NOFO_Rural_P21AS00383.pdf

National Park Service

CRFA-PGC - Cultural Resources Financial Assistance

P21AS00383

Table of Contents A. Program Description

A1. Authority

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding

B2. Expected Award Amount

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates

B4. Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching

C3. Other

Eligible costs

What Is Not Funded

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)

D4. Submission Dates and Times

D5. Intergovernmental Review

D6. Funding Restrictions

D7. Other Submission Requirements

Program Images Worksheet

Letters of Support, if applicable

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria

E2. Review and Selection Process

Review and Selection Process

Evaluation of Applicant Risk

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices

F2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

F3. Reporting

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

G1. Program Technical Contact

G2. Program Administration Contact

G3. Application System Technical Support

H. Other Information

A. Program Description

A1. Authority 54 USC 301 et seq. (National Historic Preservation Act) Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, enacted as Public Law 116-94

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number 15.904

A2. Background, Purpose and Program Requirements The goal of the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants Program is to fund subgrant PROGRAMS that support the rehabilitation of historic properties to foster economic development of rural communities. These subgrant programs, managed by States, Tribes, Certified Local Governments, and non-profits. will fund preservation projects for historic sites to include architectural/engineering services and physical preservation.

FY2020 Public Law 116-94 provides $7.5 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Subgrant Program.

B. Federal Award Information

B1. Total Funding Estimated Total Funding $ 7,500,000

B2. Expected Award Amount Maximum Award

$ 750,000 Minimum Award $ 200,000

B3. Anticipated Award Funding and Dates Anticipated Award Date September 01, 2021 Subgrant programs receiving funding through this NOFO will start once funding has been secured and awards have been made. Anticipate a start date by winter of 2021.

B4. Number of Awards Expected Number of Awards

B5. Type of Award Funding Instrument Type G - Grant

- A legal instrument of financial assistance between The National Park Service and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. § 6302, 6304:

(1) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency to the non-Federal entity to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the United States (see 31 U.S.C. § 6101(3)); and not to acquire property or services for the Federal awarding agency’s direct benefit or use;

(2) Is distinguished from a cooperative agreement in that it does not provide for substantial involvement between the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and the non-Federal entity in carrying out the activity contemplated by the Federal award.

C. Eligibility Information

C1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants 00 – State governments 01 – County governments 02 – City or township governments 13 – Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 12 – Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education 07 – Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Additional Information on Eligibility This funding opportunity is limited to:

Nonprofit, tax-exempt U.S organizations, with or without 501©(3) designation Tribal Historic Preservation Offices State Historic Preservation Offices Certified Local Governments (list provided at http://go.nps.gov/clg )

Eligible Subgrant Recipients must be:

Properties listed in or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places

Properties located in areas defined as rural by the U.S. Census (population less than 50,000) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/

Properties within the grantee’s jurisdiction

C2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement No Non-Federal cost share is not required for this agreement but may be considered as a competitive factor.

C3. Other

1. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible. Each application must be for a separate phase if it is a part of a multi-phase project, and significant progress must be demonstrated on prior phases to warrant additional funding.

2. Projects funded under this program constitute “undertakings” as defined by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (54 U.S.C. 306108). Accordingly, after the grant is awarded, the National Park Service will work with the grantee to complete the consultation process prior to drawing construction funds from their grant account. Depending on the project, additional federal reviews may be required under other laws such as, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

3. If the project is doing work to or preparing a National Register nomination for a property and the owner is different than the applicant, then the applicant must include written permission from the owner to proceed with the project and any required easements or covenants. The letter of owner consent must be submitted with the application, signed no earlier than 60 days before the application due date, and pertain to this particular application. Previous letters of owner consent will not be accepted.

http://go.nps.gov/clg https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/

4. Administration costs necessary to complete and administer the program cannot exceed 25% of total cost (primary and subgrants combined). This limitation for the Historic Preservation Fund is by statute, 54 U.S.C. 302902. Lower relative administrative costs will be considered as a competitive factor. Applicants with administrative costs of no more than 5% will receive the highest rating for this portion of the Feasibility rating criteria. Administrative costs are: Allowable, reasonable, and allocable costs related to the overall management of activities directly related to finance (accounting, auditing, budgeting, contracting), general administrative salaries and wages (grant administration, personnel, property management, equal opportunity) and other “overhead” functions (general legal services, general liability insurance, depreciation on buildings and equipment, etc.) not directly attributable to specific program areas identified in the grant agreement. All administrative costs reported must be absolutely necessary for program implementation, such as the cost items identified in the final grant agreement or items otherwise approved in writing by the NPS Awarding Officer (AO).

5. Preparation of architectural/engineering plans and specifications not to exceed 20% of the total project cost.

6. Historic Preservation Fund Easement Requirement: Section 54 USC 302902 (b)(1)(c) of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that Historic Preservation Fund grantees agree to assume, after the completion of the project, the total cost of continued maintenance, repair and administration of the grant-assisted property in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary of the Interior. Accordingly, recipients awarded funds for the physical preservation of a historic site shall sign a Preservation Covenant/Easement with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in which the site is located or with a nonprofit preservation organization acceptable and approved in writing by the NPS.

A draft covenant/easement must be submitted to the NPS for review within one calendar year after the date a grant agreement is signed. Following the completion of all grant-assisted work, the preservation covenant/easement must document the grant-assisted condition of the site and the character defining features. The covenant/easement must then be executed by registering it with the deed of the property. A certified copy of the executed covenant/easement must be submitted to the NPS prior to the end of the award period of performance.

1. If the historic property is not currently protected by a preservation covenant/easement, a preservation covenant/easement must be executed for a term as given in the table below per the amount of funding awarded.

2. If the historic property is currently subject to a preservation covenant/easement that meets the minimum federal preservation requirements, an extension must be executed for an additional duration to meet the requirements of the new funding awarded. Required term is identified in the table below. For example, if a property had 10 years remaining on a previous 20-year easement, and receives $300,000 in HPF funding, an amendment to add 15 years would be required.

3. If the historic property is currently protected by a perpetual or other preservation covenant/easement that meets or exceeds the requirements of this grant program as determined by the NPS, no additional duration or restrictions are necessary.

The term of the preservation covenant/easement is dependent on the amount of assistance the historic property receives from this opportunity:

Eligible costs Eligible costs under this award are as described in this Notice, 2 CFR 200, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual (HPF Manual).

For this program they also include:

Administrative costs necessary to complete and administer the grant requirements;

Rehabilitation of properties via subgrant;

o Eligible properties include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects listed in the National Register of Historic Places, o All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, and o All projects receiving repair assistance must enter into a preservation agreement/covenant/easement.

Cost for establishing/administering an easement/covenant for the properties;

Cost for any required audits or financial requests;

Cost for the production of a project sign;

Costs for public notice of grant opportunity;

Costs associated with required training or reporting; and Any other costs as determined eligible by the NPS in accordance with the OMB circulars, NPS policies, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grants Manual.

What Is Not Funded

Construction of new buildings

Amount of Federal Assistance Awarded Covenant/Easement Term Requirement

$1-$50,000 5-year minimum preservation agreement; a covenant/easement amending the deed is not required

$50,001 - $250,000 10-year minimum preservation covenant/easement $250,001 - $500,000 15-year minimum preservation covenant/easement $500,001- $750,000 20-year minimum preservation covenant/easement $750,001+ 25-year minimum preservation covenant/easement

Acquisition of collections or historic sites Conservation of collections Long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists) Moving historic properties or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the NRHP Cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fund-raising costs Work performed prior to announcement of award Work on sites owned by the NPS Lobbying or advocacy activities Costs for work already completed or funded through other federal programs Direct and indirect administrative costs may exceed 25% of the total project budget Miscellaneous costs, contingencies, reserves, and overhead

Excluded Parties: NPS conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The NPS cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

D. Application and Submission Information

D1. Address to Request Application Package All application information is available on grants.gov.

A full application consists of:

Documents 1 through 7 will be available within the “Manage Workspace” Page

1. SF-424 (Application for Financial Assistance)

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

3. SF-424B (Assurance for Non-Construction Programs)

*Please note: ALL applicants must fill out the SF-424A and SF-424B, they are mandatory for all grant applications.

4. SF-424C (Budget Information for Construction Programs)

5. SF-424D (Assurance for Construction Programs)

6. SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities), if anticipated award is over $100,000

7. Attachments Form

Documents 8 through 11 can be found on the “Related Documents” tab within the Grants.gov opportunity.

8. Program Description Worksheet

9. Budget Justification Worksheet

a. Do you have policies and procedures in place that meet the financial management standards in 2 CFR 200.302? NPS may ask for copies of policies if selected for funding.

b. Do you have a single audit and was it submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse? If no, do you have another type of audit or other annual financial statement?

c. Can you certify that there will be no overlap of Federal Funding?

d. Attach a complete set of financial statements including:

i. Balance sheet/Statement of Financial Position

ii. Statement of Revenue and Expense/Statement of Activities

iii. Statement of Cash Flow

10. Program Images Worksheet

11. Indirect Cost Statement (See D6. Funding Restrictions below)

12. Letters of Support (Submit if applicable, see below)

13. Letter of Owner Consent (Submit if applicable, see below)

There is no required sequence or naming convention for attaching items to the Attachments Form.

D2. Content and Form of Application Submission Project Narrative

Program descriptions must address each of the evaluation criteria and applications will be reviewed against this rubric as part of the merit evaluation process.

NPS will evaluate and consider only those applications that separately address each of the four criteria listed in Section E.

A program summary is limited to 3,000 characters including spaces, each criterion is limited to 7,000 characters including spaces, and a program timeline is limited to 7,000 characters including spaces. No additional sections will be reviewed.

A suggested Program Description Worksheet format is included under the “Related Documents” tab on grants.gov which includes all character limits.

1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), must complete the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form. All other applicants must complete the standard SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. The required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, signed, and dated. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below).

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form and Budget Narrative. For non-construction programs or projects, applicants must complete and submit the SF-424A, “Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs” form. All of the required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in 2 CFR 200.

Every applicant must complete and submit both an SF-424A and an SF-424C.

The project budget shall include detailed information on all cost categories and must clearly identify all project costs. Unit costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors. All costs shown in the budget documents should match what is discussed in the project description worksheet. Cost categories can include, but are not limited to, those costs items included on the SF424A and SF424C.

NOTE: No more than 25% of the entire budget (Federal plus match) may be applied towards administrative costs (defined below), plus indirect costs. This is a statutory requirement.

Administrative costs are: Allowable, reasonable, and allocable costs related to the overall management of activities directly related to finance (accounting, auditing, budgeting, contracting), general administrative salaries and wages (grant administration, personnel, property management, equal opportunity) and other “overhead” functions (general legal services, general liability insurance, depreciation on buildings and equipment, etc.) not directly attributable to specific program areas identified in the grant agreement. All administrative costs reported must be absolutely necessary for project and/or program implementation, such as the cost items identified in the final grant agreement or items otherwise approved in writing by the NPS Awarding Officer (AO).

Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form and Budget Narrative. For construction programs or projects, applicants must complete and submit the SF- 424C, “Budget Information for Construction Programs”. All of the required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles in 2 CFR 200.

Every applicant must complete and submit both an SF-424A and an SF-424C.

The project budget shall include detailed information on all cost categories and must clearly identify all project costs. Unit costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors. All costs shown in the budget documents should match what is discussed in the project description worksheet. Cost categories can include, but are not limited to, those costs items included on the SF424A and SF424C.

NOTE: No more than 25% of the entire budget (Federal plus match) may be applied towards administrative costs (defined below), plus indirect costs. This is a statutory requirement.

Administrative costs are: Allowable, reasonable, and allocable costs related to the overall management of activities directly related to finance (accounting, auditing, budgeting, contracting), general administrative salaries and wages (grant administration, personnel, property management, equal opportunity) and other “overhead” functions (general legal services, general liability insurance, depreciation on buildings and equipment, etc.) not directly attributable to specific program areas identified in the grant agreement. All administrative costs reported must be absolutely necessary for project and/or program implementation, such as the cost items identified in the final grant agreement or items otherwise approved in writing by the NPS Awarding Officer (AO).

Any applicant organization that has not completed the financial assistance certifications and representations within their SAM.gov registration must submit the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. All of the required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov.

Any applicant organization that has not completed the financial assistance certifications and representations within their SAM.gov registration must submit the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. All required application forms are available with this announcement on Grants.gov.

Detailed Budget Narrative The project budget shall include detailed information on all cost categories and must clearly identify all estimated project costs. Unit costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors or sub-recipients. In addition, applicants shall include a narrative description of the items included in the project budget, including the value of in-kind contributions of goods and services provided to complete the project when cost share is identified to be included (reference section C of this announcement). Cost categories can include, but are not limited to, those costs items included on the SF424A or SF424C.

All costs listed in the SF-424A must correspond to the activities in the Program Description and must be outlined in the Budget Justification Worksheet. However, do not include your cost breakdown as part of the narrative Program Description.

Costs must be broken out into Federal and matching funds by cost center such as personnel, fringe benefits, travel, administrative costs, etc.

If matching share is included in your budget, please list the sources of non-Federal match as well as if the match is secured or unsecured.

The following questions must be answered in your budget justification:

Do you have policies and procedures in place that meet the financial management standards in 2 CFR 200.302? NPS may ask for copies of policies if selected for funding.

Do you have a single audit and was it submitted to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse? If no, do you have another type of audit or other annual financial statement?

Attach a complete set of financial statements including:

a. Balance sheet/Statement of Financial Position

b. Statement of Revenue and Expense/Statement of Activities

c. Statement of Cash Flow https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=435afbbf6ba5d947ee958cd64becb5c6&mc=true&node=se2.1.200_1302&rgn=div8

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Per the Financial Assistance Interior Regulation (FAIR), 2 CFR §1402.112, applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission.

(a) Applicability.

(1) This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal financial assistance agreements.

(2) In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by subrecipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

(b) Notification.

(1) Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 200.112.

(2) Recipients must establish internal controls that include, at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the award, including those that have been reported by subrecipients.

(c) Restrictions on lobbying. Non-Federal entities are strictly prohibited from using funds under a grant or cooperative agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 1352.

(d) Review procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.

(e) Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the government may be cause for termination of the award. Failure to make required disclosures may result in any of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

Single Audit Reporting Statement 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 the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1bfd0da1190f850482e94794cca23a5d&mc=true&node=20190830y1.1 https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facides/Account/Login.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx https://harvester.census.gov/facdissem/Main.aspx http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=683823273fc0da6a1060883eda593fb8&mc=true&node=pt43.1.18&rgn=div5 than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”.

If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. The statement and the description of overlap or duplication, when applicable, may be provided within the proposal or as a separate attachment to the application. If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be overlapping or duplicative of the funding requested from NPS, the applicant must immediately notify the NPS point of contact. Any overlap or duplication of funding between the proposed project and other active or anticipated projects may impact selection and/or funding amount.

D3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate) or any entity with an exception approved by the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. We may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the program is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant. There is no cost to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

Obtain a DUNS Number

Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-mailto:SAMHelp@dnb.com date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM)

Register on the SAM.gov website. “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM page also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information.

D4. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications 05/12/2021 Application Due Date Explanation Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM, ET, on the listed application due date.

D5. Intergovernmental Review Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

D6. Funding Restrictions The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the Interior Business Center by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/management/office-federal-financial-management/ https://www.doi.gov/ibc/contactus/icsfeedback https://www.doi.gov/ibc/contactus/icsfeedback https://www.doi.gov/ibc/services/finance/indirect-cost-services must have prior written approval from the Service to use amounts budgeted for direct costs to satisfy cost-share or match requirements or to cover unallowable indirect costs. Recipients shall not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement to be submitted with Application All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

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. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

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 have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, do not use this statement] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either:

“Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. 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.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

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]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, if we receive an award 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 indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] against [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in §2 CFR 200.68]. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award 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 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0bb1f5386f36f965f85dc05b2ad8a804&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_168 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0bb1f5386f36f965f85dc05b2ad8a804&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_168 request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR §200.68. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service.

A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”, which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of 17.5%. 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 per 2 CFR §1402.414. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against 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 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand 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. In accordance with 2 CFR §200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

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

D7. Other Submission Requirements Program Images Worksheet

Provide photos of the potential affected context/sites/districts Photos should show current conditions and immediate threat Color or black and white photos are both accepted Photographs should clearly describe the community/context and type of structures the program may fund (outbuildings, district, landscape features, etc) A suggested Program Images Worksheet format is included under the “Related

Documents” tab on grants.gov which allows for 19 images to be uploaded in one document

Letters of Support, if applicable Letters of support should be submitted if defining specific partner involvement, support, or matching funds. These letters must be submitted with your application via grants.gov as part of the attachments form. Letters received in any other manner will not be considered. All letters must be addressed to: Megan Brown, Chief of State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants, NPS.

DO NOT mail/send separately. They must be submitted with your application. Letters not submitted via grants.gov will not be considered. This applies to Congressional letters of https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=0bb1f5386f36f965f85dc05b2ad8a804&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_168 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1bfd0da1190f850482e94794cca23a5d&mc=true&node=20190830y1.1 support as well, a copy must be included with your application. We are unable to receive physical mail during COVID.

If being considered or selected for award, NPS reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary, including, but not limited to:

(a) Other budget information

(b) Financial capability

(c) Evaluation of risk

(d) Name and phone number of the Designated Responsible Employee for complying with national policies prohibiting discrimination (See 43 C.F.R. § 17)

E. Application Review Information

E1. Criteria Criterion 1 Maximum Points: 25 Description Subgrant Program Objectives

Explain the proposed subgrant program objectives to include:

1. Discuss how this subgrant program will preserve the history of the rural community for future generations.

2. Define how the program will foster economic development of rural communities.

3. Describe the historic resources eligible to apply and their significance at the National, State, Tribal, or local level.

Criterion 2 Maximum Points: 25 Description Need/Urgency/ Threat

1. Describe the need, urgency, and threat the subgrant program addresses and what activities are necessary to achieve the program objectives. Include preservation and economic factors.

2. Discuss how the program is the next logical step toward community preservation.

Criterion 3: Maximum Points: 25 Description Feasibility 1. List and describe all program tasks and their anticipated results.

2. Discuss elements in budget justification (separate document) to show that costs are necessary, reasonable, and allowable. Match is not required but may be considered as a competitive factor.

3. Applicants with administrative costs of no more than 5% will receive the highest rating for this portion of the Feasibility rating criteria.

4. Demonstrate how the subgrant program will be accomplished within the given timeframe (3 years) and with the given resources, while meeting all federal requirements and guidelines.

5. Describe organizational experience with and ability to programmatically and financially manage a Federal subgrant program and support the continued monitoring of easement/covenant/preservation agreements that will be required.

6. Briefly describe who will be involved in managing the program and their qualifications, attach resumes/CVs as applicable.

Criterion 4 Maximum Points: 25 Description Sustainability

1. Describe the impacts of the program after completion, including long lasting effects and how those results will be measured.

2. Describe the public-private partnerships and community engagement involved in the program and how these partnerships will sustain and continue to support the resource(s) after the subgrants are complete, including how easements will be managed and enforced.

3. Describe how the subgrant program meets the goals of relevant Statewide, Tribal or local historic preservation plans. Identify the specific goals, plan(s), and when they were developed and adopted.

E2. Review and Selection Process Prior to award, the program will review any applicant statement regarding potential overlap or duplication between the project to be funded and any other funded or proposed project in terms of activities, funding, or time commitment of key personnel. Depending on the circumstances, the program may request modification to the application, other pending applications, or an active award, as needed to eliminate any duplication of effort, or the Bureau may choose not to fund the selected project.

The program may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Bureau is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prior to award, the program will evaluate the risk posed by applicants as required in 2 CFR

200.205. Programs document applicant risk evaluations using the Bureau’s “Financial Assistance Recipient Risk Assessment” form. Prior to approving awards for Federal funding in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $250,000), the Bureau is required to review and consider any information about or from the applicant found in the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System. The Bureau will consider this information when completing the risk review. The Bureau uses the results of the risk evaluation to establish monitoring plans, recipient reporting frequency requirements, and to determine if one or more of the specific award conditions in 2 CFR 200.207 should be applied the award.

Review and Selection Process NPS qualified personnel, and in some cases independent federal reviewers, will review all proposals. All proposals for funding will be considered using the criteria outlined above. A summary of the review comments may be provided to the applicant upon request.

a. Initial Review Prior to conducting the comprehensive merit review, an initial review will be performed to determine whether: (1) the applicant is eligible for an award; (2) all information required by the NOFO has been submitted; (3) all mandatory requirements of the NOFO are satisfied; and (4) the proposed subgrant program is responsive to the program objectives of the NOFO (program determination). If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient information for review, the applicant will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from further review.

b. Comprehensive Merit Review All applications that satisfactorily pass the initial review will be eligible for the Comprehensive Merit Review. Each criteria element will be scored on a 0-25 point scale:

The scoring of each criterion must be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the application narrative. To assist in assigning an appropriate score, the following ratings are suggested as a guideline:

Rating Descriptive Statement

Superior Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criterion, convincingly demonstrates that it will meet the Government's performance requirements and demonstrates no weaknesses.

Description Criterion 1 Criterion 2 Criterion 3 Criterion 4 25 25 25 25 Superior 20 20 20 20 Good 15 15 15 15 Satisfactory 10 10 10 10 Marginal 5 5 5 5 Poor 0 0 0 0 Not Acceptable

Good Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criterion, convincingly demonstrates a likelihood of meeting the Government's requirements, and demonstrates only a few minor weaknesses.

Satisfactory Applicant addresses all aspects of the criterion and demonstrates the ability to meet the Government's performance requirements. The Application contains weaknesses and/or a number of minor weaknesses.

Marginal Applicant addresses all aspects of the criterion and demonstrates the ability to meet the Government's performance requirements. The Application contains significant weaknesses and/or significant minor weaknesses.

Poor The likelihood of successfully meeting the Government's requirements.

Significant weaknesses are demonstrated and clearly outweigh any strength presented.

Not Acceptable

Applicant does not address all aspects of the criterion and the information presented indicates a strong likelihood of failure to meet the Government's requirements.

c. Selection The Selection Official may consider the merit review recommendation, program policy factors, and the amount of funds available to select applications for funding. All proposals for funding will be considered using the criteria outlined above. A summary of the review comments may be provided to the applicant upon request.

d. Discussions and Award The Government may enter into discussions with a selected applicant for any reason deemed necessary, including, but not limited to: (1) only a portion of the application is selected for award; (2) the Government needs additional information to determine that the applicant is capable of complying with the requirements of DOI Financial Assistance Regulations, and/or (3) additional specific terms and conditions are required. Failure to satisfactorily resolve the issues identified by the Government may preclude award to the applicant.

Evaluation of Applicant Risk In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.205, applications under selection for funding may be subject to a pre-award risk assessment which may include a review of information contained within the applicant’s proposal, past audits, Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), and/or past performance on previous Federal financial assistance awards. Negative information that leads to an applicant being designated as “Medium Risk” or “High Risk” may result in specific conditions, as identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.207, being incorporated into the final award.

E3. CFR – Regulatory Information See the National Park Service’s Award Terms and Conditions for the general administrative and national policy requirements applicable to Service awards. The Service will communicate any other program- or project-specific special terms and conditions to recipients in their notices of award.

E4. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates Upon being selected for the award, successful applicants will receive a notification of the selection of their application for funding. Do not anticipate NPS notification of the applicants selected for award until 6 months following the application deadline.

F. Federal Award Administration Information

F1. Federal Award Notices Upon being selected for the award, successful applicants will receive a notification of the selection of their application for funding. Do not anticipate NPS notification of the applicants selected for award until 6 months following the application deadline. A notice of selection is not an authorization to begin performance on an agreement. This notice will detail the next steps in the awarding process. Once all clearances and reviews have been conducted, a grant agreement will be sent for signature.

Work cannot begin before the non-Federal entity receives a fully executed copy of the grant agreement which…