MP-CPI-21-006 FAQa-3-18-21.pdf

FAQs for MP-CPI-21-006

A. ELIGIBILITY

1. What applicants are eligible and how will they be defined for this funding opportunity?

a. Eligible applicants are legally recognized local municipalities (excluding States, Territories, Tribes, Tribal organizations, and non-profit urban Indian health organizations), such as city, township, borough, parish governments, as well as county governments across States and commonwealths of the United States. Other eligible applicants can also include water use cooperatives and even school districts.

2. Why are States and Territories not eligible for this funding opportunity?

a. To reach the most vulnerable populations, the OASH coordinated a multi-prong approach for distributing COVID-19 relief funds. Under the aforementioned paradigm:

funds to states and territories will be distributed through the CDC (Assistance Listing

(CFDA) number 93.391; Opportunity Number CDC-RFA-OT21-2103); funds to tribes, tribal organizations, and non-profit urban Indian health organizations will be distributed through the Indian Health Service (IHS); and funds to local municipalities will be distributed through OMH.

3. Why is this funding opportunity not available to Tribes, Tribal organizations, and nonprofit urban Indian health organizations?

a. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act relevant to this program allocated separate funding for tribes, tribal organizations, and non-profit urban Indian health organizations through the Indian Health Service (IHS).

4. We are a few neighboring localities who would like to coordinate our efforts and apply for this funding opportunity to provide services. Can we apply as a group, form a consortium, or does one locality have to be the lead?

a. Unless there is already a 501(c)(3) consortium in place at time of the application’s submission, one locality must be designated as the lead of the group to be the awardee responsible for the management of the overall project if the application is selected for an award. OMH encourages every locality to develop solutions that work best for their community. If this involves close coordination between neighboring localities, doing so is encouraged. If there are further questions about the eligibility of your group, please contact the grants management specialist listed in the notice of funding opportunity

(NOFO), Mr. Roscoe Brunson (roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov).

5. Are eligible communities just those with high proportions of racial and ethnic minorities? Is there a threshold that determines whether my community is eligible? Who will decide?

a. There is no threshold or quota that determines eligibility of your community. This funding opportunity is intended to deliver COVID-19 relief to the communities with the greatest needs. All eligible entities that submit applications will advance through the screening process, and those with eligible applications, will advance to objective review.

Your statement of need and the data you present to support the need of your community and other required elements (see G. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION on pages 32-34) are vital in determining how well your application does in the objective https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330807 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=330807 mailto:roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov review process. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health will make the final funding recommendation to the OASH Grants Management Officer.

6. Is the District of Columbia considered a State or locality for the purposes of this funding opportunity?

a. The District of Columbia is a considered a locality for the purposes of this funding opportunity and is therefore eligible to apply to this funding opportunity.

7. Will there be an opportunity to reapply in year 2 if we were unsuccessful with our initial application?

a. No, this is a one-time funding opportunity that is part of the OASH-coordinated multiprong approach to delivering COVID-19 relief through grant programs.

B. PREPARING TO APPLY

1. What is the deadline for submitting an application in response to this funding opportunity?

a. Applications are due April 20, 2021 by 6 p.m. Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time.

2. How can I get more information on this funding opportunity?

a. We strongly suggest that you register and attend the Technical Assistance webinar scheduled for March 17, 2021 from 5:00-6:00pm Eastern Daylight Time. To attend the webinar, please register at:

https://hhs.webex.com/hhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e870604a3a1cab4a1a7a0080d23edb

12d.

b. After you enter your information and hit “Register,” you will get a confirmation email with details on how to join the webinar. There will be an opportunity to submit questions.

c. The webinar will be recorded for those unable to attend live. Check back here for details on how to access the recording.

2. How can I stay up to date on any updates or changes to the notice of funding opportunity

(NOFO), additional information and resources, and other developments?

a. The best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to this NOFO on grants.gov. Please go to www.grants.gov and click the “Search Grants” tab in the upper left of the screen.

b. On the next screen, look for the “BASIC SEARCH CRITERIA” fields under SEARCH GRANTS header in the upper left corner. Enter MP-CPI-21-006 in the Opportunity Number field and click the SEARCH button.

c. Click on the link under the Opportunity Number header. You will see a red “Subscribe” icon in the right corner. You then be prompted to either enter your username and password or establish one, after which you’ll be able to subscribe and get alerts.

3. Who should I contact if I still have questions about the NOFO? Questions about developing my application?

a. Who to contact will depend on the nature of your question. For programmatic questions, such as developing elements of your application, contact Mr. Paul Rodriguez

(paul.rodriguez@hhs.gov).

https://hhs.webex.com/hhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e870604a3a1cab4a1a7a0080d23edb12d https://hhs.webex.com/hhs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e870604a3a1cab4a1a7a0080d23edb12d http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:paul.rodriguez@hhs.gov

b. Contact Mr. Roscoe Brunson (roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov) for financial and grants-related questions.

4. What registrations are needed to apply to this funding announcement?

a. Besides your registration at www.grants.gov, you will need a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B)

Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant through www.grants.gov. If you do not already have a DUNS, please contact Grants.gov to create a temporary DUNS number, which will allow you to apply. You will also need to register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM); please see page 25 -26 of NOFO for more information.

b. A step-by-step description of the requirements for registering your organization to be able to apply for this and other funding announcements , along with the expected time for each step, can be found here:

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

5. How do we get a DUNS number?

a. Obtaining a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number is the first step in registering as an organization applicant in Grants.gov. You can request a number through the Dun and Bradstreet website devoted to providing DUNS numbers to applicants for Federal awards, typically within one business day at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do. You may also call toll-free 1-

866-705-5711 for a new DUNS number or if you have forgotten an existing one.

b. The following website has step-by-step instructions:

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

6. How do I register my organization on SAM.gov? What if my registration is expired?

a. Please refer to pages 25 – 27 of the NOFO. Your organization must register online in

SAM (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/). Under normal operating procedures www.grants.gov will reject submissions from applicants with nonexistent or expired

SAM Registrations. Because of the public health emergency with COVID-19, the requirement for SAM registration at the time of submission has been waived.

Grants.gov will temporarily allow submissions without a current SAM registration. A completed registration in SAM may be required prior to receiving any award based on your application.

b. Further helpful information and helpful tips are also available through the following quick start guide:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf (PDF, 111 KB).

c. Please allow at least five days to complete an initial SAM registration. Allow up to 10 business days after you submit your registration for it to become active in SAM. This timeframe may be longer if SAM flags the information you provide for manual validation. You will receive an email alerting you when your registration is active.

7. What is health literacy?

a. Health literacy covers both personal health literacy and organizational health literacy.

Personal health literacy is the degree to which individuals can find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves mailto:roscoe.brunson@hhs.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf and others. Organizational health literacy is the degree to which organizations equitably help individuals find, understand, and use information and services to inform health-related decisions and actions for themselves and others.

b. For further information on health literacy, we recommend that you start with the

Healthy People 2030 website: https://health.gov/our-work/healthy-people/healthy-people-2030/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030.

8. Why health literacy?

a. Please refer to page 58 of NOFO, Section D: Health Literacy Resources. Health literacy is a recognized support for increasing participation in health care, improving health outcomes, and addressing health disparities. Health literacy requires a complex group of reading, listening, analytical, and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to apply these skills to health situations.

9. What is health equity?

a. Health equity refers to the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.

Achieving health equity requires valuing everyone equally with focused and ongoing societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and healthcare disparities

10. Can you explain the page limits? What does or does not count for which limits?

a. Your project narrative is limited to 5 pages and does not include your Project Abstract

Summary. Since your project narrative plus appendices cannot exceed 15 pages, that leaves 10 pages for your appendices. At the beginning of the project narrative the applicant must identify an urban (as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau) or rural (as defined by HRSA) area of focus in the first sentence of the Project Narrative. The appendices should include the items described on pages 24-25 of the NOFO and listed here:

i. Project Partners

ii. Documentation of Commitment from Partners, Subrecipient Organizations, and

Agencies.

iii. Organizational Chart

iv. Summary Bios for Key Project Personnel

v. Project Target Population

vi. You must submit these appendices as a single electronic file uploaded to the

Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

vii. The SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget

Narrative (including budget tables) do not count towards your 5- or 15-page limit.

11. How will my application be reviewed?

a. An independent, objective review panel will assess all eligible applications according to criteria outlined in the notice of funding opportunity. In addition to the independent review, Federal staff will review each application for programmatic, budgetary, and grants management compliance. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health provides recommendations for funding to the Grants Management Officer to conduct risk analysis. Upon completion of the risk analysis and concurrence of the Grants Management Officer, HHS/OASH issues Notices of Award.

12. Are budgets scored as part of the review process?

https://health.gov/our-work/healthy-people/healthy-people-2030/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030 https://health.gov/our-work/healthy-people/healthy-people-2030/health-literacy-healthy-people-2030

a. Budgets will not be scored by objective review committees, but they may comment on the appropriateness of the budget, like for example, if too much or too little is budgeted for a corresponding activity. Federal staff will review budgets for compliance with regulatory requirements.

13. Who makes the final funding decisions? Can we appeal if we are not selected?

a. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health makes the final funding recommendations, based on the results of objective reviews and taking the three criteria specified in the NOFO on pages 5 and 6. The funding decisions are final and cannot be appealed.