FINAL_ONAA_Notice_of_Funding_Opportunity (2024_NATEP).docx

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs Native American Outreach Program (NA)

Funding Opportunity No. SB-GC7J-24-002

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs

Native American Trade Expansion Program (NATEP)

FY 2024

Notice of Funding Opportunity No.

SB-GC7J-24-002

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to invite proposals for funding from capable Applicants to eligible small business concerns under the U.S. Small Business Administration's Program to promote the development, success and long-term strength of small businesses providing specialized management and technical assistance, entrepreneurial education and training in delivering of vital business development services to Native American business communities across the country.

Opening Date: July 1, 2024 Closing Date: July 31, 2024

Proposals responding to this Funding Opportunity Announcement must be posted to www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, July 31, 2024. No other methods of submission will be permitted. Proposals submitted after the stipulated deadline will be rejected without being evaluated.

U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS

Table of Contents

1.0 Section I – Funding Opportunity Description

Office of Native American Affairs Email: onaa@sba.gov

0. Introduction The Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) mission is to ensure that American Indian, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians (referred to collectively as Native American) seeking to create, develop and expand small businesses have full access to the business development and expansion tools available through the Agency’s entrepreneurial development, lending and procurement programs.

ONAA’s overarching goal is to promote and support American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs. In recent years, ONAA has successfully sponsored and managed nation- wide contractor-led workshops and roundtables, co-sponsored agreements, interagency agreements, and tribal consultations; developed and distributed promotional materials; and attended and participated in national and regional economic development conferences as subject matter experts for these groups. The focus of this pilot program initiative is to award a grant to a Native American serving business to carry out projects that support developing exports by eligible Native small businesses. The objective of NATEP is to increase (1) the number of Native small businesses that export, (2) the dollar value of exports, and (3) the number of Native small businesses exploring significant new trade opportunities. Such empowerment will serve to maximize economic impact and improve quality of life for the targeted underserved communities.

Section 7(j) of the Small Business Act authorizes the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide management and technical assistance to eligible individuals and businesses. To be eligible for 7(j) services, a client must be: a socially and economically disadvantaged individual whose firm is a participant in the 8(a) Business Development Program; a business that is eligible to receive 8(a) contracts; or a business which qualifies as small under 13 CFR subpart 121 – Small Business size Regulations, and which is located in an urban or rural area with a high proportion of unemployed or low-income individuals, or which is owned by low-income individuals. The term “high proportion of unemployed” means the urban or rural county’s unemployment rate is not less than 140 percent of average unemployment rate for the United States or for the State in which such county is located, whichever is less, based on the most recent data available in the annual Local Area Unemployment Statistics report from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The term “low- income individual” means an individual whose family’s taxable income for the preceding year did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level amount established by the Bureau of Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, for determining poverty status.

0. Background Since its inception in 1953, SBA has served to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small businesses. SBA offers a wealth of financial support, resources, and services to small businesses through an array of loan, contract, and grant opportunities. The Agency also plays a critical role in business counseling and training to small businesses and nascent entrepreneurs. The primary purpose is to promote growth, expansion, innovation, increased productivity, and management improvement.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) serves as the Agency’s small business resource to connect American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to all Agency resources for business development and business expansion. This includes programs implemented by our Office of Capital Access, Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, and Office of Disaster Assistance.

The mission of ONAA, which bears responsibility for administering NATEP, is to ensure that American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians seeking to create, develop and expand small businesses have full access to the necessary business development and expansion tools available, including the advancement of commercial interests at home and abroad.

0. Purpose and Allowable Activities

The purpose of this Funding Opportunity Announcement is to invite proposals from capable Applicants to eligible small business concerns under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Program to build the capacity of current and future small business exporters to compete in the global marketplace. The underlying premise of NATEP is to supplement non-federal entities’ funds for export activities, not to substitute federal funds to cover costs that applicants would normally or otherwise cover. Non-federal entities proposed use of federal funds for NATEP will be limited to the below uses that directly benefit Native small businesses to become an exporter, increase their export sales, and/or increase new export opportunities.

Allowable Activities Guidance

1. Participation in foreign trade missions: For the purposes of NATEP, a foreign trade mission is defined as travel to a foreign country by Native small businesses that will enable them to explore or expand international business opportunities.

2. A foreign market sales trip. For the purpose of NATEP, a foreign market sales trip is defined as travel to a foreign market by Native small businesses that will enable them to explore or expand their international business opportunities.

3. Participate in reverse trade missions/shows. Reverse trade missions are defined as bringing foreign buyers to the United States to meet with potential suppliers of U.S. manufactured goods and services. Proposals for this activity are limited to costs borne directly by Native small businesses to participate in a reverse trade mission and paid for by a NATEP grantee which directly benefit Native small businesses (e.g., meeting space, audio/visual support). Payment of any costs associated with travel (transportation, lodging, etc.) of foreign buyers is not allowed.

4. Participate in commerce subscription services. grant recipients may elect to utilize the services available from the U.S. Commercial Service, to assist with choosing the best market for their products or services; evaluating prospective foreign business partners; increasing market potential; and gold key matchmaking services.

5. Website and product translation, SEO, Localization. The translation of websites into foreign languages, localization for foreign markets, and search engine optimization for Native small businesses.

6. International marketing media design. NATEP defines marketing media as the ability to promote Native small businesses’ products or services to strengthen their export sales potential, using any of the following: brochures; social media platforms; websites; billboards; newspapers; posters; branding and advertising.

7. Participation in trade show exhibition. A trade show is defined by NATEP as an exhibition for Native Small Businesses to showcase and demonstrate their products and services. This includes foreign trade shows appropriate for Native small business export development, and domestic trade shows, according to the domestic trade show policy.

8. Participation in export training workshops. Training workshops and education courses that are offered to recipients of NATEP funds must have a direct benefit to, and assist, Native small businesses with gaining credible knowledge of export policies, regulations, and/or best practices.

9. Any other initiative determined appropriate by the Associate Administrator.

NATEP Priorities: To ensure the full utilization of all NATEP funds, it is strongly recommended that the non-federal entity is confident in their ability to manage and realistically expend all funds within a 24-month period of performance. A non-federal entity’s technical proposal and budget should be clearly focused and targeted based on the top priority exporting needs of Native small businesses nationally that addresses the key performance measures outlined below.

Key Performance Measures:

1. Reach 100% utilization of the award.

2. Increase the number of Native small businesses that export.

3. Increase the value of exports by Native small businesses

4. Increase the number of Native small businesses exploring significant new trade opportunities.

5. Increase the number of Native small businesses in Small Business Communities (as defined in Section 8.1.16) that export.

Direct Support to Eligible Native Small Businesses:

Federal funds must directly support development of New-to-Export Native small businesses (NTE) (as defined in Section 8.1.11) and Market Expansion Native small businesses (ME) (as defined in Section 8.1.10). Accordingly, applicants must reflect in their technical proposal and budget narrative the use of at least 85% of their proposed federal award for the purpose of providing direct benefit to Native small businesses, drawn from the above list of eight allowable statutory activities. An application with less than 85% will be considered “not responsive” to the Notice of Funding Opportunity requirements and will not be evaluated. Proposed costs that directly benefit Native small businesses are composed of:

i. Costs directly borne by a Native small business to participate in an approved export activity as part of a trade expansion program;

ii. Approved travel by NATEP personnel listed on the A-10 form and with the funding designated on the SF 424A to develop the pipeline of Native small businesses and to assist Native small businesses on trade missions and shows; and,

iii. Approved contract services that directly support Native small businesses (e.g., interpreters that are engaged in meetings between Native small businesses and foreign buyers, companies engaged in Native small businesses website development, and providers of export training).

Applicants may propose efforts that comprise financial assistance awards (e.g., vouchers, stipends) for reimbursements to NATEP clients (as defined in Section 8.1.17) for participation in approved export activities.

0. Collaboration and Leveraging of Resources The SBA’s District Offices, SBA’s Export Finance Managers (EFMs), and SBA’s resource partners such as SBDCs, SCORE, WBCs, Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs), Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs), and SBA lenders are all helpful resources. SBA is particularly interested in demonstrated collaboration with Federal agencies (such as the U.S. Commercial Service) and other federal, state, local, and tribal government export development programs and activities provided by institutions of higher education (e.g., colleges and universities), trade and vocational schools, and private organizations such as chambers of commerce and trade and industry groups and associations.

0. SBA Involvement and Oversight

The Native American Trade Expansion Program (NATEP) is managed by the Assistant Administrator (AA) of the Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA).

A designated Program Manager (PM) located within ONAA at SBA Headquarters will be responsible for the overall monitoring and oversight of the non-Federal entity’s project, including compliance with the terms and conditions of the Notice of Award (NOA). ONAA will conduct periodic assessments of the project to verify progress. The level of monitoring will be dependent on the awarded applicant’s proposed measures, milestones (e.g., outputs and outcomes), and goals.

A designated Grants Management Officer (GMO) within SBA will be responsible for issuing the NOA, making modifications to the award, and processing payments.

1.7 Changes or Cancellation

SBA reserves the right to amend or cancel this funding opportunity, in whole or in part, at the Agency’s discretion.

SBA expects to issue up to $240,000 in total under this announcement in the interest of providing assistance and guidance to eligible Native American small businesses to increase the number of firms that export and the dollar value of Native small business exports.

The allowability of costs is restricted to the export activities, specified in Section 1.4 above.

Funds provided under the Office of Native American Affairs must be used solely for the purposes stipulated in this Announcement and the Notice of Award and may not be commingled with any other monies. All costs proposed in an Applicant’s budget must meet the tests of allowability, allocability, and reasonableness set forth in the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles. SBA will not reimburse Applicants for their proposal preparation costs, but Applicants may request pre-award costs. Pre-award costs must directly relate to the conduct of the project and meet the tests of allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.

Program income is gross income from fees, or any other monies collected by a NATEP non-federal entity or a partner entity from a NATEP Native small business. For NATEP, program income must be:

i. Included in the applicant-proposed and SBA-approved budget.

ii. Accounted for separately from other federal and non-federal monies.

iii. Added to the approved NATEP federal award amount.

iv. Used to directly benefit NATEP Native small businesses for activities approved by the assigned SBA NATEP Program Manager and must be expended before the grant closes.

Fees paid by a NATEP Native small business directly to a recognized provider of export services are not considered program income. The provider can be an independent entity (e.g., U.S. Department of Commerce, trade show organizer, export trainer). The entity can be under contract to a NATEP non-federal entity to provide export-related services.

Program income may not be used to support salaries of NATEP personnel.

When an applicant intends to serve solely as a fiscal agent and simply receive monies from Native small businesses and then provide 100% of the collected costs to third parties for services for those Native small businesses, rather than using the monies to recoup costs the applicant has already paid, this approach can be requested, approved, and not considered program income.

· Are located in and/or intend to provide services to Native-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs.

· Be a for-profit or not-for-profit entity (including, but not limited to small businesses, other-than small businesses, trade and professional associations, educational institutions, and Native Community Development Financial Institutions);

· Must have been in existence continually for at least the past three years;

· Must demonstrate substantive experience dealing with issues related to the Native American population and small businesses located in areas with population of Native Americans and,

· Must demonstrate that it has a track record and the capacity in providing assistance to Native American Micro Enterprise and small businesses.

3.3 Ineligible Applicants

The following organizations will automatically be considered ineligible and their applications will be rejected without being evaluated:

· Any entity that carries federal debt subject to offset;

· Any entity that is currently suspended, debarred or otherwise prohibited from receiving awards of contracts or grants from the federal government;

· Any entity that has an outstanding and unresolved material deficiency reported under that requirements of the Single Audit Act or OMB Circular A-133 within the past three years;

· Any entity that has had a 7j grant or cooperative agreement involuntarily terminated or non-renewed by SBA for cause within the past year;

· Any entity that has filed bankruptcy within the past five years;

· Any entity that proposes to serve as a pass-through and permit another organization to manage the day-to-day operations of the project; and/or

· Any organization that was convicted or had an officer or agent acting on its behalf convicted, of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the past two years.

All applications successfully submitted to SBA via www.Grants.gov will undergo a screening process, consisting of a review for applicant eligibility and application completeness. Applications will be rejected without further evaluation if they are submitted by ineligible entities, or they are non-responsive to the requirements of this Notice of Funding Opportunity.

For applicant convenience, a technical proposal template and list of application elements are provided to ensure the application package follows the order listed in the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

The following documents are completed as part of the electronic application form on www.Grants.gov:

1) SF-424, Application Federal Assistance,

2) SF-424A, Budget Information, All documents must be submitted as separate attachments. Documents cannot be bundled together.

Instructions for file naming conventions: Please include the following attachments separately using the exact name and standard order outlined below. The application elements as described below should be named with the attachment number [#], applicant’s business name or abbreviation, and name of document (identified in the left-hand side of chart below). Do not add the word “attachment” in the file name.

For example: [1] [Business Name or Abbreviation] Cover Letter. Applications must upload the following elements as attachments in www.Grants.gov:

REQUIRED APPLICATION ELEMENTS

The following Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations are located within the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and do not need to be submitted with this application:

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, 2 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.

Financial Management Certification – 2 CFR 200.302 & 2 CFR 200.303 Debarment and Suspension – 2 CFR Part 180 Drug-Free Workplace – 41 U.S.C. 8103 Tax Compliance – Section 543 of PL 112-55 Conflict of Interest – 2 CFR 200.112 Cover Letter (Maximum 1 page) - See Application Instructions Appendix [1] [Business name or abbreviation] Cover Letter - (Signed) PDF format The first element of the application must be a cover letter containing a summary of each non-Federal entity’s key proposed export activities, which may be shared on the ONAA website. Submit the cover letter electronically in pdf format. The cover letter is not counted in the 10-page requirement and must be one page and include the following information:

a. Non-federal entity’s name and address;

b. Non-federal entity’s website address;

c. Name, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the non-federal entity’s designated point of contact (the Authorized Organizational Representative);

d. Dollar amount of federal assistance being requested;

e. A one paragraph summary (110-125 words) of the proposed export activities supporting the proposed milestone goals. Use the following language to start this requirement:

“The (fill in business name) will use NATEP award funds to support export development for eligible Native small business concerns to include (insert the proposed export activities).”

Technical Proposal (Maximum 10 pages) - See Application Instructions Appendix [2] [Business name or abbreviation] Technical Proposal-Word format To expedite the proposal review process, applicants must submit their technical proposal using the template provided in the application instructions appendix. The proposal elements must be in the same order as the evaluation criteria in Section 5.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity. The proposal may not exceed 10 pages (excluding title page and cover page) and must be double-spaced on 8 ½ x 11- inch paper. Times New Roman in 12-point font is required. Only the first 10 pages will be reviewed and evaluated. An applicant will not be notified and consulted if additional pages are eliminated and not reviewed.

Non-federal entities are strongly encouraged to prepare focused proposals including, performance measures and supporting activities that can realistically be achieved within the performance period.

ii. Introduction: Start the technical proposal with an ‘Introduction’ section on page one (not on the title page) that summarizes in no more than one (1) paragraph, your organization’s requested federal and non-federal award amount, targeted number of eligible small business concerns, brief description of proposed export activities that will be achieved with NATEP funds in each of the two years of performance, the total expected export sales, and anticipated return on investment that is realistic and achievable.

iii. Exporting Experience: In an estimated (1) page, this section must describe the organizational capability to achieve success in the past and/or present to increase the number of Native small business exporters, export sales, and significant new trade opportunities.

iv. Project Design: In an estimated 1-7 pages, labeled with the main heading ‘Project Design’, this section should demonstrate how credible and impactful the non-federal entity’s organization can leverage partnerships to produce new Native small business exporters, increase Native small businesses’ export sales, and expand significant new export opportunities; as well as promote export services to a broad range of Native Small Business Communities. This section must address all components as described in Section 5.2:

a. Performance measures & outcomes.

b. Direct benefit to Native Small Businesses.

c. Direct benefit to Native Small Business Communities.

d. Collaboration.

v. Financial Assistance Plan - In an estimated 1 page, labeled with the main heading ‘Financial Assistance Plan’, this section must outline the three elements (detailed in Section 5.2.6) for Native small businesses seeking assistance with award funds.

vi. Data Collection & Measurement of Outcomes - In an estimated 1 page, labeled with the main heading ‘Data Collection and Measurement of Outcomes’, this section must address the required data collection elements identified in Section 5.2.7 (and listed in technical proposal template); and the applicant’s ability to quantitatively measure progress towards achieving proposed outcomes. NATEP’s proven results are measured by an increase in the number of firms, an increase in the value of ‘actual’ export sales, and an increase in significant new export trade opportunities. Refer to the Technical Proposal template for more details.

Proposed Plan: Performance Measures & Outcomes – See Application Instructions Appendix [3] [Business name or abbreviation] Proposed Plan - Excel format

Non-federal entities will be responsible for preparing a Proposed Plan including, performance measures and outcomes in an excel spreadsheet (‘Instructions’ on how to complete the proposed plan can be found in the application instructions as an Appendix.) based on the milestone goals submitted in the technical proposal.

The Proposed Plan serves as the data blueprint to measure the extent to which the NATEP grant recipient achieves program activities and the results (outcomes) of those measures. If awarded a grant, the grant recipient will be assigned a NATEP Program Manager who is responsible for reviewing and approving your plan. Grant recipients will be required to report performance measures achieved, activities completed, and measurable results on a quarterly basis for the full two-year award period. SBA will collect, analyze, and utilize this data to evaluate the program’s overall success. Client data will be confidential and used by SBA only if permission is given by a representative of the Native Small Business.

BUDGET INFORMATION

Each applicant must provide budget information according to the specific instructions for each item. Submit budget information documents separately, in the following order, with the file name labeled as follows:

Standard Form (SF) 424 V4, Application for Federal Assistance [4] [Business name or abbreviation] SF 424 Online and Pdf format This standardized form requires basic information about your organization. The NATEP Project Director must be listed in block 8f on the SF 424, not a grant writer or any other contact person, since this is where SBA obtains the contact information to generate the Notice of Award (NOA) for acceptance of the grant. Pertinent information regarding this announcement and all programmatic matters will also need to be provided to the NATEP Project Director listed in block 8f.

SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction Programs) [5] [Business name or abbreviation] SF 424A - Online and Pdf format This form requires an estimate of the Applicant's total cost of executing NATEP activities described in the technical proposal.

i. Include only applicant staff travel in the “Travel” cost category and Native Small Business travel in the “Other” cost category.

ii. For Section A, fill in columns (a) with ‘NATEP’, (b) with 59.007 and appropriate total amounts in (e), (f), and (g).

iii. For Section B, label column (1) ‘federal’, label column, label column (3) with any ‘non-federal’ (in-kind) contribution (from applicant or a third party). The ‘total’ federal and non-federal amount is in column (5) and across line K.

iv. For Section C, (non-federal resources): Only complete columns 8(a) Grant Program with ‘NATEP’, column (b) applicant (combined cash/in-kind, if applicable), and column (e) Totals

v. Prepare SF424A, Section D to match approved plan expenditures for the first four quarters. In other words, the ‘forecasted cash needs’ for year ONE, federal amount (line 13) and non-federal amount (line 14) must match the activity expenditure amounts on your proposed plan by quarter. Line 15, the total amount of expenditures you proposed in your federal and non-federal budget and approved plan for all activities must be the same for the first four quarters; Do not merely divide the total amount by four (quarters). They should match the technical proposal and proposed plan exactly for proposed activities and requested amounts.

vi. Prepare SF424A, Section E, to match approved plan expenditures for the second four quarters. In other words, the “forecasted cash needs” for the SECOND year of award. Federal amount (line 16) and non-federal amount (line 17) must match the activity expenditure amounts on your proposed plan by quarter. Line 19, the total amount of expenditures you proposed in your federal budget and non- federal budget and proposed plan for all activities must be the same for the second four quarters. Do not merely divide the total amount by four quarters. They should match the technical proposal and proposed plan exactly for proposed activities and requested amounts.

Attachments A-10 through A-12 (Budget Detail Worksheets) [6] [Business name or abbreviation] A10 - A12- Pdf format

i. A NATEP Project Director must devote 50% of their time each quarter throughout the duration of the grant cycle, to the NATEP project. The Director may not divide their time across all NATEP years to meet the minimum 50% requirement.

ii. On the A-10, identify all personnel who will be funded by federal and non-federal amounts or who will support the NATEP project without project funding (follow the sample shown on the A-9 ‘Supplementary Instructions’ for personnel calculations. Do not include the A-9 instruction page in the application package).

iii. All subtotals and totals on the A-10 through A-12 must match all dollar amounts reflected on the SF- 424A.

iv. Non-federal entities may substitute their own forms or spreadsheets in place of the A-10 through A-12, provided these alternate forms include all the same cost elements and columns in the same order as the A-10 through A-12.

v. The NATEP Director (PI/PD) and/ or Authorized Representative (AOR) should be identified beside their name when listed on the A-10. Ensure all current contact information is listed by that person who will represent that role.

Budget Narrative [7] [Business name or abbreviation] Budget Narrative - Pdf format

i. Provide a detailed explanation of the components of each budget cost category listed on the SF-424A; Section B.

ii. Explain how each cost component directly benefits Native small businesses.

iii. Indicate which cost category (item and dollar amount) comprises the proposed non-activity related federal expense that was entered in the yellow highlighted section at the bottom row (P 21) in the proposed plan.

CERTIFICATION FORMS AND ASSURANCES

Submit certification and assurances forms separately in the following order, with the file name labeled as follows (Note: Where applicable, if the applicant has submitted these certifications and assurances via www.SAM.gov over the past 12 months, the applicant can rely on those forms instead of submitting new versions. Applicable forms are marked below.):

Cost Policy Statement [8] [Business name or abbreviation] Cost Policy Statement - (Signed) Pdf format The Cost Policy Statement must describe the non-federal entity’s general accounting policies and a description of their cost allocation methodology (how each type of proposed cost is allocated: direct or indirect).

This policy must be signed by the Authorized Representative (AOR) (or equivalent thereof, holding analogous responsibilities, and having analogous expertise).

ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

Each Applicant must provide budget information according to the specific instructions for each item. Submit organizational management documents separately in the following order, with the file name labeled as follows:

Key Personnel Résumés and Position Descriptions [9] [Business name or abbreviation] Key Personnel Resumes and Position Descriptions - Pdf format Résumés and position descriptions for ALL key personnel (including vacant positions) supporting the NATEP project.

i. Résumé of NATEP Project Director should reflect knowledge and experience with both administering a federal award and executing the proposed export activities;

ii. Other résumés must reflect experience and education relevant to the proposed NATEP project.

Résumés may not be more than one page in length. Only the first page of each resume will be reviewed and evaluated. An applicant will not be notified and consulted if additional pages are eliminated and not reviewed.

Lists of Contractual and Consulting Agreements [10] [Business name or abbreviation] List of Contractual and Consulting- Pdf format Provides two separate lists of contracts and agreements as follows:

1. List of Contractual and Consulting Agreements - List of all current or anticipated contractual and consulting agreements that directly support the applicant’s proposed export activities which must include:

i. Contract provider name or TBD if contractor is anticipated.

ii. Manner in which the provider was or will be selected (i.e., competitively or sole source).

Summary of support provided.

iii. Actual or estimated contract cost to support the proposed NATEP activities.

iv. Identity of the employee or official of the applicant’s organization who will be responsible for overseeing the agreements, and,

v. Description of the oversight process.

The non-federal entity shall follow their own procurement policies and procedures when contracting with project funds but must comply with the requirements of 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.326.: Additionally, when using project funds to procure supplies and/or equipment, you are encouraged to purchase American- manufactured goods to the maximum extent practicable. American-manufactured goods are those products for which the cost of their component parts that were mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States exceeds 50% of the total cost of all their components. For further guidance regarding what constitutes an American-manufactured good (also known as a domestic end product), see 48 C.F.R. Part 25.

The following additional rules apply to contracts involving $10,000 or less:

i. Non-federal entity does not need to submit copies of the proposed contracts to the GOTR for approval before executing them.

ii. The contracts are not required to be awarded via competition if the organization considers their prices to be reasonable.

The following additional rules apply to contracts involving between $10,001 and $250,000 in project funds:

i. Non-federal entity does not need to submit copies of the proposed contracts to the GOTR for approval before executing them.

ii. Non-federal entity must obtain price quotes (either orally or in writing) from at least three qualified sources and inform SBA of these quotes in the corresponding payment requests/financial reports.

iii. If the non-federal entity does not choose to go with the lowest price quote, an explanation must be provided.

The following additional rules apply to contracts involving more than $250,000 in project funds:

i. Non-federal entity must submit copies of the proposed contracts to the GOTR for approval before executing the contract.

ii. The contracts must be awarded via competition. Non-competitive contracting at this level is only allowed if you can demonstrate to SBA’s satisfaction either: (i) there is only one possible source for a particular good or service or (ii) there is an emergency involving the risk of imminent damage to property or injury to people.

2. List of contracts that the non-federal entity proposes to charge against the project as a direct cost that will be outside the indirect cost rate agreement (e.g., a facility’s lease).

i. Contract provider/lessor name.

ii. Summary of support provided.

iii. Actual or estimated contract cost.

If non-federal entity does not propose any contract support for this award, include this attachment marked “N/A.”

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Each Applicant must provide financial management information according to the specific instructions for each item. Submit financial management documents separately in the following order, with the file name labeled as follows:

Single Audit Report [11] [Business name or abbreviation] Audit Report - Pdf format Attach the most recent Single Audit report that should not be longer than a year old from this fiscal year of 2024 application. The FY2023 report should be submitted but if that year’s report is not finished, please indicate when the report will be published. If the non-federal entity is not subject to the requirements of the Single Audit Act, the non-federal entity must instead submit a copy of its most recently audited financial statement and the CPA opinion of this audit (e.g., unqualified, qualified, adverse, etc.).

Note: if the non-federal entity’s Single Audit or most recent financial statement audit is large, provide a blank page with website link and instructions on where to locate the audit.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (ICRA) or Extension Letter (if applicable) [12] [Business name or abbreviation] ICRA - Pdf format For non-federal entities that include indirect costs, provide a current, executed Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from the cognizant federal agency or a letter from the non-federal entity’s cognizant federal agency approving an extension of a previous indirect cost rate for a period of time that covers the period of performance for this award. If the Applicant has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, it may instead elect to use the de minimis 15 percent indirect cost rate established under 2 CFR § 200.414(f). If the non-federal entity does not propose such charges for this award, include this attachment marked “N/A.”

4.3 Submission Instructions

This section provides the application submission and receipt instructions for applications submitted for this Announcement. Please read the following instructions carefully and completely.

4.3.1 Electronic Delivery

SBA is using www.Grants.gov to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. Applicants must submit their applications online through www.Grants.gov

4.3.2 How to Register with Grants.gov

SBA requires the use of the www.Grants.gov website for submission of all directed announcement grant application packages. If your organization hasn't already done so, it must register with www.Grants.gov before it can apply for this funding opportunity. Registration creates a profile of basic information about your organization including the staff members who are authorized to submit applications on its behalf. These steps take several days, so please don't wait until the last minute if you have a deadline approaching. If you have problems registering with www.Grants.gov, call the support desk at 1-800-518-4726. Complete instructions for registering with www.Grants.gov are located at www.Grants.gov.

Organizations must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and www.Grants.gov account to apply for grants. If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this funding opportunity, then you may begin with step 3, Create this identifier at www.Grants.gov account, listed below.

As of February 2, 2019, under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Regulatory Secretariat Division of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) implemented a new process in the System for Award Management (SAM), to the currently approved information collection requirement regarding the pre- award registration requirements for federal Prime Grant recipients. These revisions will enable non-federal entities to submit common federal government-wide certifications and representations for federal financial assistance at the time of registration in SAM. You must have an up-to-date SAM profile before your grant application can be reviewed for possible award.

Creating a www.Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but UEI and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Complete organization instructions can be found on www.Grants.gov:

i. Obtain a UEI: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a UEI. Applicants must enter the UEI in the data entry field labeled "Organizational UEI" on the SF-424 form. For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI, refer to: Home | GRANTS.GOV

ii. Register with SAM: All organizations applying online through www.Grants.gov must register and maintain registration with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through www.Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

iii. Create at www.Grants.gov The next step is to register an account with www.Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions at Home | GRANTS.GOV

iv. Add a Profile to www.Grants.gov Account: A profile in www.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 www.Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your www.Grants.gov account, enter the UEI for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on www.Grants.gov, refer to: Home | GRANTS.GOV

v. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with www.Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for www.Grants.govroles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to www.Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) role, thereby giving you 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.

vi. Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to: Home | GRANTS.GOV

vii. Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through www.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 people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role; this step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

4.3.3 How to Submit an Application to SBA via www.Grants.gov

www.Grants.gov applicants must 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 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on www.Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: Home | GRANTS.GOV

i. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

ii. Complete a Workspace: 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. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive support.

iii. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. 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 www.Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software.

iv. Mandatory Fields in Forms: 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.

v. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and UEI. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

vi. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. www.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.

vii. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a www.Grants.gov Tracking Number 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: Home | GRANTS.GOV Applicant Support: Home | GRANTS.GOV provides applicants 24/7 support. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

4.3.4 Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

a. Online Submission. All applications must be received by [11:59 p.m.] Eastern Day light Savings Time on July 31, 2024. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by www.Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by www.Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from www.Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp from www.Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When SBA successfully retrieves the application from www.Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, www.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 shall be the official date and time that www.Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by www.Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by SBA.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should…