DHS-19-CIS-010-002 - Final_07291019_with appendices.pdf

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM. It may take 4 weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM, then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information. Information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from Grants.gov at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM is also provided in Section D of this NOFO, subsection, Content and Form of Application Submission.

A. Program Description

Issued By U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), External Affairs Directorate, Office of Citizenship

Assistance Listings Number (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number) 97.010

Assistance Listings Title (formerly CFDA Title) Citizenship Education and Training

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program: Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services

NOFO Number

CI-CET-19-002

Authorizing Authority for Program Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-6), Division A, Title IV

Appropriation Authority for Program Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 116-6), Division A, Title IV

Program Type New http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities The Office of Citizenship (OoC), within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is charged with promoting instruction and training on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. USCIS recognizes that naturalization is the most important milestone in the civic assimilation of immigrants.

Naturalization requirements, such as knowledge of English and of U.S. history and civics, encourage civic learning and build a strong foundation upon which immigrants can fully assimilate into society. Through preparing for naturalization, immigrants will gain the tools to become successful citizens and meet their responsibilities as United States citizens.

The goal of the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program is to expand the availability of high quality citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents across the nation and to provide opportunities for lawful permanent residents to gain the knowledge and training necessary to assimilate into the fabric of American society.

Additional activities that support this goal include developing, identifying, and sharing best practices in citizenship preparation; increasing the use of and access to technology in citizenship preparation programs;

working with local libraries and museums which serve as vital resources for immigrant communities; and incorporating strategies to foster welcoming communities as part of the citizenship and civic assimilation process.

Furthermore, the goals of the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program address the DHS mission to Enforce and Administer Our Immigration Laws as stated in the 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review as the program provides lawful permanent residents instruction on the rights and responsibility of U.S. citizenship and information and support on how to apply for naturalization within the authorized practice of immigration law.

Participation in E-Verify As outlined in Appendix B and as a condition of receipt of funding under the award, grant recipients and sub-awardees must enroll (if not already enrolled) in E-Verify; use E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all new hires of the recipient, who are working in the United States, at hiring sites performing work under the program or activity funded in whole or in part under the award; and take steps as may be necessary to ensure award and sub award recipient compliance with the E-Verify requirements.

Request for Proposals In fiscal year (FY) 2019, a total of approximately $9,000,000 in federal funding is available for eligible organizations to provide direct citizenship preparation services to lawful permanent residents through this funding opportunity. USCIS anticipates awarding approximately 36 grants of up to $250,000 each.

Proposed citizenship preparation activities must include the following two components:

1. Citizenship instruction to prepare lawful permanent residents for the naturalization test and interview. Program design must include:

a. Instruction in U.S. history and government for test preparation and the promotion of civic assimilation in English. Applications to provide instruction in languages other than English will be deemed ineligible;

b. Activities that promote civic and linguistic assimilation;

c. English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in reading, writing, and speaking;

d. Instruction on the naturalization process and eligibility interview;

e. The use of a nationally normed standardized test of English proficiency to place and assess progress of all students enrolled under this program. (Note: The CASAS citizenship test may not be used for this purpose as it is not a test of English language proficiency.) At least 80% of post tested students must demonstrate education gains as evidenced by increased standardized test scores;

f. The use of a current adult citizenship textbook that aligns with the skill level of the students in the class (published textbooks only, compilations of worksheets or handouts will not be accepted); all students must be issued a textbook for their own personal use;

g. A sample curriculum that includes all of the components contained in the USCIS Sample Curriculum found on the Citizenship Resource Center at www.uscis.gov/citizenship/educators/program-development including:

(1) Instruction in U.S. history and government for test preparation and the promotion of civic assimilation;

(2) Activities that promote civic and linguistic assimilation;

(3) English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction in reading, writing, and speaking for the naturalization test, naturalization process, and to conduct required assimilation activities; and

(4) Instruction on the eligibility interview (N-400);

h. The provision of at least 40 hours of citizenship instruction over a 10-12 week class cycle with managed enrollment to at least 200 students at the National Reporting System for Adult Education (NRS) low beginning to high intermediate levels; and

i. The use of citizenship teachers who have at least one year of experience teaching ESL to adults and who:

(1) Hold a degree in TESOL; and/or

(2) Hold TESOL certification from a state licensing agency; and/or

(3) Have a minimum of 2 years of experience in TESOL instruction in a classroom setting for a program that utilizes a textbook and a structured curriculum.

Classes offered at the NRS literacy level (1) or at the NRS advanced level (6) are not eligible for funding under this program. Classes offered in languages other than English are not eligible for funding under this program. Tutoring services do not count towards the minimum 40 hours of classroom instruction.

Grant-funded classes must integrate instruction in U.S. history and government; civics- based ESL instruction in reading, writing, and speaking; and instruction on the naturalization process and eligibility interview. For more detailed information on the content and competencies that applicants are required to address in grant-funded classes, please review the Guide to the Adult Citizenship Education Content Standards and Foundation Skills found at www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office of Citizenship/Citizenship Resource Center Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf.

Grant-funded programs must also incorporate a minimum of two civic assimilation learning activities into class curricula. The intent of this requirement is to encourage students to extend knowledge acquisition beyond traditional classroom instruction through opportunities to experience and navigate American civic life firsthand through in-depth learning activities. Applicants are encouraged to draw upon their local resources, venues, and landmarks when conceptualizing and designing these civic assimilation learning activities. Suggested categories for the required assimilation activities include but are not limited to:

a. Site-based civic assimilation activities – local trips outside the classroom to sites and landmarks of historical and/or cultural significance, libraries, museums, other local public entities, and organizations that promote public safety, etc.;

b. Classroom-based civic assimilation activities – activities that may involve guest speakers such as local civic leaders and public servants to provide the opportunity for student interaction and https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/educators/program-development https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/educators/program-development http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1121.pdf exchange, or the use of multimedia and/or materials-based methods that promote an enhanced understanding of key moments in U.S. history and/or the form and function of local, state, and federal government;

c. Civic participation – activities that encourage students to take participatory learning beyond the classroom by attending a public meeting, volunteering, or participating in local civic institutions;

and

d. Other assimilation activities – activities that promote in-depth understanding of the student’s role as a future citizen of the United States, including: the rights and responsibilities of citizenship;

our shared American history; government functions, structure and laws; geography; traditions and symbols; and holidays. These can be external or in-class.

2. Naturalization application services, within the scope of the authorized practice of immigration law, to support lawful permanent residents in the naturalization application and interview process. Services must include:

a. The provision of naturalization eligibility screening;

b. The preparation and submission of Form N-400, Application for Naturalization with Form G-28, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, over the two-year period of performance for at least 200 lawful permanent residents;

c. Ongoing immigration case management;

d. The use of a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Access Programs

Accredited Representative (partial accreditation is acceptable) or an attorney who is an employee of the applicant organization or the sub-awardee organization. (Pro bono or volunteer attorneys may be used to supplement the program but may not serve as the applicant’s sole provider of immigration legal services, nor serve as a supervisor to staff members who are not Accredited Representatives and provide such services.) Attorneys and Accredited Representatives must sign Form N-400 as the preparer, and submit Form G- 28 with each Form N-400 filed under this grant, preferably using online filing through https://www.uscis.gov/n-400 Grantees are strongly encouraged to file forms electronically whenever possible. In the case that e-filing is not a viable option, the grantees’ legal service provider is required to mail the naturalization application package to USCIS on behalf of the client. Applications may not be given to the client to mail. The legal service provider is required to file the application on the client’s behalf. The applicant must demonstrate an established process in place to refer individuals with complex immigration matters beyond the scope of the services provided under this grant to a qualified attorney.

Services may include interview preparation, a representative’s appearance at the naturalization interview, responding to a Request for Evidence (RFE), and filing other forms or documents (such as Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions), if applicable.

Partnerships Partnerships are encouraged. Applicants may include partnerships with other public or non-profit organizations in their proposal. The principal applicant must directly provide either citizenship instruction or naturalization application services, or both. A partner organization is considered a “sub-awardee” if the organization will receive a portion of the grant funding to provide additional or complementary direct citizenship instruction or naturalization application services.

The applicant must complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the prospective sub-awardee and submit it with the application. The applicant must clearly demonstrate how it will monitor the prospective sub-awardee’s performance and ensure that the prospective sub-awardee complies with all grant https://www.uscis.gov/n-400 award conditions and data reporting requirements. The MOU must state the minimum number of students/clients to whom the sub-awardee will provide services; how grant funding will be allocated to fund the services; and that as a condition of receipt of funding under the award, the sub-awardee must enroll (if not already enrolled) in E-Verify, use E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all new hires of the recipient, who are working in the United States, at hiring sites performing work under the program or activity funded in whole or in part under the award, and take steps as may be necessary to ensure its compliance with the E-Verify requirements. Prospective sub-awardees must have their own individual Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and will be responsible for financial and performance reporting. Sub-awardees must submit their reports to the primary applicant for submission to DHS.

Performance Metrics For this grant program, organizations will be evaluated based on the following performance metrics:

1. The number of newly enrolled non-duplicated lawful permanent residents in citizenship instruction classes (Minimum of 200);

2. Percentage of enrolled students who post-test using nationally approved standardized tests of English language proficiency (Minimum of 80%);

3. Percentage of post-tested students demonstrating measurable educational gains (Minimum of 80%);

4. Number of lawful permanent residents for whom your organization will provide eligibility screenings (Minimum of 200); and

5. Number of lawful permanent residents for whom your organization will prepare and submit Form N-400 and Form G-28 (Minimum of 200).

B. Federal Award Information

Award Amounts, Important Dates, and Extensions

Available Funding for the NOFO: Approximately $9,000,000

Projected Number of Awards: Up to 36

Period of Performance: 24 months (comprising two 1-year budget periods).

Applicants may request a no-cost extension in order to complete all project activities. The request must be submitted 60 days prior to the expiration of the performance period.

Requests for extensions are subject to approval by DHS. See Section H. Additional Information – Extension(s).

Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s): 10/01/2019

Projected Period of Performance End Date(s): 9/30/2021

Funding Instrument: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants The following entities are eligible to apply to this announcement:

1. City or township governments

2. County governments

3. Independent school districts

4. Native American tribal government (federally recognized)

5. Native American tribal organizations, other than federally recognized tribal governments

6. Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than institutions of higher education

7. Private institutions of higher education

8. Public and state controlled institutions of higher education

9. Special district governments

10. State governments

Eligibility Criteria To be eligible for this program, applicants and sub-awardees must meet the below requirements.

1. Applicants and any proposed sub-awardees must be organizations with public or non- profit status;

2. At the time of application, applicants and/or any sub-awardees that propose to provide citizenship instruction must have at least 1 year of experience in the past 3 years providing direct service citizenship instruction in a classroom setting that follows a curriculum and utilizes a citizenship textbook.

3. Applicants and/or any sub-awardees that propose to provide naturalization application services must have at least 1 year of experience in the past 3 years providing naturalization application services within the authorized practice of immigration law to clients, and must at the time of application:

a) Be recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Office of Legal Access Programs (OLAP) and employ at least one DOJ accredited representative employee (partial accreditation is acceptable) with experience providing clients with naturalization representation; OR

b) Have at least one attorney on staff as a paid employee with experience providing clients with naturalization representation.

Not Eligible For-profit law firms and attorneys in private practice are not eligible to receive funding under this funding opportunity. (See the Glossary for the definitions of “representation” and “employee.”)

Current awardees and sub-awardees under the FY 2018 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program (funding opportunity CI-CET-18-002 or CI-CET-18-003) are not eligible to receive funding under this funding opportunity. Applicants to the Refugee and Asylee Assimilation Program (CI-CET-19-003) are not eligible to apply to this program. Applicants may only submit one proposal in response to the FY 2019 Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program.

If DHS determines at any point during the review process that an application does not meet these eligibility requirements, the application will be removed from further consideration.

Non-Responsive Applications Your application will be deemed non-responsive if:

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance is missing.

2. Form SF-424A – Budget is missing.

3. Form SF-424B – Assurances - Non-Construction Programs is missing.

4. The applicant’s Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is not registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

5. The application does not include a Budget Narrative and a Budget Table.

6. The application does not include a Project Abstract.

7. The application does not include a Project Narrative.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE) There is no MOE requirement for this program. Requests for funds under this announcement must not be used to take the place of activities described in the application that are currently supported with other funding. Also, grant funds must not be used to support activities that are a normal part of the organization’s operations.

Cost Share or Match There is a minimum cost share requirement for this program of 10% of the total requested funding amount. Applicants should clearly identify which budget items are to be supported by federal grant funding and which are to be supported by in-kind contributions and/or other funding sources, along with an estimate of the value of these non-federal funding sources. All proposed cost share contributions must be clearly described in the budget portion of the proposal. Applicants will be scored on this during the technical review.

Acceptable forms of cost share items include:

• Volunteer services: Rates for volunteer services must be consistent with those paid for similar work.

• Employee time: Time Employee’s regular rate of pay.

• Supplies: Fair market value of the supplies at the time of donation.

• Cash contributions: Cash value.

• Equipment, building, or land: Fair market value or rental value at the time of application, as established by an independent appraisal.

• Project co-funding: Actual cost incurred.

D. Application and Submission Information

Key Dates and Times

Date Posted to Grants.Gov: 07/30/2019

Application Submission Deadline: 08/13/2019 at Midnight EDT

Anticipated Funding Selection Date: 09/14/2019

Anticipated Award Date: 09/21/2019

NOTE: The application must be received in Grants.gov by the date and time listed above. If an application is received after the deadline, it will not be considered. Applicants will receive a confirmation from Grants.gov once the application is successfully submitted.

All applications are time stamped by the Grants.gov system when submitted and recipients are notified accordingly. The federal office will download all applications that are received by the deadline date and time as indicated on the NOFO.

Other Key Dates

Event Suggested Deadline For Completion Obtaining DUNS Number Four weeks before actual submission deadline Obtaining a valid EIN Four weeks before actual submission deadline Updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission Starting application in Grants.gov One week before actual submission deadline

Address to Request Application Package Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov.

1. To access these materials, go to www.grants.gov, select “Applicants” then “Apply for Grants.”

2. To obtain the application package, select “Download a Grant Application Package.”

3. Enter the CFDA and/or funding opportunity number located on the cover of this NOFO, select

“Download Package,” and then follow the prompts to download the application package.

Applications will be processed through the Grants.gov portal. If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions, please call Grants.gov customer support at 1-800-518-4726.

The Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Announcement is 1-800-518-4726 (Grants.gov customer support).

To request a hard copy of the full NOFO, please email or fax a request to: Jacqueline Greely Grants Officer Jacqueline.Greely@HQ.DHS.GOV Fax: 202-447-5600

Content and Form of Application Submission Applicants must submit all required forms and required documents listed in this section. See the Grants.gov Applicant User Guide for instructions on how to attach forms and documents. Applicant should ensure that the final submitted application package includes all required forms and documents. Applicants should avoid the use of special characters in attachment file names.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant for this award must:

1. Be registered in SAM before submitting an application;

2. Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and

3. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information while having an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a DHS FAO.

DHS may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DHS is ready to make the award, DHS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Jacqueline.Greely@HQ.DHS.GOV http://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/Applicants.htm

Required Forms See Appendix A for required forms.

Electronic Delivery DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the Grant Community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS encourages applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

1. Read the instructions below about registering to apply for DHS funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last- minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants.

If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

Organization applicants can find complete instructions here:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

2. All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the (SF)-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a DUNS number, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain- duns-number.html

3. In addition to having a DUNS number, all organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your application from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register- with-sam.html

4. The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process.

For more information, follow the on-screen instructions or refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

5. A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number for the organization in the DUNS field while adding a profile.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

6. After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz Point of Contact (POC). The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html To track your role request, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

7. When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR; this step is often missed but is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

How to Submit an Application to DHS via Grants.gov Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities using Workspace, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1. Creating a workspace allows you to complete the application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2. Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission.

3. If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard or DHS forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

4. In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color.

These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

5. The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

6. An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the “Sign and Submit” button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

7. After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the DHS with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by Midnight Eastern Daylight Time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission. When DHS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. Again, proof of timely submission will be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by DHS.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

Intergovernmental Review An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372 (see www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf ).

Funding Restrictions

Eligible Funding Purposes DHS grant funds may only be used for the purposes set forth in the agreement, and must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award. Grant funds may be used for the following purposes:

1. To provide services to lawful permanent residents only, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

2. Resources to support citizenship instruction, including staff salaries, textbooks/materials, nationally normed standardized assessment tests, software, etc.

3. Professional development and training for staff and/or volunteers related to the provision of citizenship instruction and/or naturalization application services.

4. Facility rental costs not to exceed more than 20% of the total approved budget.

5. Resources to support naturalization application services including staff salaries, case management systems, costs associated with DOJ recognition of organizations and accreditation (or renewal) of staff. This includes training costs related to DOJ recognition and accreditation.

6. Transportation costs for students attending grant-funded classes.

a) Transportation funds provided to students must match the students’ individual transportation costs.

b) Applicant must have a system to track how transportation funds are used.

7. Reimbursement of transportation costs for volunteers participating in grant-funded activities.

Volunteers may not receive a general transportation stipend.

a) Transportation funds provided to volunteers must match the volunteers’ individual transportation costs.

b) Applicants must have a system to track how transportation funds are used.

8. Childcare costs to assist eligible participants to attend grant-funded classes.

9. Travel costs for two staff members to attend a mandatory two-day grant recipient training in the

Washington, D.C. area during the first year of the grant, and costs for one teacher or coordinator to attend a USCIS teacher training (or another professional development training with approval from USCIS) during the second year of the grant.

10. Equipment purchases directly related to the provision of services.

11. Costs associated with the use of computers for citizenship instruction (e.g., computer equipment, internet access, electronic tablets, etc.)

Ineligible Funding Purposes Grant funds may not be used for the following purposes:

1. Cost-sharing or matching funds for other federal grants, lobbying, or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/rgeo12372.pdf federal government or any other government entity.

2. USCIS application fees.

3. Costs of organized fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions.

4. Profit/Fee is not allowable except when subcontracting for routine goods and services with commercial organizations. (Note: Applicants may charge a nominal fee not to exceed $50 for naturalization application services and not to exceed $30 for citizenship instruction. If you propose to charge for services under the grant program, please present a justification for these fees in the budget narrative, including a detailed explanation of how they will be used to enhance the program. Program income generated from these fees must go back into the grant-funded program.)

5. Foreign travel.

6. Construction costs and purchase of real property under this funding opportunity.

7. Pre-award costs.

8. Funding for direct reimbursement of proposal development.

9. Costs for food or refreshments.

10. Incentive items or gift cards.

11. General volunteer stipends.

12. Living allowances for any national volunteer service program participants.

13. Fees for conferences that are not considered training events.

Management and Administration (M&A) Costs Management and Administration Costs are allowable for the grantee and any proposed sub-awardee (if applicable). For more information on allowable costs, please see Funding Restrictions (above).

Indirect Facilities & Administrative (F&A) Costs Indirect Costs are allowable for the grantee and any proposed sub-awardee (if applicable). Indirect costs must not exceed 15% even if an applicant has a higher negotiated indirect cost rate agreement. This requirement is not subject to negotiation if selected for an award. The applicant must attach a copy of the latest indirect cost rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant federal agency. Any non-federal entity that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate (except for those non-federal entities described in Appendix VII to Part 200 States and Local Government and Indian Tribe Indirect Cost Proposals, paragraph D.1.b) will be subject to a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. As described in §200.403 Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs, but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all federal awards until such time as a non-federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-federal entity may apply to do at any time. For more information, see 2 CFR Part 200.414.

Other Submission Requirements Applications must be submitted in electronic format only.

Application forms and instructions are available at www.grants.gov. Applicants must have a compatible version of Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is available from Grants.gov at no charge.

If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions, please call Grants.gov customer support at 1-800-518-4726.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part200-appVII.pdf http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=fbb70fe83009e152ac327498f6ec18c4&amp%3Bnode=se2.1.200_1403&amp%3Brgn=div8 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b02738d16e4b0c1b82dc67a83ede6370&amp%3Bnode=se2.1.200_1414&amp%3Brgn=div8

E. Application Review Information

Application Evaluation Criteria Prior to making a federal award, the federal awarding agency is required by 31 U.S.C. 3321 and 41 U.S.C.

2313 to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information. Therefore application evaluation criteria may include the following risk based considerations of the applicant:

1. Financial stability;

2. Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards;

3. History of performance in managing a federal award;

4. Reports and findings from audits; and

5. Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements.

DHS will use the following criteria to evaluate applications deemed eligible and responsive. Applicants can receive up to 100 points.

1. Capacity to Provide Comprehensive Citizenship Instruction (15 Points) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates:

a) Recent (in the past 5 years) and extensive (a minimum of 2 years) experience providing citizenship instruction (6 points);

b) Recent (in the past 5 years) and extensive (a minimum of 2 years) experience providing ESL instruction (6 points); and

c) The need for citizenship instruction within the lawful permanent resident community that the applicant serves (3 points).

2. Quality of the Citizenship Instruction Program (30 Points) The extent to which the applicant proposes a high quality citizenship instruction program to meet the citizenship education needs of the community, including:

a) Attainable citizenship instruction program goals (3 points);

b) Detailed outreach, orientation, intake, and student retention plans (3 points);

c) Well developed and appropriate curriculum and class structure, including the use of assimilation activities, and well described student assessment strategy. (12 points); and

d) Qualified and experienced personnel (as described in the project narrative requirements) (12 points).1

DHS requires that all applicants demonstrate experience providing naturalization application services within the authorized practice of immigration law. Applications that fail to demonstrate this will not be scored on criteria 3 and 4 and as a result will be deemed ineligible.

3. Capacity to Provide Comprehensive Naturalization Application Services (15 Points)

The extent to which the applicant demonstrates:

a) Recent experience providing naturalization application services within the authorized

1 Please see USCIS’ Professional Development Guide for Adult Citizenship Educators for competencies USCIS would expect qualified and experienced personnel to demonstrate in the citizenship instruction classroom.

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Publications/M-1139.pdf practice of immigration law (10 points); and

b) The need for naturalization application services within the lawful permanent resident community that the applicant serves (5 points).

4. Quality of the Naturalization Application Services Program (30 Points) The extent to which the applicant proposes a high quality naturalization application services program, including:

a) Attainable naturalization application services program goals (3 points);

b) Detailed outreach and intake plans (3 points);

c) High quality service delivery and case management (12 points); and

d) Qualified and experienced personnel (as described in the project narrative requirements)

(12 points).

5. Integration of Services (5 Points) The extent to which the applicant demonstrates a plan to provide integrated citizenship preparation services particularly in ensuring the accessibility of naturalization application services for enrolled citizenship instruction students. A well-defined referral plan that ensures priority access for enrolled students seeking legal services is required.

6. Cost Effectiveness and Balance (5 Points)

a) The extent to which the applicant’s proposed budget is tied to the delivery of programmatic services and demonstrates a programmatically supported balance between funding dedicated to citizenship instruction and naturalization application services (2 Points); and

b) The extent to which the applicant’s budget demonstrates an effort to satisfy the 10% cost share requirement and adheres to the required 15% administrative cost cap. (3 Points)

Review and Selection Process DHS will conduct an initial review of applications to determine the responsiveness of the application. If an applicant is determined to be ineligible (see Section C. Eligibility Information) or an application is determined to be non-responsive, DHS will notify the applicant. All responsive and eligible applications will be reviewed as described below:

1. DHS will assemble reviewers which may include both federal and non-federal reviewers to review the eligible applications. Reviews of submitted applications will be conducted either on site or by remote review.

2. Teams of technical reviewers will review each eligible application against the evaluation criteria.

The reviewers will assign a score and provide summary comments based on the evaluation criteria identified above.

3. An application may be selected for post-review quality control and possible rescoring if it received significantly diverging scores and comments from reviewers.

4. An internal review panel consisting of DHS staff will review the highest ranked applications and make final funding recommendations. The internal review panel may take applications out of rank order in consideration of strategic program priorities, which are identified below.

5. DHS may perform an additional review of the applicant organization and any sub- awardees and/or its key personnel. This may include reviewing audit reports, publicly available materials, and/or government data which may have a bearing on award outcome. DHS may request additional materials from the applicant as part of this review, including:

a) The summary letter from the applicant’s most recent audit report;

b) Documentation of previous grant award completion that includes the name of the grantor, amount awarded, and whether the grant recipient sufficiently completed the requirements of the grant award (e.g., a final close-out report, certification of grant award completion, etc.);

c) A pre award site visit or investigation to determine and validate current services and proposed activities; and

d) A site visit conducted in the case of a contingent award in order to evaluate the organization’s ability to satisfy the programmatic and administrative requirements of the grant. DHS reserves the right to not pursue the completion of the award process if preliminary investigations and/or site visits do not provide sufficient evidence of organizational capacity to successfully administer the proposed grant.

6. After the technical review and before making final funding decisions, DHS will contact the highest ranking applicants to seek clarification and to negotiate technical and programmatic aspects of the application. This will include negotiations on the curriculum content, staffing, and activities. If an application includes a sub-awardee that will provide additional or complementary direct grant-funded services in partnership with the main applicant, DHS may request to speak with all parties included in the application to ensure sufficient planning and coordination has taken place prior to making an award.

7. The maximum possible funding amount will be determined based on the application’s average score according to the following schedule:

Application Average Score Maximum Possible Funding Amount 90 – 100 $250,000 80 - 89 $237,500 70 - 79 $225,000

8. Confidentiality and Conflict of Interest. Technical and cost proposals submitted under this

NOFO will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. DHS may use one or more support contractors in the logistical processing of proposals however, funding recommendations, and final award decisions are solely the responsibility of DHS personnel.

DHS screens all technical reviewers for potential conflicts of interest. To determine possible conflicts of interest, DHS requires potential reviewers to complete and sign conflict of interest and nondisclosure forms. DHS will keep the names of submitting institutions and individuals as well as the substance of the applications confidential except to reviewers and DHS staff involved in the award process. DHS will destroy any unsuccessful applications after three years following the funding decision.

9. DHS strongly discourages, and will not consider, any supplementary materials submitted by or on behalf of the applicant (e.g., letters of support) other than those materials specifically requested in this NOFO.

10. DHS will notify all applicants electronically of funding decisions. Unfunded applicants may send a written request to citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov to receive a written summary of comments related to the evaluation criteria, along with the points awarded to the application for each of the evaluation criteria. DHS will send the written summary to the applicant within 60 days of the request. Additional information beyond that described here will not be provided.

Strategic Program Priorities Based on the recommendations…