Foa_Content_of_HHS-2021-ACF-ORR-ZI-1910.pdf

Signature Date

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Refugee Resettlement

Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program

HHS-2021-ACF-ORR-ZI-1910

Application Due Date: 06/21/2021

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

The Review Criteria - Lead-In Paragraph

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Funding Opportunity Title:

Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) Program Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2021-ACF-ORR-ZI-1910

Primary CFDA Number:

93.576 Due Date for Applications:

06/21/2021 Executive Summary Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire funding opportunity announcement (FOA) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

MODIFICATION: ORR has modified the FOA from its original version to extend the due date to June 21, 2021 to reflect the observation of Juneteenth on June 18, 2021. This is the only modification to the announcement.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for projects to establish and manage Refugee Individual Development Accounts (IDA) for low-income refugee participants (also referenced as clients). Eligible refugee participants who enroll in these projects will open and contribute systematically to IDAs for specified asset goals. Asset goals may include home ownership, business capitalization, vehicles for educational or work purposes, professional certification, and education (limited to postsecondary education, college entrance exam fees, and preparation and test fees for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and General Education Development (GED) exam). Successful grant recipients will be expected to coordinate their policies and procedures for developing and administering refugee IDA projects with ORR and with the existing refugee IDA network.

I. Program Description Statutory Authority Immigration and Nationality Act § 412(c)(1)(A), 8 U.S.C. § 1522(c)(1)(A)

Description http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto

REFUGEE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT ACCOUNTS PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Purpose and Objectives

The Refugee IDA Program represents an anti-poverty strategy built on asset accumulation for low-income refugee individuals and families with the goal of promoting refugee economic independence.

IDAs are leveraged or matched savings accounts established in qualified financial institutions.

In the Refugee IDA Program, IDAs are matched with federal funds that have been allocated as "match funds" from at least 65 percent of the annual federal grant award. The funds are intended for the asset goals specified in this announcement. Although the refugee client maintains control of all funds that the client deposits in the IDA, including all interest that may accrue on the funds, the client must sign a Savings Plan Agreement that specifies the funds in the account will be used only for the client's qualified asset goal(s) or for an emergency withdrawal.

The objectives of the Refugee IDA Program are to help clients:

1. Establish IDAs;

2. Maintain regular saving habits;

3. Participate in the financial institutions of this country;

4. Acquire assets to build individual, family, and community resources;

5. Increase their knowledge of financial and monetary topics, including developing a household budget;

6. Advance their education;

7. Buy homes;

8. Gain access to capital; and

9. Increase the socio-economic development of their communities.

New projects will accomplish these objectives by establishing programs that combine the provision of matched savings accounts with financial training and counseling.

Eligible Refugee Participants (Clients)

To be eligible to participate in the Refugee IDA Program, individuals must have the following statuses (see 45 CFR § 400.43(a) (1)-(6)) or statutory provisions cited below:

1. Individuals paroled as refugees or asylees under § 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

2. Refugees admitted under § 207 of the INA.

3. Asylees whose status was granted under § 208 of the INA.

4. Cuban and Haitian entrants, in accordance with the requirements in 45 CFR § 401.2

1. Any individual granted parole status as a Cuban/Haitian Entrant (Status Pending) or granted any other special status subsequently established under the immigration laws for nationals of Cuba or Haiti, regardless of the status of the individual at the time assistance or services are provided;

2. A national of Cuba or Haiti who was paroled into the United States and has not acquired any other status under the INA and with respect to whom a final, non-appealable, and legally enforceable order of removal, deportation, or exclusion has not been entered;

3. A national of Cuba or Haiti who is the subject of removal, deportation, or exclusion proceedings under the INA and with respect to whom a final, non-appealable, and legally enforceable order of removal, deportation, or exclusion has not been entered;

4. A national of Cuba or Haiti who has an application for asylum pending with the Department of Homeland Security/United States Citizenship and Immigration Services or Department of Justice/Executive Office for Immigration Review and with respect to whom a final, non-appealable, and legally enforceable order of removal, deportation or exclusion has not been entered.

5. Lawful permanent residents provided the individuals previously held one of the statuses identified above. (Note that this does not refer to Amerasians and Special Immigrant Visa Holders from Iraq and Afghanistan who are admitted as lawful permanent residents. See #6 & 7 below.)

6. Certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the United States as immigrants pursuant to § 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1988 (as contained in § 101(e) of Pub. L. 100-202), as amended (8 U.S.C. § 1101 note).

7. Iraqi and Afghan Special Immigrants per section 1244(g) of Div. A of Pub. L. 110-181, as amended (8 U.S.C. § 1157 note) and section 602(b) (8) of Div. F of Pub. L. 111-8, as amended (8 U.S.C. § 1101 note).

8. Victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons per the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, Pub. L. 106-386, as amended, 22 U.S.C. § 7105(b) (1)

(A) and (C).

Detailed information on eligibility of ORR-funded projects is available at 45 CFR § 400.43 and ORR Policy Letter 16-01 which can be found on the ORR website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/policy-letters.

ORR assistance and services must be provided to refugees without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, or political opinion.

Intake information must include the client's name, status under which the client arrived in the U.S., date of eligibility, date of enrollment, date of projected program service termination, documentation of eligibility for Refugee IDA Program services, alien number, birth date, current address, and phone number and/or email address.

Among eligible clients, enrollment in the Refugee IDA Program is limited to eligible individuals:

Who are not yet citizens and who have been in the U.S. for not more than 5 years at the time of enrollment;

Who have a verifiable and stable earned income;

Whose gross household earned income at the time of enrollment does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level, if enrolling for the purpose of purchasing Education and Vocational Training goals, Microenterprise Capitalization goals, and/or Vehicle goals;

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/resource/policy-letters

Whose gross household earned income at the time of enrollment does not exceed 200 percent of the HHS federal poverty level or 80 percent of the Housing and Urban Development's Area Family Median Income (HAMFI), only if enrolling for the purpose of a Home Purchase;

Whose assets at the time of enrollment do not exceed $10,000, excluding the value of a primary residence and one vehicle; and

Who have not already received IDA match funds from an ORR-funded IDA program or other mainstream IDA programs for the same asset goal.

Clients who are enrolled into the Refugee IDA Program with a household income that exceeds 200 percent of the HHS poverty level but do not exceed 80 percent of the HAMFI are only eligible for the purpose of a Home Purchase. If the client fails to complete the program and purchase a home, they may not switch to any other asset goal and must exit the program without receiving any Match Funds. Federal funds obligated for matching the IDAs of clients who meet this description should be re-allocated for matching other IDAs immediately.

Asset Goals

IDAs are established for refugee clients at a qualified financial institution. Refugee clients will systematically contribute to the IDAs out of earned income to purchase specified asset goals. The primary focus of the asset goals in their Refugee IDA Program is limited to the following areas:

Primary residence home purchase;

Vocational training, professional recertification, and education (limited to postsecondary education costs, college entrance exam fees, and TOEFL and GED preparation and test fees) as required for employment, certification, or education purposes;

Microenterprise capitalization, including home-based child care services; and, Vehicle purchase.

Please see Definition and Explanation of Terms in Section I. for further detail.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Savings Plan Agreement and Documentation

A Savings Plan Agreement must be established with each refugee client. The Savings Plan Agreement must include:

A proposed schedule of savings deposits by the client based on a household budget;

The rate at which the client's savings will be matched by federal funds allocated as

"match funds";

The asset goal(s) for which the account is maintained;

Any training or counseling that the client agrees to attend;

An agreement that the client will not withdraw funds except for the specified asset goal or for an emergency and only after notification and approval;

A statement by the client that they have not received the maximum allowable match from any other ORR-funded IDA program;

A procedure for amending the Agreement;

A date by which assets must be purchased or the date on which the program will end;

A designation of beneficiary;

A statement naming the partners that will be engaged during the client's enrollment and describing how the partners will contribute; and If saving for a vehicle, a statement by the client that the vehicle will be used for the purposes of maintaining or upgrading employment or for the purpose of transportation for education, vocational training, recertification, or small business use. In cases of documented necessity, the purchase of an automobile is allowable for the purposes of employment or education.

The purpose of an automobile purchase must be thoroughly justified and well documented. Appropriate documentation and justification for the usage of an automobile could include a calculation of long distances from the client's home to their place of employment or educational institution, public transportation schedules showing unreasonable time tables and connections, the anticipation of increased wages due to more time on the job or access to better wages or employment due to reduced commuting time, or school transcripts showing current enrollment.

Additional provisions may be proposed to be included in the Savings Plan Agreement. In addition to the Savings Plan Agreement, confirmation of the client's eligibility must be documented, which may include household budget, assets and liabilities, and earned income (this can be in the form of pay stubs, tax returns, etc.). Furthermore, each client is required to provide an overall household budget plan describing how their IDA savings will derive from their discretionary income.

Programs must ensure compliance with 45 CFR §75.303(e) to take reasonable measures to safe-guard protected personally identifiable information. If the Refugee IDA Program is using an electronic case file system, then safeguards such as limiting access to the data and encryption must be in place to protect client information. Paper files must be kept confidential--ideally in a file cabinet that is kept locked and can be accessed only by authorized staff.

Training and Technical Assistance

All refugee clients must complete at least two forms of trainings in order to complete an asset purchase: financial literacy training and asset-specific training. Trainings must be provided in-house, or through a partnership with organizations that have demonstrated expertise in the area of training to be provided. Refer to Section I. Program Description, Definition and Explanation of Terms, Partnering with Organizations with Areas of Expertise. For those partnership(s) that are funded through Subawards, please refer to Section I. Program Description, Program Requirements, Subawards for requirements.

Asset-specific training must be provided for refugee clients for each asset goal that is available through the program. These trainings may be provided directly by the recipient if they have a relevant area of expertise, or through other providers who specialize in the asset goals (e.g., HUD Housing Counselors, bank partners that provide car loans, SBA Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs partners, etc.), or a combination of both approaches.

Financial literacy training must include, but is not limited to, the following topics: budgeting, cash management, savings, investment, and credit counseling. Due to the diverse nature of the refugee population, training must be culturally and linguistically appropriate.

At minimum, the client(s) listed on the Savings Plan Agreement must attend all required trainings; however, the entire household should be encouraged to participate. While ORR recognizes that the industry standards for financial literacy and asset-specific trainings usually span 6 to 8 hours, sufficient trainings must be provided for the client in a manner that best meets their needs. Clients are ineligible to make asset purchases until all training requirements are met.

Technical assistance must be provided for refugee clients for each asset goal provided through the program. Technical assistance can include, but is not limited to, setting up IDAs at participating banks, developing business plans, and assisting with the home purchase closing process.

Coordination with the Refugee Resettlement Community

Coordination with the local refugee resettlement community is critical to the success of the Refugee IDA Program. Programs must include regular coordination with resettlement agencies, State Refugee Coordinators or Replacement Designees, and other relevant community services providers to extend the effort of the outreach, awareness, and coordination with the refugee resettlement community. Attendance at quarterly consultations with resettlement agencies, regular meetings with State Refugee Coordinators, and participation in other relevant forums are examples of activities with strategic partnerships to facilitate resource mapping. Contact information for State Refugee Coordinators or individuals responsible for statewide or regional coordination of the refugee resettlement program can be found on ORR's website at https://www.acf.hhs.gov /orr/resource/orr-funded-programs-key-contacts.

Subawards

Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352, do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute. The prime recipient assumes overall responsibility for implementation of program activities and collection of required information and data on program outcomes.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Section III.1. Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a DUNS number, or after government-wide implementation, a Unique Entity Identifier assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check the SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS

Administrative Funds https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/resource/orr-funded-programs-key-contacts https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements

No more than 35 percent of ORR funds may be used for administrative purposes. At least 65 percent of ORR funds must be used to match IDA savings made by refugees participating in the Refugee IDA Program. ORR defines Administrative Funds as any federal funds that are not used directly for IDA match. Examples of costs that are considered administrative include, but are not limited to, salary, rent, supplies, benefits, travel, program material, interpretation services, costs associated with providing financial literacy and asset-specific training, and federally approved indirect costs. 45 CFR Part 75 requires that non-federal entities be compensated for all allowable Indirect Costs claimed under a grant, in accordance with the nonfederal entity's fully negotiated and approved Indirect Cost rate. As such, the 35 percent limitation for administrative costs can be exceeded only in cases where the payment of Indirect Costs causes the non-federal entity to exceed that percentage based on their Indirect Cost rate effective at the time of award. For more information on the funding restrictions specific to this FOA, please see Section IV.6 Funding Restrictions.

State-Specific Asset Limits

ORR recognizes that some clients who are eligible for the Refugee IDA Program may also be eligible for other state and federally sponsored benefits program with asset limits (e.g., Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), etc.). Recipients must be aware of state-specific asset limits, if any, and provide information to clients about potential impacts to public benefits.

Match Funds

ORR does not require recipients to provide any non-federal funds to match federal funds awarded to recipients for the Refugee IDA Program. The "match," "matching funds," or "match funds" mentioned in this announcement do not refer to the applicant finding additional funds to match funds being provided by the federal government; they are the portion of federal funds to be allocated and used for matching clients' IDA savings. ORR funds may be used at a matching rate no greater than one-to-one for each dollar deposited in the IDA by the refugee client. Over the course of the 4-year project period, not more than $2,000 in ORR grant funds may be provided through matching contributions to any one refugee individual and not more than $4,000 may be provided to any one refugee household (see Definition and Explanation of Terms in this section for the definition of "household"). When the refugee purchases the asset goal, the recipient must provide payment of the client's IDA matching funds directly to the asset vendor.

Match Funds may not be used to pay towards existing loans or debts.

Accounts and Drawdown of Funds

IDA clients must establish an IDA at a certified banking institutions which must only contain the IDA deposits and interest earned on the deposits. The recipient must monitor deposits of all IDA clients at least once a quarter to ensure regular savings habits and to identify appropriate amounts of Match Funds to draw down. The recipient must also create a Parallel Account, separate from the clients' IDAs, at a qualified financial institution, for all matching ORR grant funds to be deposited into and maintained. The recipient may not drawdown ORR grant funds and deposit those funds into the Parallel Account before client's deposit to the IDA. However, recipients must drawdown ORR funds for matching IDA deposits within 3 months of the date that the refugee client makes the deposit and must continue to drawdown at least quarterly thereafter as clients make deposits.

Program Income

The interest that accrues on the ORR matching funds deposited in the Parallel Account must be used to match interest earned on the client's deposits. The interest on the match funds in the Parallel Account may not be retained by the recipient for any purpose, including program administration, client support services, or program data collection. (See 45 CFR § 75.307 (e)(2).)

Any interest accrued in the Parallel Account and used to match the interest earned in the refugee clients' IDA deposits are not included in the calculation of the maximum Match Funds provided.

Proof of Purchase

Proofs of purchases must be provided for all assets purchased through the Refugee IDA Program and can include, but are not limited to, cash register receipts, completed vehicle title transfers, Seller's Signed Disclosures, and emailed receipts. Proofs of Purchases ensure that only eligible assets were purchased for the benefit of the Refugee IDA clients or the benefactors listed in his/her household.

Closeout and Client Withdrawals

Account activities must be scheduled so that all IDA accounts reach their maximum savings goal and clients have purchased their asset goals within the 4-year project period. If educational tuition or fees are paid in installments to an institution, a plan must be established to return funds to the government if all of the federal match money is not used by the client within the project period. If the client stops contributing towards his/her IDA for a period of 3 months without recipient approval, or fails to meet his/her savings goal, the recipient may use those funds to enroll another client.

All remaining funds and any subsequent interest generated in the Parallel Account that are a result of clients not being able to reach their savings goal and purchase their asset goals within the 4-year project period, must be returned to HHS Payment Management Services in accordance with 45 CFR § 75.381(d).

POST-AWARD REQUIREMENTS

Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) Response

ORR recognizes that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person contact should be minimized to ensure the safety and health of clients. During this time, prime recipients and, if applicable, subrecipient(s) are required to adjust activities. ORR will exercise maximum flexibilities, as needed. Prime recipients' public-facing project activities must include proposed modifications that are responsive to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 recommendations that can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html. Modifications must include safeguards to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This includes, but is not limited to, social distancing strategies (e.g., remote case management and use of video and audio conferencing) and planning for staffing absenteeism and shortages.

Program Performance Evaluation

As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), ORR has obtained approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for the Refugee IDA Program Data Indicators for post-https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html award reporting. Grant recipients will be required to report data points collected on OMB Form 0970-0490 on a quarterly basis.

OMB Control Number: 0970--0490

Expiration Date: 01/31/2023

Data points for the Refugee IDA Program Indicators will include:

Recruitment and Enrollment

Number of Individual and Household Savings Plan Agreements signed Number of Individual Household IDAs opened Number of IDAs opened for each eligible asset goal Total Match Funds obligated for each eligible asset goal Total Number of IDAs for all assets Total Match Funds obligated for all assets

Training and Technical Assistance

Number of clients completing financial literacy training Number of hours of financial literacy training completed Number of clients completing asset-specific training Number of hours of asset-specific training completed Number of hours of technical assistance provided

Asset Purchases

Number of assets purchased in each category of eligible asset goals (i.e., vehicles, education/vocational training/professional recertification, microenterprise, and homes)

Total Savings and Match Funds used to purchase assets in each category of eligible asset goals

Total value of purchased assets in each category of eligible asset goals Number of all assets purchased Total value of all assets purchased Total Match Funds obligated for asset purchases Total Match Funds liquidated for asset purchases Total Match Funds currently in the Parallel Account Total Match Funds obligated but unliquidated Total Match Funds unobligated

Economic Self-Sufficiency

Number of Refugee IDA clients assessed based on a scale provided by ORR Mean self-sufficiency score of all clients assessed

Logic Model Progress

Progress towards each Output identified in the Logic Model Progress towards each Outcome identified in the Logic Model

Paperwork Reduction Act Disclaimer

As required by the PRA of 1995, 44 U.S.C. §§ 3501-3521, the public reporting burden for the Refugee IDA Program Data Indicators is estimated to average two burden hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection information. The Refugee IDA Program Data Indicators information collection is approved under OMB control number 0970-0490, expiration date is 01/31/2023. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Federal Evaluation

If ACF identifies additional resources to fund a federal study of the funded Refugee IDA activities, then the recipient will be required to participate. The study would utilize an outside non-recipient evaluation team and would focus on the processes, implementation, progress indicators, and quality improvement of funded activities.

Participation in ORR-Sponsored Workshops

The IDA recipients will meet quarterly by phone, to discuss the performance indicators, methods for collecting and reporting those indicators, and other variables or benchmarks that might be appropriate for highlighting progress on the funded activities.

Refugee IDA Programs will be expected to participate in ORR-sponsored webinars, trainings and peer-sharing events throughout the program period. An annual workshop is planned for each program year. Attendance is required for one key staff member to participate in an annual 2-day workshop at ORR's office in Washington, DC, each year.

For more information on application requirements specific to this FOA, please refer to Section IV.2, The Project Description, and The Project Budget and Budget Justification.

DEFINITION AND EXPLANATION OF TERMS

The following definitions apply for purposes of this FOA:

Asset Goals - the purchases/investments for which the matching funds are intended when used in conjunction with the savings from the IDAs of refugee clients. The asset goal specified by a client in the Savings Plan Agreement may be for the benefit of the refugee client or of a dependent refugee (children under 21 years of age who are dependent of an adult for their livelihood) of the refugee client. Purchase of any asset goal must not create an excessive debt burden for the refugee client. Allowable asset goals are defined as follows:

Home Ownership - costs of a principal residence, including the down payment and closing costs when purchasing a home. The purchaser must be a first-time home buyer.

Prior to approval for a client to save for this asset, the recipient must assess the likelihood that the client can obtain appropriate financing prior to the end of the project period. The recipient must also assess the client's abilities to maintain a mortgage and the upkeep of a home.

Post-Secondary Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Recertification -cost of tuition or fees, professional recertification fees, books, supplies and equipment, including one computer per student if required or recommended by the institution for enrollment or attendance of a refugee student at a post-secondary educational institution.

Mobile phones and other electronic devices that are not explicitly required or recommended by the institution where the client is enrolled are not considered eligible assets for the purpose of Post-Secondary Education, Vocational Training, and Professional Recertification. Funds may be used for a dependent refugee if that child begins post-secondary education or vocational training within the project period. Proof of enrollment and requirement of electronic devices, if applicable, must be documented in the client's file.

Purchase of an Automobile - a vehicle that is a documented necessity for the purpose of maintaining or upgrading employment or for the purpose of transportation for postsecondary education, vocational training, or professional recertification. Funds can be used for the actual cost of the vehicle as well as one-time fees and taxes associated with the purchase of the vehicle. Vehicles may not be purchased through auctions.

Microenterprise Capitalization - costs for a microbusiness described in a qualified business plan, such as marketing, equipment, working capital, and inventory expenses.

The business plan must be approved by a financial institution, a microenterprise development organization, a non-profit loan fund, or a partner that has a microenterprise expertise. The plan must also describe services or goods to be sold and include a marketing plan and projected financial statements. Costs for microenterprise capitalization cannot include any of the following:

o Paying existing loans;

o Gambling or speculation, including buying and selling equity or debt instruments;

o Any not-for-profit undertaking;

o Paying legal fees;

o Any illegal activity or production, or service or distribution of illegal products;

o Purposes not related to microenterprise development (e.g., for the purpose of buying a vehicle for personal use);

o Any other activity that ORR determines, in consultation with the recipient, to be inappropriate for the Refugee IDA Program or would other otherwise be prohibited under Federal law, the cost principles in 45 CFR Part 75, Subpart E.

Please reference Section IV.6 Funding Restrictions for more information.

Emergency Withdrawal - a withdrawal of funds, or a portion of funds, deposited by the client into his/her IDA. The withdrawal may also include any of the interest that may have accrued to the client's savings in the account but does not include any matching funds. The client must notify the recipient of the withdrawal prior to the withdrawal. Causes for emergency withdrawals include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure, or payments for necessary living expenses. An IDA client's failure to notify the recipient and receive approval prior to an Emergency Withdrawal may result in an immediate removal from the Refugee IDA Program. If funds withdrawn for emergency purposes are not repaid within 12 months, the client forfeits the match on those funds. Emergency withdrawals may never be authorized from the Parallel Account(s).

Household - an eligible client and all other persons living as an individual economic unit at one address that submits a single federal tax return.

Housing and Urban Development Area Median Family Income (HAMFI) - issued each year.

This is the median family income calculated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for each jurisdiction, in order to determine Fair Market Rents and income limits for HUD programs. Within HUD, the terms "HAMFI," "area median income" (AMI), or "median family income" (FMI) are used interchangeably. HAMFI can be located at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp/CHAS/bg_chas.html.

Parallel Account - insured account opened by the recipient in a qualified financial institution for the purpose of depositing the matching funds for the savings deposited by refugee clients in their individual IDAs. Interest earned on the matching funds must remain in the Parallel Account and be used to enroll additional refugee clients or to match the interest earned on the refugee client's deposits. The matching funds must be made available to the refugee client at the time that the client purchases the asset goal. The matching funds are not available to the refugee client except for the purchase of the asset goals defined in this FOA.

Partnering with Organizations with Areas of Expertise - Partnering with other organizations is not a requirement of the Refugee IDA Program if the recipient has demonstrated an in-house expertise in all the required components of the program. However, in order to ensure a high quality of service to refugee clients, ORR values the importance of the development of strategic partnerships with community organizations that offer expertise in the required areas of the Refugee IDA Program where the recipient does not have a demonstrated, in-house expertise.

Examples of areas of expertise could include, but are not limited to, the following: home buying process, postsecondary education, small business development, financial literacy training, refugee culture, and operating IDA programs. Examples of new partners could include, but are not limited to, the following: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved housing counseling agencies, Small Business Administration (SBA) Microloan offices, Assets for Independence (AFI) recipients, Community Development Financial Institutions, ethnic community based organizations, financial empowerment centers, and other private and public institutions. For those partnership(s) that are funded through Subawards, please refer to Section I. Program Description, Program Requirements, Subawards for requirements. Refer to Section VIII. Other Information for links to federal agencies.

Poverty Guidelines - issued each year in the Federal Register by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guidelines are a simplification of the poverty thresholds for use for administrative purposes - for instance, determining financial eligibility for certain federal programs may be found at www.aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.cfm.

Qualified Financial Institution - a federally insured bank or credit union, or a state-insured bank or credit union if no federally insured bank or credit union is available.

Savings Goal - the amount, in dollars, that the client and recipient has indicated in the Savings Plan Agreement to be saved by the client and matched with federal funds by the recipient. The Savings Goal and match will be used to purchase the asset goal.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/cp/CHAS/bg_chas.html http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.cfm

$ 1,900,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$ 250,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$ 100,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$ 250,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2021 Length of Project Periods:

48-month project period with four 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds.

For more information on these requirements, see Section III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

Awards for the second, third, and fourth 12-month budget periods will be made subsequent to approval of non-competing continuation applications and will be subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress by the recipient, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement Award III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants Public or private non-profit agencies are eligible for awards under this announcement.

Applicants are not eligible for two grants to serve the same population at the same time. Refugee IDA Program recipients awarded ORR funding prior to, or in 2018, with the project period ending before, or on September 29, 2021, are eligible to compete for funding and propose servicing the existing population and/or geographic location under this announcement provided all eligibility criteria are met.

ORR Refugee IDA recipients that were awarded in FY 2019 are eligible to apply under this FOA, but must propose servicing a distinctively different geographic location from their existing geographic target. The proposed geographic location must be served throughout the project period.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.

Reference to Legal Status See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

No For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds.

Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF. Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

III.3. Other Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at www.Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applicants that do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the Internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6.

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to www.Grants.gov after 11:59 pm ET on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from www.Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. That is, applications submitted to www.Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 am ET on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applications submitted to www.Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the www.Grants.gov validation check, will not be https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6 https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ received at, or acknowledged by ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via www.Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF will be acknowledged.

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 pm ET on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this FOA.

IV. Application and Submission Information IV.1. Address to Request Application Package First Name:

Yimeem Last Name:

Vu Organization 1:

Administration for Children and Families Organization 2:

Office of Refugee Resettlement Organization 3:

Division of Refugee Services Street 1:

330 C Street, SW.

Street 2:

City:

Washington State:

DC District of Columbia Zip:

20201 Phone:

(202) 401-4825 Phone 2:

(202) 689-9721 Fax:

(202) 401-5772 Email:

yimeem.vu@acf.hhs.gov

URL:

www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the FOA's listing at www.Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms, assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the FOA's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at www.Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to www.Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Each applicant applying electronically via www.Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact must be available to https://www.Grants.gov/ https://www.Grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay answer any questions pertaining to the application.

Application Checklist Applicants may refer to Section VIII. Other Information for a checklist of application requirements that may be used in developing and organizing application materials.

Accepted Font Style Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be TNR 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred text, or text that is too small to read comfortably, will be removed.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars.