hhs-2024-acf-ana-nr-0061 (1).pdf

Notice of Funding Opportunity

Application due May 20, 2024

Administration for Native Americans (ANA)

Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE) Opportunity number: HHS-2024-ACF-ANA-NR-0061

Contents Before you begin 3

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 4

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 10

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 14

Get registered 15

Find the application package 15

Join the webinar 15

Learn more about applying 16

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 17

Application contents and format 18

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 31

Application review 32

Award notices 39

Step 5: Submit Your Application 40

Application submission and deadlines 41

Application checklist 44

Step 6: Learn What Happens After Award 46

Post-award requirements and administration 47

Contacts and Support 50

Contents 2

Before you begin If you believe you are a good candidate for this funding opportunity, secure your SAM.gov and Grants.gov registrations now. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is active and up-to-date.

SAM.gov registration (this can take several weeks) You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Grants.gov registration (this can take several days) You must have an active Grants.gov registration. Doing so requires a Login.gov registration as well.

See Step 2: Get Ready to Apply

Apply by May 20, 2024 Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on May 20, 2024.

To help you find what you need, this NOFO uses internal links. In Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt + Left Arrow (Windows) or Command + Left Arrow (Mac) on your keyboard.

Before you begin 3 https://sam.gov/ https://grants.gov/

Jump to a step

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1:

Review the Opportunity

In this step

Basic information 5

Eligibility 6

Program description 10

Basic information Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

Administration for Native Americans (ANA)

This program supports community-based projects designed to improve the capability of tribal governing bodies to regulate environmental quality in areas encompassing Native American communities.

Have questions?

See Contacts and Support.

Key facts

Opportunity Name:

Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE)

Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACF-ANA-

NR-0061

Federal Assistance Listing:

93.581

Key dates

Application deadline:

May 20, 2024, 11:59 p.m.

ET

Expected award date:

September 30, 2024

Expected start date:

September 30, 2024

Summary The Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE) Program provides funding for the costs of planning, developing, and implementing programs designed to improve the capability of tribal governing bodies to regulate environmental quality pursuant to federal and tribal environmental laws. The goal of the ERE Program is to empower tribal and Alaska Native communities to manage lands, water, and air in their regions.

You do not need to own land to apply for an ERE award.

Funding details Type: Grant

Estimated total program funding: $2,000,000

Total expected awards: 3

Projects and budget periods can be 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months. ANA will award all federal funds at the start of the award.

Minimum award amount for the project and budget period (award floor): $100,000

Maximum award amount is dependent on the project and budget period:

1. 12-month project has a $300,000 ceiling

2. 24-month project has a $600,000 ceiling

3. 36-month project has a $900,000 ceiling

Awards made under this funding opportunity are subject to federal funds availability.

The maximum amount of federal funding you can spend each year is $300,000 but you are not required to spend the same amount each year. For example, you could spend $300,000 in year 1, $250,000 in year 2, and $150,000 in year 3.

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 5

Eligibility Who can apply

Eligible applicants These types of organizations may apply based on 42 U.S.C. §2991b and 45 CFR §1336.33:

• Federally recognized Indian tribes, as recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

(BIA)

• Incorporated non-federally recognized tribes

• Incorporated state-recognized Indian tribes

• Other tribal or village organizations or consortia of Indian tribes

• Nonprofit Alaska Native Regional Corporations/Associations in Alaska with village-specific projects

• Nonprofit Alaska Native community entities or tribal governing bodies (Indian Reorganization Act or Traditional Councils) as recognized by the BIA

• Alaska Native villages, as defined in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and/or nonprofit village consortia

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. See 45 CFR part 87 and 42 U.S.C. §2000bb et seq.

Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities may not apply.

Other eligibility criteria Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors If you are not a federally or state-recognized tribe, Alaska Native village government, or public government agency in the U.S. territories, then you must provide documentation that a majority of your board members are representative of the Native American communities that ANA serves.

You must show that a majority of your board members represent a Native American community to be served. You must submit documentation that identifies each board member by name and indicates one or more of ANA’s three categories of community representation for each:

• Members of federally or state-recognized tribes

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 6 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?hl=false&edition=prelim&req=granuleid%3AUSC-prelim-title42-section2991b&num=0&saved=%7CZ3JhbnVsZWlkOlVTQy1wcmVsaW0tdGl0bGU0Mi1zZWN0aW9uMjk5MWItMg%3D%3D%7C%7C%7C0%7Cfalse%7Cprelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-XIII/subchapter-D/part-1336/subpart-C/section-1336.33 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-XIII/subchapter-D/part-1336/subpart-C/section-1336.33 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title43/chapter33&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title43/chapter33&edition=prelim https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-87 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=42+usc+2000bb&f=treesort&fq=true&num=9&hl=true&edition=prelim&granuleId=USC-prelim-title42-section2000bb https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=42+usc+2000bb&f=treesort&fq=true&num=9&hl=true&edition=prelim&granuleId=USC-prelim-title42-section2000bb

• Persons who are recognized by members of the eligible Native American community to be served as having a cultural relationship with that community

• Persons considered to be Native American as defined in 45 CFR § 1336.10 and Native American Pacific Islanders as defined in section 815 of the Native American Programs Act (NAPA) (42 U.S.C. § 2992c(7))

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 (for example, someone who owns a business or is employed by an organization that serves the Native community).

The following entities are not exempt from this policy and must meet the assurance requirements:

• A Tribal college or university or a territorial public school or university governed by a board separate from the tribe or territorial government

• An American Indian tribe, Alaska Native village, or public government agency in the Pacific territories applying as a nonprofit organization

If you do not include this documentation in your attachments, you will be disqualified, and the application will not be considered for competition.

An example of the Assurance of Community Representation of the Board of Directors can be found on ANA’s applicant resource page.

Only one active award per assistance listing To be eligible under this NOFO, you can’t have a current active ANA award under Assistance Listing Number 93.581. Therefore, organizations with an ANA award that will continue beyond the start date of a possible new award and has the same Assistance Listing number as this NOFO is ineligible to apply for a new award and will be disqualified. The application will not be included in the competition. This disqualification factor does not impact organizations that have an ANA award under a different Assistance Listing number.

See Initial Review for disqualification factors.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 7 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-B/chapter-XIII/subchapter-D/part-1336/subpart-A/section-1336.10 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter34/subchapter8&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter34/subchapter8&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter34/subchapter8&edition=prelim https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title42/chapter34/subchapter8&edition=prelim https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/toolkit/ana-application-toolkit

Cost-sharing This program requires you to contribute 20 percent of the project’s total cost.

You can calculate this cost-sharing requirement in one of two ways:

Method 1: Start with the federal share Calculation: Divide the federal requested amount by four.

For example: $100,000 divided by 4 = $25,000 in cost sharing.

Method 2: Start with the total project cost Calculation: Divide the total project costs by five.

For example: $125,000 divided by 5 = $25,000 in cost sharing.

Types of cost sharing You can meet your match requirement through any combination of:

• In-kind (non-cash) contributions from partners or other third parties

• Cash contributed by your organization

• Cash contributed by partners or other third parties

Please view ANA’s applicant resource page for additional ways to meet your cost sharing requirements.

Use of other federal funding as match for ERE projects Under section 803(d) 3 of NAPA, projects funded through ERE are allowed to use other federal funding to meet the required 20 percent match. The authorizing statute for the matching federal funds must not expressly prohibit such use. If the other statute is silent on matching, then the applicant can use the other federal award to meet the ERE match requirement.

Cost-sharing commitments You must follow through on your promise of cost-sharing funds even if you promise more than required. We put these commitments in the Notice of Award. You’ll have to include your funds when you fill out your Federal Financial Reports.

If you don’t provide your promised amount, we may have to decrease your award amount or use other enforcement actions.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 8

Cost-sharing waiver You may request a waiver of the requirement for a 20 percent cost sharing match if you meet the criteria. Submit the waiver request with your application as an attachment.

See cost-sharing waiver request.

We will consider a waiver only if you meet the requirements in 45 CFR §1336.50(b)(3). A waiver is not guaranteed.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 9 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-1336#p-1336.50(b)(3)

Program description The ERE Program supports Native American tribes’ ability to enforce environmental laws. ERE promotes environmental health in American Indian/Alaska Native communities by supporting programs that align with the tribes’ cultural and natural resource management priorities.

Projects funded through this opportunity focus on one or more of the following activities:

• Strengthening environmental regulatory programs

• Integrating traditional ecological knowledge into program administration to advance historic preservation

• Advancing the management and co-management of lands

• Addressing climate change

• Promoting environmental justice

You can find a list of our currently funded projects on ANA’s award recipient website.

Successful applications vary widely. As you consider whether your project may be a good fit for this opportunity, we encourage you to interpret our program’s goals broadly. To learn more about the Program Areas of Interest for this NOFO, see ANA’s Program Areas page.

Program-specific terms and concepts in this NOFO can be found on ANA’s applicant resource page.

Indigenous Knowledge We recognize Indigenous Knowledge and encourage you to incorporate it into your project.

Per the November 2022 Executive Order Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on Indigenous Knowledge:

“Indigenous Knowledge is a body of observations, oral and written knowledge, innovations, practices, and beliefs developed by Tribes and Indigenous Peoples through interaction and experience with the environment. It is applied to phenomena across biological, physical, social, cultural, and spiritual systems. Indigenous Knowledge can be developed over millennia, continues to develop, and includes understanding based on evidence acquired through direct contact with the environment and long-term experiences, as well as extensive observations, lessons, and skills passed from generation to generation.”

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 10 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/social-and-economic-development-strategies-grantees https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/programs https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/programs https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/toolkit/ana-application-toolkit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/toolkit/ana-application-toolkit https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/OSTP-CEQ-IK-Guidance.pdf

Federal evaluation Under section 811 of NAPA, ANA must 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 undertakes a federally sponsored evaluation strategy to assess the effectiveness and success of approved projects. The federal evaluation strategy will include review of recipient-level documentation including but not limited to the Ongoing Progress Reports (OPR), which is approved under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number 0970-0452 (expiration date 9/30/26). You must agree to participate fully in the federal evaluation and to follow evaluation protocols established by ANA.

Federal project evaluations are completed during end-of-project site visits from ANA when evaluators use a structured information collection tool approved under OMB control number 0970-0379 (expiration date 6/30/25). The site visits include reviews of information provided through the recipient’s initial application and OPRs to evaluate the progress toward achieving the project’s goal and objectives by project staff throughout the project period.

Funding policies and limitations We do not allow the following costs under this NOFO:

• Construction

• Purchase of real property

• Major renovation

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

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

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 11 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-1336/section-1336.33#p-1336.33(b)

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

• Is 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

See 45 CFR §75.420 – 75.475 for information on costs that are always unallowable or have restrictions.

Indirect costs Indirect costs are those for a common or joint purpose across more than one project and that cannot be easily separated by project.

To charge indirect costs, you can select one of the following two methods:

Method 1 — Approved rate. You currently have an indirect cost rate approved by your cognizant federal agency.

Method 2 — De minimis rate. Per 45 CFR §75.414(f), if you have never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, you may elect to charge a de minimis rate. If you are awaiting approval of an indirect cost proposal, you may also use the de minimis rate. If you choose this method, costs included in the indirect cost pool must not be charged as direct costs.

The de minimis rate is 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC). See 45 CFR

75.2 for the definition of MTDC. You can use this rate indefinitely.

Learn more at 45 CFR §75.414, Indirect Costs.

Subawards The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. We define a substantive role as conducting funded activities and providing services that are necessary and integral to completing the project. Monitoring your subrecipient’s activities is not a substantive role.

See 45 CFR §75.352 for information on subrecipient monitoring.

We do 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.

Subrecipients must meet the eligibility requirements of this NOFO.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 12 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFR5d90ba314caea08 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.414(f) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.2(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.2(Modified%20Total%20Direct%20Cost) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.414 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-75.352

Required attendance at post-award meetings You must have the project director and a financial management staff person working on the project attend post-award training during the first year of their award and attend an annual ANA Recipient Meeting during each year of their ANA award. You must budget for all expenses associated with this required attendance.

Statutory authority This program is authorized under Section 803(a) of NAPA, 42 U.S.C. §2991b.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 1: Review the Opportunity 13

Step 2:

Get Ready to Apply

In this step

Get registered 15

Find the application package 15

Join the webinar 15

Learn more about applying 16

Get registered SAM.gov Your entity must have an active registration with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process today. Registration is valid for 1 year before renewal is required.

To register, go to SAM.gov Entity Registration and click Get Started. From the same page, you can also click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register.

Grants.gov You must also have an active account with Grants.gov. You can see step-by-step instructions at the Grants.gov Quick Start Guide for Applicants.

Need help? See Contacts and Support.

Find the application package The application package has all the forms you need to apply. You can find it online. Go to Search Grants at Grants.gov and search for opportunity number HHS-2024-ACF-ANA- NR-0061. Select the opportunity number’s search result. Then, select the “Package” tab.

If you can’t use Grants.gov to download application materials, you may request them from the grants management contact.

If you are also unable to apply through Grants.gov, see exemptions for paper submissions.

Join the webinar ANA has an on-demand, pre-application webinar about the NOFOs. The pre-application webinar and materials are accessible on ACF’s ANA events website.

The pre-application webinar is available throughout the 60-day duration of the open application period. Viewing the webinar is voluntary. The webinar is available on demand on the website. The presentation will only include information provided in this

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 15 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration http://www.grants.gov/quick-start-guide/applicants https://grants.gov/search-grants https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/events https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/events https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/events

NOFO. Opting not to view the webinar will not affect eligibility, application scoring, or the selection process.

In the event of a discrepancy between the information in the webinar and the NOFO, the NOFO takes precedence.

Learn more about applying Visit Applying for an ACF Grant Award on the ACF Grants Page.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 2: Get Ready to Apply 16 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant

Step 3:

Prepare Your Application

In this step

Application contents and format 18

Application contents and format Application components

The following are the required components of a completed application:

• Table of contents

• Project summary

• Project narrative

• Organizational capacity

• Line-item budget and budget narrative

• Attachments

• Standard forms

Required format Page limit: 100 pages. We have clearly marked in the application checklist all components that are not included in this page limit.

File format: Portable Document File (PDF) is recommended, but not required. ACF supports the following file formats when you attach files to the Project Narrative Attachment Form and the Other Attachments Form:

• Adobe PDF — Portable Document Format (.pdf)

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)

• Microsoft Excel (.xls or .xlsx)

• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt)

• Image Formats (.JPG, .GIF, .TIFF, or .BMP only)

Paper Size: 8.5 by 11 inches

Margins: 1 inch all around

Language: English

If possible, include page numbers.

Do not include external links to information you want reviewers to assess.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 18

Fonts Font: Times New Roman

Size: 12-point font

Footnotes and text in tables and graphics may be 10-point.

Spacing Table of contents: Must be single-spaced

Project summary: Must be single-spaced

Project narrative: Must be double-spaced

Line-Item budget and Budget narrative: Can be single-spaced

Attachments: As needed

Tables and footnotes throughout: Can be single-spaced

Table of contents At the beginning of your application, include a table of contents that guides a reader through the contents of files in your application.

Project summary Not included in the page limit.

Provide a one-page summary of the proposed project. Do not cross-reference to other parts of the application. The summary can be single-spaced and must include:

• At the top, the project title, applicant name, address, phone numbers, email addresses, and any website URL.

• A brief description of the project, including the needs and population you will address and your proposed services.

Project narrative The project narrative is where you address all your proposed activities. It is a critical section of your application, which we evaluate and rank against other applications using the merit review criteria. Remember that substance and measurable outcomes are more important than length. We are particularly interested in project narratives that convey strategies for achieving intended goals and objectives.

In it, you must:

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 19

• Explain how the project will meet the purpose of the NOFO, as described in the program description section.

• Make sure your narrative is clear, concise, and complete.

• Use cross-referencing rather than repetition.

• Be sure to include any required supporting documents noted. You generally provide these in your attachments.

• Use the headings and order of the sections that follow.

Geographic location Provide the precise physical location of your project and boundaries of the area you will serve. If you will include any subrecipients in your project that will serve the geographic areas, include their locations as well.

You will also provide information related to your site in the Project/Performance Site Location(s) form. See Standard Forms.

Past ANA project performance ANA provides project-specific funding and not ongoing program funding. If you are proposing a project that is similar, in whole or in part, to previously funded activities, please provide a detailed description of what was achieved by the earlier project. In addition, provide explicit details and explanation of how the proposed project is different and not a duplicate of the previously funded project.

Current community condition Identify one current community condition the proposed project will address. While ANA understands a community may face many conditions at the same time, you should identify only one current community condition statement that the proposed project will address.

Include recent data, either qualitative or quantitative, to describe the status of the current community condition and its relevance to your proposed project. Examples of kinds of data you might use include tracking wildlife, water or soil contamination levels, etc. Use local data when available.

An example of a currently community condition is: “Community members are not responsibly disposing of trash, recyclables, and other waste resulting in waste accumulating in community gathering locations such as playgrounds, school yards, and along the banks of the community river.”

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 20

Project goal In a single sentence, state a project goal that will be achieved by the end of the project.

The project goal should describe an improvement to the current community condition.

Additionally, describe how the project goal is relevant to this opportunity and explain how the project goal is achievable by the end of the project period.

An example of a project goal is: “Develop a community recycling program with a Community Recycling Awareness Action Plan that enrolls households into the program and increases participation in recycling.”

Objectives Describe the results your project will achieve and how it will achieve them.

Identify up to three objectives for the entire project period.

Well-written objectives help set program priorities and targets for progress and accountability. We recommend that you avoid verbs that may have vague meanings to describe the intended outcomes, like “understand” or “know,” because it may prove difficult to measure them.

Instead, write objectives that document action, such as the following: “By the end of 36 months, 250 tribal households will be enrolled in the community recycling program in order to improve the environmental health of community members living on tribal lands.”

Each objective can include:

• A timeline describing when the objective will be completed. This should be expressed in project years (for example, “by the end of 36 months”)

• A description of what will be completed through the objective (for example, “enrolled in the community recycling program”)

• A measure of the amount of change expected by the end of the project (for example, “250 tribal households enrolled”)

An example of how to write an objective can be found on ANA’s applicant resource page.

Project implementation plan Tell us the story of who you are and what you want to accomplish with your project, including the following:

• What your timeline will be

• How will you achieve your goals and objectives

• Who will be involved

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Step 3: Prepare Your Application 21

• What resources you will need to be successful

Describe your action plan to implement the project. Describe the scope of your proposed project and explain in detail how you will accomplish it. Account for all functions or activities you identify in your application.

Discuss all the steps that must be taken in order to implement each objective and to achieve the expected outcomes. You will also submit a plan using the objective work plan forms. See Standard Forms.

Present this plan in a narrative that provides more information on the objectives, activities, and outputs presented in the objective work plan (OWP). Outputs are the direct, tangible results of activities. This is often expressed as a target number of activities completed and/or people served. Include all necessary steps and realistic timeframes to achieve each objective. Do not copy the OWP directly into the narrative to complete this section.

If a license or permit is needed for any of the activities in your proposed project, your implementation plan should describe how and when it will be obtained.

Explain potential obstacles, barriers, or challenges that could delay the project or hinder you from accomplishing the project goals. Identify strategies you will use to address them.

Challenges you might address include partnerships falling through, weather, and low participant recruitment.

Identify the measures you will take to ensure that the positive changes achieved by the project will be sustained beyond the end of the project. These can include resources, staff, or partners that are needed to sustain positive changes from the project.

Community-based strategy Community involvement in project design and implementation is one of the key factors in determining if a project will be successful.

• Describe experience working on projects within the community. Describe the community’s participation and engagement in past projects.

• Describe how the community was involved in identifying the need for the project and how their feedback was incorporated into the project design. Explain who or what members of the community, including the tribal council or board, were involved to identify the need for the project.

◦ You can also demonstrate the extent of community involvement during project planning by including supporting documentation (including, but not limited to, stakeholder meeting agendas, sign-in sheets, surveys, and focus group notes). A narrative to describe community is acceptable and additional

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 22 documents are optional. If you include them, you should submit them under Community-Based Strategy Documentation in the attachments section.

Population to be served Describe the participants or beneficiaries who will take part in the project’s activities.

Explain how they will benefit from participating.

• Identify how participants will be recruited for the project, including any outreach activities related to recruitment, if applicable.

• Identify outreach activities that will be used to maintain community awareness, involvement, and/or participation in the project. Examples of outreach activities include community meetings, news media, social media, events, and publications.

Outcomes Outcomes are a measurable change that will result from achievement of the implementation plan. Outcomes can include, but are not limited to, increases in capacity and changes in knowledge, awareness, attitudes, skills, or behaviors.

Outcomes can be the same or different for each objective.

• Identify an outcome for each objective.

• Show clear connections between the outcomes, the current community condition, project goal, and objectives.

An example outcome is: “Tribal members will be engaged in improving the environmental health of their community through recycling efforts.”

Objective work plan (OWP) We require you to submit an OWP. Please refer to standard forms for the OWP form that you must use.

The OWP is a blueprint for achieving project objectives. It arranges major steps based on the implementation plan and includes details like:

• Key activities: The “how” of the project.

• Timeframes: “When” these activities should be accomplished.

• Responsible staff: “Who” will carry out each activity.

• Outcomes: Outcomes describe the most significant change the objective will produce. Include the primary outcome for each objective as stated in the project narrative.

• Outputs: Outputs are the direct, tangible results of activities. This is often expressed as a target number of activities completed and/or people served. The outputs are logical results of the successful completion of activities within the proposed time frame.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 23

The OWP should be a work plan for each objective and each year.

• The OWP should have no more than three objectives, as stated in the project narrative.

• The OWP should include all activities needed to successfully achieve each objective. Each objective can have up to 25 activities per year. The budget period for this NOFO begins September 30 and ends September 29 for each year of the project.

• If an objective spans more than 1 year, the OWP should provide details about which activities will occur in each year.

• We strongly encourage you to review the OWP form and instructions available at Grants.gov.

Organizational capacity This section of your application will describe the organization’s data management plan;

staffing plan, including qualifications and experience of staff; partnerships; and consultants.

Data management plan Describe a data management plan that will be used during implementation to collect information that can improve the project over time. This plan must include:

• A description of which staff will be responsible for data collection, tracking, and reporting

• How you will monitor ongoing activities to measure the progress of the project’s objectives

• The data collection tools and processes that will measure each objective

• Examples of tools include Excel spreadsheets, logic models, surveys, assessments, Indigenous Knowledge in the form of community observations or interviews, and outcome trackers

• If data collection tools need to be developed, explain how you will develop them

• A timeline for how you will review and use data collected to make adjustments to the project

Staffing plan You may provide your staffing plan in a narrative format or by attaching project-specific job descriptions.

• Identify all staff, partners, and consultants (filled and unfilled) supporting the project. Each person’s role and responsibilities should be explained. If known, please include the names of staff members who will fill key roles.

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Step 3: Prepare Your Application 24 https://grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

• Explain recruitment and hiring process for positions (staff, partners, and consultants) that need to be filled.

• Identify the principal investigator/project director (PI/PD) and authorized organizational representative (AOR) for the project (see definitions). The AOR and PI/PD cannot be the same person and the separation of these duties must be identified.

◦ PI/PD responsibilities include monitoring progress and maintaining oversight of program reporting, staff, and partners.

◦ AOR will have official signing responsibility for the award.

◦ If a permanent PI/PD or AOR is unknown, identify who will take on the role until the position is filled and provide a timeline for filling the role with permanent personnel.

• Describe how the project will continue if positions become vacant at any time during the project period.

Partnerships and consultants

• Identify each partner or consultant and explain how they will support project activities, including scopes of work, MOUs, or letters of commitment.

◦ If the project does not plan on including these entities then please indicate so by stating: “Our project will not include the support of partners, consultants, or subrecipients.”

• Describe plans to finalize partnerships agreements if not completed and contingency plans for partnerships or consultant agreements if they fall through.

• Identify processes for communication with partners or consultants and how agreements will be managed and maintained.

Oversight plan Recipients are required to ensure proper oversight in accordance with 45 CFR part 75, subpart D. Oversight is the process by which an entity’s senior management ensures projects are performed in compliance with award requirements.

Provide a plan for oversight that includes the following:

• Describe key oversight staff who will be responsible for overseeing project staff and, if applicable, partners, consultants, or subrecipients.

• Describe key oversight staff who will be responsible for complying with applicable tribal policies and procedures, as well as state and federal laws and regulations.

These responsibilities will include drawing down funds and ensuring internal controls are in place when authorizing expenditures. There should be a clear separation of duties between the financial staff and the program staff.

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 25 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/toolkit/ana-application-toolkit https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-D https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-D

• Identify systems for record-keeping, financial management, and reporting to oversight bodies.

• Explain procedures to avoid conflicts of interest.

Line-item budget and budget narrative The line-item budget and budget narrative support the information you provide in the Budget Information SF-424-A. See Standard Forms.

It justifies the costs you ask for and includes added detail, including detailed calculations for the “object class categories” in the Budget Information Standard Form.

You will provide this information for each year of the period of performance. See Funding Details.

As you develop your budget, consider:

• If the costs are necessary, reasonable, allocable, and consistent with your project’s purpose and activities

• How you calculate your costs in ways that are clear and repeatable

• The restrictions on spending funds. See funding policies and limitations.

We encourage you also to review the Standard Form instructions.

To create your line-item budget and narrative, see detailed instructions on ACF’s budget information page.

In general, you must:

• Provide a budget that reflects expenditures in 12-month increments.

• Indicate the method you will use for your indirect cost rate, if applicable. See Indirect Costs for further information.

• Include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.

• For any cost sharing, include a detailed listing of any funding sources identified in Block 18 of the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance.

Budgets should include a column for each of the following and should be organized in this order:

• Object class categories (sections of cost types for the line items)

• Federal share (or costs that will be covered by the federal award)

• Match (cost share). This can be cash or in-kind and is the required 20 percent total project cost to be contributed by the applicant

The budget narrative provides the cost calculations and breakdown for each line item for each year of the project. The budget narrative also provides a brief statement of the

1. Review 2. Get ready 3. Prepare 4. Learn 5. Submit 6. Award Contacts

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 26 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/prepare-budget need for, or benefit of, this line-item expenditure relating to the accomplishment of the project.

• For example, personnel wage rate per hour multiplied by the number of hours to equal the annual salary listed for personnel, or vendor quotes for equipment over $5,000.

• For example: “Xerox Copy Machine, $5215 (see quotes). This is for the mass production of training materials required.”

Cost-sharing The application should include attachments with information or documentation, such as commitment letters from partners, vendors, tribal resolution, or board resolution, to demonstrate how the 20 percent required commitment of cost-share contributions will be met.

Required ANA travel costs Travel costs for two people to attend Post-Award Training for two days during the first year of your award. You should follow your organization’s travel policies to develop this budget.

• The Alaska Regional meeting is usually held in Anchorage, Alaska.

• The Pacific Regional meeting is usually held in Honolulu, Hawaii.

• The Western Regional meeting is usually held in Phoenix, Arizona.

• The Eastern Regional meeting is usually held in Washington, DC.

Additionally, you should budget for two people to attend the Annual Recipient Meeting, which is usually held in Washington, DC, each year.

Proprietary or personally identifiable information In your application, you may identify salary or other proprietary information or personally identifiable information. We will remove this information from applications before they go to reviewers.

If you have an exemption for paper submission, you can protect salary information and any proprietary information by placing that information only in the original application. You can remove the information from the copies, keeping summary information.

Step 3: Prepare Your Application 27

Attachments You will upload attachments in Grants.gov using the Other Attachments Form. These attachments are included in the overall application page limit unless it says otherwise in this section.

Indirect cost agreement If you include indirect costs in your budget using an approved rate, include a copy of your current agreement approved by your cognizant agency for indirect costs. If you use the de minimis rate, you do not need to submit this attachment.

See Indirect Costs for more information.

Proof of nonprofit status If your organization is a nonprofit, you need to attach proof. We will accept any of the following:

• A reference to your listing in the IRS’s most recent list of tax-exempt organizations

• A copy of a current tax exemption certificate from the IRS

• A letter from your state’s tax department, Attorney General, or another appropriate state official saying that your group is a nonprofit and that none of your net earnings go to private shareholders or others

• A certified copy of your certificate of incorporation or similar document, showing that your group is a nonprofit

• Any of these documents for a parent organization, along with a statement signed by an official of the parent group that your organization is a nonprofit affiliate

Governing body documentation

• All applications should include documentation demonstrating that the governing body of the organization approves the application’s submission to ANA. Without ANA’s receipt of signed and dated documentation prior to the start of the award of funds, the applicant’s project cannot be approved.

• Documentation must be signed and dated by an official of the governing body. In signing the document, the governing body agrees that the applicant organization will assume the obligation imposed by applicable federal regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if the award is made.

• Written formal board resolutions, meeting minutes from the governing body, and/ or letters from the authorizing official reflecting approval of the project are acceptable documentation.

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Step 3: Prepare Your Application 28 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-75#p-75.2(Cognizant%20agency%20for%20indirect%20costs)

Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors The assurance documentation is not required from federally or state-recognized tribes, Alaska Native villages, or public government entities in the U.S. territories. It is required for applications from the following groups:

• Native nonprofit organizations

• Tribal colleges governed by a board that is separate from the governing body of a tribe

• American Indian Tribes or Alaska Native villages that apply as nonprofits

If you do not submit required documentation with the application, your application will be disqualified. (See eligibility.)

An example of the Assurance of Community Representation on the Board of Directors can be found on ANA’s applicant resource page.

Letters of support Attach statements from community, public, or commercial leaders that support your project. At minimum, each letter of support must identify the person writing the letter, the organization they represent, the date, and their reasons for supporting the project.

Maintenance of effort certification Not included in the page limit.

You will self-certify your maintenance of effort. Place this certification on your organization’s letterhead. See the wording at ACF’s website.

Other attachments Please include the following attachments:

• Documents that demonstrate community support

• Position descriptions

• Resumes

• Third-party agreements, if applicable

• Commitment letters from partners, vendors, tribal resolution, or board resolution

• Commitment of cost sharing and matching requirement documentation

• Permits or other certifications, if applicable

• Organizational Chart

• Council/Board of Directors

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Step 3: Prepare Your Application 29 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/certification-regarding-maintenance-effort

Cost-sharing waiver request Applicants may request a waiver of the requirement for a 20 percent cost-sharing match. To receive a waiver or a reduction in the required match, you must provide ANA with written documentation of your need. This request must establish whether the applicant satisfies all of the waiver criteria in 45 CFR §1336.50(b)(3). Do not assume that we have approved your waiver request until you receive written notification from us.

Waiver requests will not result in a deduction of points in the evaluation of the application.

For inquiries about the waiver process, contact your regional technical assistance provider. You can find your center at ANA’s Training and Technical Assistance webpage.

Standard forms You will need to complete some standard forms. Upload the following standard forms at Grants.gov. You can find them in the NOFO application package or review them and their instructions at Grants.gov Forms.

Forms Submission requirement

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

With the application.

Budget Information for Non- Construction Programs (SF-424A)

With the application.

Assurances for Non- Construction Programs (SF-424B)

With the application.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(SF-LLL)

If applicable, with the application or before award.

Grants.gov Lobbying Form With the application or before award.

Project/Performance Site Location(s) (SF-P/PSL)

With the application. Cite your primary location and up to 29 additional performance sites.

Objective Work Plan (OWP) With the application.

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Step 3: Prepare Your Application 30 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/part-1336#p-1336.50(b)(3) https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ana/assistance https://www.grants.gov/forms

Step 4:

Learn About Review and Award

In this step

Application review 32

Award notices 39

Application review Initial review We review each application to make sure it meets basic requirements. We won’t consider an application that:

• Requests funding above the award ceiling

• Is submitted after the deadline

• Is from an individual, including a sole proprietorship or a foreign entity

• Is received in paper format that didn’t have a previously approved exemption from

ACF

• Is from an applicant organization that has one active ANA award with the same Assistance Listing number as this NOFO that will go beyond the start date of a possible new award

• Is from an applicant organization that failed to meet or document the Assurance of Community Representation on Board of Directors Requirement

We will let you know if your application is disqualified within 30 days of the application deadline by email. You won’t receive notice from ACF if your application failed the Grants.gov validation checks.

Also, if you don’t follow page limit or formatting requirements, we will remove pages from your application before it goes to the merit review. We will let you know if this happens.

We will also remove blurred or illegible pages and any file formats that are not supported.

Merit review A panel reviews all applications that pass the initial review. The reviewers use the criteria in this section to score the applications.

Additionally, our reviewers typically are not federal employees. See proprietary and personally identifiable information.

Step 4: Learn About Review and Award 32

Criteria

Criterion Total number of points = 100

1. Project narrative 75

2. Organizational capacity 15

3. Line-item budget and budget narrative 10

Project narrative (75 points total) This section of the review criteria includes many elements of the project narrative section of your application.