Foa_Content_of_F22AS00233 FINAL.pdf

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

FWS - Fisheries

2022 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan Grant Program Fiscal Year: 2022

F22AS00233

Due Date for Applications: 08/31/2022

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT:

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100, Expiration Date: 7/31/2021

We are collecting this information in accordance with the authorizing legislation identified above. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding and, if awarded, to evaluate performance. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. We estimate that it will take you on average about 40 hours to complete an initial application, about 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and about 8 hours per report to prepare and submit financial and performance reports, including time to maintain records and gather information. Actual time for these activities will vary depending on program-specific requirements. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Table of Contents A. Program Description

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Expected Award Funding and Anticipated Dates

B4. Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. Program Technical Contact

G2. Program Administration

G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description Authority:

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act, 16 U.S.C. §4701-4741. Section 4724 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741) (Act), authorized and provided general guidance for the development of State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plans.

Assistance Listing Number:

15.608 Background, Purpose and Program Requirements:

The Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program’s Branch of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) intends to award funding for its 2022 State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan (SIANSMP) Grant Program. Section 4724 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990, as amended (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741) (Act), authorized and provided general guidance for the development of State and Interstate Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) Management Plans. The Act enables State governors to submit these plans to the ANS Task Force for approval.

These comprehensive ANS Management Plans identify technical, enforcement, or financial assistance activities needed to prevent, eliminate, or reduce the environmental and public health and safety risks associated with ANS. ANS Management Plans focus on feasible, cost-effective management practices and measures to be undertaken by States to prevent and control ANS infestations in an environmentally sound manner.

Once an ANS Management Plan is reviewed and approved by the ANS Task Force, the Act authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to provide cost-share grants for the implementation of the approved plans.

This Program has a two-stage application process (see sections D2 and E2, for more details).

Stage One - the “Preliminary National Review” - is managed by the Service Headquarters office. The pre-proposal process will occur outside of Grant Solutions similar to how it has occurred in the past; for 2022, pre-proposals are due four weeks after posting of the NOFO.

Stage Two - the “Regional Office Review and Grant Processing” - is managed by the Service Regional Offices (See the program administration contacts under section E2 below).

B. Federal Award Information B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $4,084,000

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award $130,000 Minimum Award $5,000

B3. Expected Award Funding and Anticipated Dates Expected Award Funding $90,755 Expected Award Date June 15, 2022 For FY 2022, the Service’s SIANSMP Grant Program plans to allocate an anticipated $4,084,000 for implementation of the 45 ANS Task Force approved State and Interstate ANS Management Plans (This funding level is based on FY2021; final award amounts will be based upon available funding.). Available funding will be evenly distributed based on requested funding amounts and the number of ANS Task Force approved plans. The funding for each plan is estimated to be approximately $90,755 if proposals are successfully submitted for all 45 currently approved plans (42 State and 3 interstate). Eligible applicants must meet pre-award review and application requirements. The pre-proposal process will occur outside of Grant Solutions similar to how it has occurred in the past; for 2022, pre-proposals are due four weeks after posting of the NOFO. Once advised of the final funding level, grant application packages can be submitted via GrantSolutions.

B4. Number of Awards Expected Number of Awards There are only 45 ANS Task Force-approved plans eligible for funding. However, there have been cases where states do not apply in a given year for various reasons, thus the total number of awards could be less than 45.

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type G - Grant

C. Eligibility Information C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 00 – State governments

Additional Information on Eligibility To be considered for funding, applicants must work directly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s AIS Program and represent one of the currently 45 ANS Task Force approved State or Interstate ANS Management Plans (42 State and 3 Interstate). Section 1204 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 restricts the award to States with ANSTF-approved State or Interstate ANS Management Plans.

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement Yes Percentage of Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement Section 4724 (b)(3)(a) of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 as amended (16 U.S.C. 4701-4741), requires those entities applying for funds under this Program to provide a 25% cost share (25% of total project costs). Applicants may attribute some or all of their allowable indirect costs as voluntary committed cost-share or match.

C3. Other Foreign Entities or Projects:

State Sponsors of Terrorism: This program will not fund projects in countries determined by the U.S. Department of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism and therefore are subject to sanctions restricting receipt of U.S. foreign assistance and other financial transactions.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions: This program will not fund projects in countries subject to comprehensive sanction programs administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Asset Control without proper licenses.

In-Country Licenses, Permits, or Approvals: Entities conducting activities outside the U.S.

are responsible for coordinating with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities as necessary to obtain all required licenses, permits, or approvals before undertaking project activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws, regulations, policies, or procedures of the foreign country in which they are conducting work.

Excluded Parties:

The DOI conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The DOI cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm https://www.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/Pages/default.aspx

D. Application and Submission Information D1. Address to Request Application Package All eligible applicants are State agencies, and those with high-speed internet may download the necessary application materials through the new GrantSolutions system. However, if any State needs to have the Notice of Funding Opportunity sent to them, they should contact the appropriate agency contact in section E2 below.

Program Website Link

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

All applicants must submit the Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. This form is available with the announcement on Grants.gov and in GrantSolutions. The form must be complete and signed by an Authorized Representative. For all applicants except private citizens, the Authorized Representative’s signature on a standard application form submitted to the Service represents their certification that the entity’s financial management system meets 2 CFR §200.302 financial management requirements. The non-Federal entity’s financial management system must be sufficient to:

1. Permit the preparation of required reports;

2. Trace funds to a level of expenditures adequate to establish that the entity has used such funds per Federal statutes, regulations, and terms and conditions of the Federal award;

3. Provide for the requirements in 2 CFR §200.302(b); and

4. Comply with §200.334 Retention requirements for records, §200.335 Requests for transfer of records, §200.336 Methods for collection, transmission, and storage of information, and §200.337 Access to records.

When completing the SF-424 Application form, enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in Box 18a, Estimated Federal Funding. Include any other Federal sources of funding in Box 18e. Estimated Other Funding and identify any such sources and amounts in the required Budget Narrative (see below). For individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), do NOT include your Social Security Number on this or any other document to be submitted with your application! When completing the SF-424 Application form, individuals must enter in Box 8b. Employee/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) the substitute number “444-44- 4444” and in Box8c. For organizational DUNS substitute number “123456789”. For UEI substitute the number "000123456789".

This Program has a two-stage application process. Each stage requires specific documentation, as detailed below.

Stage One Application Requirements - Preliminary National Review After the Funding Opportunity is posted within GrantSolutions (and posted on Grants.gov), Stage One, the pre-proposal stage, of the grant process is handled outside of GrantSolutions. For 2022, pre-proposals are due 4 weeks after posting of the NOFO. Eligible entities must submit an approximately 3-page pre-proposal that contains:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.302 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.302 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.302 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.334 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.335 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.336 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR4acc10e7e3b676f/section-200.337

1. Funding opportunity number (To Be Determined);

2. Program narrative that outlines the ANS Management Plan activities to be conducted with the requested funding, including:

a. Narrative description of each activity pertaining to zebra and/or quagga mussels or other aquatic invasive species and the funding requested;

b. A linkage of each activity to its designated action within the SIANSMP implementation table;

c. A prioritization of all the proposed activities; and

d. A timeline for the performance of each activity in the pre-proposal.

3. A Budget in tabular form: Budget must show individual entries for each proposed activity as well as Federal and non-Federal cost share (25% of total project costs) and that administrative costs will not exceed 5% of the total budget (See section C2 and C3 above).

a. MS Word or Excel Spreadsheet is acceptable; please note – the SF 424A - Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs can also be used but is not necessary at Stage One.

4. Budget narrative: Brief narrative describing how the budget numbers were derived.

Pre-proposals are submitted outside of the GrantSolutions system to the Program Technical Contact (see section G below). For 2022, pre-proposals are due four weeks after posting of the NOFO.

Stage Two Application Requirements - Regional Office Review and Grant Processing The Service’s Headquarters AIS office will notify applicants by email of the funding amount they are eligible to apply for as they move to Stage Two and submit a complete grant application.

Applicants notified that they can submit their complete application must work with their appropriate Regional offices to submit the following within the GrantSolutions system:

Project Abstract Summary (OMB Number 4040-0019) Applicants must complete and submit the Project Abstract Summary form. The Project Abstract Summary form must provide a brief award description. The description must be in plain language that the public can understand without viewing the full application proposal. It should include a brief, simple description of the project purpose, activities to be performed, deliverables and expected outcomes, intended beneficiaries, and subrecipient activities, if known at the time of submission.

Do not include personally identifiable, sensitive, or proprietary information in the award description as this is available to the public. Use only English characters, numbers, punctuation, and standard symbols. Use of non-English, non-standard characters (also referred to as special or extended ASCII characters) will result in the award description failing to be reported correctly to USASpending.gov. Award descriptions are limited to 4,000 characters or less. Applicants should check the length of the award description and proofread for proper grammar and spelling.

For applicants applying through Grants.gov: Applicants must download and complete the Grants.gov “Project Abstract Summary” form from the full text announcement. To submit the Grants.gov “Project Abstract Summary” form with the application, applicants must add the form as an attachment to the Grants.gov “Attachments” form that is included in the application package.

For applicants applying through GrantSolutions-Grants Management Module (GS- GMM): Applicants must enter the information in the Project Abstract Summary screen. Do not upload a document in place of entering the information directly into GS-GMM Project Abstract Screen.

Project Narrative SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs Applicants must complete and submit the SF-424A Budget Information form for Non- Construction Programs or Projects. All required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov or in GrantSolutions. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 200. Applicants must show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In “Section A – Budget Summary” on the SF-424A form enter the funding requested from this Federal program in the first row. Identify any other Federal funding sources and amounts in the required Budget Narrative (see below).

Budget Narrative Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any proposed item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles, including any anticipated subawarding, transferring or contracting out of any work under the award. See 2 CFR §200.407 for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source. Identify any cash or in-kind contributions that a partner or other entity will contribute to the project and describe how the contributions directly and substantively benefit completion of the project. For in-kind contributions, identify the source, the amount, and the valuation methodology used to determine the total value. See 2 CFR §200.306 for more information.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

a. Applicability.

1. This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

2. In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by sub recipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR§200.318 apply.

b. Notification.

1. Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass- through entity in accordance with 2 CFR §200.112.

2. Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRea20080eff2ea53/section-200.407 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/section-200.306 https://ecfr.federalregister.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR45ddd4419ad436d/section-200.318 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112 conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by sub recipients.

c. Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR §18 and 31

USC §1352.

d. Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR §200.339, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR §180).

Uniform Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. states, local governments, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and non- profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System, in accordance with 2 CFR 200 subpart F. U.S. state, local government, Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, and non- profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title31/pdf/USCODE-2019-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2019-title31/pdf/USCODE-2019-title31-subtitleII-chap13-subchapIII-sec1352.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR86b76dde0e1e9dc/section-200.339 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-180 https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html is available with this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regard to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in this application, we will immediately notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration:

This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as an individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own, operate, or work within), or any entity with an exception to bypass SAM.gov registration with prior approval from the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) which will replace Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet in April 2022. A Federal award may not be made to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. Applicants registering in SAM.gov prior to April 2022 may still be required to obtain a DUNS number prior to completing the registration process within SAM.gov. Federal award recipients must also continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number In April 2022, the Federal Government will stop requiring DUNS numbers. At that point, entities doing business with the government will use the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) created in SAM.gov in place of a DUNS number. A UEI will be assigned to entities upon registering with

SAM.

https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

If an entity is applying for federal financial assistance prior to April 2022, a DUNS number may still be required as part of the SAM registration process. A DUNS Number can be requested through the Dun & Bradstreet website. The official website address is http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. For technical difficulties, go to www.dnb.com/govtduns. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form (version 3).

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) Applicants can register on the SAM.gov website. The “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov “Register with SAM” page also provides detailed instructions. Applicants can contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been made to the entity’s IRS information. If applicable, foreign entities who want to receive payment directly to a U.S. bank account must enter and maintain valid, current banking information in SAM.

D4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 08/31/2022 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.

Application Due Date Explanation Program specific text for Due Date for Applications:

For FY2022, with all funding being awarded by August 31, 2022. For 2022, pre-proposals are due 4 weeks after posting of the NOFO. Once advised of the final funding level, grant application packages can be submitted via GrantSolutions.

D5. Intergovernmental Review An intergovernmental review may be required for applications submissions from a U.S. state or local government prior to submission. Applicants must contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372. The State Single Point of Contact list is available on the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform http://www.dnb.com/govtduns mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com http://www.sam.gov https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Register/RegisterWithSAM.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Register/RegisterWithSAM.htm https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/

D6. Funding Restrictions Indirect Costs: Individuals Individuals applying for and receiving funds separate from a business or non-profit organization they may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, you must not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget.

Indirect Costs: Organizations The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior (DOI) is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center (IBC) will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the IBC by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients may not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted by Organization:

U.S. state or local government entities receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding must include the following statement in their application and attach a copy of their most recently negotiated rate agreement:

We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Our current indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. Attached is a copy of our most recently negotiated rate agreement/certification.

U.S. state or local government entities receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding must include the applicable statement from this list:

We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding. We prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and documentation per 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII. Our current indirect cost rate is [insert rate], which is charged against [insert a complete description of the direct cost base used to distribute indirect costs to the award].

We are a U.S. state or local government entity receiving $35 million or less in direct Federal funding. We have not prepared an indirect cost rate proposal and documentation per 2 CFR §200, Appendix VII and elect to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.1. We understand we must use this methodology consistently for all Federal awards until we choose to establish a rate per 2 CFR §200. We understand we must notify the Service in writing if we establish a rate that changes the methodology used to charge indirect costs during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service.

https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/contact-us https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/contact-us https://ibc.doi.gov/ICS/icrna

All other organizations must include the applicable statement from this list and any related documentation in their application. Please note, an organization with a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may not elect to charge the 10% de minimis rate of Modified Total Direct Costs during the period covered by their current negotiated rate.

We are an organization with a current negotiated indirect cost rate. In the event we receive an award, we will charge indirect costs per our current negotiated rate agreement.

Attached is a copy of our current rate agreement.

We are an organization with a negotiated indirect cost rate that has expired. Attached is copy of our most recently negotiated rate agreement. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date. We understand we must provide the Service a copy of our approved rate agreement before charging indirect costs to the Federal award.

We are an organization that has never negotiated an indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate], which is charged against [insert a complete description of the direct cost base used to distribute indirect costs to the award]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date. We understand we must provide the Service a copy of our approved rate agreement before charging indirect costs to the Federal award.

We are an organization that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate. In the event an award is made, we elect to charge the de minimis rate of 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.1. We understand we must use this methodology consistently for all Federal awards until such time as we negotiate a different rate with our cognizant agency. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if during the award period we establish a rate that changes the methodology used to charge indirect costs to the award. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service.

We are an organization submitting a [insert either “Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program” or “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”] project proposal, which has an indirect cost rate cap of [insert rate; CRU is currently 15%; CESU is currently 17.5%]. In the event we receive an award, we understand that if we have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate we must charge the program’s capped indirect cost rate to the same base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement, per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have current negotiated (including provisional) rate, we understand we must charge the capped indirect cost rate against Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as defined in 2 CFR §200.1.

We are an organization that will charge all costs directly.

Section 4724 (b)(3)(a) of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 as amended (16 USC 4724 (b)(4)) states that “administrative costs for activities and programs carried out with a grant in any fiscal year shall not exceed 5% of the amount of the grant in that year.”

D7. Other Submission Requirements The Service requests applicants to apply electronically using GrantSolutions. To apply electronically the Applicant Organization and Organization Officials must be established in GrantSolutions. If your Organization and/or Organization Officials do not currently exist in GrantSolutions follow the instructions below.

New Organization Request

Send an email requesting a new organization to be with the following information to help@grantsolutions.gov:

Organization/Individual Name POC first and last name POC email POC phone number Organization Type DUNS # (unless exempt) EIN (Applicants that are INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT include their social security number) Address

If your Organization is new or you do not have the appropriate officials in GrantSolutions you must also establish an individual account for each of the Organization Officials and assign the appropriate role. At a minimum the Authorizing Official and Principal Investigator/Program Director roles must be assigned. Individual Organization Official accounts may be requested by completing the Recipient User Account Request Form and emailing the completed form to at help@grantsolutions.gov.

If your organization already exists in GrantSolutions please verify that the correct Organization Officials have an individual GrantSolutions account.

If your Organization and Organization Officials already exists in GrantSolutions, please login using your existing username and password. If you do not remember your account information, please contact the GrantSolutions Help Desk at (866) 577-0771 or by email at help@grantsolutions.gov

For more information on how to apply please see GrantSolutions Help for instructions and videos.

Please contact GrantSolutions Help Desk if you have any questions regarding your account or GrantSolution issues at (866) 577-0771 or by email at help@grantsolutions.gov

See section D2 for an explanation of Stage One of the grant process: “Preliminary National Review”, a pre-proposal process required before moving forward with an application in GrantSolutions

E. Application Review Information mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov https://www.grantsolutions.gov/home/getting-started-request-a-user-account/ mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov https://www.grantsolutions.gov/support/fedUsers.html mailto:help@grantsolutions.gov

E1. Criteria To be considered for funding, applicants must work directly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program and represent one of the currently 45 ANS Task Force approved State or Interstate ANS Management Plans. Section 1204 of the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act of 1990 restricts the award to States with ANSTF-approved State or Interstate ANS Management Plans. The purpose of the State and Interstate ANS Management Plans is listed in the authorizing legislation and aligns with the priorities of the Department of the Interior’s Invasive Species Task Force (and accompanying Strategic Plan). If there is any question about the eligibility for funding, please contact the appropriate agency contact (see section E2). Eligible applicants compete for the available pot of funding by their having met the pre-award requirements through the intensive, collaborative, multi-stage plan development process and meeting the 25% cost-share (25% of total project costs) and 5% limitation on administrative costs.

E2. Review and Selection Process Prior to award, the program will review any applicant statement regarding potential overlap or duplication between the project to be funded and any other funded or proposed project in terms of activities, funding, or time commitment of key personnel. Depending on the circumstances, the program may request modification to the application, other pending applications, or an active award, as needed to eliminate any duplication of effort, or the FWS may choose not to fund the selected project.

The program may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Bureau is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prior to award, the program will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR §200.206. Programs document applicant risk evaluations using the Bureau’s “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards for Federal funding in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the Bureau is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The Bureau will consider this information when completing the risk review. The Bureau uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR §200.208 should be applied to the award.

The funding available under this grant program will be distributed based on requested funding amounts and the number of ANS Task Force approved plans. All eligible applicants must meet the pre-award review and application requirements.

Stage One Process – Preliminary National Review During this stage, the pre-proposals are screened to make sure they meet the application requirements. The pre-proposals are not evaluated through a merit review process because the https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.206 https://www.fws.gov/grants/pdfs/FWS3-2462RiskAssessmentWeb_12-31-2020.pdf https://www.fws.gov/grants/pdfs/FWS3-2462RiskAssessmentWeb_12-31-2020.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-C/section-200.208

“merit” of a project is considered prior to applications being received by the Service during a plan’s rigorous, multi-stage development and review process; thus no criteria or scores are used to evaluate the pre-proposals.

To be considered for funding, the pre-proposals must include all of the requirements for Stage One, detailed in section D2 of this funding opportunity. In addition, pre-proposals from eligible applicants will be reviewed to determine:

Do the activities outlined in the pre-proposal align with/support the goals, objectives, strategies, and actions of their respective plans?

Does the proposal show any progress from the previous year’s proposal (i.e. that the proposal is not an exact copy of the previous year’s proposal).

Does the pre-proposal identify the 25% cost-share? (25% of total project costs) Does the pre-proposal indicate the 5% limitation on administrative costs?

If an eligible applicant is found to be missing any part of the pre-proposal requirements, the Grant Program Manager for Stage One will work with the applicant to acquire any missing information. Ineligible applicants will be contacted and given an explanation on why they are considered ineligible.

Once all pre-proposals have been received and reviewed, those determined acceptable will move to Stage Two of the process. The Service’s Headquarters AIS office will notify each successful applicant by email of the funding amount they are eligible to apply for in the Stage Two of the grant process.

Stage Two Process – Regional Office Review and Grant Processing In this stage, applicants are notified that they are approved to submit a complete application for a specified funding amount; this notification indicates that the applicant has passed Stage One and is not the final award letter. No merit review is conducted at this stage; the merit review for the State ANS Management Plans is incorporated earlier during the rigorous, multi-stage plan development process. The Service’s Regional AIS Coordinators will assist applicants with the remaining part of the grant process before any funding is awarded (see contact list below). Please note that the grant process procedures may vary depending on the Service Region managing your award.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinators

Legacy Region 1 - Pacific Region (HI, ID, OR, WA, Pacific Islands) Theresa Thom, Ph.D.

Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation, Pacific Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 911 NE 11th Avenue Portland, OR 97232 503-736-4722 (office) 971-278-8029 (cell) Email: theresa_thom@fws.gov

Legacy Region 2 - Southwest Region (AZ, NM, TX, OK) Barak Shemai mailto:thom@fws.gov

Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque, NM 87103-1306 505-248-6593 (office)

(505) 366-9565 (cell) Email: barak_shemai@fws.gov

Legacy Region 3 - Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region (IA, IN, IL, OH, MI, MN, MO, WI) Rob Simmonds U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish & Aquatic Conservation Program 5600 American Blvd. West, Suite 990 Bloomington, MN 55437

(612) 713-5114 (office) Email: rob_simmonds@fws.gov

Legacy Region 4 - Southeast Region (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) Cindy A. Williams Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator US Fish & Wildlife Service Fish & Wildlife Conservation Offices, Fish Technology & Fish Health 1875 Century Blvd, 4th Floor Atlanta, GA 30345

(404) 679-4148 FAX: (404) 679-4141*

Email: cynthia_williams@fws.gov *FAX number not available during COVID pandemic.

Legacy Region 5 - Northeast Region (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT, VA, WV)

Sandra Keppner Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Lower Great Lakes Fish & Wildlife Conservation Office 1101 Casey Road Basom, NY 14013

(585) 948-5445 (x 7039) (office) Email: sandra_keppner@fws.gov

Legacy Region 6 - Mountain-Prairie Region - (CO, KS, MT, ND, NE, SD, UT, WY) Joanne Grady Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service P.O. Box 25486-DFC Denver, CO 80228 mailto:shemai@fws.gov mailto:simmonds@fws.gov mailto:williams@fws.gov mailto:keppner@fws.gov

(303) 236-4519 (office) Email: joanne_grady@fws.gov

Legacy Region 7 - Alaska Region Aaron Martin Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alaska Regional Office 1011 East Tudor Road Anchorage, AK 99503

(907) 786-3510 (office) FAX: (907) 786-3848* Email: aaron_e_martin@fws.gov *FAX number not available during COVID pandemic.

Legacy Region 8 - Pacific Southwest Region (CA and NV) Cesar Cadena Blanco, PhD Regional Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest Region (LR8) 2800 Cottage Way Sacramento, CA 95825 916-978-6190 (desk) Email: cesar_blanco@fws.gov

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information See the Service’s General Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to Service awards. The Service will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their notices of award.

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices Following review, applicants may be requested to revise the project scope and/or budget before an award is made. Successful applicants will receive written notice in the form of award document. Notice of Award Letters will be issued within GrantSolutions. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by the Service and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the Notice of Award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. Recipient acceptance of a Federal award from the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with all terms and conditions applicable to the mailto:grady@fws.gov mailto:martin@fws.gov mailto:blanco@fws.gov https://www.fws.gov/grants/index.html award.