PKG00256959-instructions..pdf

OMB Number - 1122-0020 Expiration Date: 01/31/2022

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

OVW Fiscal Year 2020 Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative

Solicitation

Release Date: on or about December 5, 2019

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to: State, tribal, territorial, or local courts that are either current OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Court Initiative grantees or new applicants with an existing specialized court system for handling domestic violence cases in the United

States or U.S. territories.

(See “Eligibility Information”)

Deadlines

Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (E.T.) on February 6, 2020.

(See “Submission Dates and Times”)

Registration Information: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with Grants.gov. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a DUNS number and register online with SAM and with Grants.gov immediately, but no later than January 22, 2020.

(See “Registration”)

Letter of Intent: Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent to OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov by January 22, 2020. 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 https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/ ii submit an application. Interested applicants who do not submit a Letter of Intent are still eligible to apply.

(See “Letter of Intent”)

Pre-Application Information Session: OVW will conduct a web-based Pre-Application Information Session for entities interested in submitting an application for this program.

Participation in this session is optional. Interested applicants who do not participate are still eligible to apply.

(See “Pre-Application Information Session”)

Contact Information

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email OVW at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov.

Alternatively, interested parties may call OVW at (202) 307-6026.

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 Applicant Support Line at (800) 518-4726.

The Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement is OVW-2020-17793.

Notification: OVW anticipates notifying applicants of funding decisions by October 1, 2020.

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Contents A. Program Description

Overview of OVW

About the OVW Technical Assistance Initiative

About the OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Courts Technical Assistance Initiative

Program Scope

Purpose Areas

OVW Priority Area

Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery or Undermine Offender Accountability

Out-of-Scope Activities

Activities Requiring Prior Approval

B. Federal Award Information Availability of Funds

Award Period and Amounts

Types of Applications

Mandatory Program Requirements

C. Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching

D. Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package

Pre-Application Information Session

Content and Form of Application Submission

Formatting and Technical Requirements

Application Contents

Summary Data Sheet

Proposal Abstract

Project Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

Letters of Support

Additional Required Information

Unique Entity Identifier (DUNS Number), System for Award Management (SAM), and Grants.gov Registration iv

Submission Dates and Times

OVW Policy on Late Submissions

Funding Restrictions

Other Submission Requirements

Submitting a Grant Application

E. Application Review Information Criteria

Review and Selection Process

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

F. Federal Award Administration Information Federal Award Notices

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Reporting

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

Application Checklist

Federal Award Information:

Funding Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $600,000 Expected Number of Awards: 4 Award Ceiling: $150,000 Award Floor: N/A Registration Due: January 22, 2020 Letter of Intent Due: January 22, 2020 Application Due: February 6, 2020 Anticipated Start Date: October 1, 2020 Length of Award Period: 24 months

OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative

(CFDA 16.029)

A. Program Description Overview of OVW 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 domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. OVW grants support coordinated community responses to hold offenders accountable and serve victims.

Statutory Authority This program is authorized by 42 U.S.C.§ 13925(b)(11).

About the OVW Technical Assistance Initiative The primary purpose of the OVW Training and Technical Assistance (TA) Initiative is to provide direct TA to existing and potential grantees and sub-grantees to enhance and support their efforts to successfully implement projects supported by OVW grant funds. OVW’s TA Initiative is designed to build the capacity of justice system professionals and victim service organizations to respond effectively to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and foster partnerships among organizations that have not traditionally worked together to address these crimes. For additional information about this program, see https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs and http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/taprovidermain.htm.

About the OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Courts Technical Assistance Initiative Specialized courts can be an efficient structure for addressing domestic violence. As domestic violence courts continue to develop across the country, jurisdictions developing specialized courts routinely seek examples for best practices. Since FY 2013, OVW has been engaged in an effort to develop and disseminate best practices for domestic violence courts by funding mentor court sites.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/taprovidermain.htm

The OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Court Technical Assistance Initiative (Mentor Court Initiative) creates a unique opportunity to recognize well-established specialized courts and enable them to guide novice or developing courts and court-based programs that wish to significantly improve their responses to domestic violence cases and ensure victim safety and offender accountability. These well-established courts successfully serve as national models and share their expertise by hosting site visits, linking courts with peers facing similar challenges, and assisting other domestic violence courts to implement best practices to respond effectively to these difficult cases.

Program Scope Activities supported by this program are determined by statute, federal regulations, and OVW policies. If an applicant receives an award, the funded project is bound by the provisions of this solicitation, the DOJ Financial Guide, including updates to the financial 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.

Purpose Areas In FY 2020, funds under the Mentor Court Initiative must be used by recipients for all of the following purposes:

1. Assist OVW and the OVW Mentor Court Initiative TA provider to select jurisdictions to receive mentorship.

2. Develop and maintain a mentoring relationship with selected jurisdictions planning domestic violence courts.

3. Plan and host 2-3 site visits for each selected jurisdiction to assist them in planning a domestic violence court.

4. Travel 2-3 times to selected jurisdictions to provide on-site TA on developing domestic violence courts.

5. Share domestic violence related court forms, procedures, and protocols.

6. Send members of the recipient’s Mentor Court team to 1-2 Mentor Court All Sites

Meetings.

7. Participate in the OVW Judicial Engagement Network Summit.

8. Develop and participate in OVW-sponsored judicial forums and roundtable meetings.

9. Respond to TA inquiries from other courts.

10. Host Mentor Court Open House events for jurisdictions interested in planning domestic violence courts, open to jurisdictions other than the selected courts.

11. Collaborate with OVW TA Providers.

Note: Activities are limited to providing training and TA to other courts around the country. Applicants should not include programming for their own court in their applications; however, administrative costs may be included to support the mentor court goals and objectives.

OVW Priority Area In FY 2020, OVW is interested in addressing the specific challenges that rural communities face in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Applications proposing to address this priority will be given special consideration.

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Activities that Compromise Victim Safety and Recovery or 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.

Applications that propose any such activities may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be eliminated from consideration entirely. Information on activities that compromise victim safety and recovery or undermine offender accountability may be found in the Solicitation Companion Guide.

Out-of-Scope Activities The activities listed below are out of the program scope, and they will not be supported by this program’s funding. See also the list of unallowable costs in the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation.

1. Research projects: (This does not include assessments conducted only for internal improvement purposes (up to one percent of the award)). For information on distinguishing between research and assessments, see the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation and the Solicitation Companion Guide.

2. Direct victim services and justice system interventions: Mentor Court Initiative funds are intended to support educational opportunities and TA to OVW grantees and potential grantees. These funds are not meant to support court operations, law enforcement activities, legal representation, direct services, or other interventions.

Applications that propose activities that are deemed to be substantially out-of-scope may receive a deduction in points during the review process or may be entirely eliminated from consideration.

Activities Requiring Prior Approval Recipients must receive prior approval before using grant funds to support surveys, whether conducted as part of a program or needs assessment, or for any other purpose. Prior approval is necessary to determine whether the activity is within the scope of the award and meets the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (see the Solicitation Companion Guide for more information).

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 2020 funding, depending on the merits of the applications and the availability of funding.

Award Period and Amounts The award period is 24 months. Budgets must reflect 24 months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” on the SF-424 must reflect 24 months. OVW anticipates that the award period will start on October 1, 2020.

Awards under this program for FY 2020 will be made for up to $150,000 for the entire 24 months. OVW estimates that it will make up to four awards for an estimated $600,000.

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 prior to making an award.

Awards will be made as cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements are a form of award under which OVW expects to have ongoing substantial involvement in award activities. For this program, the substantial involvement includes selecting jurisdictions to receive mentoring from the Mentor Courts.

Types of Applications In FY 2020, OVW will accept applications for this program from the following:

New: Applicants that have never received funding under this program or whose previous funding expired more than 12 months ago.

Continuation: Applicants that have an existing or recently closed (within the last 12 months) award under this program. Continuation funding is not guaranteed.

Additionally, current grantees with a substantial amount of unobligated funds remaining (50 percent or more of the previous award) as of March 31, 2020 without adequate justification may not be considered for funding or may receive a reduced award amount if selected for funding in

FY 2020.

Mandatory Program Requirements Applicants that receive funding under this program will be required to engage in the following activities:

1. OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance.

2. An OVW-sponsored assessment or program evaluation, if applicable.

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 of application contents, and 6. timeliness. 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 for this program:

State, tribal, territorial, or local courts that are either:

• Current OVW Domestic Violence Mentor Court Initiative grantees.

• Courts with an existing specialized court system for handling domestic violence cases.

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

Limit on Number of Applications OVW will consider only one application per organization for the same service area. In addition, if an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OVW will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted before the deadline.

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 and on the OVW website. Applicants wishing to request a paper copy of these materials should contact OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov.

Pre-Application Information Session OVW will conduct an optional web-based pre-application information session for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. During this session, OVW staff will review this program’s requirements, review the solicitation, and allow for a brief question and answer period. The session is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, December 17, 2019 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET.

The total number of participants for the session may be limited, and therefore interested participants from the same agency/jurisdiction are expected to participate together. OVW reserves the right to deny multiple registrations from a single agency/jurisdiction to allow as many interested applicants as possible to participate.

Participation in a pre-application information session is optional. Interested applicants that do not participate in a session are still eligible to apply.

To register, contact the Justice for Families Program at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov or at (202) 307- 6026. Registration must be received at least five days prior to the start of the session.

Participants are not registered until they receive a confirmation email. The webinar will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact this program’s POC at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov or at (202) 307-6026 as soon as possible, but no later than December 1, 2019.

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.

Letter of Intent Applicants intending to apply for FY 2020 funding under this program are strongly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent. The letter should state that the applicant is registered and current with SAM and with Grants.gov. The letter should be submitted to OVW at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov by January 22, 2020. This letter will not obligate the applicant to submit an application. See https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants for a sample Letter of Intent.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/how-apply mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/

Formatting and Technical Requirements Applications must follow the requirements below for all documents, unless otherwise noted.

Points may be deducted for applications that do not adhere to the following requirements:

1. Double spaced (Summary Data Sheet, and charts may be single spaced).

2. 8½ x 11 inch paper.

3. One-inch margins.

4. Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman (TNR) or Arial font, except for footnotes, which may be in 10-point font.

5. Page numbers.

6. No more than 10 pages for the Project Narrative.

7. Word documents in the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or Text

Documents (.txt).

8. Headings and sub-headings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation.

Application Contents Applications must include the required documents and demonstrate that the program eligibility requirements have been met. For a complete checklist of the application contents, see the Other Information section in this solicitation.

OVW will not contact applicants for missing items on the list below. Applications that do not include all of the following documents will be considered substantially incomplete and will not be considered for funding:

1. Project Narrative.

2. Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative.

3. Letters of Support.

In addition, the following two documents are required; failure to submit them will not result in removal from consideration but may result in a loss of points:

1. Summary Data Sheet.

2. Proposal Abstract.

Summary Data Sheet (5 Points Total) The Summary Data Sheet should be one to four pages and may be single or double spaced.

The Summary Data Sheet does not count toward the 10 page limit for the Project Narrative.

Provide the following information:

1. Name, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of the individual with authority to accept grants on behalf of the applicant.

2. Name, title, address, telephone number, and e-mail address for the grant point-of-contact. This person must be an employee of the applicant.

3. Statement as to whether the applicant (the organization whose DUNS number is being used for the application) will serve as a fiscal agent/sponsor and pass all funds through to an entity or entities that will implement the project. Such an applicant will not be involved with implementation of the project beyond issuing subaward(s) to these entities and conducting minimal administrative activities. A fiscal agent/sponsor applicant 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.

4. 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.

5. Summary of all 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 at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. Failure to provide the required table will result in a loss of points. The applicant should also provide the same information regarding any current OVW grants or pending applications on which the applicant is a subrecipient.

6. A list of all other federal grant programs from which the applicant currently receives funding or for which it has applied for funding in FY 2020 to do similar work. Provide this information in a table using the sample format found on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

7. Identification of the application type: new or continuation.

8. Identification of the type of domestic violence court model (e.g., Coordinated Court

Model, Unified Family Court Model, or Integrated Court Model) and type of cases (e.g.

criminal, civil, or family).

9. Statement as to whether the application addresses the rural priority area.

Proposal Abstract (not scored but used throughout the review process) The Proposal Abstract must provide a short summary (no more than two pages double-spaced) of the proposed project, including names of applicant and partners, project title, purpose of the project (including goal and intended outcome), primary activities for which funds are requested, who will benefit (including geographic area to be served), products and deliverables, and how the applicant will measure progress in completing project goals and objectives. Applicants must not summarize past accomplishments in this section.

Project Narrative (65 Points Total) The Project Narrative may not exceed 10 pages, double-spaced. The Project Narrative must include the following:

Applicants must demonstrate overall agency readiness and capacity for participating in the Mentor Court Initiative by providing a narrative describing the agency’s specialized processes and procedures for handling domestic violence cases. Benchmarks include fiscal infrastructure capacity, current staff positions, judicial leadership, and partnership with a victim service provider.

Each applicant must also demonstrate expertise in the area of domestic violence and include information on who will lead the project, who will participate in the project, and how decisions will be made regarding the project.

Applicants must also:

1. Discuss why the applicant court is pursuing the Mentor Court Initiative.

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2. Describe the community served by the applicant court including the geographic location and population. To qualify for the OVW rural priority, describe what makes the geographic service area rural (using U.S. Census or other appropriate government data) and how isolated the area is from needed services.

3. Describe the applicant court’s jurisdiction, including types of cases handled, years in operation, and number of days per week services are available.

4. Describe how domestic violence cases are currently being handled in the applicant court, and whether or not the court uses a diversion program, batterer intervention program, or other special program.

5. Describe the type of domestic violence court model the applicant court has implemented (e.g., Coordinated Court Model, Unified Family Court Model, or Integrated Court Model), including a description of written policies and procedures and rotation schedule, if applicable.

6. Describe the applicant court practices that enhance victim safety and offender accountability.

7. Discuss existing weaknesses in handling domestic violence cases including areas the applicant court is still trying to improve upon.

8. Describe the applicant court’s greatest strengths in handling domestic violence cases.

9. Describe how project activities will address the identified Purpose Areas.

10. Describe the ability of the applicant court and jurisdiction to share specialized practices, travel to selected courts, engage in the judicial engagement network, and host site visits.

11. Describe how the project will be implemented, and who will be involved in key project activities.

12. Performance measurement: Describe how the applicant court will measure its progress in achieving the project’s goals. Identify targeted outcomes and describe any tools the applicant court will use to track those outcomes and report them to OVW. Tools may include OVW performance progress reports and logic model templates (both available at www.vawamei.org).

The application must not include any of the activities listed as unallowable costs in the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative (20 Points) All applications must include a detailed budget and budget narrative. See the sample Budget Detail Worksheet and the Creating a Budget webinar available on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. Keep in mind that budgetary requirements vary among programs. Applicants must submit reasonable budgets based on the resources needed to implement their projects in their specific geographic location.

Award Period and Amount Budgets should cover a project period of 24 months, starting on October 1, 2020 and ending on September 30, 2022. Budget requests should not exceed $150,000.

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.

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The budget must:

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

2. Include funds to attend OVW-sponsored training and TA in the amount of $20,000 for applicants located in the 48 contiguous states. Applicants located in the territories, Hawaii, and Alaska should set aside $25,000. This amount is for the entire 24 month period and NOT per year. Applicants also may budget expenses in excess of the required amount if they are aware of relevant non-OVW sponsored conferences or training for which they would like permission to use grant funds to support staff/project partner attendance. The following should be included in the amount set aside:

a. Mentor Court All Sites Meetings (2) – Each Mentor Court site will be required to send four to six members of its team to a Mentor Court All Sites Meeting (location and time TBD).

b. Judicial Engagement Network Summit – Each Mentor Court site should include funds to send up to three judges to the OVW Judicial Engagement Network Summit, an association of judges that focuses on improving court responses to domestic violence cases.

c. Peer-to-Peer Site Visits – Each Mentor Court site should include funds to send a team of three to five members of its court-based and court-related personnel to participate in two to three site visits with selected courts and for selected courts to visit its court two to three times.

d. OVW Training – Each Mentor Court site should include funds to send a team of three to five members of its court-based and court-related personnel to participate in at least one OVW Technical Assistance event.

3. Include funds or describe other resources available to the applicant 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.

4. 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 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 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.

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Letters of Support (10 Points Total) Applicants must include, as separate attachment(s) the following letters of support:

• A letter from a domestic violence victim service provider describing its anticipated role and commitment to participate in project activities.

• A letter from the applicant court’s administration describing its support of the applicant court to engage in this initiative.

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 application submission process while other documents will be uploaded and attached to the application.

The following documents will be generated and completed during the application submission process:

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Applicants must complete the SF-424. The SF-424 is generated when the applicant begins the submission process. 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 program 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.

Intergovernmental Review: This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is not subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372. (In completing the SF-424, an applicant is to answer question 19 by selecting the response that the “Program is not covered by E.O. 12372.”)

Assurances and Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Review the assurances and disclosure forms online. Applicants will be prompted to compile these forms online during the application submission process. All applicants must complete both the Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) form and the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the information requested on the SF-LLL. 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:

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.

Pre-Award Risk Assessment Each applicant 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 http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ovw/pages/attachments/2015/01/20/confidentiality_acknowledgement_form_42015.pdf http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/ovw/pages/attachments/2015/01/20/confidentiality_acknowledgement_form_42015.pdf questions from OVW regarding this information in a timely manner could result in the applicant being removed from consideration or a delay in access to funds. Provide complete responses that address all questions included for each numbered item. This section of the application should be no more than 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.

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.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/1030311/download mailto:OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov

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. See 2 C.F.R. §§ 25.200, 25.205.

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 the deadline for this solicitation, applicants must have obtained a DUNS number and registered online with the SAM and with Grants.gov no later than January 22, 2020.

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 submission deadline will result in an application not being mailto:OVW.GFMD@usdoj.gov%C2%A0 https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants considered for funding. Applicants should refer to the chart below to ensure that all required steps and deadlines are met.

Failure to begin the registration or application submission by the deadlines stated in the chart below is not an acceptable reason for late submission.

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

Obtain a DUNS number at https://www.dnb.com/ or call (866) 705-5711. January 22, 2020 Register with SAM

Access the SAM online registration through the SAM homepage at https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ and follow the online 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 upon 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.

January 22, 2020

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).

January 22, 2020

Submit Letter of Intent Justice for Families Program, OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov and (202) 307-6026 January 22, 2020

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

Request Hardcopy Submission (if necessary) Applicants that cannot submit an application electronically due to lack of internet access must contact the POC at (202) 307-6026 or OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov to request permission to submit a hardcopy application.

January 31, 2020

Begin Application Submission Process Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov. Begin 24 – 48 hours prior to the application deadline Confirm Application Receipt

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.

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 February 6, 2020 will enable the applicant to receive notice of a failed submission and provide an opportunity to correct the error before the deadline https://www.dnb.com/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/ mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov https://www.grants.gov/

OVW Policy on Late Submissions Applications submitted after 11:59 p.m. E.T. on February 6, 2020 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.

To ensure fairness for all applicants, OVW requires that applicants requesting late submission adhere to the following:

Experiencing Technical Difficulties Beyond the Applicant’s Reasonable Control

Issue Applicant Action OVW Policy 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 individual who will be submitting the application has SAM and Grants.gov access and is the person registered to submit on behalf of the applicant.

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

3. Notify OVW as soon as the applicant becomes aware of a problem with registration but no later than 14 days before the application due date.

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.

Issue Applicant Action OVW Policy Unforeseeable Technical Difficulties During the Application Submission Process

1. Contact Grants.gov for technical support at least 24 hours prior to the application deadline.

2. Maintain documentation of all communication with Grants.gov Applicant Support.

3. Prior to the application deadline, contact the POC for this program, via email at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov indicating that the applicant is experiencing technical difficulties and would like permission to submit a late application. The email must include the following:

• A detailed description of the difficulty that the applicant is experiencing.

• The contact information (name, telephone, and email) for the individual making the late submission request.

• The complete application packet (Project Narrative, Budget and Budget Narrative, Letters of Support).

4. Within 24 hours after the application deadline, the applicant must email the POC for this

Common foreseeable technical difficulties for which OVW will not approve a late submission request include:

a. Using an outdated version of Adobe Acrobat.

b. Attachment rejection.

(To ensure that attachments are not rejected, attachment names should only include allowable characters. See “Other Submission Requirements”).

Through Grants.gov, OVW can confirm when submission began. Applicants that start https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/#1 https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ program at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov the following information:

• Applicant’s DUNS number.

• Grants.gov Applicant Support tracking numbers.

• Other relevant documentation.

the submission process less than 24 hours before the deadline will not be considered for late submission. 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 necessary corrections.

Issue Applicant Action OVW Policy Severe Inclement Weather of Natural Disaster

1. Contact the POC for this program at OVW.JFF@usdoj.gov as soon as the applicant is aware of severe weather or a natural or manmade disaster that may impede the submission of an application by the deadline. The email should include a detailed description of the weather event or natural or manmade disaster. A detailed description includes when the event occurred, or is likely to occur, the impacted area, and the specific impact on the applicant and/or partners’ ability to submit the application by the deadline (e.g., without power for “x” days, office closed for “x” days). If the application is complete and ready for submission at the time the applicant notifies the POC, it should be included with the email.

2. Applicants impacted by severe weather or a natural or manmade disaster occurring on the deadline must contact OVW within 48 hours after the due date or as soon as communications are restored.

OVW may not be able to accommodate all requests resulting from severe inclement weather or a natural disaster.

Submission of the required documents to the POC is not an approval of a late application submission request. OVW will review the information provided, consider the request, and inform the applicant of its decision within 30 days of the request.

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

Unallowable Costs The costs associated with the activities listed below are unallowable and must not be included in applicants’ budgets:

https://www.grants.gov/

1. Lobbying.

2. Fundraising.

3. Purchase of real property.

4. Physical modifications to buildings, including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting).

5. Construction.

Food and Beverage/Costs for Refreshments and Meals Generally, food and…