fy 11 direct services foa cinas - 1 24 11 final.pdf

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Citizenship

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

FY 2011 Citizenship and Integration Direct Services Grant Program Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services

Funding Opportunity Number: DHS-11-CIS-010-002 Modification # 1, January 24, 2011

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s): 97.010

Due Dates

Application Deadline: April 1, 2011

MODIFICATION NOTES:

The purpose of this modification is to correct:

1. the e-mail address for the DHS Grants Office (pages 2 and 35); and

2. the definition of Unauthorized Practice of Immigration Law (page 49).

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Office of Citizenship

FY 2011 Citizenship and Integration Direct Services Grant Program Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services

Funding Opportunity

DHS-11-CIS-010-002

OVERVIEW INFORMATION

General Information

Applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number:

97.010

Program Title:

Citizenship and Integration Direct Services Grant Program

Synopsis of Program:

The Citizenship and Integration Direct Services Grant Program offered through the Office of Citizenship (OoC), within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), will provide federal funding to eligible organizations to prepare Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) for citizenship. Competitive grant funds of approximately $4,000,000 will support the expansion of citizenship preparation services in communities nationwide.

Grant activities shall focus on promoting the rights and responsibilities of citizenship through citizenship instruction and naturalization application services for LPRs. Proposed activities must include the following two components:

1. Citizenship instruction to prepare LPRs for the civics and English (reading, writing, and speaking) components of the naturalization test. This must include both (a) U.S. history and government (i.e., civics) instruction; and (b) civics-focused English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.

2. Naturalization application services, within the scope of authorized practice of immigration law, to support the naturalization application and interview process.

USCIS/DHS Contacts:

USCIS Program Office (Office of Citizenship):

Send all questions to citizenshipgrantprogram@dhs.gov. The Office of Citizenship staff will respond within five (5) business days. You may also refer to the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program Questions and Answers by going to www.uscis.gov/grants, and clicking on “Questions and Answers.”

DHS Grants Office:

Stephanie Dawkins Email: CisGrants@dhs.gov

Eligibility Information

Eligible applicants are organizations with public or non-profit status with demonstrated recent experience providing direct citizenship instruction and naturalization application services to immigrants. Eligible organizations include but are not limited to: public or private non-profit organizations such as public school systems; universities or community colleges; civic, community, and faith-based organizations; adult education organizations; public libraries;

volunteer and literacy organizations, state and local governments.

Eligible organizations must be recognized by the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) and have a BIA accredited representative, or have an attorney, either on staff or off-site, who provides or supervises the naturalization application services.

Award Information

• Anticipated Type of Award: Grant

• Estimated Number of Awards: 20

• Anticipated Funding Amount: Subject to the availability of funds, DHS estimates that $4,000,000 will be available.

• Performance Period: Two years (comprising two one-year budget periods)

• Application Due Date: April 1, 2011

• Anticipated Award Date: September, 2011

• Period of Performance Start: October 1, 2011

• Maximum Grant Award $200,000 ($100,000 for the first year budget period and

$100,000 for the second year budget period) mailto:citizenshipgrantprogram@dhs.gov http://www.uscis.gov/grants mailto:CisGrants@dhs.gov

FULL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description…………………………………………………………… 4 II. Award Information…………………………………………………………………………… 5

A. Type of Award…………………………………………………………………… B. Authority…………………………………………………………………………… C. Estimated Number of Awards…………………………………………………………. 5 D. Estimated Funding…………………………………………………………………….. 5 E. Performance Period……………………………………………………………… F. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and Central Contractor Registration

(CCR) Requirement…………………………………………………………………….6 G. Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award and

Executive Compensation Reporting Requirement………………………..… III. Eligibility Information………………………………………………………………

A. Eligible Applicants………………………………………………………………… B. Cost Sharing……………………………………………………………………… C. Non-Responsive Applications………………………………………………………

IV. Application and Submission Information……………………………………………… A. How to Find Application Package…………………………………………… B. How to Submit the Application………………………………………………………...10 C. Content and Form of Application……………………………………………………… 11

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance………………………………...11

2. Form SF-424A – Budget……………………………………………………………11

3. Certifications/Assurances……………………………………………………...…… 11

4. Budget Narrative …………………………………………………………………... 12

5. Project Abstract…..……………………………………………………………

6. Project Narrative………………………………………………………………

7. Project Plan………………………………………………………………………….21

8. Documentation of Non-profit and/or Public Status………………………………… 22

9. Other Attachments………………………………………………………………….. 23

D. Submission Dates and Times……………………………………………………… E. Intergovernmental Review………………………………………………………… F. Eligible and Ineligible Grant Funding Purposes………………………………………..24

V. Review Process and Selection Criteria………………………………………………………. 25 A. Review Process…………………………………………………………………………25 B. Evaluation Criteria………………………………………………………………… C. Strategic Program Priorities…………………………………………………………… 28

VI. Award Administration Information…………………………………………………… A. Notice of Award…………………………………………………………………… B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements……………………………………. 29 C. Reporting Requirements……………………………………………………………….. 34 D. Monitoring……………………………………………………………………………... 35

VII. Department of Homeland Security Contacts………………………………………...……. 35 VIII. Other Information……………………………………………………………………… Attachments:

A. Application Submission Checklist………………………………………………… B. Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements……………………… C. Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and other Responsibility Matters…..41 Glossary…………………………………………………………………………………………

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Office of Citizenship (OoC), within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is charged with promoting the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Naturalization is not only a benefit in itself, but also a mechanism to foster immigrant integration. Naturalization provides civic and economic opportunities for new citizens, and strengthens our communities and nation as a whole. Through preparing for naturalization, applicants will gain the tools to be vested citizens – ready to exercise their rights and meet their responsibilities as United States citizens.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support high quality citizenship preparation programs across the nation. Goals of the grant program include: expanding the availability of citizenship instruction for LPRs in communities in need of those services; making naturalization application services accessible to low income and other underserved populations; developing, identifying, and sharing promising practices in citizenship preparation to build expertise to provide high quality services in the future; supporting innovative and creative solutions to problems faced by those seeking naturalization; and incorporating receiving communities into the citizenship process.

Request for Proposals

Approximately $4,000,000 in federal funding is available for eligible organizations to provide direct citizenship preparation services to LPRs.

Proposed citizenship preparation activities must include the following two components:

1. Citizenship instruction to prepare LPRs for the civics and English (reading, writing, and speaking) components of the naturalization test. This must include both (a) U.S. history and government (i.e., civics) instruction; and (b) civics-focused English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.

2. Naturalization application services, within the scope of authorized practice of immigration law, to support the naturalization application and interview process.

Partnerships

Partnerships are encouraged. Applicants may include partnerships with other non-profit organizations in their proposal. A partner organization is considered a “sub-awardee” if the organization will receive a portion of the grant funding to provide additional or complementary direct services. If a sub-awardee is proposed, the applicant must provide the citizenship instruction. The sub-awardee may provide additional citizenship instruction, naturalization application services, or both. The applicant must complete a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the sub-awardee. The applicant must show how it will monitor the sub-awardee’s performance and ensure that the sub-awardee complies with all grant award conditions and data reporting requirements. Sub-awardees must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and will be responsible for financial reporting. If the partner organization will not receive a portion of the grant funds, then the partner is not considered a sub-awardee, and would not be required to complete an MOU or obtain a DUNS number.

The required elements for the proposal and how to submit a proposal are identified under Section IV of this funding announcement.

Supplantation/Maintenance of Effort Requests for funds under this announcement shall not be used to take the place of activities described in the application that are currently supported with other funding. Also, grant funds shall not be used to support activities that are a normal part of the organization’s operations.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Type of Award: Grant

B. Authority: Public Law 111-83 (Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2010); Public Law 111-242 (Continuing Appropriations Act of 2011).

C. Estimated Number of Awards: 20

D. Estimated Funding (subject to the availability of funds): DHS estimates that $4,000,000 in grant funding will be available. The maximum grant award is $200,000: $100,000 for the first year budget period, and $100,000 for the second year budget period.

E. Performance Period:

Subject to the availability of funds, the performance period is two years, comprised of two one-year budget periods.

Throughout the performance period, DHS’ commitment to continuation of awards will be conditional on the availability of funds, evidence of satisfactory progress by the recipient (as documented in required reports and ongoing monitoring), and the determination that continued funding is in the best interest of the federal government.

F. Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) and Central Contractor Registration

(CCR) Requirement

NEW REQUIREMENTS: Final guidance provided by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in a Federal Register notice on September 14, 2010 established requirements for all financial assistance applicants, recipients and sub-recipients to maintain and use a DUNS number, and to require that applicants maintain a registration in the CCR.

1. Pursuant to 2 CFR Part 25, any entity applying through this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) that is not exempt under 2 CFR 25.110 is required to:

a. Be registered in the CCR prior to submitting an application or plan;

b. Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan it submits to DHS. A DUNS number is the nine-digit number established and assigned by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. (D&B) to uniquely identify business entities. You may obtain a DUNS number from D&B by telephone (currently 866–705–5711) or the Internet (currently at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform); and

c. Maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by DHS. To remain registered in the CCR database after the initial registration, you must review and update on an annual basis from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates its information in the CCR database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete.

2. Effect of non-compliance:

a. Applicant: If, at time of award, the intended recipient has not complied with the requirements to provide a DUNS number and maintain an active CCR registration with current information, DHS will determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award; and will use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

b. Sub-recipients: A sub-recipient is any entity that receives a sub-award directly from a recipient of a DHS award; and is accountable to the award recipient for the use of the Federal funds provided by the sub-award.

i. Applicants that receive awards must notify potential sub-recipients that no entity may receive a sub-award from the applicant unless the proposed sub-recipient has provided its DUNS number to the applicant.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform

ii. Applicants that receive awards may not make a sub-award to an entity unless the proposed sub-recipient has provided its DUNS number to the applicant.

iii. DHS will request the DUNS number(s) of proposed sub-recipients when an applicant has been selected for funding. DHS reserves the right to limit, restrict or otherwise place special conditions on an award under this Funding Opportunity Announcement to ensure that sub-recipients have DUNS numbers.

3. All new grant and cooperative agreement awards issued by DHS will contain an award term that implements the OMB guidance.

G. Federal Financial Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Sub-award and

Executive Compensation Reporting Requirement

NEW REQUIREMENTS: Interim final guidance provided by OMB in a Federal Register notice on September 14, 2010 established requirements for recipients’ reporting of information on sub-awards and executives’ total compensation, as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006. This guidance applies to all entities that apply for or receive DHS awards, or receive sub-awards under those awards, with certain exemptions and exceptions.

1. Exemption: If, in the previous tax year, your organization had gross income, from all sources, under $300,000, you are exempt from the requirements to report sub-awards, and the total compensation of the five most highly compensated executives of any sub-recipient. DHS reserves the right to request authoritative documentation that would support a request to exercise this exemption.

2. Exception: 2 CFR 170.110 provides an exception from the executive compensation reporting requirements by a primary award recipient, or a sub-recipient’s organization (in the case of reporting executive compensation for sub-recipient executives).

None of the requirements regarding reporting names and total compensation of an entity’s five most highly compensated executives apply unless in the entity’s preceding fiscal year, it received:

a. 80 percent or more of its annual gross revenue in Federal procurement contracts (and sub-contracts) and Federal financial assistance awards subject to the Transparency Act, as defined at 2 CFR 170.320 (and sub-awards); AND

b. $25,000,000 or more in annual gross revenue from Federal procurement contracts (and sub-contracts) and Federal financial assistance awards subject to the Transparency Act, as defined at 2 CFR 170.320; AND

c. The public does not have access to information about the compensation of the senior executives through periodic reports filed under section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78m(a), 78o(d)) or section 6104 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

DHS reserves the right to request authoritative documentation that would support a request to exercise this exception.

Reporting of sub-awards is still required even if your organization meets these tests:

3. Sub-award reporting: Unless your organization is exempt from reporting (see 1 above), you must report each action that obligates $25,000 or more in Federal funds for a sub-award to an entity. The $25,000 threshold does not include Recovery funds (as defined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pub. L. 111–5).

You will report sub-award information at http://www.fsrs.gov.

4. Reporting Executive Compensation – Primary award recipient. If your organization does not meet all of the requirements for the exception (see 2 above), you must report total compensation for each of your five most highly compensated executives for the preceding completed fiscal year. You will report this information as part of your registration profile at http://www.ccr.gov.

5. Reporting Executive Compensation – Sub-award recipients. For each sub-award recipient that does not meet all of the requirements for the exception (see 2 above), you must report the names and total compensation of each of the sub-recipient’s five most highly compensated executives for the sub-recipient’s preceding completed fiscal year. You will report sub-award recipient executive compensation information at http://www.fsrs.gov.

6. All prime recipients awarded through this Funding Opportunity Announcement who do not have an exemption under 2 CFR 170.110 are required to have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements. DHS encourages you to visit www.fsrs.gov, which is the reporting portal for sub-recipient and executive compensation information. In addition, www.usaspending.gov has many resources available on the sub-recipient and executive compensation reporting requirements.

7. All new grant and cooperative agreement awards issued by DHS will contain an award term that implements the OMB guidance.

http://www.fsrs.gov/ http://www.ccr.gov/ http://www.fsrs.gov/ http://www.fsrs.gov/ http://www.usaspending.gov/

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants are organizations with public or non-profit status with demonstrated recent experience providing direct citizenship instruction and naturalization application services to prepare LPRs for citizenship.

Eligible organizations include but are not limited to: public or private non-profit organizations such as public school systems; universities or community colleges; civic, community, and faith-based organizations; adult education organizations; public libraries;

volunteer and literacy organizations; state and local governments.

Eligible organizations must either be BIA recognized and have a BIA accredited representative, or have an attorney, either on staff or off-site, who provides or supervises the naturalization application services.

Applicants under this FOA may not apply to any other FY 2011 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program funding opportunity. Applicants may not be listed as sub-applicants under the FY 2011 Citizenship and Integration National Capacity Building Grant Program (DHS-11-CIS-010-003).

USCIS will not review applications that fail to meet eligibility criteria.

B. Cost Sharing

There is no cost share requirement for this program. However, projects that supplement government funding with in-kind contributions are encouraged. In addition, applicants may use their own funds to increase the capacity of the project. Applicants should clearly identify which budget items are to be supported by federal grant funding and which are to be supported by in-kind contributions and/or other funding sources, along with an estimate of the value of these non-federal funding sources.

C. Non-Responsive Applications

An application will be deemed non-responsive and not considered for review if:

1. The budget request for either of the two budget periods exceeds the maximum of $100,000 or the total funding requested exceeds the grant award maximum of $200,000 (direct and indirect costs). (NOTE: The total funding requested does not include cost-sharing or in-kind donations.);

2. The facility rental costs exceed 20% of the total funding requested;

3. The Project Narrative exceeds fifteen (15) double-spaced pages (the page limit does not include any of the “Other Attachments” or forms);

4. The Project Narrative does not include each of the specified headings in the order identified in Section IV.C.6.

5. The application does not include one or more of the required forms or documents listed under Section IV.C. The required forms and documents are:

a. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance

b. Form SF-424A – Budget

c. Form SF-424B – Assurances - Non-Construction Programs

d. Certification Regarding Lobbying

e. Budget Narrative

f. Project Abstract

g. Project Narrative

h. Project Plan

i. Documentation of non-profit and/or public status

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. How to Find This Application Package

Use the Grants.gov website to obtain application forms and instructions. Go to http://www.grants.gov, click “Apply for Grants,” and then click “Download a Grant Application Package and Instructions.” Enter the funding opportunity number DHS-11- CIS-010-002 and click the “Download Application Package” button. Click the “download” link for this opportunity and then follow the prompts to download the application package and the instructions package (if applicable).

B. How to Submit the Application

Applications must be submitted electronically through Grants.gov.

To submit an application through Grants.gov, applicants must use Adobe Reader. You must use a compatible version of Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is available from Grants.gov at no charge.

The applicant and all proposed sub-awardees must have a DUNS number to submit an application through Grants.gov. In addition, the applicant must be registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR) and must be authorized at Grants.gov in order to submit an application through Grants.gov. See Grants.gov for information on how to obtain a DUNS number, how to register with the CCR, and obtain authorization. DHS strongly encourages applicants to obtain or update all registrations related to Grants.gov well in advance of the April 1, 2011 deadline.

If the applicant encounters difficulties, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518- 4726 to report the problem and obtain assistance with the system. The Help Desk is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

http://www.grants.gov/

For assistance with using Grants.gov, visit the Grants.gov Applicant User Guide:

http://grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf. For additional applicant resources, see:

http://grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.

We may request that you provide original signatures on forms at a later date.

C. Content and Form of Application

Applicants must submit all required forms and required documents listed in this section.

Applications missing any of the required forms or documents listed in this section will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for review.

REQUIRED FORMS:

Complete the required forms in accordance with the application instructions on Grants.gov. If submitting any information that is deemed proprietary, privileged or confidential commercial or financial, please denote the beginning and ending of such information with asterisks (***).

1. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance

Complete the SF-424 application form. This form may be completed on the Grants.gov website or it can be completed offline in its entirety. NOTE:

Applications submitted through Grants.gov must use the SF-424 provided by Grants.gov. The SF-424 application form can only be viewed and downloaded once Adobe Reader has been installed. The SF-424 application form on Grants.gov is formatted so applicants are only required to complete fields which are indicated with an asterisk (*) and color coded. Once the application is complete, close the document (you will then be prompted to save changes or not).

2. Form SF-424A – Budget

Applicants must complete the budget in its entirety. Applicants must provide budgets by object class (salaries, fringe, travel, indirect, etc.). Funds may be requested as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and are not precluded by the cost principles or program funding restrictions (see Section IV.F for Eligible and Ineligible Funding Purposes).

Additional guidance on how to complete the Form SF-424A can be found at:

http://www.grants.gov/assets/DraftInstructionsSF424%20A_DOL.pdf.

3. Certifications/Assurances

Applicants must submit:

http://grants.gov/assets/ApplicantUserGuide.pdf http://grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp http://www.grants.gov/assets/DraftInstructionsSF424%20A_DOL.pdf

a. Form SF-424B – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs; and

b. Certification Regarding Lobbying. If paragraph two of the certification applies, then complete and submit the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying which is provided as an optional form in the application package.

By signing and submitting an application under this announcement, the applicant is providing: Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (see Attachment B); Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters – Primary Covered Transactions (see Attachment C); and Certification that the applicant is not delinquent on any federal debt.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

4. Budget Narrative (Double-spaced, no page limit)

Attach your budget narrative (including separate budget narratives for each proposed sub-awardee) to the form named “Budget Narrative Attachment” in the application package. If you need to add more documents than this form will allow (i.e., sub-awardee budgets), please use the “Other Attachments” form to attach the additional files (see below).

If a sub-awardee is proposed, applicants must provide a separate sub-awardee budget narrative following the same format and with the same level of detail as that of the applicant (i.e., by Object Class Category/Cost Classification). Each sub-awardee budget and supporting detail should be separate from the applicant’s budget narrative.

Include costs for the first and second performance years. Separate the first performance year costs from the second performance year costs. Show a total of all requested federal grant funds. This total should match the total listed on the project abstract. Budget categories b – i below should add up to this total. This total should not include any in-kind costs. The in-kind contribution total should be listed separately.

Refer to Section IV.F for Eligible and Ineligible Funding Purposes applicable to this program.

Provide budget information in the order listed below. Budget detail is required for:

a. In-Kind Costs: The dollar value of non-cash donations to the project. These donations may be in the form of space, supplies, salaries, etc. The costs should be calculated at the verifiable fair-market value.

b. Personnel: Costs of employee salaries and wages. Identify the project director, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time commitment to the project as a percentage of a full-time equivalent (FTE), annual salary, grant funded salary, wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants.

Consultants are to be included under Contractual.

c. Fringe Benefits: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as part of an approved indirect cost rate. Provide the method used to calculate the proposed rate amount. If a fringe benefit has been negotiated with, or approved by, a cognizant federal agency, provide a copy of the agreement. If no rate agreement exists, provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc. Identify the base for allocating these fringe benefit expenses.

d. Travel: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the applicant organization (do not include costs of sub-contractor or consultant travel). For each proposed trip, provide the purpose, number of travelers, travel origin and destination, number of days, and a breakdown of costs for airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals. The basis for the airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals must be provided, such as past trips, current quotations, Federal Travel Regulations, etc. Foreign travel is not permitted.

The applicant must include costs for one staff member to attend a mandatory two-day grant recipient orientation training in Washington, D.C.

e. Equipment: Any article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the capitalization level established by the organization for financial statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. For each type of equipment requested, provide a description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units, the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the equipment definition.

NOTE 1: Acquisition cost means the net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, calibration and maintenance services, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular written accounting practices.

NOTE 2: Prior to the purchase of equipment in the amount of $5,000 or more per unit cost, the Recipient must obtain the written approval from DHS. The Recipient shall maintain an annual inventory, which will include a brief description of the item, serial number and amount of purchase for equipment purchased with grant funds, or received under a grant, and having a $5,000 or more per unit cost. The inventory must also identify the sub-award under which the equipment was purchased. Maintenance and insurance will be the responsibility of the Recipient. Title of equipment will remain with the Recipient until closeout when disposition will be provided in writing by DHS within 120 days of submission of final reports.

f. Supplies: Costs of all tangible personal property other than that included in the equipment category. Specify general categories of supplies and their costs. Show computations and provide other information which supports the amount requested.

g. Contractual: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, supplies, construction, etc. Include third party evaluation contracts (if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations.

Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition.

Identify proposed sub-contractor work and the cost of each sub-contractor.

Provide a detailed budget for each sub-contractor that is expected to perform work estimated to be $25,000 or more, or 50% of the total work effort, whichever is less.

• Identify each planned subcontractor and its total proposed budget. Each subcontractor's budget and supporting detail should be included as part of the applicant's budget narrative.

• Provide the following information for each planned subcontract: a brief description of the work to be subcontracted; the number of quotes solicited and received, if applicable; the cost or price analysis performed by the applicant; names and addresses of the subcontractors tentatively selected and the basis for their selection; e.g., unique capabilities (for sole source subcontracts), low bidder, delivery schedule, technical competence; type of contract and estimated cost and fee or profit; and, affiliation with the applicant, if any.

• Recipient may be required to make pre-award review and procurement documents available to DHS, including request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc. This may include procurements expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 USC 403(11) (currently set at $100,000) and expected to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation.

• All required flow down provisions in the award must be included in any subcontract.

NOTE: Applicants may propose a sub-contract for specific tasks, such as hiring additional citizenship instructors on a contractual basis. However, the applicant must directly manage the citizenship instruction and must demonstrate its ability to successfully manage all aspects of the grant-funded project, including financial management.

h. Other Direct Costs: Any other items proposed as direct costs. Provide an itemized list with costs, and state the basis for each proposed item.

i. Indirect Costs: Provide a copy of the latest rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant federal agency. If the applicant is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates, and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the award. If the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

NOTE: If no indirect cost rate agreement is included, no indirect costs should be listed in the proposed budget.

5. Project Abstract (2 single-spaced page maximum)

Provide the information below in a separate document, suitable for public dissemination. The project abstract must not include any proprietary/confidential information. Attach the Project Abstract to the “Project Abstract” form within the application package.

1. Organization Legal Name

2. Organization Legal Address (Number and street, city, state, zip code)

3. Head of the Organization (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

4. Authorized Official, the person at the organization authorized to sign to receive award (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

5. Grant Project Manager, the person who will manage the operations of the grant project and will serve as USCIS’ primary point of contact (Name, title, address, phone number, email address)

6. Type of Organization (e.g., community/faith-based organization, public school, adult education program, public library, etc.)

7. Project Description (150 words or less) Provide a one-paragraph summary of the following:

• The organization’s experience providing direct services to immigrants, including the type(s) of services and number of years providing services;

• A description of the immigrant community, including most common countries of origin, that the organization will serve; and

• Proposed grant project activities and outcomes.

8. Total Federal Funding Requested (Not to exceed $200,000)

9. Total Federal Funding Allocated for Citizenship Instruction

10. Total Federal Funding Allocated for Naturalization Application Services

11. Applicant’s Total In-Kind Contributions (if applicable)

12. Geographic Area/Community where services will be provided

13. Congressional District (based on the legal address of the applicant organization)

14. Total Number of LPR Students to Receive Citizenship Instruction

15. Total Number of LPR Clients to Receive Naturalization Application Services

16. Targeted Underserved Immigrant Communities (if applicable)

17. Is Organization BIA Recognized? (yes/no)

18. BIA Accredited Staff or Attorney providing or overseeing naturalization application services program (name and title). Indicate if the person is on staff or off-site.

19. Number of Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) Indicate the number of intended grant-funded FTEs. Include part-time work as percentages of FTEs. Include any grant-funded sub-awardee FTEs.

20. Proposed Sub-Awardee Organization (if applicable) (Organization name, point of contact name and title, address, phone number, email address)

21. Services Proposed by Sub-Awardee Organization

6. Project Narrative (15 double-spaced page maximum)

Use this section to provide a comprehensive description of the proposed program, addressing all required elements in response to the evaluation criteria. Items 6.a.

– 6.d. below are the mandatory elements that must be included in the Project Narrative. You must follow the order specified below, using the title headings provided below to identify each element.

Required Headings:

a. Community Need for Services

b. Program Design for Citizenship Instruction

c. Program Design for Naturalization Application Services

d. Organizational Qualifications and Experience

An application that does not include each required element listed in the order provided in this section and/or is in excess of fifteen (15) double-spaced pages will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered.

Format Requirements

• Include the title “Project Narrative” at the top of the first page.

• Ensure that the application can be printed on 8 ½” x 11” single-sided paper.

• Use double-spacing.

• Do not include any marks from the “Track Changes” tool in Microsoft Word.

• Font size must be at least 12 point, preferably Times New Roman font.

• Margins must be at least one (1) inch at the top, bottom, left and right of the paper.

• Project narrative pages must be numbered “1” of “XX.”

• Pages should be numbered consecutively and are limited to a total of fifteen

(15) pages.

• Attach the completed Project Narrative to the “Project Narrative Attachment” form.

Required Project Narrative Sections

a. Community Need for Services

Use this section to demonstrate the need for citizenship instruction and naturalization application services in the community. Provide sound data to support your claims. Describe:

• The immigrant community that the organization proposes to serve.

• The need for citizenship instruction and naturalization application services in the community. Include a description of other service providers in the area, and whether there are currently any waiting lists for these services in the community.

• Any targeted underserved populations and why they are underserved

(i.e., low income, low education level, age, etc.).

b. Program Design for Citizenship Instruction

Provide a comprehensive description for the citizenship instruction program. Explain how the program design will meet the community need for services. If you propose a sub-awardee, your organization must directly provide the citizenship instruction. The proposed sub-awardee may complement these services. Describe:

• The types of classes to be offered. Indicate whether these are new classes or the expansion of existing classes. Explain how the planned program will improve upon the existing program. Include a description of any additional grant-funded citizenship instruction that is not a class (i.e., tutoring, workshops, etc.).

• The class structure, including class size, type of instruction (i.e., lecture, small groups, computer-based, one-on-one), type of enrollment, number of instructional hours per session, and number of sessions per semester.

• The class curriculum and class materials. List the textbook or textbook series and level(s) to be used. Describe any other supporting materials to be used (including planned utilization of any USCIS educational resources), and any educational software, equipment, or innovative learning tools. NOTE: Include a copy of your curriculum as an attachment. This will not count toward the 15 page limit for the Project Narrative. These items should be attached using the “Other Attachments” form. Do not include copies of USCIS educational resources or materials.

• The planned staffing structure for the citizenship instruction program.

Provide position descriptions, including required qualifications and relevant training, and/or résumés for key personnel. Key personnel includes the project manager(s) and lead teacher(s). For key positions that are vacant, provide a target start date. For key personnel currently on staff, describe that individual’s current role within the organization.

NOTE: Attach résumés for all key personnel. Résumés and position descriptions for vacant key positions are limited to one page each and should be attached to the “Other Attachments” form of the application package.

• The number of volunteers to be utilized for the citizenship instruction program, their roles and responsibilities in implementing the grant project, and training they will receive.

• Location of classes and the program environment, including

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance. If the organization is not ADA compliant, explain what steps the organization will take to comply.

• What fees, if any, will be charged for citizenship instruction funded through this grant and how the fees will be used to support this program.

• Student intake procedures, including how the organization will verify and document that only LPRs will receive services funded through this funding opportunity.

• Method for student assessment, and the intervals at which assessments will take place.

• Any known barriers to student attendance (e.g., transportation, childcare, student tuition, flexible class offerings, and alternate classroom sites, etc.) and solutions to resolve the barriers.

• Plans for outreach, advertising, and student recruitment and retention, if necessary.

• Plans for data collection, reporting and program evaluation, including how the organization will track and report on student progress.

• Ways the receiving community will be incorporated into the program.

• Anticipated outcomes of the program.

c. Program Design for Naturalization Application Services

Provide a comprehensive description for the naturalization application services program design. Explain the connection between the proposed services and the community need. Describe:

• The types of naturalization application services the organization will offer to LPRs through this funding. Indicate whether these services are new or the expansion of existing services. Explain how the planned program will improve upon the existing program.

• The planned staffing structure for the naturalization application services program. Provide position descriptions, including required qualifications and relevant training, and/or résumés for key personnel.

Key personnel include the project manager(s), the staff member(s) providing the naturalization application services, and/or the staff member supervising the naturalization application services. Indicate whether the person supervising the services is on staff or off-site. For key positions that are vacant, provide a target start date. For key personnel currently on staff, describe that individual’s current role within the organization. Specify the qualifications of staff that will provide naturalization eligibility screening, legal advice, and assistance filing Form N-400. (See “authorized practice of law” in the Glossary for more information.) NOTE: Attach résumés for all key personnel. Résumés and position descriptions for vacant key positions are limited to one page each and should be attached to the “Other Attachments” form of the application package.

• The number of volunteers to be utilized for the naturalization application services program, their roles and responsibilities in implementing the grant project, and training they will receive.

• The LPR intake process, including how the organization will verify and document that only LPRs will receive services funded through this funding opportunity.

• What fees, if any, will be charged for naturalization application services funded through this grant and how the fees will be used to support this program.

• Client outreach plans to raise awareness of the naturalization application services provided through this grant, if necessary.

• Plans for data collection, reporting and program evaluation, including how the organization will track whether clients naturalize.

• Anticipated outcomes of the program.

d. Organizational Qualifications and Experience

Use this section to demonstrate the organization’s qualifications and experience to successfully manage and implement all aspects of the grant-funded project. Describe:

• The organization’s and, if applicable, sub-awardee’s recent experience providing citizenship instruction. Indicate dates. Describe program achievements, including the number of LPRs served.

• The organization’s and, if applicable, sub-awardee’s recent experience providing naturalization application services. Indicate dates. Describe program achievements, including the number of LPRs served.

• The organization’s recent experience recruiting, training, and utilizing volunteers to provide or support citizenship instruction and naturalization application services.

• The organization’s recent experience measuring, tracking, evaluating, and reporting outcomes related to citizenship instruction and naturalization application services. Include the organization’s naturalization test pass rates for students. Also include the organization’s record of submitting successful Form N-400 applications.

• The organization’s recent experience managing grant-funded programs.

• The organization’s management structure.

• The organization’s quality assurance process for practicing immigration law. Include whether the organization is BIA recognized and whether personnel are BIA accredited.

• Any case management systems used to provide naturalization application services.

• The ability of the organization to provide fiscal management (including any financial management and reporting systems) of the grant project.

• The applicant’s relationship with any proposed sub-awardee organization and how the applicant will manage the sub-awardee. The applicant must include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the organizations as a required attachment to the grant application.

7. Project Plan

Provide a project plan that outlines the applicant’s planned activities and anticipated outcomes by quarter. Use a spreadsheet or a table format that has rows and columns. The project plan should be attached to the “Attachments” form found under the “Mandatory Documents” section of the application package.

Include information for both years of the performance period.

The quarterly dates for the first year are as follows:

Quarter 1: October 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 Quarter 2: January 1, 2012 to March 31, 2012 Quarter 3: April 1, 2012 to June 30, 2012 Quarter 4: July 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012

The quarterly dates for the second year are as follows:

Quarter 1: October 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012 Quarter 2: January 1, 2013 to March 31, 2013 Quarter 3: April 1, 2013 to June 30, 2013 Quarter 4: July 1, 2013 to September 30, 2013

For each quarter, provide the following information:

1. Planned Activities, including staff hiring and training, volunteer recruitment, outreach, equipment purchases, class start and end dates, student assessments, data collection, program evaluations, naturalization workshops, etc. For each planned activity, provide:

a. Month (s) when the activity will take place

b. Staff Responsible for each activity

2. Anticipated Outcomes. For each quarter, list the following anticipated outcomes:

a. Number of LPR students enrolled in classes

b. Number of LPR clients who received eligibility screening and advice

c. Number of Form N-400s submitted

d. Number of LPR clients who pass the naturalization test

See below for a sample project plan for Quarter 1:

8. Documentation of Non-profit and/or Public Status

The applicant must provide documentation of non-profit and/or public status.

Any of the following constitutes acceptable proof of non-profit status:

• A reference to the applicant organization’s listing in the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.

• A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.

• A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or other appropriate State official certifying that the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the net earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.

• A certified copy of the organization’s certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.

• Any of the items in the subparagraphs immediately above for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

• A signed statement on official letterhead by an official authorized to apply for grant funds on behalf of the public entity shall suffice.

The documentation of non-profit and/or public status should be attached to the “Attachments” form found under the “Mandatory Documents” section of the application package.

9. Other Attachments

Attach the following items to the “Other Attachments” form.

a. Résumés of key personnel (one page each) or job descriptions for key positions if vacant.

b. If proposing a sub-awardee who will provide additional or complementary grant-funded services, a…