nofo f15as00162.docx

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service FBMS Project Charter

Last Updated: February 20, 2015

Financial Assistance Business Process Notice of Funding Opportunity Template

Point of Contact Send any questions about this document by email to the Chief, Branch of Financial Assistance Policy and Oversight (FAPO), Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR), Division of Administration and Information Management (AIM). See the FAPO About/Contact Us Intranet page at HYPERLINK "https://inside.fws.gov/index.cfm/go/post/FAPO-About" https://inside.fws.gov/index.cfm/go/post/FAPO-About for contact information.

Document Change Log FAPO will update this template over time to incorporate changes resulting from any new government-wide regulations, Department of the Interior or Service policy, or new/changed Financial and Business Management System (FBMS) functionality. We will post revised versions of this document on the Intranet at HYPERLINK "https://inside.fws.gov/go/post/FAPO-NewAwards" https://inside.fws.gov/go/post/FAPO-NewAwards and will log updates made to this document in the following table:

· Changed Notice of Funding Availability to Notice of Funding Opportunity (see 200.203);

· Updated reference to applicable Federal cost principles;

· Removed references to A-133 and replaced with 2 CFR 200-Subpart F. Changed single audit threshold from $500K to $750K (see 200.501); and

· Inserted mandatory disclosure requirements as a new reporting requirement (see 200.113).

· DIG 2011-03, Amendment 1, “Financial Assistance Monitoring Protocol” (see also “Service Recipient Risk Assessment Guidance”);

· DOI-AAAP-0008, “Conflict of Interest and Mandatory Disclosures for Financial Assistance”; and

· DOI-AAAP-0009, “Financial Assistance Application and Merit Review Process”.

· Section III, inserted new template text related to projects conducted outside the U.S.;

· Section III.C., incorporated new requirement to extend active SAM Exclusions search to key project person(s);

· Section III.D., inserted clarifying text related to applicant/recipient use of indirect cost as cost-share/matching;

· Section IV.C., yellow highlighted items 4 and 5;

· Section IV.E., inserted previously omitted text requiring a Federally-funded equipment list and replaced previous indirect cost rate statements table with simplified statements to be submitted by applicants; and

· Added note above Section IX to instruct programs to remove the section for single source awards.

Instructions Use the Notice of Funding Opportunity Template as a starting point for developing the full text of a program- or award-specific Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Programs that already have a NOFO in place must compare that document to this template at least annually to make sure it contains all required elements and content. For more inforation, see the Issuing a New Financial Assistance Award Guidance document posted on the Intranet at HYPERLINK "https://inside.fws.gov/go/post/FAPO-NewAwards" https://inside.fws.gov/go/post/FAPO-NewAwards.

The NOFO Template begins on page 3 of this document. Do not include this Instructions cover page on your customized NOFO. The table below provides editing instructions for generating the full text of a NOFO:

WSFR/AIM/Financial Assistance Policy and Oversight

Bay-Delta Fish and Wildlife Office-Conservation, Restoration and Contaminants Division

Natural Resource Damage Assessment, Restoration and Implementation Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.658

Notice of Funding Opportunity

I. Description of Funding Opportunity

Phase 2 of the Albany Beach Restoration and Public Access Project (Project) is one of 12 restoration projects selected by the Cosco Busan Natural Resource Trustee Council (Council) in the Cosco Busan Final Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment. (Plan) to compensate for injuries to natural resources resulting from the 2007 M/V Cosco Busan oil spill in San Francisco Bay. Albany Beach is an existing, but eroding, beach habitat owned by the East Bay Regional Park District (District). The beach is located on the highly urbanized eastern shore of central San Francisco Bay where sandy beaches, dune complexes and seasonal wetlands have been virtually eliminated along with the native flora and fauna unique to these habitats. Albany Beach experienced heavy oiling during the spill event. Phase 2 of the Project will improve Albany Beach by removing debris and non-native vegetation at the site. Sand will be placed at the beach to improve resiliency against anticipated sea-level rise and to maintain a broad beach further enhancing and expanding shorebird sandy beach foraging habitat. The dunes and seasonal wetland at the site will be expanded and will be re-vegetated with native plants to stabilize the dunes and improve refuge and forage zones for native wildlife.

The Council is authorized to conduct activities through the Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990, Public Law 101-380; Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, 16 U.S.C 742a-742j; and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 33 U.S.C 1251-1387. The types of assistance a trustee council can make include discretionary project grants, whereby assistance is provided to individuals and groups to fund assessments, implementation, recovery of damages or any related restoration activity necessary to meet the intent of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration program. The Council selected restoration projects for funding following criteria that are codified in Section 990.53(a)(2) of the OPA regulations and discussed in the Plan.

The Project site is within Eastshore State Park which is co-owned by the District and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The funds made available by the Council are exclusively for Phase 2 of the Project which the District is uniquely qualified to implement. The Trustee Council will allocate funds for the Project to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Service will then make funds for the Project available through single source grant awards to the District.

II. Award Information

The period of performance for this award will be 3 years from the date of award acceptance by the Service. The initial award of $250,000 in fiscal year 2015 will be used for engineering design and finalizing project planning and permitting components for Phase 2 of the Project. A grant for Phase 2 implementation will be awarded to the District when Phase 2 design/engineering is completed and the District has obtained the required permits to bid the project for construction. The District expects that Phase 2 implementation will begin in 2017. The Service will not be substantially involved with Project implementation.

III. Basic Eligibility Requirements Eligible Applicants:

[Clearly identify the types of entities that are eligible to apply. If there are no restrictions on eligibility, this section may simply indicate that all potential applicants are eligible. If there are restrictions on eligibility, be clear about the specific types of recipients that are eligible, not just the types that are ineligible. Notify applicants if they are required to submit documentation to support an eligibility requirement. Text for this section should reflect related content in the program’s CFDA profile and any authorizing legislation]. U.S. non-profit, non-governmental organizations must provide a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

NOTE: The yellow-highlighted text below contain suggested text to be inserted by programs funding projects in foreign countries. Edit the suggested text as appropriate for the program. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted text is retained. Remove this note.

Applicants must ensure that activities occurring outside the United States are coordinated as necessary with appropriate U.S. and foreign government authorities and that any necessary licenses, permits, or approvals are obtained prior to undertaking proposed activities. The Service does not assume responsibility for recipient compliance with the laws and regulations of the country in which the work is to be conducted.

Federal law mandates that all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a valid Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM). See Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 25 for more information. Exemptions: The SAM registration requirement does not apply to individuals submitting an application on their own behalf and not on behalf of a company or other for-profit entity, state, local or Tribal government, academia or other type of organization.

A. DUNS Registration Request a DUNS number online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. U.S.-based entities may also request a DUNS number by telephone by calling the Dun & Bradstreet Government Customer Response Center, Monday – Friday, 7 AM to 8 PM CST at the following numbers:

U.S. and U.S Virgin Islands: 1-866-705-5711 Alaska and Puerto Rico: 1-800-234-3867 (Select Option 2, then Option 1) For Hearing Impaired Customers Only call: 1-877-807-1679 (TTY Line) Once assigned a DUNS number, entities are responsible for maintaining up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet.

B. Entity Registration in SAM Register in SAM online at http://www.sam.gov/. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly urged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure that their information is up to date and in synch with changes that may have been made to DUNS and IRS information. Foreign entities who wish to be paid directly to a United States bank account must enter and maintain valid and current banking information in SAM.

C. Excluded Entities Applicant entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program.

D. Cost Sharing or Matching: (N/A) [State if there is required cost sharing, matching, or cost participation without which an application would be ineligible. State clearly if cost sharing is not required. Include any restrictions on the types of costs (e.g., in-kind contributions) that are acceptable as cost sharing. Cost sharing as an eligibility criterion includes the requirements based in statute or regulation, as well as those imposed by administrative decision of the Service. Indicate if there are any pre-award requirements for submission of letters or other documentation to verify commitments to meet cost-sharing requirements if an award is made].

NOTE: The yellow-highlighted text below contain text to be inserted by programs that are not legislatively restricted from allowing recipients to use indirect costs as part of their cost-share or match. Edit the suggested text as appropriate for the program. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted text is retained. Remove this note.

Applicants may attribute some or all of their allowable indirect costs as cost-share/match, however recipients may only charge to the Federal award the indirect costs calculated against the allowable direct costs charged to the Federal award. Recipients may not charge to the Federal award indirect costs calculated against: 1) any portion of the recipient’s direct costs; or 2) any portion of the direct costs charged to any other Federal or non-Federal partner.

IV. Application Requirements To be considered for funding under this funding opportunity, an application must contain:

A. A completed, signed and dated Application for Federal Assistance form. [At a minimum, all NOFOs must require applicants to submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF) 424, Application for Federal Assistance (i.e., SF 424, SF 424-Mandatory, or SF 424-Individual) form. The only exception to the SF 424 requirement is if the program has OMB approval to use an alternative application form. Insert form instructions based on your eligible applicant base. Individuals applying on their own (unrelated to any business or non-profit organization s/he may own or operate in her/his own name) must use the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form ( HYPERLINK "http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=12" http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=12). All other applicants to discretionary programs and for single source awards must use the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance form ( HYPERLINK "http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15" http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). Mandatory programs may require applicants to use the SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance-Mandatory form ( HYPERLINK "http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=16)" http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=16)]. Do not include other Federal sources of funding, requested or approved, in the total entered in the “Federal” funding box on the Application for Federal Assistance form. Enter only the amount being requested under this program in the “Federal” funding box. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the total funding entered in the “Other” box.

NOTE: The yellow-highlighted text in Sections B and C below contain suggested text for what an applicant might need to include in a project narrative. Programs should edit the suggested text as appropriate for the program. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted text is retained. The non-highlighted text represents required narrative sections. Remove this note.

C. Project Narrative

1. Statement of Need: Describe why this project is necessary (significance/value) and include supporting information. Summarize previous or on-going efforts (of you/your organization, and other organizations or individuals) that are relevant to the proposed work. Explain the successes or failures of past efforts and how your proposed project builds on them. If you have received funding previously (from the Service or any other donor) for this specific project work or site, provide a summary of the funding, associated activities and products/outcomes.

2. Project Goals and Objectives: State the long-term, overarching goal(s) of the program/project. State the objectives of the project. Objectives are the specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s proposed project period).

3. Project Activities, Methods and Timetable: List the proposed project activities and describe how they relate to the stated objectives. Activities are the specific actions to be undertaken to fulfill the project objectives and reach the project goal(s). The proposed project activities narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the activities and the proposed project costs. For projects being conducted within the United States, the narrative must provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. For projects being conducted on the high seas, the narrative should provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with Section 7 of Endangered Species Act. Provide a detailed description of the method(s) to be used to carry out each activity. Provide a timetable indicating roughly when activities or project milestones are to be accomplished. Include any resulting tables, spreadsheets or flow charts within the body of the project narrative (do not include as separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates but instead group activities by month for each month over the entire proposed project period.

4. Stakeholder Coordination/Involvement: As applicable, describe how you/your organization has coordinated with and involved other relevant organizations or individuals in planning the project, and detail if/how they will be involved in conducting project activities, disseminating project results and/or incorporating your results/products into their activities.

5. Project Monitoring and Evaluation: Detail the monitoring and evaluation plan for the project. Building on the stated project objectives, which must be specific and measurable, identify what you will measure (i.e., quantitative/quantifiable indicators) and how you will measure (i.e., methods, sample size, survey tools). Reference the stated project timetable (i.e., process indicators) and budget information (i.e., input indicators). Identify the products/services to be delivered and how/to whom they will be delivered (i.e., output indicators). Detail the expected direct effect(s) of the project on beneficiaries (i.e., outcome indicators). Include any available questionnaires, surveys, curricula, exams/tests or other assessment tools to be used for project evaluation. Describe the resources and organizational structure available for gathering, analyzing and reporting monitoring and evaluation data. If applicable, describe how project participants and beneficiaries will participate in monitoring and evaluation activities. Describe how findings will be fed back into decision making and project activities throughout the project period.

6. Description of Entities Undertaking the Project: Provide a brief description of the applicant organization and all participating entities and/or individuals. Identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, or individual is responsible for conducting or managing. Provide complete contact information for the individual within the organization that will oversee/manage the project activities on a day-to-day basis. If eligibility for funding is based in whole or in part on the qualifications of key personnel, provide for each key person a brief (1-2 pages) but descriptive overview of their education, experience and other skills that make them qualified to carry out the proposed project. To prevent unnecessary transmission of Personally Identifiable Information, do not include Social Security numbers, the names of family members, or any other personal or sensitive information including marital status, religion or physical characteristics on the description of key personnel qualifications.

7. Sustainability: As applicable, describe which project activities will continue beyond the proposed project period, who will continue the work or act on the results achieved, and how and at what level you expect these future activities will be funded.

8. Literature Cited

9. Map of Project Area: Map should clearly delineate the project area and be large enough to be legible. Label any sites referenced in the project narrative.

NOTE: All applicants are required to submit the standard budget form and budget justification (see Sections D and E below). The only exception to these requirements is if the program has an approved OMB Information Collection Clearance to request budget information in a different format. Remove this note.

D. Budget Form Complete the Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424A) or Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF 424C) form. Use the SF 424A if your project does not include construction and the SF 424C if the project includes construction or land acquisition. The budget forms are available on the Internet at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. When developing your budget, keep in mind that financial assistance awards and subawards are subject to the Federal cost principles in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, as applicable to the recipient organization type. Links to the full text of the Federal cost principles are available on the Internet at http://www.ecfr.gov/.

Multiple Federal Funding Sources: If the project budget includes multiple Federal funding sources, you must show the funds being requested from this Federal program separately from any other requested/secured Federal sources of funding on the budget form. For example, enter the funds being requested from this Federal program in the first row of the Budget Summary section of the form and then enter funding related to other Federal programs in the subsequent row(s). Be sure to enter each Federal program’s CFDA number in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number for this Federal program appears on the first page of this funding opportunity.

E. Budget Justification In a separate narrative titled “Budget Justification”, explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. Detail how the SF 424 Budget Object Class Category totals were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities. For personnel salary costs, include the base-line salary figures and the estimates of time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal cost principles requires the Service’s approval and estimate its cost.

If Federally-funded equipment will be used for the project, provide a list of that equipment, including the Federal funding source. [Insert any other program-specific information for applicants to detail in their budget justifications]. .

Required Indirect Cost Statement: All applicants except individuals applying for funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate must include in the budget justification narrative one of the following statements and attach to their application any required documentation identified in the applicable statement:

“We are:

1. A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification is attached.

2. A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We are required to prepare and retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation to support those costs.

3. A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, please use one of the statements above or below] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. A copy of our most recently approved rate agreement is attached.

4. A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.

5. A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. However, in the event an award is made, we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimus indirect cost rate of 10% of modified total direct costs as defined in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, section 200.68. We understand that the 10% de minimus rate will apply for the life of the award, including any future extensions for time, and that the rate cannot be changed even if we do establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period

6. A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the [insert either “Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program” or “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”], which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of [insert program rate]. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that the basis for direct costs will be the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR 200.68 “Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)”. We understand that we must request prior approval from the Service to use the MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement, and that Service approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award.

7. A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

All applicants are hereby notified of the following:

· Recipients without an approved indirect cost rate are prohibited from charging indirect costs to a Federal award. Accepting the 10% de minimus rate as a condition of award is an approved rate.

· Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award.

· Only the indirect costs calculated against the Federal portion of the total direct costs may be charged to the Federal award. Recipients may not charge to their Service award any indirect costs calculated against the portion of total direct costs charged to themselves or charged to any other project partner, Federal and non-Federal alike.

· Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to transfer unallowable indirect costs to amounts budgeted for direct costs or to satisfy cost-sharing or matching requirements under the award.

· Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.”

Applicants who are individuals applying for funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, do not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget.

For more information on indirect cost rates, see the Service’s Indirect Costs and Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreements guidance document on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/.

Negotiating an Indirect Cost Rate with the Department of the Interior: Entities that do not have a NICRA must first have an open, active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your cognizant agency, your indirect cost rate will be negotiated by the Interior Business Center (IBC). For more information, contact the IBC at:

Indirect Cost Services Acquisition Services Directorate, Interior Business Center U.S. Department of the Interior 2180 Harvard Street, Suite 430 Sacramento, CA 95815 Phone: 916-566-7111 Email: ics@nbc.gov Internet address: http://www.aqd.nbc.gov/Services/ICS.aspx

F. Single Audit Reporting Statements: As required in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Subpart F, all U.S. states, local governments, federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in a fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. All U.S. state, local government, federally-recognized Indian tribal government and non-profit applicants must provide a statement regarding if your organization was/was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the organization’s most recently closed fiscal year and, if so, state if that report is available on the Federal Audit Clearinghouse Single Audit Database website (http://harvester.census.gov/sac/) and provide the EIN under which that report was submitted. Include these statements at the end of the Project Narrative in a section titled “Single Audit Reporting Statements”.

G. Assurances: Include the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form available online at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15. Use the Assurances for Construction Programs (SF 424D) for construction and land acquisition projects Use the Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) for all other projects. Signing this form does not mean that all items on the form are applicable. The form contains language that states that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program.

H. Certification and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities: Under Title 31 of the United States Code, Section 1352, an applicant or recipient must not use any federally appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with this project AND the project budget exceeds $100,000, complete and submit the SF LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

I. Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Applicants must notify the Service in writing of any actual or potential conflicts of interest that are known at the time of application or that may arise during the life of this award, in the event an award is made. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter which might place the recipient, the recipient’s employees, or the recipient’s subrecipients in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests. Conflicts of interest may also include, but are not limited to, direct or indirect financial interests, close personal relationships, positions of trust in outside organizations, consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization, or decision-making affecting the award that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the applicant, the applicant’s employees, or the applicant’s future subrecipients in the matter. Upon receipt of such a notice, the Service Project Officer in consultation with their Ethics Counselor will determine if a conflict of interest exists and, if so, if there are any possible actions to be taken by the applicant to reduce or resolve the conflict. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in the project not being select for funding.

NOTE: Revise application checklist below to match your program’s application requirements, as needed. Do not remove any universally required items. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted items are retained. Remove this note.

Application Checklist

· Evidence of non-profit status: If a non-profit organization, a copy of their Section 501(c)(3) or (4) status determination letter received from the Internal Revenue Service.

· SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: A complete, signed and dated SF 424, SF 424-Mandatory, or SF 424-Individual form.

· Project summary

· Project narrative

· Timetable

· Description of key personnel qualifications

· Single Audit Reporting statement: If a U.S. state, local government, federally-recognized Indian tribal government, or non-profit organization, statements regarding applicability of and compliance with Single Audit reporting requirements.

· SF 424 budget form: A complete SF 424A or SF 424C Budget Information form.

· Budget justification

· Federally-funded equipment list: If Federally-funded equipment will be used for the project, a list of that equipment.

· NICRA: When applicable, a copy of the organization’s current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.

· SF 424 Assurances form: Signed and dated SF 424B or SF 424D Assurances form.

· SF LLL form: If applicable, completed SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities form.

· Conflict of Interest statement, when applicable.

Failure to provide complete information may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of the application.

V. Submission Instructions SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 10, 2015

[enter deadline date(s) or open period start and end dates].

Intergovernmental Review: Before submitting an application, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the following website (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/) to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental review of Federal Programs.” E.O. 12372 was issued to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on state and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development. The E.O. allows each state to designate an entity to perform this function. The official list of designated entities is posted on the website. Contact your state’s designated entity for more information on the process the state requires to be followed when applying for assistance. States that do not have a designated entity listed on the website have chosen not to participate in the review process.

NOTE: Revise the application instructions highlighted in yellow below to reflect the application options/process for your program. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted text is retained. Remove this note. Note from the FA Team: We are noticing that the options for submitting an application (in yellow highlighting below), are often being omitted by the field stations on the final version of the NOFA. Please ensure that the recipients have at least one option for submitting an application.

Download the Application Package linked to this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov to begin the application process. Downloading and saving the Application Package to your computer makes the required government-wide standard forms fillable and printable. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, by email, electronically through Grants.gov, or as otherwise described in the Grants.gov funding opportunity. Please select ONE of the submission options:

To submit an application by mail:

Number all pages of your printed application. Mail one, single-sided, unbound copy (do not staple or otherwise permanently bind pages) of your complete application to the Service program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov”. Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

To submit an application by e-mail:

Format all of your documents to print on Letter size (8 ½” x 11”) paper. Format all pages to display and print page numbers. Scanned documents should be scanned in Letter format, as black and white images only. Where possible, save scanned documents in .pdf format. E-mail your application to the Service program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov”. Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

To submit an application through Grants.gov: Note from FA Team: If you choose this option, you will need to be sure to monitor the Funding Opportunity in Grants.gov for recipient submissions.

Go to the Grants.gov Apply for Grants page (http://www07.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp) for an overview of the process to apply through Grants.gov. You/your organization must complete the Grants.gov registration process before submitting an application through Grants.gov. Registration can take between three to five business days, or as long as two weeks if all steps are not completed in a timely manner.

Important note on Grants.gov application attachment file names: Please do not assign application attachments file names longer than 20 characters, including spaces. Assigning file names longer than 20 characters will create issues in the automatic interface between Grants.gov and the Service’s financial assistance management system.

VI. Application Review Criteria: To be considered for funding, applications must be for financial assistance to conduct the planning, engineering, permit acquisition other pre-implementation activities necessary for habitat restoration at Albany Beach as part of the Albany Beach Restoration and Public Access Project being conducted by the East Bay Regional Park District.To be considered for funding, applications must [This section must address the criteria your program will use to evaluate applications. This includes merit and other review criteria that evaluators will use to judge and select applications, including any statutory, regulatory, or other preferences (e.g., minority status or Native American tribal preferences) that will be applied in the review process. These criteria are distinct from eligibility criteria.. The intent is to give applicants visibility into the evaluation process so that they can make informed decisions when preparing their applications and so that the process is as transparent, open, and equitable as possible. The announcement should clearly describe all criteria, including any sub-criteria. If criteria vary in importance, the announcement should specify the relative percentages, weights, or other means used to distinguish among them. For statutory, regulatory, or other preferences, the announcement should provide a detailed explanation of those preferences with an explicit indication of their effect (e.g., whether they result in additional points being assigned). If an applicant’s proposed cost sharing will be considered in the review process (as opposed to being an eligibility criterion) the announcement must specifically address how it will be considered (e.g., to assign a certain number of additional points to applicants who offer cost sharing, or to break ties among applications with equivalent scores after evaluation against all other factors). If cost sharing will not be considered in the evaluation, state so here to avoid ambiguity for potential applicants. Vague statements that cost sharing is encouraged, without clarification as to what that means, are unhelpful to applicants.] The habitat restoration must consist of enhancing sandy beach and enhancing and expanding beach dune and wetland areas at Albany Beach as well as re-vegetation of the dune and wetland areas with native plants.

Review and Selection Process:

[Discretionary programs issuing single source and/or competitive awards must establish a merit review and selection process following the requirements in Department policy DOI-AAAP-0009, Financial Assistance Application and Merit Review Process. This document and related attachment providing sample merit review criteria are available at https://sites.google.com/a/ios.doi.gov/policydistribution/home-1. Programs must ensure that: 1) applications are reviewed and evaluated by qualified reviewers; 2) applications are scored and selected based on announced criteria; 3) consideration is given to applicant risk and past performance; 4) competitive applications are ranked; and 5) funding determinations are made. Programs must establish an evaluation plan comprised of five basic elements: (1) merit review factors and sub-factors; (2) a rating system for competitive applications (e.g., adjectival, color coding, numerical, or ordinal); (3) evaluation standards or descriptions which explain the basis for assignment of the various rating system grades/scores; (4) program policy factors; and (5) the basis for selection. Include a description of the merit review and selection process. For example, this section may detail the type of evaluators to be used (e.g., peers external to the agency or Federal agency personnel) and who makes the final funding decisions. If you have a multi-phase review process (e.g., an external panel advising internal agency personnel who make final recommendations to the deciding official) you should describe the phases of the process. You should also detail: the number of people on an evaluation panel and how it operates, the way reviewers are selected, reviewer qualifications, and the way that conflicts of interest are avoided. Detail any program policy, or other factors in addition to the program’s merit criteria that the selecting official may use to select applications for award (e.g., geographical dispersion, or project diversity). In addition, if you permit applicants to nominate suggested reviewers for their applications, or to identify reviewers that the applicants feel may be inappropriate due to a potential or actual conflict of interest, detail those processes here.]

Prior to participating in any review or evaluation process, all staff and peer reviewers, evaluators, panel members, and advisors must sign and return to the program office point of contact the “Department of the Interior Conflict of Interest Certification” form. For a copy of this form, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below.

Each fiscal year, for every entity receiving one or more awards in that fiscal year, the Service conducts a risk assessment based on eight risk categories. The result of this risk assessment is used to establish a monitoring plan for all awards to the entity in that fiscal year. The Service’s risk assessment form is available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-2462.pdf.

VII. Award Administration Award Notices: Following review, applicants may be requested to revise the project scope and/or budget before an award is made. Successful applicants will receive written notice in the form of a notice of award document. Notices of award are typically sent to recipients by e-mail. If e-mail notification is unsuccessful, the documents will be sent by courier mail (e.g., FedEx, DHL or UPS). Award recipients are not required to sign/return the Notice of Award document. Acceptance of an award is defined as starting work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by, the Service. The notice of award document will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information/forms required and where to submit payment requests. Applicants whose projects are not selected for funding will receive written notice, most often by e-mail, within 30 days of the final review decision.

Domestic Recipient Payments: Prior to award, the Service program office will contact you/your organization to either enroll in the U.S. Treasury’s Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system or, if eligible, obtain approval from the Department of the Interior to be waived from using ASAP.

NOTE: Remove the below section related to ASAP-waived domestic recipients if not applicable to your applicant base. Retain if applicable. Remove this note.

Domestic applicants subject to the SAM registration requirement (see Section III B.) who receive a waiver from receiving funds through ASAP must maintain current banking information in SAM. Domestic applicants exempt from the SAM registration requirement who receive a waiver from receiving funds through ASAP will be required to submit their banking information directly to the Service program. However, do NOT submit any banking information to the Service until it is requested from you by the Service program!

NOTE: Remove the foreign recipient payments section if not applicable to your applicant base. Remove yellow highlighting when highlighted text is retained. Remove this note.

Foreign Recipient Payments: Foreign recipients receiving funds to a bank outside of the United States will be paid electronically through U.S. Treasury’s International Treasury Services (ITS) system.

Foreign recipients receiving funds electronically to a bank in the United States will be paid by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through the Automated Clearing House network. Foreign recipients who wish to be paid to a bank account in the United States must enter and maintain current banking information in SAM (see Section III).

The Notice of Award document from the Service will include instructions specific to each recipient on how to request payment. If applicable, the instructions will detail any additional information/forms required and where to submit payment requests.

Transmittal of Sensitive Data: Recipients are responsible for ensuring any sensitive data being sent to the Service is protected during its transmission/delivery. The Service strongly recommends that recipients use the most secure transmission/delivery method available. The Service recommends the following digital transmission methods: secure digital faxing; encrypted emails; emailing a password protected zipped/compressed file attachment in one email followed by the password in a second email; or emailing a zipped/compressed file attachment. The Service strongly encourages recipients sending sensitive data in paper copy to use a courier mail service. Recipients may also contact their Service Project Officer and provide any sensitive data over the telephone.

Award Terms and Conditions: Acceptance of a financial assistance award (i.e., grant or cooperative agreement) from the Service carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions applicable to the award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to and approved by the Service and are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated into the notice of award either by direct citation or by reference to the following: Federal regulations; program legislation or regulation; and special award terms and conditions. The Federal regulations applicable to Service awards are available on the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/grants/. If you do not have access to the Internet and require a full text copy of the award terms and conditions, contact the Service point of contact identified in the Agency Contacts section below.

Recipient Reporting Requirements:

Financial and Performance Reports: Interim financial reports and performance reports may be required. Interim reports will be required no more frequently than quarterly, and no less frequently than annually. A final financial report and a final performance report will be required and are due within 90 calendar days of the end date of the award. Performance reports must contain: 1) a comparison of actual accomplishments with the goals and objectives of the award as detailed in the approved scope of work; 2) a description of reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and 3) any other pertinent information relevant to the project results.

Significant Developments Reports: Events may occur between the scheduled performance reporting dates that have significant impact upon the…