FY2021 CMVOST Funding Conference.pdf

FY 2021 CMVOST - Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) Funding Conference

February 17, 2021

Agenda

• Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program Overview

• Title VI Compliance Program Information

• Important Information in the FY 2021 NOFO

• Application and Submission information

• Project Template (Appendix B)

• Resources

• FY 2021 NOFO Contacts

• Questions

Title VI Program Compliance Plan Award Requirement

• FY2021 Title VI Program Assurance and Compliance Plan Requirements

• The FMCSA Title VI Program Federal financial assistance award requirements consist of an annually updated Title VI Program Compliance Plan (Plan)

• Instruction document included in the application package on Grants.gov

• The Plan must be submitted prior to the Federal financial assistance application submission deadline (5 p.m. EST March 15, 2021)

• To begin this coordination, please contact Mr. Lester Finkle, FMCSA National Title VI Program Manager, at lester.finkle@dot.gov

Please do not include the Title VI Program Compliance

Plan when submitting the application.

mailto:lester.finkle@dot.gov

CMVOST Grant Program Overview

• The CMVOST Grant Program purpose is to train individuals in the safe operation of commercial motor vehicles (as defined in section 31301)

• Discretionary grant program

• FULL AND COMPLETED APPLICATIONS for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grants are DUE on March 15, 2021 by 5:00 p.m. EST.

• FMCSA anticipates making approximately 10 awards totaling $2,000,000

• Federal funding limit to a total amount of $200,000 per award.

FY 2021 CMVOST National Priorities (Section A-2)

• FMCSA’s priority is to provide grant funds for tuition expenses for students who meet the definition of “Qualified Students.”

• All applications must support the purpose of the CMVOST grant program, which is

• to help reduce the severity and number of crashes involving CMVs on U.S. roads by expanding the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training, and

• to assist current or former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists, as well as certain family members, to obtain a CDL

“Qualified Students” include the spouses and children of service members. All such family member students are eligible for training, with or without the service member. Service members will receive priority for funding.

CMVOST Grant Program Overview (Section C)

• CMVOST- Eligibility Information

• Educational Institutions accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Non-Accredited institutions that are approved by the U.S. Department of Labor as:

• An eligible training provider, AND

• That accept Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) grants, AND

• Are approved by the State Approving Agencies (SAA) and Veterans Administration (VA) to accept VA benefits.

Individuals are not eligible to apply for CMVOST grant funding.

• Cost Sharing and Matching Requirements

• 85% Federal share / 15% match

• Ensure the Match is not being used from another Federal Source

• GI Bill

• Match must be an eligible expense

CORRECT INCORRECT

Federal Share $100,000 $100,000

Match $17,647 $15,000

Total $117,647 $115,000

• Period of Performance

• Year of award + 1 additional fiscal year

• Period of Performance will end on 9/30/2022.

• All coursework, including classroom and range time, and placement services that are being requested for reimbursement under this application must be completed prior to the period of performance end date.

• Pre-award costs are not eligible for reimbursement.

Important Information in the

FY 2021 NOFO

Application Review Information (Section E)

Merit Evaluation Criteria

• FMCSA subject matter experts will review all eligible applications using the following Merit Evaluation Criteria:

• Technical Merit Criteria;

• Budget Cost Analysis Criteria;

• Program-Specific Criteria;

• Past Performance Criteria; and

• Other Review Information.

PPR & FFR Reporting (Section F-3)

• Recipients will submit both:

• Federal Financial Progress (SF-425) and

• Performance Progress Reports (SF-PPR)

• Submit electronically through GrantSolutions

More details to follow.

Funding Restrictions (Section D-6)

• Indirect Cost Agreement Requirement

• 2 CFR § 200.414(c)

• Current period IDC agreements must be submitted within 90 days of acceptance of the award. If not, IDC will not be reimbursed that fiscal year. It will be allowed the following fiscal year with a current period IDC agreement.

• De minimis rate of 10% option

• 2 CFR § 200.414(f)

• Available to any non-federal entity that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, except those described in appendix VI of 2 CFR 200.

They may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs, which may be used indefinitely.

• Bonus costs are not an allowable expense under FMCSA awards

• 2 CFR part 200, Subpart E; 2 CFR §§ 200.403 – 200.405

Appendix C: Accreditation and Certification

• Submit Appendix C:

Accreditation and Certification

• Included supporting documentation with application

Application and Submission information

Application and Submission information (Section D)

• Application Structure

• Must complete ALL forms included in the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) at www.grants.gov

• Limited to 25 pages

• Application Package Requirement Checklist - See Appendix A

• Project template is provided, encouraged to be used but not required - See

Appendix B http://www.grants.gov/

• Project Narrative Development

• Introduction: Explain the project purpose, including the specific grant priorities being addressed.

• Problem Statement: Describe the issue the project will be addressing. Include baseline data and targeted outcome.

• Performance Objective: Describe the expected project outcome.

• Program Activity Workplan: Describe the quantifiable goal related to the Problem Statement.

• Must have three activity areas:

• Recruiting Qualified Students

• Training Qualified Students

• Providing Qualified Students with post-graduation job placement assistance

• Monitoring Plan: Explain how the project’s progress will be assessed.

• Organizational Capacity: Explain how your organization has the expertise to successfully implement the stated strategies and achieve it’s stated goals.

• Existing training program description

• Existing recruitment and career placement

• Ability to successfully manage a federal financial assistance award.

Application and Submission information

• Budget Narrative vs SF-424/SF-424a

• Ensure your budget narrative matches the SF-424 and SF-424a in your application package by budget category for total project cost, Federal share, and match.

• Round all budget lines/cost to the nearest dollar amount

• CMVOST Eligible Costs/Activities

• The applicant’s published tuition rate

• The tuition may include such costs for DOT physicals, required DOT drug testing fees, and skills testing fees, if they are standard published elements that are included in the published tuition rate

• Include a copy of published tuition rate

• Indirect Costs (IDC) based upon the approved IDC rate from a cognizant agency.

• Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)

• De minimus (10%)

Appendix B: Project Narrative Guidance

Project Narrative

Resources

• NOFO

• Appendix A: Application Package Requirements Checklist

• Appendix B: Project Template

• Appendix C: Accreditation and Certification

• Tips for Completing Your CMVOST Grant Application

• Grants Training (on A&I)

• Funding Conference Webinar Slides https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/StatePrograms/GrantManagement.aspx

FY 2021 NOFO Contacts

• Financial/Application Concerns

• James Ross

• James.Ross@dot.gov

• Programmatic Concerns

• Francisco Soto

• Francisco.soto@dot.gov

• Wendy Cunningham

• Wendy.Cunningham@dot.gov

• General Information: FMCSA Grants Management Office

• FMCSA_GrantMgmtHelpdesk@dot.gov mailto:James.Ross@dot.gov mailto:Francisco.soto@dot.gov mailto:Wendy.Cunningham@dot.gov

Q&A

THANK YOU