PKG00249881-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Community Planning and Development

Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB)

FR-6200-N-08

Application Due Date: 06/11/2019

Rural Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB)

FR-6200-N-08

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description.

II. Award Information.

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching.

C. Threshold Requirements.

D. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting El igibility.

E. Program Specific Requirements.

F. Criteria for Beneficiaries.

IV. Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and

Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number.

D. Application Submission Dates and Times.

E. Intergovernmental Review.

F. Funding Restrictions.

G. Other Submission Requirements.

V. Application Review Information.

A. Review Criteria.

B. Review and Selection Process.

C. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates.

VI. Award Administration Information.

A. Award Notices.

B. Administrative, National and Department Policy

Requirements for HUD recipients.

C. Reporting.

D. Debriefing.

VII. Agency Contacts.

VIII. Other Information.

IX. Appendix.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Program Office: Community Planning and Development Funding Opportunity Title: Rural Capacity Building for Community

Development and Affordable Housing Grants (RCB)

Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: FR-6200-N-08 Primary CFDA Number: 14.265 Due Date for Applications: 06/11/2019

Overview Prospective applicants should carefully read all instructions in all sections to avoid sending an incomplete or ineligible application. HUD funding is highly competitive. Failure to respond accurately to any submission requirement could result in an incomplete or noncompetitive proposal.

For Further Information Regarding this NOFA: Please direct questions regarding the specific program requirements of this Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) to the office contact identified in Section VII.

OMB Approval Number(s): 2506-0195

I. Funding Opportunity Description.

A. Program Description.

1. Purpose Purpose: The Rural Capacity Building program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes (eligible beneficiaries) to carry out affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas for the benefit of low- and moderate-income families and persons. The Rural Capacity Building program achieves this by funding National Organizations with expertise in rural housing and rural community development who work directly to build the capacity of eligible beneficiaries.

2. Changes from Previous NOFA.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Rural Capacity Building (RCB) program NOFA contains minimal changes compared to the previous FY 2017 NOFA. Most changes are characterized by the increase in clear language and a clearer explanation of specific expectations in the five rating factors. There are no programmatic changes in the FY 2018 RCB NOFA. Specific changes include:

Threshold Review: The threshold review in the FY 2018 RCB NOFA is mostly unchanged, but the directions have been clarified and made more explicit. Applicants must also show the amount of funding in their examples of national experience, provide proof of their IRS tax exempt status, and provide the webpage address for the organization.

Rating Factors:

o Factor 1, Capacity of Applicant and Relevant Organizational Experience – The

Capacity factor has been modified to be clearer and more precise in stating the information that is needed and how it will be evaluated to meet the requirements for the narrative. In particular, the requirements for demonstrating financial capacity were made more precise. The threshold score for Factor 1 was increased to 21 points from 17 points.

o Factor 2, Need/Extent of the Problem – Reference to specific disadvantaged communities was removed.

o Factor 3, Soundness of Approach – Applicants are now required to provide their budget within the written narrative, which will make their project design clearer and more accurate to the structure of the RCB program as a 4-year grant (the Form SF-424-CB budget attachment is no longer required or requested.)

Additional changes to improve conceptual consistency include moving the “proposed eligible beneficiaries” and the process for selection of geographic rural areas to the Implementation Process sub-section. Reference to specific disadvantaged communities was removed.

o Factor 4. Leveraging Resources – The requirements for Letters of Firm Commitment were clarified, and more precise language was added for the description of the application and effects of proposed leverage resources.

o Factor 5, Achieving Results and Program Evaluation – The directions for performance plans are more clearly delineated. The distinction between the two different types of evaluation as internal administration of the grant award versus an evaluation of the effectiveness of grant award activities on the communities the applicant serve was emphasized. For currently funded applicants, additional distinctions were made between the programmatic outputs and outcomes achieved with past RCB awards apart from past performance with grant management.

Rural Definition: The definition of Rural Area is unchanged but it has been updated to reflect current resources and tools.

Local Government: The definition was added.

Narrative Format: Narratives must use 1-inch margins.

Page Limit: The page limit for the narrative was increased from 38 pages to 40 pages, to allow for the provision of the budget table in the narrative.

Attachments: Applicants are reminded that they must attach evidence of IRS 501(c)(3) status and Indirect Cost Rate documentation.

Opportunity Zone Preference Points: These were added to the NOFA, increasing the total number of possible points to 104 points from 102 points.

Eligible Activities: Additional relevant examples have been added.

Eligible Beneficiaries: While the type of beneficiaries that are eligible in the RCB program remains unchanged from FY 2017, clarifying language was added to distinguish between eligible beneficiaries and eligible applicants. Furthermore, definitions for “eligible beneficiaries” and “eligible applicants” were added to the definition section of this NOFA for the sake of consistency.

Rights to Intangible Property: References to the rules regarding the creation of intangible property, including, but not limited to, curriculum, trainings, data or research findings cited at 2 CFR 200.315 were added.

To improve your chances of success, please be sure to read this announcement fully and carefully, and respond to all the elements in each factor.

3. Definitions.

a. Standard Definitions Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is the person authorized to submit applications on behalf of the organization via Grants.gov. The AOR is authorized by the E-Biz point of contact in the System for Award Management. The AOR is listed in item 21 on the SF-424.

Award, as used in this NOFA means a federal, grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) is a directory of the various Federal listings, projects, services and activities offering financial and non-financial assistance and benefits to the American public. CFDA Number is the unique number assigned to each program, project, service or activity listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA).

Consolidated Plan is a document developed by states and local jurisdictions. This plan is completed by engaging in a participatory process to assess their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions, and to make data-driven, place-based investment decisions with funding from formula grant programs. (See 24 CFR part 91 for more information about the Consolidated Plan and related Annual Action Plan).

Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this NOFA does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward (See 2 CFR 200.22.)

Contractor means an entity receiving a contract.

Deficiency is information missing or omitted within a submitted application. Deficiencies typically involve missing documents, information on a form, or some other type of unsatisfied information requirement (e.g., an unsigned form, unchecked box, etc.). Depending on specific criteria, deficiencies may be either curable or non-curable.

Curable Deficiency – Applicants may correct a curable deficiency with timely action.

To be curable the deficiency must:

Not be a threshold requirement, except for documentation of applicant eligibility;

Not influence how an applicant is ranked or scored versus other applicants; and Be able to be remedied within the time frame specified in the notice of deficiency.

Non-Curable Deficiency – An applicant cannot correct a non-curable deficiency after the submission deadline.

Non-curable deficiencies are deficiencies if corrected would change an applicant’s score or rank versus other applicants.

Non-curable deficiencies may result in an application being marked ineligible, or otherwise adversely affect an application’s score and final determination.

DUNS Number is the nine-digit identification number assigned to a business or organization by Dun & Bradstreet and provides a means of identifying business entities on a location-specific basis. Requests for a DUNS number can be made by visiting the Online DUNS Request Portal.

Eligibility requirements are mandatory requirements for an application to be eligible for funding. Deficiencies in meeting an eligibility requirement may be categorized as either curable or non-curable.

Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) is a database that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance.

Grants.gov is the website serving as the Federal government’s central portal for searching and applying for federal financial assistance throughout the Federal government. Registration in Grants.gov is required for submission of applications to prospective agencies.

NOTE: Passwords expire every 60 days. Accounts inactive for 1 year or more result in removal of all account roles. For more account management information, review the Applicant FAQs contained on the grants.gov web page.

Non-Federal Entity means a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), or non-profit organization carrying out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient.

Point of Contact (POC) is the person who may be contacted with questions about the application submitted by the AOR. The point of contact is listed in item 8F on the SF424.

Promise Zones are federally-designated, high-poverty urban, rural and tribal communities where the Federal government will partner with and invest in communities to accomplish these goals:

create jobs, leverage private investment, increase economic activity, expand educational opportunities, and reduce violent crime.

Promotores/Promotoras are Spanish-speaking Community Health Workers who work in their communities to reduce barriers to health services and make health care systems more responsive.

Recipient means a non-Federal entity receiving an award directly from HUD to carry out an activity under a HUD program.

Section 3 Business Concern means a business concern (1) 51 percent or more owned by Section 3 residents; or (2) of which at least 30 percent of permanent, full-time employees are currently Section 3 residents, or were Section 3 residents within three years of the date of first employment with the business concern; or (3) provides evidence of a commitment to subcontract over 25 percent of the dollar award of all subcontracts to be awarded to business concerns meeting the qualifications in this definition.

Section 3 Residents means: 1) Public housing residents; or 2) Low and very-low income persons, as defined in 24 CFR 135.5, who live in the metropolitan area or non-metropolitan county where Section 3 covered assistance is expended.

Standard Form 424 (SF424) Application for Federal Assistance Programs, required by https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#password discretionary grant programs.

Subaward means an award provided by a recipient to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the recipient. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual’s beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the recipient considers a contract.

Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity receiving a subaward from a recipient to carry out part of a HUD program; but does not include an individual’s beneficiary of such program.

A subrecipient may also receive other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency (including HUD).

System for Award Management (SAM), is an official website of the U.S. government. You can access the website at Sam.gov There is no cost to use SAM. SAM is the official U.S.

Government system that consolidated the capabilities of Central Contractor Registry (CCR), Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) and the Online Representations and Certifications Application (ORCA). Registration with Sam.gov is required for submission of applications via Grants.gov.

Threshold Requirement – Threshold requirements are a type of eligibility requirement.

Threshold requirements must be met for an application to be reviewed. Threshold requirements are not curable, except for documentation of applicant eligibility. Threshold requirements are listed in Section III.C. of this NOFA.

Applicants must ensure their application package addresses threshold requirements. Please check your application carefully!

4. Program Definitions Eligible Applicant: The National Organization (according to the definition in this RCB NOFA) applying for funding under this funding announcement. There are two types of applicants:

1. New Applicants: National Organizations that have not been awarded RCB program funds in the past five years, from FY 2013-FY 2017.

2. Currently Funded Applicants: National Organizations that have been awarded one or more RCB program grants, in grant years FY 2013-FY 2017.

Eligible Beneficiary: A local organization, serving a rural area(s), of one of the following types: rural housing development organization, Community Development Corporation (CDC), Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), Local government, and/or Indian tribe.

Community Development Corporation (CDC):

1. A CDC is a nonprofit organization that undertakes eligible RCB Program activities, as defined in this NOFA, and that meets these qualifications:

a. Is organized under Federal, State, or local law to engage in community development activities (which may include housing and economic development activities) primarily within an identified geographic area of operation;

b. Is governed by a board of directors composed of community residents, business leaders and civic leaders;

c. Has as its primary purpose the improvement of the physical, economic or social environment of its geographic area of operation by addressing one or more critical problems of the area, with particular attention to the needs of persons of low income;

d. Is neither controlled by, nor under the direction of, individuals or entities seeking to derive profit or gain from the organization;

e. Has a tax exemption ruling from the Internal Revenue Service under section 501(c)(3) or (4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 CFR 1.501(c)(3)-1);

f. Has standards of financial accountability that conform to 2 CFR 200.302, "Financial Management" and 2 CFR 200.303, "Internal Controls"; and

g. Is not an agency or instrumentality of a State or local government.

2. An organization that does not qualify under paragraph 1(a) through (g) may qualify as an eligible entity if:

a. It is a Small Business Administration (SBA) approved Section 501 State Development Company, or an SBA Certified Section 503 Company under the Small Business Investment Act of 1958, as amended (P.L. 85-699), or

b. The recipient demonstrates to the satisfaction of HUD, through the provision of information regarding the organization’s charter and by-laws, that the organization is sufficiently similar in purpose, function, and scope to those entities qualifying under paragraphs 1(a) through (g) of this definition, or

c. It is a State or locally chartered organization; however, the State or local government may not have the right to appoint more than one-third of the membership of the organization’s governing body and no more than one-third of the board members may be public officials or employees of the State or local government entity chartering the organization. Board members appointed by the State or local government may not appoint the remaining two-thirds of the board members.

Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO): A CHDO is defined in the HOME Investment Partnerships Program regulation (HOME Program) at 24 CFR 92.2. The HOME Program is authorized by the HOME Investment Partnerships Act at title II of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 12701 et seq.

Family: Family refers to the definition of "family" in 24 CFR 5.403. Family includes, but is not limited to, the following, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status:

1. A single person, who may be an elderly person, displaced person, disabled person, near-elderly person, or any other single person; or

2. A group of persons residing together, and such group includes, but is not limited to:

a. A family with or without children (a child who is temporarily away from the home because of placement in foster care is considered a member of the family);

b. An elderly family;

c. A near-elderly family;

d. A disabled family;

e. A displaced family; and

f. The remaining member of a tenant family.

Household: Household means all the persons occupying a housing unit. The occupants may be a family as defined in 24 CFR 5.403; two or more families living together, or any other group of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.

Local government: Local government means any unit of government within a state, including a county, borough, municipality, city, town, township, parish or special district.

Low- and moderate-income household: Low- and moderate-income household means a household having an income equal to or less than the Section 8 low-income limit established by HUD, which means a household whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI).

Low- and moderate-income person: Low- and moderate-income person means a member of a family having an income equal to or less than the Section 8 low-income limit established by HUD, which means an individual whose income does not exceed 80 percent of the AMI.

Unrelated individuals will be considered as one-person families for this purpose.

Low-income household: Low-income household means a household having an income equal to or less than the Section 8 very low-income limit established by HUD, which means a household whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the AMI.

Low-income person: Low-income person means a member of a family that has an income equal to or less than the Section 8 very low-income limit established by HUD, which means an individual whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the AMI. Unrelated individuals shall be considered as one-person families for this purpose.

National Organization: For the purpose of the RCB program, a National Organization must be a single organization that has experience conducting RCB eligible activities with RCB eligible beneficiaries within the last ten years in at least seven Federal HUD regions. Having relevant experience working in one state in a HUD region is sufficient for counting that region towards the seven-region minimum. Federal regions are described on HUD’s website at: http://portal .hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/localoffices/regions. A National Organization must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit, other than an institution of higher education.

Opportunity Zone: According to the IRS, and Opportunity Zone is an “economically-distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.” Opportunity Zones are further defined in 26 U.S.C. 1400Z.

Rural Area: A rural area is a statistical geographic entity delineated by the Census Bureau that does not meet the definition of an urbanized area. An urbanized area is a statistical geographic entity delineated by the US Census Bureau, consisting of densely settled census tracts and blocks and adjacent densely settled territory that together contain at least 50,000 people. As of the 2010 decennial census, the United States contained 486 urbanized areas with an additional 11 in Puerto Rico. For more information about urbanized areas, including maps, FAQs, and reference manuals, please refer to this Census Bureau website - https://www.census.gov/geo http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/localoffices/regions http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/localoffices/regions https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/webatlas/uas.html

/reference/webatlas/uas.html.

To demonstrate that a beneficiary complies with the rural area requirement, grantees will be expected to implement a review process to confirm that the proposed rural beneficiary is physically located within an eligible rural area or, as a result of RCB assistance, will be commencing or expanding service in an eligible rural area. HUD has created a mapping tool for grantees to utilize in assessing a beneficiary’s compliance with the rural area definition. The mapping tool is posted on HUD’s RCB grant program webpage -https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/rural-capacity-building/.

5. Web Resources The resources indicated provide details for the application process

Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Code of Conduct list Do Not Pay Dun & Bradstreet Request a DUNS Number Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System Federal Subaward Reporting System) FSRS Grants.gov Grants.gov support Healthy Homes Strategic Plan Healthy Housing Reference Manual HUD Funds available HUD’s Strategic Plan HUD Grants NOFA webcasts Procurement of recovered materials Promise Zones Section 3 Business Registry State Point of Contact List System for Award Management (SAM)) Real Property Acquisition and Relocation USASpending

B. Authority.

The FY 2018 Rural Capacity Building program funds made available through this NOFA are authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, approved on https://www.census.gov/geo/reference/webatlas/uas.html https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/GEN-REQ-TERMS-2018.PDF https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/conductgrants http://donotpay.treas.gov/ https://www.dnb.com/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=1&SID=d67b2c9e097a45629d959d63e5e4f297&ty=HTML&h=L&mc=true&r=SECTION&n=se24.1.5_1109 https://www.fapiis.gov/fapiis/index.action https://www.fsrs.gov/ https://grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/healthy_homes/advhh https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/publications/books/housing/housing_ref_manual_2012.pdf https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo/fundingopps https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SPM/documents/HUDSTRATEGICPLAN2018-2022.pdf https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/spm/gmomgmt/grantsinfo https://www.hud.gov/press/multimedia https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=91f378a1992b84880fbe5823086278fc&mc=true&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5#se2.1.200_1322 https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/promise-zones/ https://portalapps.hud.gov/Sec3BusReg/BRegistry/What https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/grants_spoc https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/ https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/comm_planning/library/relocation https://www.usaspending.gov/Pages/Default.aspx

March 23, 2018).

II. Award Information.

A. Available Funds Funding of up to $5,000,000 is available through this NOFA.

Additional funds may become available for award under this NOFA as a result of HUD's efforts to recapture unused funds, use carryover funds, or because of the availability of additional appropriated funds. Use of these funds is subject to statutory constraints. All awards are subject to the applicable funding restrictions contained in this NOFA.

B. Number of Awards.

HUD expects to make approximately 4 awards from the funds available under this NOFA.

C. Minimum/Maximum Award Information

Estimated Total Funding: $5,000,000 Minimum Award Amount: $1,000,000 Per Project Period Maximum Award Amount: $2,500,000 Per Project Period

D. Period of Performance

Estimated Project Start Date: 09/18/2019 Estimated Project End Date: 09/17/2023 Length of Project Periods: Other Length of Project Periods Explanation of Other: 48 month period of performance for project and budget.

E. Type of Funding Instrument.

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

HUD will enter into a grant agreement with selected applicants for the period of performance.

F. Supplementation.

III. Eligibility Information.

A. Eligible Applicants.

Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Only National Organizations that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, other than institutions of higher education, can apply for RCB funding.

For the purpose of the RCB program, a National Organization must be a single organization that has experience conducting RCB eligible activities with RCB eligible beneficiaries within the last ten years in at least seven Federal HUD regions. Having relevant experience working in one state in a HUD region is sufficient for counting that region towards the seven-region minimum.

Federal regions are described on HUD’s website at:

B. Cost Sharing This Program does not require cost sharing, matching or leveraging.

There is no match requirement under the Rural Capacity Building program. However, applicants are encouraged to secure leverage from public, private, and/or nonprofit sector resources (such as financing, supplies, or services). Applicants who submit evidence of leveraging dollars through Letters of Firm Commitment that meet the requirements outlined in Rating Factor 4 of this NOFA, will receive credit.

The RCB Program does not allow Federal sources to be used as leverage. All leverage funds, including in-kind contributions, must conform to the requirements of 2 CFR Part 200.29, 2 CFR

200.306 and 2 CFR Part 200.96. Leverage sources may come from public (non-Federal), private, and nonprofit sources, including, but not limited to;

State and local housing finance agencies;

Local Governments;

Foundations;

Government Sponsored Enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Banks, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac;

Colleges and universities;

Financial institutions or banks; and Other private funders.

Once awarded, grantees will be required to show evidence that committed leverage resources were actually received and used for their intended purposes through semi-annual reports and the final closeout report to HUD. Subject to HUD approval, sources of leverage funds may be substituted with other eligible leverage sources after grant award, as long as the total dollar commitment is met.

C. Threshold Requirements.

Applicants who fail to meet any of the following threshold eligibility requirements will be deemed ineligible. Applications from ineligible applicants will not be evaluated.

1. Timely Submission of Applications – Applications submitted after the deadline stated within this NOFA that do not meet the requirements of the grace period policy will be marked late. Late applications are ineligible and will not be considered for funding. See also Section IV Application and Submission Information, part D. Application Submission Dates and Times

As stated in Section III.A of this NOFA, to be eligible for funding for the RCB program, the applicant must qualify as an eligible national organization based on the definition provided in this NOFA. To accomplish this, the applicant must provide evidence of:

Non-Profit Status: The applicant must be a non-profit entity with active 501(c)(3) status, and not an institution of higher education. Applicants must provide proof of their non-profit tax exempt status by attaching a copy of the organization’s IRS determination letter showing its status as a 501(c )(3) tax-exempt entity. HUD may also verify the organization's non-profit status using the IRS's Exempt Organizations select check tool found at https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ .

National Organization Status: The applicant must be a National Organization according to the definition provided in Section III.A of this NOFA. To meet the National Organization threshold requirement, the applicant must provide evidence of the national scope of its relevant work conducting eligible activities with eligible beneficiaries in at least seven HUD regions. To do this, applicants must present the following evidence to establish eligibility as a National Organization:

o Threshold Summary: A Threshold Summary must be included at the beginning of the narrative portion of the application and it will count against the narrative page limit.

o Organization Website: As further evidence of the applicant’s standing as a National Organization, applicants must provide the web address for their organization’s webpage.

HUD reserves the right to review publicly-available information (e.g., organizational website, IRS website https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/) to verify that application materials are consistent with such information.

To accurately determine the applicant's eligibility, the Threshold Summary must clearly identify the:

1. HUD Region where the activity was conducted;

2. State(s) within the HUD Region where the activity was conducted;

3. Type of eligible activity (e.g. loans, grants, trainings);

4. Mode of eligible activity delivery (e.g. onsite, online);

5. Type of eligible beneficiary of the activity;

6. Year(s) the activity was conducted; and

7. Amount of funding expended on this activity.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/ https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/

The excerpted table below is an example of how applicants can present their Threshold Summary:

HUD Region represented

State(s) served within the HUD

Region

Type of Eligible Activity

Mode of Eligible Activity Delivery

Name and Type of Eligible

Beneficiary(ies) served (no more than 5 examples for each)

Year(s) Conducted

Amount of funding for this activity

8 MT Grant Direct provision of funds following an RFP process

My Town CDC, CDC

2016 $15,000

5 WI, MN Grant Direct provision of funds following an RFP process

Your Town, Inc., CHDO, Happy Meadow, Inc., CDC

Town of Smallville, local government

$50,000

7 MO

Training Onsite Homes for Our

Town, Rural Housing Development Organization Building our

Community, CDC

2016 $17,000

If a single activity or type of activity was conducted in multiple HUD regions, or if the beneficiaries crossed HUD regions, please list the activity separately such that only one HUD Region is represented per row. To establish national scope, applicants need only present one example of relevant work that meets the criteria for a National Organization for each of the minimum seven regions that they have worked in. In addition, it is expected that the work presented in this Threshold Summary will be consistent with the applicant's narrative in Factor 1 for experience. The Threshold Summary will not affect the applicant's overall score on the application; it will only be used to determine the organization's eligibility to apply for RCB program funding.

As a reminder, the Threshold Summary should be included at the beginning of the applicant's program narrative prior to the response to the Five Factors.

D. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements Affecting Eligibility Eligibility Requirements for Applicants of HUD’s Grants Programs The following requirements affect applicant eligibility. Detailed information on each requirement is posted on HUD’s Funding Opportunities Page (click here).

Resolution of Civil Rights Matters Outstanding Delinquent Federal Debts Debarments and/or Suspensions Pre-selection Review of Performance Sufficiency of Financial Management System False Statements Mandatory Disclosure Requirement Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities Equal Participation of Faith-Based Organizations in HUD Programs and Activities

E. Program Specific Requirements.

Purpose: The Rural Capacity Building program enhances the capacity and ability of rural housing development organizations, Community Development Corporations (CDCs), Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs), local governments, and Indian tribes (eligible beneficiaries) to carry out affordable housing and community development activities in rural areas for the benefit of low- and moderate-income families and persons. The Rural Capacity Building program achieves this by funding National Organizations with expertise in rural housing and rural community development who work directly to build the capacity of eligible beneficiaries.

Eligible Program Activities. RCB program funds are limited to activities that strengthen the organizational infrastructure, management, and governance capabilities of eligible beneficiaries serving rural areas. Through these activities, eligible beneficiaries increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low-and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas.

1. Training, education, support, and advice to to eligible beneficiaries to increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas.

This may include, but is not limited to, building the capacity of eligible beneficiaries to:

o Conduct an organizational assessment;

o Engage in strategic planning and Board development;

o Access and implement technological improvements;

o Engage with rural community stakeholders;

o Evaluate performance of current and planned rural community efforts;

o Plan for the use of available rural resources in a comprehensive and holistic manner;

https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/SPM/documents/ELIG-REQS-GRANTS-2018v2.pdf o Participate in HUD planning efforts to ensure rural participation and the assessment of rural area needs; and o Foster regional planning efforts by connecting local, rural community plans with neighboring communities.

2. Loans, pass-through grants or other financial assistance to eligible beneficiaries to increase their capacity to carry out community development and affordable housing activities that benefit low-income or low- and moderate-income families and persons in rural areas.

3. Such other activities as may be determined by the grantees in consultation with the Secretary or his or her designee.

At this time, eligible program activities allowed under the third listed eligible activity only include HUD-reviewed and approved reasonable administrative tasks directly related to the grantee's management of the RCB program. Some examples of reasonable administrative activities specific to the management of the RCB program include the preparation of RCB action plans, preparation of RCB program reports, and management of the implementation of the first and second eligible activities. To qualify under the third listed eligible activity, the activity must first be proposed in an action plan, and then reviewed and approved by HUD through the action plan process after a grant award is made; thus, it should not be proposed through this application.

Any activities proposed in this application that do not fall under the first and second eligible activity, or the single accepted administrative task under the third eligible activity, will be considered ineligible activities for the review of this application and will not be reviewed in the assessment in Factor 3, Soundness of Approach and Factor 5, Achieving Results and Program Evaluation. Any inclusion of ineligible activities will cause the reduction of points in Factors 3 and 5.

In addition, any RCB-funded activity that results in the creation of intangible property, including but not limited to the creation of curriculum, trainings, data or research findings will be held to the rules at 2 CFR 200.315 whereby the Federal awarding agency reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the work for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so.

Program Priorities. Activities undertaken as part of, or as a result of, capacity building efforts described in this section should support the implementation of other HUD programs in rural areas, including, but not limited to, the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG), Indian Housing Block Grant, Indian Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA), Public Housing programs, Choice Neighborhoods, Emergency Solutions Grant Program (ESG), and the Continuum of Care program, in addition to issues related to sustainability and comprehensive neighborhood revitalization activities. Through the eligible activities of this NOFA, grantees are encouraged to build the capacity of entities in rural areas that lack designated rural housing development organizations, CDCs, or CHDOs, and to ensure that those entities gain new access or expand existing access to federal funding. Through RCB program activities, grantees are encouraged to align with and support projects that create opportunities for investments focused on job growth, economic recovery, and neighborhood revitalization. Additionally, grantees are encouraged to consider how eligible beneficiaries may align investments with regional planning for sustainable economic development, if such efforts are underway in a jurisdiction.

F. Criteria for Beneficiaries.

This program has eligibility criteria for beneficiaries.

Eligible Beneficiaries in the RCB program are not Eligible Applicants for the RCB program. By definition, RCB Eligible Beneficiaries are not eligible to apply to this RCB NOFA; National Organizations are the only organizations that can be deemed to be Eligible Applicants by successfully meeting the requirements of a National Organization established in Section I.A.4 and Section III.C of this FY 2018 RCB NOFA. Only Eligible Applicants can apply to HUD directly for RCB program funds through this NOFA.

Successfully funded RCB program National Organizations are required to work with Eligible Beneficiaries with their RCB program grant award.

RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries are limited to a local organization serving rural areas that are one of the following types of organizations:

Rural housing development organization, Community Development Corporation (CDC), Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO), Local government, and/or Indian tribe.

RCB program Eligible Beneficiaries must serve rural areas. To demonstrate that a beneficiary complies with the rural area requirement, grantees will be expected to implement a review process to confirm that the proposed rural beneficiary is physically located within an eligible rural area or, as a result of RCB assistance, will be commencing or expanding service in an eligible rural area. HUD has created a mapping tool for grantees to utilize in assessing a beneficiary’s compliance with the rural area definition. The mapping tool is posted on HUD’s RCB grant program webpage - https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/rural-capacity-building/.

For-profit organizations are not eligible as RCB beneficiaries.

State agencies and State-wide organizations are not eligible as beneficiaries of RCB program capacity building activities. Post-award, on a case-by-case basis, grantees may may present HUD with a request with justifications for an exception.

IV. Application and Submission Information.

A. Obtaining an Application Package.

https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/rural-capacity-building/

Instructions for Applicants.

You must download both the Application Instruction and the Application Package from Grants.gov. To ensure you are using the correct Application Package and Application Instructions, you must verify the CFDA Number and CFDA Description on the first page of the Application Package, and the Opportunity Title and the Funding Opportunity Number match the Program and NOFA to which you are applying.

The Application Package contains the Adobe forms created by Grants.gov. The Instruction Download contains official copies of the NOFA, and forms necessary for a complete application. The Instruction Download may include Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and additional documents.

An applicant demonstrating good cause may request a waiver from the requirement for electronic submission. For example, a lack of available Internet access in the geographic area in which your business offices are located. Lack of SAM registration or valid DUNS is not deemed good cause. If you cannot submit your application electronically, you must ask in writing for a waiver of the electronic grant submission requirements. HUD will not grant a waiver if HUD does not receive your written request at least 15 days before the application deadline or if you do not demonstrate good cause. An email request sent 15 days before the application will also be considered. If HUD waives the requirement, HUD must receive your paper application or email request before the deadline of this NOFA. To request a waiver and receive a paper copy of the application materials, you must contact:

Diane Schmutzler Email: CapacityBuilding@hud.gov

B. Content and Form of Application Submission.

You must verify boxes 11, 12, and 13 on the SF424 match the NOFA for which you are applying. If they do not match, you have downloaded the wrong Application Instruction and Application Package.

Submission of an application that is otherwise sufficient, under the wrong CFDA and Funding Opportunity Number is a curable deficiency.

1. Content.

Forms for your package include the forms outlined below:

Forms / Assurances / Certifications

Submission Requirement

Notes / Description

Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

This form is required

Faith-Based Ensuring Equal Opportunity Survey

(SF-424

This form is optional.

mailto:CapacityBuilding@hud.gov

Supplement)

HUD Applicant Recipient Disclosure Report

(HUD) 2880

Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report

HUD will provide instructions to grantees on how the form is to be submitted.

HUD instructions to grantees are provided by webcast, To view the webcast, click here.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (if applicable)

Refer to the instructions on the form to determine if the organization meets the requirements for submission.

Grants.gov Lobbying Form certification

Submit via Grants.gov as part of the application package.

The Lobbying Form certification must be submitted by applicants who are requesting more than $100,000 in this NOFA, so all applicants to this NOFA must submit the Lobbying Form.

IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit status.

This evidence is required.

Applicants must provide proof that the Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Letters of Firm Commitment for Leverage Documentation

These Letter(s) of Firm Commitment must be included as evidence if the applicant seeks to be considered for Leverage points in Factor 4.

See Rating Factor 4 for the requirements of Letters of Firm Commitment.

Indirect cost rate documentation

Applicants are required to provide documentation identifying the federally negotiated indirect cost rate from the cognizant

Refer to Section IV.F Funding Restrictions, Indirect Cost Rate, for full details on this requirement.

http://media.gss.hud.gov:8080/WC/2011/02/11/HUDForm2880.wmv agency that shows the approved rate, or provide an attachment that states that the de minimis rate of 10% Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) will be used.

Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation

(HUD 50153)

Required for consideration for the Promise Zones Preference Point.

To receive Promise Zones Preference Points, this form must be signed and dated (the date must fall within the NOFA application period) by the Promise Zone Official authorized to certify that the proposed RCB project meets the criteria to receive Preference Points. For the RCB program, applicants can only receive the Preference Points if they commit to working with a Rural and Tribal PZ Designee(s), found at https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/promise -zones/designee-contact-information/#rural-andtribal-designees-contact-information.

Applicant Assurances and Certification (HUD- 424-B)

This form is required.

Acknowledgment of Application Receipt (HUD2993), if applicable

This form is applicable only to applications submitted on paper, following receipt of a waiver of electronic submission.

This form is not required but is available for applicants who want confirmation that their hard-copy application was received by HUD. The form must be submitted with the application, in accordance with the application submission instructions included in the waiver of electronic submission.

Additionally, your complete application must include the following narratives and non-form attachments.

1. Applicants must provide a Threshold Summary at the beginning of the narrative to ensure accuracy in determining applicant eligibility. See Section III(C)(1)(a) of this NOFA for mandatory elements.

2. A complete written narrative that addresses all elements in Factors 1 through 5 (Five

Factors) in Section V.A. of this NOFA must be submitted. The narrative for the Five Factors will be reviewed as a whole. Applicants are advised to address the specific requirements of each Rating Factor in the narrative section corresponding to each Rating Factor.

2. Format and Form.

Narratives and other attachments to your application must follow the following format guidelines.

1. Page Limitation and Font Size. Narratives addressing Factors 1 through 5, the Opportunity Zone Preference Points, and Threshold Summary are limited to 40 typed pages of single-spaced text on 8.5 by 11-inch paper, with no less than 1-inch margins, using a Times New Roman standard 12-point font. All applicants should enter the applicant name, DUNS number, and page numbers on each of the narrative pages of the application. HUD will not review more than 40 pages of narrative for the Five Factors, discussion of the Opportunity Zones Preference Points, and Threshold Summary combined. The page limit does not include form HUD-50153 in support of the Promise Zones Preference Points, Letters of Firm Commitments for leverage documentation, Indirect Cost rate documentation, Non-Profit Status, or any of the other required Forms that are provided as attachments.

2. Prohibition on Materials Not Required. Materials other than what is requested in this NOFA are prohibited. Reviewers will not consider résumés, charts, letters, or any other documents attached to the application that are not specified in this NOFA.

3. Checklist for Application Submission. The following checklist is provided as a guide to help ensure that applicants submit all the required elements. All applicants should enter the applicant name, DUNS number, and page numbers on each of the narrative pages of the application. All forms required for application submission can be found in the application and instruction downloads on Grants.gov. The paper submission must be in the order provided below:

o Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424);

o Faith-Based EEO Survey (SF-424 Supplement, Survey for Ensuring Equal

Opportunity for Applicants) (optional);

o Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report (Form HUD2880);

o Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) (if applicable);

o Grants.gov Lobbying Form certification;

o IRS determination letter showing 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit Status;

o Narrative addressing Factors 1 through 5 and Threshold Summary;

o Leverage Documentation, Letter(s) of Firm Commitment (if applicable);

o Indirect Cost Rate Documentation;

o Certification of Consistency with Promise Zone Goals and Implementation

(Form HUD 50153) (required for Preference Points);

o Applicant Assurances and Certification (HUD-424-B); and o Acknowledgment of Application Receipt (form HUD2993) (if applicable)

4. Additional Information on the RCB Program, Frequently Asked Questions and http://grants.gov/ possible Webcast. Please check the "Rural Capacity Building Program" webpage on the HUD Exchange at https://www.hudexchange.info /programs/rural-capacity-building/ for any related RCB program updates, including Frequently Asked Questions.

C. System for Award Management (SAM) and Dun and Bradstreet Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number.

1. SAM Registration Requirement Applicants must be registered with SAM before submitting their application. In addition, applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information while they have an active Federal award or an application or plan under…