PKG00253740-instructions.pdf

U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service

Financial Assistance

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

Program Title Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation

Fund: Florence, Yutu, Michael Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: P19AS00490 Announcement Type Initial CFDA Number: 15.957

Issue Date: August 9, 2019 Application Due Date: October 15, 2019 Time AM/PM Zone 11:59 PM Eastern

Announcement Type: Rolling Notice of Funding Opportunity for discretionary grant agreements.

Applications may be submitted at any time up to the closing date of the announcement. Applications received will be reviewed independently following a merit review process as outlined in Section E of this announcement.

Agency Contact Information Questions and Requests Name Megan J. Brown Name STLPG Staff Address State, Tribal, Local, Plans

& Grants Division National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW Mail Stop 7360 Washington, DC 20240

Address State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW Mail Stop 7360 Washington, DC 20240

Phone 202-354-2020 Phone 202-354-2020 Email STLPG@nps.gov Email STLPG@nps.gov

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Table of Contents

Section A: Program Description

Section B: Federal Award Information

Section C: Eligibility Information

Section D: Application and Submission Information

Section E: Application Review Information

Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

Section G: Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

Section H: Other Information:

Appendix A – Budget Justification Worksheet Instructions

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Section A: Program Description

Federal Agency Name: Department of the Interior, National Park Service

Funding Opportunity Title: Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund: Florence, Yutu, Michael

Funding Opportunity Number: P19AS00490

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.957

Legislative Authority:

• 54 USC 301 et seq. (National Historic Preservation Act)

• Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, enacted as Public Law 116-20

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

Program Background Information and Objectives:

As warranted, Congress will make appropriations from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) for historic preservation projects providing relief to areas that have received a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 USC 5121 et seq.).

FY2019 Public Law 116-20 appropriated $50 million from the HPF to assist with damages from hurricanes Florence and Michael and typhoon Yutu which occurred in 2018.

Department of the Interior Priorities:

This program supports the following Department of the Interior (DOI) priorities:

• Striking a regulatory balance: Reduce the administrative and regulatory burden imposed on U.S. industry and the public;

• Restoring trust with local communities: Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities; and

• Modernizing our Infrastructure: Remove impediments to infrastructure development and facilitate private sector efforts to construct infrastructure projects serving American needs.

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Section B: Federal Award Information

Anticipated Federal Funding:

NPS anticipates $47.8 million in available funding for this fiscal year. Appropriations from multiple fiscal years may be combined dependent on receipt of sufficient applications and timing of appropriations.

Non-Federal Entity Cost Share:

Non-Federal cost share is not required for this agreement but will be considered as a competitive factor.

Estimated Number of Agreements to be Awarded:

NPS anticipates 8 to 10 grants will be awarded based on competitive criteria. Each grantee may then subgrant a portion of the funds to eligible recipients.

The actual number of prime awards will depend on the number of meritorious applications and the availability of appropriated funds.

Estimated Amount of Funding Available Per Award:

The award size will depend on the number of meritorious applications and the availability of appropriated funds. NPS anticipates the average dollar amount of awards made under this announcement to be between $1,000,000 and $20,000,000. The actual amount any SHPO or THPO applies for should be representative of actual need, whether more or less than the planning figure provided. The purpose of the application is to justify that need.

To guide applicants, the National Park Service has prepared planning figures based on population, geographic land holdings, and the number of FEMA requests for assistance in the affected States. Any Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) included under the disaster declarations is also eligible to apply for funding based on need. This means that planning numbers may decrease for SHPOs, depending on THPO applications.

The planning figures below have been developed as a guide for SHPOs. These numbers can and likely will differ from final awarded figures, especially if affected THPOs apply.

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Anticipated Start Date:

Projects receiving funding through this Notice of Funding Opportunity will start once funding has been secured and awards have been made. Agreements are not effective until fully executed with signature from the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer (FAAO). Do not anticipate a start date sooner than December, 2019.

Anticipated Term of the Agreement:

Agreement terms for funded projects are generally four years, depending on the negotiated project statement of work, thus December 1, 2019 to September 30, 2023. The NPS will assess the progress and recapture and reapportion funding as necessary on June 30, 2021. This reapportionment will be determined by: (1) availability of recaptured funds; (2) progress towards meeting the objectives of the approved application; (3) submission of required reports; and (4) compliance with the terms and conditions of the award.

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

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

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

Substantial Involvement:

No substantial involvement on the part of the National Park Service (NPS) is anticipated.

Affected Areas by Disaster Planning Amount

FEMA Disaster Declaration

Yutu Northern Mariana Islands (Yutu) $5,317,978 DR-4044 Florence North Carolina (Florence) $12,350,354 DR-4393 South Carolina (Florence) $5,454,215 DR-4394 Virginia (Florence) $2,617,838 DR-4401 Michael Alabama (Michael) $1,846,936 DR-4406 Florida (Michael) $10,194,174 DR-4399 Georgia (Michael) $5,031,274 DR-4400 North Carolina (Michael) $2,571,981 DR-4412 Virginia (Michael) $2,415,250 DR-4411 Total $47,800,000

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Other Information:

Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible unless requested by the NPS for reapportionment of recaptured funding.

1. Projects funded under this program constitute “undertakings” as defined by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (54 U.S.C. 306108). Accordingly, after the grant is awarded, the National Park Service will work with the grantee to complete the consultation process prior to receiving funds from their grant account.

Depending on the project, additional federal reviews may be required under other laws such as, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). A programmatic agreement for Section 106 review will be discussed with the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation and executed between NPS and all applicable grantees.

2. Any historic property receiving development assistance through the program will be required to place a preservation covenant/easement/agreement on the property ranging from 5 to 20 years determined by the amount of grant, to protect the federal investment and characteristics which made the property historic.

3. For archaeological surveys, plans must be provided for curating any artifacts recovered incidentally, including any strategies for outreach and the sharing of survey reports, research, results, etc. These will also require NEPA and NPS review prior to surveying.

4. Administration costs necessary to complete and administer the program cannot exceed

25% of total cost (primary and subgrants combined). This limitation for the Historic Preservation Fund is by statute, 54 U.S.C. 302902.

5. Any historic property receiving assistance not listed in the National Register or Tribal Register will be required to prepare and submit a nomination to the NPS prior to the end of the grant project.

6. Based on an assessment of applicants’ risk, NPS may require additional monitoring, training or reporting.

7. By June 30, 2020, grantees must have defined administrative costs, selected internal projects, and obligated subgrants. Project funds (including subgrants) that are not obligated on June 30, 2021, may be recaptured by the NPS and reallocated to other eligible projects.

8. NPS will allow preaward costs to the earliest date of the disaster period as determined by the disaster declaration by FEMA. For applicants’ convenience, these dates are summarized below.

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Disaster and Location FEMA Disaster

Declaration Disaster Period

Yutu

Northern Mariana Islands DR-4044 10/24/2018 - 10/26/2018 Florence

North Carolina DR-4393 09/07/2018 - 09/29/2018 South Carolina DR-4394 09/08/2018 - 10/08/2018 Virginia DR-4401 09/08/2018 - 09/21/2018 Michael

Alabama DR-4406 10/10/2018 - 10/13/2018 Florida DR-4399 10/07/2018 - 10/19/2018 Georgia DR-4400 10/09/2018 - 10/23/2018 North Carolina DR-4412 10/10/2018 - 10/12/2018 Virginia DR-4411 10/09/2018 - 10/16/2018

Section C: Eligibility Information

Announcement Closing Date: October 15, 2019, 11:59pm, Eastern Standard Time (EST) An applicant's failure to meet all eligibility criterion by the closing date of this announcement will result in the application being excluded from consideration. This includes but is not limited to late and incomplete application packages. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.

1. Eligible Applicants In accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act as amended, 54 USC §300101, this funding opportunity is limited to the State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices with jurisdiction over disaster affected areas in:

• Alabama

• Florida

• Georgia

• North Carolina

• Northern Mariana Islands

• South Carolina

• Virginia

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Non-Federal cost sharing is not required to be eligible for an award under this NOFO but will be considered as a competitive factor.

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

• Projects under the eligible program areas as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act include: Administration, Development, National Register, Planning, Survey and Inventory, Review and Compliance;

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• Administration costs necessary to complete and administer the program.

• Necessary compliance activities required by 54 USC 306108 (commonly known as

Section 106) of the National Historic Preservation Act related to the consequences of the disaster declaration;

• Recovery and repair of historic resources in areas that received a major disaster declaration pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.);

o Eligible properties include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places by the State Historic Preservation Officer or Tribal Register by the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, o Properties determined eligible and not listed that receive funding must complete and submit a nomination as part of the project, o All work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation, and o All projects receiving repair assistance must enter into a preservation agreement/covenant/easement;

• Survey and Inventory of historic resources to determine eligibility, degree of damage, and provide preparedness for future disasters; and

• Projects must substantially mitigate the threat and include steps to mitigate future damage.

4. What Is Not Funded

• Construction of new buildings

• Acquisition of collections or historic sites

• Conservation of collections

• Long-term maintenance or curatorial work beyond the grant period

• Reconstructing historic properties (recreating all or a significant portion that no longer exists)

• Moving historic properties or work on moved historic properties that are no longer eligible for listing in the NRHP

• Cash reserves, endowments, revolving funds, or fund-raising costs

• Work performed prior to announcement of award, except for work associated with storm damage that occurred after the FEMA-declared disaster period

• Work on sites or collections owned by the NPS

• Lobbying or advocacy activities

• Costs for work already completed or funded through other federal programs

• Administrative costs over 25% of project budget

• Miscellaneous costs, contingencies, reserves, and overhead

5. NPS Oversight The NPS will provide oversight of this grant project through the following NPS reviews:

• Review and approval of interim and final reporting to include compliance with 2 CFR 200;

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• Review and approval for compliance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Guidelines and Standards for Historic Preservation;

• Review and approval for compliance with Sections 106 (54 U.S.C. § 306108) and 110f (54 U.S.C. § 306107) of the National Historic Preservation Act in coordination with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office;

• Review and approval for compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA);and

• Any other reviews as determined by the NPS based on program needs or financial/programmatic risk factors (i.e. Draft National Register nomination if required, Architectural plans at 50%, etc.)

6. Subgrant Awards

The awarding of subgrants must follow the general criteria described below in addition to the eligibility factors outlined in the Notice of Funding Opportunity, OMB regulations in 2 CFR 200, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual.

The Grantee must publically announce the availability of HPF funds and include the following information:

a. A summary statement of the priorities for funding;

b. Description of eligible activities for which funding is to be provided;

c. The total amount available, or expected to be available for subgrants;

d. An explanation of the required selection process used, including evaluation criteria, that will provide an opportunity for all eligible entities to submit applications and have them considered on an equal basis; The deadline for submitting the completed application;

e. Directions to the applicant to include a detailed and specific list of the final products to be accomplished with the subgrant, and to provide a detailed line-item budget that includes all major work elements;

f. Identification of the donor, source, kind, and amount of nonfederal matching share to be contributed, if applicable;

g. An explanation that all elements funded must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation;

h. An explanation that all subgrants must follow OMB regulations in 2 CFR 200, and the Historic Preservation Fund Grant Manual; and

i. Notice of the requirement for easements or covenants for grant assisted preservation work.

To qualify a subgrantee as responsible, the grantee must ensure that a subgrantee will:

a. Have adequate financial resources for performance, the necessary experience, organization, technical qualifications, and facilities; or a firm commitment, arrangement, or ability to obtain such;

b. Be able to comply with the proposed or required completion schedule for the project;

c. Have a satisfactory record of integrity, sound judgment, and satisfactory performance, especially with prior performance upon grants and contracts; and

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d. Have an adequate accounting system and auditing procedures to provide effective accountability and control of property, funds, and assets sufficient to meet audit requirements.

NPS oversight of subgrants will include:

a. Periodic review of subgrant announcement and subgrant agreement;

b. Review of any physical preservation work for compliance with the Secretary of the

Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.

c. Review of any physical preservation work or archeological surveys for compliance with National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA);

d. Review, in concert with National Park Service regional office(s), physical preservation work as per Section 110(f) (54 U.S.C. § 306107) which clarifies the responsibility of the agency to protect National Historic Landmarks (NHL) from harm;

e. Verification of submission to FSRS of any subgrants over $25,000 federal share; and

f. Periodic review of the easement/covenant program;

Additional requirements as determined for the grantee based on risk or program requirements.

Section D: Application and Submission Information

1. Application Package All application materials, including photographs, become the property of the National Park Service and may be reproduced by NPS without permission but with appropriate credit given for any such use. Additional materials not specifically requested by NPS, and materials sent separately from the application, will be discarded.

The Application Package contains several mandatory forms, which must be submitted with your proposal through opportunity number P19AS00490 on grants.gov.

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

1. SF-424 (Application for Financial Assistance)

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

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

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

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

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

7. Attachments Form

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

8. Project Description Worksheet

9. Budget Justification Worksheet

• Must contain:

o The following financial questions must be answered:

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

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

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

10. Project Images Worksheet

11. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or De Minimis Indirect Cost Rate Certification (Submit if applicable, see below)

2. Contents and Form of Application Submission You must complete the mandatory forms and any applicable optional forms, in accordance with the instructions below, as required by this NOFO. Do not include any proprietary or personally identifiable information (PII). A complete application should include:

• Standard Form 424 (SF 424) – Application for Federal Assistance o Complete this form as much as possible with all applicable information. Please note: You must provide your ZIP Code + 4, four zeroes (0000) is not acceptable.

Your DUNS and Bradstreet Number (DUNS) must exactly match the DUNS Number under your SAM.gov record.

• Standard Form 424A and 424C – Budget Information o The project budget shall include detailed information on all cost categories and must clearly identify all project costs. Unit costs shall be provided for all budget items including the cost of work to be provided by contractors. All costs shown in the budget documents should match what is discussed in the project description worksheet. Cost categories can include, but are not limited to, those costs items included on the SF424A and SF424C.

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

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

• Standard Form 424B and D - Assurances

Friday, August 9, 2019 12 o By downloading this form on the “Manage Workspace” page, this form will be marked as “passed” and will be considered completed and marked as “Read Only”. You do not need to re-upload it on the attachments form.

• Standard Form LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities o In accordance with 43 C.F.R. § 18 and 31 U.S.C. § 1352 this form must be completed and signed if the amount of the Federal award is anticipated to exceed $100,000.00.

o If you are not participating in any lobbying activities, simply put “N/A” in the appropriate sections.

• Attachments Form o This form is in Workspace and is where each applicant will attach the necessary documents listed above such as the required project description, budget justification, project images, and any other relevant documents. The attachments form is downloaded from the “Manage Workspace” page. You will then add up to the allowed 15 attachments and re-upload to your Workspace.

o All files attached to the attachments form should be in either .pdf or .doc format.

No other formats will be reviewed.

• Project Description Worksheet o Project descriptions must address each of the evaluation criteria separately and applications will be reviewed with the rubric as a guide as part of the merit evaluation process.

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

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

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

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

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

o The following questions must be answered in your budget justification:

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

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

Can you certify that there is no overlap in Federal Funding?

a) All applicants must provide a statement to identify whether or not any overlap exists between the proposed project and any other active or anticipated project(s) in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel, including any application that was submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal).

b) The statement and the description of overlap or duplication should be provided as a separate attachment to the application.

c) If no overlap or duplication exists, a sample statement to satisfy this requirement might be: “[Insert Applicant Name] affirms that no overlap or duplication exists between the proposed project in this application and any other active or anticipated project in terms of activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel, including any application that was submitted for funding consideration to any other potential funding source (Federal or non-Federal).”

d) If any overlap or duplication does exist, applicants must provide a description of the overlap including when the overlapping or duplicative proposal(s) were submitted, to whom (entity and program), and when funding decisions are expected to be announced.

If at any time a proposal is awarded funds that would be overlapping or duplicative of the funding requested from NPS, the applicant must immediately notify the NPS point of contact. Any overlap or duplication of funding between the proposed project and other active or anticipated projects may impact selection and/or funding amount.

o Please note: Maximum hourly wages charged to this grant for personnel and consultants may not exceed 120% of the salary of a Federal Civil Service GS-15, Step 10. Current salary tables for your location can be found on the Office of Personnel Management website: https://www.opm.gov.

• Project Images Worksheet o Provide photos of the potential affected context/sites/districts, o Photos should show current conditions and immediate threat, o May also be elevations, plans, or other images, Friday, August 9, 2019 14 o Color or black and white photos are both accepted, and o Photographs should clearly describe the community and the historic site involved in the project.

• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, if applicable o If your proposed budget includes indirect costs, the rate as proposed must meet the requirements of 2 CFR Part 200, Section 200.414 and 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix III through Appendix VII as applicable. A negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be provided with your proposal.

o If selecting use of 10% DeMinimis rate because of no prior negotiated indirect cost rate a DeMinimis Indirect Cost Rate Certification must be submitted.

o If your proposed budget includes indirect costs, please submit either:

Your organization’s Indirect Cost Rate Negotiation Agreement, or DeMinimis Indirect Cost Rate Certification.

If selecting use of 10% DeMinimis rate because of no prior negotiated indirect cost rate, a DeMinimis Indirect Cost Rate Certification must be submitted. Proposals that fail to document their indirect costs will have those costs disallowed.

o Indirect and direct administrative costs combined may not exceed 25% of the total project budget as defined in 54 USC 301 et seq.

o Proposals that fail to document their indirect costs will have those costs disallowed.

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

(a) Other budget information

(b) Financial capability

(c) Evaluation of risk

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

3. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant (unless exempt under 2 CFR §25.110) is required to:

(a) Be registered in SAM.gov;

(b) Provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application (currently a DUNS number);

(c) Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency.

Registration processes for SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov. There is no charge for this service if done through this website. There are some sites that will charge and should be avoided.

https://www.sam.gov/

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A financial assistance agreement will not be made with a non-Federal entity until the non- Federal entity has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements.

If a non-Federal entity has not fully complied with the requirements by the time that an agreement is ready for award, a determination may be made that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award. That determination may be used as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

In addition, in order to submit an application through Grants.gov an applicant must have an active SAM registration and register for submission permissions through the Grants.gov website.

Utilize the following link to guide you through this process:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html *Please note: registration in these systems can take several weeks. Extensions due to incomplete registrations in these systems will NOT be provided.

4. Submission Dates and Times Applicants are held responsible for their proposals being submitted to the National Park Service.

Applications must be received by October 15, 2019, 11:59 pm EST. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application well before the deadline.

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

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” Applicants subject to EO 12372 must contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to find out about and comply with the State’s process. The names and addresses of the SPOC’s are listed in the OMB’s home page at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf

6. Funding Restrictions Costs incurred by the applicant prior to the start date of the period of performance of a signed Federal award are only allowable with written approval by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer and may only be counted toward their cost share requirement.

7. Other Submission Requirements Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov to the National Park Service by October 15, 2019, 11:59pm EST. Applications submitted by other means or not received by the deadline will NOT be considered.

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf

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After you submit your application you should receive three emails from grants.gov.

1. The first email will be a confirmation that you have submitted your application.

2. The second email will confirm receipt of your application by the grants.gov system.

3. The third will indicate that the application has either been successfully validated by the system or rejected due to errors. If your application is rejected due to errors, please contact grants.gov immediately. Your application must be validated in order for your application to be forwarded to NPS and be considered for funding.

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In the event the applicant experiences difficulties in completing their application, please contact:

STLPG@nps.gov or 202-354-2020. Technical issues with Grants.gov should be resolved by calling 1-800-518-4726 or visiting their online help desk. Document any issues with submission carefully.

START THIS PROCESS EARLY, DON’T DELAY!

mailto:STLPG@nps.gov

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Section E: Application Review Information

1. Criteria NPS will evaluate and consider only those applications that separately address each of the merit review criteria. Each applicant is required to provide a detailed project description, in accordance with section D.2., of the following criteria elements.

Criterion 1 25 Points Need

Describe how historic cultural resources have been damaged by one of the named storms and then needs that are associated with recovery. Include how documentation of damage will be gathered to establish in-house or subgrant project eligibility.

If your proposal includes funding for temporary or contractual staff, explain and justify the need for additional staff, the scope of work to be performed, and the relationship between this work and storm-related damage.

Note: if your proposal includes plans to undertake sub-grant projects or to manage preservation grants in-house, projects must be closely monitored to ensure other assistance from other Federal, state, local, or private sources (including insurance claims) is not funding the same work.

Criterion 2

Threat

Describe how historic cultural resources are threatened or endangered as a result of the named storms. Your response must document the urgent preservation and/or conservation need. Priority will be given to physically damaged properties in need of repair.

Criterion 3

Mitigation of the Threat

Describe how funded projects undertaken, either in-house or as subgrants, will substantially mitigate the threats identified in criterion 2 and how grant funding will be used to mitigate future damage.

Describe anticipated activities and results.

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Criterion 4 25 Points Department of the Interior Priorities

Please discuss how the subgrant program will support at least two of the following Department of the Interior (DOI) priorities:

• Striking a regulatory balance: Reduce the administrative and regulatory burden imposed on U.S. industry and the public;

• Restoring trust with local communities: Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities; and

• Modernizing our Infrastructure: Remove impediments to infrastructure development and facilitate private sector efforts to construct infrastructure projects serving American needs. • Restoring trust with local communities: Expand the lines of communication with Governors, state natural resource offices, Fish and Wildlife offices, water authorities, county commissioners, Tribes, and local communities.

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

a. Initial Review Prior to conducting the comprehensive merit review, an initial review will be performed to determine whether: (1) the applicant is eligible for an award; (2) the information required by the NOFO has been submitted; (3) all mandatory requirements of the NOFO are satisfied;

and (4) the proposed project is responsive to the program objectives of the NOFO (program determination). If an applicant fails to meet the requirements or objectives of the NOFO, or does not provide sufficient information for review, the applicant will be considered non-responsive and eliminated from further review.

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

Description Criterion 1 Criterion 2 Criterion 3 Criterion 4 25 25 25 25 Superior 20 20 20 20 Good 14 14 14 14 Satisfactory 10 10 10 10 Marginal 6 6 6 6 Poor 0 0 0 0 Not Acceptable

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The scoring of each criterion must be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the application materials. To assist in assigning an appropriate score, the following will be used as guidance:

Rating Descriptive Statement

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

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

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

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

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

Significant weaknesses are demonstrated and clearly outweigh any strength presented.

Not Acceptable

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

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

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

(3) additional specific terms and conditions are required. Failure to satisfactorily resolve the issues identified by the Government may preclude award to the applicant.

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3. Evaluation of Applicant Risk In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.205, applications selected for funding will be subject to a pre-award risk assessment which may include a review of information contained within the applicant’s proposal, past audits, Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), and/or past performance on previous Federal financial assistance awards.

Negative information that leads to an applicant being designated as “Medium Risk” or “High Risk” may result in specific conditions, as identified in 2 C.F.R. § 200.207, being incorporated into the final award

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Section F: Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices Upon being selected for the award, successful applicants will receive a notification of the selection of their application for funding. NPS anticipates funding notifications to the applicants selected for award by December 2019. A notice of selection is not an authorization to begin performance on an agreement. This notice will detail the next steps in the awarding process.

Once all clearances and reviews have been conducted, a grant agreement will be sent for signature.

Work cannot begin before the non-Federal entity receives a fully executed copy of the grant agreement which contains the signature of the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. Any pre-award costs incurred prior to the receipt of a signed agreement or written notice signed by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer authorizing pre-award costs, is at the applicant’s own risk. A grant agreement signed by a Financial Assistance Awarding Officer is the only authorizing document to begin performance.

Organizations whose applications have not been selected will be advised as promptly as possible.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

a. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) By accepting Federal financial assistance, the non-Federal entity agrees to abide by the applicable Federal regulations in the expenditure of Federal funds and performance under this program: 2 C.F.R. Part 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements For Federal Awards

b. Standard Award Terms and Conditions Acceptance of a Federal financial assistance award from the Department of the Interior carries with it the responsibility to be aware of and comply with the terms and conditions of the award. Acceptance is defined as the start of work, drawing down funds, or accepting the award via electronic means. Awards are based on the application submitted to, and as approved by the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer. All financial assistance awards are subject to the terms and conditions incorporated either directly or by reference in the award document. Code of Federal Regulations/Regulatory Requirements, as applicable, are listed within Appendix B of this announcement (Contact the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer with any questions regarding the applicability of any terms and conditions).

• 2 C.F.R. Part 175 - Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000

• 2 C.F.R. Parts 182 & 1401 - Government-wide Requirements for a Drug-Free

Workplace

• 2 C.F.R. Parts 180 & 1400 - Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement)

• 43 CFR. 18 - Restrictions on Lobbying http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=63fa3a961cf535c2c8382c1da1d0f279&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=63fa3a961cf535c2c8382c1da1d0f279&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5

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c. Order of Precedence Any inconsistency in the agreement shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order: (a) Any national policy requirements and administrative management standards; (b) 2 C.F.R. Part 200, in its entirety; (c) requirements of the applicable OMB Circulars and Treasury regulations; (d) special terms and conditions; (e) all agreement sections, documents, exhibits, and attachments; (f) and the non-Federal entity’s project proposal.

d. Modifications The agreement may be modified by written agreement signed by both the non-Federal entity’s Authorized Representative and the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

Administrative changes (i.e. Financial Assistance Awarding Officer name change, etc.)

which do not change the statement of work, agreement amount, etc., or otherwise affect the non-Federal entity may be signed unilaterally by the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

Additionally, a unilateral modification may be utilized if it should become necessary to impose remedies for non- compliance, suspension or termination of the agreement in accordance with 2 CFR 200, Section 200.338 – 200.342.

All other changes shall be made by means of a bilateral modification to the agreement. No oral statement made by any person, or written statement by any person other than the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer shall be allowed in any manner or degree to modify or otherwise effect the terms of the agreement.

e. Payments All applicants must be registered in the System for Awards Management (SAM) prior to award under this NOFO. Instructions for registering for SAM are located at http://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM. All applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times while they have an active Federal award or an application under consideration.

All applicants must also be registered with, and willing to process all payments through, the Department of the Treasury Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) system.

All non-Federal entities with active NPS financial assistance agreements must be enrolled in ASAP under the appropriate Agency Location Code(s) (ALC) and the Data Universal Number System (DUNS) Number prior to the award of funds. If a non-Federal entity has multiple DUNS numbers they must separately enroll within ASAP for each unique DUNS Number and/or Agency. Note that if your entity is currently enrolled in the ASAP system with an agency other than NPS, you must enroll specifically with NPS in order to process payments.

f. Award Instrument Information Projects will be funded, subject to the availability of funds, by issuance of a grant agreement.

The final award agreement will identify the amount of funding provided by NPS, any cost share to be provided by the non-Federal entity, a detailed Statement of Work (SOW) for the project, a project plan, and detailed project budget.

http://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM

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An agreement issued and signed by the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer obligates NPS funds. Notification of a successful proposal does not constitute authority to incur costs.

g. Funding Restrictions All funding is contingent upon the availability and appropriation of funds by the United States Congress.

h. Cost Principles:

Costs must be allowable in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles referenced in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E – Cost Principles.

i. Pre-award Costs:

Must comply with 2 CFR Part 200.458 and requires written approval from the Financial Assistance Awarding Officer.

3. Reporting

a. Financial Status Reports:

A report of expenditures is required as documentation of the financial status of awards according to the official accounting records of the non-Federal entity’s organization. The financial information will be reported by completing and submitting the Federal Financial Report (FFR), SF425. At a minimum, financial reports will be required annually and shall be submitted within 90 calendar days after the end of the annual reporting period. The Financial Assistance Awarding Officer may designate a reporting schedule requiring more frequent reporting based on the assessment of risk. The reporting requirements will be defined within the grant agreement. A final FFR shall be submitted no more than 90 calendar days after the end date of the agreement.

The FFR can be downloaded at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html

The NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer will review the report for patterns of cash expenditures and assess whether performance or financial management problems exist.

Before submitting the FFR to the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer, non-Federal entities must ensure that the information submitted is accurate, complete, and consistent with the non-Federal entity’s accounting system. The non-Federal Entity Authorized Certifying Official’s signature on the FFR certifies that the information in the FFR is correct and complete and that all outlays and obligations are for the purposes set forth in the agreement documents, and represents a claim to the Federal Government. Filing a false claim may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

b. Performance Reports:

A report of performance is required as documentation of performance towards the accomplishments of the Federal award and detailing project activity and participant profile information. At a minimum, performance reports will be required quarterly and shall be submitted within 30 calendar days after the end of the reporting period. The Financial https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/post-award-reporting-forms.html

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Assistance Awarding Officer may designate a reporting schedule requiring more frequent reporting based on the assessment of risk. The reporting requirements will be defined within the grant agreement. A final performance report shall be submitted no more than 90 calendar days after the end date of the agreement.

In accordance with 2 C.F.R. 200 § 200.328, the performance reports shall contain brief information on:

(1) A comparison of actual accomplishments to the objectives of the Federal award established for the period. Where the accomplishments of the Federal award can be quantified, a computation of the cost (for example, related to units of accomplishment) may be required if that information will be useful. Where performance trend data and analysis would be informative to the Federal awarding agency program, the Federal awarding agency should include this as a performance reporting requirement;

(2) The reasons why established goals were not met, if appropriate; and

(3) Additional pertinent information including, when appropriate, analysis and explanation of cost overruns or high unit costs.

Before submitting the performance report to the NPS Financial Assistance Awarding Officer, non-Federal entities must ensure that the information submitted is accurate, complete, and consistent with the non-Federal entity’s financial report. Filing false information may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.

c. Non-Compliance:

Failure to comply with the reporting requirements contained in an agreement may be considered a material non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the award. Non-compliance may result in withholding of future payments, suspension or termination of the agreement, recovery of funds paid under the agreement, and the withholding of future awards.