PKG00257027-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 Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic

Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking

Solicitation

Release Date: on or about December 4, 2019

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to: States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations, including domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers, domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, or community-based and culturally specific organizations, that have a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

(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, https://www.grants.gov/ ii 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.transitionalhousing@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 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 Sessions: OVW will conduct two web-based Pre-Application Information Sessions for entities interested in submitting an application for this program.

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

(See “Pre-Application Information Sessions”)

Contact Information

For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email OVW at ovw.transitionalhousing@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 (TA) with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726.

The Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement is OVW-2020-17676.

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

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ iii

Contents A. Program Description

Overview of OVW

About the OVW Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking

Program Scope

Purpose Areas

OVW Priority Areas

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

Other Program Eligibility Requirements

D. Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package

Content and Form of Application Submission

Formatting and Technical Requirements

Application Contents

Summary Data Sheet Proposal Abstract

Project Narrative

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

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: Grant Estimated Total Funding: $30,000,000 Expected Number of Awards: 70 Award Ceiling: $500,000 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: 36 Months

OVW Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking

(CFDA 16.736)

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 34 U.S.C. § 12351.

About the OVW Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking The Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking (Transitional Housing Program) supports programs that provide 6- 24 months of transitional housing with support services for victims who are homeless1 or in need of transitional housing as a result of a situation of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking; and for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention

1The term “homeless” means an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes an individual who is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. An individual who is living in a motel, hotel, trailer park, or campground due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations is also considered to be homeless. Living in an emergency or transitional shelter are also examples of homelessness. Individuals who have been abandoned in a hospital or are awaiting foster care placement are also considered to be homeless. An individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, or migratory children (as defined in 20 U.S.C. § 6399) who qualify as homeless under 34 U.S.C. § 12473 because the children are living in circumstances described in this paragraph, are also considered to be homeless. (See 34 U.S.C.

§§ 12291(a)(12), 12473(6).)

services are unavailable or insufficient. For additional information about this program, see https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs and http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/thousingmain.htm.

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. Please see Funding Restrictions for additional information on unallowable costs.

Purpose Areas Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12351(b), funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes:

1. transitional housing, including funding for the operating expenses of newly developed or existing transitional housing;

2. short-term housing assistance, including rental or utilities payments assistance and assistance with related expenses such as payment of security deposits and other costs incidental to relocation to transitional housing; and

3. support services designed to enable a minor, an adult, or a dependent of such minor or adult, who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to—

a. locate and secure permanent housing;

b. secure employment, including obtaining employment counseling, occupational training, job retention counseling, and counseling concerning re-entry in to the workforce; and integrate into a community by providing that minor, adult, or dependent with services, such as transportation, counseling, child care services, case management, and other assistance. Participation in the support services shall be voluntary.

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12351(b)(3)(C), OVW-funded transitional housing projects cannot condition receipt of housing assistance upon participation in any or all of the support services offered.

This solicitation uses the term “transitional housing” to refer to both transitional housing assistance (Purpose Area 1) and short-term assistance (Purpose Area 2), which are defined as follows:

Transitional housing assistance is temporary housing offered for at least six months and no more than 24 months that helps victims transition into permanent housing. Transitional housing is not an extended shelter stay and does not support hotel or motel stays.

Short-term housing assistance is rental assistance and/or other financial assistance (e.g,, security deposits, utility assistance, relocation costs, etc.) offered for at least six months and no more than 24 months that helps victims transition into permanent housing. Short-term housing assistance is not emergency shelter, rental assistance that is offered for less than six months, or financial assistance for victims not provided with transitional housing.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/vawamei/thousingmain.htm https://www.justice.gov/ovw/file/1030311/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants

Applicants must provide both transitional housing (Purpose Area 1 or 2) and support services (Purpose Area 3). If an applicant proposes to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds to support only transitional housing or only support services, a project partner or another funding source must sustain the remaining component for the entire 36-month project period.

OVW Priority Areas In FY 2020, OVW is interested in supporting the priority areas identified below. Applications proposing activities in the following areas will be given special consideration and/or additional points as appropriate during the review process:

1. Empower victims to become survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency.

Applicants interested in this priority are encouraged to submit proposed projects that demonstrate strong partnerships with workforce development/job training programs.

Applications meeting this priority will not receive additional points but will receive special consideration during the review process and may receive awards of up to $500,000.

2. Address the specific challenges that rural communities face in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

To qualify for this priority, an application must clearly identify what makes the geographic service area rural and how it will address specific challenges in rural communities. Applicants effectively addressing this priority may receive an additional five points during the review process.

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 heading on this topic in the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation and the Solicitation Companion Guide.)

2. Prevention: Grant funds may not be used for prevention activities (e.g., outreach to elementary and secondary schools, implementation of educational programs regarding domestic and dating violence intervention, and public awareness campaigns).

Permissible outreach activities are limited to informing potential survivors about the availability of services.

3. Family violence: Grant funds may not be used to directly address child abuse, other family violence issues (such as violence perpetrated by a child against a parent or by a sibling against another sibling), or neglect or exploitation. Grant funds may not be used for caregiver abuse of elders and other vulnerable adults.

4. Mandatory participation in services: Participation by survivors in all support services shall be voluntary and shall not be a condition for receiving transitional housing. An application proposing a project that requires participation in any support services, including case management, will not be considered a qualified application.

5. Grant funds may not be used to keep victims in their homes or to prevent them from losing their current housing.

6. Emergency shelter or short-term housing assistance offered for less than six months.

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 eliminated from consideration entirely.

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 36 months. Budgets must reflect 36 months of project activity, and the total “estimated funding” on the SF-424 must reflect 36 months. OVW anticipates that the award period will start on October 1, 2020.

This program typically makes awards in the range of $400,000 - $500,000. OVW estimates that it will make up to 70 awards for an estimated $30,000,000.

Awards under this program for FY 2020 will be made for up to $500,000 for the entire 36 months.

• Applicants proposing to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds for housing alone2 or for both housing and support services may submit budgets for up to $450,000 for a 36-month period.

2 Applicants must provide both transitional housing (purpose area 1 or 2) and support services (purpose area 3). If an applicant proposes to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds to support only transitional housing or only support services, a project partner or another funding source must sustain the remaining component.

• Applicants proposing to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds for support services only may submit budgets for up to $300,000 for a 36-month period.3

• Applicants proposing to address the priority area, “Empower victims to become survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency,” should submit budgets for up to $500,000 for a 36-month period. Successful applicants for this priority may be eligible for an additional 24 months of non-competitive funding. Any future supplemental awards will be based on factors, including, but not limited to, OVW’s available appropriation and grantee performance.

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 grants.

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.

Recipients of an FY 2018 or FY 2019 award under this program are NOT eligible to apply as the lead applicant or as a partner/subrecipient on an FY 2020 proposal. Likewise, an organization that is a partner/subrecipient on an FY 2018 or FY 2019 award is NOT eligible to apply as the lead applicant or as a partner/subrecipient on an FY 2020 proposal.

Note: OVW will not fund the same entity, as either a lead recipient or partner/subrecipient, on more than two discretionary awards in FY 2020, absent extenuating circumstances. This award limit applies across all OVW programs but does not include awards made for nationwide projects, such as those made under OVW’s Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Initiative.

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. Participate in OVW-sponsored TTA.

2. Participate in an OVW-sponsored assessment or program evaluation, if applicable.

3 Applicants must provide both transitional housing (purpose area 1 or 2) and support services (purpose area 3). If an applicant proposes to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds to support only transitional housing or only support services, a project partner or another funding source must sustain the remaining component.

3. Submit the policies, procedures, and rules governing the provision of the transitional housing and related support services for review and approval (post award). Grant recipients will be required to revise and/or remove an activity that OVW determines may compromise victim safety, is unallowable, or does not conform to best practices for providing transitional housing to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

4. Offer transitional housing and services for at least six months and no more than 24 months with OVW grant funds. Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12351(c)(2), a recipient may waive the 24-month limit for up to six months for any victim who has made a good faith effort to acquire permanent housing but has not been able to do so.

5. Offer support services only to individuals receiving transitional housing (other than follow-up services described below).

6. Offer follow-up support services for transitional housing clients who secure permanent housing. Follow-up services are limited to advocacy, support groups, case management, and minimal financial assistance (e.g., security deposit or first month’s rent for permanent housing); and are provided for at least three months but not more than a year.

7. Significantly involve a victim service provider in the implementation of the project, including the development and review of all policies and procedures and the provision of support services.

8. Ensure that any staff, partner staff, or service providers working with transitional housing survivors are trained to work with victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

9. Send the project coordinator and one other key staff member to an in-person OVW grantee orientation.

10. Send key staff to an in-person OVW-sponsored training on voluntary services.

11. Agree to provide transitional housing to their clients without requiring participation in support services.

12. Notify OVW of any changes to the source of funding used to provide transitional housing.

13. Compensate at least one, if not all, of their project partners for time and travel to participate in project development, training, and implementation. If a partner is a state or unit of local government and the partnership duties are conducted within the course of the agency’s “regular” scope of work, the applicant does not need to compensate the partner if the partner:

a. offers this arrangement; and

b. an explanation of this arrangement is included in the application.

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:

1. States.

2. Units of local government.

3. Indian tribal governments or tribal organizations.

4. Other organizations, including domestic violence and sexual assault victim service providers, domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, other nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, or community-based and culturally specific organizations, that have a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this solicitation (see “Faith-Based Organizations” on the OVW website for more information).

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

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

Other Program Eligibility Requirements In addition to meeting the eligible entity requirements outlined above, applications for this program must also meet the requirements below. All certification and other eligibility related documents must be current and developed in accordance with the FY 2020 solicitation.

Required Partnerships An application must include both a victim service provider and at least one other organization (e.g., a housing provider, local homelessness coalition, or other social service provider serving low-income households, including community colleges, workforce centers, community action agencies, and public assistance departments).

An application from a tribe, state, or unit of local government must include both a victim service provider and a housing provider (and may include the other types of partners listed above).

The victim service provider must play an active role in the development and implementation of the project. Applications must demonstrate that the victim service provider is significantly involved in the design of the project, development and review of all policies and procedures, and ensuring that anyone working with transitional housing survivors is trained in working with victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Definition of Victim Services Provider A victim service provider is a nonprofit, nongovernmental or tribal organization or rape crisis center, including a state or tribal domestic violence and/or sexual assault coalition, that assists or advocates for domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking victims, including a domestic violence shelter, faith-based organization or other organization, with a documented history of effective work concerning domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(43). Victim service providers must provide direct services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking as one of their primary purposes and have a demonstrated history of effective work in this field.

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Voluntary Services All services (support and follow-up) provided to recipients of transitional housing, either while in transitional housing or when establishing permanent housing, must be voluntary.

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 202-307-6026 or ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov.

Pre-Application Information Sessions OVW will conduct two optional web-based pre-application information sessions for entities interested in submitting an application for this program. During these sessions, OVW staff will review this program’s requirements, review the solicitation, and allow for a brief question and answer period. These sessions are tentatively scheduled for:

1. January 7, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET.

2. January 9, 2020 at 1 p.m. ET.

The total number of participants for each 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 Transitional Housing Program at ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov or at 202-307-6026. Registration must be received at least two days prior to the start of the first session. Participants are not registered until they receive a confirmation email. Webinars will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact this program’s POC at ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov or at 202-307-6026 as soon as possible, but no later than December 23, 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.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov by January 22, 2020. This letter will not obligate the http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/how-apply mailto:ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov mailto:ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov mailto:ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov mailto:ovw.transitionalhousing@usdoj.gov applicant to submit an application. See https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants for a sample Letter of Intent.

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 25 pages for the Project Narrative (26 or 27 pages for applications addressing one or more priority areas).

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. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

4. Letter of Experience (LOE).

In addition, the following 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 Project Narrative page limit. 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. Statement as to whether the applicant is a nonprofit organization that holds money in offshore accounts for the purpose of avoiding paying the tax described in section 511(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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

9. The percentage of grant activities, should the application be funded, that will address each of the following issues (the total percentages should not exceed 100%):

• Domestic violence.

• Dating violence.

• Sexual assault.

• Stalking.

10. Statement as to whether the applicant is a recipient, or partner/subrecipient, on a current grant or pending application for this grant program. If a current grant, provide the year of the award and the role of the applicant on the award (recipient or project partner).

11. Statement as to whether any proposed project partner/subrecipient is a recipient, or partner/subrecipient, on a current grant or pending application for this grant program. If a current grant, provide the year of the award and the role of the partner(s) on the award (recipient or project partner/subrecipient).

12. Statement as to whether the application addresses the OVW priority area to “Empower Victims to become Survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency” by developing formal partnerships with workforce development/job training programs.

http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title02/2cfr200_main_02.tpl https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants

13. Statement as to whether the application addresses the OVW priority area to “Address the specific challenges that rural communities face in responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.”

14. Statement as to whether the applicant will:

(a) provide both housing and support services with Transitional Housing Program funds;

OR

(b) limit its use of Transitional Housing Program funds to either housing or support services. If (b) is selected, the applicant must provide documentation, e.g., an award letter, to verify the source and availability of non-OVW Transitional Housing Program funds for the other purpose area (housing or support services). The documentation must describe the availability of these funds for at least the duration of the OVW project period of 36 months.

15. Identification of:

(a) the applicant organization.

(b) all project partner(s).

(c) the victim service provider in the proposal, including whether it is the applicant or a project partner. This information must be consistent with the rest of the proposal, including the MOU.

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 (60 Points Total) The Project Narrative may not exceed 25 pages double-spaced (except if it addresses a priority area as discussed below). The Project Narrative must include the following three sections:

Purpose of Application (20 points) This section must:

1. Describe the challenge or need faced by the community and how the goal/vision for the project will meet that need.

2. Describe the community to be served, including the geographic location and the populations in the service area.

3. 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.

4. Describe current services.

5. Describe in detail the gaps in economic empowerment and victim autonomy services for survivors in the proposed project service area and how such survivors are currently underserved.

6. Describe the barriers survivors experience while attempting to seek economic empowerment and victim autonomy services.

7. Describe how the funding will alleviate the challenge or need faced by the community.

8. Describe the Housing Model and rent structure to be implemented.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants#Program%20Specific

9. Provide a detailed plan for how the project will assist survivors in moving toward economic empowerment and victim autonomy within the framework of voluntary services. Applicants should demonstrate their ability to assist in implementing graduated stages of self-sufficiency for all survivors served during the life of the project (i.e, obtaining employment counseling, education, occupational training, establishing financial literacy, etc.).

What Will Be Done (30 points) The application must provide a clear link between the proposed activities and the need identified in the “Purpose of Application” section above. The application must not include any of the activities listed as unallowable costs in the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation.

1. Describe the approach to addressing the challenge or need identified in the Purpose of the Application section, including, if addressing the OVW rural priority, how the project will address the challenges associated with the remoteness of the service area.

2. Performance measurement: Describe how the applicant will measure its progress in achieving the project’s goal(s)/vision. Identify targeted outcome(s) and describe any tool(s) the applicant 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).

3. Describe how the applicant will move to project sustainability.

4. Describe the transitional housing that will be provided, including, but not limited to:

a. The type of transitional housing (e.g. transitional housing assistance or short-term housing assistance, location, etc.).

b. How it will be provided (program-owned, program-rented, landlord/tenant relationship, etc.).

c. Method for determining client eligibility (e.g., screening tools, eligibility requirements, etc.).

d. Facility rules and regulations.

e. Facility safety planning.

f. Fee schedule (if applicable).

5. Describe the support services that will be offered, including, but not limited to:

a. What will be offered.

b. Who will provide them.

c. Where they will be provided.

d. How clients will access them.

e. How the services will support economic empowerment and survivor autonomy.

6. Describe the plan for follow-up services, including, but not limited to:

a. What will be offered.

b. Timeframe for follow-up services.

c. How economic empowerment and survivor autonomy will be reinforced during follow-up services.

7. Describe how the applicant plans to address victim safety and autonomy in the project.

Applicants will need to provide a detailed plan for assisting survivors toward graduated economic empowerment and survivor autonomy while using a voluntary services model.

8. Describe how the applicant will maintain confidentiality, especially if working with homeless providers and/or the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), etc.

9. Describe how the proposed project will reach each population in the service area identified in the Purpose of the Application section.

http://www.vawamei.org/

Who Will Implement the Project (10 points)

1. Identify the key individuals and organizations, including project partners, involved in the proposed project.

2. Demonstrate that the individuals and organizations identified have the capacity to address the stated need and can successfully implement the proposed project activities;

attach resumes or job descriptions of all key personnel.

3. Describe specific roles and responsibilities of all project partners and key staff.

4. Describe project partners with substantive knowledge of economic empowerment, including their history (if any) of providing transitional housing and support services to this population and their proposed role in the project.

5. Describe the expertise and history of key project staff in assisting survivors to achieve economic independence.

6. Demonstrate the capacity and expertise of the lead applicant and all project partners to serve victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and/or stalking.

7. Clearly describe who will implement activities as described in the “What Will Be Done” section (e.g., which organization and staff will conduct intake, find housing, work with participants, provide services, etc.).

8. Clearly demonstrate that required partnerships have been developed (see “Required Partnerships” in the “Program Eligibility Requirements” section of the solicitation).

Applications proposing to address priority areas must include in the project narrative additional information as described below. This portion of the application is limited to one page, double-spaced per priority area (for a total project narrative of 26 or 27 pages, as applicable).

Empowering victims to become survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency (0 points) This section is optional. This section must clearly describe:

1. Project partners who have expertise in workforce development and job-placement in the service area.

2. Program aspects and demographic information concerning job availability and placement in the service area.

3. Trauma-informed, victim-centered policies and practices to assist survivors with completing their education and obtaining employment.

4. How the project will measure performance related to this priority (e.g., the number of survivors completing job training, how many survivors obtained employment, how many survivors maintained employment during transitional period and how many survivors maintained employment after obtaining permanent housing placement).

5. A comprehensive plan exhibited in the MOU, reflecting formal partnerships with organizations that have particular expertise in support services designed to enable survivors to secure employment, including obtaining employment counseling, education, occupational training, job retention counseling, and counseling concerning re-entry into the workforce.

Addressing the specific challenges that rural communities face (Additional 5 Points) This section is optional. This section must:

1. Describe in detail the gaps in current services for survivors in rural areas and how such survivors are currently underserved.

2. Describe the barriers victims in rural areas experience while attempting to seek services.

3. Describe project partners who have a special expertise in working with rural communities and their role in the project.

4. Describe the expertise and history of key project staff in providing services in rural areas to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking with substance abuse issues.

5. Provide a detailed plan for how the project will provide rural-specific services to victims in rural areas within a coordinated community response model.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative (10 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 Applicants proposing to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds for housing alone or for both housing and support services may submit budgets for up to $450,000 for a 36-month period.

Applicants proposing to use Transitional Housing Program grant funds to support services only may submit budgets for up to $300,000 for a 36-month period.

Applicants proposing to address the priority area, “Empower victims to become survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency,” should submit budgets for up to $500,000 for a 36-month period.

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

The budget must:

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

2. Include funds to attend OVW-sponsored TTA in the amount of $15,000 for applicants located in the 48 contiguous states and $20,000 for applicants located in the territories, Hawaii, and Alaska. This amount is for the entire 36-month project 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.

3. Include a statement describing whether the housing units are applicant owned.

4. Include as program income any fees charged to transitional housing participants if the transitional housing is applicant owned.

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

6. Compensate at least one, if not all, project partners as reflected in the MOU. For more information on compensating project partners, see the sample Budget Detail Worksheet on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants (compensation must be present in the budget).

7. 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 an MOU 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.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) (15 Points Total) For purposes of this solicitation, the MOU is a document containing the terms of the partnership and the roles and responsibilities between two or more parties. The MOU is not a substitute for a subaward agreement, which ensures that subrecipients adhere to the requirements of the award and 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (see 2 C.F.R. § 200.331). Partners receiving funds under the award generally are considered subrecipients because they are carrying out a portion of the federal award.

All applicants, new and continuation, must submit a new MOU with the application as described above. Continuation applicants should describe any changes in the collaboration, including an explanation or description of any new or additional partners.

The MOU must be a single document and must be signed and currently dated by the Authorized Representative of each proposed partner organization during the development of the application. The application will be removed from consideration if the MOU is missing, not a single document, not current, or if signatures and/or dates are missing for any of the project partners. If necessary, an MOU can include multiple signature pages so long as each page includes the names and titles of all signatories to the MOU.

https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants…