Foa_Content_of_HHS-2024-ACF-OHS-CH-R2-0090.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Head Start

Head Start/Early Head Start Recipient -- Communities in Puerto Rico

HHS-2024-ACF-OHS-CH-R2-0090

Application Due Date: 12/14/2023

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 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:

Head Start/Early Head Start Recipient -- Communities in Puerto Rico Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACF-OHS-CH-R2-0090

Assistance Listing Number:

93.600 Due Date for Applications:

12/14/2023 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 an award, please visit "Applying for an ACF Award" at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

The federally funded Head Start program provides high-quality, comprehensive early education programming to low-income children and families so that children start school ready to succeed.

The Office of Head Start (OHS) is offering applicants the opportunity to apply for funding to serve pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and children from birth to compulsory school age in one application. This NOFO solicits applications from public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations or for-profit organizations, that seek to provide a high-quality, comprehensive program incorporating both Head Start and Early Head Start (EHS) funding, or to provide services for Head Start only or EHS only, in a manner that ensures continuous services and seamless transitions for children and families residing in two specifically defined service areas in Puerto Rico. Funding is limited to only the individually defined service areas listed in the Appendix section of this funding opportunity.

The goal of this NOFO is to ensure the distribution of resources to meet the demonstrated community needs of children from birth to compulsory school age, ensuring continuity of services and taking into account the availability of high-quality and comprehensive early childhood education opportunities (which may include public pre-kindergarten programs for 4-year-olds). Applicants proposing to serve pregnant women are expected to serve the newborn through the EHS program. Applicants should thoughtfully consider their reason for deciding to apply to conduct a program to serve the proposed population, including the particular age group of children and, if applicable, pregnant women. This decision should be based on the needs of the community. This NOFO provides applicants the opportunity to propose to reallocate funding between Head Start and EHS based on both the needs in the community and the applicant's capacity and experience serving pregnant women, infants, toddlers, and/or preschool-age children. Applicants may explore combining Head Start and EHS funds with resources from https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant other early childhood programs or funding streams, including state, local, and private sector funding for child care, pre-kindergarten, and special education services. Please note that applicants responding to this NOFO will be expected to begin providing Head Start and/or EHS services quickly after award, with a minimal start-up period, to support limited to no disruption in services to the currently enrolled children and families in this service area.

Any applicant responding to this NOFO must submit only one application per each service area noted in the Appendix section, whether the applicant is proposing to provide 1) Head Start services only, 2) EHS services only, or 3) both Head Start and EHS services. Applicant entities may submit only one application per service area regardless of how they choose to apply. The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) will review only one application for a service area from any applicant. For more information, please see Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

I. Program Description Statutory Authority The Head Start program is authorized by the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.

Description Program Background and Purpose The Head Start program is administered by ACF, an operating division (OPDIV) of the U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). ACF intends to fund applications that demonstrate an organization's commitment and capacity to operate a Head Start and/or EHS program that raises the quality of early care and education in the community and helps children start school ready to succeed. School readiness requires that children are cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally prepared to continue to make progress as they enter kindergarten. ACF is seeking applicants that are able to use the best evidence-based early education practices in their programs to support high-caliber classroom instruction, home visiting services, and effective family engagement and health promotion.

The Head Start and EHS programs provide grants to public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to predominately economically disadvantaged children and families. Head Start's primary purpose is to prepare children to be ready for school. In fiscal year (FY) 1995, the EHS program was established to serve pregnant women and children from birth to 3 years of age in recognition of the mounting evidence that the earliest years matter a great deal to children's growth and development. Since its beginning in 1965, Head Start has served more than 37 million children and their families. In FY 2022 Head Start was funded to serve 833,075 children and families and of these, 197,455 were funded in the EHS program. These programs were operated by 1,560 Head Start recipients, including 1,137 recipients providing EHS.

Head Start and EHS programs must provide, directly or through referral, early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services that will enhance the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of participating children in the key domains of physical development and health; social and emotional development; approaches to learning, language, and literacy; cognition; and general knowledge. Programs support parent engagement in their roles as their children’s teachers and advocates, and help parents move toward self-sufficiency. Head Start promotes school readiness by addressing the key domains of language, literacy, mathematics, science, and social and emotional development.

Head Start and EHS programs emphasize family engagement because of the critical role that parents play in supporting their children's healthy development and school success. Effective programs engage parents in their children's development and learning. Programs also emphasize the significant involvement of parents in the administration of local Head Start and EHS programs. These leadership opportunities are designed to strengthen skills that parents can apply to improving their family's economic well-being and to becoming more effective advocates for their children.

Program Approach Head Start and EHS are designed to increase the number of low-income children receiving high-quality, comprehensive early education services that help facilitate healthy development, including physical and social/emotional development, and prepare them for school success. To meet this goal, it is critical that funds awarded through this NOFO do not supplant existing services. Given the need for continuity of care to support the rapid development in the earliest years, OHS expects that recipients will serve pregnant women, infants, and toddlers for at least 1,380 annual hours, as required in 45 CFR § 1302.21(c), unless approved for a locally-designed option. OHS expects that recipients will implement a full-year model, as described in 45 CFR Part 1302 Subpart B, that will require per-child costs that, in most circumstances, will be higher than the costs needed to provide part-year services. Applicants are encouraged to use this opportunity to design a model of services and program options that best meet the needs of children and families over time, including helping to meet the child care needs of parents.

Applicants are encouraged to bring new and innovative ideas that are evidence-based or evidence-informed to maximize the extent to which EHS and Head Start, in collaboration with other partners and early childhood education providers, can prepare children and their families for school.

Program Model ACF is interested in new and innovative models that provide continuous and seamless services for pregnant women, children, and their families. These models should be designed to be responsive to community needs; be evidence-based or evidence-informed; and maximize the extent to which the EHS and Head Start resources, in collaboration with other partners and early childhood education providers, can prepare children and their families for school.

These models should include a description of the plan to assess and meet the needs of families pursuing employment, training, education, and other opportunities to support their well-being.

The proposed services, and associated family engagement efforts, should have convenient schedules and carefully planned hours designed for families that reflect the schedules and working conditions among low-income parents.

Grants will be awarded based on how effectively the model design fits the needs of the community to be served and the overall quality of the proposed program, dependent upon available funding. Additionally, grants will be awarded based on the applicant’s ability to provide sustainable approaches toward staffing, which includes providing staff with competitive wages, comprehensive benefits and wellness supports. Competitive wages should be comparable to similar roles in local public schools and provide a minimum wage that covers basic necessities. A well-compensated and supported workforce is essential to providing high-quality services to promote children’s optimal development and family well-being.

Eligible Participants Head Start serves children when they are at least 3 years old by the date used to determine eligibility for public school in the community where the Head Start program is located. EHS programs enroll pregnant women and infants and toddlers from birth to age 3. Families must either have incomes below the poverty line or be eligible for public assistance or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to be income eligible for Head Start or EHS programs. In addition, homeless children and children in foster care are categorically eligible for services. Children are selected for enrollment based on age, income eligibility, and relative level of need with regard to other criteria that are identified within each community (45 CFR § 1302.12(b) and (c)).

Head Start regulations permit up to 10 percent of enrolled participants to be from families that do not meet these low-income criteria. A provision in the Head Start Act, as discussed in 42 U.S.C.

§ 9840(a)(1)(B), which is applicable to both Head Start and EHS, allows recipients that can ensure that all eligible children, including homeless children, are served, to enroll up to an additional 35 percent of its participants from families with incomes greater than or equal to 100 percent, but less than 130 percent, of the poverty line. It is not expected, however, given the relatively low EHS participation rates, that the provisions of 42 U.S.C. § 9840(a)(1)(B) regarding serving up to 35 percent of a program’s enrollment from families with incomes up to 130 percent of the poverty line would apply for this announcement.

Additionally, programs must ensure that at least 10 percent of the total number of children enrolled by the Head Start or EHS agency and delegates are children with disabilities unless a waiver is granted.

Applicants may elect to propose program models that promote socioeconomic diversity within classrooms. Federal Head Start funds must be used to serve eligible children as described in this section. Additional children who are not income-eligible for Head Start or EHS can be served so long as their participation is supported through other funding sources, including child care subsidies, public school pre-kindergarten allocations, parent-paid tuition, or other sources. Such program designs may be beneficial in promoting socioeconomic diversity within classrooms. All costs must be allocated to appropriate funding sources in compliance with federal requirements.

Head Start Program Performance Standards In addition to the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq., Head Start is governed by the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) that define the scope of services necessary to support children's development and school readiness. These program performance standards are found in 45 CFR Parts 1301-1305 https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/policy/45-cfr-chap-xiii. The HSPPS are the foundation on which programs design and deliver comprehensive, high-quality individualized services to support the school readiness of children from low-income families.

The program performance standards set forth the requirements local recipients must meet to https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/policy/45-cfr-chap-xiii support the cognitive, social, emotional, and healthy development of children from birth to age 5.

They encompass requirements to provide education, health, mental health, nutrition, and family and community engagement services, as well as rules for local program governance and aspects of federal administration of the program.

Facilities Funded recipients proposing facility purchase, construction, or renovation will be required to meet the requirements in 45 CFR Part 1303 Subpart E – Facilities. This subpart prescribes what a recipients must establish to show it is eligible to purchase, construct, and renovate facilities as outlined in section 644(c), (f), and (g) of the Act. It explains how a recipients may apply for funds; details what measures a recipients must take to protect federal interest in facilities purchased, constructed, or renovated with grant funds; and concludes with other administrative provisions. This subpart applies to major renovations. It only applies to minor renovations and repairs, when they are included with a purchase application and are part of purchase costs.

As a component of the facilities request, recipients must also submit the relevant SF-429 Real Property Status Report and Request form(s), along with supporting documentation, in GrantSolutions Online Data Collection (GS/OLDC) system. These are standard forms to be used by recipients of federal financial assistance to report real property status (Attachment A) or to request instructions on real property (Attachment B, C) acquired (i.e., purchased or constructed) in whole or in part under a federal award. This includes real property (owned and/ leased) improved using federal funds. These reports are used for awards that establish a federal interest on real property. Recipients that incur costs to purchase, construct, or improve real property before receiving official ACF approval, typically via the Notice of Award (NoA), do so at their own risk. Federal interest does not expire until disposition has been requested by the recipient using the SF-429 Attachment C in GS/OLDC and approved by ACF. For more information, see Real Property Guidance.

Mortgages and Long-Term Lease Agreements If so directed by OHS, the newly funded recipient must accept assignment of any existing mortgages, long-term lease agreements, or security agreements (in the case of a modular unit) on properties subject to a federal interest occupied by the current recipient. By accepting this condition, the recipient must comply with real property and reporting requirements, including submission of the SF-429 Attachment A on an annual basis until disposition is approved by ACF. For more information, see Real Property Guidance.

If a recipient intends to finance, refinance, or amendment a financing arrangement on a real property or real property project, the SF-429 Attachment C must be submitted, along with supporting documentation, in GS/OLDC. This is considered an encumbrance that requires Chief Grants Management Officer decision, which may delay recipients. Recipients that proceed on these arrangements before receiving official ACF approval do so at their own risk. For more information, see Real Property Guidance.

Non-Federal Match Recipients must, unless a waiver is granted, contribute 20 percent of the total cost of the program from non-federal funds. A waiver may be granted for any of the grounds listed in 42 U.S.C.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/real-property https://www.acf.hhs.gov/real-property https://www.acf.hhs.gov/real-property

9835(b) (45 CFR § 1303.4).

For awards that contain real property projects, any portion of the cost of purchase, construction, or renovation contributed by or for the entity, or a related donor organization, to satisfy a matching requirement, per 45 CFR §1303.44(c) and 1305.2, becomes part of the federal share of the facility. Unless recipient equity contributions (sources) are used and meets the following: 1) are non-Head Start related funds (e.g., unrestricted funds such as income unrelated to Head Start, donations, and contributions), 2) not used as match on the facility or related activities (45 CFR §1303.44(c)), 3) not included in the Head Start grant (45 CFR §1303.4), and 4) not used in other federal funding sources (45 CFR §75.306(b)(5)).

Administrative Cost Waiver No more than 15 percent of total costs may be used for program administration. An HHS official may grant a waiver of the 15 percent limitation on allowable development and administration costs for a Head Start or EHS program approving a higher percentage for a specific period of time not to exceed 12 months (45 CFR § 1303.5).

Oversight and Monitoring Reviews OHS is responsible for monitoring the quality of Head Start and/or EHS program services and the recipient's compliance with federal and other applicable requirements, and to provide access to T/TA as needed. The federal government uses several mechanisms to conduct its oversight, including ongoing communication with ACF regional offices and periodic site visits. Federal monitoring reviews are required by the Head Start Act. Over the course of the project period, reviews are conducted to ensure compliance with the HSPPS and other applicable regulations.

Monitoring reviews may occur onsite or offsite, and include compliance with health and safety requirements, rules related to children's eligibility for the program, and financial management requirements.

Federal Evaluation As a condition of acceptance of an award under this NOFO, all recipients are required to participate fully in ACF-sponsored evaluations and adhere to all evaluation protocols established by ACF to be carried out by its designee contractors.

ACF-led evaluations are subject to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act. ACF will obtain OMB approval prior to requiring recipients to respond to a collection of information.

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. An award recipient or any subrecipient may not use grant funds, whether directly or indirectly, to support or oppose union organizing.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the NOFO, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (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.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$65,855,821 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$65,855,821 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$1,000,000 Per Budget Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$0 Per Budget Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

07/01/2024 Length of Project Periods:

60-month project period with five 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.

Expected Number of Awards

The expected number of awards represents an estimated total range of awards that OHS might make as the result of this funding opportunity, inclusive of all services areas listed later on in the Appendix section. If the expected number of awards is 1, applicants are expected to submit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#book_content_14 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements proposals for the entire service area. If the expected number of awards is 2 or greater, applicants may submit 1 application to apply to serve either the entire service area, or a portion of the service area.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Inclusion of start-up/pre-award costs in the application submission is not subject to the “Award Ceiling Disqualification.” However, if an applicant does not segregate start-up/pre-award costs from the base funding award request (SF-424, line 18a, Federal), the “Award Ceiling Disqualification” will apply.

Applicants must submit an annual (12-month) budget. The funding amount listed on Line 18a (Federal) of the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, must reflect a full 12 months of funding. The federal funding amounts reflected on the SF-424 and in the applicant’s budget submission must match.

The Designation Renewal System, as established in 45 CFR Part 1304 - Federal Administrative Procedures, Subpart B, requires all Head Start and EHS grants be awarded as 5-year grants (60 months with five 12-month budget periods).

Funding provided for the operation of the program is referred to as “base operating funds” or “base funding”; funding provided for training and technical assistance is referred to as “T/TA.”

Applicants MUST enter the Competition Identification Number listed in the Appendix that corresponds to the individually defined service area for which they are submitting an application, in Line 15 'Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project' of the SF-424.

Start-up/Pre-Award Costs Pre-award costs, including start-up costs, may be requested by an applicant in addition to the base operating and T/TA grant funds. If requested, applicants must provide a separate budget for start-up/pre-award costs, in addition to a 12-month budget for the base funding awarded, within the page limitations stated for the Budget and Budget Justification in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. If awarded, start-up/pre-award costs would apply to costs incurred up to 90 days prior to the award start date. Examples of start-up activities are facility renovations, purchase of classroom supplies, building purchase, licensing, background checks, etc.

Approval of start-up/pre-award costs is not guaranteed; they are negotiated at the time of award and are based on reasonableness, necessity, and the availability of funds. The incurrence of start-up/pre-award costs in anticipation of an award is done at the applicant’s own risk and imposes no obligation on ACF either to make an award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the start-up/pre-award costs incurred. It is possible that ACF may honor start-up/pre-award costs by reducing the base amount of the award to include these costs.

Estimates for start-up/pre-award costs must be separately identified on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, and in the Budget and Budget Justification section of the application. The start-up/pre-award funding amount must not be included in the funding amount listed on Line 18a (Federal) of the SF-424. The funding amount listed in Line 18a of the SF-424 must represent only the total annual federal funding the applicant is requesting for base and T/TA funding. Start-up/pre-award costs, if requested, should be included only on the Other Estimated Funding line (Line 18e) and clearly labeled as "Start-up/Pre-Award Costs" in a separate line item on the SF-424A, Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs.

Additionally, if applicants are requesting start-up/pre-award costs, these costs must be easily identified as a separate budget in the Budget and Budget Justification section of the application.

Inclusion of start-up/pre-award costs in the application submission is not subject to the “Award Ceiling Disqualification” that is explained in this section of the NOFO and in Section III.3.

Other, Application Disqualification Factors. However, if an applicant does not segregate start-up/pre-award costs from the base funding award request (SF-424, line 18a, Federal), the “Award Ceiling Disqualification” will apply.

Start-up budgets will be evaluated against the criteria listed in Section V.1. Criteria.

Note: Costs incurred for grant application preparation are not considered an approved use of pre-award costs and may not be included in the project budget or budget justification.

Grant Awards Due to the availability of current year appropriated funds, the successful applicant(s) under this NOFO may receive grant awards with a 5-year project period (60 months) that include six budget periods. In cases where a full 12 months of funding is not available at the time of the grant award, the first and sixth budget periods within the 5-year project period will be pro-rated, so that when combined, they equal 12 months of funding. The second, third, fourth, and fifth budget periods would be a full 12 months.

Requests to Supplement Existing Grant Awards OHS may consider applicant requests to supplement an existing Head Start grant with an award made under this NOFO, if the successful applicant is an existing Head Start agency. However, the grant award made under this NOFO (competitive supplement) would assume the length of time remaining in the project period of the existing grant award, which may be less than 60 months. Competitive supplemental awards may result in a reduced amount of funding due to the reduced term of the award. Further guidance will be provided to interested applicants with whom OHS enters into pre-award discussions and/or negotiations.

Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for limitations on the use of federal funds awarded under this announcement.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants It is important to note that the eligibility requirements are different for Head Start and

EHS.

Entities applying for Head Start only - OR - both Head Start and EHS:

Eligible applicants are limited to local public or private non-profit agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or local for-profit agencies, pursuant to section 641(a)(1) of the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9836(a)(1) that can provide Head Start services to children and families residing in the service area(s) listed in the Appendix of this NOFO.

Applicants must demonstrate they meet the statutory requirement for designation as a Head Start and/or EHS agency as defined in the Head Start Act.

For designation as a Head Start agency, ACF will consider all "qualified applicants in such community" as required by section 641(d) of the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9836(d), where the applicant demonstrates it has an organizational base within the community to be served. This could be established by virtue of the applicant being a current provider of services in the community or having a clear relationship to the community as evidenced, for example, by board representation from the community or by evidence of the support of community leaders, including, but not limited to, elected or appointed city/county officials, school principals, county government officials, social service provider organizations, community organizations representing minority and other relevant sectors of the community to include low-income populations, and community-based child care providers.

Entities applying for Early Head Start only:

Eligible applicants are any public or private non-profit agencies, including community-based and faith-based organizations, or for-profit agencies pursuant to section 645A(d) of the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9840A(d).

Eligibility is limited to public or private non-profit organizations, including faith-based organizations or for-profit organizations, that can provide EHS services to children and families residing in the service area(s) listed in the Appendix of this NOFO.

Entities operating Head Start programs are eligible to operate EHS programs.

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

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from the merit 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:

Yes Recipients are required to meet a non-federal share of the project cost, in accordance with Section 640(b) of the Head Start Act, 42 U.S.C. 9835 (b).

Recipients must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF (federal) share and the non-federal share. The non-federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions. For example, if the total approved project cost is $ 82,319,776 , in order to meet the match requirements, a project requesting $65,855,821 in ACF (federal) funds must provide a non-federal share of the approved total project cost of at least $ 16,463,955 , which is 20 percent of total approved project cost.

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.

See Section IV.2. The Project Budget and Budget Justification, Commitment of Non-Federal Resources for more information.

Matching Waiver Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d) Matching requirements (including in-kind contributions) of less than $200,000 are waived under awards made to the governments of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (other than those consolidated under other provisions of 48 U.S.C. 1469) pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d). This waiver applies whether the matching required under the award equals or exceeds $200,000.

Non-federal resources will be evaluated under criteria found in Section V.1. Criteria of this funding opportunity.

III.3. Other Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities will be disqualified from the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

Applications that request an award amount exceeding the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from the merit 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.

Application Submission Disqualifications

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at Grants.gov. If you do not have an internet connection or sufficient capacity to upload large documents to the internet, you may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the submission of your application in paper format.

Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption form Electronic Application Submission."

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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov, which fail the Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at or acknowledged by ACF. If you submit an application for the same NOFO more than once, only the last on-time submission will be acknowledged.

Paper applications with an approved exemption from the electronic submission requirement must be received by 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 the merit review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Additional Application Disqualification Factors

• In accordance with 45 CFR § 1304.13, recipients terminated for cause by ACF within 5 years prior to the posting date of this NOFO will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this funding opportunity.

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

• A Head Start or EHS agency that has had a denial of refunding, in the preceding 5 years is also excluded from competing (45 CFR § 1304.13).

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

HHS-2024-ACF-OHS-CH-R2-0090

Office of Head Start OHS Grant Review Team c/o Guardians of Honor 1990 K Street NW Suite 650 Washington

DC

20006

(888) 242-0684 OHSgrants@koniag-gs.com Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

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

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission Formatting the Application Submission Applicants must follow the formatting and upload requirements in this section in order for the full application to be reviewed. Failing to adhere to the three-file requirement, page limitations, and/or formatting restrictions will result in part of the application being excluded from review.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Signature of Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) Each applicant must designate an authorized organization representative (AOR) with authority to act on the organization's behalf on matters related to the application and awards. The AOR signature must appear on all forms in which a signature is required. By signing, the AOR agrees the organization will abide by all applicable Federal statutes, regulations, or other terms and conditions of the award.

Accepted Font Style and Size Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be 10-point font.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. See 45 CFR §75.111 for more information.

Page Limitations You must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "Page Limitations and File Content" later in this section. Page limitation(s) do not include SFs and OMB-approved forms.

All applications must be double-spaced. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages will have extra pages removed, and those pages will not be reviewed.

Application Elements Exempted from Double-Spacing Requirements The following elements of the application submission are exempt from the double-spacing requirements and may be single-spaced:

• Table of Contents

• One-page Project Summary

• Required Assurances, Certifications, SFs and OMB-approved forms

• Resumes, logic models, proof of legal status/non-profit status, third-party agreements letters of support, footnotes, tables

• Line-item budget and/or the budget justification

Formatting for Appendices (Second File) and Federal Financial Review Attachments (Third File) If documents submitted in the Appendices (Second File) and Federal Financial Review Attachments (Third File) must be scanned, the font size must be large enough so that it is readable. You may not scan more than one page of a document onto a single page. Pages with blurred text will be removed from the application.

Adherence to NOFO Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that exceed the 150-page limitation will have page(s) removed from the end of the Second File, which includes the Appendices, before the review. The removed page(s) will not be made available to reviewers.

In instances where formatting and font requirements are not adhered to, ACF uses a formula to recalculate the number of pages the application would include if it conformed to the formatting and font requirements listed in this section. The formula counts the number of characters an applicant uses when following the instructions and using 12-point TNR and compares the resulting number with that of the submitted application. For example, an applicant using TNR, 11-point font, with 1-inch margins all around, and single-spacing, would have an additional 26 lines, or 1,500 characters, per page which is equal to 4/5 of an additional page. Recalculation of pages using this formula may cause applications to exceed the page limitation, which would cause pages to be removed from the end of the Second File, which includes the Appendices, and excluded from review.

NOTE: Applicants failing to adhere to the NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will receive a letter from ACF notifying them that their application was amended. The letter will specify the reason(s) for removal of page(s).

Page Limitations and File Content The page limitation is 150 pages for the Project Summary, Table of Contents, Project Description and Appendices. The Federal Financial Review attachments (financial statements, notes, and audit reports) are not subject to the 150-page limitation when they are included in the Third File as described in the following list.

Application components MUST be submitted in the prescribed order (see file list) regardless of whether the application is submitted in electronic or paper format.

First File

• Project Summary (single-spaced) – limited to 1 page

• Table of Contents (single-spaced) – suggested 1 page

• Project Description (double-spaced) – suggested 75 pages o Demonstration of Need for Child Development and Health Services: Location, Population, and Service Delivery Options o Achieving Early Learning and Development Outcomes to Promote School Readiness for Children o Past Performance o Staffing and Supporting a Strong Early Learning Workforce o Planning and Implementation o Organizational Capacity and Governance o Budget and Budget Justification

Second File

• Appendices (must be readable) – suggested 73 pages o Signed Board of Directors Attestation o Certificate of Good Standing o Proof of Legal Status of Applicant o Proof of Policy Council Approval o Organizational Capacity documentation (e.g., resumes, job descriptions, organizational charts) o Signed memoranda of understanding o Third-party agreements o Indirect cost rate agreement (IDR) o Letters of support o Plan for Oversight of Federal Awards Funds and Activities o Protection of Sensitive and/or Confidential Information o Other supporting documents

Third File

• Federal Financial Review Attachments (most recent annual independent audit, including financial statements, related notes to the financial statements and the schedule of findings and questioned costs) – no page limitation

Competition Identification Number (SF-424) Applicants MUST enter the Competition Identification Number listed in the Appendix that corresponds to the individually defined service area for which they are submitting an application, in Line 15 'Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project' of the SF-424.

Additional SF-424 Instructions Line 18a – Federal: Include the combined base and T/TA funding requested by the applicant.

ELECTRONIC APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

You are required to submit applications electronically unless you have received an exemption that will allow submission in paper format. See Section IV.2 Application Submission Options for information about requesting an exemption.

Electronic applications will only be accepted via Grants.gov. ACF will not accept applications submitted via email or via facsimile.

Application Upload Requirements ACF strongly recommends that electronic applications be uploaded as Portable Document Files (PDFs). To adhere to the three-file requirement, applicants may need to convert and/or merge documents together using PDF conversion software. Many recent versions of Microsoft Office include the ability to save documents to PDF format without need of additional software.

Applicants using the Adobe Professional software suite will be able to merge these documents together. ACF recommends merging documents electronically rather than scanning multiple documents into one document manually, as scanned documents may have reduced clarity and readability. However, ACF understands that all applicants may not have access to this software.

• First File must be uploaded to the "Project Narrative Attachment Form" in the electronic Grant Application Package at Grants.gov. It must contain the Project Summary, Table of Contents, and Project Description, including the Budget and Budget Justification.

• Second File and Third File must be uploaded to the "Other Attachment Form" in the electronic Grant Application Package at Grants.gov. Second File must contain the Appendices. Third File must contain only the Federal Financial Review Attachments (financial statements and notes and audit reports).

Required Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-Approved Forms Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved forms, such as the SF-424 application and budget forms and the SF-P/PSL (Project/Performance Site Location), are uploaded separately at Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications for the listing of required Standard Forms, OMB-approved forms, and required assurances and certifications.

Naming Application Submission Files Applicants should use the following names for their files: FirstFile, SecondFile, and ThirdFile.

Carefully observe the filing name conventions required by Grants.gov. Limit fie names to 50 characters (characters and spaces). Please also see http://www.grants.gov./web /grants /grantors /submitting -utf-8- special- characters.html.

Use only file formats supported by ACF While ACF supports all of the following file formats, we strongly recommend that the three application submission files are uploaded as PDF documents in order to comply with the three-file upload limitation.

ACF supports the following file formats:

• Adobe PDF – Portable Document Format (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

• Image Formats (.JPG, .GIF, .TIFF, or .BMP only)

Documents in file formats not listed here will be removed from the application and will not be used in the merit review. This may make the application incomplete, and ACF will not make any awards based on an incomplete application.

Do Not Encrypt or Password-Protect the Electronic Application Files If ACF cannot access submitted electronic files because they are encrypted or password protected, the affected file will not be reviewed. This may make the application incomplete, and ACF will not make awards based on an incomplete application.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PAPER APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS:

You must receive an exemption in order for a paper application to be accepted for review. For more information on the exemption, see "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission."

Applicants with an approved exemption for paper application submission should download the forms package associated with the NOFO's Synopsis on Grants.gov under the Package tab.

All copies of mailed paper applications must be submitted in a single package. If an applicant is submitting multiple applications under a single NOFO, or multiple applications under separate NOFOs, each submission must be packaged separately. The package(s) must be clearly labeled with the NOFO title and Funding Opportunity Number.

Applicants must submit one original and two copies of the complete application, including all SFs and OMB-approved forms. The original copy must have original signatures. Copies of the application, not the original, will be reproduced by the federal government for review. All application materials must be one-sided for duplication purposes. All pages in the application submission must be sequentially numbered.

http://www.grants.gov./web/grants/grantors/…