Foa_Content_of_HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-EV-0061.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth, and Families-Family and Youth Services Bureau

Family Violence Prevention and Services Culturally Specific Sexual Assault Capacity Building Center for the African American Community

HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-EV-0061

Application Due Date: 07/27/2023

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 (UEI) 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

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

Appendix

Funding Opportunity Title:

Family Violence Prevention and Services Culturally Specific Sexual Assault Capacity Building Center for the African American Community Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2023-ACF-ACYF-EV-0061

Primary CFDA Number:

93.496 Due Date for Applications:

07/27/2023 Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) 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/how-apply-grant.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS), Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Program seeks to award one cooperative agreement under FVPSA to establish and maintain one Culturally Specific Sexual Assault Capacity Building Center (CSSAC) for the African American Community that will enhance intervention and prevention efforts for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, and family violence for members of racial and ethnic minority groups including African Americans. The CSSAC grant recipients are part of a network of National, Special Issue, Culturally Specific, and Capacity Building Resource Centers providing leadership, training, technical assistance, resources, and support to programs and systems serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, and their children. The awards will be cooperative agreements, which is an award instrument used when substantial involvement is anticipated between the awarding office and the grant recipient during performance of the contemplated project. OFVPS will collaborate with the grant recipient throughout the project period.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for this funding opportunity is the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) 42 U.S.C 10410(a)(2).

Description https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Description FVPSA provides the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence (also known as intimate partner violence or IPV), as well as their dependents.

First authorized as part of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (Public Law 98–457), FVPSA became the first federal commitment to creating a pathway to safety for survivors of domestic violence and their children. FVPSA has been amended eight times and was most recently reauthorized in December 2010 for 5 years by the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 10401 - 10414).

Since 1984, Congress has continued to make its intent clear that FVPSA funds be used to raise awareness of domestic violence, prevent its occurrence, provide services to victims and their children, and support domestic violence providers to enhance their responses through training and technical assistance.

Specifically, FVPSA has the following statutory purposes:

1. Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to increase public awareness about primary and secondary prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence;

2. Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and their dependents;

3. Provide for a national domestic violence hotline; and

4. Provide for technical assistance and training relating to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence programs to states and Indian tribes, local public agencies (including law enforcement agencies; courts; and legal, social service, and health care professionals), nonprofit private organizations (including faith-based and charitable organizations, community-based organizations, and voluntary associations), tribal organizations, and other persons seeking such assistance and training.

With the passage of the 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act, Congress appropriated funding to the FVPSA Program to implement discretionary grant funding that “recognizes that women and girls of color are often disproportionally impacted by domestic violence and includes the development or enhancement of culturally specific services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.”

Research findings indicate that domestic violence and sexual assault disproportionately impact members of racial and ethnic minority groups including African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and Latinas/Latinos. This increased risk of domestic violence and sexual assault can be attributed to the marginalized status of these groups stemming from long-standing racial and gender discrimination.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Hart and Rennison, 2003 by the U.S. Department of Justice, for every Black woman who reports rape, at least 15 Black women do not report. Given the impact of historical trauma, racism, and oppression, often Black women will tell no one about the abuse. According to the most recently published 2016/2017 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey report by the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40.5 percent of Black women reported experiencing some form of unwanted sexual contact during their lifetime; 29 percent of Black women reported being raped during their lifetime; 26.2 percent of Black women reported sexual harassment in a public place; and 23.8 percent of Black women reported sexual coercion victimization at some point in their lifetime.

Domestic violence victimization also occurs at significant rates among African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and Latinas/Latinos. For Black women, approximately 41 percent have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner during their lifetime (source:

Ujima: National Institute on Violence Against Women in the Black Community fact sheet citing Breiding, M.J., (2014) Prevalence and Characteristics of Sexual Violence, Stalking and Intimate Partner Victimization–National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, United States, 2011. Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries (Washington, DC), 63(8)1. ). These data suggest that interventions that address sexual assault and domestic violence by employing a culturally competent approach are likely to be more effective.

FVPSA is administered by the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services (OFVPS), a division of the Administration on Children and Families (ACF). OFVPS administers mandatory FVPSA formula grants to 1) states and territories, 2) tribes, and 3) state domestic violence coalitions. FVPSA grants are awarded to every state and territory and over 200 tribes. Funds awarded to states, territories, and tribes reach more than 1,600 local public, private, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations and programs demonstrating positive outcomes in the field of domestic violence services and prevention. These domestic violence programs provide victims of family, domestic, and dating violence--as well as their children--with shelter, safety planning, crisis counseling, information and referral, legal advocacy, and additional supportive services.

Local service providers reported increases in domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic, putting victims/survivors at increased risk of harm and further stretching the limited operating budgets and staffing of local providers. In response, in 2020 Congress awarded the FVPSA Program a historic appropriation that for the first time included funding for sexual assault services in addition to funding for domestic violence and dating violence services.

Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN) The CSSAC targeting the African American community will be part of OFVPS's DVRN, a nationwide network of national resource centers, special issue resource centers, culturally specific special issue resource centers, and emerging issue capacity building centers focused on the intervention and prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence. This CSSAC will join three existing CSSACs providing culturally specific responses to sexual assault in the Asian and Pacific Islander, Latina/Latino, and Native American communities as DVRN members.

The DVRN provides information, resources, training, and technical assistance to improve the capacity of individuals, organizations, governmental agencies, local communities, tribes, and tribal organizations to prevent family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, while also providing evidence-based and evidence-informed intervention services. The CSSAC for the African American community will work collaboratively with other DVRN members to share its national expertise and deliver domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and family violence related training and technical assistance. Like all DVRN members, OFVPS's CSSAC grant recipient for the African American community will maintain independent governance of its own organization but will be required to share its expertise with other DVRN members, actively participate in the coordination of technical assistance, attend semi-annual DVRN meetings, and work collaboratively to develop resources as needed. All DVRN resource centers are expected to conduct their activities in an accessible, linguistically appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed manner and to proactively focus their activities to address racial inequities that exist for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, both within victim services and other systems related to the issue areas of the specific resource center. DVRN resource centers actively work to ensure access to services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQ2S) survivors and their children, and to ensure that no person shall, on the basis of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part through FVPSA, in accordance with FVPSA regulations at 45 CFR part 1370

(a) and (c).

Definitions Sexual Assault Definition:

The term ‘sexual assault’ means any nonconsensual sexual act proscribed by federal, tribal, or state law, including when the victim lacks capacity to consent. See 34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(35).

Underserved Communities Definition:

For the purposes of this funding announcement, “underserved population,” “underserved communities,” or “people who have been historically underserved” should be read to be consistent with FVPSA statutory and regulatory definitions (at 42 U.S.C. 10402(14) and 45 CFR Part 1370.2). For reference, the definition at 45 CFR Part 1370.2 is given here: “Underserved populations means populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, and populations underserved because of special needs including language barriers, disabilities, immigration status, and age. Individuals with criminal histories due to victimization and individuals with substance use disorders and mental health issues are also included in this definition. The reference to racial and ethnic populations is primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300(u–6)(g)), which means American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian American; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics. The term ‘‘Hispanic’’ or ‘‘Latino’’ means individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish speaking country. This underserved populations definition also includes other population categories determined by the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] or the Secretary’s designee to be underserved."

Rape Crisis Centers:

For the purposes of this funding announcement, the term "rape crisis center" means a non-profit, nongovernmental, tribal organization, or governmental entity in a state other than a territory that provides intervention and related assistance to victims of sexual assault without regard to their age. In the case of a governmental entity, the entity may not be part of the criminal justice system (such as a law enforcement agency) and must be able to offer a comparable level of confidentiality as a non-profit entity that provides similar victim services. See 34 U.S.C.

12291(a)(30). Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. 12511(b)(2)(C), intervention and related assistance may include the following:

1. 24-hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and referral.

2. Accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social support systems, including medical facilities, police, and court proceedings.

3. Crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services, and comprehensive service coordination and supervision to assist sexual assault victims and family or household members.

4. Information and referral to assist the sexual assault victim and family or household members.

5. Community-based, culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities for underserved communities.

6. Development and distribution of materials on issues related to the services described in numbers 1 through 5 above.

Culturally Specific Definition:

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(9), “culturally specific services” means community-based services that include culturally relevant and linguistically specific services and resources to culturally specific communities. Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(8), “culturally specific” means primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in 42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g)) (which means American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian American; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks; and Hispanics). The term ‘‘Hispanic’’ or ‘‘Latino’’ means individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish speaking country. This underserved populations definition also includes other population categories determined by the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] or the Secretary’s designee to be underserved.

Prevention Definitions:

For the purposes of this funding announcement:

Primary Prevention: Strategies, policies, and programs to stop both first-time perpetration and first-time victimization pursuant to 45 CFR § 1370.2. Primary prevention is stopping sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence before they occur. Primary prevention includes but is not limited to school-based violence prevention curricula, programs aimed at mitigating the effects on children witnessing sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence or dating violence, community campaigns designed to alter norms and values conducive to sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence or dating violence, worksite prevention programs, and training and education in parenting skills and self-esteem enhancement.

Secondary Prevention: Identifying risk factors or problems that may lead to future sexual assault or family, domestic, or dating violence, and taking the necessary actions to eliminate the risk factors and the potential problem, which may include, but are not limited to, healing services for children and youth who have been exposed to domestic or dating violence, home visiting programs for high-risk families, and screening programs in health care settings.

CSSAC Program Requirements Through this NOFO and in accordance with FVPSA, 42 U.S.C. 10410(a)(2), the Secretary shall award one cooperative agreement to an eligible entity to support training and technical assistance that address emerging issues related to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence– to include sexual assault–to entities demonstrating related expertise. The one applicant selected to receive this award will be required to provide capacity building resources, training, and technical assistance for culturally specific sexual assault and domestic violence programs serving survivors from African American and other Black populations, underserved communities, and historically marginalized communities. The entity selected to serve as the CSSAC for the African American community will be required to share its expertise in providing a specific context for sexual assault as it relates to the ethnic, cultural, faith-based, and linguistic diversity of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence from the African American and Black community.

The one entity selected to establish a CSSAC for the African American community will be required to pursue the following goals and objectives and to demonstrate its ability to achieve the same in its grant application and work plan:

1. Deliver state-of-the-art nationwide training and technical assistance to enhance organizational capacity of sexual assault programs; domestic violence programs; state coalitions; FVPSA state administration agencies; Indian tribal governments; tribal organizations; federal, state, and local government agencies; national, statewide, and local community-based organizations; allied professionals; and other key stakeholders to provide culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate and accessible, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and family violence intervention and prevention services. These services must be accessible to all victims and their children, including services that address lifetime exposure to violence, survivors from LGBTQ2S communities, and other historically marginalized and underserved populations;

2. Raise and enhance the visibility of culturally specific sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and family violence intervention and prevention strategies, prevalence statistics, emerging issues, and special topics through the development and distribution of innovative resources and multi-media and multiplatform public awareness, social media, and marketing campaigns;

3. Support service innovation by identifying culturally specific, evidence-based, and evidence-informed practices for the prevention and intervention of family violence, sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating violence, and assist with the dissemination, promotion, adoption, and adaptation of such practices in the field;

4. Develop and enhance sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention strategies by fostering culturally specific promising practices development and adaptation throughout the domestic violence and sexual assault fields that includes nationwide training and technical assistance and the creation, collection, and dissemination of guidelines, materials, and other relevant resources, such as sample policies, protocols, forms, and related procedures;

5. Engage public and private systems and institutions through policy development to create national, statewide, tribal, or local improvements in systemic responses to sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, such as integrating culturally specific domestic violence and sexual assault policies and practices into home visitation and public housing programs, public health care clinics, school-based dating violence prevention programs, workforce development initiatives, and other public welfare programs to enhance accessibility for all victims and their families;

6. Address current and emerging issues related to sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence through the provision of training and technical assistance that is comprehensive and national in scope. This includes services for girls/women of color; services for male victims; addressing the needs of elder victims; services responsive to the needs of LGBTQ2S victims; engaging faith communities; the co-occurrence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus and IPV; human trafficking; family/youth homelessness; family self-sufficiency; social capital development; child support; meeting the needs of children of all ages who witness violence; maternal health and maternal mortality; trauma-informed support for formerly incarcerated survivors; meeting the needs of survivors with substance use histories; the intersection of IPV, gun violence, and community violence prevention; and other topics identified as priorities by the program office;

7. Conduct or contribute to research related to sexual assault prevention or intervention for culturally specific, traditionally underserved victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, dating violence and children exposed to sexual assault and IPV;

8. Work collaboratively with national, statewide, and local community-based sexual assault programs and domestic violence programs; state coalitions; FVPSA state administrators;

federal, state, and local government agencies; Indian tribal governments; tribal organizations; national, statewide, and local culturally specific organizations; LGBTQ2S organizations; and other entities involved in assisting survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, and dating violence to identify and respond to emerging issues, technical assistance requests, the adaptation of promising practices, and increasing service demands;

9. Implement periodic needs assessments of sexual assault programs serving the African American and Black community to identify unmet training and technical assistance needs, including the identification of unaddressed or under-addressed topic areas and audiences;

10. Participate actively in the coordination of nationwide technical assistance and training with the members of DVRN and work collaboratively to develop resources as needed for the field;

11. Plan conferences, webinars, topical meetings, or major project meetings in consultation with OFVPS to ensure participation of OFVPS staff and facilitate at least two OFVPS-sponsored webinars each budget period;

12. Provide virtual training to a range of audiences and audience sizes including, but not limited to, securing the necessary technical tools/platforms and ensuring staff or consultant subject matter expertise on adult learning, instructional design, and learning management systems best practices;

13. Assist OFVPS with technical and logistical support of grant recipient meetings and conferences, including providing insight from first-hand knowledge and experience that can inform planning, analysis, and implementation as related to identified training and technical assistance topics; identifying meeting/conference venues; subcontracting with quality presenters, facilitators and consultants; working with stakeholders to develop an agenda; arranging travel; providing onsite support; and following up on conference evaluations; and

14. Plan travel expenses for at least one representative from the CSSAC grant recipient organization to participate in two DVRN meetings and one OFVPS-sponsored meeting each budget period.

15. All FVPSA grant recipients are expected to implement evidence-based, evidence-informed, and or promising strategies that regularly engage input and feedback from people with lived experience that are survivors of family violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault and their children into their needs assessments.

FVPSA grant recipients will ensure that these activities are meaningful, trauma-informed, and grounded in the lived experiences of survivors and their children. The applicant will encourage survivor voice(s) and lead in partnership with survivors in program selection, program design, program improvement, and/or other recommendations.

16. All FVPSA grant recipients are expected to ensure that products and activities are appropriately survivor-centered by regularly incorporating input and feedback from people with lived experience as survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault and their children into grant activities at multiple points in the development process.

CSSAC Expectations The CSSAC grant recipient for the African American community is expected to use its expertise to provide a specific context for sexual assault and domestic violence as it relates to the ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity of survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and family violence from the African American and Black community.

The CSSAC grant recipient is further expected to offer a comprehensive and national scope of training and technical assistance that is trauma-informed, culturally specific, linguistically relevant, and responsive to sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention services. This technical assistance is also required to include experts and advisors from culturally specific communities and programs, and who conduct research related to adult and youth victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, family violence, and dating violence, as well as research related to children who are exposed to said violence and assault.

The CSSAC grant recipient is expected to provide evidence-based and evidence-informed strategies and information to enhance the capacity of individuals, organizations, governmental agencies, and communities to intervene and prevent sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence.

The CSSAC grant recipient for the African American and Black community is expected to focus on enhancing the cultural and linguistic relevancy of service delivery; resource use; policy, research, and technical assistance; public awareness and community education; intervention; and prevention initiatives.

The CSSAC grant recipient is expected to enhance prevention and intervention efforts for victims of sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence who are members of culturally specific and underserved racial and ethnic communities by building the capacity of sexual assault prevention, and domestic violence prevention and intervention programs, to provide culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate services and coordinate outreach efforts to diverse communities.

By the end of the grant period, the FVPSA-funded grant recipient is expected to have provided an array of training, expertise, problem-solving strategies, and other forms of technical assistance to federal, state, and local governmental agencies; Indian tribes and tribal organizations; state coalitions; FVPSA state administrators; and national, statewide, and local community-based organizations including culturally specific organizations and other key stakeholders related to sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention services for victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and family violence and their children.

The CSSAC grant recipient is expected to offer educational opportunities, conferences, peer- to-peer consultations, webinars, webcasts, e-learning modules, podcasts, and other forms of technical assistance that allow sexual assault programs, domestic violence programs, state coalitions, tribes and tribal organizations, culturally specific community-based organizations, and health and social service agencies to learn from the CSSAC grant recipient expertise regarding sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention.

The CSSAC grant recipient is expected to share its expertise to lead practice improvements as well as organizational capacity building. The recipient is further expected to foster partnerships between organizations that have not traditionally worked together to address sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, such as public institutions, faith-based organizations, culturally specific organizations, LGBTQ organizations, and community-based organizations. The CSSAC grant recipient will lead or contribute to sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention-related research that could include program evaluation; national research projects; drafting applied research papers; holding focus groups; conducting community assessments; and collaborating with a wide range of individuals and organizations leading sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, and dating violence-related research or evaluations.

The CSSAC grant recipient is expected to have a communication plan and national dissemination strategy for sharing promising practices, research findings, project outcomes, and resources nationwide. Grant products will be disseminated broadly, including posting on the grant recipient's website, OFVPS website, national clearinghouse websites, and other platforms to reach a broad audience of individuals and communities addressing sexual assault, family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence prevention and intervention.

The CSSAC grant recipient is also expected to maintain the organizational capacity to implement the project, including relevant subject matter expertise (i.e., in sexual assault and other areas as needed for proposed projects); research and evaluation capacity; administrative capacity; project management capacity; national resource center leadership; and sufficient staffing to meet project goals and deliverables. The recipient shall maintain clear plans for maintaining organizational capacity and continuity of services during an emergency, disaster, and/or pandemic situations and transition of key project staff.

The CSSAC grant recipient must ensure that the grant approach, workplans, and deliverables are consistent with a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. The grant recipient will provide a comprehensive community equity plan (or other similar documentation within the application) that demonstrates the processes and policies the grant recipient has in place to ensure the proactive identification of systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved populations and strategic incorporation of activities to redress such barriers in ongoing workplans. This plan (or other similar documentation within the application) will also address policies and practices that are in place to ensure that the grant staffing plan supports the capacity to address those disparities in an ongoing, strategic, and culturally responsive manner, especially for particular underserved populations with documented history of long-standing significant disparities related to the topic of the grant.

The CSSAC grant recipient must maintain up-to-date expertise on the needs of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, family violence, and dating violence within the identified culturally specific community, including conducting periodic needs assessments of the sexual assault program, domestic violence program, and special issue area systems in order to identify unmet training and technical assistance needs, including the identification of unaddressed or under-addressed topic areas and audiences. This shall include, but not be limited to, completion of a national needs assessment in the first 6 months of project year 1 and year 3.

As this is a cooperative agreement that will include substantial involvement from the FVPSA Program in OFVPS, the applicants must actively partner with the FVPSA program officers in implementing the capacity building center’s deliverables. The grant recipient shall plan conferences, meetings, or major project meetings in conjunction with OFVPS to allow participation of OFVPS staff. The grant recipient shall also plan to develop, review, and discuss a detailed plan for project implementation, a work plan, a trainings/events schedule, an evaluation schedule, and a plan for reporting on the outcomes of the project. The grant recipient will need to plan to partner with FVPSA program officers in the planning, coordination, and implementation of meetings for FVPSA grant recipients. More information on how OFVPS will be involved is included in Section II. Federal Award Information, Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement Award.

All FVPSA grant recipients are expected to implement evidence-based, evidence-informed, and/or promising strategies that regularly engage input and feedback from people with lived experience who are survivors of family violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault and their children into their needs assessments. FVPSA grant recipients will ensure that these activities are meaningful, trauma-informed, and grounded in the lived experiences of survivors and their children. The applicant will encourage survivor voice(s) and lead in partnership with survivors in program selection, program design, program improvement, and/or other recommendations.

All FVPSA grant recipients are expected to ensure that products and activities are appropriately survivor-centered by regularly incorporating input and feedback from people with lived experience as survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault and their children into grant activities at multiple points in the development process.

Finally, the CSSAC grant recipient must plan travel to participate in at least one FVPSA Program/OFVPS meeting per budget period. Applicants should include meeting-related travel costs in their proposed budgets. The grant recipient must plan to assist OFVPS with technical and logistical support of grant recipient meetings and conferences, including providing insight from first-hand knowledge and experience that can inform planning, analysis, and implementation as related to identified training and technical assistance topics; identifying meeting/conference venues; subcontracting with quality presenters, facilitators, and consultants;

working with stakeholders to develop an agenda; arranging travel; providing onsite support; and following up on conference evaluations.

II. Federal Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$350,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$350,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$300,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$350,000 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

09/30/2023 Length of Project Periods:

24-month project period with two 12-month budget periods

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

Awards made under this funding opportunity 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 funding under this funding opportunity. 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.

Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the 1-year period will be considered in subsequent years on a non-competitive basis, subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grant recipient, review and approval of the project plan submitted in year 1, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government. Satisfactory progress means that the grant recipient is meeting the goals and objectives of the training and technical assistance requirements described in this NOFO and submitting timely performance progress reports.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement Award

The grant award will be a cooperative agreement. A cooperative agreement is an award instrument used when substantial involvement is anticipated between the awarding office and the grant recipient during performance of the contemplated project. OFVPS will collaborate with the grant recipient throughout the project period.

OFVPS will provide consultation and will review and approve the work plan for the project, as well as the structure and integrity of the approved project as needed. OFVPS will also approve any revisions to the work plan or structure of the approved project during each budget period.

Additionally, OFVPS will approve significant project activities and changes to project plans.

OFVPS will review and approve final drafts of all new or updated materials, articles, major publications, and research reports that are developed or distributed with resources made available under the cooperative agreement.

OFVPS will be involved in the development of long-term strategies for the implementation of the project and will participate in major project activities, such as conferences, topical meetings, or major project meetings. As OFVPS determines appropriate, OFVPS will make changes to the grant recipient's detailed plan for project implementation, including its work plan, trainings/events schedule, and evaluation schedule, in consultation with the grant recipient.

OFVPS will organize periodic consultations, meetings, briefings, teleconferences, webinars, and other forums necessary to review current and planned activities, to share information, and to promote coordination. OFVPS will keep the grant recipient informed about expectations for performance, current OFVPS policy, and OFVPS's vision for addressing domestic violence and dating violence.

OFVPS does not anticipate substantial involvement in the grant recipient's creation of data collection activities, such as those related to needs assessments, evaluations, and requests for feedback, and grant recipients are not expected to submit such data collection instruments for program office review and approval. In cases where OFVPS is directly involved in the creation of data collection activities under this NOFO, data collection will be conducted consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521) and display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

To be eligible to receive a grant to establish or maintain a CSSAC under 42 U.S.C.

10410(b)(c)(1), an entity shall be a private non-profit organization that focuses primarily on issues of domestic violence, dating violence, family violence, and sexual assault in the African American and Black community, or a public or private non-profit educational institution that has an institute, center, or program related to culturally specific issues in domestic violence and sexual assault and (i) has documented experience in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and services and experience relevant to African American and Black populations to which information, training, technical assistance, and outreach would be provided under the grant; (ii) demonstrates the strong support of advocates across the nation who are working to address domestic violence and sexual assault; and (iii) has a record of demonstrated success in enhancing the cultural and linguistic relevancy of service delivery.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. 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. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

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 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 funding under this funding opportunity.

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 funding under this funding opportunity. 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 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 funding under this funding opportunity.

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."

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 Grants.gov after 11:59 pm ET on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. That is, applications submitted to Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 am ET on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via 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 funding under this funding opportunity. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

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 NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

Kelly Mitchell-Clark Administration for Children and Families https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf

Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services Family Violence Prevention and Services Act 330 C Street, SW.

Washington

DC

20201 202-774-2333 Kelly.Mitchell-Clark@acf.hhs.gov Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms (SFs), assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the NOFO's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at 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 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 Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding SFs and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms.