FY24_REMCDP_NOFO_Final_508C.pdf

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project

(REMCDP)

All entities wishing to do business with the federal government must have a unique entity identifier (UEI). The UEI number is issued by the System for Award Management (SAM) system.

UEI Updates in Grant Application Forms:

On April 4, 2022, the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number was replaced by a new, non-proprietary identifier requested in, and assigned by, SAM.gov. This new identifier is the UEI. Entities that had a DUNS Number were automatically assigned a UEI. New entities needing a UEI must register in SAM.gov at: https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

Additional Information can be found on Grants.gov:

grants.gov/forms/forms-development/planned-uei-updates

Grants.gov registration information can be found at:

grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-development/planned-uei-updates https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

Contents

A. Program Description

1. Issued By

2. Assistance Listing Number

3. Assistance Listing Title

4. Funding Opportunity Title

5. Funding Opportunity Number

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

8. Announcement Type

9. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

10. Performance Measures

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO

2. Projected Number of Awards

3. Period of Performance

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date

6. Projected Budget Period

7. Funding Instrument Type

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

3. Subawards and Beneficiaries

4. Cost Share or Match

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

2. Address to Request Application Package

4. Steps Required to Obtain a UEI, Register in SAM.gov, and Submit an Application

5. Electronic Delivery

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

7. How to Submit an Application to DHS via Grants.gov

8. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

9. Content and Form of Application Submission

10. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs

11. Intergovernmental Review

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation

2. Review and Selection Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Notice of Award

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. Monitoring and Oversight

5. Program Evaluation

G. DHS Awarding Agency Contact Information

1. Contact and Resource Information

2. Systems Information

H. Other Information

1. Period of Performance Extensions

2. Informational Webinar

3. Application Checklist

4. REMCDP Technical Assistance

A. Program Description

1. Issued By

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

2. Assistance Listing Number

97.120

3. Assistance Listing Title

Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project

4. Funding Opportunity Title

Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project

5. Funding Opportunity Number

DHS-24-CISA-120-REMCDP-001

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

Homeland Security Act of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-296, §§ 102(b)(2) and 1801 (codified as amended at 6 U.S.C. §§ 112(b)(2) and 571)

Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-47, Division C; Title III;

Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Pub. L. No. 118-47, Division C; Title III;

Protection, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery; Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

8. Announcement Type

Initial

9. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

a. Overview

This funding opportunity is to fund a demonstration project addressing the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) implementation gaps and rural medical communications. Emergency responders are not always trained for the types of incidents https://www.cisa.gov/necp they encounter but can share valuable information and provide situational awareness during response and recovery efforts. Specifically, medical providers require communications systems and procedures to transmit patient information and coordinate an influx of patients following large-scale disasters or ongoing crises. As the whole community increases its engagement during emergencies and as technology advances, the need for medical communications and trained personnel increases to ensure coordinated and effective response.

In addition to evolving technology and responders, the NECP recommends improved planning and coordination across the Emergency Communications Ecosystem and across geographies, especially in rural areas. CISA recognizes the impact of geography on medical response and interoperable communications. Rural communities are often underserved regions with several health disparities, such as high mortality rates and cardiovascular diseases. Due to the dire health needs of rural communities, coordinated emergency response is often provided by a variety of medical providers and non-medical emergency responders.

To implement the NECP, CISA must continue to explore ways to improve communications among emergency responders and medical personnel, especially in rural communities. Thus, CISA is reestablishing the Rural Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project (REMCDP).

b. Goals, Objectives, and Priorities

Through a demonstration project with one recipient, REMCDP’s goal is to examine communications barriers and identify solutions that enhance existing emergency communications infrastructure to improve the delivery of rural medical care and address NECP implementation gaps. This goal aligns with CISA’s efforts to support and promote communications capabilities used by emergency responders and government officials to keep America safe, secure, and resilient. In turn, REMCDP supports the NECP goals and objectives to strengthen and enhance emergency communications capabilities.

A demonstration project must meet the REMCDP Program Objectives as bulleted below.

All applicants should clearly state how the following objectives would be addressed in the proposed project:

• Use of or enhancements to a current statewide or regional emergency communications system to address NECP implementation gaps and deliver rural medical care and services;

• Development of trainings and exercises to ensure that first responders and personnel can use emergency medical communications systems and equipment effectively;

• Collaboration with state leaders to address the adoption of broadband communications (e.g., First Responder Network Authority’s public safety broadband network) to supplement current land mobile radio and statewide or regional emergency communications systems;

• Collaboration with whole community representatives to support a broad set of NECP activities, including rural emergency medical care and other needs (e.g., cybersecurity solutions, patient tracking, alerting and social media guidance);

• Experimentation with innovative solutions designed to ensure that emergency responders and medical practitioners can communicate in various geographies (e.g., rural), operating conditions, and scenarios, as needed and when authorized;

and

• Identification, documentation, and sharing of lessons learned and best practices of the demonstration project, which in turn could be shared with other stakeholders to address NECP implementation activities.

REMCDP supports the achievement of the aforementioned goal and objectives by providing much-needed funding for many facets of rural emergency medical communications, as well as other needs (e.g., cybersecurity solutions). This award encourages experimentation with innovative approaches and allows communities to identify solutions that work for them given their unique geographical or operating conditions.

c. Alignment to Program Purpose and DHS Strategic Plan

REMCDP supports the DHS Strategic Plan goal to strengthen preparedness and resilience and the CISA Strategic Plan goal to reduce risk and strengthen resilience. The Presidential Policy Directive–8 emphasizes national preparedness as a shared responsibility of the whole community,1 requiring greater involvement across multiple jurisdictions and disciplines to prepare for the threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the nation, including acts of terrorism, cyber attacks, pandemics, and catastrophic natural disasters. The NECP recognizes this evolving landscape with the involvement of new stakeholders and rapid changes in technologies and policies impacting emergency communications. Response agencies are becoming more connected to additional sources of information during emergencies, such as medical personnel, public health professionals, critical infrastructure operators, and private citizens. Collaboration with whole community representatives is key to support a broad set of NECP activities, including rural emergency medical care and other needs (e.g., cybersecurity solutions, patient tracking, alerting systems, and social media guidance).

10. Performance Measures

As defined in “Section E. Application Review Information, Application Evaluation Criteria,” innovativeness in the approach to addressing the defined program objectives is paramount. As such, DHS has defined and will use performance measures that do not presuppose recipients’ approaches to achieving the program objectives and priorities.

1 As referenced in the National Emergency Communications Plan, “the term whole community applies to the focus on enabling the participation in national preparedness activities of a wider range of players from the private and nonprofit sectors, including nongovernmental organizations and the general public, in conjunction with the participation of federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governmental partners in order to foster better coordination and working relationships.”

https://www.dhs.gov/publication/department-homeland-securitys-strategic-plan-fiscal-years-2020-2024 https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/StrategicPlan_20220912-V2_508c.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-preparedness

DHS will measure how the demonstration project advances the community along the Interoperability Continuum, specifically focusing on the project’s impact to emergency communications capabilities in rural communities.

DHS will also measure the overall ability to replicate the innovative solutions in other communities to benefit rural populations across the nation. Depending on the proposed projects’ respective approaches, DHS will consider the impact to the whole community, number of stakeholders benefitting, the ability to complete the project within the period of performance, and budget to determine replicability. Applications should include one or more innovative solutions to improve the delivery of rural medical care and address NECP implementation gaps.

Applicants may submit one or multiple innovative solutions for funding. However, submitting multiple solutions within a proposed project is not a factor for award. In other words, applications containing multiple innovative solutions will not score higher due to additional solutions. Applications will be reviewed for overall merit based on the evaluation criteria.

Depending on the recipients’ respective approaches, the recipients will define and report on additional performance measures regarding project outputs and outcomes. DHS will review these project-specific performance measures with recipients at the start of the period of performance. For example, a training-focused demonstration project may have these measures:

• Proportion of participating communities that indicate progression on the Interoperability Continuum

• Proportion of participating communities that demonstrate new emergency medical communications skillsets or awareness

• Percentage of participating communities that adopt emergency medical communications training as part of new staff onboarding

• Percentage of communities that indicate confidence handling communications during emergency medical calls

• Percentage of trained participants who indicate confidence responding to pre-hospital cardiac arrest

• Number of emergency medical communications trainings held by recipients in rural communities

• Number of emergency medical communications training materials or courses developed

• Number of personnel trained in emergency medical communications fundamentals

• Number of rural communities trained in emergency medical communications

• Number of emergency medical communications exercises held

• Amount of communications equipment purchased (in units) to support delivery of rural emergency medical care

• Number of innovative solutions to improve the delivery of rural medical care and address NECP implementation gaps https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_0615_cisa_safecom_interoperability_continuum_brochure_final.pdf

DHS will work closely with recipients as they implement their respective innovative solutions to address the stated problems. Though rural communities face many similar challenges, each faces unique hardships and has varying access to existing emergency communications systems, which will shape the submitted projects. REMCDP offers recipients an opportunity to tackle significant challenges in their respective communities in a low-risk environment. As a demonstration project, some projects will be successful and offer innovative solutions that can be ideally replicated in other rural communities.

Other projects may not achieve the recipient’s desired outcomes but still provide valuable lessons learned to DHS to inform development of future demonstration projects, grant programs, or cooperative agreements.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO

$1,000,000.00

2. Projected Number of Awards

One (1)

3. Period of Performance

24 months

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date

09/30/2024

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date

09/29/2026

6. Projected Budget Period

There will be only a single budget period with the same start and end dates as the period of performance.

7. Funding Instrument Type

Cooperative Agreement

CISA will facilitate the implementation of demonstration projects by:

a. Working with the recipient to ensure that the information, knowledge, and lessons learned gained by the demonstration project recipients are transferred among the program participants and to other interested parties responsible for providing rural medical care.

b. Working with the recipient and CISA Interoperable Communications Technical Assistance Program (ICTAP) to identify innovative solutions that can be replicated in other rural communities and translate these demonstration projects to modify existing or develop new service offerings (e.g., CISA Technical Assistance Service Offerings Guide).

c. Contributing subject matter expertise to specify data elements, milestones, and measures of success to show the impact of the project execution and enhancement of rural emergency communications and medical care. Given the demonstration project’s unique objectives, key milestones and performance measures must be tailored to each recipient based on the innovative nature of the solutions.

d. Providing assistance to recipients in the form of emails, teleconferences (to include regular quarterly teleconferences), workshops, webinars, training opportunities, and site visits as the Program Office deems necessary. Additionally, the Grant Program Officer can facilitate technical assistance requests, such as land mobile radio coverage mapping, standard operating procedures development, or exercise planning and evaluation.

e. Reviewing and approving publications, case studies, tools, or templates developed under this project prior to their submission for publication.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Public institutions of higher education, states, U.S. territories, local governments (e.g., county, city, township), or Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally-recognized).

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

The entity applying for REMCDP must operate or have access to an existing statewide or regional emergency communications system that is leveraged to address rural health disparities such as mortality rates and cardiovascular diseases. The applicant must also either 1) operate a medical facility that provides rural emergency medical care or 2) partner with a medical facility or organization that provides rural emergency medical care. Applicants who do not operate a medical facility and choose to partner with a medical facility or organization that provides rural emergency medical care must provide a letter of intent from the cooperating medical facility or organization to demonstrate commitment to partner in award and project execution. See Section D.9 for specifics regarding the letter of intent that must be provided with the submitted application.

https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/ictapscip-resources https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/ictapscip-resources

3. Subawards and Beneficiaries

a. Subaward Allowability

Subawards are not allowed.

b. Beneficiaries or Participants

A participant would include an entity that is involved in carrying out the project's scope of work under this award that does not receive any funding. For example, an applicant may partner with a medical facility that provides rural emergency medical care to execute the REMCDP project, and this partner would be an unpaid participant.

There are no limitations or eligibility criteria for REMCDP participants consistent with the program’s focus on whole community involvement.

Beneficiaries are those that will experience the benefits of a federal award. Direct beneficiaries of REMCDP project(s) may include, but are not limited to, first responders and personnel who participate in trainings or exercises, adopt innovative solutions, or incorporate best practices to improve rural emergency medical care.

Individuals receiving medical care in the rural community in which the scope of work under the federal award takes place would be incidental beneficiaries of the REMCDP project(s).

4. Cost Share or Match

There is no cost share or matching requirement for this program. Cost share is not a preference factor.

Voluntary cost-sharing is allowed. However, voluntary cost-sharing will not be used as a selection factor or otherwise scored during the merit review of applications.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

a. Application Start Date: 06/18/2024

b. Application Submission Deadline: 08/09/2024 at 11:59:59 PM

c. Anticipated Funding Selection Date: No later than 09/26/2024

d. Anticipated Award Date: No later than 09/27/2024

Reference “Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission” subsection below for detailed guidance and clarification regarding application submission and details regarding the stated submission deadline.

e. Other Key Dates

Event Suggested Deadline for Completion Obtaining a valid Employer Identification Number

(EIN)

Four weeks before actual submission deadline 07/12/2024

Creating an account with login.gov Four weeks before actual submission deadline 07/12/2024

Registering in the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov and obtaining a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or renewing SAM registration

Four weeks before actual submission deadline 07/12/2024

Starting application in Grants.gov Two weeks before actual submission deadline 07/26/2024

2. Address to Request Application Package Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to https://www.grants.gov.

For a hardcopy of the full NOFO, please write to:

Marsha Mathis, Grants Officer marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov

In addition, the following Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) and/or Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) number available for this Notice is: 1-800-518-4726 (Grants.gov Help Desk).

Applications will be processed through the Grants.gov portal.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

Each applicant, unless they have a valid exception under 2 C.F.R. § 25.110, must:

a. Be registered in SAM.gov before application submission.

b. Provide a valid UEI in its application.

c. Always maintain an active SAM registration with current information during the federal award process.

4. Steps Required to Obtain a UEI, Register in SAM.gov, and Submit an Application

To apply for a federal award under this funding opportunity, all applicants must:

a. Apply for or verify their Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal

Revenue Service.

b. Have an account with https://www.login.gov/.

c. Register for, update, or verify their SAM account and UEI and make sure the account is active.

d. Create a Grants.gov account.

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

f. Establish an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in Grants.gov.

https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov https://www.login.gov/

g. Submit application in Grants.gov.

h. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information, including information on a recipient’s immediate and highest-level owner and subsidiaries, as well on all predecessors that have been awarded a federal contract or grant within the last 3 years, if applicable, at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.

Applicants are advised that DHS 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 DHS is ready to make a 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 the federal award, DHS 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.

Further, following a federal award, a recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of the federal award. If a recipient’s SAM registration expires during the federal award period of performance, DHS may take a remedy for noncompliance at 2 C.F.R. § 200.339, which could include terminating the federal award.

Per 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(c)(2)(iii), if an applicant is experiencing exigent circumstances that prevents it from receiving a UEI number and completing SAM registration before receiving a federal award, the applicant must notify DHS as soon as possible by contacting Marsha Mathis (marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov) and providing the details of the circumstances that prevent completion of these requirements. If DHS determines that there are exigent circumstances and DHS has decided to make a federal award, the applicant will be required to obtain a UEI number, 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, DHS requires applicants to submit applications through Grants.gov.

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

General Instructions: Registering in Grants.gov is a multi-step process and the following provides instructions about how to register. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the necessary information before beginning the Grants.gov registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

mailto:marsha.mathis@hq.dhs.gov

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to make sure it does not impact an applicant’s ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organizations must have a UEI Number with an active SAM registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for a federal award under this funding opportunity.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but UEI SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an applicant should complete its registration in sufficient time to make sure it does not impact its ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here: grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration.

a. Obtain Employer Identification Number: All entities applying for funding must provide an Employer Identification Number (EIN). The EIN can be obtained from the IRS by visiting: “Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN) Online | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov).”

b. Create a login.gov account: Applicants must have a login.gov account to register with SAM or update their SAM registration. Applicants can create a login.gov account at the “Create Account” page. Applicants with existing SAM accounts can use the same email address for the login.gov account as with SAM.gov so that the two accounts can be linked. Refer to the Frequently Asked Questions page on SAM.gov for more information on the login.gov requirements for SAM registration.

c. Register with SAM: All applicants applying online through Grants.gov must register with SAM. Failure to register with SAM will prevent an applicant from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. Organizations will be issued a UEI number with the completed SAM registration.

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

grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration.

Note: The regulation at 2 C.F.R. § 25.200 requires that, in maintaining an active SAM registration with current information, an applicant must provide information on the applicant’s immediate and highest-level owner, subsidiaries, and predecessors that have been awarded federal contracts or federal financial assistance within the last three years, if applicable.

d. Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions here: grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration.

e. 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). If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration one Grants.gov account to access all your grant applications. Enter the UEI Number for the organization in the UEI field while adding a profile to add an Organization Applicant Profile to your Grants.gov account.

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

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2 FAddProfile.htm&callingApp=custom.

f. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After users register with Grants.gov and creates 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 users permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the applicant. Users will be able to apply online for an applicant any time after they have been assigned an AOR role.

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

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#callingApp=c ustom&t=Applicants%2FManagement%2FManageOrganizationRoles.htm.

For more detailed information about the EBiz POC login, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=LoginAndM yAccount%2FEBizPOCLogin.htm&callingApp=custom.

g. Track Role Status: To track a user’s role request, refer to:

grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration.

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

7. How to Submit an Application to DHS via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. Users can create individual instances of a workspace for each NOFO.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. Complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities using Workspace can be found at: grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/.

https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2FAddProfile.htm&callingApp=custom https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=Register%2FAddProfile.htm&callingApp=custom https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#callingApp=custom&t=Applicants%2FManagement%2FManageOrganizationRoles.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#callingApp=custom&t=Applicants%2FManagement%2FManageOrganizationRoles.htm https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=LoginAndMyAccount%2FEBizPOCLogin.htm&callingApp=custom https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/index.htm?callingApp=custom#t=LoginAndMyAccount%2FEBizPOCLogin.htm&callingApp=custom https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration https://grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/ https://grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/

a. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows users to complete it online and route it through an organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace: Completing a workspace includes adding participants to the workspace to work on the application together, completing all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and checking for errors before submission.

The Workspace progress bar will display the state of the application process users apply. Users may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

c. Adobe Reader: If users decide not to apply for an applicant by filling out webforms, users can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to a 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: grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.

d. Mandatory Fields in Forms: Users will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit an application.

e. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant’s name, address, and UEI number.

Applicants must complete the SF-424 information first to trigger this feature. 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 an application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

g. Track a Workspace Submission: A Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application after successfully submitting a workspace application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Use the tracking number to access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

Additional training resources, including video tutorials, can be found at:

grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training.

https://grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training

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

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

8. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on 07/30/2024.

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. Users with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of the application. The AOR will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of timely submission. Applications received by Grants.gov after the deadline will be considered late and will not be considered for funding.

When DHS 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 via email to the AOR who submitted the application.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives an application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission via email to the AOR attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some users 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.

9. Content and Form of Application Submission

All applications must submit all required forms and required documents listed in this section. Applications missing any of the required forms or documents listed in this section may not be considered for review.

a. STANDARD REQUIRED APPLICATION FORMS

i. Form SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance Complete the SF-424 application form. This form may be completed on the Grants.gov website.

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

ii. Form SF-424A – Budget Complete the budget in its entirety. Provide budget amounts by object class (e.g., salaries, fringe, travel, indirect). Funds may be requested as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and are not precluded by the cost principles or program funding restrictions. Additional guidance on how to complete the Form SF-424A can be found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html.

iii. Form SF-424B – Standard Assurances (Non-Construction)

iv. Form SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

v. Grants.gov Lobbying Form – Certification Regarding Lobbying

b. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

i. Budget Narrative (Double-spaced, no page limit) The Budget Narrative must detail the proposed use of project funds in achieving projected outcomes. The Budget Narrative must address how the funds allocated to each eligible activity will be spent and how costs were determined for the following cost purposes:

Planning Costs. The Budget Narrative must identify the Planning activities on which proposed costs will be spent. For example, these costs could include salaries and wages of personnel planning and implementing the demonstration project. Provide detail on proposed activities.

Training Costs. The Budget Narrative must provide detail on proposed numbers of personnel to be trained, number of days of training, location of training, and outcomes expected.

Exercises Costs. The Budget Narrative should identify how funds allocated for Exercises will be spent and how costs were determined. The Budget Narrative should detail all activities, location, number of days, personnel involved, contract staff involved, reports or deliverables expected, and outcomes expected.

Equipment Purchase Costs. Each project that proposes equipment purchase must provide a line-item cost breakout of equipment, including equipment description, unit cost, and quantity proposed for purchase. All equipment purchases will be reviewed by CISA.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

ii. Program Narrative (Double-spaced, no page limit) For the proposed project, the REMCDP application must include a program narrative that provides a detailed overview description of the proposed project and thoroughly addresses the objectives. Provide or describe the following:

a) Title of the project.

b) Jurisdictional or geographic area(s) of a rural region affected by the proposed project. Provide the county or other equivalent jurisdiction in which the project is located and any other counties or jurisdictions that will benefit from this project.

c) Confirmation the applicant operates or has access to an existing statewide or regional emergency communications system, and operates or has partnered with a medical facility or organization that provides rural emergency medical care.

d) Specific interoperability problem(s) to be addressed by project and how the problem was identified.

e) Proposed project solution(s) and how the solution addresses identified interoperability problems and risks.

f) Expected project outcomes.

g) Detailed description of proposed project activities (Planning, Training, Exercises, and Equipment Purchase).

h) Specific information on the ways in which the proposed project addresses REMCDP program objectives, including:

• How the project will address NECP implementation gaps, as well as barriers and challenges in rural emergency medical communications;

• Clearly outline how well the project will advance the rural community’s interoperability capabilities to efficiently deliver medical care services using existing statewide or regional medical communications infrastructure and broadband communications (e.g., First Responder Network Authority’s public safety broadband network) in collaboration with state leaders;

• Alignment to the goals and objectives of the NECP to inform future emergency communications planning;

• Use of a current statewide or regional system or capabilities that provide emergency communications to, among others, medical care, emergency medical services, and public health, and why the project is the most effective solution for addressing NECP implementation gaps in the rural region;

• How the program will benefit other rural communities and can generate best practices and lessons learned for other rural areas with similar emergency medical communication needs or future efforts;

• Involvement of whole community representatives, including non-medical professionals and emergency communications stakeholders, that use existing rural emergency medical communications;

• Consideration of the development of trainings and exercises to ensure first responders and personnel can use rural emergency medical communications systems and equipment safely and effectively; and

• How performance measures (e.g., number of innovative solutions to improve the delivery of rural medical care and address NECP implementation gaps) and project-specific performance measures (e.g., defined by the applicant based on proposed projects) will be collected and reported.

Refer to the CISA Communications Interoperability Performance Measurement Guide to develop and propose project-specific performance measures relevant to addressing the REMCDP program objectives, as well as mapping to the Interoperability Continuum and the National Emergency Communications Plan goals.

i) Description of how the project will comply with the SAFECOM Guidance on Emergency Communications Grants. Refer to Section F. Federal Award Administration Information of this NOFO for more information.

iii. Letter of Intent (if applicable, no page limit)

Any applicant that does not operate a medical facility and is choosing to partner with a medical facility or organization that provides rural emergency medical care must provide a letter of intent from that partnering medical facility or organization. The letter of intent should describe the following:

a) Title of the project.

b) Confirmation the partnering facility or organization provides rural emergency medical care.

c) Detailed description of facility or organization’s role in the execution of the proposed project solution(s) and contribution to expected project outcomes.

https://www.cisa.gov/publication/sop-documents https://www.cisa.gov/publication/sop-documents https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/21_0615_cisa_safecom_interoperability_continuum_brochure_final.pdf https://www.cisa.gov/necp https://www.cisa.gov/necp https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/funding https://www.cisa.gov/safecom/funding

c. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To access application forms and instructions for this funding opportunity, go to Grants.gov click on the “Search Grants” tab. Enter the NOFO Number located on the cover of this announcement. Click on the highlighted Funding Opportunity Number that appears and then click on the various tabs to: read the Synopsis; review the Version History; read the Full Announcement; and complete the Application Package. Please read the entire NOFO Application Package carefully before preparing and submitting an application. Application must be submitted in electronic format only. If you experience difficulties accessing information or have any questions, please call the Grants.gov customer support hotline at 1-800-518-4726.

10. Funding Restrictions and Allowable Costs

a. General Requirements All costs charged to federal awards (including both federal funding and any non-federal matching or cost sharing funds) must comply with applicable statutes, rules and regulations, policies, this NOFO, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. They must also comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements at 2 C.F.R. Part 200 unless otherwise indicated in the NOFO or the terms and conditions of the federal award. This includes, among other requirements, that costs must be incurred, and products and services must be delivered within the budget period. 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(h).

b. Funding Restrictions Generally Recipients may not use federal funds and any cost sharing or matching funds under federal awards for the following activities:

i. Matching or cost sharing requirements for other federal grants and cooperative agreements (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.306).

ii. Lobbying or other prohibited activities under 18 U.S.C. § 1913 or 2 C.F.R. § 200.450.

iii. Prosecuting claims against the federal government or any other government entity (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.435).

See subsections below for information on any other funding restrictions.

c. Prohibition on Covered Telecommunications Equipment or Services Recipients and their contractors must comply with the prohibitions set forth in Section 889 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, Pub. L. No. 115-232 (2018) (FY 2019 NDAA) and 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.216, 200.327, 200.471, and Appendix II to 2 C.F.R. Part 200. The FY 2019 NDAA and these regulations, as they apply to recipients, subrecipients, and their contractors and subcontractors, provide for two distinct prohibitions: (1) prevent the use of federal award funds to procure or obtain covered telecommunications equipment or services;

and (2) prevent the use of federal award funds to contract with an entity that uses such covered telecommunications equipment or services.

d. Pre-Award Costs Pre-award costs are not allowable and will not be approved.

e. Management and Administration (M&A) Costs Management and Administration Costs are allowable. M&A are not operational costs but are necessary costs incurred in direct support of the federal award or as a consequence of it, such as travel, meeting-related expenses, and salaries of full/part-time staff in direct support of the program. As such, M&A costs can be itemized in financial reports.

M&A activities are those directly relating to the management and administration of REMCDP funds, such as financial management and monitoring. A maximum of up to five percent of REMCDP funds awarded may be retained by the cooperative agreement recipient, and any funds retained are to be used solely for M&A purposes associated with the REMCDP award.

f. Indirect (Facilities and Administrative [F&A]) Costs

Indirect Costs (IDC) are allowable by the recipient. Indirect (facilities & administrative) costs mean those costs incurred for a common or joint purpose benefitting more than one cost objective and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefitted, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. IDC are allowable by the recipient as described in 2 C.F.R. Part 200, including 2 C.F.R. § 200.414. Applicants with a current negotiated IDC rate agreement who desire to charge indirect costs to a federal award must provide a copy of their IDC rate agreement with their applications. Not all applicants are required to have a current negotiated IDC rate agreement. Applicants that are not required to have a negotiated IDC rate agreement but are required to develop an IDC rate proposal must provide a copy of their proposal with their applications. Applicants who do not have a current negotiated IDC rate agreement (including a provisional rate) and wish to charge the de minimis rate must reach out to DHS for further instructions. Applicants who wish to use a cost allocation plan in lieu of an IDC rate proposal must reach out to DHS for further instructions.

g. Evaluation Costs

Evaluation costs are allowable. See Section F.8.

h. Construction Costs Costs to acquire land or to construct, remodel, or perform alterations of buildings or other physical facilities are unallowable.

11. Intergovernmental Review

An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372. See https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SPOC-list-as-of- 2023.pdf.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SPOC-list-as-of-2023.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SPOC-list-as-of-2023.pdf

E. Application Review Information

1. Application Evaluation

a. Programmatic Criteria When all applications are received a completeness review will be conducted to confirm the Eligibility Information (see Section C) and Application and Submission Information (see Section D) listed in this NOFO are met. Applications meeting those requirements will then be reviewed by federal employees participating in the merit review panel.

The merit review will focus on the overall quality of the proposed project and the completion and thoroughness of the project narratives, budgets, and budget narratives. The review panel will determine whether proposed projects address the REMCDP Program Objectives and Priorities listed in Section A of this NOFO. DHS may contact applicants with questions or requests to clarify proposals, if deemed appropriate. In addition, DHS will use the following criteria, weighted as indicated based on their importance, to evaluate applications for a total maximum score of 100 points.

i. Innovation (Maximum of 40 points): Application review will focus on the innovativeness in approach, including strategies for management, governance, operations, training and exercises, and how well the project uses advanced and innovative technology solutions (e.g., technology solutions that use voice or radio over Internet Protocol, broadband voice, data, or video applications, mobile public safety networks, multi-band/multi-mode software designed radios, network interconnect technologies, satellite communication systems) to achieve interoperability with rural communities or address NECP implementation gaps. Reviewers will focus on how an existing solution (technical or non-technical) was altered or enhanced to address the issue or how the applicant used a combination of solutions to address a unique problem (e.g., applicants must operate or have access to an existing statewide or regional emergency communications system that is leveraged to address rural health disparities such as mortality rates and cardiovascular diseases).