FY2019 FDPNE RFA.docx

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) Grant Program Fiscal Year 2019 Request for Applications

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.594

Dates:

Release Date: March 1, 2019 Application Due Date: 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), April 30, 2019 Anticipated Award Date: August 2019

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.

The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov officially retired the legacy .PDF application package as a method to apply for a Federal grant. This changed the way many Grants.gov users completed and submitted their grant applications.

For information on Workspace application process, visit:

https://grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Additional questions should be addressed to the Grants Officers listed in Section IV, Subsection A of the RFA (pg. 11).

Application Checklist This application checklist provides a list of the required documents; however FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application.

In order to apply, at least four weeks prior to submission, you must have:

· Obtained a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

· Registered the DUNS number into the System for Award Management (SAM); and,

· Registered in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

· Your application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV: Application and Submission Information, including page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following information is included:

· All key staff who are paid by this grant.

· The percentage of time the project director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents.

· Your organization’s fringe benefit amount along with the basis for the computation.

· The type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds.

· Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justifications and basis for lodging estimates.

· Types of equipment and supplies, justifications, and estimates, ensuring that the budget is in line with the project description.

· Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts.

· Justification, description and itemized list of all consultant services.

· Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or if no agreement exists, the basis of the indirect costs requested). If none requested, please indicate this in the budget narrative.

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following:

· SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

· SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

· SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.

· Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (in Section VIII: Other Information, Subsection C)

· Most recent Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15)

· Copies of sub-grantee agreements (if appropriate)

· Copies of Memoranda of Understanding with partners (if appropriate)

· A statement requesting waiver of the match requirement (if appropriate)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 4

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 5

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 9

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 11

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 18

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 19

VII. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 25

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION 25

IX. ATTACHMENT A 30

X. OPTIONAL NEW PROGRESS REPORT TEMPLATE 45

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Authorizing Program Legislation The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, Public Law 110-246, authorizes the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to award funds to Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) to conduct nutrition education activities for FDPIR and FDPIR-eligible participants.

B. Description of the Opportunity Since 2008, FNS awards funding for nutrition education projects through Food Distribution Program Nutrition Education (FDPNE) grants each fiscal year. Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs) and State agencies (SAs) that are current FDPIR allowance holders (have a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR) are eligible to apply for funds to conduct projects that provide nutrition information and services to FDPIR participants. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 SNAP Education Plan Guidance is the basis for FDPNE nutrition, gardening, and physical activities. FNS selects components of this guidance for development of FDPNE project requirements. The FY 2019 SNAP Education Plan Guidance may be reviewed at https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/national-snap-ed/snap-ed-plan-guidance-and-templates.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published in January 2016. FNS selects components of the guidelines for development of FDPNE project goals. Visit http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/ to review the current recommendations.

Anticipated Award Date: FNS anticipates awarding these grant projects in August 2019.

Under this RFA, approximately $1 million is available for this competitive grant opportunity.

C. Indicators of Successful Applications Include:

1) Clear documentation that activities will benefit FDPIR participants and others who are eligible for the program;

2) Clear documentation that all activities have nutrition education activities or messages as a central focus. Please follow the guidelines listed as “Examples of Activities and Services that May Be Funded through FDPNE,” and “Examples of Items that Will Not Be Funded through FDPNE” found on pages 7 to 9 of this RFA;

3) Selection of activities that relate directly to the goal or goals selected (see next page for example);

For example:

Goal Selected: Make half your plate fruits and vegetables. Focus on whole fruits and vary your veggies.

Activity Selected: Conduct food demonstrations using vegetables offered as USDA Foods. Use recipes that are easy to prepare. Provide recipe handouts.

4) Budget narratives that document expenses directly related to goal or goals and activities;

5) Documentation of the number of participants expected to benefit from activities; and

6) Project Collaboration: FNS encourages ITOs and SAs to work with other ITOs or SAs, other FNS programs that serve FDPIR participants, and other nutrition education providers when designing and implementing FDPNE projects. Other agencies or programs include, but are not limited to, Cooperative Extension programs, Tribal colleges, Tribal organizations, and youth summer camps.

D. Desired Outcomes:

Desired outcomes of this grant program include:

1) Improve nutrition-related knowledge among FDPIR participants, resulting in healthier food choices and a better understanding of healthy food preparation methods;

2) Foster Tribal capacity to provide nutrition education through the development of nutrition education resources (e.g., lesson materials, videos) and facilities (e.g., food demonstration spaces, educational gardens); and/or

3) Develop skills among FDPIR participants (e.g., canning, preparing fresh produce, using lower fat cooking methods), leading to greater self-sufficiency and providing participants with greater flexibility in how they utilize healthy foods.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

A. Total Funding FNS expects to award administrative funding totaling approximately $1 million in FY 2019 for FDPNE projects. In prior years, individual awards ranged from $2,000 to $214,000. FNS will award as many applications as possible, based on application quality, the total available funds, and the amounts requested by the applicants. These awards are contingent upon the availability of funding. The submission of an application does not guarantee funding.

B. Agency Priority All projects must focus on nutrition education.

Important! Be sure to follow all directions in Attachment A to select and document your project goal or goals.

C. Period of Performance The period for performance of these grants is one year. All grant funds must be obligated and all program activities under the grant project (other than activities relating to the close out of the grant) must be completed by the end of the award period.

D. Obligation and Liquidation of Funds The close out of the grant must occur no later than 90 days following the end of the award period, and all obligations incurred under the grant must be liquidated by this date. Any funds that are not liquidated within 90 days following the end of the award period must be returned to FNS. In addition, the final progress and final financial status reports are due to FNS no later than 90 days following the end of the grant award period.

E. Nutrition Education Reinforcement Materials for Participants Nutrition education reinforcement materials refer to products given to participants of FDPNE grant activities that help convey the nutrition education messages of those activities. As such, reinforcement materials given to FDPNE participants must convey nutrition messages and promote good nutrition.

1) Reinforcement materials must have a direct relationship to the project goal or goals and the desired nutrition education outcome(s).

2) Reinforcement materials must not cost more than $4.00 per item.

a) Reinforcement materials are intended for individuals who attend activities and not to be distributed by other means, such as through monthly food boxes.

b) These materials should not be the primary focus of a project and should play a role in supporting the nutrition education components of projects.

c) Reinforcement materials cannot constitute the majority of a proposed budget.

d) Reinforcement materials should be offered only after weighing and assessing other relative needs and cost effectiveness.

3) FNS shall apply the general rules for determining allowable and reasonable costs of reinforcement materials. Items not allowable include celebratory items, items designed primarily as staff rewards, and items that are not reasonable or necessary and/or have no nutrition education message.

4) Under Federal regulations any material developed under this grant may be copyrighted; however, the Federal government retains a royalty-free right to use and authorize others to use the material. This applies to any material developed whether copyrighted or not.

F. Examples of Activities and Services that May Be Funded through FDPNE The provisions of 2 CFR 200 Subpart E allow FNS to make reasonable judgments as to what is necessary and reasonable to conduct activities that improve the likelihood that persons eligible for FDPIR will make healthy food choices and choose physically active lifestyles consistent with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA food guidance system. The items listed below are examples of activities and services that may be funded through FDPNE. When FDPIR participants or potentially eligible persons are not the primary target of a nutrition class or the nutrition education is provided in conjunction with another program (e.g., SNAP-Ed, The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children [WIC], and the Indian Health Service), FDPNE may fund the pro rata share of the class that includes FDPIR participants. For example, if a nutrition education class has 100 participants and 25 students are FDPIR-eligible, FDPNE funds may cover 25 percent of the cost.

1) Staff/Labor Costs - Salaries and benefits should be restricted to those directly involved in nutrition education. It is not allowable to use FDPNE funds to pay for staff and labor costs for essential staff covered by administrative funds, e.g. the FDPIR director. Individuals may not be paid from multiple Federal funding sources.

a) Caution: Remember that there is no guarantee that grant funds will be available or awarded next year. The salary of any staff time covered by FDPNE funds cannot be guaranteed after the end of the performance period.

2) Nutrition Classes - The primary purpose of the class must be to provide nutrition education to FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons. The classes must be directly related to the goal or goals selected. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

a) Meal planning;

b) Food portions;

c) Nutrient composition of foods;

d) Healthy cooking; and

e) Food safety.

3) Cost of Food - Food for recipe/taste testing purposes and cost of kitchen supplies necessary for food storage, preparation, food samples associated with educational lessons, and display of food prepared for demonstration purposes.

a) Cooking demonstrations and taste tests should be designed as opportunities to learn food preparation skills and sample new recipes. These events should not provide full meals to participants using FDPNE funds.

4) Nutrition Education Materials - Materials, supplies, and resources needed to conduct nutrition education activities and classes.

5) Nutrition Education Reinforcement Items and Incentives - Might include refrigerator magnets, measuring cups, measuring spoons, or other items of nominal value that reinforce a nutrition message. Nutrition messages may come from ChooseMyPlate.gov or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, for example. NOTE: FNS policy does not authorize spending more than $4.00 each for these items.

6) Gardening Projects - Gardening is a beneficial activity that can help individuals or families increase their consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. Educational supplies and staff salaries to teach gardening concepts that reinforce the beneficial nutrition aspects of gardening are allowable costs. However, the cost for the rental or purchase of garden equipment (e.g., fertilizer, tractors), the purchase or rental of land for garden plots, and the purchase of seeds, plants, and other gardening supplies can only be allowable costs if they directly relate to the provision of nutrition education.

a) Gardening projects that do not include a nutrition education component will not be funded. Below are examples of a project that could not receive funding and a project that could receive funding. Disclaimer: These examples are intended to serve as illustrations of how nutrition education might be implemented in a project and do not reflect projects that are guaranteed to receive FDPNE funding.

i. Could Not Receive Funding: An ITO proposes building a community garden. Participants can attend classes where they learn the basics of gardening and are given seeds to begin their own garden. They are sent home with an information sheet with reminders of gardening basics (e.g., how much sun different plants need, how frequently they should be watered).

1. This project could NOT be funded because it does not include any nutrition education components.

ii. Could Receive Funding: An ITO proposes building a community garden. Participants can attend classes where they learn the basics of gardening, are taught the health benefits of eating fresh vegetables, and are given seeds to begin their own garden. They are sent home with an information sheet with reminders of gardening basics (e.g., how much sun different plants need, how frequently they should be watered) as well as nutritional guidance on how many vegetables they should be eating each day. In addition, participants will be sent home with recipe suggestions for the vegetables they intend to grow.

1. This project COULD receive funding because it includes a strong nutrition education component.

b) Gardening supplies and labor may only be used to support community gardens.

c) Gardening projects should not be used to grow produce for the purpose of supplementing the food package.

7) Local Radio and Television Spots - Reasonable costs for local public service radio or television announcements and ads that promote nutrition education events for FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons.

8) Physical Education Activities or Promotion Materials - Any physical education activities and demonstrations must be part of a nutrition education activity and include nutrition messages on healthy eating behaviors.

9) ChooseMyPlate.gov Promotion – Utilize resources provided on http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to provide nutrition education to FDPIR participants and potentially eligible persons.

G. Examples of Items that Will Not Be Funded through FDPNE See the list that follows for examples of activities or items that will not be funded through FDPNE grant funds.

1) Food Purchases - Food purchases are not allowable unless used for recipe/taste testing or demonstration purposes such as samples provided in nutrition education activities. These activities are not intended to provide full meals to participants.

Request for funds to purchase food must describe how the project intends to use the food for nutrition education activities. Purchasing food for distribution to FDPIR participants as a supplement to their monthly food package or as refreshments during a nutrition education activity is not allowable. Serving community meals, ongoing snacks or food service, meal sized portions, or complete meal service using FDPNE funds are not reasonable costs and will not funded. Costs for food provided as groceries or supplemental food are not allowed.

2) Door Prizes or Giveaways - FNS policy prohibits spending Federal funds on prizes or giveaways.

3) Clinical Nutrition Services - Any clinical nutrition services, such as health screenings (e.g., diabetes and blood pressure checks) and medical treatments, will not be funded through FDPNE.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants ITOs and SAs that administer FDPIR may apply individually and/or as a consortium (e.g., as a region or a regional nutrition advisory council). A current FDPIR allowance holder (i.e., an entity that has a direct agreement with FNS to administer FDPIR) must submit the application. If one or more ITOs wish to apply as a consortium, one ITO must be designated as the lead agency and apply on behalf of the other ITOs. The lead agency is responsible, fiscally and operationally, for the overall administration of the project.

B. Matching Funds Requirement ITOs and SAs must provide a 25 percent match of the total amount of funds spent on FDPNE. When ITOs and/or SAs apply as a consortium, the matching funds may come from one or more of the consortium members but must total 25 percent of the requested funding. FNS will consider compelling justification to waive the match requirement, completely or in part.

· Applicants requesting a waiver of matching funds should not include proposed matching funds in their budget narrative. The Federal request column should include all the funds the applicant is requesting.

Funds received from other Federal sources cannot be used to meet the matching funds requirement unless specifically allowed by legislation. For more information, please see FNS Instruction 716-4 or FNS Handbook 501, section 2102 at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/instructions-handbooks.

C. Other Eligibility Criteria FNS will accept only one application from each organization or consortium in response to this solicitation. An ITO/SA may apply both individually and as part of a consortium.

D. Pre-Application Screening Requirements In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, Federal Awarding Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400, are required, prior to making a Federal award, to review information available through various OMB-designated repositories for eligibility qualification or financial integrity, and to have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated repository systems and the risk assessment may result in FNS imposing special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed. The Federal repository systems FNS will review include:

1) SAM, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS;

2) FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, is a database that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance;

3) Dun and Bradstreet, the system where applicants establish a DUNS number which is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements, and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic grant application systems. The Federal government requires that all applicants for Federal grants and cooperative agreements with the exception of individuals other than sole proprietors have a DUNS number; and

Applicants must also respond to the pre-application assessment questions (provided later in the RFA) to allow FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. A questionnaire containing these questions has been provided to facilitate the process. Applicants must answer all the pre-application questions. While answering “yes” may be an indicator of risk, the consideration and evaluation of these questions is only an indicator of potential risk and may or may not result in an additional oversight requirements or special conditions be placed on an award should an award be made. Decisions regarding additional oversight requirements will take into consideration the total number of risks identified.

E. Acknowledge USDA Support As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity. Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

· When acknowledging USDA support, use the following language: "This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.” Grantees are asked to follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

F. USDA Site Visits Grant recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in grant budgets.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. Request for a Paper Copy of the Solicitation Applicants may request a paper copy of the solicitation and required forms by contacting the FNS Grants Officer at:

Kimberly Shields, Grants Officer Grants Management Operations Branch Grants and Fiscal Policy Division U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS 3101 Park Center Drive Room 740 Alexandria, VA 22302 E-mail: kimberly.shields@fns.usda.gov

B. Application Format FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying for this grant to adhere to the following application format. The proposed project plan must be typed on 8 ½” X 11” white paper with at least 1 inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced, in 12 point font. The project summary with relevant information should be captured on no more than two pages. All pages, excluding the form pages, must be numbered.

Applicants must submit all required application content and forms and follow all instructions for formatting application content.

C. Special Instructions

1) Late applications will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are received.

2) Applications not submitted via the Grants.gov portal will not be considered. E-mailed, hand-delivered, or mailed applications will not be considered.

3) If multiple application packages are submitted through the Grants.gov web portal by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

4) FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in future fiscal years should additional funds be made available.

5) Grant awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

6) Applicants must adhere to the budget narrative format documented in Attachment A.

7) Requests to waive the match requirement in full or in part are not used as a factor in the evaluation of applications.

8) ITOs and SAs that administer FDPIR may apply individually and/or as a consortium.

D. Application Content – Attachment A Applicants must use the format provided in Attachment A, Application Content and Budget Narrative Format, to prepare an application package. Instructions for Attachment A begin on page 30. Attachment A provides instructions for describing your project and contains the following sections. Your application must not exceed the number of pages indicated below in parentheses, except for other required forms and agreements.

1) Cover Sheet: Applicant Information (one page) The cover page should include, at a minimum:

a) Applicant’s name and mailing address;

b) Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address; and

c) Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable).

2) Table of Contents (one page)

3) Organization Information (one page)

4) Application Project Summary (two pages) The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal is funded. The application should explicitly describe how the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes meet the RFA program scope (i.e., provide nutrition education).

5) Goal Selection (one page)

6) Project Activities and Timeline (three pages) For each project activity, applicants must provide the number of participants expected to benefit. The timeline should show how the applicant intends to implement the activity throughout the course of the performance period.

7) Progress and Success Monitoring Chart (three pages)

8) Application Budget Narrative (five pages) The budget narrative should correspond with the proposed project narrative and application budget. The narrative must justify and support the bona fide needs of the budget’s direct cost. Costs for Budget Categories (e.g., office supplies) should be broken down by individual item types (e.g., pens, pencils, ink, etc.) in the Narrative/Justification column. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate: All applicants charging for indirect costs must have either (1) an approved indirect cost rate negotiated with their cognizant Federal agency (e.g., Department of Interior) for the current year, or (2) a submitted indirect cost rate proposal for the current year. All applicants charging for indirect costs must provide verification of indirect cost rates when requested by USDA.

1) For applicants with an approved indirect cost rate for the current year: Indicate the percentage and base on your application. Note that indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated approved rate.

2) For applicants with a submitted indirect cost rate proposal for the current year: An interim rate may be used and indicated on your application. The interim rate is the indirect cost rate most recently approved by the cognizant Federal agency.

If, at the time of application, an indirect cost rate has not been established, the applicant may indicate “None—will negotiate” on their application and include a reasonable dollar amount for indirect costs, which will be subject to subsequent approvals. If the application is recommended for funding, an indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted to the cognizant Federal agency prior to award being made and to support the amount of indirect costs requested.

An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and, instead, use all grant funds for direct costs. If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase "None requested" should be stated in the budget narrative.

E. Required Grant Application Forms Please refer to the Application Checklist on page 2 for a list of required grant forms.

F. Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) Number and System for Award Management (SAM) In order to submit an application to the Grants.gov system, applicants must have obtained a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and register in both the new System for Award Management (SAM) and on Grants.gov. Additional information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering for SAM are provided below.

G. Submission Date and Times Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), on April 30, 2019.

· Late applications will not be considered.

· FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are submitted.

· Applications must be submitted via the Grants.gov web portal. Mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted.

· Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

· FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants this or subsequent fiscal years should additional funds become available.

USDA strongly encourages applicants to begin the process at least four weeks before the due date and to submit applications to Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to allow time to troubleshoot any issues, should they arise.

H. Electronic Submission Details Please be aware that the grants.gov system provides several confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to www.grants.gov should contact the grant support team noted in Section VII: Federal Awarding Agency Contacts.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1) Obtain a DUNS number

· In order to obtain a DUNS number, if your organization does not have one, or if you are unsure of your organization’s number, contact Dun and Bradstreet via the internet at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am-9pm ET. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number.

· It may take 2-3 business days to obtain a DUNS number.

2) Register in the System for Award Management (SAM)

· SAM combines Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one new system. For additional information regarding SAM, see the following link: https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/.

· Must have organization’s DUNS, entity’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on last tax return). It typically takes 3-5 business days to register in SAM; however, in some instances, it may require 5-7 business days or more to complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of the entity record.

· All applicants must have current SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25.

· We strongly encourage applicants to begin the process at least 3 weeks before the due date of the grant solicitation.

3) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request for applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review. The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will need the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role.

· For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html

4) Authorize Grants.gov Roles: After creating an account on Grants.gov, the EBiz POC receives an email notifying them of your registration and request for roles. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been approved as an AOR.

· For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html

· Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization's AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize individuals who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as an AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

5) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html

I. How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov Be sure to read Section H: Electronic Submission Details prior to beginning your application on Grants.gov. Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

· Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

· For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

· Additional submission information and instructions is available at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-standard-language.html

· Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

· If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

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

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace, complete all the required forms, and check for errors before submission.

a) Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace so that they will appear similar to other Standard forms. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

d. NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b) Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c) Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) 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. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace: After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the package. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission.

J. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

1) Online Submission: All applications must be received by April 30, 2019 11:59 PM Eastern time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant AOR will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

2) When FNS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for funding by FNS.

3) Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

K. Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process NOTICE: Special characters are not supported All applicants MUST follow Grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided in the Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1) Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?

· File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (example: &,–,*,%,/,#’, -), this includes periods (.), spacing followed by a dash in the file and for word separation, use underscore (example: Attached_File.pdf) in naming the attachments. Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from www.grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

2) Additional information and applicant resources is available at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Review Criteria FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure the applicants are eligible entities and are in compliance with all Program regulations.

Follow all directions in Attachment A to document your project and budget requests.

B. Review and Selection Process Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. The selecting official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of order to meet agency priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available. FNS reserves the right to fund any submitted grant project, in totality or in part.

NOTE: If a discrepancy exists between the total funding request (submitted on SF-424, SF-424A, and budget or budget narrative) within the application package in response to this solicitation, FNS will only consider and evaluate the estimated funding request contained on SF-424.

C. Anticipated Announcement Date FNS anticipates notifying participants of awards in August 2019.

D. Evaluation Factors and Criteria The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications for this RFA

1) Project Design and Implementation (40 points)

a) The project goal or goals are clearly identified and appropriate for the proposed project. The applicant followed directions in the RFA for selecting goal or goals, activities, and timeline. Activities are reasonable and appropriate for proposed goal or goals;

b) Timeline appears reasonable and feasible given proposed activities. In other words, under normal circumstances, would it be possible for the organization to complete the described tasks during the funding period;

c) The application documents methods that will determine progress and successes and the number of participants reached through activities;

d) The method(s) selected to monitor progress and success is sufficient to determine if the goal or goals are accomplished; and

e) All application content requirements, as listed in Attachment A of this RFA, are included.

2) Budget Appropriateness (30 points)

a) Attachment A contains the budget narrative format required with instructions and details for documenting the expenditure of grant funds;

b) The budget is consistent with project goal or goals and activities;

c) Calculations of all costs, including the match requirement, are correct; and

d) Funding requested is allowable, economical, and reasonable in relation to the proposed scope and effort of the proposed project. In other words, are individual line items within the scope of the FDPNE grant, and do the described costs reflect a prudent use of funding?

3) Need, Originality, Creativity, and Cultural Appropriateness (30 points)

a) The applicant documented the target audience. The target audience is appropriate;

b) Proposed project is original and creative as documented in the Project Summary;

c) The applicant documented how it will continue these activities after the funding period ends; and

d) The application demonstrates efforts to include other nutrition education partners such as the Indian Health Service and the USDA Cooperative Extension System.

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. Federal Award Notice Unless an applicant receives a signed award document with terms and conditions; any contact from a FNS grants or program officer should not be considered as a notice of a grant award. No pre-award or pre-agreement costs incurred prior to the effective start date are allowed unless approved and stated on FNS’ signed award document.

The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, FNS to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1) Confidentiality of an Application When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. Any application that does not result in an award will be not released to the public. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.

Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable information, April 2010).

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. All federal and non-federal employees (e.g., contractors, affiliates, or partners) working for or on behalf of FNS are required to acknowledge understanding of their responsibilities and accountability for using and protecting FNS PII in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-06-15, Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information; M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information; M-07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information; and the NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information.

By submitting an application in response to this RFA, applicants are assuring that all data exchanges conducted throughout the application submission and pre-award process (and during the performance of the grant, if awarded) will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws. By submitting a grant application, applicants agree to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality, including the following: (1) ensuring that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained or otherwise associated with USDA FNS funded grants is securely transmitted. Transmission of applications through Grants.gov is secure; (2) ensuring that PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, and that PII and other sensitive data is not submitted via email; and (3) Data transmitted via approved file sharing services (WatchDox, ShareFile, etc.), CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must be encrypted.

2) Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process The agency requires all panel reviewers to sign a conflict of interest and confidentiality form to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may affect the application review and evaluation process. Names of applicants, including States and tribal governments, submitting an application will be kept confidential, except to those involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. In addition, the identities of the reviewers will remain confidential throughout the entire process. Therefore, the names of the reviewers will not be released to applicants.

3) Administrative Regulations Federal Tax Liabilities Restrictions None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

Felony Crime Conviction Restrictions None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

Debarment and Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 and 2 CFR Part 417…