FY24 WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grants-Request for Applications.pdf

Information Collection: 0584-0512 Expiration date: 07/31/2025

WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grant

Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.578

Release Date: May 21, 2024

Application Due Date: July 05, 2024; 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

(EDT)

Anticipated Award Date: September 2024

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT:

This information is being collected to assist the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in selecting projects for grant funding. This is a voluntary collection and FNS will use the information to select projects for grant funding. This collection does not request any personally identifiable information under the Privacy Act of 1974. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Application Checklist This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required actions and documents that must be completed. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and should not be submitted as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

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

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4 – Application and Submission Information.

When preparing an application package, including your proposal, budget, and budget narrative, ensure the following information are included:

All key staff proposed to be paid by this grant.

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

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

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

Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justification, and basis for lodging estimate.

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

Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts, if applicable.

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

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

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted all information outlined in Section 4, including the following:

Cover Sheet Table of Contents Project Narrative Budget Narrative and the Budget in table format Activities/Indicators Tracker SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in grants.gov) SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in grants.gov) SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in grants.gov) SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities AD-3030 – Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate

Applicants (fillable PDF in grants.gov). This document is only required if your organization is a corporation. The form is located in the optional tab of the grants.gov application package.

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under

SF-424 item #15) http://www.grants.gov/ https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_4_0-V4.0.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_2_0-V2.0.pdf

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary

Program Description

Tracks and Objectives

Track 1

Track 2

Track 3

Track 4:

2. Federal Award Information

Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

Special Instructions:

Cover Sheet:

Table of Contents

Project Narrative

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Budget Narrative and Budget

Indirect Cost Rate

Required Grant Application Forms

Submission Date

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

How to Apply via Grants.gov

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Intergovernmental Review

Funding Restrictions

5. Application Review Information

Evaluation Criteria

Review and Selection Process

6. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notice

Data Collection Affirmation

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Confidentiality of an Application

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process

Administrative Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

Reporting Requirements

Financial Reports

Performance Progress Reports (PPR)

Other

7. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

8. Other Information

Debriefing Requests

Appendix

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives

Executive Summary The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) works to end hunger and promote nutrition security. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a Federal nutrition assistance program that serves pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding individuals, infants, and children up to five years old who are income eligible and at nutritional risk. WIC provides nutritious foods, nutrition education including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health and social services to participants in all 50 geographic States, the District of Columbia, 33 Indian Tribal Organizations (ITOs), and five U.S. Territories.

FY 2024 WIC General Infrastructure Grants will support WIC State agencies as they continue to modernize the program. Projects will support WIC Infrastructure, including technological, digital, partnership, and/or outreach infrastructure at the State agency level through activities related to outreach, innovation, program modernization, and increased equity in program access through four Tracks/objectives. These are outlined in the Program Description section below.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (The Act) (P.L. 118-42) provides the USDA with an appropriation to carry out the WIC Program as authorized by section 17 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (CNA) (42 U.S.C. 1786), which includes $14 million in Infrastructure Funds under Section 17(h)(10)(B)(i). Of this, FNS is making $10 million available to fund this grant opportunity.

Additionally, $20 million in funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (P.L.

117-2 (ARPA) may be available for awards under this RFA. ARPA provided the USDA with funding to carry out outreach, innovation, and program modernization efforts to increase participation and redemption of benefits in WIC. Additional funding may be available.

All current WIC State agencies, including those in each of the 50 geographic States, the District of Columbia, 33 ITOs, and five U.S. Territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), are eligible to apply for grant funding under this grant award process. Throughout this RFA, “State agencies” will refer to all 89 WIC State agencies. More details regarding project proposals are found in the Program Description below.

Program Description FY 2024 WIC General Infrastructure Grants will support WIC State agencies as they continue to modernize the program. Grants will support improvements to WIC’s technological, digital, partnership, and outreach infrastructure through activities that support WIC Modernization.

This RFA includes four application Tracks, each with one Objective. The four Tracks include:

1) Updating the State agency’s management information system (MIS) and/or electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system to meet new Federal requirements.

*Please see notes in the Tracks and Objectives section below for information about State agency model (SAM) user groups.

https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-117publ2 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/PLAW-117publ2

2) Enhancing the State agency’s MIS, EBT system, and/or other technology used to provide WIC benefits and services. These enhancements must provide a better user experience for WIC applicants, participants, and staff and/or to improve longevity, flexibility, program integrity, and/or cost efficiency.

3) Increasing WIC awareness among the public through adoption of new WIC branding and/or the conduct of partnership and/or outreach activities.

4) Upgrading State and/or local agency technology equipment and/or supplies to improve WIC performance, security, and/or user experience (including by optimizing virtual services).

Applications submitted must each be for only one Track. State agencies may apply for one or more of the Tracks outlined above but are limited to one Track per application. Section 4 below provides details for the application requirements for each Track.

For each Track, State agencies may apply either as an individual applicant or as the lead of a multi-State agency collaboration. Any lead of a multi-State agency collaboration will be considered the applicant and the funded recipient (i.e., the grantee). The lead State agency is responsible for completing and submitting all application components and will be the sole recipient of funding for the project; therefore responsible for all funded activities and required reporting.

Tracks and Objectives Each track contains an Objective; applications must align to that Objective. For all Tracks, applicants may include activities at any stage of a project (e.g., planning, implementation, improvement, and/or evaluation). State agencies are encouraged to apply for funding regardless of where they are in the process of modernizing. State agencies are encouraged to use human centered design1 to plan for, improve, and implement projects.

State agencies must describe how they will implement activities under the Tracks/Objectives applied for in their applications. FNS reserves the right to prioritize funding by Track. Priority will be given to Track 1 applications, followed by Tracks 2 through 4 in order. Lower priority Tracks will not be funded this FY if no funding remains after funding higher priority Tracks.

However, FNS reserves the right to use the results of this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in FY 2025, should additional funds become available.

Notes:

• All applicants/proposals must comply with WIC regulations and policies, and any

1 Human centered design (HCD, as defined in Executive Order 14058) and user centered design (UCD) are methodologies that put people, especially those who will use or be impacted by what one creates, at the center of any process to solve challenging problems. HCD/UCD methods incorporate input and feedback from the people for whom you are designing throughout the design process to validate whether people’s needs are being met and to reduce risk. Resources for using HCD/UCD in your project: Methods - 18F Methods, Basic principles of modern software design | De-risking government technology | 18F.

https://guides.18f.gov/derisking/federal-field-guide/basic-principles/#user-centered-design https://guides.18f.gov/derisking/federal-field-guide/basic-principles/#user-centered-design current waivers held by the State agency applicant. If a waiver will be used, the State agency must indicate that in their proposal and confirm that the State agency currently holds the necessary waiver. Projects that require a new waiver will not be considered.

• State agencies in a State Agency Model (SAM) Users Group may not apply for MIS funding under Track 1. SAM funding for Federally required changes will continue to be requested and provided through the Annual SAM IAPD-Update process using WIC Grants to States (WGTS) processing.

• Once grants are awarded, the State agency must review FNS Handbook 901 (HB901) and determine if the project meets the established APD thresholds, see February 6, 2024 WIC MIS EBT Process Memo. If a version of the APD is required for any phase of the project, State agencies must submit the Planning Advanced Planning Document (PAPD) or Implementation Advanced Planning Document (lAPD) to their FNS Regional Office and State Systems Office (SSO) POCs to review the project. Funding must not be obligated toward that part of the project until the APD is approved. If an APD is not required, the State agency may initiate all aspects of its project, as outlined in the project proposal, with the grant funding provided.

• Contract Sole Source considerations must follow the processes outlined in HB901.

Track 1 Objective: Update the State agency’s management information system (MIS) and/or WIC electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system to meet Federal requirements.

Proposals May Include:

• Activities related to implementation of the final rule: Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): Revisions in the WIC Food Packages (e.g., update food packages, implement National Global Trade Item Numbers (GTIN) conversion, ensure CVB amounts can be easily updated annually for inflation)

• Activities related to implementation of the final rule: Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 and Related Provisions

• Activities related to implementation of the final rule that will follow the proposed rule:

WIC Online Ordering and Transactions and Food Delivery Revisions to Meet the Needs of a Modern, Data-Driven Program

• Activities related to complying (fully/timely) with Food Delivery Portal (FDP) submission requirements

• Activities related to complying (fully/timely) with FNS research/data requests (e.g., PC+, ARPA evaluation)

• Activities related to compliance with Revisions to OMB's Statistical Policy Directive No.

15: Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity

• Other activities that directly support this Track’s objective

Note:

• HB901 procedures must be followed, but may be initiated after grant award (see above). If an APD is required, funds must not be obligated or liquidated by the State agency until it has received all appropriate APD approvals.

https://www.fns.usda.gov/sso/fns-handbook-901-v2-advance-planning-documents https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/HB901v2.4.pdf https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/mis-ebt-process-memo https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-food-packages https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-food-packages https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/fr-121423 https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/fr-121423 https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/online-ordering-transaction-proposed-rule-qas https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/online-ordering-transaction-proposed-rule-qas https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2024%2F03%2F29%2F2024-06469%2Frevisions-to-ombs-statistical-policy-directive-no-15-standards-for-maintaining-collecting-and&data=05%7C02%7Camy.herring%40usda.gov%7C6ba35926575c426fdd6608dc531745c1%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638476606610997221%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cCd75yl6BxFw9ZekOplVsGgZxka3bwndAOW%2BCiRjrfk%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2024%2F03%2F29%2F2024-06469%2Frevisions-to-ombs-statistical-policy-directive-no-15-standards-for-maintaining-collecting-and&data=05%7C02%7Camy.herring%40usda.gov%7C6ba35926575c426fdd6608dc531745c1%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638476606610997221%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cCd75yl6BxFw9ZekOplVsGgZxka3bwndAOW%2BCiRjrfk%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.federalregister.gov%2Fdocuments%2F2024%2F03%2F29%2F2024-06469%2Frevisions-to-ombs-statistical-policy-directive-no-15-standards-for-maintaining-collecting-and&data=05%7C02%7Camy.herring%40usda.gov%7C6ba35926575c426fdd6608dc531745c1%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C1%7C0%7C638476606610997221%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=cCd75yl6BxFw9ZekOplVsGgZxka3bwndAOW%2BCiRjrfk%3D&reserved=0

• State agencies in a SAM Users Group may not apply for MIS funding under Objective 1.

SAM funding for Federally required changes will continue to be requested through the Annual SAM IAPD-Update process using the WIC Grants to States (WGTS) grants and not through this grant funding opportunity.

Track 2 Objective: Enhance the State agency’s MIS, EBT system, and/or other technology used to provide WIC benefits and services. These enhancements must provide a better user experience for WIC applicants, participants, and/or staff and/or improve longevity, flexibility, program integrity, and/or cost efficiency.

Proposals May Include:

• Activities related to upgrading MIS to support WIC modernization goals related to streamlining certification and optimizing virtual services (e.g., by implementing or improving online applications or schedulers, texting services, solutions to collect signatures and/or documents from participants and/or applicants receiving virtual services)

• Activities related to improving the participant experience through apps, websites, telehealth, or similar

• Activities related to the transition from offline to online EBT, including participant, vendor, and staff training and development/dissemination of resources

• Activities related to EBT platform/provider transitions because of new contracts

• Activities related to increasing the use of plain language and supporting individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) (e.g., revising website and/or app text to plain language, implementing human translations on websites or apps, virtual or telephonic interpreter support)

• Activities related to improving the accuracy of WIC transactions through updates to APL or PLU processes or procedures

• Upgrading MIS capacity to allow participants greater choice in store (e.g., by removing requirements to select certain food types at the time of benefits issuance)

• Upgrading MIS to improve usability by WIC staff to streamline staff and backend functions and use staff time more efficiently

• Upgrading not-to-exceed (NTE) calculations to aid in cost containment by providing options to implement a standard deviation or percentage over mean for each approved sub-category

• Other activities that directly support this Track’s objective

Note:

• HB901 procedures must be followed, but may be initiated after grant award (see above). If an APD is required, funds must not be obligated or liquidated by the State agency until it has received all appropriate APD approvals.

• Enhancement funding must be directed to the activities above or other similar activities.

• This funding will not support a system remodel, a system (re)design, rebuild, or transfer/implementation of a new MIS (or any phase related to these activities, including planning). FNS is working to develop a WIC MIS Strategy, which will include a plan for addressing such needs based on an assessment of the current MIS landscape, State agency needs (near- and long- term), available program funding, and other relevant factors.

Track 3 Objective: Increase WIC awareness among the public through adoption of new WIC branding and/or the conduct of partnership and/or outreach activities.

Proposals May Include:

• Activities related to the implementation of new USDA-developed WIC branding (e.g., supporting WIC’s outreach infrastructure and brand-awareness nationwide by developing and implementing re-branding plans, updating and printing materials, updating websites and apps, updating WIC signage to make clinics easier to find)

• Activities related to outreach to participants (e.g., supporting WIC’s outreach infrastructure by developing and implementing outreach plans, placing advertisements;

or supporting WIC’s partnership infrastructure by developing or strengthening State and/or local level partnerships)

• Other activities that directly support this Track’s objective and build upon WIC’s outreach and partnership infrastructure to support current and future efforts.

Track 4:

Objective: Upgrade State and/or local agency technology equipment and/or supplies to improve WIC performance, security, and/or user experience (including by optimizing virtual services).

Proposals May Include:

• Upgrading IT hardware to improve the performance and security of the State agency’s WIC IT infrastructure

• Purchasing computers, card readers, scanners, video/audio equipment needed to improve virtual services, and/or signature pads

• Purchasing equipment and/or supplies to collect anthropometric data. Note that this includes items such as scales and carrying cases for such items to protect them if used outside of the clinic, but it does not include daily supplies used with those items in the process of collecting data (e.g., latex gloves, cleaning supplies, baby scale liners, testing strips).

• Costs related to implementing hardware or other technology equipment (e.g., software required for hardware to function, staff training materials)

• Other activities that directly support this Track’s objective

Note:

• FNS encourages State agencies to consider projects that will use items strategically to improve WIC’s virtual services and/or to reach underserved communities (e.g., use in mobile clinics, at booths on weekends, deployment to key WIC partners delegated to take measurements).

2. Federal Award Information The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to help make informed decisions about application submissions.

• Total amount of funding expected to award: $30,000,000, depending on the availability of Federal funds

• Anticipated number of awards: approximately 25

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $0

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling per applicant, per Track):

o Track 1: $4,000,000 for multi-State agency collaborations and $2,000,000 for individual State agencies o Track 2: $4,000,000 for multi-State agency collaborations and $2,000,000 for individual State agencies o Track 3: $1,000,000 per applicant o Track 4: $1,000,000 per applicant

• Anticipated award announcement date: September 2024

• Anticipated period of performance (start and end date of the award): September 2024

- September 2027

• Application due date: July 05, 2024

Please note:

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

• FNS reserves the right to use the results of this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

Allowable Costs Projects must support the improvement of WIC’s technological, digital, outreach, and/or partnership infrastructure through WIC outreach, innovation, program modernization, and/or increased equity in program access through one of the four Tracks described above. WIC outreach allowable costs are outlined in 7 C.F.R. 246.14(c)(3) and further explained in WIC Policy Memorandum: #95-5 Allowability of Costs for Program Incentive Items.

Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more) require prior approval. All applicants chosen for award will be subject to a review of their related budgets to ensure estimated expenditures align with the needs of the Agency and the proposed project.

Unallowable Costs Entertainment: Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable (such as mascot costumes, promotional items, food, etc.) unless there is a programmatic purpose and prior approval is granted by FNS.

Certain MIS Costs:

• MIS system remodels, rebuilds, or transfer/implementation of a new MIS (or any phase related to these activities, including planning) are unallowable costs.

• Federally required changes for SAMs are unallowable costs.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-246#p-246.14(c)(3) https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/allowability-costs-program-incentive-items https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/allowability-costs-program-incentive-items

A listing of selected items of costs is located at 2 CFR 200.420 through 200.476. All costs proposed in the budget and detailed in the budget narrative must be allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles for a detailed description of all allowable and unallowable costs.

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants All current WIC State agencies are eligible to apply for FY 2024 grant funding under this RFA.

WIC State agencies may apply for more than one Track, but may submit one application per Track either as an individual State agency or the lead of a multi-State agency collaboration. In a collaboration, lead State agency is responsible for completing and submitting all application components and will be the sole recipient of funding for the project (i.e., the grantee).

State agencies in a SAM Users Group may not apply for MIS funding under Track 1. SAM funding for Federally required changes will continue to be requested through the Annual SAM IAPD-Update process using WIC Grants to States (WGTS) processing.

Note: If an applicant is deemed nonresponsive for failing to submit required elements or documents associated with this RFA, they will be considered ineligible and removed from consideration for grant funding.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this award. In-kind contributions are generally defined as the value of goods or services provided by a third-party for the benefit of the grant program, where no funds transferred hands.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Acknowledgement of USDA Support As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity.

Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support, and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

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

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

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission A full application must be submitted for each Track being applied for. Each application must be submitted through grants.gov.

All application documents should be single-spaced in 12-point font with numbered pages. Each application should total no more than 15 pages. The page limit includes the project narrative, budget table, and budget narrative. The page limit does not include the Table of Contents, Cover Sheet, Activities/Indicators Tracker, or appendices.

Application document requirements are described in detail below. Each application must include all required documents and information.

Special Instructions:

• Applications not submitted via grants.gov will not be considered.

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

• Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, and certification will not be considered and will be deemed nonresponsive and removed from further consideration.

• Applications missing a written proposal, budget narrative, and budget will not be considered and will be deemed nonresponsive and removed from further consideration.

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

• If multiple application packages are submitted through grants.gov by the same https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf applicant in response to the same Track in this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant in response to the same Track will be removed from this competition.

Cover Sheet:

The applicant must provide a Cover Sheet that includes:

• Grant program title: WIC State Agency General Infrastructure Grant

• State agency contact information: Include State agency name

• Track being applied for: Track #

• For Collaborations: If you are applying as the lead of a multi-State agency collaboration, include the following information on each collaborator.

o Partner State Agency:

o State Agency Name:

o Contact Name:

o Job Title:

o Telephone:

o Email Address:

o [repeat for all collaborators]

• ARPA Statement: If available, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds may be used to fund some awards. On each application cover sheet, please include the statement below that best describes your State agency’s ability to accept and use ARPA funds. Note: this will not affect selection of awards.

o My State agency can accept and use ARPA funds without any delays (compared to other types of funding) o My State agency can accept and use ARPA funds, but ARPA approval processes could delay the project for up to 3 months (compared to other types of funding) o My State agency can accept and use ARPA funds, but ARPA approval processes could delay the project for more than 3 months (compared to other types of funding) o My State agency cannot accept or use ARPA funds o Other, please describe:

Table of Contents The applicant must include a Table of Contents that lists all documents being submitted as a part of the application.

Project Narrative The applicant must include a Project Narrative that includes:

• A clear description of the activities to achieve the Objective under the Track applied for, including key activities to reach those goals.

• Anticipated full timeline including start date, milestones, and expected date of completion.

• The expected outcomes, including results and/or benefits of the proposed activities.

• How the proposed activities will integrate human centered design (e.g., seek proactive input from and include effective communication to impacted parties such as participants and local agency staff).

• A risk management strategy including a prioritized list of potential risks and planned strategies for mitigation (including impacts to existing systems and/or operations).

• Information on how the grantee and any collaborators will sustain the work done under the grant. For example, what funds will the grantee use to pay any annual costs to operate and maintain the project after the grant period of performance.

• Anticipated technical assistance needs from FNS.

• For Tracks that impact MIS, a list of affected State agencies and all changes to the shared core system for State Agency Model (SAM) User Groups, multi-State consortia. As noted above, State agencies in a SAM User Group may not apply for MIS funding under Track 1.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Tracks/Objectives (as described in Section 1 – Program Description) in the format below (note that additional Activities/Indicators can be added as needed below each Track/Objective).

Note: Indicators are defined as any metric you will be able to track during the period of performance of the grant. Common examples include Number of People/Clinics Impacted, Number of Materials Created, Number of Trainings, Number of People Trained. The italics below are examples for consideration by Objective.

Examples:

Track 1 Objective

Update the State agency’s management information system (MIS) and/or electronic benefits transfer (EBT) system to meet Federal requirements.

Activity 1 Convert GTINs as a part of Final Food Package Rule Implementation Indicator 1 Number of GTINs converted Activity 2 Note: more than one activity is allowed.

Indicator 2 Note: for each Activity, include an indicator.

Track 2

Enhance the State agency’s MIS, EBT system, and/or other technology used to provide WIC benefits and services. These enhancements must provide a better user experience for WIC applicants, participants, and staff and/or to improve longevity, flexibility, program integrity, and/or cost efficiency.

Activity 1 Implement MIS enhancements to add functionality Indicator 1 Number of WIC functionalities added and any data/results showing how they improved one of the indicators listed in the Objective

Track 3 Increase WIC awareness among the public through adoption of new

Objective WIC branding and the conduct of partnership and/or outreach activities.

Activity 1 Implement new WIC branding on all assets, including State agency website, mobile app, and digital and printed resources for State and local agencies and/or participants

Indicator 1 Number of assets updated

Track 4

Upgrade State and/or local agency technology equipment and/or supplies to improve performance, security, and/or user experience (including by optimizing virtual services).

Activity 1 Upgrade IT hardware to improve the performance and security of WIC IT infrastructure

Indicator 1 Data/results showing how the performance and security of WIC IT infrastructure has improved

Note that if awarded, State agencies will be required to report on progress toward activities aligned with the required Objective under each Track for which a grant is received and must use the FNS-908 for reporting and per the terms and conditions of the grant, (see FNS-908 - Performance Progress Report). Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators that are submitted with grant applications will help prepare State agencies for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

Budget Narrative and Budget The budget narrative, formatted as a table, should correspond with the proposed project narrative and application budget, clearly stating the amount of Federal funds requested. The narrative must justify and support the needs of the budget’s direct costs. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement as an attachment.

Budget categories in the budget narrative table must match those listed on the SF-424A form. If the budget table is created in a spreadsheet, it should be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, with a font no smaller than 11-point Times New Roman before submission. All funding requests must be in whole dollars. The narrative description must describe the need for Federal funds requested in the SF-424A, including calculations detailing how these funds requested were derived. It must also describe costs such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual, indirect costs, and other costs (e.g., printing).

Indirect Cost Rate A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a cognizant Federal agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, the percentage and base should be indicated. If the applicant does not have, and has never been approved for, a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and instead use all grant funds for direct costs. If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase “none requested” should be stated in the budget narrative. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer as noted in Section 7 of this RFA.

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

Required Grant Application Forms The required grants.gov forms may be previewed at grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html. These forms are part of the grants.gov Workspace application.

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

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

Additional Required Forms and Information

• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Please see below for further information

• SAM registration. Please see below for further information.

Submission Date

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

• Applications must be submitted via grants.gov. Mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, see the “Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov” below.

• Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

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

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

• Those applicants who fail to submit any required documents or forms will be deemed NONRESPONSIVE, and therefore will be INELIGIBLE to participate in the competition and removed from further consideration. An application may be deemed non-response by individual project proposals or as a whole, depending on what is missing.

FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date and to submit applications to grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to allow time to troubleshoot any issues should they arise. Please note that upon https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family http://www.grants.gov/ submission, grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices. Applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted.

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

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov Applicants must register with grants.gov and SAM.gov in order to submit an application to FNS via grants.gov as required.

To submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a UEI number

What is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)?

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

Where do I go to learn more about the UEI?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin this process at least 3 weeks before the due date of the grant solicitation.

3. Create a Grants.gov Account

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with grants.gov.

Applicants must know their organization’s Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to complete this process. For more detailed instruction about creating a profile on grants.gov, visit grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html.

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

How to Apply via Grants.gov Applicants must apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace. For additional training resources, including video tutorials, visit grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support (except Federal holidays) via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to contact grants.gov support and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue.

For programmatic and financial-related questions regarding this specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in Section 7 – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts of this

RFA.

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

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

e.g., ! @ # $ % ^ & * - ‘). (_). For example, Attached_File.pdf.

If these guidelines for file names are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from the grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

Additional information can be found at grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#attachments.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page, as detailed in Section 4 – Submission Date. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by grants.gov. The applicant Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (e.g., GRANTXXXXXXXX) from grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application.

Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and a grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When FNS successfully retrieves the application from grants.gov and acknowledges the download of submissions, grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgement of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that grants.gov receives your application.

Applications received by grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for FNS funding.

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs#attachments https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs#attachments

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

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters in file names. This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore.

Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is subject to the requirements of EO 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” This Executive Order was issued with the desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The Order allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function.

If you are located within a State that does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC), you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency.

For a…