native american mebs program announcement 06102015a.pdf

U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Native American Affairs

Program Announcement No. ONAA-7j-2015-01

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Native American

Micro Enterprise Business Services

FY 2015

Program Announcement No.

ONAA-7j-2015-01

The purpose of this Program Announcement is to invite proposals for innovative projects promoting the development, success, and long-term survival of Native American firms eligible for assistance under the U.S.

Small Business Administration’s 7j Management and Technical Assistance Program that are located in areas with a high population of Native Americans.

Opening Date: June 11, 2015

Closing Date: July 11, 2015

Proposals responding to this Program Announcement must be posted to www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Time, July 11, 2015. No other methods of submission will be permitted. Proposals submitted after the stipulated deadline will be rejected without being evaluated.

http://www.grants.gov/

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U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

OFFICE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS

Table of Contents

Paragraph Subject

1.0 Section I – Funding Opportunity Description 3

1.1 Program Overview 3

1.2 Introduction 5

1.3 Background 5

1.4 Purpose 6

1.5 Leveraging of Resources 6

1.6 SBA Involvement and Oversight 6

1.7 Changes or Cancellation 7

2.0 Section II – Award Information 7

2.1 Estimated Funding 7

2.2 Expected Number of Awards 7

2.3 Period of Performance/Budget Periods 7

2.4 Funding Information 7

2.5 Funding Instrument 7

2.6 Matching Requirement 7

3.0 Section III – Eligibility Information 8

3.1 General 8

3.2 Eligible Applicants 8

3.3 Ineligible Applicants 8

4.0 Section IV – Application and Submission Information 8

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4.1 Application Instructions 8

4.2 Submission Instructions 8

4.3 Required Proposal Submission Dates 8

5.0 Section V – Application Review Information 12

5.1 General 12

5.2 Evaluation Criteria 12

5.3 Review and Selection Process 15

6.0 Section VI – Award Administration Information 15

6.1 Award Notification 15

6.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements 15

6.3 Reporting 16

7.0 Section VII – Agency Contacts 16

8.0 Section VIII – Other Information 16

8.1 Definitions 16

8.2 Instructions for Completing the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance) 18

8.3 Instructions for Completing the SF-424A (Budget information for Non- Construction Program)

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1.0 Section I – Funding Opportunity Description

1.1. Program Overview

1.1.1. Federal Agency Name U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

1.1.2. Funding Opportunity Title Native American Micro Enterprise Business Services

NAEBS

1.1.3. Announcement Type Initial

1.1.4. Funding Opportunity Number: Program Announcement No. ONAA-7j-2015-01

1.1.5. CDFA Number 59.007

1.1.6. Closing Date for Submissions: July 11, 2015 11:59 PM Eastern Time

1.1.7. Authority: The Small Business Act, § 7(j); 15 U.S.C.A. § 636(j); 13 C.F.R. §§ 124.701-704

1.1.8. Duration of Authority: Permanent

1.1.9. Funding Instrument: Cooperative Agreement

1.1.10. Funding: Funding is for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015

1.1.11. Award Amount/Funding Range: SBA estimates that a total of up to $600,000.00 in funding will be available for this Native American initiative in FY 2015. SBA expects to make 3-6 awards in the range of $100,000.00-$200,000.00 There is no matching fund requirement. However, the availability of additional funds or in-kind resources should be noted in the technical proposal.

1.1.12. Project Duration: Awards will be made for the Base Year project period of 12 months, with two (2) option periods of 12 months each.

Exercise of options is at SBA’s discretion and is subject to continuing program authority, the availability of funds and satisfactory performance by a Recipient organization.

1.1.13. Project Starting Date: Within 30 calendar days of the date of award.

1.1.14. Proposal Evaluation: Proposals will be reviewed for sufficiency as detailed in Section 5.0. SBA may ask Applicants for clarification of the technical and cost aspects of their proposals. This must not be construed as a commitment to fund the proposed effort.

1.1.15. Agency Programmatic Point of

Contact:

Christopher L. James, Assistant Administrator Office of Native American Affairs Email: chris.james@sba.gov mailto:chris.james@sba.gov

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1.2 Introduction

The Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) mission is to ensure that American Indians, Alaska

Natives and Native Hawaiians (referred to collectively as Native American) seeking to create, develop and expand small businesses have full access to the business development and expansion tools available through the Agency’s entrepreneurial development, lending and procurement programs.

ONAA’s overarching goal is to promote and support American Indian,, Alaska Native-s and Native

Hawaiian entrepreneurs. In recent years, ONAA has successfully sponsored and managed nation-wide contractor-led workshops and roundtables, co-sponsorship agreements, interagency agreements, and tribal consultations; developed and distributed promotional materials; and attended and participated in national economic development conferences as subject matter experts for these groups. Our vision for this program initiative is not to encourage the duplication of what ONAA has traditionally done in the past, but to solicit new innovative approaches to meet the needs of these targeted groups at the microenterprise level of business ownership. The major focus of this program initiative is to target specific Native American business operations in underserved markets throughout the country that are functioning on a microenterprise scale. Specifically targeting underserved microenterprise Native American firms is outside of what ONAA has done in the past and is expected to further expand its business development offerings to these groups. Additionally, ONAA’s vision is to empower microenterprises that specialize in providing goods or services for their local areas to better service their communities and beyond. Such empowerment will serve to maximize economic impact and improve quality of life for the targeted underserved communities.

Section 7(j) of the Small Business Act authorizes the U.S. Small Business Administration to provide management and technical assistance to eligible individuals and businesses. To be eligible for 7(j) services, a client must be: a socially and economically disadvantaged individual whose firm is a participant in the 8(a) Business Development Program; a business that is eligible to receive 8(a) contracts; or a business which qualifies as small under 13 CFR subpart 121 – Small Business Size

Regulations, and which is located in an urban or rural area with a high proportion of unemployed or low-income individuals, or which is owned by such low-income individuals. The term “high proportion of unemployed” means the urban or rural county's unemployment rate is not less than

140 percent of the average unemployment rate for the United States or for the State in which such county is located, whichever is less, based on the most recent data available in the annual Local Area

Unemployment Statistics report from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The term "low-income individual" means an individual whose family's taxable income for the preceding year did not exceed 150 percent of the poverty level amount established by the Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, for determining poverty status.

1.3 Background

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Native American Affairs serves as the agency’s small business resources. to connect American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs to . This includes programs implemented by our Office of Capital Access, Office of

Government Contracting and Business Development, Office of Entrepreneurial Development, and

Office of Disaster Assistance. The primary service deliver used by methods the Office of Native

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American Affairs in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian business communities inlu contractor-led workshops and roundtables, co-sponsorship agreements, interagency agreements, tribal consultations, development and distribution of promotional materials, and attendance and participation in national economic development conferences.

ONAA has consistently taken steps to bring business training and information sessions to local

American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities through more than 200 contractor- led workshops and over 1,000 hours of direct travel outreach to more than 20 since

2011. Such national contractor led workshops and ONAA’s Assistant Administrator roundtables, American Supplier Initiative, co-sponsorship agreements, interagency agreements, and tribal consultations include such as business empowerment workshops, 8(a) Business Development

Program assistance, emerging businesses assistance, Moneysmart workshops, incubator workshops, business matchmaking sessions and regulation updates that pertain to these groups.

This Program Announcement seeks proposal of efforts that are unique and innovative in the substance of the assistance to be provided to beneficiaries, and/or the methodology by which the assistance is to be provided. Applicants may not propose efforts which merely duplicate any or all of the SBA’s ongoing array of management and technical assistance services, in substance and/or method of delivery. Accordingly, SBA is seeking proposal of efforts that center around unique and innovative approaches to addressing the many challenges facing Native American firms and other 7(j) eligible firms today, including, but not limited to teaming with other businesses, mastering the process of procuring a Federal government contract, reversing declines and re-energizing small businesses.

1.4 Purpose

Eligible organizations (as defined in Section 3.2) may apply to SBA for awards of financial assistance under this Announcement to fund projects to provide management and technical assistance to firms eligible to receive 7(j) assistance (as defined in Section 8.1.1).

1.5 Leveraging of Resources

Applicants selected for awards under this Announcement are required to maximize their efforts to leverage SBA funding by working in conjunction with SBA’s District Offices and other federal, state, local and tribal government small business development programs and activities; SBA resource partners such as SCORE, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, 7(j) Technical Assistance providers, Small Business Investment Companies, Native Community Development Financial Institutions , Certified Development Companies, and SBA lenders; universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education; and private organizations such as chambers of commerce and trade and industry groups and associations.

1.6 SBA Involvement and Oversight

ONAA is managed by the Assistant Administrator. A designated Grants Officer Technical Representative (GOTR) within the ONAA at SBA Headquarters will be responsible for overall monitoring and oversight of an Office of Native American Affairs award recipient, including compliance with the terms of the Cooperative Agreement. A designated Grants Officer within the Office of Grants Management (OGM) will be responsible for issuing the Notice of Award, making modifications to the award, and processing payments.

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1.7 Changes or Cancellation

SBA reserves the right to amend or cancel this Announcement, in whole or in part, at the Agency’s discretion. Should SBA make material changes to this Announcement, the Agency will extend the

Closing Date as necessary to afford Applicants sufficient opportunity to address such changes.

2.0 Section II – Award Information

2.1 The assigned North American Industry Classification System code (NAICS) is 541611.

2.2 Estimated Funding

SBA expects to issue up to $600,000.00 of awards under this Announcement. SBA anticipates the amount of funding provided under each award will be in the range of $100,000-$200,000.

However, in the interest of promoting specialized services to areas with a high population of

Native Americans, Applicants are permitted to submit proposals for projects with a total budget above or below the standard range, provided they include sufficient justification for such variance in their proposals.

2.3 Expected Number of Awards

SBA anticipates making between three to six awards under this Announcement.

2.4 Period of Performance/Budget Periods

Awards will be made for three years of performance, consisting of a base period of 12 months from the date of award and 2 option periods of twelve months each. Exercise of option periods will be solely at SBA’s discretion and is subject to continuing program authority, the availability of funds, and a Recipient’s continued satisfactory performance and compliance with all the terms and conditions of the award. Each option period will constitute a separate and distinct twelve-month Budget Period.

2.5 Funding Information

Funds provided under the Office of Native American Affairs must be used solely for the purposes stipulated in this Announcement and the Notice of Award and may not be commingled with any other monies. All costs proposed in an Applicant’s budget must meet the tests of allowability, allocability, and reasonableness set forth in the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles. No more than 50 percent of award funds may be expended on contractor and/or consultant costs. SBA will not reimburse Applicants for their proposal preparation costs, but Applicants may request preaward costs. Preaward costs must directly relate to the conduct of the project and meet the tests of allowability, allocability, and reasonableness.

2.6 Funding Instrument

The funding instrument used will be a Cooperative Agreement.

2.7 Matching Requirement

None. However, Applicants should note the availability of any additional funds and in-kind contributions pledged to their projects in their technical proposals.

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3.0 Section III – Eligibility Information

3.1 General

An organization may submit one proposal in response to this Announcement. If an organization submits more than one proposal in response to this Announcement, only the first received at

Grants.gov website will be considered.

3.2 Eligible Applicants

In order to be an eligible Applicant for this funding opportunity an Applicant:

may be a for-profit or not-for-profit entity (including, but not limited to small businesses, other-than small businesses, trade and professional associations, and educational institutions); and Native Community Development Financial Institutions must have been in existence continually for at least the past three years;

must demonstrate substantive experience dealing with issues relating to the Native American population and small businesses located in areas with a high population of Native Americans and, must demonstrate that it has a track record and the capacity to provide assistance to Native American Micro Enterprise small businesses.

3.3 Ineligible Applicants

The following organizations will automatically be considered ineligible and their applications will be rejected without being evaluated:

Any entity that owes an outstanding and unresolved financial obligation to the federal government;

Any entity that is currently suspended, debarred or otherwise prohibited from receiving awards of contracts or grants from the federal government;

Any entity that has an outstanding and unresolved material deficiency reported under the requirements of the Single Audit Act or OMB Circular A-133 within the past three years;

Any entity that has had a grant or cooperative agreement involuntarily terminated or non-renewed by SBA for cause;

Any entity that has filed for bankruptcy within the past five years; and/or

Any entity that proposes to serve as a pass-through and permit another organization to manage the day-to-day operations of the project.

4.0 Section IV - Application and Submission Information

4.1 Application Instructions

Applications must consist of the following elements: (i) a cover letter; (ii) a technical proposal;

(iii) budget information; (iv) certifications, forms and assurances; and (v) attachments and exhibits.

4.1.1 Cover Letter

The first page of each application must be a cover letter which includes the following information:

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Statement that the application is in response to Program Announcement No.ONAA-7j 2015-01;

Applicant’s name and address;

Applicant’s website address (if applicable);

Name, telephone number, fax number, and email address for the Applicant’s designated point of contact; and

Dollar amount of assistance being requested.

4.1.2 Technical Proposal (not to exceed 15 pages)

The technical proposal serves as the narrative blueprint for the Applicant’s planned project and must include the following information:

Detailed description of the Applicant’s past experience and present capacity to provide assistance and services to the Native American population, micro enterprise businesses, and other 7(j) eligible firms (see Section 5.2.1 for further guidance);

Detailed description of the proposed technical assistance delivery methods, their means of implementation, and the anticipated project outcomes and the manner in which they will be evaluated (see Section 5.2.2 for further guidance);

Identification of the project director and key management personnel and staff, including résumés (or position descriptions for unfilled positions). Résumés must include experience relevant to this project and may not be more than two pages in length. Copies of résumés must be included as attachments in accordance with Section 4.1.5 and do not count toward the 15-page limit (see Section 5.2.3 for further guidance);

Identification of contractors and consultants and the manner in which they were selected (i.e., competitively or non-competitively). NOTE: No more than 50 percent of award funds may be expended on contractor and/or consultant costs. Copies of contracts and consulting agreements (either signed or samples as applicable) must be included as attachments in accordance with Section 4.1.5 and do not count toward the 15-page limit (see Section 5.2.3 for further guidance);

An organizational chart;

A timeline of performance milestones for the 12-month Budget Period;

Identification of any additional funds or in-kind resources that will be expended in furtherance of the project (if applicable),and

Demographic and target market information on the Native American population to be served.

4.1.3 Budget Information

Budget information must be provided through the completion or submission of the following:

Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance;

SF-424A, Budget Information (Non-Construction Programs);

Budget Detail Worksheet (Attachments A-9 through A-12 to the SF-424A). Form A-11 must reflect all individuals except for contractors being paid by the grant. This form requires a signature, title and date;

Budget narrative providing a brief, detailed explanation of the components of each cost element listed in the SF-424A;

Copy of the Applicant’s Cost Policy Statement;

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Copy of the Applicant’s current, government-wide indirect cost rate agreement (if the Applicant’s budget includes indirect costs). If the Applicant does not have such an agreement, it must propose an indirect cost rate in accordance with the procedures set forth in the applicable cost principles circular. NOTE: If you do not have a current negotiated indirect cost rate in place, you may negotiate a proposed indirect cost rate or utilize the 10 percent de minimis rate in accordance with the procedures set forth in 2 C.F.R. 200.414.

SF-3881, ACH Vendor/Miscellaneous Payment Enrollment Form. NOTE: Applicant must complete the “Payee Information” and “Financial Institution” sections only. The “Agency Information” section will be completed by SBA. This form requires a signature.

4.1.4 Certifications, Forms and Assurances

Each Applicant must complete and submit the following forms:

SBA Form 1623, Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters;

SF-LLL , Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;

SF-424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs; and

Letter from the Applicant’s Auditor, CPA, Treasurer, Comptroller, CFO or similarly qualified individual certifying that the organization’s financial management system currently meets the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.302. [NOTE: This requirement does not apply to awards made directly to state, local, or tribal governments]

4.1.5 Attachments and Exhibits

Each Applicant must attach copies of the following to its proposal (as applicable):

Résumés, position descriptions, contracts, consulting agreements, letters of support, pledges of additional funding or in-kind resources, leases, conflict of interest policy, and cost policy statement;

Most recent A-133 audit report. Under the FY 2015 Program Announcement No. ONAA- 7j-2015-01, audited financial statements are required. The Applicant can submit Single Audit Act reports if they have them. Otherwise, if the Applicant is not required by law to comply with the Single Audit Act, audited financial statements will suffice. Audited financial statements must be submitted within (90) days of receipt of the Notice of Award under this Program Announcement. UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE NOT

ACCEPTABLE;

Any other documentation the Applicant believes supports its proposal.

4.2 Submission Instructions

All proposals (narratives and forms) must be submitted electronically via the government-wide financial assistance portal www.grants.gov. NO OTHER FORMS OF SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED. All required forms are provided in the grants.gov application package for this funding opportunity.

In order to submit an application via grants.gov, an organization is first required to have a DUNS number, be registered with the System of Award Management (SAM), and have a grants.gov username and password. The process for meeting these three pre-submission requirements may take several days to complete. Additionally, Applicants may have to download or upgrade their software in order to utilize grants.gov. APPLICANTS SHOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THE

CLOSING DATE TO BEGIN THE SUBMISSION PROCESS IN ORDER TO AVOID

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UNEXPECTED DELAYS THAT COULD RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF AN

APPLICATION.

Information about the grants.gov registration process can be found at http://www.grants.gov.

Applicants must register as organizations, not as individuals. Please note that organizations already registered with grants.gov do not need to re-register. However, all registered organizations must keep their SAM registration up-to-date. As part of the grants.gov registration process, an Applicant must designate one or more Authorized Organizational Representatives (AORs). AORs are the only individuals who may submit applications to grants.gov on behalf of an organization. If an application is submitted by anyone other than a designated AOR, it will be rejected by grants.gov and cannot be considered for funding.

Once an application is submitted, it undergoes a validation process through which it will be accepted or rejected by the grants.gov system. The validation process may take 24 to 48 hours to complete.

Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made at grants.gov.

Applicants can expect to receive multiple emails regarding the status of their submission. The first email will confirm receipt of the application. The second email will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated by the system and assigned an SBA tracking number, or it has been rejected due to errors. An Applicant will receive a third email once SBA has downloaded its application from grants.gov for review in accordance with Section 5.3 below.

If grants.gov notifies an Applicant via email that its application contains an error, the Applicant must correct the noted error(s) before the system will accept and validate the application. APPLICANTS

THAT CHOOSE TO SUBMIT ON OR CLOSE TO THE CLOSING DATE ARE

ADVISED THEY MAY NOT RECEIVE EMAIL NOTIFICATION OF AN ERROR

WITH THEIR APPLICATIONS UNTIL AFTER THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE, AND

THUS WILL NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT AND RESUBMIT

THEIR APPLICATIONS.

APPLICATIONS THAT ARE REJECTED BY GRANTS.GOV WILL NOT BE

FORWARDED TO SBA AND CANNOT BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to verify that its submission was received and validated successfully at grants.gov. To check on the status of your application and see the date and time it was received, log on to grants.gov and click on the “Track My Application” link from the left-hand menu.

If you experience a technical difficulty with grants.gov (i.e., system problems or glitches with the operation of the grants.gov website itself) that you believe threatens your ability to submit your application, please (i) print any error message received; and (ii) call the grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 for immediate assistance. Ensure that you obtain a case number regarding your communications with grants.gov. NOTE: Problems with an Applicant’s own computer system or equipment are not considered technical difficulties with grants.gov. Similarly, an Applicant’s failure to: (i) obtain a DUNS number or complete the SAM or grants.gov registration process; (ii) ensure that an AOR submits the application; or (iii) take note of and act upon an email from grants.gov rejecting its application due to errors, are not considered technical difficulties. A grants.gov technical difficulty is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of grants.gov itself, such as the temporary loss of service by grants.gov due to an unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information technology systems, both of which are rare occurrences.

Applicants should use the following link to obtain assistance in navigating grants.gov and access a list of useful resources: http://www.grants.gov/. If you have a question that is not addressed under the http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/

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“Applicant FAQs,” try consulting the “Applicant User Guide” or contacting grants.gov via email at support@grants.gov or telephone at 1-800-518-4726. The grants.gov Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

4.3 Required Proposal Submission Dates

Each Applicant is required to submit its proposal electronically via www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 11, 2015. Because of the pre-conditions for submitting applications via grants.gov and the potential for encountering technical difficulties in using that site, Applicants are strongly encouraged to log on to grants.gov and review the submission instructions early. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE CLOSING DATE TO BEGIN THE SUBMISSION PROCESS. Applicants bear sole responsibility for ensuring their proposals are submitted and received before the closing date.

SBA will consider the date and time stamp on the validation generated by grants.gov as the official submission time. A PROPOSAL THAT IS NOT RECEIVED BY GRANTS.GOV BEFORE

THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE REJECTED

WITHOUT BEING EVALUATED, UNLESS THE APPLICANT CAN CLEARLY

DEMONSTRATE THROUGH DOCUMENTATION OBTAINED FROM

GRANTS.GOV THAT IT ATTEMPTED TO SUBMIT ITS PROPOSAL IN A TIMELY

MANNER BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO SOLELY BECAUSE OF GRANTS.GOV

SYSTEMS ISSUES. Additionally, SBA will not accept any changes, additions, revisions, or deletions to applications made after the closing date.

Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made at grants.gov. If problems occur while using grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (i) print any error message received; and (ii) contact grants.gov for immediate assistance. Applicants may obtain advice and assistance with the grants.gov submission process by visiting http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp or by calling 1-800-518-4726.

5.0 Section V - Application Review Information

5.1 General

Applications will be rejected without being evaluated if they are submitted by ineligible organizations or they are illegible or materially incomplete due to an Applicant’s failure to include all required forms and/or provide the required level of detail.

5.2 Evaluation Criteria

All timely, materially complete applications received from eligible organizations will be evaluated in accordance with the criteria listed below.

5.2.1 Organizational Experience and Capacity (35 Points)

Applicants will be evaluated on their demonstrated ability to provide management training consulting, or other specialized services, akin to those being proposed to 7(j) eligible firms.

Applicants must provide adequate evidence and documentation, including specific examples, of their:

Experience with, and capacity for, conducting management and technical assistance projects, akin to those being proposed, including discussion of the number of years they have conducted such projects;

mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp

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Familiarity and expertise with assisting 7(j) eligible firms, including the number of firms assisted over the prior 3 years and the demonstrable effects of such assistance (e.g., increase in sales/revenues/contracts/number of employees experienced by assisted firms, etc.);

Knowledge of, and capability for providing, management and technical assistance, akin to those being proposed;

Record of receiving other grants or contracts for the conduct of technical assistance projects, akin to those being proposed, including the names of the awarding agencies, the grant or contract numbers, and the performance outcomes/results achieved;

Sources of capital, including a brief description of their strategies for raising such capital; and

Responses/corrective actions to any qualified audit opinions, going concern paragraphs, or A-133 audit findings.

Expertise required

The successful contractor as well as their partners and subcontractors shall demonstrate capacity in the following areas:

1. Knowledge of subject matter;

2. Familiarity with regulated and unregulated financial institutions that primarily serve Native communities;

3. Familiarity with underserved/low-income communities; and

4. Effective communication skills.

Qualifications: The Contractor shall demonstrate the following qualifications:

1. Evidence (statistics, demographics and other supporting documentation, case studies, etc.) of its experience in, and commitment to, serving distressed communities

2. Knowledge and past experience regarding business development and entrepreneurial training;

3. A track record of measurable outcomes for trainees (i.e., increased revenues, increased access to new financing and markets, and increased employee hiring by trainee firms);

4. The ability to deliver a uniform training curriculum in more than one location and tailored to meet specific local needs;

5. A track record of conducting a business development program that involved high-quality, hands-on and peer-to-peer training, and

5.2.2 Project Management (25 Points)

Applicants will be evaluated on the strength of their staffing and management plans for accomplishing the goals and objectives of their proposed projects. Applicants must demonstrate they will devote adequate numbers of personnel having sufficient experience to the project, establish clear and direct lines of responsibility and authority for managing and overseeing the project, and show they will have sufficient facilities and other physical resources at their disposal in order to accomplish the proposed project. In particular, an Applicant must:

Identify all key management, staff and contractors/consultants, describe their expertise and their roles in conducting and overseeing the project, stipulate the amount of time they will devote to the project, and provide copies of résumés/position descriptions and an organizational chart;

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Identify all facilities and other physical resources that will be utilized in furtherance of the proposed project, the hours of their operation (including any night and weekend availability), and provide copies of relevant deeds, leases, free space agreements, rental contracts, memoranda of understanding, etc.;

Provide copies of all contracts and consulting agreements and identify the employees or officials of the Applicant organization who will be responsible for overseeing and administering those agreements;

Describe its financial management structure and internal controls and identify all staff members who will be responsible for financial recordkeeping, reporting, the receipt and expenditure of award funds, and addressing audit findings; and

Provide a copy of its conflict of interest policy that meets the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 2701.112.

5.2.3 Project Design (15 Points)

Applicants will be evaluated on their understanding of the intent of the Management and Technical Assistance Program, their proposed approach for performing their projects, their outcomes and objectives, and their methodology for evaluating and assessing the effectiveness and impact of their projects. Innovation and creativity in providing assistance to 7(j) eligible firms is strongly encouraged.

Applicants must describe in detail the proposed technical assistance delivery methods and products and their implementation and evaluation. Specific topics an Applicant must address include the:

Scope of the geographic area and demographic it intends to serve;

Methods of outreach to 7(j) eligible firms;

Number of 7(j) eligible firms it expects to assist;

Number of meetings, etc. it expects to conduct, along with a list of the topics it intends to cover;

Identification of the data elements it will collect from 7(j) eligible firms, the means of their collection, and the uses to which they will be applied;

Clarity, accuracy, relevance, and ease of reportability of its evaluation methodology; and

Projected milestones or timeline of program accomplishments and activities.

5.2.4 Collaboration and Leveraging of Resources (15 Points)

Applicants will be evaluated on the breadth of their plans for coordinating their proposed activities and working to expand the scope and reach of their project in collaboration with entities such as SBA’s District Offices, other federal, state, local and tribal government agencies, other SBA grant Recipients/resource partners, trade associations, business/industry groups, institutions of higher education, and/or private organizations. Additionally, although matching funds are not required, Applicants should note the availability of any non-award funds and/or in-kind resources that will be pledged to the performance of their projects. Specifically, an Applicant must provide:

Copies of agreements with, or letters or emails from, the above-listed types of organizations pledging to work with the Applicant in order to advance specific Office of Native American Affairs objectives; and

Detailed descriptions of any of its own funds or in-kind resources the Applicant will devote to the project and copies of donation letters or checks from outside entities.

5.2.5 Ability to Reach Native American population. (10 Points)

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Applicants will be evaluated on their ability and positioning to efficiently extend project services to Native American firms eligible to receive assistance under the 7(j) Program (see Section 8.1.1 that discusses these firms in an economic manner.).. Applicants must demonstrate their:

Experience in working with Native American firms and relationships with organizations representing the interests of the Native American population; and

Proximity to or ability to reach Native American eligible 7(j) firms within their project service area.

5.3 Review and Selection Process

Applications that are not rejected by grants.gov or SBA’s screening process will be evaluated by teams of reviewers and scored on the basis of how well they meet the criteria outlined above. These reviewers may be SBA employees or employees of other Federal agencies. The maximum score any application can receive is 100 points. Prior to evaluating applications received in response to this Announcement, SBA will establish a minimum acceptable score. Only those applications that meet or exceed that threshold will be eligible for funding. Applicants are therefore encouraged to design proposals that address each of the scoring criteria listed above as thoroughly as possible.

In the interest of providing Native American Micro Enterprise Business services to a broad segment of the 7(j) community as possible, SBA will take the geographical dispersion of Applicants’ project service areas into account when making award decisions, especially when the geographic area has a high population of Native American. Other acceptable proposals may nevertheless be passed over for funding if that application proposes to serve the same or substantially the same area or market as an existing Office of Native American Recipient Award or another more highly rated application that was selected for award. Prior to award, SBA will conduct an assessment of the risk presented by all potential awardees in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.205 and based on the results of that assessment the SBA may decline to fund a proposal regardless of how highly it scores.

6.0. Section VI - Award Administration Information

6.1. Award Notification

All Applicants selected for awards will receive written notification. APPLICANTS NOT

SELECTED FOR AWARDS WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED. THERE WILL BE NO

DEBRIEFING PROCESS FOR UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS.

6.2 Administrative and National Policy Requirements

All successful Applicants will be required to comply with the requirements set forth in 15 U.S.C.A.

§ 636(j); 2 C.F.R. Part 200, and OMB Circular A-133 (as applicable); the Assurances for Non- Construction Programs (SF-424B); and the terms and conditions set forth in their Notices of Award.

In addition, SBA may, from time to time, advise Recipients of awards made under this Announcement of new legal requirements and/or policy initiatives with which they must agree to comply.

6.3 Reporting

All Recipients are required to submit the reports identified below. SBA may withhold payment if reports are not received or are deemed inadequate. Failure to report in a timely manner will also be weighed against future applications for grant funding from the same organization and the exercise of

Page | 16 any option periods. The reports provided by Recipients may be made public. In addition, SBA reserves the right to require Recipients to post these reports on their web sites.

6.3.1 Financial Reports

Recipients will be required to submit quarterly financial reports to SBA using SF-425, Federal Financial Report (FFR) within 30 days of the completion of each of the first three quarters and within 90 days of the completion of the fourth quarter of each Budget Period.

6.3.2 Performance Reports

Recipients will be required to submit quarterly performance reports to SBA using SF-PPR, Performance Progress Report, or a form of their own design which includes all data elements required under SF-PPR, within 30 days of the completion of each of the first three quarters and within 90 days of the completion of the fourth quarter of each Budget Period.

6.3.3 Report Submission

Reports may be submitted electronically via e-mail or in hard copy form via mail or courier service to the GOTR.

7.0. Section VII - Agency Contacts

7.1 Office of Native American Affairs Point of Contact

Questions concerning administrative information contained in this Announcement should be directed to the Deputy Assistant Administrator, Carol Walker, Carol.Walker@SBA.Gov.

7.2 Financial/Grants Management Point of Contact

Questions regarding budgetary matters related to this Announcement should be directed to Delcine Montgomery, Native American Specialist, Office of Native American Affairs.

7.3 Grants.gov Technical Support

For technical support with filing an electronic application in response to this Announcement, contact the Grants.gov help desk at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

8.0. Section VIII - Other Information

The following definitions apply to awards made under this Announcement (see 13 C.F.R. § 124.3 and 13 C.F.R. § 124.701-704 for additional definitions relating to the Management and Technical Assistance Program):

8.1 Definitions

7(j) Eligible Firms: According to 13 C.F.R. § 124.703, the following businesses are eligible to receive assistance from SBA through its service providers: (a) Businesses which qualify as small under part

121 of Title 13 of the U.S. Code, and which are located in urban and rural areas with a high proportion of unemployed or low-income individuals; and (b) Businesses eligible to receive 8(a) contracts.

8.1.1 Applicant – An eligible organization that applies for funding under this Program Announcement.

mailto:Carol.Walker@SBA.Gov mailto:support@grants.gov

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8.1.2 Budget Period – The 12-month period during which expenditure obligations will be incurred by the recipient of an award under this Announcement. For the purposes of this Announcement, the initial budget period will be from September 30, 2015 to September 29, 2016. Each option year, if exercised, will constitute a separate budget period.

8.1.3 Cooperative Agreement – A legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the United States government and a Recipient when the principal purpose of the relationship is to transfer a thing of value to the Recipient to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation and substantial involvement is expected between the awarding agency and the Recipient when carrying out the activity contemplated in the agreement.

8.1.4 Cost Policy Statement – A document describing all accounting policies of an Applicant organization and narrating in detail its proposed cost allocation plan. This plan must stipulate the procedures used to identify, measure, and allocate all costs to each benefitting activity.

8.1.5 Counseling – Services provided one-on-one to an individual and/or business that are delivered in person (face-to-face), on the telephone, or electronically and which:

a) are substantive in nature and concern the formation, management, financing, and/or operation of a small business enterprise; AND

b) are specific to the needs of the business or individual; AND

c) require a signed SBA Form 641 or equivalent form that supports SBA’s management information database.

8.1.6 Microenterprise

A small business that employs a small number of employees and operates on a very small scale. A microenterprise will usually operate with fewer than 10 people and is started with a small amount of capital. Most microenterprises specialize in providing goods or services for their local areas and operate with a sole proprietor and only a few employees.

8.1.7 Native American –

Native Americans are indigenous within the boundaries of the present-day United States (including the indigenous peoples of Alaska and Hawaii). and are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, bands and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact, sovereign nations.

8.1.8 Notice of Award – The legal document, signed by both SBA and a Recipient, that memorializes the award of funding under a Cooperative Agreement and contains the specific terms and conditions that apply to the award.

8.1.9 Project Period – The total period of performance for an award made under this Program

Announcement, including the base and all option-year Budget Periods.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_tribes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_group http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereignty

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8.1.10 Recipient – An organization that has had its application accepted and has been awarded funding under this Program Announcement.

8.1.11 Technical Assistance – Counseling or training services provided to an individual and/or business in accordance with the terms of this Program Announcement and a Recipient’s Notice of Award.

8.1.12 Training – a workshop, seminar or similar activity or event which delivers a structured program of knowledge, information or experience on a business-related subject. The training must last for a minimum of one hour and include two or more individuals and/or businesses in attendance.

8.2 Instructions for Completing the SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)

Item 1 Enter: "Application"

Item 2 Enter: "New"

Item 3 Completed by Grants.gov upon submission.

Item 4 Leave Blank

Item 5a Leave Blank

Item 5b Leave Blank

Item 6-7 Refer to instructions at end of form.

Item 8-9 Refer to instructions at end of form.

Item 10 Enter: “U.S. Small Business Administration”

Item 11 Enter: CDFA Number 59.007 and Office of Native American Affairs

Item 12 Enter: Program Announcement No. ONAA – 7j – 2015-01

Item 13 Leave Blank Item 14 Applicants must specifically identify each city, county, and state that will be affected by its project.

Item 15 Self Explanatory Item 16 Refer to instruction at end of form.

Item 17 Leave Blank Item 18 Self Explanatory

Item 19 Check Box C. Office of Native American Affairs is not covered by E.O. 12372.

Item 20 Refer to instructions at end of form.

Item 21 Self Explanatory

8.3 Instructions for Completing the SF-424A (Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs)

The budget is the Applicant’s estimate of the total cost of performing the project for which funding is being requested under this Announcement during the applicable Budget Period. The budget is to be based upon the total amount of funds that will be devoted to the project, including Federal funds, contributions from non-Federal sources, and program income (as applicable). All proposed costs reflected in the budget must be relevant to the conduct of the project and must be reasonable, allowable, and allocable under the applicable OMB Cost Principles and Agency policies.

All costs must be justified and itemized by unit cost in the Budget Narrative/Budget Detail

Worksheet. All forms contained in the financial application package must be completed accurately and in full.

Enter the following information in the appropriate sections:

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Section A - Budget Summary

Column A: Enter “Office of Native American Affairs Micro Enterprise Business Services”

Column B: Enter “59.007”

Section B – Budget Categories Complete lines 6a – 6k, entering amounts by budget category, labeling columns 1- 5 as follows:

1 – Federal 2 – Non-Federal Cash 3 – Non-Federal In-Kind 4 – Program Income 5 – Totals

All amounts entered in this section must be expressed in terms of whole dollars. The itemization must reflect the total requirements for project funding from both Federal and non-Federal sources.

Section C – Non-Federal Resources Refer to instructions on form.

Section D – Forecasted Cash Needs

Section E – Budget Estimates

Section F – Other Budget Information Direct Charges: Transfer the total direct charges from Section B, line 6i.

Indirect Charges: Transfer the total direct charges from Section B, line 6j.

Section G - Personnel List the name, title, salary for each employee who will be paid with project funds and the estimated amount of time each will devote to this project. NOTE: Fees, expenses, and the estimated amount of time to be devoted to the project for outside consultants/contractors belongs in the contractual line item, not here.

Section H - Fringe Benefits Leave blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of indirect costs in the Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (ICRA). If your organization’s fringe benefit package is not included in your ICRA, list each component included as a fringe benefit.

Section I - Indirect Charges Enter the indirect cost rate, date, and Federal agency that issued your ICRA. If your organization does not have an approved ICRA, you must negotiate an ICRA with SBA in accordance with the applicable OMB Cost Principles.

Section J - Justification of Costs All proposed costs require justification and narrative explanation.

Section K - Miscellaneous or Contingency Costs Leave blank. No miscellaneous or contingency costs are allowed.

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Section L - Proposal Costs Leave blank. SBA will not pay any costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a proposal.