of a large organization. How can I best reach out to the applicant that receives this funding award?

We are always open to engaging individuals with expertise in this field. Please send an email with your contact information to responsecenter@ncjrs.gov indicating that you would like to be involved.

24. Does the new TTA provider need to keep the existing TA schedule (e.g. monthly calls for CBVP project directors, bi-weekly Defending Childhood calls) or suggest a different schedule/approach?

The applicant might choose to keep the existing schedule or propose something different.

25. Are current T/TA providers for these three programs eligible to apply?

Yes, current T/TA providers for these programs are eligible to apply.

26. Do you anticipate that this funding opportunity be released next fiscal year also?

The budget for next fiscal year is not known at this time.

27. How many sites will need full financial support to attend the three meetings? I'm unsure how much of the travel expenses will be covered by OJJDP vs the sites vs this application.

Use the guidance on page 22 of the solicitation to determine estimates of the number of site participants that will attend. We anticipate some sites will have travel resources through direct grants from OJJDP.

28. The concern is that the RFP is very ambitious in all the right ways but the needs are also great and will exceed the resources in the award. So we are interested in your estimate of how much leverage we can expect to have on our own or with your support to deploy other resources.

The applicant must propose a realistic project plan and reasonable budget. As a cooperative agreement there will be substantial federal involvement to support this project.

29. To clarify-- there is no website we would be expected to create under this application?

Correct. The successful applicant is not required to create a new Web portal but is required to develop and update project materials for public Web pages.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/ http://www.nttac.org/

30. You mentioned that the TTA providers don't operate in a hierarchy structure;

however the solicitation suggest the awardee for this solicitation is supposed to coordinate TTA - how can both be true?

Hierarchy presumes full and formal direction and control over work and associated resources whereas coordination entails advancing, managing and tracking work and resources across similarly situated entities and is characterized by shared and informal control. Think of the successful applicant’s role as the convener of a group of experts assembled to co-construct solutions for communities looking to prevent and reduce youth violence and advance the wellbeing of their children and youth.

31. Does the partnership requirement on page 1 refer to partnering with the current contractor on this center and contractors for the other TTA centers listed in the RFP, or some other partnership?

Yes, as indicated on page 4 of the solicitation. OJJDP invites organizations that represent a consortium of partners to broker, coordinate and provide relevant TTA to the identified jurisdictions.

32. What is the deadline for this solicitation?

All applications are due by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on April 20, 2015.

33. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are limited to nonprofit and for-profit organizations (including tribal nonprofit and for-profit organizations) and institutions of higher education (including tribal institutions of higher education). For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee. OJJDP strongly encourages applications that involve two or more entities; however, one eligible entity must be the applicant and serve as the fiscal and administrative lead, and other project partners must be proposed as sub-recipients.

34. Are state government agency and local units of government eligible to apply?

No. This program is only available for non-profit and for profit organizations, institutions of higher education and tribal organizations.

35. Can an organization partner with multiple organizations for this program?

Yes. OJJDP does not preclude an organization from partnering with multiple organizations. OJJDP anticipates that the subject matter expertise needed to support the three youth violence prevention initiatives will be diverse. Therefore, OJJDP encourages applicants to partner with other organizations that will support communities taking part in the Defending Childhood, National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention, and Community Based Violence Prevention (please refer to pages 6 & 7 of the solicitation for program site locations). Specifically, OJJJDP supports co-partnering organizations that will support communities to develop professional knowledge and capacity, reform policy and practices, increase effective use of data to inform decision making, raise public awareness, align existing resources, enhance community outreach, increase stakeholders collaboration, and promote collective impact.

36. Is there a match requirement?

This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit.

37. Are indirect costs allowed?

Indirect costs are allowed only if the applicant has a current federally approved indirect cost rate agreement. A copy of the agreement should be submitted with the application. Also, applicants should be aware that the amount of funding proposed for direct services and costs will be one factor in the review of applications.

38. Is there any flexibility with the requirement that project director time allocated to the project should be 85% or less?

No, given the significance of the project goals, critical timelines and deliverables, OJJDP requires that applicants must propose a Project Director who will dedicate no less than 85% of his/her time to this project.

39. What are the CFDA numbers?

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers for this solicitation are 16.819, titled “National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention;” 16.123, titled “Community- Based Violence Prevention Program;” and 16.818, and titled “Children Exposed to Violence.”

40. How many applications were received last year and how many awards were made?

OJJDP received 13 applications and made 1 award last year.

41. Is there a list of awardees from prior years?

OJJDP posts prior awards on its Web site. Visit http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html.

42. What date should I list as the start date on the SF-424 form?

Applicants may begin their proposed project dates on or after October 1, 2015.

General FAQs:

1. How do I apply for this funding opportunity?

Applicants will submit their applications through Grants.gov, a “one-stop storefront” to find federal funding opportunities and apply for funding. To find complete instructions on how to register and submit an application, go to www.Grants.gov.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/funding/funding.html http://www.grants.gov/

2. Who do I contact for help with Grants.gov?

If the applicant experiences technical difficulties during this process, call the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726, 606-545-5035, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

3. What is a DUNS number and how do I get one?

The Office of Management and Budget requires that all agencies, businesses, and nonprofit applicants for federal funds include a DUNS (Data Universal Numeric System) number in their application for a new award or renewal of an award. Applications without a DUNS number are incomplete. A DUNS number is a unique nine-digit sequence recognized as the universal standard for identifying and tracking entities receiving federal funds. The identifier is used to validate address and point of contact information. The DUNS number will be used throughout the grant life cycle. Obtaining a DUNS number is a free, simple, one-time activity. Call 1-866-705-5711 or apply online to obtain a number.

Individuals are exempt from this requirement.

4. What is the System for Award Management (SAM), and how do I register?

SAM replaces the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database as the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. OJP requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must register in SAM to successfully register in Grants.gov. (Previously, organizations that had submitted applications via Grants.gov were registered with CCR, as it was a requirement for Grants.gov registration. SAM registration replaces CCR as a pre-requisite for Grants.gov registration.) Applicants must update or renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status.

Applicants that were previously registered in the CCR database must, at a minimum:

• Create a SAM account;

• Log into SAM and migrate permissions to the SAM account (all the entity registrations and records should already have been migrated).

Applicants that were not previously registered in the CCR database must register in SAM prior to registering in Grants.gov. Information about SAM registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov.

5. What information is included in the page limit?

The program narrative should be double-spaced with 1-inch margins, not exceeding 30 pages of 8½ by 11 inches, and use a standard 12-point font, preferably Times New Roman. Pages should be numbered “1 of 30,” etc. The tables, charts, pictures, etc., including all captions, legends, keys, subtext, etc., may be single-spaced, and will count in the 30-page limit. Material required under the “Project Abstract”, “Budget and Budget Narrative”, and “Other Attachments” sections will not count toward the program narrative page count. In addition, applicants may provide bibliographical references as a separate attachment that will not count toward the 30 page program narrative limit. If the program narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, OJJDP may consider the application to be noncompliance in peer review and final award decisions.

http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/ http://www.sam.gov/

6. Is there a budget format or sample that is available?

A budget detailed worksheet form is available on OJP’s Web site . When using this form, you must also include a budget narrative, in MS Word or PDF format, as a separate attachment.

7. In my application, do I need to address all performance measures listed in this specific solicitation?

A summary of the specific performance measures that OJJDP will use to measure grantee performance is under the section titled Performance Measures. Applicants should include a brief narrative discussion in their application that indicates their understanding of the performance measures for this solicitation and how they intend to provide the required data to OJJDP.

8. Can I submit a paper version via U.S. mail instead of an electronic application through the Grants.gov system?

No. Applicants must submit their applications electronically. OJJDP will not accept paper submissions.

9. How does the review and awarding process work? How can I track the status of my application?

Peer reviewers will review the applications submitted under this solicitation that meet basic minimum requirements. OJJDP may use either internal peer reviewers, external peer reviewers, or a combination, to review the applications. An external peer reviewer is an expert in the subject matter of a given solicitation who is NOT a current DOJ employee. An internal reviewer is a current DOJ employee who is well-versed or has expertise in the subject matter of this solicitation. A peer review panel will evaluate, score, and rate applications that meet basic minimum requirements. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations for award recommendations and decisions may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer, in consultation with OJJDP, reviews applications for potential discretionary awards to evaluate the fiscal integrity and financial capability of applicants; examines proposed costs to determine if the budget detail worksheet and budget narrative accurately explain project costs; and determines whether costs are reasonable, necessary, and allowable under applicable federal cost principles and agency regulations. During that time, you may be asked additional questions about your application for clarification purposes.

Absent explicit statutory authorization or written delegation of authority to the contrary, all final award decisions will be made by the Assistant Attorney General, who also may give consideration to factors including, but not limited to, underserved populations, geographic diversity, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding when making awards.

To prevent compromising the integrity of the competitive review process, OJJDP will not discuss details regarding the status of applications until all awards have been made to grant recipients. It is anticipated awards will be made no later than September 30, 2015.

http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/BudgetDetailWorksheet.pdf

10. Will my application’s peer review score alone determine if my application is funded?

No. Peer reviewers’ ratings and any resulting recommendations are advisory only. In addition to peer review ratings, considerations may include, but are not limited to, underserved populations, strategic priorities, past performance, and available funding.

11. How will I be notified if my agency is selected to receive an award?

Both the point of contact and the authorizing official listed on the grant application will receive an e-mail award notification, which will provide further information on procedures for receiving funds. Applicants receiving an award will be notified by September 30, 2015.

12. How will I be notified if my agency is not selected to receive an award?

Both the point of contact and the authorizing official listed on the grant application will receive an email notification and a summary of the peer review comments by October 30, 2015.

13. I am experiencing technical difficulties submitting my applications to Grants.gov.

Is there an alternate way to submit my application?

Applicants that experience Grants.gov technical issues that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline or the SAM Help Desk to report the technical issue and receive a tracking number. Then applicant must e-mail the Response Center at responsecenter@ncjrs.gov within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. The e-mail must describe the technical difficulties, and include a timeline of the applicant’s submission efforts, the complete grant application, the applicant’s DUNS number, and any Grants.gov Help Desk or SAM tracking number(s). Note: OJJDP does not automatically approve requests. After the program office reviews the submission, and contacts the Grants.gov or SAM Help Desks to validate the reported technical issues, OJP will inform the applicant whether the request to submit a late application has been approved or denied. If OJP determines that the applicant failed to follow all required procedures, which resulted in an untimely application submission, OJP will deny the applicant’s request to submit their application.

Please note that the following conditions are generally insufficient to justify late submissions:

failure to register in SAM or Grants.gov in sufficient time failure to follow Grants.gov instructions on how to register and apply as posted on its Web site failure to follow each instruction in the OJP solicitation technical issues with the applicant’s computer or information technology environment, including firewalls.

Notifications regarding known technical problems with Grants.gov, if any, are posted at the top of the OJP funding Web page.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do http://www.ojp.gov/funding/Explore/CurrentFundingOpportunities.htm

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov.

Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must e-mail the OJJDP contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. Additional information on reporting technical issues is found under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How To Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800-851-3420, by e-mail at responsecenter@ncjrs.gov, or by Web Chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp.

Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement: OJJDP-2015-4057 Release date: December 31, 2014 Updated date: January 16, 2015 https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp