FY22 SFTS NOFO.pdf

FY 2022 SFTSG NOFO Back to the Top

The Department of Homeland Security Notice of Funding Opportunity

Fiscal Year 2022 State Fire Training System Grant

Effective April 4, 2022, the federal government transitioned from using the Data Universal Numbering System or DUNS number, to a new, nonproprietary identifier known as a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). For entities that had an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM prior to this date), the UEI has automatically been assigned and no action is necessary. For all entities filing a new registration in SAM.gov, the UEI will be assigned to that entity as part of the SAM.gov registration process.

UEI registration information is available on GSA.gov at: Unique Entity Identifier Update |

GSA.

Grants.gov registration information can be found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding UEI and SAM is also provided in Section D of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

Table of Contents

A. Program Description

1. Issued by

2. Assistance listings number

3. Assistance listings title

4. Funding opportunity title

5. Funding opportunity number

6. Authorizing authority for program

7. Appropriation authority for program

8. Announcement type

9. Program category

10. Program overview, objectives and priorities

11. Performance measures

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available funding for the Notice of Funding Opportunity: $1 million

2. Projected number of awards: 50

3. Maximum award amount: $20,000

4. Period of performance: 12 months

5. Projected period of performance start date(s): Sept. 1, 2022

6. Projected period of performance end date(s): Aug. 31, 2023

7. Funding instrument type: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible applicants

2. Applicant eligibility criteria

3. Other eligibility criteria

4. Maintenance of Effort https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html

5. Cost share or match D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key dates and times

2. Agreeing to terms and conditions of the award

3. Address to request application package

4. Steps required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, register in the System for

Award Management, and submit an application

5. Electronic delivery

6. How to register to apply through Grants.gov

7. How to submit an initial application to Federal Emergency Management Agency via Grants.gov

8. Submitting the final application in Non-Disaster Grants

9. Timely receipt requirements and proof of timely submission

10. Content and form of application submission

11. Other submission requirements

12. Intergovernmental review

13. Funding restrictions and allowable costs

E. Application Review Information

1. Application evaluation criteria

2. Review and selection process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

2. Pass-through requirements

3. Administrative and national policy requirements

4. Reporting

5. Monitoring and oversight

G. U.S. Department of Homeland Security Awarding Agency Contact Information

1. Contact and resource information

2. Systems information

H. Additional Information

1. Termination provisions

2. Program evaluation

3. Period of performance extensions

4. Disability integration

5. Conflicts of interest in the administration of federal awards or subawards

6. Procurement integrity

7. Record retention

8. Actions to address noncompliance

9. Audits

10. Payment information

11. Whole Community preparedness

12. Appendices

A. Program Description

1. Issued by

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)/U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), National Fire Academy

(NFA)

2. Assistance listings number

97.043

3. Assistance listings title

State Fire Training Systems Grant (SFTSG) (97.043)

4. Funding opportunity title

SFTSG

5. Funding opportunity number

DHS-22-USFA-043-00-01.

6. Authorizing authority for program

Section 7(f) of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, as amended (Pub. L. No. 93-498) (15 U.S.C. § 2206(f))

7. Appropriation authority for program

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. No 117- 103)

8. Announcement type

Initial

9. Program category

Emergency Management Training

10. Program overview, objectives and priorities

a. Overview

In accordance with the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974, the Superintendent of the NFA delivers training in cooperation with State fire service training agencies. This cooperation includes the SFTSG program providing grants to pay for: the direct delivery of government-funded courses in the states; the distribution and sharing of student manuals, instructor guides, and other course materials and funding to the states to help supplement and tailor their training delivery needs using NFA courses and programs. State Fire Training Programs support Goal 5 of the DHS Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2020-2024, Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience, and Goal 3 of the 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan, Promote and Sustain a Ready FEMA and Prepared Nation.

The SFTSG allows state fire training agencies to choose from over 200 courses. Some of the topics in these courses include leadership, community risk reduction and incident management.

A sample of SFTSG awardees showed an average of 12 classes completed, which trained, on average, 162 students in 1 award year.

b. Objectives

Promote the professional development of the fire and the emergency response community and its allied professionals, and support state and local training organizations in fulfilling their obligation to career and volunteer fire and emergency services.

c. Priorities

Develop, deliver and manage educational and training programs having a national focus that are outside state and local training missions or that exceed state and local capabilities because of cost or audience.

11. Performance measures

These measures will show the class determination for each grant awardee.

• The number of courses that are consistent with NFA-approved curriculum.

• The number of subjects (below) that are taught within the course(s) as outlined by the program office:

o Leadership.

o Incident Management.

o Community Risk Reduction.

https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan https://www.fema.gov/about/strategic-plan o Wildland Urban Interface.

o Basic Training.

o Advanced Training.

• The percent of volunteer personnel that passed the course (pass/success rate).

• The percent of career personnel that passed the course (pass/success rate).

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available funding for the Notice of Funding Opportunity: $1 million

2. Projected number of awards: 50

3. Maximum award amount: $20,000

4. Period of performance: 12 months

Extensions to the period of performance (POP) are allowed. For additional information on POP extensions, please refer to Appendix A.

FEMA awards only include 1 budget period, so it will be the same as the POP.

See 2 C.F.R. § 200.1 for definitions of “budget period” and “period of performance.”

5. Projected period of performance start date(s): Sept. 1, 2022

6. Projected period of performance end date(s): Aug. 31, 2023

7. Funding instrument type: Grant

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible applicants

State Fire Training Systems as designated by state legislation or governor’s declaration.

2. Applicant eligibility criteria

Applicants must be designated either by legislation or by governor’s declaration as the sole State Fire Service Training Agency within a state.

3. Other eligibility criteria

Not applicable.

4. Maintenance of Effort

5. Cost share or match

There is not a cost share/match requirement. This is not a preference factor.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key dates and times

a. Application start date: July 8, 2022

b. Application submission deadline: Aug. 8, 2022, 5:00:00 p.m. EST

All applications must be received by the established deadline.

The Non-Disaster (ND) Grants System has a date stamp that indicates when an application is submitted. Applicants will receive an electronic message confirming receipt of their submission. For additional information on how an applicant will be notified of application receipt, see the subsection titled “Timely receipt requirements and proof of timely submission” in Section D of this notice.

FEMA will not review or consider funding applications that are received after the deadline. FEMA may, however, extend the application deadline on request for any applicant who can demonstrate that good cause exists to justify extending the deadline. Good cause for an extension may include technical problems outside of the applicant’s control that prevent submission of the application by the deadline, other exigent or emergency circumstances, or statutory requirements for FEMA to make an award.

Applicants experiencing technical problems outside of their control must notify FEMA as soon as possible and before the application deadline. Failure to timely notify FEMA of the issue that prevented the timely filing of the application may preclude consideration of the award.

“Timely notification” of FEMA means: prior to the application deadline and within 48 hours after the applicant became aware of the issue.

A list of FEMA contacts can be found in Section G of this NOFO, “U.S.

Department of Homeland Security Awarding Agency Contact Information.” For additional assistance using the ND Grants System, please contact the ND Grants Service Desk at 800-865-4076 or NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov. The ND Grants Service Desk is available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EST. For programmatic or mailto:NDGrants@fema.dhs.gov grants management questions, please contact your program analyst or grants specialist. If applicants do not know who to contact or if there are programmatic questions or concerns, please contact the Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) by phone at 800-368-6498 or by email at askcsid@fema.dhs.gov, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST.

For additional information on how an applicant will be notified of application receipt, see the subsection titled “Timely receipt requirements and proof of timely submission” in Section D of this NOFO.

c. Anticipated funding selection date: No later than Aug. 22, 2022

d. Anticipated award date: No later than Sept. 30, 2022

e. Other key dates

2. Agreeing to terms and conditions of the award

By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the requirements of this notice and the terms and conditions of the award, should they receive an award.

3. Address to request application package

See the Preparedness Grants Manual for requesting and submitting an application.

Initial applications are processed through the Grants.gov portal. Final applications are completed and submitted through FEMA’s ND Grants System. Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov.

Event Suggested deadline for completion Obtaining UEI 4 weeks before actual submission deadline Obtaining a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) 4 weeks before actual submission deadline

Creating an account with login.gov 4 weeks before actual submission deadline Registering in SAM or updating SAM registration 4 weeks before actual submission deadline

Registering in Grants.gov 4 weeks before actual submission deadline Registering in ND Grants 4 weeks before actual submission deadline Starting application in Grants.gov 1 week before actual submission deadline Submitting the final application in ND Grants By the submission deadline mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/178291 https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

4. Steps required to obtain a Unique Entity Identifier, register in the System for Award Management, and submit an application

Applying for an award under this program is a multistep process and requires time to complete. Applicants are encouraged to register early as the registration process can take 4 weeks or more to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required submission deadlines.

Please review the table above for estimated deadlines to complete each of the steps listed. Failure of an applicant to comply with any of the required steps before the deadline for submitting an application may disqualify that application from funding.

To apply for an award under this program, all applicants must:

a. Apply for, update or verify their UEI from SAM.gov, if applicable, and

EIN from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

b. In the application, provide a valid UEI.

c. Have an account with login.gov.

d. Register for, update or verify their SAM account and ensure the account is active before submitting the application.

e. Create a Grants.gov account.

f. Add a profile to a Grants.gov account.

g. Establish an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in

Grants.gov.

h. Register in ND Grants.

i. Submit an initial application in Grants.gov.

j. Submit the final application in ND Grants, including electronically signing applicable forms.

k. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency. As part of this, applicants must also provide information on an applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well as on all predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the last 3 years, if applicable.

Specific instructions on how to apply for, update or verify a UEI or SAM registration or establish an AOR are included below in the steps for applying through Grants.gov.

Applicants are advised that FEMA may not make a federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. Therefore, an applicant’s SAM registration must be active not only at the time of application, but also during the application review period and when FEMA is ready to make a https://www.login.gov/ federal award. Further, as noted above, an applicant’s or recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of an active federal award. If an applicant’s SAM registration is expired at the time of application, expires during application review, or expires any other time before award, FEMA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(c)(2)(iii), if an applicant is experiencing exigent circumstances that prevents it from receiving a UEI if applicable, and completing SAM registration prior to receiving a federal award, the applicant must notify FEMA as soon as possible by contacting askcsid@fema.dhs.gov and providing the details of the circumstances that prevent completion of these requirements. If FEMA determines that there are exigent circumstances and FEMA has decided to make an award, the applicant will be required to obtain a UEI if applicable, and complete SAM registration within 30 days of the federal award date.

5. Electronic delivery

DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS encourages or requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov, depending on the funding opportunity.

For this funding opportunity, FEMA requires applicants to submit initial applications through Grants.gov and a final application through ND Grants.

6. How to register to apply through Grants.gov

a. General instructions:

Registering and applying for an award under this program is a multistep process and requires time to complete. Read the instructions below about registering to apply for FEMA funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to 4 weeks to complete. To ensure an application meets the deadline, applicants are advised to start the required steps well in advance of their submission.

Organizations must have a UEI, an EIN, an active SAM registration and Grants.gov account to apply for grants.

Organizations must also have a Grants.gov account to apply for an award under this program. Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed mailto:askcsid@fema.dhs.gov online in minutes, but UEI and SAM registrations may take up to 4 weeks.

Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html.

If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

b. Obtain a UEI number:

All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, prior to April 4, 2022, must have a UEI number. Applicants must enter the UEI number, if applicable, or UEI in the applicable data entry field on the SF-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a UEI , refer to: Sam.gov

c. Obtain an EIN:

All entities applying for funding must provide an EIN. The EIN can be obtained from the IRS by visiting: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online.

d. Create a login.gov account:

Applicants must have a login.gov account in order to register with SAM or update their SAM registration. Applicants can create a login.gov account here: https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8- 14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3.

Applicants only have to create a login.gov account once. For applicants that are existing SAM users, use the same email address for the login.gov account as with SAM.gov so that the 2 accounts can be linked.

For more information on the login.gov requirements for SAM registration, refer to: https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf.

e. Register with SAM:

All organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/apply-for-an-employer-identification-number-ein-online https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3 https://secure.login.gov/sign_up/enter_email?request_id=34f19fa8-14a2-438c-8323-a62b99571fd3 https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/loginFAQ.jsf

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html.

NOTE: As a new requirement per 2 C.F.R. § 25.200, applicants must also provide the applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner, subsidiaries and predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the past 3 years, if applicable.

I. ADDITIONAL SAM REMINDERS

Existing SAM.gov account holders should check their account to make sure it is “ACTIVE.” SAM registration should be completed at the very beginning of the application period and should be renewed annually to avoid being “INACTIVE.” Please allow plenty of time before the grant application submission deadline to obtain a UEI, if applicable, and then to register in SAM. It may be up to 4 weeks after an applicant submits the SAM registration before it becomes active in SAM, and then it may be an additional 24 hours before FEMA’s system recognizes the information.

It is imperative that the information applicants provide is correct and current. Please ensure that your organization’s name, address and EIN are up to date in SAM and that the UEI used in SAM is the same one used to apply for all other FEMA awards. Payment under any FEMA award is contingent on the recipient’s having a current SAM registration.

II. HELP WITH SAM

The SAM quick start guide for new recipient registration and SAM video tutorial for new applicants are tools created by the General Services Administration (GSA) to assist those registering with SAM. If applicants have questions or concerns about a SAM registration, please contact the Federal Support Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do or call toll free at 866-606- 8220.

f. Create a Grants.gov account:

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. If applicable, applicants must know their organization’s UEI to complete this process.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html https://www.fsd.gov/fsd-gov/home.do

For more information, follow the on-screen instructions or refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

See also Section D.8 in this NOFO, “Submitting the final application in Non-Disaster Grants,” for instructions on how to register early in ND Grants.

g. Add a profile to a Grants.gov account:

A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to 1 Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications.

To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, if applicable, enter the UEI for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html.

h. EBiz POC authorized profile roles:

After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. 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 assigned the AOR role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html.

i. Track role status:

To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html.

j. Electronic signature:

When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role 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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html 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.

7. How to submit an initial application to Federal Emergency Management

Agency via Grants.gov

Standard Form 424 (SF-424) is the initial application for this funding notice.

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using a workspace. A 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 NOFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace. Applicants are encouraged to submit their initial applications in Grants.gov at least 7 days before the application deadline.

In Grants.gov, applicants need to submit the following forms:

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding Lobbying.

a. Create a workspace:

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

b. Complete a workspace:

Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission.

c. 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 or DHS 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.

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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

d. 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.

e. 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 UEI if applicable. 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.

f. 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.

g. Track a workspace:

After successfully submitting a workspace package, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

h. Additional training and applicant support:

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 (except federal holidays) support via the toll-free number 800-518-4726, email at support@grants.gov, and the website at https://www.grants.gov/support.html. 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 FEMA with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/support.html

8. Submitting the final application in Non-Disaster Grants

After submitting the initial application in Grants.gov, eligible applicants will be notified by FEMA and asked to proceed with submitting their complete application package in ND Grants. Applicants can register early with ND Grants and are encouraged to begin their ND Grants registration at the time of this announcement or, at the latest, 7 days before the application deadline. Early registration will allow applicants to have adequate time to start and complete their applications.

Applicants needing assistance registering for the ND Grants system should contact ndgrants@fema.dhs.gov or 800-865-4076. For step-by-step directions on using the ND Grants system and other guides, please see https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system.

In ND Grants, applicants will be prompted to submit the standard application information and any program-specific information required as described in Section D.10 of this notice, “Content and form of application submission.” The Standard Forms (SFs) are autogenerated in ND Grants, but applicants may access these forms in advance through the Forms tab under the SF-424 family on Grants.gov. Applicants should review these forms before applying to ensure they have all the information required.

For additional application submission requirements, including program-specific requirements, please refer to the subsection titled “Content and form of application submission” under Section D of this notice.

9. Timely receipt requirements and proof of timely submission

As application submission is a 2-step process, the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application in Grants.gov will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of its initial application. This notification does not serve as proof of timely submission, as the application is not complete until it is submitted in ND Grants. Applicants can also view the ND Grants Agency Tracking Number by accessing the Details tab in the submitted workspace section in Grants.gov, under the Agency Tracking Number column. Should the Agency Tracking Number not appear, the application has not yet migrated from Grants.gov into the ND Grants System. Please allow 24 hours for your ND Grants application tracking number to migrate.

All applications must be received in ND Grants by 5 p.m. EST on the application deadline. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by ND Grants. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by ND Grants. Additionally, the applicant(s) listed as a mailto:ndgrants@fema.dhs.gov https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf-424-family.html https://www.grants.gov/forms/sf-424-family.html contact on the application will receive a system-generated email to confirm receipt.

10. Content and form of application submission

a. Standard required application forms and ifnformation

The following forms or information are required to be submitted in either Grants.gov or ND Grants. The SFs are submitted either through Grants.gov, through forms generated in ND Grants, or as an attachment in ND Grants. Applicants may also access the SFs at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html.

I. GRANTS.GOV

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, initial application submitted through Grants.gov.

• Grants.gov Lobbying Form, Certification Regarding

Lobbying, submitted through Grants.gov.

II. ND GRANTS

• SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants.

o For construction under an award, submit SF-

424C, Budget Information (Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants, in addition to or instead of SF-424A.

• SF-424B, Standard Assurances (Non-Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants.

o For construction under an award, submit SF- 424D, Standard Assurances (Construction), submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants, in addition to or instead of SF-424B.

• SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, submitted via the forms generated by ND Grants.

Generally, applicants have to submit either the non-construction forms (i.e., SF-424A and SF-424B) or construction forms (i.e., SF-424C and SF-424D), meaning that applicants that only have construction work and do not have any non-construction work need only submit the construction forms (i.e., SF-424C and SF-424D) and not https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html the non-construction forms (i.e., SF-424A and SF-424B), and vice versa. However, applicants who have both construction and non-construction work under this program need to submit both the construction and non-construction forms.

b. Program-specific required forms and information

The following program-specific forms or information are required to be submitted in ND Grants:

• Program narrative.

• Budget narrative.

• Detailed budget breakdown.

• Workplan, to include title of course delivery, beginning/end dates and city/state of course delivery.

11. Other submission requirements

See Appendix A.

12. Intergovernmental review

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372 (see https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html).

13. Funding restrictions and allowable costs

All costs charged to awards covered by this notice must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, unless otherwise indicated in this notice, the terms and conditions of the award, or the Preparedness Grants Manual. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred, and products and services must be delivered, within the POP of the award. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(h) (referring to budget periods, which for FEMA awards is the same as the POP).

In general, the Cost Principles establish standards for the allowability of costs, provide detailed guidance on the cost accounting treatment of costs as direct or administrative costs, and set forth allowability principles for selected items of cost. More specifically, except as otherwise stated in this notice, the terms and conditions of an award, or other program materials, costs charged to awards covered by this notice must be consistent with the Cost Principles for Federal Awards located at 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Subpart E. In order to be allowable, all costs https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html charged to a FEMA award or applied to the cost share must be reasonable in nature and amount and allocable to the particular FEMA award.

Additionally, all costs charged to awards must comply with the grant program’s applicable statutes, policies and requirements in this notice as well as with the terms and conditions of the award. If FEMA staff identify costs that are inconsistent with any of these requirements, these costs may be disallowed, and FEMA may recover funds as appropriate, consistent with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

As part of those requirements, grant recipients and subrecipients may only use federal funds or funds applied to a cost share for the purposes set forth in this notice and the terms and conditions of the award, and those costs must be consistent with the statutory authority for the award.

Grant funds may not be used for matching funds for other federal grants/cooperative agreements, lobbying or intervention in federal regulatory or adjudicatory proceedings. In addition, federal funds may not be used to sue the federal government or any other government entity.

a. Prohibitions on expending FEMA award funds for covered telecommunications equipment or services

Recipients and subrecipients of FEMA federal financial assistance are subject to the prohibitions described in section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (FY 2019 NDAA), Pub. L. No. 115-232 (2018) and 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.216, 200.327, 200.471, and Appendix II to 2 C.F.R. Part 200. Beginning August 13, 2020, the statute — as it applies to FEMA recipients, subrecipients, and their contractors and subcontractors — prohibits obligating or expending federal award funds on certain telecommunications and video surveillance products and contracting with certain entities for national security reasons.

Guidance is available at Prohibitions on Expending FEMA Award Funds for Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services (Interim) FEMA Policy #405-143-1, or superseding document.

Additional guidance is available at Contract Provisions Guide: Navigating Appendix II to Part 200 - Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts Under Federal Awards.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text?format=txt https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text?format=txt https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5515/text?format=txt https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_policy-405-143-1-prohibition-covered-services-equipment-gpd.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema_contract-provisions-guide_6-14-2021.pdf

Effective Aug. 13, 2020, FEMA recipients and subrecipients may not use any FEMA funds under open or new awards to:

(1) Procure or obtain any equipment, system or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology of any system.

(2) Enter into, extend or renew a contract to procure or obtain any equipment, system or service that uses covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology of any system.

(3) Or, enter into, extend or renew contracts with entities that use covered telecommunications equipment or services as a substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.

I. REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

FEMA grant funding may be permitted to procure replacement equipment and services impacted by this prohibition, provided the costs are otherwise consistent with the requirements of the notice.

II. DEFINITIONS

Per section 889(f)(2)-(3) of the FY 2019 NDAA and 2 C.F.R. § 200.216, covered telecommunications equipment or services means:

i. Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei

Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

ii. For the purpose of public safety, security of government facilities, physical security surveillance of critical infrastructure, and other national security purposes, video surveillance and telecommunications equipment produced by Hytera Communications Corporation, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, or Dahua Technology Company (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).

iii. Telecommunications or video surveillance services provided by such entities or using such equipment.

iv. Or, telecommunications or video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the secretary of Defense, in consultation with the director of National Intelligence or the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the People’s Republic of China.

Examples of the types of products covered by this prohibition include phones, internet, video surveillance and cloud servers when produced, provided or used by the entities listed in the definition of “covered telecommunications equipment or services.”

See 2 C.F.R. § 200.471.

b. Pre-award costs

Pre-award costs are not allowed under this program.

c. Management and Administration costs

Management and Administration (M&A) costs are allowed under this program. M&A costs are activities directly related to implementing the award. FEMA will permit recipients to use up to 5% of the amount of the award for their M&A.

d. Indirect Facilities & Administrative costs

e. Management costs

f. Other direct costs

E. Application Review Information

1. Application evaluation criteria

a. Programmatic criteria

Will be reviewed to ensure conformance with the Eligibility Criteria in this notice and the Application Submissions requirements. Applicants that do not meet eligibility or application submission requirements will be removed from consideration.

b. Financial integrity criteria

Prior to making a federal award, FEMA is required by 31 U.S.C. § 3354, as amended by the Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019, Pub. L.

No. 116-117 (2020); 41 U.S.C. § 2313; and 2 C.F.R. § 200.206 to review information available through any Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-designated repositories of governmentwide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, including whether the applicant is suspended or debarred. FEMA may also pose additional questions to the applicant to aid in conducting the pre-award risk review. Therefore, application evaluation criteria may include the following risk-based considerations of the applicant:

i. Financial stability.

ii. Quality of management systems and ability to meet management standards.

iii. History of performance in managing federal award.

iv. Reports and findings from audits.

v. Ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory or other requirements.

c. Supplemental financial integrity criteria and review

Prior to making a federal award where the anticipated total federal share will be greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, currently $250,000:

i. FEMA is required to review and consider any information about the applicant, including information on the applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner, subsidiaries and predecessors, if applicable, that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through the SAM, which is currently the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS).

ii. An applicant, at its option, may review information in

FAPIIS and comment on any information about itself that a federal awarding agency previously entered.

iii. FEMA will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in FAPIIS, in making a judgment about the applicant’s integrity, business ethics and record of performance under federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R. § 200.206.

https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/#/home https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/#/home

2. Review and selection process

Applicants selected for funding will clearly demonstrate the ability to develop, deliver and manage educational and training programs that have a national focus and are consistent with the State Fire Training Priorities listed in Appendix A of this notice. This is a fixed $20,000 per state awarded.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

Before accepting the award, the AOR and recipient should carefully read the award package. The award package includes instructions on administering the grant award and the terms and conditions associated with responsibilities under federal awards. Recipients must accept all conditions in this NOFO as well as any specific terms and conditions in the Notice of Award to receive an award under this program.

Notification of award approval is made through the ND Grants system through an automatic electronic mail to the recipient’s authorized official listed in the initial application. The recipient should follow the directions in the notification to confirm acceptance of the award.

Recipients must accept their awards no later than 30 days from the award date.

The recipient shall notify FEMA of its intent to accept and proceed with work under the award or provide a notice of intent to decline through the ND Grants system. For instructions on how to accept or decline an award in the ND Grants system, please see the ND Grants Grant Recipient User Guide, which is available at https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system along with other ND Grants materials.

Funds will remain on hold until the recipient accepts the award through the ND Grants system and all other conditions of the award have been satisfied or until the award is otherwise rescinded. Failure to accept a grant award within the 30-day timeframe may result in a loss of funds.

2. Pass-through requirements

3. Administrative and national policy requirements

In addition to the requirements in this section and in this NOFO, FEMA may place specific terms and conditions on individual awards in accordance with 2 C.F.R. Part 200.

https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system https://www.fema.gov/grants/guidance-tools/non-disaster-grants-management-system

a. DHS Standard Terms and Conditions

All successful applicants for DHS grant and cooperative agreements are required to comply with DHS Standard Terms and Conditions, which are available online at: DHS Standard Terms and Conditions.

The applicable DHS Standard Terms and Conditions will be those in effect at the time the award was made.

b. Ensuring the protection of civil rights

As the nation works toward achieving the National Preparedness Goal, it is important to continue to protect the civil rights of individuals.

Recipients and subrecipients must carry out their programs and activities, including those related to the building, sustainment and delivery of core capabilities, in a manner that respects and ensures the protection of civil rights for protected populations.

Federal civil rights statutes, such as Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, along with DHS and FEMA regulations, prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, limited English proficiency, or economic status in connection with programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance from FEMA.

The DHS Standard Terms and Conditions include a fuller list of the civil rights provisions that apply to recipients. These terms and conditions can be found in the DHS Standard Terms and Conditions. Additional information on civil rights provisions is available at https://www.fema.gov/about/offices/equal-rights/civil-rights.

Monitoring and oversight requirements in connection with recipient compliance with federal civil rights laws are also authorized pursuant to 44 C.F.R. Part 7.

In accordance with civil rights laws and regulations, recipients and subrecipients must ensure the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment.

c. Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation compliance

As a federal agency, FEMA is required to consider the effects of its actions on the environment and historic properties to ensure that all activities and programs funded by FEMA, including grant-funded projects, http://www.dhs.gov/publication/fy15-dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-goal https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=5e41f4d1a74f253d602c5a7fdc4fc2d8&mc=true&node=se44.1.7_1913&rgn=div8 https://www.dhs.gov/publication/fy15-dhs-standard-terms-and-conditions https://www.fema.gov/about/offices/equal-rights/civil-rights comply with federal Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation (EHP) laws, executive orders, regulations and policies, as applicable.

All noncritical new construction or substantial improvement of structures in a Special Flood Hazard Area must, at a minimum, apply the flood elevations of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard’s Freeboard Value Approach unless doing so would cause the project to be unable to meet applicable program cost-effectiveness requirements. All other types of projects may choose to apply the flood elevations of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard’s Freeboard Value Approach. See Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risk | The White House and FEMA Policy #-206-21-0003, Partial Implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs (Interim) .

Recipients and subrecipients proposing projects that have the potential to impact the environment, including, but not limited to, the construction of communication towers; modification or renovation of existing buildings, structures and…