NOFO VA-SPORTS-25_FINAL.pdf

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program (Adaptive Sports Grants)

Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 GRANT PROGRAM

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: VA-SPORTS-25

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 64.034

Table of Contents I. Basic Information II. Program Description

A. General Purpose:

B. Funding Priorities, Program Goals, and Objectives:

C. Definitions:

D. Authority:

E. Funding Restrictions:

F. Evaluation and Performance:

III. Federal Award Information A. Funding:

B. Allocation of Funds:

C. Adaptive Sports Grant Award Period:

IV. Eligibility Information B. To Demonstrate Significant Experience:

C. To Qualify as a Large-Scale:

D. Entity Eligibility:

E. Cost Sharing or Matching:

F. Equine Therapy Grant Applications:

V. Application Contents and Format A. Application Categories:

B. Application Contents and Format

VI. Submission Requirements and Deadlines A. Requesting an Application Package:

B. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov):

C. Executive Order 12372 D. Additional Submission Requirements:

VII. Application Review Information A. Administrative Review:

B. Merit Review:

C. Programmatic Review:

D. Risk Review:

VIII. Federal Award Administration Information

A. Federal Award Notices:

IX. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

A. General Terms and Conditions:

B. Joint Outreach Campaign:

C. Reporting and Monitoring:

X. Other Information A. Payments of Adaptive Sports Program Grant Funds:

B. Personal Identifiable Information (PII):

C. Financial Risk:

XI. Appendix–Definitions XII. Appendix–Administrative Checklist XIII. Appendix–VA Form 10096, Exhibit A XIV. Appendix–Budget Details; example

I. Basic Information

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

Veterans Health Administration

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans and Disabled Members of the Armed Forces (Adaptive Sports Grants)

FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY NAME: National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: VA-SPORTS-25

ASSISTANCE LISTING: 64.034

FUNDING DETAILS: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events (NVSPSE) announces the availability of $16,000,000 (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program. VA will award grants to qualifying organizations to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports, training, and other opportunities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities.

All awards funded under this announcement will be grants.

KEY DATES: Submission deadline 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2025

Award decisions are expected to be made September 30, 2025. Be aware that there are a variety of circumstances that result in a later or earlier than expected award decision.

VA anticipates announcing grant awards in the fourth quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2025.

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION:

Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420; grants4vets@va.gov. More resources that may assist with the application process can be found at https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/.

All correspondence with VA concerning this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) should reference the above title and funding opportunity number listed at the top of this solicitation. Please read the complete announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. Once the NOFO submission deadline has passed, VA staff may not discuss this competition with applicants until all award notifications have been completed.

All technical questions about the content of this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) must be submitted at least 10 business days before the submission deadline. Submit question to Grants4Vets@va.gov. Questions will be answered on the agency website.

https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/ https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/ mailto:Grants4Vets@va.gov

TO APPLY: Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov (https://grants.gov/.

Applications may not be sent by mail, email, or facsimile (FAX).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The VA NVSPSE Program announces the availability of up to $16,000,000 (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program. VA will award grants to qualifying organizations to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports, training, and other opportunities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities.

Applications focused on equine therapy addressing the mental health needs of Veterans will not be considered under this NOFO and must be submitted to Funding Opportunity Number VA-EQUINE-25.

II. Program Description

A. General Purpose:

The Adaptive Sports Grant Program, as identified under assistance listing 64.034 provides grants to eligible entities to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports activities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities. For the purpose of this program, adaptive sports activities are defined in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 77.2, located in Appendix XI of this NOFO:

B. Funding Priorities, Program Goals, and Objectives:

The primary goal for this NOFO is to seek eligible entities that have expertise to meet the needs and priorities for Veterans with disabilities and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities.

Priorities to be supported by this NOFO are:

• providing adaptive sports for Veterans, and members of the Armed Forces, with disabilities in underserved activities that are of increased interest.

• providing adaptive sports for Veterans, and members of the Armed Forces, with disabilities in geographic regions where limited adaptive sports opportunities are available for this population.

• in-person or web-based training for VA adaptive sports providers that minimizes required travel and maximizes effectiveness.

• including VA subject matter experts in the development of the curriculum for in-person or web-based training for adaptive sports providers.

• providing classifier certification opportunities to increase qualified personnel across the country.

• providing athlete classification opportunities for Veterans, and members of the Armed Forces, with disabilities.

The objective of the NVSPSE office is to provide opportunities for Veterans to improve their independence, well-being, and quality of life through adaptive sports and therapeutic arts programs. VA awards to qualifying organizations to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports and equine therapy opportunities for disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces as authorized under 38 U.S.C. § 521A.

C. Definitions:

38 C.F.R. § 77.2 and XI. Appendix of this NOFO contain definitions of terms used in the Adaptive Sports Grant Program and this NOFO.

D. Authority:

This grant program is authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 521A. VA implements the Adaptive Sports Grant Program by regulation in 38 C.F.R. § 77. Funds made available under this NOFO are subject to the requirements of the aforementioned regulation and other applicable laws and regulations.

E. Funding Restrictions:

• A grant for the 12-month period may not exceed $750,000.

o Renewal applications may not exceed a 5% increase from FY 2024 awarded amount.

• A maximum of 5% of grant funds may be allocated for all administrative expenses (including “Personnel (Administrative)” and “Administrative (Non- Personnel)”), which includes any costs associated with an employee when not directly providing coaching or training for participants1.

• Funding cannot be utilized to support research activities.

• Funding cannot be utilized to reimburse for any medical services2 (those traditionally funded by insurance).

• Funding cannot be utilized to reimburse expenses incurred prior to the period of performance.

• Construction is not authorized through this grant mechanism; however, funding may be used to purchase equipment that would allow for safe transfers in and out of sports equipment/sports environments and improve accessibility to disabled Veterans and members of the Armed Forces. The applicant’s request for funding must be consistent with the limitations on, and uses of, grant funds set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 77 and this NOFO. In accordance with the regulations and this NOFO, the following requirements apply to grants awarded under this NOFO:

o Grantees may use up to a maximum of 5% of grant funds for:

administrative expenses, which includes administrative expenses and any costs associated with an employee of the eligible entity other than reimbursement for time spent by such an employee directly providing

1 Budget category definitions can be found on page 4 of the VA Form 10096 (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf) 2 Definition of medical services can be found in the section XI. Appendix–Definitions https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf coaching, training, or direct services for participants, as identified in 38 C.F.R. § 77.14(c). Funding associated with proposed activities that are administrative in nature (e.g., recruitment activities, planning, and grant management) will be considered as administrative costs, even if listed as otherwise in the proposal. The 5% rate is mandated by 38 U.S.C. § 521A and applies unique definitions of administrative costs that supersede other Federal non-legislative guidance.

o Grant funds are solely to be used to support or provide services to Veterans or members of the Armed Forces with disabilities, as required in 38 C.F.R. § 77.14(d).

o Grantees may not use grant funds to support or provide services to individuals barred from receiving VA benefits, as identified in 38 C.F.R. § 77.14(e).

F. Evaluation and Performance:

Applicants will be evaluated on the quality and timeliness of programmatic and financial reporting. All grantees must submit to VA a quarterly report 30 days after the close of each Federal fiscal quarter of the grant period which includes the same information required for annual reports, as well as projected change requests if applicable as identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.328, § 200.329, and § 200.330.

III. Federal Award Information

A. Funding:

This NOFO announces the availability of up to $16,000,000 to be awarded by VA for proposals to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs that provide adaptive sports activities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities. Up to $5,000,000 of the total $16,000,000 to be allocated through Funding Opportunity Number VA-EQUINE-25.

All awards funded under this announcement will be grants.

B. Allocation of Funds:

Funding will be awarded under this NOFO to grantees for a 12-month period.

The following requirements apply to adaptive sports grants awarded under this

NOFO:

The maximum award amount for an application under this NOFO is $750,000.00.

Renewal applications may not exceed a 5% increase from FY 2024 awarded amount.

Multiple applications from the same applicant which duplicate programming and/or deliverables will not be considered for funding.

C. Adaptive Sports Grant Award Period:

All Adaptive Sports Grant Program awards will be for a 12-month period, September 30, 2025–September 30, 2026.

IV. Eligibility Information The Adaptive Sports Grant Program is facilitated and managed by NVSPSE. The mission of the NVSPSE office is to provide opportunities for Veterans to improve their independence, well-being, and quality of life through adaptive sports and therapeutic arts programs. VA awards grants to qualifying organizations to plan, develop, manage, and implement programs to provide adaptive sports opportunities for disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces as authorized under 38 U.S.C § 521A.

An applicant must qualify as a Non-Federal Government entity with significant experience in managing a large-scale adaptive sports program, as defined in 38 C.F.R. § 77.2, for persons with disabilities if those disabilities are the same as those of Veterans with disabilities, and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities. “Significant experience” and “large-scale” are addressed in 38 C.F.R.

§ 77.2.

B. To Demonstrate Significant Experience:

All key personnel identified in the adaptive sports grant application must have qualifications that demonstrate experience implementing the adaptive sports activities to be provided and demonstrate experience working with persons with the disabilities that Veterans and members of the Armed Forces may experience.

The experience must be for a minimum of two continuous years immediately prior to the date of the Adaptive Sports Grant Program application submission to

VA.

When more than one entity will be engaged in the provision of the adaptive sport activities, the entity applying for the adaptive sports grant (the primary applicant and fiscal entity) must provide documentation that verifies that the partnership will support the implementation of all the adaptive sports activities proposed in the adaptive sports grant application. Acceptable forms of documentation include a partnership letter or memorandum outlining the responsibilities, qualifications, and background of the secondary partner selected to provide services to Veterans.

C. To Qualify as a Large-Scale:

Organizations providing equine therapy for mental health must be large-scale. 38 C.F.R. § 77.2 defines large-scale adaptive sports programs as meeting one or more of the following criteria:

(1) An adaptive sports program of a National Paralympic Committee (NPC) or of a National Governing Body (NGB) that is authorized to provide Paralympic sports programs in one or more states;

(2) An adaptive sports program of a NGB that has been recognized by an external validating authority if the programs validated by that authority would meet the requirements of paragraph (3) of this definition if considered one program; and

(3) An adaptive sports program in which at least 50 persons with disabilities participate or in which the persons with disabilities who participate in the program reside in at least 5 different Congressional districts.

D. Entity Eligibility:

To be eligible, an entity must comply with 2 C.F.R. § 25.110, and 2 C.F.R. § 200 criteria for a Non-Federal entity eligible for Federal grant programs, including but not limited to, being registered in SAM.gov; having no delinquent Federal debt;

and not being debarred or suspended. The Adaptive Sports Grant Program provides adaptive sports activities for Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities; therefore, applicants that do not provide adaptive sports activities for persons with disabilities that are the same as those that may be experienced by Veterans or members of the Armed Forces; or Veterans or members of the Armed Forces with disabilities will not be considered for funding.

E. Cost Sharing or Matching:

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds.

F. Equine Therapy Grant Applications:

Applicants interested in submitting a proposal for equine therapy for Veterans for mental health must submit to Funding Opportunity Number VA-EQUINE-25, as these proposals will not be considered under this NOFO.

V. Application Contents and Format

A. Application Categories:

This NOFO includes three categories to which applicants can apply:

(1) Renewal Application for current grantees applying for funding renewal,

(2) Initial Application for new applicants and current FY 2024 grantees that plan to expand the scope of deliverables, who meet eligibility criteria and

(3) Noncompetitive Application when a condition exists for a noncompetitive grant as outlined in 38 C.F.R. § 77.4, the adaptive sports entity may submit a noncompetitive application that meets the same format as outlined for competitive grants set forth in the NOFO.

Applicants must state within application and on VA Form 10096 (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf) which category they are applying under.

(1) Renewal Application: After receiving an initial grant, FY 2024 grantees may apply for a renewal grant if the grantee's program will remain substantially the same. The grantee must submit to VA a complete renewal application as described in the NOFO in Section V.B.(2). Because evaluations of renewal applications rely on performance data related to the initial grant, the application and supporting documentation may vary from the initial application; however, renewal applications are competitive grants and will be evaluated under competitive grant selection processes.

Please note: FY 2024 grantees may only apply under one category. If applications are submitted under multiple categories, all applications will be disqualified for review.

(2) Initial Application: To apply for an initial grant, an applicant must submit to VA a complete grant application package, as described in the NOFO.

(3) Noncompetitive application: When a condition exists for a noncompetitive grant as outlined in 38 C.F.R. § 77.13, the adaptive sports entity may submit a noncompetitive application that meets the same format as outlined for competitive grants set forth in the NOFO.

B. Application Contents and Format

(1) Renewal Applications:

There are three elements that are required to make a complete grant application, and one additional optional element. Documents for elements requiring specific forms, and additional resources including a Frequently Asked Questions document, can be found at http://www.grants.gov/ and on the NVSPSE grant program webpage (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/).

REQUIRED: Adaptive Sport Grant Application, VA Form 10096 (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf) – Requested file name: “VA- 10096”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a portable document format (PDF).

VA Form 10096 can be found on the NVSPSE grant program webpage (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/). All fields in the form must be completed for the form to be considered complete. Applications including an incomplete VA Form 10096 may be screened out during the administrative review.

For the deliverables section (Exhibit A) all applicants should clearly indicate the:

• sport offered/training provided,

• city and state where the programming will be conducted,

• frequency of the programming,

• deliverable start dates and completion dates, https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/ https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/

• the estimated number of Veterans served/adaptive sports providers trained, and

• budget estimate for each deliverable.

Additional guidance/suggestions related to completion of this form can be found at https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/. It is a requirement that all grant recipients participate in a joint outreach campaign with VA, consistent with 38 C.F.R. § 77.11, to inform all eligible Veterans and separating members of the Armed Forces with disabilities about the existence of the adaptive sports activities funded by the grant. This plan can be detailed in the outreach section of VA Form 10096.

Within the Program Budget (Exhibit B), personnel expenses should be delineated between Personnel (Operational) and Personnel (Administrative) expenses.

Personnel (Operational) are any reimbursement costs associated with time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants, and Personnel (Administrative) are any costs associated with an employee of the eligible entity other than reimbursement for time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants. Any contracted work must adhere to 38 U.S.C. § 521A(d)(4)-(5).

REQUIRED: Narrative (10 single-spaced pages maximum)–Requested title “Narrative”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

The Narrative should include the following:

• Executive Summary–should include data from Salesforce and the Payment Management System from the most recently awarded grant,

• Community Partners,

• Grant amount requested (Must be equal or less than current approved grant amount),

• Number of projected eligible individuals to be served,

• Geographic area served, and

• Compliance with Reporting Requirements as outlined in 38 C.F.R. §

77.16

REQUIRED: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)–Complete through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/).

This form is completed through Grants.gov and will be included as part of the application.

OPTIONAL: Letters of Support (Combine all letters into a single document)– Requested title “Support”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a

PDF.

Letters of support may be provided to demonstrate the applicant has relationships that will allow them to successfully recruit the population targeted in the proposal. These letters may come from, but are not limited to, VA medical centers, Department of Defense (DoD) medical treatment facilities, and Veterans Service Organizations (VSO). It is recommended these letters highlight the willingness of the correspondent to collaborate and assist the applicant in identifying eligible participants for the proposed activities.

(2) Initial Applications:

There are six elements that are required to make a complete grant application, and one additional optional element. Documents for elements requiring specific forms, and additional resources including a Frequently Asked Questions document, can be found on http://www.grants.gov/ and https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/.

REQUIRED: Adaptive Sport Grant Application, VA Form 10096 (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf)– Requested file name: “VA- 10096”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

VA Form 10096 can be found on the https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/. All fields in the form must be completed for the form to be considered complete. Applications including an incomplete VA Form 10096 may be screened out during the administrative review.

For the deliverables section (Exhibit A), all applicants should clearly indicate the:

• sport offered/training provided,

• city and state where the programming will be conducted,

• frequency of the programming,

• deliverable start dates and completion dates,

• the estimated number of Veterans served/adaptive sports providers trained, and

• budget estimate for each deliverable.

Additional guidance/suggestions related to completion of this form can be found on the https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/. It is a requirement that all grant recipients participate in a joint outreach campaign with VA, consistent with 38 C.F.R. § 77.11, to inform all eligible Veterans and separating members of the Armed Forces with disabilities about the existence of the adaptive sports activities funded by the grant. This plan can be detailed in the outreach section of VA Form 10096.

Within the Program Budget (Exhibit B), personnel expenses should be delineated between Personnel (Operational) and Personnel (Administrative) expenses. Personnel (Operational) are any reimbursement costs associated with time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants, and Personnel (Administrative) are any costs associated with https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/ an employee of the eligible entity other than reimbursement for time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants. Any contracted work must adhere to 38 U.S.C. § 521A(d)(4)-(5).

REQUIRED: Narrative (10 singe-spaced pages maximum)–Requested title “Narrative”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

The Narrative must be formatted in 12-point font. This document provides an opportunity to expand upon the information in the exhibits of VA Form 10096.

Any additional information related to the VA Form 10096 can be included in the same format as the VA Form 10096. For example, additional deliverables may be proposed using the same table as Exhibit A3.

The Narrative must include detailed information regarding the proposal that allows the VA Adaptive Sports Grant review team to fully understand the applicant’s project plan and ability to execute this plan, in relation to the scoring criteria listed in Section VII. B. of this NOFO and the priorities of the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program listed in Section II. B. of this NOFO. The Narrative must also include evidence of eligibility in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 77.2, including 2 or more years of organizational experience providing adaptive sports opportunities to at least 50 people with disabilities, or providing adaptive sports opportunities to veterans residing in at least 5 congressional districts. A listing of proposed sports should be provided, to include location for each sport, cost per participant, and number of veterans proposed to be served.

REQUIRED: Budget Details (2-page maximum)–Requested title “Budget Details”.

This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

This document must be formatted in 12-point font. Table format is allowable and encouraged.

• This document should convey the amounts in each cost category (supplies, operations, etc.) for the proposed deliverables and justifications for each amount.

• This document should list estimated cost per Veteran per session, and comparable market value.

• This document should summarize items that are in a given deliverable category (Deliverable #1 supplies shoes, skis, harnesses).

• This document should state the cost per Veteran per activity session.

3 A copy of Exhibit A of the VA Form 10096 can be found in section XIII. Appendix – VA Form 10096, Exhibit A

• Should be utilized to expand on the Exhibit B and Exhibit C of the VA Form 10096. Budget Details should include an explanation of the budget and a categorical description of proposed costs4.

REQUIRED: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)–Complete through This form is completed through http://www.grants.gov/ and will be included as part of the application.

REQUIRED: VA-FSC Vendor File Request Form, VA Form 10091 (https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA10091.pdf)–Complete through www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

A web version of this document must be submitted through the VA Customer Engagement Portal at https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/ by the application deadline stated in this NOFO. Ensure that the information provided on this form aligns with the information listed in SAM.gov. This form is required for all applicants.

Proof of registration should be included in application packet.

REQUIRED (only if applicable): Letters of Partnership (Combine all letters into a single document)–Requested title “Partnership”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

If the adaptive sports activities will be implemented through partnerships as described in 38 C.F.R. §§ 77.5(a)(5) and 77.8(b), signed documentation of the partners confirming a partnership must be submitted. Letters of partnership should include details of the scope of activities and, if applicable, scope of funding involved in the partnership. If these letters are not provided as directed, the proposal will be evaluated as if the partnership has not been officially established. Additional supporting attachments may be provided at the applicant’s discretion. Letters of recommendation from individuals and entities that are not involved in delivery of adaptive sports services do not qualify as partnership letters.

OPTIONAL: Letters of Support (Combine all letters into a single document)– Requested title “Support”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a

PDF.

Letters of support may be provided to demonstrate the applicant has relationships that will allow them to successfully recruit the population targeted in the proposal. These letters may come from, but are not limited to, VA medical centers, DoD medical treatment facilities, and VSOs. It is recommended these letters highlight the willingness of the correspondent to collaborate and assist the applicant in identifying eligible participants for the proposed activities.

(3) Noncompetitive Applications:

4 An example of an itemized budget can be found in XIV. Appendix – Budget Details-example https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA10091.pdf http://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/ https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

There are six elements that are required to make a complete grant application, and one additional optional element. Documents for elements requiring specific forms, and additional resources including a Frequently Asked Questions document, can be found on http://www.grants.gov/ and the https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/.

REQUIRED: Adaptive Sport Grant Application, VA Form 10096 (https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf)–Requested file name: “VA- 10096”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

VA Form 10096 can be found on the https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/. All fields in the form must be completed for the form to be considered complete. Applications including an incomplete VA Form 10096 may be screened out during the administrative review.

For the deliverables section (Exhibit A), all applicants should clearly indicate the:

• sport offered/training provided,

• city and state where the programming will be conducted,

• frequency of the programming,

• deliverable start dates and completion dates,

• the estimated number of Veterans served/adaptive sports providers trained, and

• budget estimate for each deliverable.

Additional guidance/suggestions related to completion of this form can be found on the https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/. It is a requirement that all grant recipients participate in a joint outreach campaign with VA, consistent with 38 C.F.R. § 77.11, to inform all eligible Veterans and separating members of the Armed Forces with disabilities about the existence of the adaptive sports activities funded by the grant. This plan can be detailed in the outreach section of VA Form 10096.

Within the Program Budget (Exhibit B), personnel expenses should be delineated between Personnel (Operational) and Personnel (Administrative) expenses. Personnel (Operational) are any reimbursement costs associated with time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants, and Personnel (Administrative) are any costs associated with an employee of the eligible entity other than reimbursement for time spent by such an employee directly providing coaching or training for participants. Any contracted work must adhere to 38 U.S.C. § 521A(d)(4)-(5).

REQUIRED: Narrative (10 singe-spaced pages maximum)–Requested title “Narrative”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/01/VA10096.pdf https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/

Narrative must be formatted in 12-point font. This document provides an opportunity to expand upon the information in the exhibits of VA Form 10096.

Any additional information related to the VA Form 10096 can be included in the same format as the VA Form 10096. For example, additional deliverables may be proposed using the same table as Exhibit A5.

The Narrative must include detailed information regarding the proposal that allows the VA Adaptive Sports Grant review team to fully understand the applicant’s project plan and ability to execute this plan, in relation to the scoring criteria listed in Section VI.B. of this NOFO and the priorities of the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program listed in Section II.B. of this NOFO. The Narrative must also include evidence of eligibility in accordance with 38 C.F.R. § 77.2, including 2 or more years of organizational experience providing adaptive sports opportunities to at least 50 people with disabilities, or providing adaptive sports opportunities to Veterans residing in at least 5 Congressional districts. A listing of proposed sports should be provided, to include location for each sport, cost per participant, and number of Veterans proposed to be served.

REQUIRED: Budget Details (2-page maximum)–Requested title “Budget Details”.

This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

This document must be formatted in 12-point font. Table format is allowable and encouraged.

• This document should convey the amounts in each cost category (supplies, operations, etc.) for the proposed deliverables and justifications for each amount.

• This document should list estimated cost per Veteran per session, and comparable market value.

• This document should summarize items that are in a given deliverable category (Deliverable #1 supplies shoes, skis, harnesses).

• This document should state the cost per Veteran per activity session.

• Should be utilized to expand on the Exhibit B and Exhibit C of the VA

Form 10096. Budget Details should include an explanation of the budget and a categorical description of proposed costs6.

REQUIRED: Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)–Complete through This form is completed through http://www.grants.gov/ and will be included as part of the application.

REQUIRED: VA-FSC Vendor File Request Form, VA Form 10091 (https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA10091.pdf)–Complete through

5 A copy of Exhibit A of the VA Form 10096 can be found in section XIII. Appendix – VA Form 10096, Exhibit A 6 An example of an itemized budget can be found in XIV. Appendix – Budget Details - example https://www.va.gov/vaforms/va/pdf/VA10091.pdf www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

A web version of this document must be submitted through the VA Customer Engagement Portal at https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/ by the application deadline stated in this NOFO. Ensure that the information provided on this form aligns with the information listed in SAM.gov. This form is required for all applicants.

Proof of registration should be included in application packet.

REQUIRED (only if applicable): Letters of Partnership (Combine all letters into a single document)–Requested title “Partnership”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

If the adaptive sports activities will be implemented through partnerships as described in 38 C.F.R. § 77.5(a)(5) and 38 C.F.R. § 77.8(b), signed documentation of the partners confirming a partnership must be submitted.

Letters of partnership should include details of the scope of activities and if applicable, scope of funding involved in the partnership. If these letters are not provided as directed, the proposal will be evaluated as if the partnership has not been officially established. Additional supporting attachments may be provided at the applicant’s discretion. Letters of recommendation from individuals and entities that are not involved in delivery of adaptive sports services do not qualify as partnership letters.

OPTIONAL: Letters of Support (Combine all letters into a single document)– Requested title “Support”. This document should be saved and uploaded as a PDF.

Letters of support may be provided to demonstrate the applicant has relationships that will allow them to successfully recruit the population targeted in the proposal. These letters may come from, but are not limited to, VA medical centers, DoD medical treatment facilities, and VSOs. It is recommended these letters highlight the willingness of the correspondent to collaborate and assist the applicant in identifying eligible participants for the proposed activities.

VI. Submission Requirements and Deadlines

• Submission deadline 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2025.

• All Adaptive Sports Grant Program awards will be for a 12-month period, September 30, 2025–September 30, 2026.

• To submit an application for funding consideration in response to this NOFO, submit the application and all affiliated materials via the www.grants.gov/ portal.

Files should use naming convention listed below. Files that cannot be opened will not be considered. Applications that are incomplete or incorrect may result in the application not being considered for funding.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cep.fsc.va.gov%2F&data=05%7C02%7C%7C2f028a3a8d7e46695d2e08dd68a71fb4%7Ce95f1b23abaf45ee821db7ab251ab3bf%7C0%7C0%7C638781789187675340%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=c60nKZTkOCaEvC0Uz1TpJO8i686OXJm3mAxjyeU5SE8%3D&reserved=0 https://www.cep.fsc.va.gov/

• Register in www.grants.gov. Authorization of roles, including the ability to submit an application on behalf of an organization, is managed by the E-Business Point of Contact for that organization. If you do not know the E-Business Point of Contact for your organization, please reach out to Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

• Submit by required date: Once all submission requirements noted in Section V.B.

are completed, applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov by 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 2, 2025. In the interest of fairness to all competing applicants, the deadline is firm as to date, hour, and minute. Applicants should consider this stipulation and submit materials early to avoid risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated delays. Confirmation of an application submission will be auto generated and sent by www.grants.gov.

Applications must be submitted as a complete package. Materials arriving separately will not be included in the application package for consideration and may result in the application being rejected. Applications not meeting the above criteria will be ineligible for further review and cannot be considered for funding.

• Amendment Submissions: After an applicant has submitted a complete application, an applicant may submit an amendment to the grant application package, as described under 38 C.F.R. § 77.6. An amendment submitted after the application submission deadline and prior to the grant award cannot change the scope of the original application or increase the amount of the grant requested by more than a total of 10%. An applicant seeking to amend its grant application must submit a narrative description of, and clear justification for, the requested changes, and a revised Standard Form 424 (Application for Federal Assistance). Amendments submitted after the application submission deadline will not be considered during the Administrative or Merit Review stages.

Consideration of amendments will only occur for applications that progress to the Programmatic Review stage.

A. Requesting an Application Package:

Application materials, specific forms, and additional resources including a Frequently Asked Questions document, can be found at https://www.grants.gov/ and https://department.va.gov/veteran-sports/grant-program/.

B. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov):

Under 2 C.F.R. § 200, each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual, or meets the conditions under which a Federal awarding agency may exempt the applicant under 2 C.F.R. §§ 200 and 25.110(a)(b), or is exempt by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under 2 C.F.R. §§ 200 and 25.110 is required to:

https://www.grants.gov/

• Be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) for a Commercial and Government Entity Code before submitting its application http://www.sam.gov/SAM. Please note, there is no cost to register, update, or renew an entity registration in SAM.

• Maintain an active SAM registration for the duration of the application period.

• Provide a valid Unique Entity Identifier in the application https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/.

C. Executive Order 12372:

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs 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.

Generally, VA Adaptive Sports Program grants are not subject to EO 12372 (https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html).

D. Additional Submission Requirements:

Submission of an incorrect or incomplete application package will result in the application being rejected during an initial administrative review Section VII.A.

The application packages must contain all required elements listed in Section V.B. Selections will be made based on criteria described in 38 C.F.R. § 77.5 and this NOFO. The application package must be submitted through http://www.grants.gov/. Applications may not be sent by mail, email, or fax

VII. Application Review Information

Submitted applications will undergo a three-phase review process: administrative, merit, and programmatic. Applications will be evaluated by selection criteria described in 38 C.F.R. § 77.5, and further detailed in this section of the NOFO. The administrative review criteria are indicated in Section VII.A. Those determined to be ineligible based on these stated criteria will not be scored for funding consideration.

Those applications determined to be eligible for funding consideration after the administrative review will undergo a merit review, and scoring will be based on criteria indicated in Section VII.B. Those applications receiving a total merit score of less than 65 will be determined to be ineligible for funding consideration. Remaining applications will be considered for funding recommendation based on the programmatic review process.

A. Administrative Review:

VA will only score applications that meet the following minimum requirements:

• The application is filed within the time period and submission process established in the NOFO.

• The application includes all required elements listed in Section V.B.

o VA will attempt to open documents but will not troubleshoot any problems related to opening files.

• The application is unique from other applications submitted by the same applicant, when submitting multiple applications.

o FY 2024 grantees may only apply under one category. If applications are submitted under multiple categories, all applications will be disqualified for review.

• The applicant has an active SAM.gov registration in good standing (not debarred or delinquent) for the duration of the review period.

• The applicant is an eligible entity as defined in 38 C.F.R. § 77.2.

• The applicant does not have an outstanding obligation to the Federal Government that is in arrears and does not have an overdue or unsatisfactory response to an audit.

• The applicant is not in default by failing to meet the requirements for any previous Federal assistance.

• Proposed funding request for Initial and Noncompetitive applications are within $750,000 cost ceiling, or Renewal applications do not exceed a 5% increase from the FY 2024 awarded amount.

• Administrative fees are within 5% of requested award.

Administrative review applicant checklist can be found in XII Appendix for applicant use. The checklist can be used as a guide when preparing the application package to ensure that the application has met administrative screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. If the application does not meet all of the screening criteria, the application will not move forward to the merit review process.

B. Merit Review:

The merit review will review inclusion of all required information in the grant application as specified by 38 U.S.C. § 521A(c) and will score the application as indicated in the following.

(1) Renewal Applications:

• NVSPSE Program Outcomes (55 points) o All deliverables are on track for completion.

o Utilized 90% of proposed quarter funds, to date, as proposed in FY 2024 VA Form 10096.

o Initiated Outreach goals proposed in FY 2024 application.

o Met 90% targeted attendees for all deliverables that have been completed to date.

o Lessons Learned added to all completed deliverables.

o All expired grants successfully closed out.

o All quarterly reports completed on time, to date.

• Reasonableness of Cost (20 points) o Budgeted costs are reasonable, allocable and allowable under 2 C.F.R. § 200 Subpart E and produce good value for the amount of funds paid for proposed activities.

o Budgeted costs are comparable to regional market value for similar goods and services and adhere to General Service Administration (GSA) rates when applicable.

o Proposal demonstrates an understanding that award funding shall be allocated solely to Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with disabilities.

o Costs including storage and/or leased space, vehicles, horses, farm equipment, equine boarding, and equine supplies must include a strong justification and state allocability to the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program.

o Travel funds of 20% or less of the total grant award are usual and customary. Travel funds greater than 20% of the total grant award may be allowable but require a detailed written justification in the required Narrative document (Section V.B. of this NOFO).

o Budget does not include travel for VA employees in official duty status.

o Budget does not include costs to support athlete or staff travel to attend VA national rehabilitation events (National Veterans Wheelchair Games, National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, National Veterans Golden Age Games, National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic, and National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic).

• Compliance with NVSPSE Goals and Requirements (25 points) o Grantee has demonstrated full compliance with grant agreement to date.

(2) Initial and Non-competitive Applications:

Programmatic Plan (70 points–Information is best displayed, but not limited to, the following documents: VA Form 10096, Narrative

• NOFO Compliance (5 points)–Applications that comply with the NOFO will receive 5 points. Applications that include documents exceeding page limit guidelines, or extraneous documents not stated in Section V.B., will receive an automatic 5-point deduction. Compliance is defined as:

o Documents are within page limit guidelines.

o Only documents stated in Section V.B. are submitted. No additional documents.

o Deliverables are written appropriately and indirect costs are distributed amongst deliverables.

• Adaptive Sports Activities (10 points) o Adaptive sports activities to be provided are clearly stated on VA Form 10096.

o Target population/disability group for each proposed activity are clearly stated.

o Any adaptations required for target population are clearly stated.

o The inclusion of equine mounted work includes a strong justification.

• Program Objectives and Design (15 points) o Program’s concept, goals, and objectives are clearly defined.

o Programming is evidence-based and related to sport and population.

o Each deliverable describes the activity and/or event to be implemented.

o Each deliverable includes an expected number of Veterans or trainers served.

o Actions that do not serve attendees (such as outreach and purchasing of equipment) are distributed amongst deliverables.

o Locations, dates, and/or frequency are provided for each deliverable.

• Program Management and Past Performance (15 points) o Information regarding program history, staff qualifications, and overall past performance (with particular focus on activities and disabilities served) is clearly provided.

o Primary staff holds proper certification for activity and disability served.

o Functions of key personnel are clearly explained.

o Proposal demonstrates an understanding that award shall not reimburse any medical services.

o Evidence of safety measures and policies are clearly stated, including an emergency action plan, inclement weather plan, and First Aid/ Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation requirements.

• Capability for Successful Execution of Program (15 points) o Evidence of disabled Service member population in geographical region is provided.

o Ability to recruit target population (Veterans with disabilities and Service members with disabilities) is clearly defined.

o Timeframe is reasonable for successful execution of the proposed plan.

o Significant experience in managing a large-scale adaptive sports program, as defined in 38 C.F.R. § 77.2 and Section IV of this NOFO, is clearly stated.

• Partnerships (10 points) o Communication plan is clearly stated.

o Partnerships and collaborating organizations are clearly defined and provide a clear benefit to implementation of the program.

o Responsibilities of partners and collaborating organizations are clearly stated.

o Relationships with VA Medical Centers, Department of Defense facilities, and VSOs are evidenced through Memorandum of Agreements, Letters of Partnership and/or Letters of Support.

• Financial Capability and Plan (30 points)–Information is displayed, but not limited to, the following documents: VA Form 10096, SF-424, Budget Details, and Narrative.

• Capability (5 points) o Experience managing funds is clearly stated,

• Plan (15 points) o Budget is justified and clearly explained within the proposal.

o Expenses are distributed amongst deliverables. (i.e. outreach, program equipment, and administrative costs should be distributed amongst deliverables and should not be listed as their own deliverables).

o Budget Details are clear, itemized, includes specific cost estimates, and directly correlates to deliverables.

o Budget Details includes an estimated cost per Veteran per visit.

o A clear and specific budget breakdown is provided.

• Reasonableness of Costs (10 Points) o Budgeted costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable under 2 C.F.R.