New Foa_Content_of_HHS-2023-ACL-AOA-ADCC-0018.pdf

Signature Date

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

The Alzheimer's Call Center

HHS-2023-ACL-AOA-ADCC-0018

07/07/2023

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goals and Objectives

Proposed Intervention

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Project Management

Evaluation

Dissemination

Organizational Capability

Budget Narrative/Justification

Work Plan

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title:

The Alzheimer's Call Center Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2023-ACL-AOA-ADCC-0018

Primary CFDA Number:

93.470 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

Date will be generated on synopsis publication Due Date for Applications:

07/07/2023 Date for Informational Conference Call:

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

To assist persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers, the Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency within the U.S. Administration for Community Living, has been funding the https://www.grants.gov/

National Alzheimer’s Call Center (the Call Center) since 2003. AoA will hold a competition for a new cooperative agreement to continue operation of the National Alzheimer’s Call Center (the Call Center). The Call Center will be available to people in 56 states and territories, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide information and referral, expert advice and care consultation nationwide regarding Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).

Prospective applicants should carefully read all application requirements and submit proposals that completely address the priority areas described herein.

NOTE: There will NOT be an Informational Conference Call for the Funding Opportunity Announcement.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Alzheimer’s disease is the 7th leading cause of death among American adults. Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a gradual loss of memory, decline in the ability to perform routine tasks, disorientation, difficulty in learning, loss of language skills, impaired judgment, and ability to plan, and personality changes. It is important that persons with Alzheimer’s disease, their family members and caregivers have access to accurate and timely information and resources. Since 2003, the Administration on Aging (AoA), an agency within the U.S. Administration for Community Living, has been funding the National Alzheimer’s Call Center (the Call Center) to connect persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers with valuable resources. AoA is holding a competition for a new cooperative agreement to continue operation of the Call Center.

The Call Center will be available to people in 56 states and territories, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide information and referral, expert advice and care consultation nationwide regarding Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). The purpose of the Call Center is to improve the quality of life of people with ADRD and their family caregivers through a network of information specialists and care consultants who provide personalized information, referral, support, consultation and crisis intervention via a variety of methods. The Call Center responds to approximately 250,000 contacts annually.

This new program announcement seeks to advance the Call Center to better serve persons with ADRD and those who care for them. ACL is interested in continuing operation of the call center with a concentration on the following objectives:

• Increasing outreach efforts to raise awareness of the Call Center, website, and other resources available to assist persons with ADRD and their caregivers.

• Developing targeted initiatives that ensure that underserved and diverse populations have access to the call center and the education resources.

• Exploring collaborations and partnerships with Federal, public, non-profit, and private entities to ensure the Call Center reaches the broadest population as possible.

• Ensuring that the Alzheimer’s Call Center is utilizing new and emerging technologies, including social media, to enhance the service experience.

• Expanding creative education efforts for the Aging Network and other organizations to increase awareness of the Call Center and the education resources available to assist persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers

• Develop, and collaborate with as appropriate, activities that support and expand the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

Successful applicant must provide measurable outcomes that support the goals outlined in this funding announcement.

ACL’s Minimum Expectations for Call Center Operations

ACL expects that applicants to this FOA will demonstrate extensive knowledge and expertise in the field of Alzheimer’s disease; have a proven track record in providing information and assistance to people with dementia, older persons, their family members and informal caregivers;

and have substantial organizational resources to support this effort. It is expected that expertise in the field of Alzheimer’s disease will be integral to the applicant’s organizational mission.

Applicants should describe how they will:

• Establish a call center that is able to assist individuals through a single toll-free telephone number and multiple channels including telephone, email, chat, and other accessible mechanisms to serve people with disabilities. The call center must operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to respond to provide expert advice, care consultation, information and referrals nationwide, regarding ADRD. The Call Center will have multilingual capacity and will respond to inquiries in at least 140 languages through its own bilingual staff and with the use of language translation/interpretation services. Successful applicant should be prepared to handle calls within 30 days of award.

• Ensure that staffing is available to respond to at least 250,000 calls and 50,000 care consultations a year.

• Maintain a database of organizations that have the overarching capability of linking consumers to local entities that are prepared to provide accurate information, referrals to publicly and privately funded services and supports, counseling services, including crisis counseling, and detailed follow through to ensure consumers receive appropriate and high quality responses to their concerns. These organizations must demonstrate the ability to connect callers with publicly and privately funded services and supports, including Medicaid, Older Americans Act and other state and local programs.

• Help consumers with emergency needs as well as those struggling with the impact or effects of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias on an on-going basis in a professional, responsive manner at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Develop and maintain a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that is regularly reviewed, updated and drilled upon to ensure continued operations of essential functions during emergencies. .

• Provide information specialists who can provide personalized and professional information to include basic information on caregiving especially for persons with dementia; handling legal issues; resources for long-distance caregiving; referrals to locally available evidence-based programs, the Eldercare Locator and publicly and privately funded programs that offer services and supports; promotion of research participation opportunities; tips for working with the medical community; and other topic areas.

• Provide care consultants who are Master’s level or equivalent social workers or counselors, which will be constantly available to help those with emergency needs as well as those who are struggling with the impact of Alzheimer’s disease on an on-going basis. Counseling services will provide consumers with immediate access to help in times of crises with the capability to refer callers directly to local services, the Eldercare Locator, and publicly and privately funded programs that offer services and supports.

• Ensure the Call Center will practice and incorporate culturally and linguistically competent methods in its activities and initiatives, including developing messages and materials for people who have low or limited health literacy and providing staff training to ensure services to target populations are culturally appropriate. See the Biden/Harris Administration’s Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, dated January 20, 2021 for additional information.

Information and Care Consultation Service Staffing and Training

The Call Center provides individuals with ADRD and their caregivers with information and consultant services. A hallmark of the Call Center will be its capacity to provide professional and personalized assistance which requires a staff that is capable and properly trained. AOA expects that Call Center information staff will be skilled in assessing and responding to callers’ needs and knowledgeable about ADRD, caregiving issues, as well as long-term services and supports. Care consultants will exceed the knowledge and skill requirements of the information staff and will receive initial, ongoing and specialized training in crisis intervention and counseling.

Applicants should propose approaches for how they will:

• Assure a high quality professional service, provided by staff members who have completed standardized training. To maintain a consistently high level of professional service, all Call Center staff will receive rigorous, consistent and ongoing training. Information Specialists and Care Consultation Service staff will meet regularly for case reviews to assure accurate, consistent, up-to-date information is provided to all callers, nationwide. Staff will utilize a central repository of resources with information on many topics, clinical protocols, and standardized fulfillment packages that are developed and continually updated by dementia experts. Staff training and the repository must include the Eldercare Locator.

• Ensure all Information Service staff members responding to inquiries have knowledge of ACL, AoA, ADRD, the Aging Network, elder rights programs such as legal assistance, adult protective services and Long Term Care Ombudsman programs, other Older Americans Act programs and services, disability networks and programs, Lifespan Respite, Medicaid waiver and other home and community-based services programs for older adults and people with dementia. In addition, staff should be familiar with evidence-based health promotion/disease prevention programs applicable to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and/or their caregivers, research participation opportunities and other issues of importance (i.e., disease prevention, respite) to people with ADRD and their caregivers.

• Ensure all Care Consultation Service staff members meet at least the same requirements and expectations as Information Specialist staff members, and also are master’s level or equivalent social workers or counselors. Additionally, all Care Consultation Service staff members should receive initial and ongoing specialized training, on topics such as crisis intervention and counseling in complex situations.

• Ensure quality and consistency of service by establishing standards of training for all new staff members including specific training requirements that must be met before staff members respond to inquiries. Refresher training courses shall also be conducted periodically to ensure up-to-date competency in the field.

Customer Relationship Management System

Successful applicant should have in place a Customer Relationship Management System (CRMS) or similar system that will provide an electronic record of telephone, e-mail, and online inquiries received. The system will be used to track caller information including frequency of contact requests, types of referrals made and to where, contact demographics and other data to support ongoing program management and quality assurance. This information should be shared with ACL on a regular basis. No personally identifiable information (PII) will be collected as part of the inquiry system.

Online Presence

The Call Center will maintain a website that offers a wide range of information and tools to assist persons with ADRD and their family and caregivers. The Call Center will maintain an interactive and extensive on-line presence, using chat, videos and/or other means. The call center will work to ensure that tools and resources are kept up-to-date, relevant, and timely.

Call Center will work to expand its on-line presence, tools and/or support, as appropriate.

Technology

Given the advancements in technology, applicants should propose a strategy for reviewing and adapting technological enhancements, including social media, that will strengthen and support the caller experience to the Call Center.

Collaborate with ACL- Supported Projects

ACL funds a number of resource and technical assistance centers and projects focused on a variety of specialized topics and programs. While each project has its own mission, focus, and target population, it is important for each to work together on collaborative efforts that are mutually beneficial. Applicants should provide a plan to work collaboratively with appropriate ACL projects, such as the Eldercare Locator, National Alzheimer’s and Dementia Resource Center, the National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center, the Center for Benefits Access, the SHIP Resource Center, National Information & Referral Support Center, and other ACL projects, as appropriate, and that may be developed, to help enhance the work of the Alzheimer’s Call Center.

Education, Marketing, and Outreach

Looking for information and resources on ADRD services and supports can be a very difficult and frustrating for individuals, especially caregivers. Making the general public and other stakeholders aware of the Call Center services will be vital to the success of the service. Applicant should propose how they will:

• Develop and carry out a marketing plan to increase awareness and usage of the Call Center among persons with ADRD, their family members, informal caregivers and the general public.

• Develop and carry out an education plan to increase awareness and usage of the Call Center among the Aging Network, disability organizations, business, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and others. Plan should include various modes including webinars and conference or meeting presentations.

• Seek relationships and partnerships with relevant Federal and non-profit organizations that have national call centers such as the Eldercare Locator, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Veterans Administration, and the National Institute on Aging.

• Outline a special focus on outreach and marketing strategies to engage traditionally underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, low-income, limited-English proficient and rural persons; people with dementia and intellectual or developmental disabilities and their family caregivers; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults and caregivers.

• Ensure that the marketing plan includes the development and use of educational materials, brochures, and other promotional items, as appropriate. All materials developed must be available in formats suitable for printing and web posting. All documents prepared must be made 508 compliant and accessible to people with disabilities.

• Ensure that any outreach effort includes innovative approaches for utilizing technology tools such as webinars and social media to further promote and support of the Call Center.

Evaluating Call Center Performance

Applicants should propose approaches for how they evaluate the Call Center activities through quantitative and qualitative methods. Effective quality control and continuous quality improvement protocols will require that all calls are documented to ensure callers receive the help and follow-through they need to resolve both crisis situations and difficulties from coping with the disease on a day-to-day basis. This will allow for local referral as well as data analysis of demographics, nature of inquiries, tracking of referral entities and adequacy of responses. At least quarterly reviews will identify needs for retraining or changes in procedures. Caller surveys and data analysis may also be used to identify emerging issues and evolving needs for new materials and services.

In addition, successful applicant should propose a plan to conduct an independent evaluation of the care consultant service offered as part of the call center to determine the effectiveness of this important aspect of the call center operation.

National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers

Supporting family caregivers has been an urgent public health issue for years. The publication of the 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers (the Strategy) created a roadmap for a whole of society approach to strengthening our nation’s commitment to, and recognition and support of, family caregivers, including those who provide care and support to persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The Strategy is grounded in five priority areas that include:

1. Increasing awareness of, and outreach to, family caregivers

2. Advancing inclusion and engagement of family caregivers within care teams

3. Advancing innovations in family caregiver services and supports

4. Strengthening financial and workplace security of family caregivers

5. Advancing a family caregiver national research and data collection strategy

Applicants to this FOA should consider the opportunities contained in the Strategy to align their applications and resulting activities such that advancements for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias can realize greater access to information, services, supports, etc.

Statutory Authority Older Americans Act of 1965 as amended.

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$2,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$2,000,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$1,000,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' As a cooperative Agreement, the ACL will have substantial involvement in the activities of the funded project. The successful applicant will receive a Notice of Award which makes the Terms and Conditions of the Cooperative Agreement below effective immediately upon award notification and drawdown of funds from the payment management system.

Grantee Agreement

As proposed in its approved application, the grantee agrees to carry out all the objectives and activities of the project announced as the Alzheimer’s Call Center. The grantee will design and implement the Call Center that will provide national information and assistance and care consultation services. In addition:

The grantee will ensure continued high quality operation of the Call Center. The grantee will staff the Call Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week with trained professional information service staff and care consultants who are Master degree or equivalent social workers or counselors. Ensure that the Call Center has multilingual capacity and will respond to inquiries in at least 140 languages through its own bilingual staff and with the use of language translation/interpretation services.

The grantee will provide a single toll-free number, website, e-mail address for public access to the Call Center, which will be functional within 30 days of the commencement of the project period.

The grantee agrees to maintain consistently high-level professional information specialists and care consultation service staff who will meet standardized education/experience requirements and receive rigorous, consistent initial and ongoing training as needed.

The grantee will work with ACL to promote and support ACL’s strategic goals and the objectives of the National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

The grantee will meet with the ACL Project Director on a monthly basis (by phone).

During these monthly meetings, the grantee Project Director and the ACL Project Officer will review project developments and accomplishments as well as discuss future endeavors and goals.

The grantee will develop and implement a marketing plan to increase awareness and usage of the Call Center by the general public with a special focus on underserved populations.

The grantee will provide a draft of all products, including news releases, for ACL review and comment prior to producing and disseminating the final product. The grantee will provide the ACL a period of three weeks, prior to release, publication, and/or posting to review and comment upon all materials produced with funds provided through this award. After the three-week review and comment period, the grantee is free to make such materials public using appropriate language in accordance with the Stevens Amendment.

All HHS grant and cooperative agreement recipients are required to acknowledge federal funding when publicly communicating projects or programs funded through HHS federal financial assistance. You must use the following language when issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other ACL supported publications and forums describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with ACL funding.

HHS Grant or Cooperative Agreement is NOT funded with other non-governmental sources:

"This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S.

Government.”

The HHS Grant or Cooperative Agreement IS partially funded with other nongovernmental sources:

"This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with XX percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $XX amount and XX percentage funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.”

ACL Agreement

ACL agrees to work cooperatively in the development and execution of the activities of the Call Center as follows:

The ACL and the grantee will work cooperatively to clarify the issues to be addressed by the Call Center and to develop the work plan for each year of the project.

The ACL will help the grantee to understand the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL by providing information and consultation on an ongoing basis.

ACL will also share with the grantee information about other federal projects and activities relevant to the project's scope of work.

The ACL Project Officer will meet with the grantee’s Project Director on a monthly basis (by phone or video communications platform). During these monthly meetings, the grantee Project Director and the ACL Project Officer will review project developments and accomplishments as well as discuss future endeavors and goals.

The ACL will review draft copy of all products prior to printing, posting, and dissemination. Grantee will provide the ACL a period of three weeks, prior to their release, publication, and/or posting to review and comment upon all materials produced with funds provided through this award.

Under this announcement the grantee will develop a work plan for each year of the project and following award will collaborate with the ACL on finalizing the work plan. Within 45 days of the award, the grantee will agree upon and adhere to a work plan that details expectations for major activities, products, and reports during the current budget period. The work plan will include a detailed timetable with tangible milestones. In addition, the work plan will contain project and activity implementation plans, including potential sub grantees/subcontractors, staff assignments, and other areas that require ACL consultation.

Once a cooperative agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the mutual agreement of both parties, except where ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 74 or 92, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

For FY 2023 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

Eligible applicants include domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

Under this ACL program, ACL will fund no more than 75% of the project’s total cost, which means the applicant must cover at least 25% of the project’s total cost with non-federal resources. In other words, for every three (3) dollars received in federal funding, the applicant must contribute at least one (1) dollar in non-federal resources toward the project’s total cost.

This “three-to-one” ratio is reflected in the formula included under Item 18 in the “Instructions for Completing Requested Forms.” You can use this formula to calculate your minimum required match. A common error applicants make is to match 25% of the federal share, rather than 25% of the project’s total cost.

There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors and consultants, are considered matching funds. Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third party) donations. Examples of non-federal cash match includes budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review.

Match is not one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III, 3 Application Screening Criteria.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed:

Demonstrates expertise in the areas of ADRD and family caregiver support.

Demonstrates experience in operating a national call center that can handle the projected call volume outlined in the announcement.

Provides a project director for this project that has experience in the field of caregiver support and ADRD and overseeing a national call center and/or work that is consistent with and directly related to the development of a national call center.

Application Screening Criteria "All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an https://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline."

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Application materials can be obtained from https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html mailto:support@grants.gov

At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a UEI and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a UEI number at the time the subaward is made.

The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Sherri Clark

Program Specialist sherri.clark@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Number of Days from Publication 20

Date will be generated on synopsis publication Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. The deadline for submission of the letter of intent is 20 days after the FOA is announced. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Administration for Community Living

Sherri Clark

Administration on Aging https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov https://www.grants.gov

Email: sherri.clark@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 15 to 20 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit. A new requirement for all Project Narratives is a section that explains the equity experience of the project team.

The sample components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 20 page limit include:

Summary/Abstract Problem Statement Goal(s) and Objective(s) Proposed Intervention Special Target Populations and Organizations Outcomes Project Management Evaluation Dissemination Organizational Capability

Summary/Abstract

This section should include a brief (265 words maximum) description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract.”

Problem Statement

This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the proposed intervention is designed to address, including how the project will potentially affect older adults and /or people with disabilities, their families and caregivers and the health care and social services systems.

Goals and Objectives

This section should consist of a description of the project’s goal(s) and major objectives.

Proposed Intervention

This section should provide a clear and concise description of the intervention you are proposing to use to address the problem described in the “Problem Statement”. You should also describe the rationale for using the particular intervention, including factors such as: “lessons learned” for similar projects previously tested in your community, or in other areas of the country; factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the intervention (e.g., existing social or economic factors that you’ll be able to take advantage of, etc.). Also note any major barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those barriers. Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships you plan to involve in implementing the intervention, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups.

Special Target Populations and Organizations

This section should describe how you plan to involve organizations in a meaningful way in the planning and implementation of the proposed project. This section should also describe whether, and if so, how the proposed intervention will target disadvantaged populations, including limited-English speaking populations, those of greatest economic need and those of greatest social need. Applicants should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.

Please describe how you plan to reach traditionally underserved populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, low-income, limited-English proficient and rural persons; people with dementia and intellectual or developmental disabilities and their family caregivers; and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) older adults and caregivers.

Outcomes

This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes). This section should also describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems.) List measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness or behavior.) It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. Additional examples include: a change in the responsiveness or cost-effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated in the ACL network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of community living; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in persons receiving services. A measurable outcome is not a measurable “output”, such as: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. You should use the Evaluation section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Your application will be scored on the clarity and nature of your proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited. It is totally appropriate for a project to have only ONE outcome that it is trying to achieve through the intervention reflected in the project’s design.

Project Management

This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. It should specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress, (i.e., measure of performance towards the goals stated in the funding opportunity announcement and for your specific intervention/activities) preparation of reports; communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Evaluation

This section should describe the specific outcomes (e.g., changes in clients, organizations, and/or communities) expected as a result of this funding as well as method(s), techniques and tools that will be used to: 1) determine whether the proposed intervention achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative - from the project that will be useful to people interested in replicating the intervention, if it proves successful.

Dissemination

This section should describe the method that will be used to disseminate the project’s results and findings in a timely manner and in easily understandable formats, to parties who might be interested in using the results of the project to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making, including and especially those parties who would be interested in replicating the project.

Organizational Capability

This description should cover capabilities of the applicant agency not included in the program narrative, such as any current or previous relevant experience and/or the record of the project team in preparing cogent and useful reports, publications, and other products. If appropriate, include an organization chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization.

Please attach short vitae for key project staff only. Neither vitas nor an organizational chart will count towards the narrative page limit. Also include information about any contractual organization(s) that will have a significant role(s) in implementing project and achieving project goals.

Budget Narrative/Justification

The Budget Narrative and Justification must be consistent with and support the Project Narrative.

It must be concrete, specific and provide a justification for the basis of each proposed cost in the budget and how that cost was calculated. Examples to consider when justifying the basis of your estimates can be ongoing activities, market rates, quotations received from vendors or historical records. The proposed costs must be reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary for the supported activity. A combined multi-year Budget Narrative and Justification as well as a detailed Budget Narrative and Justification for each year of potential grant funding is required.

Work Plan

The Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget. It should include a statement of the project’s overall goal, anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks / action steps that will be pursued to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task / action step, the work plan should identify timeframes involved (including start-and end-dates), and the lead person responsible for completing the task. Please use the “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format as a reference and resource, if desired.

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

Include confirmation of the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies in this part of the application. Any organization that is specifically named to have a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator. For applications submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov, signed letters of commitment should be scanned and included as attachments. Applicants unable to scan the signed letters of commitment may fax them to the ACL Office of Grants Management at 202-357-3467 by the application submission deadline. In your fax, be sure to include the funding opportunity number and your agency name.

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation.