HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NN-1918.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Administration for Native Americans

Social and Economic Development Strategies - Growing Organizations (GO)

HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NN-1918

Application Due Date: 06/30/2021

Due Date for Applications:

FY 2021: 06/30/2021

FY 2022: 06/13/2022

FY 2023: 06/12/2023

Social and Economic Development Strategies - Growing Organizations (GO)

HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NN-1918

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Executive Summary

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

VII. HHS Awarding Agency Contact(s) VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families

Funding Opportunity Title: Social and Economic Development

Strategies - Growing Organizations

(GO)

Announcement Type: Modification Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-NN-1918 Primary CFDA Number: 93.612

Due Date for Letter of Intent:

Applicants that submit a letter of intent may be contacted by ANA?s regional Training and Technical Assistance Center so that they can receive pre-application support. This is a free service available to all ANA applicants. Failure to submit a letter of intent does not preclude the applicant from receiving regional technical assistance for application support.

ANA technical assistance information can be found at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/assistance/applicant-training-technical-assistance.

Applicants should submit the letter of intent via email to anacomments@acf.hhs.gov within 30 days of the announcement's publication.

Due Date for Applications: 06/30/2021

Due Date for Applications:

FY 2021: 06/30/2021

FY 2022: 06/13/2022

FY 2023: 06/12/2023

Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire funding opportunity announcement (FOA) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

This FOA has been modified. In Section V.1. Criteria, Criteria 19, 20, and 26 have been modified.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announces the availability of fiscal year (FY) 2021 funds for projects under the Social https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/assistance/applicant-training-technical-assistance mailto:anacomments@acf.hhs.gov http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto and Economic Development Strategies for Growing Organizations (SEDS-GO) program. This FOA is focused on assisting growing organizations in reaching their full potential as highly functioning entities able to effectively serve their Native American communities. Native American communities include American Indian tribes (federally-recognized and non-federally recognized), Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Native American Pacific Islanders.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority This program is authorized under Section 803(a) of the Native American Programs Act of 1974 (NAPA), 42 U.S.C. 2991b.

Description The Administration for Native Americans Within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ANA serves all Native Americans, including federally recognized tribes, American Indian and Alaska Native organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, and Native populations throughout the Pacific Basin (including American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). ANA promotes social and economic self-sufficiency for Native American communities in two ways. First, ANA provides discretionary grant funding, training, and technical assistance in support of community-based projects that address the current social and economic conditions in Native American communities. Second, ANA promotes social and economic self-sufficiency through advocacy and policy development on behalf of Native Americans. ANA’s programmatic goals include: (1) fostering the development of stable diversified local economies to encourage community partnerships and reduce dependency on public funds and social services; (2) supporting local access to control and coordination of services and programs that safeguard the health and well-being of Native children and families;

and (3) increasing the number of projects involving youth and intergenerational activities in Native American communities.

ANA supports community-based projects in the following four major program areas: Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS); Native Languages; Environmental Regulatory Enhancement; and Community Research, Demonstration, and Pilot Projects. ANA funding is meant for projects that identify direct, measurable outcomes which will be achieved within the proposed project period.

No projects shall be approved for assistance under this title unless the ANA Commissioner is satisfied that the activities to be carried out under such project will be in addition to, and not in substitution for, comparable activities previously carried out without federal assistance.

ANA provides project-specific funding and not ongoing program funding. ANA may choose not to fund a project that is essentially identical or similar, in whole or in part, to previously funded projects proposed by the same applicant, or activities or projects proposed by a consortium that duplicates activities for which any consortium member also receives or has received funding from ANA. If the applicant is proposing a project that is similar to a previously funded ANA grant, applicants should provide a very detailed description of how the new project is different from the past project.

Potential grantees are encouraged to educate themselves on intellectual property rights and the protection of ownership to language materials, history, music and dance, ceremonies, and other forms of knowledge and cultural practices that originate from Native communities. See 45 CFR § 75.322 and 45 CFR Appendix II to Part 75, Contract Provisions for Non-Federal Entity Contracts under Federal Awards. Moreover, potential grantees are encouraged to learn how such rights may be transferred via contracting with third parties that produce resources, data, and materials developed as a result of ANA funding. ANA is unable to provide legal advice or guidance on this matter; however, grant funds may be used for legal expenses relative to this matter.

Applicant Training and Technical Assistance ANA provides regional Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Centers, as authorized by NAPA, to support grantees and potential applicants. Such support includes Pre-Application workshops and a preliminary review of applications that are at least 75 percent completed. Applicants are encouraged to contact their regional TTA Center or view the ANA website about the TTA services at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/assistance/applicant-training-technical-assistance.

SEDS-GO Program Purpose The purpose of the SEDS-GO program is to provide financial assistance to American Indian Tribes, Alaska Native villages, and Native non-profit organizations that identify as growing organizations and seek to build their internal capacity. For this program, growing organizations are defined as those that are striving to reach their full potential as highly functioning entities able to effectively serve their Native American communities. Any tribe or organization that is challenged in fulfilling their mission through the capabilities of their internal organization, management and governance practices, resources, or partnerships and are unable to evaluate achievements or improve upon results may be considered a growing organization. Other similar terms may be low-capacity or under-resourced organizations.

Unlike other ANA FOAs that require community-driven projects, SEDS-GO funding is a special initiative designed to support projects that address internal organization capacity building to improve the administrative, technical, and executive functions of the applicant, which will in turn improve service to their external community. For SEDS-GO projects, the intended beneficiary for the project is the applicant organization and not the community that it serves. By investing in the applicant organization with SEDS-GO funding, the organizations will be able to better serve their community in the future. In addition, the SEDS-GO program may also assist the applicant organization in becoming a stronger competitor for additional grant funding in the future.

The applicant is to address up to two targeted challenges in their proposed project. Targeted challenges represent different organizational functions that may limit a growing organization's ability to effectively serve the needs of its community. SEDS-GO applicants should choose no more than two of the following eight targeted challenges to address in the proposed project:

Staff Development: Staff should have the knowledge to administer the organization's current programs effectively. Projects might focus on improving current staff capacity to https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2d55dc62e7122b7be37d933c7cf409a&mc=true&node=ap45.1.75_1521.ii&rgn=div9 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a2d55dc62e7122b7be37d933c7cf409a&mc=true&node=ap45.1.75_1521.ii&rgn=div9 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/assistance/applicant-training-technical-assistance administer project activities or ensuring staff members are qualified to operate effectively in their role. This may include addressing staff expertise for the Executive Director, Administrative Support Staff, Financial Staff, IT Staff, Human Resources, Program Staff, Communications, Resource Development Staff, and/or Tribal Membership Staff.

Governance: Policies and procedures should be in place for the governing board to effectively guide the organization. Projects might focus on ensuring tribal codes and ordinances are in place or ensuring the governing board has the necessary training regarding the roles and responsibilities of elected positions.

Effective Grants Management: The organization should have a track record of effective grants management and use of diversified funds. Projects might focus on building capacity and infrastructure to secure and manage diverse funding sources to effectively operate programming; improving successful management and sustainability of state, federal, or non-federal grants; ensuring grants' compliance and operational oversight; or improving the organization’s internal risk assessment to attract additional funders. All applications submitted with a targeted challenge of Effective Grants Management must be compliant with 45 CFR § 75.442 (Fundraising and Investment Management Costs).

Strategic/Community Planning: Projects might focus on organizational strategic planning, facilitating long-term community visioning, developing regional growth plans, or developing policies and procedures to engage with the community on an ongoing basis.

Financial Management Systems: Current financial systems and policies and procedures should be in regular use and compliant with 45 CFR § 75.302 (Financial management and standards for financial management systems). Projects might focus on developing financial, travel, procurement, organizational, and/or HR policies; improving on an employee handbook; or reviewing and updating the current accounting software, chart of accounts, and/or payroll management system.

Use of Technology: The organization should have the technological equipment, software, and/or network infrastructure it needs to serve its community effectively, along with the necessary policies and procedures for safe and responsible use. Projects might focus on updating computer hardware and software; improving internet access and infrastructure reliability; or improving policies governing internet access, equipment use, inventory requirements, and/or social media.

Ability to Track and Manage Data: The organization should have the systems and knowledgeable staff necessary to securely collect, manage, and analyze data in order to track project outcomes and make informed, data-evidenced decisions. Projects might focus on improving databases used to track data; updating data software used, such as Excel or Access; developing processes used to collect, manage, and analyze data; or training staff on software and/or evaluation skills.

Partnerships: The organization should leverage healthy partnerships, preferably documented, with all external organizations it must work with in order to serve its community effectively. Projects might focus on forming Memorandums of Agreement or Understanding with current and new partners; increasing programs, training, and/or professional development opportunities; establishing recruitment pools, outreach, and/or communications procedures; or improving economic development opportunities with federal agencies, state agencies, and/or foundations.

SEDS-GO funding is not intended to expand existing programs and services already provided by the applicant organization, such as an expansion of a culture camp for youth. Applicants are encouraged to consider ANA’s other FOAs to support projects for new or enhanced programs and services that the organization seeks to provide for its community or membership. See https ://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/grants/funding-opportunities for more information.

ANA ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES

Prioritized Funding for Community-Based Native American Organizations ANA reserves the right to prioritize funding to community-based Native American organizations serving their local communities and populations. Applications from non-local, national, and regional organizations that propose projects to serve multiple communities, or to be performed in a different geographic location, must clearly demonstrate that the need for the project was originated by each community being served, and that the community and/or tribal government supports the proposed project. They must also describe how each community was selected, identify and describe the intended beneficiaries, demonstrate community involvement in the development of the project, and discuss a community-based delivery strategy for the project. The proposed project goals, objectives, and outcomes must address goals of the community being served. National and regional organizations must describe their membership and define how the organization operates. The type of community to be served will determine the type of documentation necessary to support the project.

Required Grantee Travel and Attendance at Post-Award Meetings Grantees will be required to have two individuals working directly on the project to attend Post- Award Training during the first year of their award and attend an annual ANA Grantee Meeting during each year of their ANA award. Please refer to Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, The Project Description, and The Project Budget and Budget Justification for more information on how to include this in the budget.

Limitation on the Number of Awards Under a Single CFDA Number Grantees can have only one active grant per Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number. (See CFDA definition located in Appendix A, Definitions and Section III.3. Other, ANA Disqualification Factors.)

Limitation on the Number of Awards Based on Two Consecutive Funded Projects ANA will maximize the reach of its limited funding. Therefore, applicants that have implemented at least two consecutive projects within one CFDA number may not be funded for a third consecutive project within the same CFDA number if other applicants who have not received ANA funding in the past 3 years are within the scoring range to be funded. Project implementation periods include newly awarded first year project periods, Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) periods, and No-Cost Extension (NCE) periods. See Section V.2.

Review and Selection Process, ANA Internal Review of Proposed Projects for additional information.

Compliance with Background Checks and Applicable Child Safety Laws All recipients must comply with applicable federal, tribal, and state law with respect to criminal https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/grants/funding-opportunities https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/grants/funding-opportunities history record checks and clearance through child abuse and neglect and sex offender registries.

Conflict of Interest Standards The non-federal entity must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to the respective HHS awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 45 CFR §75.112 (a)(1)-(a)(3) and other subsequent applicable HHS awarding agency's policy.

It is longstanding ANA policy to preclude members of the governing body of grantee organizations from paid employment under an ANA-funded project in order to preserve the independence and impartiality of governing body members and avoid conflicts of interest. The regulations provide for an exception under 45 CFR §1336.50 (f), which permits the Chief Executive of the grantee to serve as project staff with the salary and expenses of the Office of Chief Executive allowable costs under the ANA grant provided such costs are directly related to the project and do not include the costs of general government. A grantee must request prior approval from ANA for such an exemption.

Federal Evaluation Under Section 811 of NAPA, ANA is required to provide an evaluation of funded projects including evaluations that describe and measure the success of such projects, their effectiveness in achieving stated goals, and their structure and mechanism for delivery of services. ANA currently undertakes a federally sponsored evaluation strategy to assess the effectiveness and success of approved projects. The federal evaluation strategy will include review of grantee-level documentation including, but not limited to, the On-going Progress Reports (OPRs), which is approved under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0970- 0452, (expiration date 9/30/2023). In accepting a grant award, all grantees agree to participate fully in the federal evaluation, if selected, and to follow all evaluation protocols established by ANA or its designee contractor(s).

Currently, federal project evaluations culminate in end-of-project site visits from ANA, during which evaluators utilize a structured information collection approved under OMB control number 0970-0379, (expiration date 6/30/2022). The information covered during such site visits follows up on and utilizes information provided through the grantee’s initial grant application and OPRs that evaluates the tracked outcomes performed by project staff throughout the project period.

NOTE: Consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, (44 U.S.C. §§ 3501-3521), under this FOA, ANA will not conduct or sponsor – and a person is not required to respond to -a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. ANA has obtained OMB approval for the referenced information collections under OMB #0970-0452 (expiration date 9/30/2023). ACF will obtain OMB approval under the PRA prior to collecting or requesting the collection of any additional information from more than nine individuals or entities.

Pre-Application Teleconferences or Webinars ANA may conduct a pre-application teleconference or webinar about the annual FOAs. If scheduled, the date, time, registration, and call-in information will be available on ACF’s ANA website at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/events. Pre-application teleconference or webinar materials may be accessed on the same website.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/events

Joining and participating in the teleconference or webinar is voluntary. Only the information provided in this FOA will be presented. No question and answer period will be offered during the session. Participants will remain anonymous. Opting not to participate in the webinar will not affect eligibility, application scoring, or the selection process. Applicants unable to attend can access the recording and transcript on the ANA website after the teleconference or webinar has concluded.

Definitions Program-specific terms and concepts described in this FOA are found in Appendix A.

Definitions.

COVID-19 Response If, during the project period, ANA and/or grantees are required to adjust program and/or grantee requirements due to COVID-19 or other nationally declared emergency, ANA will exercise maximum flexibilities as needed. Requirements may be conducted virtually and/or timelines modified in consultation with ANA.

Subawards Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352 do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the FOA, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number, or after government-wide implementation, a Unique Entity Identifier assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check the SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Grant Estimated Total Funding: $1,500,000 Expected Number of Awards: 9 Award Ceiling: $200,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $50,000 Per Budget Period Average Projected Award Amount: $175,000 Per Budget Period Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2021 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#chapter-15 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements

Length of Project Periods:

Length of Project Period: 12-month project period and budget period 24-month project period with two 12-month budget periods 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. See Section III.2. of this announcement for information on cost-sharing or matching requirements.

Non-Competing Continuation (NCC) Awards An initial grant award will be for a 12-month budget period. The NCC award for projects approved for more than one budget period will be awarded on the basis of submission and approval of annual NCC applications, availability of funds, satisfactory progress, on-time completion of grant reporting requirements, and a determination that the continued funding would be in the best interest of the federal government.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 2991b and 45 CFR §1336.33, eligible applicants under this announcement are:

Federally-recognized Indian tribes, as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA);

Incorporated non-federally recognized tribes;

Incorporated state-recognized Indian tribes;

Consortia of Indian tribes;

Incorporated non-profit multi-purpose community-based Indian organizations (including

Urban Indian Organizations as defined by 25 U.S.C. § 1603(29));

Urban Indian Centers;

Native Community Development Financial Institutions (Native CDFIs);

Alaska Native villages, as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act

(ANCSA), and/or non-profit village consortia;

Non-profit Native organizations in Alaska with village-specific projects;

Incorporated non-profit Alaska Native multipurpose, community-based organizations;

Non-profit Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Associations in Alaska with village-specific projects;

Non-profit Alaska Native community entities or tribal governing bodies (Indian

Reorganization Act or Traditional Councils) as recognized by the BIA;

Public and non-profit private agencies serving Native Hawaiians;

National or regional incorporated non-profit Native American organizations with Native

American community-specific objectives;

Public and non-profit private agencies serving Native peoples from Guam, American

Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;

Tribal Colleges and Universities and colleges and universities located in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands that serve Native American Pacific Islanders.

Please refer to Section III.3. Other, ANA Disqualification Factors, for additional eligibility requirements.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes Grantees are required to meet a non-federal share of the project cost, in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 2991b(b).

Grantees must provide at least 20 percent of the total approved cost of the project. The total approved cost of the project is the sum of the ACF (federal) share and the non-federal share.

The non-federal share may be met by cash or in-kind contributions, although applicants are encouraged to meet their match requirements through cash contributions. For example, in order to meet the match requirements, a project requesting $200,000.00 in ACF (federal) funds must provide a non-federal share of the approved total project cost of at least $50,000.00 , which is 20 percent of total approved project cost of $250,000.00 .

For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF.

Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost-sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

ANA COMMITMENT OF CASH OR IN-KIND CONTRIBUTION

Applicants must establish proof of the firm commitment of cash or in-kind contributions for at least the first budget period by submitting documentation, such as a letter or other proof, from the source of such resources. See Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, The Project Budget and Budget Justification.

ANA MATCH WAIVER

Applicants may request a waiver of the requirement for a 20 percent match. To receive a waiver or a reduction in the required match, the applicant must provide ANA with written documentation of their need. This request must establish whether the applicant satisfies each waiver criteria in 45 CFR §1336.50(b)(3). The waiver request should be submitted with the application as an attachment. Approval of the waiver request cannot be assumed by the applicant without written notification from ANA. Waiver requests will not result in a deduction of points in the evaluation of the application.

45 CFR §1336.50(b)(3) states the following:

"(3) Criteria. Both of the following criteria[1] must be met for an applicant to be eligible for a waiver of the non-Federal matching requirement:

(i) Applicant lacks the available resources to meet part or all of the non-Federal matching requirement. This must be documented by an institutional audit if available, or a full disclosure of applicant's total assets and liabilities.

(ii) Applicant can document that reasonable efforts to obtain cash or in-kind contributions for the purposes of the project from third parties have been unsuccessful. Evidence of such efforts can include letters from possible sources of funding indicating that the requested resources are not available for that project. The requests must be appropriate to the source in terms of project purpose, applicant eligibility, and reasonableness of the request."

For inquiries about the waiver process, contact your regional technical assistance provider.

Refer to Section VIII. Other Information, Reference Websites, for the contact information.

Matching Waiver Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. § 1469a(d)

Matching requirements (including in-kind contributions) of less than $200,000 (up to $199,999) are waived under grants made to the governments of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (other than those consolidated under other provisions of 48 U.S.C. 1469) pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d). This waiver applies whether the matching required under the grant equals or exceeds $200,000.

III.3. Other

PROJECTS INELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING

45 CFR §1336.33(b) has the effect of making the following projects ineligible for funding under this FOA:

Projects for which a grantee will provide third-party training and technical assistance to other tribes or Native American organizations or to non-members of the grantee organization.

Projects that require funding for feasibility studies, business plans, marketing plans, or written materials, such as manuals that are not an essential part of the applicant's long range development plan.

Projects with core administration functions that essentially support only the applicant's ongoing administrative functions and are not related to the proposed project.

Projects that support ongoing social service delivery programs or the expansion or continuation of existing social service delivery programs.

Projects that do not further the three interrelated ANA goals of economic development, social development, and cultural preservation.

Projects from consortia of tribes that do not include documentation from each participating consortium member specifying their role and support. Projects from consortia must have goals and objectives that will encompass the participating communities. ANA will not fund projects by a consortium of tribes that duplicate activities for which participating member tribes also receive funding from ANA.

The purchase of real estate.

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Award Ceiling Disqualification Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission ACF requires electronic submission of applications at www.Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applicants that do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the Internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6.

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications) The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to www.Grants.gov after 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from www.Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. That is, applications submitted to www.Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 a.m., ET, on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applications submitted to www.Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the www.Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by, ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via www.Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF, will be acknowledged.

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received https://www.grants.gov https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6 https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov after 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

ANA DISQUALIFICATION FACTORS

Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors Applicants other than tribes or Alaska Native villages applying for funding must show that a majority of board members are representative of a Native American community to be served.

Applicants must submit documentation that identifies each board member by name and indicates each board member's personal affiliation or relationship to at least one of ANA’s three categories of community representation, which includes: (1) members of federally or state-recognized tribes; (2) persons who are recognized by members of the eligible Native American community to be served as having a cultural relationship with that community; or (3) persons considered to be Native American, as defined in 45 CFR § 1336.10, or Native American Pacific Islanders as defined in Section 815 of NAPA. The second category of community representation requires a “cultural” relationship defined as lineage, familial, marriage, or other traditional or social connection to the community and not a business or work relationship (e.g., a person that owns a business or is employed by an organization that serves the Native community).

Applicants that do not include this documentation will be considered non-responsive, and the application will not be considered for competition. See Appendix B for an example.

See Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission, The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation.

Public agencies serving Native peoples from Guam, American Samoa, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands must include Assurance of Community Representation from the governing body of the applicant agency, and Tribal Colleges governed by a board that is separate from the governing body of a tribe, must include Assurance of Community Representation from the governing body of the Tribal College, and not from the governing body of the Tribe.

If an American Indian tribe or Alaska Native village applies for a grant as a non-profit, the Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors must be provided.

Applicants that do not include this documentation will be considered non-responsive, and the application will not be considered for competition. See Section IV.2. The Project Description, Additional Eligibility Documentation.

Only One Active Award per CFDA This disqualification factor applies to all types of eligible applicants.

Organizations can have no more than one active award per CFDA number for an ANA program at any given time. Therefore, organizations with a current ANA grant that is eligible for an NCC award that 1) will go beyond the start date of the possible new award and 2) was awarded under the same CFDA number as this FOA, will not have their applications considered for the competition. This disqualification factor is based on the administrative policy that prohibits grantees from having more than one active grant per CFDA number. This disqualification factor does not apply to organizations eligible for an NCC award for the continuation of an ANA grant made under a different CFDA number.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this FOA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

ANA Operation Administration and Technical Support Team (OATS) [HHS-2021-ACF-ANA-

NN-1918]

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration for Native Americans Mary E. Switzer Memorial Building 330 C Street, SW., 4th Floor Washington, DC 20201 Phone: (877) 922-9262 Email: anacomments@acf.hhs.gov URL: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/programs

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the FOA's listing at www.Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms, assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the FOA's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at www.Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to www.Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/programs https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay

Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified on the SF-424. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact should also be an employee of the applicant organization and not a contractor, such as a grant writer. The point of contact must be available to answer any questions pertaining to the application.

Application Checklist Applicants may refer to Section VIII. Other Information for a checklist of application requirements that may be used in developing and organizing application materials. Details concerning acknowledgment of received applications are available in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times of this announcement.

Accepted Font Style Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be TNR 10-point font.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. If applications are submitted using another currency, ACF will convert the foreign currency to U.S. currency using the date of receipt of the application to determine the rate of exchange.

Page Limitations Applicants must observe the page limitation(s) listed under “Page Limitations and Content for All Application Submission Formats:" Page limitation(s) do not include Standard Forms (SFs), OMB-approved forms, including the ANA Objective Workplan (OWP), required assurances and certifications.

All applications must be double-spaced and in Times New Roman, 12-point font. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages will have the extra pages removed and the removed pages will not be reviewed.

Application Elements Exempted from Double-Spacing Requirements The following elements of the application submission are exempt from the double-spacing requirements and may be single-spaced: the one-page Project Summary/Abstract, required Assurances and Certifications, required SFs, required OMB-approved forms, resumes, logic models, proof of legal status/non-profit status, third-party agreements, letters of support, footnotes, tables, the line-item budget and/or the budget justification.

Adherence to FOA Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that fail to adhere to formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will be adjusted by the removal of page(s) from the application. Pages will be removed before the objective review. The removed page(s) will not be made available to reviewers.

In instances where formatting and font requirements are not adhered to, ACF uses a formula to determine the actual number of pages to be removed. The formula counts the number of characters an applicant uses when following the instructions and using 12-point TNR and compares the resulting number with that of the submitted application. For example, an applicant using TNR, 11-point font, with 1-inch margins all around, and single-spacing, would have an additional 26 lines, or 1500 characters, which is equal to 4/5 of an additional page. Extra pages resulting from this formula will be removed and will not be reviewed.

Applications that have more than one scanned page of a document on a single page will have the page(s) removed from the review. For applicants that submit paper applications, double-sided pages will be counted as two pages. When the maximum allowed number of pages is reached, excess pages will be removed and will not be made available to reviewers.

Page limitations are identical for electronically-submitted and paper format application submissions.

NOTE: Applicants failing to adhere to formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will receive a letter from ACF notifying them that their application was amended. The letter will be sent after awards have been issued and will specify the reason(s) for removal of page(s).

Corrections/Updates to Submitted Applications When applicants make revisions to a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. The Application Disqualification Factors determine the application's acceptance for competitive review. See Section III.3. Application Disqualification Factors and Section IV.2. Application Submission Options.

Copies Required Applicants must submit one complete copy of the application package electronically. Applicants submitting electronic applications need not provide additional copies of their application package. Applicants submitting applications in paper format must submit one original and two copies of the complete application, including all Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms.

The original copy must have original signatures.

Signatures Applicants submitting electronic applications must follow the registration and application submission instructions provided at www.Grants.gov. The original of a paper format application must include original signatures.

http://www.grants.gov/

Accepted Application Format With the exception of the required Standard Forms (SFs) and OMB-approved forms, all application materials must be formatted so that they are 8 ½" x 11" white paper with 1-inch margins all around. If possible, applicants are encouraged to include page numbers for each page within the application.

ACF generally does not encourage submission of scanned documents as they tend to have reduced clarity and readability. If documents must be scanned, the font size on any scanned documents must be large enough so that it is readable. Documents must be scanned page-for-page, meaning that applicants may not scan more than one page of a document onto a single page.

PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL APPLICATION SUBMISSION

FORMATS:

ANA has implemented a page limit of 150 total pages for applications submitted in response to this FOA. The page limitation excludes the required forms, the Objective Work Plan (OWP), assurances, and certifications listed in this section. The 1-page Project Summary is excluded from the page limitation.

The following are the required application components to include in a complete application for consideration:

Table of Contents Project Summary (limited to one single-spaced page) Project Description o Approach Introduction to the Applicant Organization Targeted Challenge Project Goal Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART)

Objectives Outcomes Indicators Outputs Description of Project Implementation Strategy Objective Work Plan (OWP) o Organizational Capacity Organizational Charts Resumes List of Board of Directors Job Descriptions for each vacant key position o Bonus Points o Plan for Oversight of Federal Award Funds and Activities

Project Budget and Budget Justification o Line Item Budget o Budget Justification

Application Appendices:

Additional Eligibility Documentation o Governing Body Documentation o Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors (see ANA

Disqualification Factors in Section III.3. Other and Appendix B) Protection of Sensitive and Confidential Information Maintenance of Effort Certification (MOE) Legal Status of Applicant Entity, if applicable Commitment of Non-Federal Resources Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable Letters of Support Third-Party Agreements, if applicable Other attachments, if necessary

The following must be included in the…