PKG00262240-instructions.pdf

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)

FY2020 Securing the Cities Program (STC)

DHS NOFO Securing the Cities Program

NOTE: If you are going to apply for this funding opportunity and have not obtained a Data

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and/or are not currently registered in the

System for Award Management (SAM), please take immediate action to obtain a DUNS

Number, if applicable, and then to register immediately in SAM. It may take 4 weeks or more after you submit your SAM registration before your registration is active in SAM, then an additional 24 hours for Grants.gov to recognize your information. Information on obtaining a DUNS number and registering in SAM is available from Grants.gov at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Detailed information regarding DUNS and SAM is also provided in Section D of this NOFO, subsection, Content and Form of Application Submission.

A. Program Description

1. Issued By

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office

2. Assistance Listings (formerly Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number) 97.106.

3. Assistance Listings Title (formerly CFDA Title)

Securing the Cities Program

4. Funding Opportunity Title

FY2020 Securing the Cities Program, 2020 STC: Boston, MA; New Orleans, LA

5. Funding Opportunity Number: DHS-20-106-STC-0001

6. Authorizing Authority for Program

Section 1928 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended (6 U.S.C. § 596b).

7. Appropriation Authority for Program

Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. No. 116-93), Title IV Research, Development, Training, and Services; Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction;

Federal Assistance.

8. Announcement Type: New, year 1 of 10

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9. Program Overview, Objectives, and Priorities

a. Program Overview

The STC program enhances the ability of the Unites States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high-consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high risk urban areas. Support to recipients includes assistance in developing and integrating local or regional programs into a national detection structure, guiding the development of Concepts of Operations (CONOPs) and standard operating procedures, providing radiological/nuclear (R/N) detection equipment, providing training and exercise products to ensure detection is integrated into day-to-day activities and that partners are proficient in the detection mission area. Capability is defined as trained and equipped personnel who are proficient in the use of R/N detection equipment and guided by detection and response protocols.

The STC Program supports the ‘Prevent Terrorism and Enhance Security’ Mission Area as specified in the 2018 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and is a prevention program as defined in Presidential Policy Directive – 8 (PPD-8).

b. Goals and Objectives

The STC Program has three primary goals:

1) Enhance regional capabilities to detect, identify, report, and interdict nuclear and other radioactive materials out of regulatory control.

2) Provide regional training and exercise opportunities necessary to enhance regional capabilities.

3) Support long-term sustainment of these critical capabilities over time.

To accomplish the above goals, the STC Program has the four following objectives

STC Objective 1: Assist state, local, tribal, and territorial governments in developing radiological/nuclear detection and reporting capability. See Homeland Security Act of 2002 § 1928(b)(1).

STC Objective 2: Establish information connectivity to support radiological/nuclear alarm adjudication through developed interagency protocols. See Homeland Security Act of 2002 § 1928(b)(1) & (3).

STC Objective 3: Establish administrative infrastructure to support a radiological/nuclear detection program. See Homeland Security Act of 2002 § 1928(b)(2).

STC Objective 4: Establish coordination mechanisms between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners for steady-state operations, enhanced steady-state operations, and search operations. See Homeland Security Act of 2002 § 1928(b)(4) and (5).

The program is executed in four phases:

Phase I (Engagement):

Phase I starts with the award of a cooperative agreement and is expected to take up to one year.

Phase II (Implementation):

Phase II efforts focus on meeting immediate regional requirements to establish or enhance initial operational capabilities (IOC) to detect and report the presence of R/N materials out of regulatory control. Phase II is expected to take three years.

Phase III (Integration):

During Phase III, CWMD expects a region will achieve full operational capability (FOC) and successfully demonstrate the ability to integrate into a national detection framework. Successful completion of a full-scale exercise (FSE) and compliance with all DHS reporting requirements will be the criteria for transitioning to the sustainment phase and for an STC region becoming eligible for federal STC Program sustainment funding. Phase III is expected to last one year.

Phase IV (Sustainment):

At the end of the five-year period after the awarding of the cooperative agreement, and contingent upon successful completion of the regional FSE, a region enters the sustainment phase of the STC Program.

To maintain eligibility for federal STC sustainment funding, a region is expected to successfully complete a FSE once every five years. This requirement is intended to facilitate long-term sustainment of the regional detection and reporting capability. It will require enduring program management to maintain eligibility for continued federal support.

By and through the lead agency/recipient, DHS provides assistance to regional partners to:

o Closely coordinate planning, operations, and information exchange between regional partners, CWMD, and other Federal agencies.

o Conduct training and exercises to further the nuclear detection mission in the region and gain proficiency in detection operations.

o Develop a robust mobile architecture and equipment set for both land and maritime pathways focused on steady-state operations that is flexible enough to surge to enhanced detection postures.

o Execute an information exchange methodology so that multiple STC regions may exchange data amongst each other, CWMD, and other Federal partners.

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CWMD will provide the Domestic Detection CONOPS to grant recipients along with templates for regional and local operational plans and procedures.

c. Priorities

This specific NOFO will focus on Phase I of the program and the establishment of the program office and the governance structure of the program. The recipient is expected to establish a small but robust program office that will manage the award and facilitate the coordination of activities under the award. They will also facilitate the establishment of the governance structure through forming the required committees and subcommittees as well as developing the appropriate partnerships within the surrounding region.

d. Performance Metrics

Section I of the NOFO Appendix 1 details performance measures. The STC Program Management Office will monitor regional progress against the measures on a quarterly basis to determine progress in meeting the above objectives.

B. Federal Award Information

1. Available Funding for the NOFO: $4,000,000.00

2. Projected number of Awards (Optional): 2

3. Period of Performance: 120 months

Overall anticipated period of performance totaling one hundred and twenty (120) months, to be allocated amongst ten (10) twelve (12) month budget periods, to be implemented in one (1) year increments. Funding for the first budget period will be provided under this

NOFO. Should further funding become available for additional budget periods, applicants will need to submit additional applications and budget materials for continuation awards to support additional budget periods.

Extensions are allowable. See Section H, Additional Information – Extension.

4. Projected Period of Performance Start Date(s):

5. Projected Period of Performance End Date(s):

6. Funding Instrument Type:

8/03/2020

07/31/2030

Cooperative Agreement

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C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

Consistent with the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (“HSA”) (Pub. L. 107-296), as amended by section 2(a)(10) of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115- 387), codified at 6 U.S.C. 596b., subsection 1928(c), the Secretary of Homeland Security has designated eligible STC Program Applicants as those selected from among the high-risk urban areas. Additionally, CWMD has added the level 5 Stabilization Team proximity to the eligibility requirements to synchronize with the FBI in critical areas of the country by leveraging partnerships and unique capabilities that the FBI has established in these jurisdictions. Proximity within the regions supported by Level 5 Stabilization Teams also allows the STC Program to better protect population centers by shifting focus from the adversary’s potential targets to include the threat pathways into and within the region and the United States. The applicant is termed the lead agency (applicant).

2. Applicant Eligibility Criteria

This NOFO applies to all eligible regions as defined in paragraph 1 above that have not been previously awarded an STC grant. Each STC Program recipient will choose its lead agency (applicant) and submit only one application for their region, which will encompass the urban area as well as its regional partners. The following entities within the designated eligible urban area may apply directly to DHS under this solicitation as the lead agency:

o State government(s) (non-operational) o City or township governments o County governments o Others eligible to be lead agencies include law enforcement, first response, or emergency management agencies that are part of the city, township, or county included in the UASI regions defined above

DHS envisions three levels of participants:

o Lead agency (applicant);

o Principal partners (the region’s law enforcement agencies, fire services, radiation health agency, special district government entities such as regional transit authorities, Native American tribal government [federally recognized], and maritime components including members of the Area Maritime Security Committee [AMSC], if applicable); and o Sub-partners (agencies that are represented by a principal partner).

The application must clearly identify the lead agency and all principal partners. It is crucial to the success of the program for each principal partner to assign personnel of sufficient rank possessing necessary authority to be able to make decisions for their organizations.

Additional principal partners may be designated in subsequent years during continuation award periods. Sub-partners should also be included in the resulting regional nuclear detection program and plans, but do not need to be identified in a region’s application.

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3. Maintenance of Effort (MOE)

There is no statutory maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirement associated with this award of the funding in this Notice.

4. Cost Share or Match

There is no cost share or matching requirement associated with this award of the funding in this Notice.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Key Dates and Times

Application Start Date:

Application Submission Deadline:

Anticipated Funding Selection Date (Optional):

Anticipated Award Date (Optional):

06/18/2020

07/21/2020 at 23:59:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time

No later than

07/28/2020

No later than 08/30/2020

Other Key Dates (If applicable)

2. Agreeing to Terms and Conditions of the Award

By submitting an application, applicants agree to comply with the requirements of this NOFO and the terms and conditions of the award, should they receive an award.

3. Address to Request Application Package

Application forms and instructions are available at Grants.gov. To access these materials, go to http://www.grants.gov , select “Applicants” then “Apply for Grants.” In order to obtain the application package, select “Download a Grant Application Package.” Enter the Assistance Listings (formerly CFDA) and/or the funding opportunity number located on the cover of this NOFO, select “Download Package,” and then follow the prompts to download the application package.

Event Suggested Deadline for Completion

Obtaining DUNS Number Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Obtaining a valid EIN Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Updating SAM registration Four weeks before actual submission deadline

Starting application in Grants.gov

One week before actual submission deadline

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For a hardcopy of the full NOFO, please email a request to:

Lisa.Johnson1@hq.dhs.gov

Applications will only be processed through the Grants.gov portal. Hard copies will not be accepted. If the applicant encounters difficulties, please contact the Grants.gov Help Desk at 1-800-518-4726 to report the problem and obtain assistance with the system.

4. Steps Required to Submit an Application, Unique Entity Identifier, and System for Award

Management (SAM)

To apply for an award under this program, all applicants must:

a. Apply for, update, or verify their Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) and Employer ID Number (EIN)

b. In the application, provide a valid Data Universal Numbering System DUNS number, which is currently the unique entity identifier;

c. Have an account with login.gov;

d. Register for, update, or verify their SAM account and ensure the account is active before submitting the application;

e. Create a Grants.gov account at https://www.grants.gov/;

f. Add a profile to a Grants.gov account;

(i) Establish an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) in Grants.gov;

(ii) Submit (if applicable, add: an initial) application in Grants.gov;

g. (If applicable) Submit the final application in the Grants.gov system; and

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

Applicants are advised that DHS may not make a federal award until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements. Therefore, an applicant’s SAM registration must be active not only at the time of application, but also during the application review period and when DHS is ready to make a federal award. Further, as noted above, an applicant’s or recipient’s SAM registration must remain active for the duration of an active federal award. If an applicant’s SAM registration is expired at the time of application, expires during application review, or expires any other time before award, DHS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

The Standard Language for Using Grants.gov to Apply is provided to aid in fulfilling these requirements (if applicable), based off of https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-standard-language.html:

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5. Electronic Delivery

DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS requires applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov. For this funding opportunity, the DHS

Grants and Financial Assistance Division (GFAD) requires applicants to submit applications through Grants.gov.

6. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

a. Instructions: Registering in Grants.gov is a multi-step process. Read the instructions below about registering to apply for DHS funds. Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information.

The registration process can take up to four weeks to complete. Therefore, registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact your ability to meet required application submission deadlines.

Organizations must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, active System for Award Management (SAM) registration, and Grants.gov account to apply for grants. If individual applicants are eligible to apply for this grant funding opportunity, then you may begin with step 3, Create a Grants.gov account, listed below.

Creating a Grants.gov account can be completed online in minutes, but DUNS and SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, an organization's registration should be done in sufficient time to ensure it does not impact the entity's ability to meet required application submission deadlines. Complete organization instructions can be found on Grants.gov here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

1) Obtain a DUNS Number: All entities applying for funding, including renewal funding, must have a DUNS number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B). Applicants must enter the DUNS number in the data entry field labeled "Organizational DUNS" on the SF-424 form.

For more detailed instructions for obtaining a DUNS number, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-1-obtain-duns-number.html

2) Register with SAM: All organizations applying online through Grants.gov must register with the System for Award Management (SAM). Failure to register with

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SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually.

For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-2-register-with-sam.html

3) Create a Grants.gov Account: The next step is to register an account with Grants.gov. Follow the on-screen instructions or refer to the detailed instructions here: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

4) Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations and have a profile for each, you may log in to one Grants.gov account to access all of your grant applications. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the DUNS Number for the organization in the DUNS field while adding a profile.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/add-profile.html

5) POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, the organization applicant's request for Grants.gov roles and access is sent to the EBiz POC. The EBiz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles, which may include the AOR role, thereby giving you permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. You will be able to submit your application online any time after you have been assigned the AOR role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

6) Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

7) Electronic Signature: When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role; this step is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

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7. How to Submit an Application to DHS via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each NOFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities using Workspace, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

a. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete the application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

b. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

c. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

d. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

e. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS number. To trigger this feature, an applicant must complete the SF-424 information first. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

f. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab.

Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

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g. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1- 800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, contact the number listed in the application package of the grant you are applying for.

If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist DHS with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

8. Timely Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Online Submission. All applications must be received by 11:59 Eastern time on the due date established for each program. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. This applicant with the AOR role will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When DHS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and may not be considered for funding by DHS.

Applicants using slow internet, such as dial-up connections, should be aware that transmission can take some time before Grants.gov receives your application. Again, Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the AOR role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process. Please be patient and give the system time to process the application.

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9. Content and Form of Application Submission

a. Mandatory Files:

i. SF 424 – Application for Federal Assistance Applicants must complete an SF 424 application form. This form may be completed while on the Grants.gov Web site or it can be completed offline in its entirety.

NOTE: Applications submitted through Grants.gov must use the SF 424 provided by Grants.gov. The SF 424 application form can only be viewed and downloaded once Adobe Reader has been installed. The SF 424 application form on Grants.gov is formatted so applicants are only required to complete fields which are indicated with an asterisk (*) and color coded. Once the application is complete, close the document (you will then be prompted to save changes or not).

ii. SF 424A Application Budget Applicants must complete the budget in its entirety. Applicants must provide budgets by object class (salaries, fringe, travel, indirect, etc.). Funds may be requested as long as the item and amount are necessary to perform the proposed work and are not precluded by the cost principles or program funding restrictions.

b. Project Narrative

Applicants must complete a project narrative as part of their application. This narrative should address the following areas at a minimum:

i. Principal Partners: Application must identify the lead agency (applicant) and all participating principal jurisdictions (“principal partners”) taking into account eligibility information above and include type of organization (city, county, etc.), organization name, total number of sworn officers/first responders, street address, city, county, state, and zip code. Provide a primary contact person for each principal partner, including name, telephone, and email. Primary points of contact should be of sufficient rank and possess the necessary authority to be able to make decisions for their organizations.

ii. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) and Letters of Commitment: The applicant must provide letters of commitment signed by an authorized representative of each principal partner indicating their intention to participate in the regional STC implementation. The letters of commitment should be addressed to the lead agency (applicant). Letters of Commitment are sufficient for the application but, upon award, the awardee must provide signed MOUs between the lead applicant and each principal partner. Additional principal partners may be added over the course of the period of performance, so the initial application is not required to have letters of commitments from all potential partners.

MOUs will include (but are not limited to) verbiage indicating:

o Willingness to work in a coordinated fashion with CWMD and regional partners;

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o Willingness to exchange law enforcement sensitive nuclear detection information and programmatic data among principal partners and CWMD; and o Willingness to share lessons learned from operational and training deployments.

Applicants are advised that signed MOUs trigger the release of funds and should speak only to administrative requirements. MOUs should not be overly complex or prescriptive. The lead agency (applicant) does not need a MOU with DHS but does need MOUs with all principal partners. DHS requires all signed MOUs to be delivered to the Grants Officer and the STC Program Manager within six months of award. See Appendix 1, Section M, MOU Template.

iii. Existing Capability: Capability, in this sense, is comprised of appropriately trained and equipped personnel, proficient in the use of radiation detection equipment, and guided by detection and response protocols. Describe the existing nuclear detection capabilities of each principal partner:

o Equipment: Make, model, and quantity o Training: Number of personnel trained for each equipment type o Exercises: R/N Detection drills and exercises held over last three years o R/N Detection Operations Plan: Summarize existing protocols and coordination mechanisms o Sustainment: Describe funding source for existing equipment repair, training, and exercises o Information Exchange: Describe any current protocols, systems, and agreements for sharing situational information, alarm reports, and instrument data, especially as it relates to R/N detection o Mutual Aid: Describe existing law enforcement or first responder mechanisms for mutual aid or coordinated operations between principal partners

iv. Need for Assistance: Bearing in mind the goals and objectives of DHS/CWMD, explain proposed new capabilities for the region and why financial and non-monetary assistance to support these capabilities is needed. Applicant must commit to sharing nuclear detection information among principal partners and with CWMD.

Describe how assistance acquired through this funding opportunity will enable principal partners to proceed together with development of the regional detection approach/architecture.

v. Coordination with other Federal Programs: If applicable, describe how activities under the STC Program will complement, but not duplicate, activities under other U.S. government-funded programs.

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vi. Management Experience: Describe the applicant’s experience in managing a regional effort that includes State, county, and local government entities, and other interstate or intrastate entities.

vii. Project Description: Supply a detailed scope of work for assistance requested through this funding opportunity. This scope of work should harmonize with the Budget Narrative and Justification (see item below). At a minimum, the scope must include:

o Regional goals and objectives linked to STC Program goals and objectives listed in Section A: Notice of Funding Opportunity Description.

o The specific activities to meet each regional goal and objective.

o Metrics for success in meeting each regional objective. Provide a list of key performance indicators (KPIs) that you intend to use to measure progress against objectives listed in Section A.

o Plan of Actions and Milestones (POAM) or Gantt chart with detailed descriptions showing work tasks and project milestones associated with each major STC task. Include estimated dates for the beginning of regional training and exercises, operations plan development, commencement of information exchange between principal partners and CWMD, and, assuming the lead agency were to procure equipment with its funds, equipment selection, estimated procurement timelines, and deployment. This document must provide sufficient detail to allow DHS to evaluate the project schedule. A brief list of bullet points containing vague timeframes, with little or no explanation or illustration of task dependencies is unacceptable. This POAM or Gantt chart with detailed description will form the basis of the Regional Implementation Plan.

o How the architecture will be designed for steady state operations and be capable of surging to enhanced steady state and search operations.

The documents listed below are the artifacts to codify the local implementation of STC. They are not due with the application; however, they should be listed in the project milestones, and working drafts of these documents are due to the STC Federal Program Manager by the time period indicated after the validation date. The validation date will be set after award and will correspond with the region’s emplacement of a local initial STC Program Manager. DHS expects work to commence on each of these documents early in the implementation process.

Documents such as the Information Exchange Plan and the Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan are significant efforts and will require at least twelve to eighteen months to complete. Each document will indicate concurrence by all STC principal partners.

The STC Program Office will provide templates and significant assistance in the production of these documents as required:

o Regional Strategic Plan – six (6) months from validation date.

o Regional Organizational Chart – six (6) months from validation date.

o Committee Charters (if applicable) – six (6) months from validation date.

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o Regional Operations Plan – twelve (12) months from validation date.

o Regional Multi-Year Training and Exercise Plan – twelve (12) months from validation date.

o Information Exchange Plan – eighteen (18) months from validation date.

o Life-Cycle Sustainment Plan – twenty-four (24) months from validation date.

Once finalized, each of the above documents should be placed in a periodic review cycle o update as the program matures.

c. Budget Narrative and Justification

In the initial application, the applicant must provide detailed budget numbers for year one, with rough order of magnitude numbers for years two through ten listing approximate breakdown of funding within the respective task areas of planning and organization, equipment, training, and exercises.

DHS recommends the recipient establish a STC Program office to manage the day-to-day administration of the program. This office should initially consist of a qualified full-time program manager and other part-time personnel required to locally manage the program (i.e.

part-time financial specialist familiar with grant administration, a part-time program analyst familiar with nuclear detection operations, and administrative specialists to perform clerical duties). The applicant will be provided initial funding to hire a full-time region-wide program manager to coordinate STC activities in the recipient cities for a minimum of two

(2) years. Additional staff to those listed above will require specific justification and may be disallowed by the STC Program Office.

CWMD anticipates that it will also hire a full-time CWMD federal employee in the city who will assume the full-time coordination responsibilities with the regional program manager by the end of the two (2) years. CWMD anticipates that the regional program management functions will be coordinated between the CWMD regional federal employee and that the regional program manager position should be able to be shifted to a part time position after the two-year point. The recipient will continue to have program management responsibilities associated with their role as applicant. In the third year, the recipient may apply to CWMD for funding for some program management staff support. The recipient must provide justification for each specific personnel position identified.

Each year, three (3) months before the end of the current period of performance, before incremental funding is added, DHS requires a detailed budget submission showing how the additional funding will be used and how the scope and the activities of the project will be supported by these additions.

Describe the key personnel and their activities, as well as how funds will be allocated to project activities. The budget narrative must include a full budget justification (see Appendix 1, Section L, Sample Budget Format - of this announcement for cost categories to be addressed in the budget justification).

DHS strongly encourages applicants to use a budget justification format that documents the proposed budget by major task/activity and apply the object class categories listed in

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Section D., Number 13 of this announcement. For a sample budget format that might be helpful to applicants see Appendix 1, Section L, Sample Budget Format.

Budget Narrative (Justification) File(s)

a. Attach your budget narrative and justification files (including separate budgets for each proposed sub-award or subcontract) to the form named “Budget-V1.1” in the application package. If you need to add more documents than this form will allow (i.e. sub-award budgets), please use the optional “Attachments” form to attach the additional files (see below).

b. Budget detail is required for:

Personnel: Costs of employee salaries and wages.

(i) Justification: Identify the project director or principal investigator, if known.

For each staff person, provide the title, time commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project (as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants.

(ii) Fringe Benefits: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as part of an approved indirect cost rate.

1) Justification: Provide the method used to calculate the proposed rate amount. If a fringe benefit has been negotiated with, or approved by, a Federal government cognizant agency, provide a copy of the agreement.

If no rate agreement exists, provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc. Identify the base for allocating these fringe benefit expenses.

(iii) Travel: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the applicant organization (does not include costs of sub-contractor or consultant travel).

1) Justification: For each proposed trip, provide the purpose, number of travelers, travel origin and destination, number of days and a breakdown of costs for airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals. The basis for the airfare, lodging, meals, car rental, and incidentals must be provided, such as past trips, current quotations, Federal Travel Regulations, etc.

(iv) Equipment: Generally, CWMD will work with recipients to identify the appropriate equipment for their operations and procure that equipment for them.

At its discretion, CWMD may instead provide monetary assistance for the procurement of equipment by the recipient if CWMD determines that is in the Government’s best interest to meet the needs of an applicant in a particular instance. Primary screening equipment will become the property of the recipients. Other equipment will remain the property of the Federal Government, loaned to the recipients for their use, as long as they participate in

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DHS NOFO Securing the Cities Program the STC Program, or until they need to be replaced. CWMD will replace equipment as deemed necessary.

(v) Supplies: Costs of all tangible personal property other than that included under the Equipment category.

1) Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their costs.

Show computations and provide other information that supports the amount requested.

(vi) Contractual: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, supplies, etc. Include third party evaluation contracts (if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations.

1) Justification: Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. Identify proposed sub-award/sub-contractor work and the cost of each sub-award/sub-contractor. Provide a detailed budget for each sub-awardee that is expected to perform work estimated to be $25,000 or more, or 50% of the total work effort, whichever is less. The sub-awardee budget(s) should provide the same level of detail as that of the applicant (i.e., by Object Class Category/Cost Classification). In addition, the following information must be provided:

2) Subcontracts - Identify each planned subcontractor and its total proposed budget. Each subcontractor's budget and supporting detail should be included as part of the applicant's budget narrative. In addition, the applicant will provide the following information for each planned subcontract: a brief description of the work to be subcontracted; the number of quotes solicited and received, if applicable; the cost or price analysis performed by the applicant; names and addresses of the subcontractors tentatively selected and the basis for their selection; e.g., unique capabilities (for sole source subcontracts), low bidder, delivery schedule, technical competence; type of contract and estimated cost and fee or profit; and affiliation with the applicant, if any.

Recipient may be required to make pre-award review and procurement documents available to DHS, including request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc. This may include procurements expected to exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 USC 134 (currently set at $250,000) and expected to be awarded without competition or only one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation.

3) Sub-awardees – Identify each planned sub-awardee and its total proposed budget. Each sub- awardee’s budget and supporting detail should be separate from the applicant’s budget narrative. All required flow down provisions in the award must be included in any subcontract or sub- award.

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(vii) Other Direct Costs: Any other items proposed as direct costs. Provide an itemized list with costs and state the basis for each proposed item (e.g., exercises).

(viii) Indirect Costs: Provide a copy of the latest rate agreement negotiated with a cognizant Federal agency. If the applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, upon notification that an award will be made, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. When an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the award. Also, if the applicants are requesting a rate that is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant’s organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

d. Management Process Description

Whether the applicant establishes a program office or not, the applicant must designate an initial region-wide program manager and provide a description of how participants will be organized to ensure unified effort resulting in a coordinated regional plan. Wiring diagrams depicting relationships would be appropriate. In addition to addressing the items listed above in the Project Narrative, the applicant must submit a Management Process Description explaining the working arrangements among all the principal partners, including the applicant, and with the CWMD federal program manager.

DHS requires a lead agency (applicant) that distributes funding and equipment/services to principal partners; however, other models proposed in the Management Process Description portion of the application will be considered provided that other models ensure proper handling of Federal funds/assets/property and record keeping.

The Management Process Description should include the following items but is not limited to:

o How each principal partner will receive assistance (which can include equipment, training, and technical assistance).

o The arrangements for the implementation and administration of sub-awards. Describe the proposed business process for sub-awarding and describe payment procedures for sub-awardees. Describe property management processes.

o The roles and responsibilities of principal partners, including, but not limited to:

o What activities they agree to undertake.

o What resources (if any) each party intends to bring to the project.

o How differences in the implementation of a regional approach will be resolved among principal partners.

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10. Certifications/Assurances.

a. Applicants must submit:

1) SF 424B – Assurances – Non-construction Programs.

2) Certification Regarding Lobbying. If paragraph two of the certification applies, then complete and submit the SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying, which is provided as an optional form in the application package.

b. By signing and submitting an application under this announcement, the applicant is providing: Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters – Primary Covered Transactions (see Attachment A); and Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace Requirements (see Attachment B).

c. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE ACT. Requires the recipient to publish a statement about its drug-free workplace program and give a copy of the statement to each employee (including consultants and temporary personnel) who will be involved in award- supported activities at any site where these activities will be carried out. Also, place(s) where work is being performed under the award (i.e., street address, city, state and zip code) must be maintained on file. The recipient must notify the Grants Officer of any employee convicted of a violation of a criminal drug statute that occurs in the workplace. (41 U.S.C. 701 et seq.)

d. DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION. Executive Orders (E.O.) 12549 and 12689 provide protection from fraud, waste, and abuse by debarring or suspending those persons that deal in an irresponsible manner with the Federal government. The recipient must certify that they are not debarred or suspended from receiving Federal assistance.

e. FEDERAL DEBT STATUS. The recipient may not be delinquent in the repayment of any Federal debt. Examples of relevant debt include delinquent payroll or other taxes, audit disallowances, and benefit overpayments. (OMB Circular A-129)

11. Optional Forms:

Attachments Form – use this form to attach other documents if you need another place to electronically attach portions of your application.

12. Other Submission Requirements

a. All applicants for this award must:

1. Be registered in SAM before submitting its 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 or plan under consideration by a federal awarding agency.

DHS may not make a federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time DHS is ready to make a federal award.

DHS may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

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b. DHS is participating in the Grants.gov initiative to provide the grant community with a single site to find and apply for grant funding opportunities. DHS encourages applicants to submit their applications online through Grants.gov.

c. Intergovernmental Review An intergovernmental review may be required. Applicants must contact their state’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) to comply with the state’s process under Executive Order 12372.

(See https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html;

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/SPOC-February-2019.pdf).

13. Funding Restrictions

DHS grant or cooperative agreement funds may only be used for the purpose set forth in the…