FY2024 PTIG RFA.pdf

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Process and Technology Improvement Grants

Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Applications (RFA)

Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.580

Release Date: April 19, 2024

Application Due Date: June 18, 2024; 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight

Time

Anticipated Award Date: August 2024

OMB Number: 0584-0512 Expiration Date: 07/31/2025

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service in evaluating applications for the Process and Technology Improvement Grant. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to rank and fund applicants for the Process and Technology Improvement Grant. This collection does not request any personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 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 50 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. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512). Do not return the completed form to this address.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

This application checklist provides a list of the required documents. However, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) expects that applicants will read the entire Request for Application (RFA) prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and applicants should not submit it as part of the Application Package. The RFA discusses these requirements in Section 2 “Federal Award Information.”

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

Register the UEI number in the System for Award Management (SAM); and, Register in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4 “Application and Submission Information." This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 5 “Application Review Information”, and all necessary attachments.

o The application should be 25 pages or less, excluding the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter(s) of commitment, letter(s) of endorsement, appendices, and required forms.

o The application must include a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement to be considered for funding unless the applicant is a State agency submitting an application on its own.

o The application includes a line-item budget narrative, formatted in a table.

o The line-item budget and other budget references in the application must be consistent with the SF-424A form.

Your application meets the objective areas outlined in Section 1 “Program Description.”

When preparing the application’s budget, include the following information:

Cost Allocation

If other programs will benefit from this project, as the costs supported by the grant will only fund the SNAP aspects of the project.

Personnel Proposal includes all key employees paid for by the grant.

Proposal identifies employees by name, position, and title.

The percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

Your organization’s fringe benefit rate and amount, as well as the basis for the computation.

Explain the type of fringe benefits covered with Federal funds.

Travel Itemize expenses and provide an explanation in the budget narrative. For example:

origination/destination points, number and purpose of trips, number of staff traveling, mode of transportation, and cost of each trip.

Include attendee objectives and travel justifications in the budget narrative.

Identify the basis for lodging estimates in the budget narrative.

Equipment

Justify equipment costs in the budget narrative.

List the Types of equipment, unit costs, and number of items in the budget narrative, along with basis for cost per item.

Supplies

List the types of supplies, unit costs, and number of items in the budget narrative, along with basis for cost per item.

Contractual and Consultant Costs Identify the need for a contractor in the proposal and justify the cost in the budget narrative.

Applicants required to issue a bid have provided a narrative explaining the requirement and provided a reasonable estimate for contractual and consultant costs.

Indirect Cost Information

Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or if no agreement exists and the applicant has never received for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis). If applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or not requesting indirect costs, please indicate this in the budget narrative.

Other Itemize and explain any other reasonable costs associated with this project.

As part of the application, applicants must certify:

They will use grant funds for a new project and not for ongoing costs to carry out an existing project.

No more than 25% of the required grant funds support outreach activities.

The RFA discusses these requirements in Section 2 “Federal Award Information.”

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following, which are available on the Grants.gov web portal:

SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (Appendix

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

When applicable, application packages must include the following documents:

All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Letter(s) of commitment Letter(s) of endorsement

The IRS determination letter, the letter of commitment, and the letter of endorsement are all discussed in Section 4 “Application and Submission Information.”

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/r-r-family.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

Executive Summary

Program Description

Fiscal Year 2024 Key Objectives

Waivers and Advanced Automation

PTIGs and Major Changes

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

Pre-Award Costs

Number of Applications and Partnership Criteria

PRE-AWARD SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF USDA SUPPORT

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Application Evaluation

Cover Sheet

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Project Narrative

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Letters of Commitment or Endorsement

Application Budget Narrative

Indirect Cost Rate

Required Grant Application Forms

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Submission Date

Preparing for Electronic Submission Through Grants.gov

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

EVALUATION OF GRANT APPLICATION CRITERIA

Review Criteria

Evaluation Factors and Criteria

Bonus Points (up to nine points total)

Review and Selection Process

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

FEDERAL AWARD NOTICE

ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Confidentiality of an Application

Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process

Administrative Regulations

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Financial Reports

Performance Progress Reports (PPR)

7. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

8. OTHER INFORMATION

DEBRIEFING REQUESTS

APPENDIX A: TIPS FOR PROPOSAL WRITERS

APPENDIX B: RFA BUDGET NARRATIVE CHECKLIST

APPENDIX C: FNS-906 GRANT PROGRAM ACCOUNTING SYSTEM & FINANCIAL CAPABILITY

QUESTIONNAIRE

APPENDIX D: FNS-908 PERFORMANCE PROGRESS REPORT (PPR)

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

Executive Summary

The purpose of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Process and Technology Improvement Grants (PTIGs) is to support efforts by State agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) application and eligibility determination systems. Section 11(t) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (Public Law 116-94), as amended, “Grants for Simplified Application and Eligibility Determination Systems and Improved Access to Benefits”, authorizes the Food and Nutrition Service Agency (FNS) to award up to $5 million in grants that allow applicants to “develop and implement supplemental nutrition assistance program simplified application and eligibility determination systems.” SNAP intends to award up to $5 million in grants to eligible entities and each applicant may apply for up to $2 million in funding. Eligible entities include State agencies administering the SNAP; State or local governments; agencies providing health or welfare services; public health or educational entities;

or private nonprofit entities, such as community-based or faith-based organizations, food banks, or other emergency feeding organizations.1 Additional information is in the federal award information section. Throughout this Request for Applications (RFA), the term “State agencies” refers to the agencies of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Guam that administer SNAP.

Program Description

Section 11(t) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (Public Law 116-94), as amended, “Grants for Simplified Application and Eligibility Determination Systems and Improved Access to Benefits”, authorizes the Food and Nutrition Service Agency (FNS) to award up to $5 million in grants that allow applicants to “develop and implement supplemental nutrition assistance program simplified application and eligibility determination systems.”

The purpose of the FY 2024 PTIGs is to support efforts by State agencies and their community-based and faith-based partners to develop and implement projects that use technology to improve the quality and efficiency of SNAP application and eligibility determination systems. This RFA is a funding opportunity for Fiscal Year 2024. Funds from this RFA are for new projects. Please see the Eligible Entities subsection below for a list of eligible entities.

Fiscal Year 2024 Key Objectives

Application proposals must include at least one of the following three objectives identified below.

Proposals may contain more than one objective. As noted in Section 4, applicants must map their proposed activities and indicators measuring success to the objective(s) using the “Activities/Indicators Tracker.” If awarded, grantees will be required to use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report to report on progress towards activities that align with the required objective(s) listed on the “Activities/Indicators Tracker.” Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their performance progress reporting requirements if awarded.

1 These awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fna-2008-amended-through-pl-116-94 https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fna-2008-amended-through-pl-116-94

The project examples aligned with each objective listed below are only suggestions. A PTIG project may assist State agencies in making investments in systems to improve efficiency, provide excellent customer service, and meet Federal standards as they face unprecedented operational challenges. FNS welcomes other projects that support these objectives and encourages applicants to propose innovative ideas to solve both common and unique problems associated with SNAP application and eligibility processes.

1. Modernize SNAP customer service and client communication to improve accessibility, transparency, and responsiveness in processing applications and determining eligibility.

Proposals will use technology-based tools to help improve the customer experience and access to SNAP. Proposals may include activities such as:

o Creating or improving client self-service options, such as scripted chat bots or “virtual agents”,2 updating personal information via a client portal, or tracking application status online;

o Improving communication with applicants and participants with electronic notices (eNotices) and text messaging reminders;

o Ensuring applications, verification requirements, notices, and other client communications are clear, in plain language, and accompanied by guides or instructions for easy understanding;

o Reducing technology-based barriers to entry for persons with a disability or Limited English Proficiency; or o Developing and/or enhancing mobile responsive websites, mobile applications, online applications, and online portals.

2. Improve administrative infrastructure and day-to-day SNAP operations in processing applications and determining eligibility. Proposals will employ technology to maintain or improve service levels, reduce administrative burden and increase staff time available for accurate and timely case processing, and incorporate lessons learned about effective use of technology and new ways of working from the COVID-19 pandemic. Proposals may include activities such as:

o Improving call centers, such as increasing State call center capacity by adding phone lines, improving automated telephone systems like phone trees, establishing or enhancing telephonic interview and telephonic signature capabilities, or implementing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology or “virtual agents”; 2 o improving paper document processing using intelligent or optical character recognition, or using robotic process automation (RPA) technology to process no-change periodic reports or populating case files information from Presumptive Eligibility Determiners in hospitals;

o Developing workload management dashboards to allow real-time monitoring of workload, case status, outstanding tasks, timeliness, and other key metrics;

2 Virtual agents may be a combination of natural language processing, intelligent search, and robotic process automation (RPA) in a conversational user interface that automates dialogue with end users, provides information, and/or directly executes actions to meet user requests.

o Creating a hard-coded or scripted policy chat bot that would give eligibility workers answers to SNAP policy questions and information to facilitate the application process and eligibility determination; and o Enhancing eligibility systems and applications, such as using an Application Programming Interface (API) or software bot to automatically register an application in the eligibility system, eliminate duplicate entry, or prepopulate eligibility systems from the online application.

3. Invest in technology and systems to encourage cross collaboration and cross enrollment between SNAP and other Federal, State, and local assistance programs. Proposals will improve customer service and access to benefits for eligible populations, improve State administration between programs, as allowable by program requirements, and reduce administrative burden when processing combined applications. Proposals may include activities such as:

o Developing combined applications and partnerships across State operated assistance programs to increase client access and alignment between programs;

o Enhancing cross-program enrollment through integrated mobile applications, online portals, and automated technologies for data population such as Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or robotic process automation (RPA);

o Improving data sharing and verification between SNAP and other Federal, State, and local assistance programs within the State agency to reduce administrative burden; or o Creating a technology improvement plan to enhance or develop easy cross-enrollment or administration between SNAP and other programs.

In addition, proposals must identify how one or more of the following SNAP processes will be improved as a result of the proposed project:

• Timeliness

• Program integrity

• Program access, especially for underserved populations

• Application screening, especially for underserved populations

• Verification

• Administrative cost and burden

• Interview

• Recertification

• Client reporting

• Application intake

• Notices

• Error rates

Waivers and Advanced Automation Please note that applicants may not predicate Process and Technology Improvement Grant projects on waivers of SNAP regulations. Applicants must ensure their projects are allowable under current SNAP regulations and guidance. FNS will only fund projects containing advanced automation technologies acknowledged as major changes in the “Use of Advanced Automation in SNAP” memo and will not fund projects containing advanced automation technologies that go beyond those mentioned in the major changes section of the memo.3

PTIGs and Major Changes

3 Use of Advanced Automation in SNAP, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/advanced-automation.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/advanced-automation

SNAP regulations require that State agencies inform FNS of major changes in program design at least 120 days prior to implementation. Major change requirements intend to prevent adverse effects on access and integrity when State agencies change their SNAP benefit delivery processes and procedures.4 Common major changes include system enhancements, increased reliance on automated systems, new online applications or customer portals, and changes in the way that applicants and participants interact with the State's SNAP agency. If FNS approves a PTIG application to be a PTIG project, the PTIG approval will serve as the major change notification.5 If FNS does not approve a PTIG application to be a PTIG project, and the applicant wishes to implement the project without PTIG funding, the applicant would need to submit a major change notification. Applicants should indicate whether their project proposal qualifies as a major change in the executive summary. Applicants who are unsure whether their project proposal qualifies as a major change should contact their State or Regional Office, as appropriate.

Bonus Points FNS may award bonus point(s) for applications that address Agency priorities, which includes proposals that are particularly data driven, proposals from applicants that have never received a PTIG, and proposals that approach solutions from a human-centered design perspective to modernize program delivery and improve the customer experience. Proposals may receive up to nine total bonus points; up to three bonus points will be available for each bonus point area.

Additional information is outlined in Section 5 “Application Review Information” under the Bonus Points sub-header.

2. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The following information provides applicants with information to help make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

• Total amount of funding expected to award: $5,000,000

• Anticipated number of awards: Not to exceed 12 awards

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $20,000

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $2,000,000

• Anticipated award announcement date: August 2024

• Anticipated period of performance: September 1, 2024 through September 30, 2027

• Application due date: June 18, 2024; 11:59 PM, Eastern Daylight Time

Please note:

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

• FNS reserves the right to use this RFA and competition to award additional grants this or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

Allowable Costs

• Funds from this RFA are for new projects.

4 Major changes in program design, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-II/subchapter-C/part- 272/section-272.15.

5 Review of Major Changes in Program Design and Management Evaluation Systems, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fr-011916 https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fr-011916 https://www.usda.gov/priorities https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/fr-011916

• Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more) and supplies are allowable expenses with prior approval by FNS. While these expenditures are allowable, FNS reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based upon the needs of the Agency and the proposed project. Approval of the budget will serve as the pre-award approval for capital expenditures.

• If the activities funded under this grant are part of a larger eligibility system project with total projected costs exceeding $6 million, the applicant must submit, and FNS must approve, an Advance Planning Document (APD) prior to the expenditure of these grant funds. Guidance on the APD process is available at www.fns.usda.gov/apd/.

• Process and Technology Improvement Grant funded projects may benefit other governmental programs; however, grant funds must only support SNAP’s share of the project costs and therefore be properly allocated.

Unallowable Costs

• Process and Technology Improvement Grant funds cannot fund the ongoing cost of carrying out an existing project.

• Applicants may not budget more than 25% of grant funds towards SNAP outreach activities. Process and Technology Improvement Grants cannot fund the drafting or printing of informational materials, pure application assistance, screening/pre-qualifying applicants, or other similar activities.

All costs proposed in the budget and detailed in the budget narrative must be allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles for a detailed description of all allowable and unallowable costs.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

FNS will deem entities that do not meet the eligibility definitions ineligible and remove them from competition without further consideration. If FNS determines an applicant failed to submit required elements or documents associated with this RFA, they will be considered ineligible and removed from consideration.

The entities eligible to receive grants under this competition are:

• The 53 State agencies that administer SNAP;6

• State or local governments;7

• Public and private agencies providing health or welfare services;

6 State agencies should have the necessary approvals of State officials (such as councils or legislatures) of funding prior to submitting the application. Applicants should also acknowledge in their application that they have obtained all necessary approvals for funding.

7 State and local governments should have the necessary approvals of State officials (such as councils or legislatures) of funding prior to submitting the application. Applicants should also acknowledge in their application that they have obtained all necessary approvals for funding.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/apd/ https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E

• Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs);8

• Public health or educational entities; and

• Private non-profit entities such as community-based or faith-based organizations, food banks, or other emergency feeding organizations.9

Unless the applicant is a State agency submitting an application on its own, a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement from the relevant State SNAP agency must be included in the application package to be considered for funding.

NOTE: Those applicants who fail to submit any required documents or forms will be deemed NONRESPONSIVE and therefore will be INELIGIBLE to participate in the competition and removed from further consideration.

Ineligible Applicants

Entities not meeting the eligibility definitions above will be deemed ineligible for funding and removed from competition without further consideration. Additionally, any eligible entity that received a Process and Technology Improvement Grant award in either of the last two fiscal years (FY 2022 or FY 2023) is ineligible to apply and receive a PTIG this fiscal year (FY 2024). This restriction only applies to the lead entity on the award (i.e., the recipient whose name appears in block 9 of the awarded project’s FNS-529) and not to partner organizations or government agencies on a particular project.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

There is no cost sharing or matching required for this grant.

Pre-Award Costs

FNS will not award pre-award costs for these grant projects.

Number of Applications and Partnership Criteria

For the purposes of this grant competition, State agencies may submit more than one application each, or enter into more than one partnership, as explained in the Letters of Commitment subsection below. However, if the State agency submits more than one application, the State agency must make explicit in each application its relationship to any others. State agencies that submit more than one application should carefully consider the allocation of time stated in each application. State agencies with more than one partner organization may also consider submitting a single application designed to make sub-grants to the partner organizations. Proposals forwarded by any given State agency should request funding for distinct, non-overlapping activities. Additionally, if a State agency submits more than one application or is part of more

8 If an ITO applies for a PTIG, they must apply in partnership with their SNAP State Agency and provide a letter of endorsement from their State SNAP agency. Alternatively, the State agency can apply for a PTIG project with an ITO, and the ITO would need to provide a letter of commitment.

9 Non-profit organizations must submit a copy of the IRS Determination Letter, form 501(c)(3) or proof of application for exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and a list of their Board of Directors, if applicable.

All corporations, including nonprofit corporations must complete the attached representation regarding felony convictions and tax delinquency.

than one partnership the State agency must ensure that costs are clearly allocated. For example, if a State agency submits more than one proposal and is using the same project manager under both project concepts, the budget must reflect proper cost allocation.

FNS has designed this grant competition to allow State agencies to work in concert with nongovernmental entities that wish to apply for this grant through letters of commitment or endorsement. Additional information is in Section 4, “Application and Submission Information”.

PRE-AWARD SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, prior to making a Federal award, Federal awarding agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205, must review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualifications or financial integrity information. Additionally, Federal awarding agencies are required to have a framework in place for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The FNS review of risk posed by applicants will be based on the following:

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

• FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance;

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire o Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial

Capability Questionnaire (See Appendix C) that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. The questionnaire contains a number of questions that may be an indicator of potential risk.

The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated systems and the risk assessment questionnaire may result in FNS imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF 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 should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

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

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf

4. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. The application should be 25 pages or less, single-spaced and in 12-point font, not including the cover sheet, executive summary, table of contents, resumes, letter of commitment(s), endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. Applicants must number all pages, excluding the form pages.

Special Instructions:

• FNS will not consider late application submissions in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless applicants submit them via Grants.gov by the deadline. FNS will not accept additions or revisions after the deadline.

• FNS will deem applications missing a written proposal, budget narrative, or other sections contained within the Evaluation Criteria as unresponsive (and therefore deem the applicant ineligible to participate in the competition) and will not consider the application for funding.

• FNS will not consider applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, and certification for funding.

• Applicants must submit letters of endorsement and/or letters of commitment with the application through Grants.gov. FNS will not consider letters submitted via email.

• FNS reserves the right to request clarification on any application submitted in response to this solicitation.

• FNS will not consider applications not submitted via Grants.gov.

• If the same applicant submits multiple application packages through Grants.gov in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. FNS will remove all other packages submitted by the applicant from this competition.

Application Evaluation

The review committee will evaluate proposals against the criteria below and score them based on how well they address the requirements in Section 5 "Application Review Information". Proposals can receive up to 109 points. FNS has provided a checklist at the beginning of this document to assist applicants in meeting the necessary requirements.

Every proposal must include the following sections: Cover Sheet, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Project Narrative (including Project Design; Organizational Experience, Staff Capability, and Management; Evaluation; and Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency), and the Activities/Indicator Tracker. Unless the applicant is a State agency submitting an application on its own, a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement must be included in the application package to be considered for funding. Details on requirements for each section are below.

Cover Sheet The cover page should include the following:

1. Grant program title;

2. Applicant’s name and mailing address;

3. Project title and subproject title (if applicable);

4. Project summary (a one to two sentence description of project);

5. Primary contact’s name, job title, phone number, and e-mail address; and

6. Between one and three secondary contacts’ name(s), job title(s), phone number(s), and e-mail address(es).

Table of Contents

Proposals must include a table of contents that mirrors the outline included in this section of the RFA and include relevant topic page numbers.

Executive Summary The executive summary should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal were to be funded, including:

1. The specific problem that prompted the applicant to submit a Process and Technology Improvement Grant application;

2. How exactly the project proposed in this grant application solves the problem identified;

3. Identify the State agency and/or eligible entities involved in the project;

4. Amount of funding requested;

5. Which objective area(s)/activity(ies) the proposal addresses and whether the submission includes the bonus point area(s);

6. The proposed activities and anticipated outcomes that would result from the project;

7. Which SNAP processes the project will improve by; and

8. Whether the project qualifies as a major change.

Note: The executive summary should not exceed one page.

Project Narrative

The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing and how it will address a solution, the expected results and/or benefits, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and objectives. The proposed project methodology should describe the project design, address program specific methodology needs, procedures, timetables, monitoring/oversight, and the organization’s project staffing. For additional details, please see Section 5 "Application Review Information" below.

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Proposed activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to the objective(s) listed in the application. Activities are the elements of the project that will lead to the success of your identified objective. Indicators are any metric the applicant anticipates tracking during the period of performance of the grant to measure progress and success. Please use the format below and add additional Activities and Indicators as needed. One or more objectives may be listed.

However, for each objective there must be at least one proposed activity and at least one proposed indicator. Please only include as many objectives, activities, and indicators as you anticipate having for your project within your Activities/Indicators Tracker tables.

Example Activities/Indicators Tracker

Objective # 2. Improve administrative infrastructure and day-to-day SNAP operations in processing applications and determining eligibility.

Activity Hire and train call center staff Indicator(s) Number of call center staff hired and trained Activity Data collection and analysis of wait time, calls abandoned, dropped calls Indicator(s) Number of calls impacted Activity IVR System Implementation Indicator(s) Number (or percent) of phases of implementation completed

Letters of Commitment or Endorsement

Unless the applicant is a State agency submitting an application on its own, a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement must be included in the application package to be considered for funding. Address such letters to the FNS Grants Officer. FNS will not consider applications that require a letter of commitment or letter of endorsement but fail to provide one.

Please refer to the letter descriptions below for additional information.

Letters of Commitment FNS requires applicants submit a letter of commitment if the grant proposal is from a State agency working in partnership with another organization(s), where the State agency is the lead entity on the award (i.e., the recipient whose name appears in block 9 of the awarded project’s FNS-529). The State agency applying must submit a letter(s) of commitment from its partners.

The letter(s) of commitment must:

• Be specific to the proposed project;

• Describe the organization’s role in the project;

• Specify the amount of time the partner organization intends to commit to the project and an attestation that it will cooperate with the grant applicant in implementing the project;

and

• Be on the respective organization’s letterhead and signed by an authorizing individual.

Letters of Endorsement FNS also welcomes grant proposals from entities other than a State agency; however, such applicants must demonstrate that the State agency strongly endorses and/or is involved in the proposed project through a letter of endorsement. This letter of endorsement serves as the “consent” requirement discussed in Section 3 “Eligibility Information.” FNS requires applicants submit a letter of endorsement if an applicant is an entity other than a State agency and is not directly partnering with a State agency on the project. Letters of endorsement from the State agency are also required when local or county governments submit an application. The State agency’s letter of endorsement must:

• Be specific to the proposed project;

• Explain that the State agency is aware of the project and its projected impact on the State agency’s eligibility system;

• Acknowledge whether the project creates any additional work for the State agency and identify the State agency’s capacity to address the additional work;

• Express support for the proposed project;

• Describe how the proposed project will support the State agency’s current or planned technology and/or business process improvement efforts and priorities; and

• Be on the respective State agency’s letterhead and signed by an authorizing official.

Letters must address the details of the specific project. FNS will not accept generic letters acknowledging an ongoing partnership with the State agency.

Application Budget Narrative

The budget narrative, formatted as a table, 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. The budget and budget narrative must be in line with the proposed project description. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. Budget categories in this table must match those listed on the SF-424A form. If the budget table is created in a spreadsheet, it must be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, with a font no smaller than 11-point Times New Roman. All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate

A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a cognizant Federal agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, the percentage and base should be indicated. If the applicant does not have, and has never been approved for, a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. 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. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer as noted in Section 7 of this RFA.

Note: Each organization is assigned to a single federal agency (by the Office of Management and Budget) that acts on behalf of all federal agencies in indirect cost rate negotiations and is referred to as the “cognizant agency.”

Required Grant Application Forms The required Grants.gov forms are located at Forms Repository.

• Non-Construction Grant Projects Forms: SF-424 Family o Application and Instruction for Federal Assistance (SF-424) o Budget Information and Instructions (SF-424A) o Assurance-Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

• SF LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) o Indicate on your form whether your organization intends to conduct lobbying activities. If you organization does not intend to lobby, write “Not Applicable” in boxes required to be completed.

• Additional Required Forms and Information o Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Please see below for further information.

o SAM registration. Please see below for further information.

https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to Grants.gov by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page.

• Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, refer to the section “How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov.”

• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

• FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

• If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov 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.

FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration 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. Please note that upon submission, Grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

FNS will not accept applications outside of Grants.gov. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications through grants.gov should contact applicant support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. This service is available 24/7.

Preparing for Electronic Submission Through Grants.gov

Applicants must register with Grants.gov and SAM.gov in order to submit an application to FNS via Grants.gov as required. FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)

What is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)?

A UEI is a unique number assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do business with the federal government. For more information, visit the U.S. General Services Administration website.

Where do I go to learn more about the UEI?

The U.S. General Services Administration Unique Entity Identifier Update page contains the most up-to-date information about the UEI.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update?gsaredirect=entityid https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update

Note: After April 4, 2022, entities can register in SAM.gov and will be assigned their “SAM UEI.” They will no longer obtain or use a “DUNS UEI” for entity registration or reporting.

For additional information on the UEI process, please visit SAM.gov.

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

• On April 4, 2022, the UEI used across the federal government changed from the DUNS number to the UEI (generated by SAM.gov).

• SAM combines federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system. Visit SAM.gov for additional information.

• To register, you must have your organization’s UEI, the organization’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on the last tax return). It may take up to 5 to 7 business days or more to register and/or complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of an 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.

• FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin this 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 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to complete this process. For more detailed instruction about creating a profile visit Applicant Registration.

How to Submit an Application via 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 web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: How to Apply for Grants.

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800- 518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. 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.

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in the Section 7 "Federal Awarding Agency Contact."

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page. 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 Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants mailto:support@grants.gov 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.

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 FNS funding.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission could 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.

Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process:

NOTICE: Special Characters and Naming Conventions All applicants MUST follow Grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided by Grants.gov per the Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

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 (examples:

& – * % / # ’ -). This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore, as in the following example: Attached_File.pdf.

Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from Grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

Additional information and applicant resources are available at:…