Foa_Content_of_OIA-BTS-2025 (1).pdf

Signature Date

Office of Insular Affairs

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Brown Treesnake Program 2025 funding announcement

Funding Opportunity Number

OIA-BTS-2025

Table of Contents

BASIC INFORMATION

ELIGIBILITY

Cost Sharing Requirement

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

Program Description

Legislative Authority

Type of Award

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Applications Content and Format

Application Documents

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

Address to Request Application Package

Submission Dates and Times

Submission Instructions

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Eligibility Review

Merit Review

Review and Selection Process

Risk Review

AWARD NOTICES

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Administration and National Policy Requirements

Reporting

BASIC INFORMATION

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: OIA-BTS-2025

Assistance Listing Number(s): 15.875

Estimated Total Program Funding: $3,500,000

Expected Number of Awards: 7

Award Ceiling: $0

Award Floor: $0

Due to the limited funding available, all applicants should try to keep their funding request as close to previous years as possible.

Cost Sharing Required?

No Closing Date for Applications: 04/09/2025

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.

U.S. states and local governments may be required under Executive Order 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs to submit their application to their State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for review. For more information, see the Intergovernmental Review SPOC List.

OMB Control Number:

Have Questions?

For technical assistance with grants.gov, you can reach out to Tanya Joshua at Tanya_Joshua@ios.doi.gov, or Hailey McCoy at Hailey_McCoy@ios.doi.gov. For questions about the BTS program, please contact Hailey McCoy.

Please note OIA financial assistance personnel cannot review proposals before they are submitted for any reason. We can provide technical assistance with grants.gov, or other help desk issues but cannot provide any other assistance with writing or reviewing your proposal before submission due to the competitive nature of the process and prohibitions on providing unfair advantage to one applicant over another.

Executive Summary Grant funding from this program is for interdiction programs to prevent the spread of BTS to other islands, outreach programs to educate the public on BTS, as well as other projects for interdiction, landscape scale suppression, and early detection and rapid response.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible Applicants Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility Eligible applicants are limited to members of the Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group which includes, but is not limited to, representatives of the governments of Guam, the Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, the State of Hawaii, and Federal Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.

https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/office-federal-financial-management/

Cost Sharing Requirement Cost Sharing Required?

No

GET READY TO APPLY

Required System Registrations Unique Entity Identifier and SAM.gov Registration

Before applying, all applicants except individuals applying as a natural person must be registered in SAM.gov. During the SAM.gov registration the entity will obtain their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

The SAM.gov registration process can take several months. If your organization is not already registered in SAM.gov, begin the registration process as soon as possible.

To register in SAM.gov, go to the SAM.gov website and use the available resources to complete registration.

• Financial assistance registrants must review and certify compliance with the SAM.gov “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications”.

• Already registered? You already have a Unique Entity ID. Before applying, check that your “Financial Assistance General Representations and Certifications” on SAM.gov is complete. Remember to renew your registration every year to keep it active while you have an award or application in progress. You can update your registration whenever you need, including during renewal.

• Need help? For additional information and contact information on the SAM.gov Help page.

This program may allow an applicant to apply while their SAM.gov registration is in progress, with prior approval. For more information, refer to the point of contact identified in the Basic Information section above.

GRANTS.GOV

This program accepts application through Grants.gov so once you receive your UEI return to Grants.gov to register with Grants.gov. Please allow for 30 days to register and set up a Workspace in Grants.gov. See Submission Instructions section below for additional details.

Refer to Attachment – Submission Instructions & Tips.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Program Goals

• To prevent the migration of the BTS from Guam to other United States jurisdictions; to suppress and control the BTS on Guam to support the restoration of the island's native ecosystems; and to ultimately develop to capability to eradicate the BTS from Guam.

https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://sam.gov/content/help https://sam.gov/content/help https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

Program Description The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is requesting fiscal year 2025 funding proposals for its Brown Tree Snake (BTS) Control Program.

The invasive Brown Tree Snake (BTS) is believed to have been introduced to the island of Guam following World War II. Due to an abundant prey base and an absence of natural predators, the BTS population on Guam grew, quickly reaching unprecedented numbers. It was not until the 1980s when researchers began to study the sudden and sharp decline in Guam’s bird populations that the environmental and socioeconomic damage caused by the BTS began to be understood.

The BTS is directly responsible for the extinction or local extirpation of 9 of 13 native forest birds and 3 of 12 native lizards on Guam. In addition, the BTS has had significant, negative impacts on Guam’s economy. The risk of accidental transport and establishment of the BTS in other locations has impacted regional shipping and transportation through increased biosecurity needs.

The BTS climb powerlines and cause power outages on the island. A single island-wide outage is estimated to cost over $3 million in lost productivity, not including repair costs, damage to electrical equipment and lost revenues. Prior to BTS control measures being taken, costs of snake-caused outages on Guam were approximately $4.5 million annually, not including personal equipment failures, shorter equipment life span, or increased costs due to purchasing personal power generators.

Since Guam is a major transportation hub in the Pacific, numerous opportunities exist for this invasive species to be inadvertently introduced to other areas in the Pacific. The BTS has already been accidentally transported from Guam to other sites worldwide through infested civilian and military vessels and cargo. Documented sites include: Hawaii, the CNMI, Corpus Christi, Texas;

McAlester, Oklahoma; Japan; Anchorage, Alaska; Wake Island; Taiwan; Kwajalein; Diego Garcia; Darwin, Australia; and Rota, Spain. There is appropriate concern that the introduction of the BTS to other vulnerable sites, such as Hawaii and the CNMI, will have similarly catastrophic ecological and economic impacts as on Guam. The potential cost of a BTS introduction on Hawaii alone has been estimated between $593 million to $2.14 billion annually.

OIA’s Brown Tree Snake Control Program funding priorities for Fiscal Year 2025 will be:

• Interdiction o Civilian sector operational snake interdiction at air and seaports on Guam, CNMI, Hawaii and sites where outbound/inbound cargo and vehicles are being staged.

o Rapid response in the CNMI, Hawaii, and Freely Associated States.

o Development of new tools and program efficiency analyses that increase capture probability in prey rich environments like CNMI and Hawaii or greatly reduces interdiction operational costs.

• Landscape Scale suppression o Operational planning and implementation projects that will ultimately lead to implementation of landscape-scale snake control for native avian species restoration on DOI and Government of Guam properties in the immediate future.

o Development of new technology or alternative tools for landscape scale suppression.

Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Projects

This program has Federal funding for infrastructure projects. Buy America preferences apply to Federal awards for infrastructure projects in the United States. Reference 2 CFR Part 184 - Buy America Preferences for Infrastructure Project for further guidance.

If your application contains components for which Build America, Buy America (BABA) applies, please review and follow BABA regulations as applicable.

Legislative Authority 48 U.S. Code § 1469d.General technical assistance

Type of Award Projects will be funded through:

Funding Instrument G (Grant)

PREPARE YOUR APPLICATION

Applications Content and Format Application Documents Applicants must submit the following forms with their application as specified below.

Instructions for accessing and submitting application forms are provided in the Submission Instructions section of this document below. For instructions on completing form fields, see the form instructions on the Grants.gov Forms Repository.

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Note: For applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Representative’s signature (or electronic equivalent) on the Application for Federal Assistance form also represents their certification of the statements in Appendix A to 43 CFR 18-Certification Regarding Lobbying

Required from all applicants

SF-424A, Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs

Required for non-construction projects

SF-429 (Cover Page & Attachment B), Request to Acquire, Improve, or Furnish Real Property Note: The SF-429 forms are only available in the Grants.gov Forms Repository. Applicants must download the form and include the completed form as an application attachment.

Required if requesting to acquire, improve, or furnish real property.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184 https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository.html https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18#Appendix-A-to-Part-18 https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository.html

Forms/Assurances/Certifications Submission Requirement

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

Required if requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funds and the applicant has used or plans to use funds other than Federal appropriated funds for lobbying related to the proposed project.

Project Abstract Summary (OMB 4040-0019). Must include, in plain language:

• Award purpose,

• Activities to be performed,

• Expected deliverables or outcomes,

• Intended beneficiaries, Subrecipient activities (if known or specified at time of award)

Required from all applicants

DOI Research and Development (R&D) – Current and Pending (Other) Support Note: This form is available on the DOI website.

Applicants must download the form and include the completed form as an application attachment.

Required for research projects

DOI Research and Development (R&D) – Biographical Sketch Note: This form is available on the DOI website.

Applicants must download the form and include the completed form as an application attachment.

Required for research projects

Please note these forms are only required for grant proposals from non-federal entities. If you are a federal entity, you do not need to submit these forms.

On your SF-424, you must include the UEI for the office that the funding flows through. For example, if your office is part of a larger local government, and the funding flows through the Department of Treasury/Administration/Finance/etc., you must use that office's UEI, not your office's UEI. The same applies for the reverse; if your past grant funding previously flowed through your office, but a different office is submitting your application for you, be sure they use your office's UEI. This may mean you have to submit your proposal from your own office moving forward.

PLEASE FILL OUT THE SECOND PAGE OF THE SF-424 A/C, WITH THE OBJECT

CLASS CATEGORIES.

Project Narrative Signed and Dated Cover Letter (should be included with grants.gov attachments, should not be mailed): The cover letter should briefly summarize the application and be signed by an Authorized Representative of the applicant organization. Cover letters should be addressed to:

Assistant Secretary Insular and International Affairs

U.S. Department of the Interior https://www.doi.gov/grants/policies-and-guidance https://www.doi.gov/grants/policies-and-guidance

1849 C Street, N.W. Mailstop 3119

Washington, D.C. 20240

Project Narrative - In this section provide the description of the program-specific requirements for project narrative statements. Indicate any restrictions on length, as applicable. Application narrative requirements may include:

• Cover Letter - be sure to include who (ASIIA) and where (OIA address) it should be addressed to;

• Project title

• Description of entity(ies) undertaking the project

• Statement of need

• Goals and objectives

• Timetable

• Description of stakeholder coordination or involvement;

• Performance measures with required project monitoring and evaluation plan, including description of assessment tools to be used

• Other program- or project-specific narrative requirements;

• Priority listing for multiple projects;

• Grant Recipient and Grant Manager with address, phone number and email;

• Financial Capability questions

Application Preparation: Applications should be prepared and submitted by the entity who would receive the grant award. Applications submitted and prepared by a third party, such as an existing contractor or a potential contractor who may benefit from the grant, are not considered allowable. Please note that grant recipients must follow the applicable procurement procedures contained in 2 CFR 200 when procuring services and goods under OIA grants.

Application Format: OIA does not require a standard narrative format; however, your proposal should include all the following elements to receive full consideration:

1. Detailed Project Description(s): Describe the project(s) and activities being proposed, in detail.

2. Detailed Project Timeline(s): Provide a detailed project timeline for the completion of the projects or activities proposed.

3. Statement of Need: Describe, in detail, why this project is necessary and include supporting information. Summarize previous or ongoing efforts (of your organization as well as outside organizations) relevant to the proposed work. For example, if the proposed project assists with resolving a government’s audit findings; detailed information about the audit, the resulting finding, and how this project will assist in resolving that finding, should be included in the project narrative.

4. Project Goals and Objectives: State the long-term goals of what you want to achieve.

Objectives are the specific steps you will take to reach your stated goals. State your objectives, which must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s period of performance).

Performance Goals: All applications must include at least one performance measure (output & outcome) that corresponds to the proposed project objective. If the grant is chosen for award, the applicant will need to report on the performance measure in narrative project reports that are submitted.

The narrative portion of the application must:

• Describe the expected outputs and the potential outcomes to communities, the economy, and the environment.

• Describe how the project supports the Agency’s priorities described in the Executive Summary section.

• Describe how progress toward achieving the expected outputs

Please note that the performance measures need to be reported on in every Performance Progress Report submitted. If performance goals are not being met, a detailed explanation of why they are not being met should be included in the report.

5. Priority Listing for Multiple Projects: If multiple projects are being proposed, please provide a listing of the proposed projects in order of priority. An example is provided below:

Summary PRIORITY PROJECTS

Priority Project (list in priority order) Requested Amount

1. Priority 1 - Project [Name] $

2. Priority 2 - Project [Name] $

3. Priority 3 - Project [Name] $

Total BTS Request for Fiscal Year 2025 $

6. Grant Recipient: Please provide the name, title, and address of person to who the grant award, if made, should be addressed. This is normally the head of the local government or organization.

7. Recipient Grant Manager: Please provide the name, title, and contact information for the person who will be the day-to-day grant manager if the proposal is funded. Contact information should include the mailing address, phone number, fax number and email address (as applicable).

8. Project Abstract: This should only be one page and should include the following information. If awarded, this information will be input into USA spending to inform the public.

• Award Purpose

• Activities to be performed

• Expected deliverables or outcomes

• Intended Beneficiaries

• Subrecipient activities

Application Package Checklist: A complete application package should include:

• Core SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance form

• SF-424A Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs (Or SF-424C) (Please fill out all pages of this form)

• SF-424B Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (Or SF-424D)

• Signed and Dated Cover Letter

• Project abstract (must include award purpose, activities to be performed, expected deliverable, intended beneficiaries, and subrecipient activities)

• Complete Project Narrative: NO LONGER THAN 10 PAGES, detailed project description, detailed budget, detailed timeline, statement of need, project goals and objectives, priority listing (if applicable), grant recipient and grant manager.

• Performance Measures - at least one performance measure (output & outcome) that corresponds to the proposed project objective

• Letters of Support - Letters of support should be addressed to Charlene Starr, Associate Director of Technical Assistance Programs, and they should be transmitted electronically on grants.gov with the other proposal documents; Letters of support are not mandatory but do contribute to the scoring of the proposal.

• Negotiated indirect cost rate agreement, and detailed calculations spreadsheet showing how final indirect costs were calculated including notations of any variations from the established rates and showing itemized list of costs excluded from the calculations.

• Responses to Financial capability questions in section D.6.

• Copy of your entity's audit summary page with findings. (Please see Financial

Capabilities section below for further information

• Statement indicating if there is any overlap between this federal application and any other federal application, or funded project. If no such overlap exists, please state in the proposal: “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel.” Please see the Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement language in the “Other Documentation” section of this announcement for further guidance, if needed.

• Conflict of Interest statement, if applicable.

Application Restrictions Applications should not include requests to fund force accounts:

Force Accounts: A force account refers to a grantee’s own (existing) personnel being charged to the grant. In general, OIA is opposed to funding force accounts with its grants, however, outside expertise and consultant services will be considered if detailed in the project narrative and budget.

Budget Narrative Applicants must describe and justify items and costs listed in their budget. The budget narrative must identify the following cost items: total estimated costs, non-Federal cost share, third-party contributions, and any pre-award costs. Total project cost is the sum of all allowable costs, including required and voluntary cost share and third-party contributions.

Budget items must be:

• Reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary

• Compliant with 2 CFR §200 Subpart E cost principles

Indirect Costs: Applicants must indicate in their budget narrative how they will charge indirect costs, including the rate to be applied:

• De Minimis Rate: If eligible, state if your organization is opting to use the de minimis rate of up to 15% of total modified direct costs. Entities that do not have a current Federal negotiated indirect cost rate (including provisional rate) may propose to use the de minimis rate. For more information, refer to 2 CFR 200.414(f).

• Negotiated Rate: State if you will negotiate with your cognizant agency. If your organization has previously negotiated a rate, attach a copy of the most recently negotiated rate agreement (active or expired).

Detailed Project Budget(s): OIA does not require a cost share. Provide detailed budget information for the proposed project(s) and activities. A budget breakout chart, by category, is suggested. Please make sure to explain categories that are not self-explanatory, such as “OTHER”, in full. If your project exceeds $500,000, please provide tier options with detailed descriptions, to make selection of individual tiers possible when CRNR funds are limited. If charging indirect cost, please include or attach a copy of the negotiated indirect cost rate agreement and detailed calculations spreadsheet showing how final indirect costs were calculated including notations of any variations from the established rates and showing itemized list of costs excluded from the calculations. Please note that all activities and costs to be charged to the grant must be in full compliance with the applicable cost principles:

Entity incurring costs

Applicable Directive

State, local, or Federally recognized Indian Tribe

2 CFR 200 Subpart E - Cost Principles; 200.416-200.417 - Special Considerations for States, Local Government, and Indian Tribes

Non-profit organization 2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles

Institution of Higher Education

2 CFR 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles; 200.418 - 200.419 – Special Considerations for Institutes of Higher Education

Other Required Information

Conflict of Interest and Unresolved Matters Disclosures: If any actual or potential conflict of interest exists related to this project at the time of application, the applicant must provide sufficient information to support a program determination of significance per 2 CFR 1402.112.

Refer to 2 CFR 200.112 Conflict of Interest and 2 CFR 200.113.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRd93f2a98b1f6455/section-200.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402#1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.113

Applicants must state in their application if the activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel proposed in this application overlap with those in any other Federal proposal or award or not. If no overlap exists, include a statement to that effect. If any overlap exists, provide:

• Activities: Description any overlapping activities.

• Costs: Description of any overlapping costs.

• Time: Description of any overlapping key personnel time.

• A copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity.

• Details on when any overlapping proposal was submitted, to whom, and the expected date of the funding decision.

Financial Capabilities - OIA will check SAM.gov for active exclusions for each applicant. If you’d like to submit any additional information regarding exclusions or financial capabilities, please include it in your narrative proposal.

All non-profit applicants must answer the following questions:

Does your organization undergo an annual single audit or independent financial audit (Yes/No)?

If yes, answer questions 1 and 2. If no, answer questions 3, 4 and 5.

1. Was the audit uploaded on the single audit clearinghouse? If so, please provide the EIN number for the audit and also include with your proposal a copy of the audit summary page with findings, and specify the last audit year that was completed.

2. Did your organization receive an unqualified opinion on this audit (Yes/No)? If no, did your organization receive a qualified, adverse, or disclaimer of opinion on the audit (yes/no)?

If you do not have a recent audit, please answer the remaining questions.

3. Does your organization have independent financial capabilities that can comply with the financial management and accounting requirements detailed in 2 CFR 200, including, but not limited to, policies and procedures in place that meet the financial management standards in 2 CFR §200.302 (yes/no)?

4. Does your organization have a financial unit? If so, please describe the staffing and structure (such as the number of CPAs, utilization of accounting software etc.)

5. Has your organization received and managed federal grant funding before (Yes/No)? If yes, please provide information from the last three years on the federal awarding agency you received funding from, a point of contact at the agency, and the amount of grant funding received.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

Address to Request Application Package All proposals from non-federal entities must be submitted via grants.gov. OIA will only allow for alternative submissions for extenuating circumstances, with prior approval from OIA.

Individual extensions may also be approved for extenuating circumstances, with prior OIA approval.

PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF THE APPLICATION DEADLINE TO LOG

IN TO GRANTS.GOV. PLEASE BE SURE YOU CAN LOG IN AND HAVE ACCESS TO

SUBMIT FOR YOUR ENTITY BEFORE THAT DATE. NOT BEING ABLE TO LOG IN TO

GRANTS.GOV OR REALIZING YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT ACCESS FOR YOUR

ENTITY ON THE DAY OF THE DEADLINE IS NOT AN EXTENUATING

CIRCUMSTANCE. Give yourself plenty of time to upload your application.

Program Website Link : https://www.doi.gov/oia/financial-assistance

Submission Dates and Times Closing Date for Applications: 04/09/2025

Closing Date Explanation

Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.

Submission Instructions Apply Through Grants.gov To apply through Grants.gov, please follow the instructions in the Quick Start Guide for Applicants. Before applying, ensure that at least one person at your organization is registered and has the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Only the AOR can submit the application. If you need more users, they must create their own Grants.gov account. Follow these steps below to apply:

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

• Complete a Workspace: Invite participants to the workspace so you can collaborate on the application. Required applications forms are included in the Grants.gov Funding Opportunity Package and can be completed in the Workspace, unless noted otherwise in the Required Forms table above. Check for errors before submission.

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

• Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application.

The system generates a date and time stamp and sends it to the applicant’s AOR via email as proof of submission. Make sure your application passes the Grants.gov validation checks. Do not encrypt, zip, or password-protect any files. Only registered individuals in SAM as both a user and an AOR can submit applications. Please allow 30 days to register in Grants.gov.

Application System Technical Support: For Grants.gov technical registration and submission, downloading forms, and application packages, contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800- 518-4726 or by email at Support@grants.gov.

APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Eligibility Review During the eligibility review, the application is checked for timely submission, completed packages (see Application Documents above) and alignment with the requirements of this https://grants.gov/register https://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants announcement. The Federal agency may remove an application if it does not pass the eligibility review.

Eligible applicants are limited to members of the Brown Treesnake Technical Working Group which includes, but is not limited to, representatives of the governments of Guam, the Commonwealth Northern Mariana Islands, the State of Hawaii, and Federal Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.

If an applicant selected for funding hasn't finished their SAM.gov registration (see 2 CFR 25.200 and 2 CFR 25.110) when the federal agency is ready to make an award, we may decide that the applicant is ineligible for the award and choose to grant it to someone else. Please refer 2 CFR

25.205 for more information.

Prior to making an award, the DOI checks the anticipated recipient and their key project personnel against the current list of prohibited or restricted persons or entities in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Exclusions database. We are prohibited from making an award if a recipient or any key personnel are found ineligible, prohibited, restricted, or otherwise excluded from receiving or participating in an award, as their ineligibility condition applies to this program.

If removed from consideration for ineligibility, the Federal agency will notify the applicant in writing.

Merit Review OIA priorities Out of

Interdiction, Early Detection and Rapid Response, and program coordination 40 Development of new tools, technology or methodology - a high priority of BTS research committee

Other projects (outreach, data collection, etc.) 20 Development of new tools, technology or methodology – a low priority of BTS research committee

Project is not a priority for OIA 0

Project Narrative Out of

The project narrative is clear and concise and includes the required elements from these application instructions.

The project narrative is clear and concise but is missing some of the required elements from these application instructions.

The project narrative is not clear and concise, and/or is missing many of the required elements from these application instructions.

There is no narrative included with the proposal documents 0 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-25.200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-A/section-25.110 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-B/section-25.205 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-25/subpart-B/section-25.205

Budget Out of

Has a clear and detailed budget for each project in the proposal 30 Has a budget, but it is not clear, detailed or broken out by project. 15 The proposal does not include a budget 0

Review and Selection Process This program reviews proposed budgets to ensure:

• figures are correct

• estimated costs are necessary and reasonable and clearly linked to project narratives

• avoid obviously unallowable costs

• identify costs requiring prior approval

• ensure indirect cost rates are applied correctly

• confirm cost sharing requirements are reflected in the budget.

This program reviews applications for potential overlap or duplication between the proposed project and any other funded or proposed project. Depending on the circumstances, DOI may choose to not make an award.

The BTS Review Committee will review, score and evaluate all eligible applications. The committee will provide recommendations to the Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs for final project selection. The Assistant Secretary will select the successful proposals.

The Assistant Secretary and/or designated official will consider the merit review, as well as the amount of funds available and the following program policy factors when making recommendations for funding:

1. Geographic distribution of funding

2. Emergency Situations

All applications for funding will be considered using the criteria outlined above. In order to comply with financial assistance regulations, 2 CFR 200 "Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards," past performance information will be recognized during the selection process. Scores will be provided to the applicant if requested.

Decision Timeframe: Decisions on funding of project proposals will be made by September 30, 2025. Please note that once all final decisions have been made, applications that have not been selected for funding will received automated denial notifications, transmitted via email to the applicant from Grant Solutions. Please be sure to note the application number generated by grants.gov for your proposals, and for any inquiries, please inform OIA of the grant program, grant applicant, amount and application number.

All applicants, but especially first-time applicants, are strongly encouraged to review Code of Federal Regulations Title 2, Part 200 (2 CFR 200) to familiarize themselves with the Department of the Interior’s administrative requirements, particularly the financial management requirements, associated with managing federal grant funding. 2 CFR 200 can be viewed using the following link: http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl

Risk Review Prior to making an award, the program assesses the risk posed by the applicant per 2 CFR

200.206. If an award will be made, the program may apply special conditions corresponding to the risk assessed. For awards over the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the program reviews eligibility and financial integrity information in the applicant’s SAM.gov records per 2 CFR 200.206(a). The program also assesses financial management capabilities, project delivery experience, staffing resources, past performance, administration and reporting compliance records, and overall project complexity and potential challenges.

Prior to making an award, the program assesses the risk posed by the applicant per 2 CFR

200.206. If an award will be made, the program may apply special conditions corresponding to the risk assessed. For awards over the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the program reviews eligibility and financial integrity information in the applicant’s SAM.gov records per 2 CFR 200.206(a). The program also assesses financial management capabilities, project delivery experience, staffing resources, past performance, administration and reporting compliance records, and overall project complexity and potential challenges.

AWARD NOTICES

Notices of Federal Award are sent electronically via GrantSolutions or e-mail. These notices outline the terms, conditions, and payment instructions per 2 CFR 200.211. The Notice of Federal Award signed by an authorized Grants Officer is the legal instrument obligating financial assistance to a recipient. Any other prior notice is not an authorization to begin work. If the program allows pre-award costs per 2 CFR 200.458, beginning performance before receiving a Notice of Federal Award is at the applicant’s own risk.

Anticipated Project Start Date: 10/01/2025

Anticipated Project End Date: 10/01/2027

Award Instrument Information

• Projects will be funded, subject to availability of funds, by issuance of a grant agreement.

• Agreements will include a cover letter signed by an Office of Insular Affairs Official and a grant award document issued by the grant manager.

• The recipient shall obtain prior approval for any budget or program revisions

Funding Restrictions

• All funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States Congress.

• Costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles referenced in 2 CFR 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.

• All projects must receive an Authorization to Proceed (ATP) before beginning any work except work related to compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Submission from Successful Applicants https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.206 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200#p-200.206(a) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.211 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.458

• If selected for possible award, the Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right the request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary.

• OIA will notify the applicant if only a portion of the application is selected for funding and if any special terms and conditions are required for their grant.

Award Notices

• After an applicant’s proposal is selected for award, the applicant will receive a letter from the Office of Insular Affairs.

• The Office of Insular Affairs anticipates that the grant recipients and projects will be chosen during the summer.

Administration and National Policy Requirements

• Code of Federal Regulations – By accepting financial assistance, your organization agrees to abide by the applicable Federal regulations in the expenditure of Federal funds and performance under this program: 2 CFR Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards.

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

Administration and National Policy Requirements For award administration and national policy requirements, see the DOI General Terms and Conditions. Infrastructure projects require the use of American iron, steel, manufacture products, and construction materials per 2 CFR 184.

OIA specific terms and conditions will be provided with grant documents for all new grants.

Geospatial Data

If you receive financial assistance from the Department of the Interior (DOI), recipient must follow these rules for geospatial data:

Follow Federal Standards: All geospatial data you collect or create must meet the standards set by the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC) or the Department of the Interior. This is required by the Geospatial Data Act of 2018, which is part of Public Law 115-254, specifically in Subtitle F (Geospatial Data), sections 751-759C (codified at 43 U.S.C. §§ 2801–2811).

Include Metadata: Your Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files must include complete metadata. Metadata is information that describes the data, such as where it came from, how accurate it is, and how it should be used. This is to ensure that anyone using the data understands its context and quality.

Check for Existing Data: Before you start collecting new geospatial data, you need to check GeoPlatform.gov. This is to see if there is already existing geospatial data from federal, state, local, or private sources that can meet your needs and is available for free. If such data is available, you should use it instead of gathering new data.

These rules help ensure that geospatial data is reliable, high-quality, and that resources are used efficiently.

https://www.doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.doi.gov/grants/doi-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part-184 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=2019&path=%2Fprelim%40title43%2Fchapter46&req=granuleid%3AUSC-2019-title43-chapter46&num=0&saved=L3ByZWxpbUB0aXRsZTQzL2NoYXB0ZXI0Ng%3D%3D%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU0My1jaGFwdGVyNDY%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim

Reporting The recipient’s Notice of Award will detail all reporting requirements, including frequency, due dates, and instructions for requesting extensions. In general, but not limited to, recipients must:

• Submit Federal Financial reports and Program Performance reports.

• Use the Federal Financial Report (SF-425) form for financial reporting,

• Monitor award activities and report on program performance per 2 CFR 200.329,

• Promptly notify the awarding program in writing of any issues, delays, or conditions impairing award objectives per 2 CFR 200.329(e),

• Disclose any conflicts of interest related to their award that arise during the award period per 2 CFR 1402.112,

• Report on the status of real property acquired under the award in which the Federal government retains an interest per 2 CFR 200.330, and

• Report all violations of Federal criminal law involving fraud, bribery, or gratuity violations potentially affecting the Federal award per 2 CFR 200.113.

• Report any matters related to recipient integrity and performance to SAM.gov per

Appendix XII to 2 CFR 200.

• If the Federal share of the award is more than $100,000 and the recipient makes or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection to the award, disclose those activities using the Disclosure of Lobbying (SF-LLL) form per

43 CFR 18.100.

• Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA) requires certain recipients to report information on executive compensation through SAM.gov and information on all sub-awards, subcontracts, and consortiums over $30,000 to the FFATA Subaward Reporting System (FSRS).

The standard grant reporting requirements are listed below:

• A narrative and financial project status report will be due semi-annually for the periods beginning January 1 and ending June 30 and beginning July 1 and ending December 31.

• Reports are due within 30 days of the end of the period (i.e. January 30 and July 30).

Final reports are due 120 days after the expiration or termination of the award.

• Please note that the performance measures need to be reported on in every Performance Progress Report submitted. If performance goals are not being met, a detailed explanation of why they are not being met should be included in the report.

These standard reporting requirements will apply to all awards unless otherwise indicated in the Terms and Conditions section of the award. Additional requirements are assigned on a case-by-case basis and may also be found in the Terms and Conditions section of the award.

Other Information

1. Payments Domestic recipients are required to register in and receive payment through the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP), unless approved for a waiver by OIA.

Foreign recipients receiving funds to a final destination bank outside the U.S. are required to receive payment through the U.S. Treasury’s International Treasury Services (ITS) System.

Foreign recipients receiving funds to a final destination bank in the U.S. are required to enter and https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/post-award-reporting-forms https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.329 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.329 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-B/chapter-XIV/part-1402/subpart-B/section-1402.112 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-D/subject-group-ECFR36520e4111dce32/section-200.330 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.113 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200#Appendix-XII-to-Part-200 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-43/subtitle-A/part-18 https://www.fsrs.gov/ maintain current banking details in their SAM.gov entity profile and receive payment through the Automated Clearing House network by electronic funds transfer (EFT). The Bureau will include recipient-specific instructions on how to request payment, including identification of any additional information required and where to submit payment requests, as applicable, in all Notices of Award.

2. Audits In accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR 200, Subpart F - Audit Requirements, non-Federal entities that expend financial assistance of $750,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Non-Federal entities that expend less than $750,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.503. In addition, grantees are subject to site visits and audits by the Department of Interior (DOI) and other Federal officials.

3. Marketing and Branding A graphic of the U.S. flag, accompanied by the following language, "Funding provided by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs", should be displayed on all signage that is intended to identify the project and funders, as appropriate. The graphic and language should be included for all programs, projects, assistance, activities, and public communications, including news articles, partially or fully funded by the Office of Insular Affairs. The U.S. flag may replace or be used in conjunction with the Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs seal. If the seal is displayed, it must remain intact and unchanged, and may only be displayed using either the standard color scheme or a single color that complements the background where it appears. The U.S. flag and language should be publicly displayed on the final product. The OIA grant manager should be contacted for an electronic version of the U.S.

flag and Office of Insular Affairs seal if needed.

4. Modification or Changes to the Announcement Notices of any modifications to this announcement will be posted on Grants.gov. When you download the application materials at Grants.gov, you can also register to receive notifications by email of any changes or modifications to this announcement.

5 . Government Right to Reject or Negotiate The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right, without qualification, to reject any or all applications received in response to this announcement and to select any application, in whole or in part, as a basis for negotiation and/or award.

6. Notice of Right to Conduct a Review of Financial Capability The Office of Insular Affairs reserves the right to conduct an independent third party review of financial capability for applicants that are selected for negotiation of award.

7. Notice of Potential Disclosure under Freedom of Information Act Applicants should be advised that identifying information regarding all applicants, including applicant names and/or points of contact, may be subject to public disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, whether or not such applicants are selected for negotiation of award.

8. Personally Identifiable Information In responding to this Announcement, applicants must ensure that Protected Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is not included in the Application Package. These documents will be used by the Technical Assistance Grant Program Review Panel in the review process to evaluate each application. PII is defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as:

Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, including but not limited to, education, financial transactions, medical history, and criminal or employment history and information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as their name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, biometric records, etc., including any other personal information that is linked or linkable to an individual. This definition of PII can be further defined as: (1) Public PII and (2) Protected PII.

1. Public PII: PII found in public sources such as telephone books, public websites, business cards, university listing, etc. Public PII includes first and last name, address, work telephone number, email address, home telephone number, and general education credentials.

2. Protected PII: PII that requires enhanced protection. This information includes data that if compromised could cause harm to an individual, such as identity theft