P24AS00064 - Youth Master Cooperative Agreement NOFO.docx

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Financial Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Conservation Service Corps & Civilian Climate Corps Program - National Youth Cooperative Agreements

Note: Per 2 CFR 1402.204 (f) Bureaus and offices must consider the timeliness of the application submission. Applications that are submitted beyond the announced deadline date must be removed from the review process.

This announcement remains open until September 30, 2028. Proposals are reviewed and evaluated as they are received and may be submitted at any time. The submission process for proposals is discussed in section D Application and Submission Information of this announcement.

Agency Contact Information:

Questions and completed applications should be emailed directly to youth_nofo@nps.gov.

Table of Contents

Section A: Program Description

Legislative Authority: 16 U.S.C. § 1723(c)(1) Public Land Corps. This act authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements for individuals ages 16-30 (up to 35 for veterans) with any qualified youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation projects. Projects are typically for development and maintenance of natural resources and environmental education programs. Requires a 25% match of non-federal funds from the recipient.

Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA) Number: 15.931 - Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities

Federal Regulations: 2 C.F.R. § 200, 2 C.F.R. § 1402

Program Background, Objectives, and Goals: The National Park Service (NPS) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The NPS manages the 425 units of the National Park System. The NPS also helps administer dozens of affiliated sites, the National Register of Historic Places, National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic Landmarks, and National Trails.

The “Organic Act” created the NPS in 1916. This Act states that the fundamental purpose of the NPS “is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The National Park System inspires conservation and historic preservation at all levels of American society. The national parks also deliver a message to future generations about the experiences that have made America a symbol of freedom and opportunity for the rest of the world. To visit the national parks is to witness American values on full display in extraordinary places that embody certain “unalienable rights” and inspire the nation to succeed. To actively ensure conservation of national parks, public lands, wilderness, and historic places for the enjoyment of future generations is a priceless gift to future generations.

The roots of the National Park Service lie in the parks’ majestic, often isolated natural wonders and in places that exemplify our cultural heritage, but the reach now extends into urban centers and rural landscapes. NPS moving into its’ second century is committed to:

· Connecting people to parks and helping communities protect what is special to them, highlighting their history and retaining or rebuilding their economic and environmental sustainability.

· Advancing the education mission by strengthening the NPS role as an educational force based on core American values, historical and scientific scholarships, and unbiased translation of the complexities of the American experience.

· Preserving America’s special places by extending the benefits of conservation across physical, social and political boundaries in partnership with others.

· The NPS Youth Development Programs manage and direct the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Program (21CSC) and the Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) on behalf of NPS.

The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps and Civilian Climate Corps Programs

Overview: NPS Youth and Veteran Development Programs represent the future of the NPS and encompasses a full range of 21CSC/CCC oriented developmental programs and projects conducted in and around national park units, NPS support offices, as well as in local communities and with partner organizations. NPS Youth Development Programs are committed to evolving and advancing vibrant and relevant youth and young adult programming that emphasize the mission of the NPS. NPS Youth Development Programs are designed to provide employment, education, experiential learning, and public service opportunities to U.S. citizens and legal residents who are between the ages of 16 and 30, and veterans up to 35 years of age.

The 21CSC/CCC is a collaborative effort between federal government agencies and non-profit service organizations to put America’s youth and veterans to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America’s great outdoors. Through the 21CSC/CCC, young people and veterans will accomplish meaningful work, and gain important personal and professional skills while building a lifelong connection to the outdoors. The 21CSC/CCC strives to achieve the following public purpose goals and objectives:

1) Put Americans to Work: The 21CSC/CCC will provide service, training, education and employment opportunities for thousands of young Americans and veterans, including low income and disadvantaged youth.

2) Preserve, Protect, and Promote America's Greatest Gifts: The 21CSC/CCC will protect, restore, and enhance public and tribal lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures. By producing high-quality, cost-effective project work from the 21CSC/CCC will also increase public access and use while spurring economic development and outdoor recreation.

3) Build America's Future: Through service to the United States of America, the 21CSC/CCC will help develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural resources, communities, and the nation.

4) Provide a Living Wage: A reasonable living wage which is at the minimum equivalent to the minimum wage for the area. A continuum of benefits to support a corps members whole person can include compensation, housing, and other benefits.

5) Provide a Pathway to Employment: Build a pipeline of talent and skilled labor of individuals inspired to enter public service or set them up for good-paying careers through intentional labor partnerships, pre-apprenticeship programs, and more.

6) Represent America: Corps members should reflect the rich diversity of America, including hiring people from underserved communities, individuals with disabilities, Native Tribes, returning veterans, and unskilled young adults seeking vocational, internship, and educational opportunities.

7) Tackle Climate Change: Tackle climate change from all angles by expanding the scope of climate solutions projects eligible for federal government support.

8) Appropriate conservation projects and other appropriate projects to be carried out on federal, state, local, or private land as part of a federal disaster prevention or relief effort.

Purpose: The NPS Youth Development Programs Division seeks to develop collaborative partnerships with non-profit youth-serving organizations who have the expertise to develop and administrator 21CSC programs that focus on providing employment, education, and engagement opportunities for U.S. citizens and legal residents in NPS units and affiliated sites such as National Register of Historic Places, National Heritage Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Historic Landmarks, National Trails, and adjacent gateway communities. The primary purpose of the funds is for the benefit of the interns participating in the program.

Participant Requirements: U.S. citizens and legal residents between the ages of 16 and 30 years of age, and veterans up to 35 years of age.

Types of Projects: Natural and cultural resource conservation projects that are developed in collaboration with NPS officials with an emphasis on public purpose for the benefit of the American public, as well as, for providing employment and educational opportunities to young people and veterans. These projects will provide the participants with job skills training, education, and/or professional development. The employment focused projects are organized in either: 1) a crew-based format where the participants work collectively and intensely together and are directly supervised by trained and experienced crew leaders or conservation professionals; or 2) a individual or small team-based format where participants work individually or in coordinated teams under the direction of conservation professionals on initiatives that require specific skills and dedicated attention. The work projects include significant outdoor activity and/or helps young people and veterans connect with “America’s Great Outdoors”. Some projects may include work primarily indoors (i.e., research, policy, web development, visitor services, or administration) but also has a clear and direct connection to natural and cultural resource conservation.

Project Examples:

· Climate change mitigation and resilience

· Cyclic maintenance

· Development of educational resource materials for visitors

· Ecosystem restoration

· Enhancing recreational opportunities

· Field-based service such as trail building/restoration, removing invasive species and habitat restoration.

· GIS and mapping resources

· Interpretation of natural and cultural resources

· Museum curation

· Preserving historic structures

· Protecting of wildlife and preserving lands and structures

· Research such as scientific, historic, archival, archaeological digs, oral histories, historic preservation, and habitat surveys etc.

· Restoration and rehabilitation of facilities

· Support management of natural and cultural resources such as developing and implementing resource stewardship plans, developing educational and informational materials for park visitors

· Technologically based natural and cultural resource educational programs and communication outreach

· Visitor education

Education Projects: The National Park Service is committed to providing educational opportunities to 21CSC qualified individuals that help them to learn about American values, civic engagement, and citizenship stewardship. These projects utilize various educational techniques to convey and teach the NPS mission of natural and resource conservation.

Education Project Examples:

· Projects that target 21CSC qualified participants and provide place-based learning opportunities with a focus on natural and/or cultural resource stewardship.

· Seminars that provide training opportunities for 21CSC qualified participants that promote natural and cultural resource stewardship and gateway community collaboration.

Applicant Organizational Requirements

The applicant organization should be able to clearly demonstrate their ability to design natural and cultural resource conservation projects that accomplish needed and important work on public lands while at the same time providing their 21CSC participants with educational, technical, life, and leadership skills. Each participant should develop a sense of community and purpose from their work on these projects. NPS may give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps organizations (see definition below) located in a specific area that have a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged to carry out projects within the area. Park asset acquisition or personal services are not allowable.

Public Land Corps Law Definition Qualified Youth or Conservation Corps means any program established and administered by a State or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or a nonprofit organization that: 1) Carries out appropriate conservation projects on or related to eligible service land; 2) Is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, or veterans age 35 or younger, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 3) Engages participants in a variety of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; 4) Provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States; and 5) Provides the individual with a living allowance, stipend, or wages.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility

1. The NPS is firmly committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment in its parks and through the Youth Development Programs. It is absolutely critical that NPS Youth Development Programs make natural and cultural resource stewardship relevant and accessible to the younger generation. Developing the next generation of resource stewards to advance equity, inclusion, and access is critical to the mission of the NPS and its’ survival as an agency.

1. Diverse and inclusive youth programs are a top priority for the NPS and partner organizations are essential to helping the NPS reach diverse audiences and engage these audiences in park programming. Additionally, the changing demographics of the United States of America mean that the Federal government must adapt how it provides services to its citizens. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) are only fully realized when built into the foundational systems and business practices of our work. This representation includes expanding DEIA in our storytelling and visitor experiences, as well as the interactions we have with each other as employees. NPS must have a diverse workforce to effectively accomplish these goals and one primary means of accomplishing this goal is through the youth, young adult, and veterans’ employment programs.

Infrastructure Standards Partner organizations must have:

1. Competent and proven operational systems and infrastructure

1. Data information systems that protect personal identification information

1. Dedicated staff to support the program and supervise intern(s)

Financial Management

1. All partner organization must be in full compliance with all the relevant statutes and policies of the Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) as they pertain to this financial assistance announcement.

1. Organizations must have the capacity to provide a minimum 25% cost match (non-federal cash and/or in-kind services) per project.

Risk Management: Must have an established risk management policy to include, at a minimum, policies and procedures on safety and anti-harassment. Each organization must have adequate insurance and liability coverage.

Program Quality Assurance The organization must:

1. Be able to clearly articulate how they have developed and implemented successful natural and cultural resource conservation/stewardship projects in the past three years, and/or the organizational principal leadership team must have at least five years of experience implementing environmental justice and/or climate change solutions in communities and/or on public lands

1. Have a youth participant development model (education and employment skills development)

1. Clearly identify the mission, core values, and/or guiding principles of their organization.

1. Have leadership and supervisory staff biographies

1. Establish hazardous conditions protocol

Brand Identity: Brand identity guidelines will be provided to each organization regarding the placement and use of the NPS logo and mark, as well as those of each individual organization on uniforms, publications, websites, and web applications involving programs and projects funded under this program agreement.

How Programs and Projects are Funded

1. 21CSC programs/projects are funded through multiple appropriated fund sources within NPS.

1. Funding is provided to organizations through individual project Task Agreements that have detailed project descriptions and budgets.

1. It is strongly encouraged that each organization makes itself known to park units and program offices to gain exposure to projects under this program

1. There is no guarantee of a set number of projects or funding.

1. The NPS manages national, regional and park-based projects under this program.

1. In carrying out priority projects in a specific area, to the maximum extent practicable, NPS will give preference to qualified youth or conservation corps located in that specific area that have a substantial portion of members who are economically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged.

Definitions

1. Cooperative Agreement: A legal instrument of financial assistance between a Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity and a non-Federal entity that, consistent with 31 U.S.C. 6302-6305:

(a) Is used to enter into a relationship the principal purpose of which is to transfer anything of value from the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity 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 Government or pass-through entity's direct benefit or use; (b) Is distinguished from a grant in that it provides 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 (2 CFR 200.24).

A cooperative agreement may be entered into to accomplish various projects or tasks anticipated and initiated over a span of up to five (5) years unless otherwise indicated. Such a cooperative agreement should establish the general scope of the agreement, as well as its essential elements and the estimated funding. Either a bilateral modification or a task agreement may then be issued to authorize specific project commencement and funding. A bilateral modification or a task agreement is not always required as a cooperative agreement may stand on its own without task agreements and can contain the specific scope of work and related funding.

2. Master Cooperative Agreement: A Master Cooperative Agreement is used to enter into a relationship with a non-federal entity in which the primary purpose is to establish a relationship with the non-Federal to carry out broad public purpose objectives when more than one project is anticipated. This type of cooperative agreement will include a detailed description of all types of work that could be done under the agreement as well as citation to the legal authority or authorities that authorize the agreement. The Master Cooperative Agreement also establishes the overarching terms and conditions and the general level of substantial involvement.

A Master Cooperative Agreement is not a funded legal instrument. Funding is provided through specific task agreements which reference and are subject to the terms and conditions of the Master Cooperative Agreement. See task agreement definition below for additional information.

3. Public Purpose of Support or Stimulation: Public purpose is government assistance for which the principal purpose is to promote the general welfare, security, prosperity, or public convenience as authorized by a federal law. Public purpose is required for all financial assistance awards. A financial assistance award must principally fulfill a public purpose of support or stimulation, which is different than a procurement contract which is designed to directly benefit the NPS.

4. Substantial Involvement: Substantial involvement is significant NPS participation during the performance of a cooperative or task agreement. Substantial involvement is a required component of a cooperative agreement and task agreement. Some examples of substantial involvement include: NPS involvement in program management decisions; NPS collaboration in the accomplishment of the activity; or NPS operational involvement or participation during the project. NPS funding and monitoring/administering of the financial assistance agreement alone does not constitute substantial involvement. The nature of the federal involvement will be identified within the resulting Master Cooperative Agreement.

5. Task Agreement: Once a Master Cooperative Agreement is established, specific projects with funding are provided through subsequent task agreements, which are issued under the applicable legal authority documented within the Master Cooperative Agreement. A task agreement will authorize performance, establish timetables, identify key personnel, and obligate funds for a project that falls within the scope of an established Master Cooperative Agreement. Task agreements incorporate by reference the Master Cooperative Agreements thereby not repeating the terms and conditions contained in the Master Cooperative Agreement. The task agreement will cite the specific legal authority or authorities contained in the Master Cooperative Agreement that authorizes that specific task agreement project. Task agreements may contain applicable “as-needed” terms and conditions, or specific conditions that are not otherwise specified within the Master Cooperative Agreement.

Section B: Federal Award Information

Estimated Total Funding ($0): The awards selected under this announcement are $0 Master Cooperative Agreements. Subsequent funded Task Agreements will be determined once final fiscal year appropriations have been made for subject Task Agreement.

Expected Award Amount ($0): Based on prior year data, the NPS anticipates awarding approximately between $45M and $60M annually in financial assistance to youth and veteran agreements across all the entire NPS agency. Funding provided under this NOFO will be provided through the issuance of subsequent Task Agreements based on individual program goals and funding made available through annual appropriations. The amount of funding provided through individual Task Agreements will vary depending on the scope of individual project objectives, but past projects have ranged approximately between $10,000 - $800,000 per Task Agreement.

Anticipated Award Date: Master Cooperative Agreements will typically be selected for award within 90 days of proposal submittal. Master Cooperative Agreements are not effective until fully executed with a signature from the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. Master Cooperative Agreements do not allow for individual projects to begin. Projects shall not start until a NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer signs a funded Task Agreement.

Anticipated Term of the Agreement: Agreement terms for funded projects can range between one and five years, depending on the negotiated project statement of work. Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

Master Cooperative Agreements may have a period of performance up to five (5) years, if selected. Task agreements awarded under the Master Cooperative Agreements may have a period of performance up to five (5) years, depending on the negotiated project statement of work and funding for the specific task agreement. Should the task agreement require continuation of funding over that duration, continuation funding (funding for the second and subsequent budget periods) is contingent on: (1) availability of funds appropriated by Congress and future year budget authority; (2) progress towards meeting the objectives of the approved proposal; (3) submission of required reports; and (4) compliance with the terms and conditions of the award.

Estimated Number of Agreements to be Awarded (60 – 80): Each activity or project under this agreement will be treated individually, with more detail through project statements, project plans, and budgets developed cooperatively between the NPS and the non-federal entity.

Funding Instrument Type: This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) allows for the award of Master Cooperative Agreements by NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officers service wide. The NPS shall award non-funded agency wide Master Cooperative Agreements from this NOFO under CFDA 15.931, Youth Conservation Activities. The Master Cooperative Agreements awarded under this notice of funding opportunity announcement will be used to award future Task Agreements for the NPS. Master Cooperative Agreements are not funded, but the awarded Master Cooperative Agreements will allow for the NPS to fund subsequent Task Agreements bureau wide.

Non-federal entities that are awarded a Master Cooperative Agreement are not guaranteed funding under Task Agreements. Funded Task Agreements will be issued under the awarded Master Cooperative Agreements based on program need and the availability of fiscal appropriations. The number of awards made under this announcement will depend on the number of meritorious applications.

The receipt of a Master Cooperative Agreement under this announcement is neither a requirement to obtain funding, nor is it a guarantee of funding for future projects. Separate cooperative agreements may still be pursued by the NPS apart from this notice of funding opportunity. The award of a Master Cooperative Agreement does not preclude the NPS from soliciting for additional projects through separate competed or single source financial assistance agreements.

NPS substantial involvement will vary for individual projects and will be defined within subsequent task agreements. Substantial involvement may include, but is not limited to, the following:

· NPS is involved with the non-federal entity in describing the goals, jointly developing the scope and the activities to be accomplished. This must be combined with other substantial involvement, such as providing technical assistance or any of the statements listed below that goes beyond federal stewardship responsibilities.

· NPS staff assistance in selecting projects, providing orientation to park resources, overseeing assignments, teaching new skills, distributing tools and equipment, and providing technical assistance and safety training.

· NPS staff providing cultural/environmental programs to team members including park tours, educational programs, talks on the history of the park, and other similar programs in a variety of media; and coordination among other NPS units in the area to provide joint educational programs and field trips to NPS and other related sites.

· NPS staff providing the programmatic structure of a project, providing special interpretive programs, and/or providing educational elements of the project, such as trade skill development and leadership development.

· NPS staff working together with the non-Federal entity to jointly organize and deliver seminars, workshops, and types of training programs for the purpose of promoting historic preservation to non-Government entities, States, Tribes, and local governments and the general public.

· NPS staff providing the services of a Program Coordinator to serve as liaison to the non-federal entity for the work under this agreement. This includes consulting and working specifically with the entity’s program coordinator and team leaders on recruiting, interviewing, and recommending appropriate candidates.

· NPS will provide staff to mentor and train the youth and veterans employed through this program. Projects will support the academic and professional development of participants through mentoring by NPS staff. However, NPS staff may not independently select, supervise, reprimand, or provide direct human resource functions of non-federal staff.

Other Information: Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards.

Section C: Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants NPS is authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with any entity type (e.g., states, subdivisions of states, territories, Indian tribes, public or private nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education) qualified as youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation projects, as defined in Section A, Applicant Organization Requirements, Program Quality Assurance.

Non-profit applicants must be Section 501(c)(3) compliant. Non-Profit Organizations Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code exempts payment of federal income taxes for charitable, religious, scientific, literary and educational organizations. It is the most commonly used section in the IRS code granting tax exemption. Unless a non-profit corporation files a 501(c)(3) application with the IRS, it will not be exempt from paying federal income taxes. For-profit entities are not eligible to apply.

Federal law mandates that all entities applying for Federal financial assistance must have a current registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) including a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. A Federal award may not be made to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements. Additionally, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time NPS is ready to make the award, NPS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

A twenty-five percent (25%) minimum, cost-match inclusive of non-federal cash and/or in-kind services and/or resources is required for all funded projects.

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.

Foreign Entities or Projects: This program does not provide funding to foreign entities or for projects conducted outside the United States.

Section D: Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package A complete application package is described in this Section D. Application and Submission Information. The application package contains both mandatory standard forms (SF) and various optional templates that may be used to satisfy other stated application requirements. The application package can also be accessed and downloaded from the Related Documents tab on the Synopsis page of this announcement in Grants.gov. Access forms here: Grant Forms | GRANTS.GOV.

2. Contents and Form of Application Submission You must complete the mandatory standard forms and any applicable optional forms, in accordance with the instructions below, as required by this NOFO. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information. A complete application must be limited to 25MB file size per email submission and include:

Mandatory Requirements:

· Standard Form 424 - Application for Federal Assistance. Complete this form as much as possible with all applicable information.

· Standard Form 424B - Assurances This form must be signed and submitted with your application.

· Project Narrative - Proposal Submission Format The proposal is a narrative description that should specifically address each of the review criteria (see Section E). The proposal text must be no longer than 15 pages, no smaller than font size 11, and have 1-inch margins. The proposal narrative shall be in one of these file extensions: .pdf, .docx, or .doc. The 15-page limit includes all text, figures, references, (Forms SF-424, SF-424B, SF-LLL, are not counted as part of the page limit). Additionally, only information that is pertinent to the proposal should be included. The Project Narrative should be structured into three sections to clearly identify/explain the three Merit Review Criteria identified in Section E.

C. Additional Instructions:

(1) Indirect Costs (Indirect Cost Rate Agreement). If your proposed Task Agreement budgets will include indirect costs, the rate as proposed must meet the requirements of 2 CFR Part 200, Section 200.414 and 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix III through Appendix VII as applicable. A negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be provided with your proposal. Proposals that fail to document their indirect costs may have those costs disallowed.

(2) If selected for a Master Cooperative Agreement, NPS reserves the right to request additional or clarifying information for any reason deemed necessary, for the duration of the Master Cooperative Agreement, including, but not limited to:

· Financial capability;

· Evaluation of risk;

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

· Travel Regulations;

· Procurement Regulations.

(3) As required in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200, Subpart F, Audit Requirements, a non-Federal entity that expends $750,000 or more during the non-Federal entity’s fiscal year in Federal awards must have a single or program specific-specific audit conducted for that year in accordance with the procedures 2 CFR 200, subpart F.

Optional Requirements:

· 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.

Applicability.

· 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.

· In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, and services by recipients and by sub recipients, the conflict of interest provisions in 2 CFR §200.318 apply.

Notification.

· 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.

· 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 sub recipients.

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 §18 and 31 USC §1352.

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.

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 §200.339, Remedies for noncompliance, including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR §180).

· Uniform Audit Reporting Statement U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, 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, in accordance with 2 CFR 200 subpart F. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, 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 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.

· Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available with this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 and 31 USC 1352 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

· Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement If the project proposed in this application is funded through another Federal financial assistance award, in part or in whole, the applicant must provide a statement detailing the potential funding overlap in regard to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted or copy of Federal financial assistance award covering activities covered under this proposal. 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. Any overlap or duplication of funding between the proposed project and other active or anticipated projects may impact selection and/or funding amount. 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”.

If 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)

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as an individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own, operate, or work within), or any entity with an exception to bypass SAM.gov registration with prior approval from the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) which will replace Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet in April 2022. A Federal award may not be made 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 the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. Applicants registering in SAM.gov prior to April 2022 may still be required to obtain a DUNS number prior to completing the registration process within SAM.gov. Federal award recipients must also 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. 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.

Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as an individual (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own, operate, or work within), or any entity with an exception to bypass SAM.gov registration with prior approval from the funding bureau or office in accordance with bureau or office policy. All other applicants are required to register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application and obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) which replaces the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet in April 2022. A Federal award may not be made 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 the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. Federal award recipients must also continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s).

Register with the System for Award Management (SAM): Applicants can register on the SAM.gov website. The “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. Applicants can contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities will be assigned a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 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 made to the entity’s IRS information. There is no cost to register with SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free. If applicable, foreign entities who want to receive payment directly to a U.S. bank account must enter and maintain valid, current banking information in SAM.

4. Submission Dates and Times Applicants are held responsible for their proposals being submitted to the National Park Service. Applications must be received by September 30, 2028, 5 PM MT. File size must be limited to 25MB per email submission. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application well before the deadline. Note: Per 2 CFR 1402.204 (f) Bureaus and offices must consider the timeliness of the application submission. Applications that are submitted beyond the announced deadline date must be removed from the review process.

Application preparation time may take several weeks, so please start the application process as soon as possible. If it is determined that a proposal was not considered due to lateness, the applicant will be notified during the selection process.

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” Applicants subject to EO 12372 must contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State’s process. The names and addresses of the SPOC’s are listed in the OMB’s home page at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/

6. Funding Restrictions Master Cooperative Agreements are not funded. Master Cooperative Agreements must be awarded prior to funding task agreements. Any applicable funding restrictions will be identified on subsequent task agreements. Pre award funding through this NOFO shall not be allowed without an awarded Master Cooperative Agreement. Costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of a signed Task Agreement under a valid Master Cooperative Agreement are only allowable with written approval by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

7. Other Submission Requirements Applications to this announcement must be submitted by e-mail to youth_nofo@nps.gov. File size must be limited to 25MB per email submission.

Applications may not be submitted through Grants.gov. Please note that due to system limitations, Financial Assistance Awarding Officers do not receive a notification when applications are submitted through Grants.gov.

Applications submitted by other means, or not received by September 30, 2028, will not be considered.

A Master Cooperative Agreement under this announcement is not a requirement to obtain funding, nor is it a guarantee of funding for future projects. Separate cooperative agreements may still be pursued by the National Park Service apart from this notice of funding opportunity. The award of a Master Cooperative Agreement does not preclude the NPS from soliciting for additional projects through separate competed or single source financial assistance agreements. Additional future funding opportunities are anticipated.

If the applicant has other questions with submitting their application, they may also be submitted to youth_nofo@nps.gov.

8. Application Checklist

· SAM/UEI active registration (see requirement in Section C. Eligibility Requirements.)

· SF 424, Application for Federal Assistance: A complete, signed and dated SF424

· SF 424B, Assurances form: Signed and dated SF424B

· Project Narrative

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

START THIS PROCESS EARLY DON’T DELAY!

Section E: Application Review Information

1. Criteria NPS will evaluate and consider only those applications that separately address each of the merit review criteria in the project Narrative application requirement. Each applicant is required to provide a detailed project narrative, in accordance with section D.2. Contents and Form of Application Submission, of the following criteria elements. It is HIGHLY recommended that the project narrative has sections labeled by criterion.

Proposals submitted under this NOFO are evaluated through a merit review process and will be first reviewed for the following initial screening factors by the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer:

· The applicant is eligible for award based on the criteria identified in Section C.1. Eligible Applicants.

· The applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements (reference Section D.3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)).

· All required documents and additional information have been provided (reference Section D.2. Contents and Form of Application Submission).

Following this initial screen, applications will be evaluated based on three equally weighted criteria:

Criterion 1 - Youth/Young Adult Development Model

· Demonstrated ability to design natural and cultural resource conservation projects that can accomplish needed and important work on public lands while at the same time providing program participants with educational, technical, life and leadership skills.

· Demonstrated ability to teach and develop relevant vocational/work skills for program participants that include, dependability, punctuality, and problem solving.

· Demonstrated ability to develop natural and cultural resource stewardship ethics in the program participants.

· Demonstrated ability to develop strong community engagement skills program participants that will create a strong ethic of service to others in their immediate and greater communities.

· Demonstrated expert ability and knowledge to engage diverse racially, physically, socially, and economically disadvantaged communities in programs and projects that focus on natural and cultural resource stewardship.

· Have a documented training curriculum for supervisory staff and youth participants.

· Support an environment that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion and accessible through work culture, trainings and supervision practices.

Criterion 2 – Organizational Structure

· Have a formal governance and accountability structure.

· Have sufficient staff to develop and operate NPS programs and projects.

· Have clearly identified hiring and enrollment standards for project leaders. Job descriptions for key staff (include biographies and resumes).

· Clearly articulated organizational policies and procedures for the management and execution of youth/young adult development programs.

Criterion 3 – Past Performance

· List and provide descriptions of five natural and/or cultural resource youth/young adult development conservation projects and/or…