PKG00250662-instructions..pdf

OMB Number - 1122-0020 Expiration Date: 1/31/2022 i

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)

OVW Fiscal Year 2019 Measuring Success in the Criminal Justice System’s

Response to Domestic/Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking: A Pilot Project

Solicitation

Release date: on or about May 3, 2019

Eligibility Eligible applicants are limited to: states, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education. (See Eligibility Information)

Deadlines

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on June 17, 2019.

(See Submission Dates and Times)

Registration: All applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a DUNS number and register with SAM and Grants.gov no later than May 30, 2019. (See Registration)

Letter of Intent: Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of intent to apply to Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov by May 17, 2019. This letter confirms that the applicant has registered with SAM and Grants.gov. Submitting a letter of intent will not obligate a potential applicant to submit an application. Applicants that do not submit a letter of intent can still apply.

(See Letter of Intent)

Contact Information For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov or call

(202) 305-2093.

Submission and Notification Information Submission: Applications for this program will be submitted through Grants.gov. For technical assistance with Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Line at 1-800-518-4726.

The Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement is OVW-2019-16569.

Notification: OVW anticipates notifying applicants of funding decisions by October 1, 2019.

mailto:Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov ii

Contents A. Program Description

Overview About the Pilot Project

Statutory Authority Project Scope Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability Out-of-scope Activities

B. Federal Award Information Availability of Funds Award Period and Amounts

C. Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – Offshore Accounts Cost Sharing or Matching Number of Applications

D. Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Formatting and Technical Requirements Application Contents

Project Abstract Project Narrative Appendices Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

Additional Required Information Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Standard Assurances and Certifications Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire Confidentiality Notice Form Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation Pre-Award Risk Assessment Indirect Cost Rate Agreement Letter of Nonsupplanting

DUNS, SAM, and Grants.gov Submission Dates and Times OVW Policy on Late Submissions Intergovernmental Review - Single Point of Contact Review Funding Restrictions

Unallowable Costs iii

Food and Beverage/Costs for Refreshments and Meals Conference Planning and Expenditure Limitations Pre-Agreement Cost Approval

Other Submission Requirements Submitting a Grant Application

E. Application Review Information Criteria Review and Selection Process

Peer Review Programmatic Review High-Risk Grantees

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Information for All Federal Award Recipients Violence Against Women Act Non-Discrimination Provision Accessibility

Reporting G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) H. Other Information

Application Checklist Public Reporting Burden - Paperwork Reduction Act Notice

Measuring Success in the Criminal Justice System’s Response to

Domestic/Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking: A Pilot Project

(CFDA 16.026)

A. Program Description Overview The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) is a component of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). Created in 1995, OVW administers grant programs authorized by the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation and provides national leadership on issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. OVW grants support coordinated community responses to hold offenders accountable and serve victims.

About the Pilot Project Measuring Success in the Criminal Justice System’s Response to Domestic/Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking: A Pilot Project (hereafter called “Measuring CJ Success”) will develop and pilot test a set of indicators for gauging success in the criminal justice system’s response to domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (hereafter called “VAWA crimes”). OVW expects this project to produce outcome measures that OVW grantees engaged in law enforcement, prosecution, and/or court-based activities can use to track their progress and measure success in combatting VAWA crimes.

The outcome measures established through this project do not have to be comprehensive in scope. They do not have to cover the justice process from initial report through final disposition, and they do not have to address each VAWA crime. However, the outcome measures must be:

a) authentically linked to good practices in the criminal justice response to VAWA crimes; b) matched to the activities grantees can undertake with OVW funding; c) useful to grantees for data-driven decision-making; d) feasible to implement, and e) minimally burdensome for grantees to use.

OVW welcomes fresh ideas and innovative approaches to developing and pilot testing measures that meet the five criteria outlined above. For that reason, this solicitation does not specify tasks, milestones, or deliverables.

Statutory Authority VAWA authorizes OVW to set aside up to three percent of available funds from OVW programs to conduct evaluations of promising practices or problems emerging in the field or related research, to inform OVW as to which programs or projects are likely to be effective or responsive to needs in the field (34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(7)). Measuring CJ Success, which will help OVW maximize its investments in the criminal justice system through identification of effective practices and metrics that correspond to those practices, will be supported with funds available through this authority.

Project Scope Activities supported by this project are determined by statute, federal regulations, and OVW policies and priorities. If an applicant receives an award, the project is bound by the provisions of this solicitation, the DOJ Financial Guide (including updates to the guide after an award is made), the section of the Solicitation Companion Guide on post-award requirements for all federal award recipients, and the conditions of the award.

Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery and Undermine Offender Accountability OVW does not fund activities that jeopardize victim safety, deter or prevent physical or emotional healing for victims, or allow offenders to escape responsibility for their actions.

Information on activities that compromise victim safety and recovery and undermine offender accountability can be found in the Solicitation Companion Guide. Applications that propose any activities that compromise victim safety and recovery or undermine offender accountability may be eliminated from consideration.

Out-of-scope Activities The activities listed below are outside the program scope and will not be supported:

• Proposals that involve human subjects research as defined in 28 C.F.R. Part 46.

• Proposals primarily to purchase equipment, materials, or supplies. (A budget may include these items if they are necessary for the project.)

• Proposals for projects that are tailored to one specific jurisdiction, region, or state, and which are not likely to yield findings that are relevant outside that location.

• Proposals that are not responsive to this specific solicitation.

• Direct victim services and justice system interventions.

Applications that propose activities deemed substantially out-of-scope may be eliminated from consideration.

B. Federal Award Information Availability of Funds All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. There is no guarantee that funds will be available in the future. OVW may elect to make awards in a future fiscal year for applications submitted under this solicitation but not selected for FY 2019 funding, depending on the merits of the applications and the availability of funding.

Award Period and Amounts Applicants can request award periods ranging from 12 months to 24 months, and maximum total project funding of $500,000. The budget cap of $500,000 includes direct and indirect costs.

Budgets, including the total estimated funding requested on the SF-424, must reflect the requested project duration. Generally, the award period will begin on November 1, 2019.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/1030311/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1108301/download

OVW expects to make one award under this solicitation. OVW has the discretion to make awards for greater or lesser amounts than requested and to negotiate the scope of work and budget with applicants before making an award. Awards will be made as cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements are awards in which OVW expects to have ongoing, substantial involvement. For this pilot project, substantial involvement may include: participating in project meetings, reviewing and approving products, approving pilot site selections, and identifying participants for activities. Award recipients must be willing to work closely with OVW on the implementation of the project, and be willing to modify project activities at OVW’s request.

C. Eligibility Information

Applications that are submitted by ineligible entities or that do not meet all program eligibility requirements will not be considered for funding. In addition, an application that is deemed deficient in one or more of the following categories may not be considered for funding: 1) activities that compromise victim safety, 2) out-of-scope activities, 3) unallowable costs, 4) pre-award risk assessment, 5) completeness, and 6) timeliness. Further, an applicant with past performance issues, long-standing open audits, or an open criminal investigation also may not be considered for funding.

Eligible Applicants The following entities are eligible to apply under Measuring CJ Success:

• States (including the District of Colombia and territories);

• Federally recognized Indian tribal governments;

• Nonprofit organizations; and

• Institutions of higher education.

Foreign governments, foreign organizations, and foreign institutions of higher education are not eligible to apply.

OVW welcomes applications that involve two or more entities; however, one eligible entity must be the applicant and the other(s) must be proposed as the partner subrecipient(s). The applicant must be the entity with primary responsibility for conducting and leading the project. If successful, the applicant will be responsible for monitoring and appropriately managing any partner subrecipients or, as applicable, for administering any procurement subcontracts that would receive federal program funds from the applicant under the award.

Nonprofit Organization Requirement – Offshore Accounts Any nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code is not eligible for a grant from this program. See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B)(ii).

Cost Sharing or Matching This program has no match or cost sharing requirement.

Number of Applications An eligible applicant may submit more than one application, as long as each application proposes a different project in response to the solicitation. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OVW will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted. An entity may be a partner on multiple proposals.

D. Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to required forms) is available on Grants.gov or the OVW website. Applicants wishing to request a paper copy of these materials should—before May 17—contact Ginger Baran at (202) 305-2093 or Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov.

Content and Form of Application Submission The information below (Letter of Intent through Additional Required Information) describes the full content and form of application submission. For a complete checklist of required contents, see the Other Information section in this solicitation.

Letter of Intent Applicants intending to apply are encouraged to submit a letter of intent. The letter should state that the applicant is registered and current with SAM and Grants.gov, and should be sent to Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov by May 17, 2019. A letter does not obligate the applicant to submit an application. See https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants for a sample letter.

Formatting and Technical Requirements Applications must follow the requirements below. Points may be deducted for applications that do not adhere to the following requirements:

• Double spaced (Project Abstract, Summary Data Sheet and charts may be single spaced)

• 8½ x 11 inch paper

• One-inch margins

• Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman or Arial

• Correctly numbered pages

• No more than 40 pages for the Project Narrative (excludes the title page and table of contents and figures)

• Documents in these formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or text files (.txt)

• Headings and subheadings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation

Application Contents Applications must be responsive to the scope and criteria of this solicitation, and must include the documents listed below. Applications that do not include items 1 through 4 may be considered substantially incomplete and not be considered for funding:

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/open-solicitations mailto:Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants

1. Project Abstract

2. Project Narrative

3. Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

4. Appendices

Project Abstract The abstract should summarize the proposed project. It should identify the applicant and partner(s), and be:

• Written for a general public audience;

• Submitted as a separate attachment with “Abstract” as part of its file name; and

• No more than two double-spaced pages, using a standard 12-point font with one-inch margins.

The abstract does not count against the page limit for the project narrative.

Project Narrative The project narrative must not exceed 40 double-spaced pages in 12-point font with one-inch margins. It should have a title page (listing the project title, submission date, and name and contact information for the applicant’s authorizing official and project director), as well as a table of contents and figures. The title page, table of contents and figures, abstract, appendices, and government forms do not count toward the 40-page limit.

Following the title page and table of contents and figures, the project narrative must include these four sections:

1. Scope of the project, weighted at 20%, must provide:

• A brief statement about the scope of the proposed project. As stated earlier in this solicitation, projects can address the criminal justice system and VAWA crimes comprehensively, or they can focus on particular features of the justice system and/or a subset of VAWA crimes.1

• A discussion of how the project will build off of OVW’s Measuring Effectiveness Initiative (MEI, see: www.vawamei.org), existing criminal justice data sets, past efforts to identify criminal justice performance measures that either specifically address or are relevant to VAWA crimes, and research on policing, prosecuting, and adjudicating VAWA crimes, as appropriate given the proposed scope of the project; and

• An explanation of the unique challenges in identifying good outcomes in the criminal justice response to VAWA crimes.

2. Project design, weighted at 50%, must provide:

1 For example, if the project will focus on identifying and pilot testing outcome measures exclusive to the law enforcement investigation of dating violence crimes, the applicant should state as much in this section of the project narrative.

http://www.vawamei.org/

• A description of the phases of the project, including objectives and activities within each phase.

• A discussion, with examples, of how the project will identify and then pilot test outcome measures that will be:

a. Authentically linked to good practices in the criminal justice response to VAWA crimes;

b. Matched to the activities grantees can undertake with OVW funding;

c. Useful to grantees for data-driven decision-making;

d. Feasible to implement; and

e. Minimally burdensome for grantees to use.

• A description of how pilot sites will be selected and the applicant’s plan for collaborating with those sites, including, if applicable, the status at the time of application of partnerships with anticipated pilot sites. An applicant may propose to use pilot sites that have already been recruited, or to select pilot sites after receiving an award. One approach is not favored over the other, but the approach must be explained and justified in the project narrative. If pilot sites have already been recruited, the application must include appropriate letters of commitment (see page 7).

• A discussion of potential pitfalls the project might encounter, and how the applicant will mitigate them.

4. Capabilities and competencies, weighted at 20%, must provide:

• A description of the applicant’s qualifications, and the qualifications of key staff and partners, including the applicant’s and partners’ expertise in the areas of:

a. Domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and/or stalking;

b. Criminal justice research and evaluation;

c. Criminal justice statistics and data sets;

d. Criminal justice practice (i.e., law enforcement, prosecution, and/or courts);

and

e. VAWA grant programs.

5. Deliverables, weighted at 10%, must provide:

• A description of any reports, briefs, tools, or other materials the applicant expects to produce through this project, and how those deliverables will be useful to OVW and the pilot sites; and

• A plan for archiving data collected through the project.

Appendices The following appendices are not scored and are not counted against the page limit for the Project Narrative.

1. Summary data sheet, which must include:

a. Statement as to whether the applicant (the organization whose DUNS number is being used for the application) will serve as a fiscal agent/sponsor for an entity or entities that will implement the project, and the applicant itself will not be involved with implementation of the project beyond issuing subaward(s) to these entities.

If this is the case, the applicant also must list these subrecipients and include a statement acknowledging that, should an award be made, the applicant will be responsible for all applicable statutory, fiscal, and programmatic requirements, including those of 2 C.F.R. Part 200, as well as all project deliverables. In such situations, the fiscal agent/sponsor must be an eligible applicant for the program.

b. Statement as to whether the applicant has expended $750,000 in federal funds in the applicant’s past fiscal year. If so, specify the end date of the applicant’s fiscal year.

c. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

d. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that uses the Internal Revenue Service's three-step safe-harbor procedure to establish a rebuttable presumption that its executives' compensation is reasonable. If the applicant is not a nonprofit organization or is a nonprofit that does not use the safe-harbor procedure, provide a statement to that effect. For additional information about the safe-harbor procedure, see Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation in the Additional Required Information section.

e. A list of all project partners (organization names and/or individual consultants) and the funding amount requested for each partner.

f. Summary of current and pending OVW grants (if applicable). If the applicant has a current grant or cooperative agreement under any OVW grant program or an award that has been closed within the last 12 months from the date this solicitation closes, the information must be provided in a table using the sample format found on the OVW website https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. The applicant should also provide the same information regarding any current OVW grants or pending applications on which the applicant is a subrecipient.

g. A list of other federal grant programs from which the applicant currently receives funding or for which it has applied for funding in FY 2019 to do the same or similar work. Provide this information in a table using the sample format found on the OVW website https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

2. Bibliography/references.

3. Resumes or curriculum vitae of key staff and key project partners.

4. Proposed project timeline and expected milestones.

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5. Letters of commitment from entities serving as partners and/or collaborating on the project, such as nonprofit organizations, state or local government agencies, institutions of higher education, etc. Letters of commitment should be dated and signed by the partnering entity’s Authorized Representative.

Letters should describe the partnering entity’s role on the project. They should confirm that the partnering entity has sufficient resources, including those provided for in the application budget, to fulfill the partnering entity’s role.

Budget note regarding partner entities: In general, partners that will be receiving funds to carry out a portion of the award should be treated as subrecipients in the proposed budget, not contractors. For more information see 2 C.F.R. § 200.330 and the Solicitation Companion Guide.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative Applications must include a detailed budget and budget narrative. A sample Budget Detail Worksheet is available on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. Budgets must be reasonable and based on the resources needed to implement the project.

Applicants can request a maximum of $500,000 for a project of 12 to 24 months in duration. The $500,000 cap includes direct and indirect costs.

The budget and budget narrative will be reviewed separately from the proposed project narrative. The budget narrative must describe each line item requested in the budget and explain all costs included in the budget, including how the costs of goods and services are determined and how they will fulfill the objectives of the project.

The budget must:

• Display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget items and not contain items that are not supported by the project narrative.

• Include funds or describe other resources available to the applicant to support activities to ensure access for individuals with disabilities, Deaf/hard of hearing individuals, and persons with limited English proficiency. See Accessibility under Federal Award Administration Information for more information.

• Compensate all project partners appropriately.

• Provide justification for convening any meetings in person, as opposed to using web-based meeting platforms.

• Distinguish clearly between subawards and contracts in allocating any grant funds to other entities. Pursuant to 2 C.F.R. § 200.330, a subaward is for the purpose of carrying out a portion of the federal award, such as compensating a project partner, and a contract is for the purpose of obtaining goods and services for the grantee’s own use.

The substance of the relationship is more important than the form of the agreement in determining whether the recipient of the pass-through funds is a subrecipient or a contractor. The awarding and monitoring of contracts must follow the recipient’s documented procurement procedures, including full and open competition, pursuant to the procurement standards in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.317-200.329. The issuance and monitoring of subawards must meet the requirements of 2 C.F.R. § 200.331, which https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1108301/download includes oversight of subrecipient/partner spending and monitoring performance measures and outcomes attributable to grant funds. For more information, see the sample Budget Detail Worksheet and the Solicitation Companion Guide on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

OVW awards are governed by the provisions of 2 C.F.R. Part 200 and the DOJ Financial Guide, which include information on allowable costs, methods of payment, audit requirements, accounting systems, and financial records. For additional information on allowable and unallowable costs, go to the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation and the sample Budget Detail Worksheet on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

Additional Required Information The following documents will not be scored but must be included with the application. Failure to supply this information may result in the application being removed from consideration. Some documents will be generated during the submission process while others must be uploaded and attached to the application.

The following documents are generated and completed during the submission process:

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Applicants must complete the SF-424 on Grants.gov. For “Type of Applicant,” do not select “other.” The amount of federal funding requested in the “Estimated Funding” section of this form must match the amount of federal funding requested in the budget section of the application package. This initiative does not require a match; therefore, the values for the Applicant line should be zero. The individual who is listed as “Authorized Representative” must be an individual who has the authority to apply for and accept grant awards on behalf of the organization or jurisdiction.

Standard Assurances and Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (Form 4061/6) Review the assurances and certification forms online. Applicants will be prompted to compile these forms online during the submission process. All applicants must complete the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the detailed information requested on the form. Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the required highlighted fields.

The following documents must be uploaded and attached separately to the application:

Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire (if applicable) All nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that apply for funding from OVW and have not previously (or within the last three years) received funding from OVW must complete an Applicant Financial Capability Questionnaire. In addition, applicants may be required to submit their current year’s audit report at a later time. The questionnaire can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/866126/download.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1108301/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/1030311/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/866126/download

Confidentiality Notice Form All applicants are required to acknowledge that they have received notice that grantees and subgrantees must comply with the confidentiality and privacy requirements of VAWA, as amended. Applicants must submit the acknowledgement form available on the OVW website at http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ovw/pages/attachments/2015/01/20/confidentiality_ackn owledgement_form_42015.pdf. This form must be signed by the Authorized Representative.

Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation (if applicable) An applicant that is a nonprofit organization may be required to make certain disclosures relating to the processes it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees.

Under certain circumstances, a nonprofit organization that provides unreasonably high compensation to certain persons may subject both the organization’s managers and those who receive the compensation to additional federal taxes. A rebuttable presumption of the reasonableness of a nonprofit organization’s compensation arrangements, however, may be available if the nonprofit organization satisfies certain rules set out in Internal Revenue Service regulations with regard to its compensation decisions.

Each applicant must state at the time of its application (in the Summary Data Sheet mentioned earlier) whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that uses the Internal Revenue Service's three-step safe-harbor procedure to establish a rebuttable presumption that its executives' compensation is reasonable. If the applicant states that it uses the safe-harbor procedure, then it must disclose, in an attachment to its application (to be titled "Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation"), the process it uses to determine the compensation of its officers, directors, trustees, and key employees (together, "covered persons"). See 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(16)(B)(iii).

At a minimum, the disclosure must describe in pertinent detail: 1) the composition of the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; 2) the methods and practices used by the applicant nonprofit organization to ensure that no individual with a conflict of interest participates as a member of the body that reviews and approves a compensation arrangement for a covered person; 3) the appropriate data as to comparability of compensation that is obtained in advance and relied upon by the body that reviews and approves compensation arrangements for covered persons; and 4) the written or electronic records that the applicant maintains as concurrent documentation of the decisions with respect to compensation of covered persons made by the body that reviews and approves such compensation arrangements, including records of deliberations and of the basis for decisions. For a sample letter, see the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

For purposes of the required disclosure, the following terms and phrases have the meanings set out by the Internal Revenue Service for use in connection with 26 C.F.R. § 53.4958-6:

officers, directors, trustees, key employees, compensation, conflict of interest, appropriate data as to comparability, adequate documentation, and concurrent documentation.

Following receipt of an appropriate request, OVW may be authorized or required by law to make information submitted to satisfy this requirement available for public inspection. Also, a recipient may be required to make a prompt supplemental disclosure after the award in certain circumstances (e.g., changes in the way the organization determines compensation).

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Pre-Award Risk Assessment Applicants must respond to the questions below. This information will be used for a mandatory pre-award risk assessment. Failure to provide this information or to respond to questions from OVW regarding this information in a timely manner could result in the applicant being removed from consideration or delayed access to funds. Provide complete responses to all questions.

This section of the application should not exceed four pages.

1. Will all funds awarded under this program be maintained in a manner that they will be accounted for separately and distinctly from other sources of revenue/funding? Provide a brief description of the applicant’s policies and procedures that ensure funds will be tracked appropriately.

2. Does the applicant have written accounting policies and procedures? How often are these policies and procedures updated? Provide a brief list of the topics covered in the applicant’s policies and procedures. OVW may request a copy for review during the application/award process or as part of the grant monitoring process.

3. Is the applicant’s financial management system able to track actual expenditures and outlays with budgeted amounts for each grant or subgrant? Provide a brief summary of the organization’s process for tracking expenditures, including tracking budgeted versus actual amounts.

4. Does the applicant have procedures in place for minimizing the time between transfer of funds from the United States Treasury and disbursement for project activities? Provide a short summary of the applicant’s policy for requesting payments for grant awards.

5. Does the applicant have effective internal controls in place to ensure that federal funds are used solely for authorized purposes? Provide a brief description of the applicant’s internal controls that will provide reasonable assurance that the award funds will be managed properly.

6. Does the applicant have a documented records retention policy? If so, briefly describe the policy and confirm that the policy complies with federal regulations. Information on Record Retention and Access can be found at 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.333-200.337.

7. Does the applicant or any of its employees have any potential personal or organizational conflicts of interest related to the possible receipt of OVW award funds? Applicants are required to disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest to their awarding agency.

See 2 C.F.R. § 200.112 and Chapter 3.20, Grant Fraud, Waste and Abuse, of the DOJ Financial Guide for additional information.

8. Is the individual primarily responsible for fiscal and administrative oversight of grant awards familiar with the applicable grants management rules, principles, and regulations including the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 C.F.R. Part 200)? Provide a short list of the individual’s qualifications/experience. If the individual is not familiar with the applicable rules and regulations, the applicant must contact OVW’s Grants Financial Management Division at OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov or 1-888-514-8556 immediately after the applicant is notified of its award to coordinate training.

9. Does the applicant have policies and procedures in place to manage subawards and monitor activities of subrecipients as necessary to ensure that subawards are used for authorized purposes, in compliance with laws, regulations, and terms and conditions of the award, and that established subaward performance goals are achieved (2 C.F.R. §§ 200.330-200.332)? Provide a brief description of the organization’s policies and procedures on subrecipient management and monitoring.

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10. Does the applicant currently require employees to maintain time distribution records that accurately reflect the work performed on specific activities or cost objectives in order to support the distribution of employees’ salaries among federal awards or other activities (2 C.F.R. § 200.430)? Budget estimates do not qualify as support for charges to federal awards. Provide a brief description of the organization’s established timekeeping policies and procedures.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) Applicants that intend to charge indirect costs through the use of a negotiated indirect cost rate must have a current, signed, federally-approved indirect cost rate agreement. Applicants that have never received a federally approved indirect cost rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs, which may be used indefinitely. This includes state, local, and tribal governments that have never negotiated an indirect cost rate with the federal government and receive less than $35 million in direct federal funding per year.

Organizations that wish to negotiate an indirect cost rate should contact OVW’s Grants Financial Management Division at OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov or 1-888-514-8556 for more information.

Letter of Nonsupplanting Applicants must submit a letter to OVW’s Director, signed by the Authorized Representative, certifying that federal funds will not be used to supplant non-federal funds should a grant award be made. A sample letter is available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number), System for Award Management (SAM), and Grants.gov Registration Applicants for federal grants and cooperative agreements are required to have a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number to submit an application. A DUNS number is a unique, nine-character identification number provided by the commercial company Dun & Bradstreet (D&B).

Once an applicant has applied for a DUNS number through D&B, its DUNS number should be available within two business days.

Federal regulations require that an applicant 1) be registered in SAM.gov prior to submitting an application; 2) provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and 3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration by a federal awarding agency. Also, federal agencies may not make an award to an applicant until that applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time that OVW is ready to make an award, then OVW may make the determination that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making the award to another applicant. SAM centralizes information about grant recipients and also provides a central location for grant recipients to change organizational information. Grants.gov uses SAM to establish roles and IDs for electronic grant applicants.

If the applicant already has an Employer Identification Number (EIN), the SAM registration will take up to two weeks to process. If the applicant does not have an EIN, then the applicant should allow two to five weeks for obtaining an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service.

There is no fee associated with these processes. These processes cannot be expedited.

OVW strongly discourages applicants from paying a third party to apply or register on their behalf in an attempt to expedite these processes. To ensure all applicants are able to apply by mailto:OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/ the deadline for this solicitation, applicants must have obtained a DUNS number and registered online with the SAM and Grants.gov no later than May 30, 2019.

Submission Dates and Times It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete and submitted by the deadline. Failure to meet the deadline will result in an application not being considered for funding. Applicants should refer to the following table to ensure that all required steps and deadlines are met.

Applicant Action and Information Dates / Deadlines Apply for a DUNS number

Obtain a DUNS number at http://www.dnb.com/us/ or call (866) 705-5711. By May 30, 2019 Register with SAM

Access the SAM online registration through the SAM homepage at https://SAM.gov and follow the instructions for new SAM users. If the applicant already has the necessary information on hand, the online registration takes approximately 30 minutes to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the business or organization. Organizations must update or renew their SAM registration at least once a year to maintain an active status.

By May 30, 2019

Register with Grants.gov Once the SAM registration is active, the applicant will be able to complete the Grants.gov registration (see Other Submission Requirements for more information on registering for and using Grants.gov).

By May 30, 2019

Submit letter of intent Email to: Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov By May 17, 2019

Download updated version of Adobe Applicants are responsible for ensuring that the most up-to-date version of Adobe Acrobat is installed on all computers that may be used to download the grant application package and submit the proposal. To verify if the Adobe software version is compatible with Grants.gov, visit the following link: http://www.Grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

At least 48 hours before application deadline, which is 11:59 PM ET on June 17, 2019.

Request hardcopy submission, if necessary Applicants that cannot submit an application online due to lack of internet access must contact Ginger Baran at (202) 305-2093 or Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov to request to submit a hardcopy application.

May 17, 2019

Begin and complete application submission Applications must be submitted in Grants.gov. Before deadline: June 17, 2019

Confirmation of application receipt

1. Authorized Organization Representatives (AORs) should closely monitor their email for any notification from Grants.gov about a possible failed submission. The AOR is a user role within Grants.gov for a user who is authorized to submit applications on behalf of the organization.

2. The AOR should receive a minimum of two emails from Grants.gov. One will confirm receipt of the application package. The other will contain either a notice that the application was successfully submitted or a notice that there was an error with the application submission.

OVW does not send out these notifications, nor does OVW receive a copy of these notifications.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to notify OVW of any problems with the application submission process.

Submitting the application at least 48 hours before the June 17, 2019 application deadline will enable the applicant to receive notice of a failed submission and provide an opportunity to correct the error before the deadline.

https://sam.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov

OVW Policy on Late Submissions Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. ET on June 17, 2019 will not be considered for funding, unless the applicant receives OVW permission to submit a late application. In limited circumstances, OVW will approve a request to submit an application after the due date. The charts below provide a description of the circumstances under which OVW will consider such requests. Approval of a late submission request is not an indication of the application’s final disposition. Applications approved for late submission are still subject to all of the review process and criteria described in this solicitation.

Failure to begin registration or submission by the deadlines stated in the chart above is not an acceptable reason for late submission. To ensure fairness for all applicants, OVW requires that applicants requesting late submission adhere to the following:

Severe Inclement Weather or Natural Disaster

1. Document when the weather or natural disaster occurred, the affected area, and the specific impact on the applicant/partners (e.g., without power for x days, office closed for x days).

2. Contact OVW as soon as possible and provide information described in #1.

3. Contact OVW at least 24 hours prior to the solicitation closing to request a late submission. Applicants affected by severe weather or a natural disaster occurring on the due date can contact OVW as soon as possible and up to 72 hours after the due date.

OVW may not be able to accommodate all requests resulting from severe inclement weather or a natural disaster but will do its best.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties Beyond the Applicant’s Reasonable Control

Issue Applicant Action OVW Advice Issue with SAM or Grants.gov registration

1. Register and/or confirm existing registration at least three weeks prior to the application due date to ensure that the person who will be submitting the application has SAM and Grants.gov access.

2. Maintain documentation of when registration began, any issues related to registration, and all communication with technical support.

3. Notify OVW as soon as you become aware of a problem with registration, and no later than 14 days before the application due date.

1. Failure to begin the SAM or Grants.gov registration process in sufficient time (i.e., by the date identified in this solicitation) is not an acceptable reason for late submission.

2. Ensure that the person who will be submitting the proposal is the person registered in SAM to submit on behalf of the applicant.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties Beyond the Applicant’s Reasonable Control Issue Applicant Action OVW Advice

Unfore-seeable technical difficulties during the application

1. Document when you began the submission process.

2. Contact Grants.gov at least 24 hours prior to the solicitation closing.

Common foreseeable technical difficulties for which OVW will not approve a late submission request include: (a) using an outdated version of Adobe Acrobat; and (b) attachment rejection.

https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 submission process

3. Maintain documentation of all communication with Grants.gov support.

4. Contact Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov (or 202.305.2093 if the applicant does not have access to email) indicating that the applicant is experiencing technical difficulties and would like permission to submit a late application. Provide a phone number and/or email address at which someone with the authority to submit the application and required documentation can be reached for the first three business days immediately following the due date.

5. Respond promptly to communication from OVW requesting the complete application package, applicant DUNS number, Grants.gov Helpdesk tracking numbers, and any other relevant documentation.

Through Grants.gov, OVW can confirm when submission began. Applicants who start the submission process less than 24 hours before the deadline will not be considered for late submission.

1. By beginning the application submission process 24-48 hours before the deadline, applicants should have sufficient time to receive notice of problems with their submissions and make corrections.

2. Applicants are responsible for ensuring, at least 48 hours before the deadline, that the most up-to-date version of Adobe Acrobat is installed on all computers that may be used to submit the proposal.

3. To ensure that attachments are not rejected, attachment names should only include allowable characters.

(See Other Submission Requirements).

Intergovernmental Review - Single Point of Contact Review Executive Order 12372 requires applicants from state and local units of government or other organizations providing services within a state to submit a copy of the application to the state Single Point of Contact (SPOC) if one exists and if the program has been selected for review.

Applicants must contact their state SPOCs to determine whether their programs have been selected for state review. The applicant must enter the date that the application was sent to the SPOC or the reason such submission is not required in the section of the SF-424 that refers to EO 12372. Applicants can find a list of SPOCs on the Office of Management and Budget website at https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf

Funding Restrictions The following information is provided to help applicants develop an application and budget consistent with program requirements.

Unallowable Costs The activities listed below are unallowable, and costs for them must not be included in applicants’ budgets.

• Lobbying

• Fundraising

• Purchase of real property

• Physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting) mailto:Virginia.Baran@usdoj.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/ http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SPOC-Feb.-2018.pdf

• Construction

Food and Beverage/Costs for Refreshments and Meals Generally, food and beverage costs are not allowable. OVW may approve the use of grant funds to provide a working meal at a meeting, conference, training, or other event, if one of the following applies:

• The location of the event is not in close proximity to food establishments, despite efforts to secure a location near reasonably priced and accessible commercial food establishments.

• Not serving food will significantly lengthen the day or necessitate extending the meeting to achieve meeting outcomes.

• A special presentation at a conference requires a plenary address where there is no other time for food to be obtained.

• Other extenuating circumstances necessitate the provision of food.

Justification for an exception listed above must be included in the applicant’s budget narrative, and grantees may only use funds to purchase food and/or…