PKG00265022-instructions.pdf

OMB No. 1122-0020 Approval Expires 1/31/2022

U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women

OVW Fiscal Year 2021 Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual

Assault, and Stalking Program Solicitation

Assistance Listing Number # 16.589

Grants.gov Opportunity Number: O-OVW-2021-56002

Solicitation Release Date: January 15, 2021 3:30 PM

Version: 1

Grants.gov Deadline: March 12, 2021 11:59 PM

Application JustGrants Deadline: March 16, 2021 11:59 PM

Eligible Applicants:

City or township governments, County governments, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than

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Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, State governments, Other

Other Eligible applicants are limited to: States and territories, Indian tribes, local governments, and nonprofit (public or private) entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations, in the United States or U.S. territories. For more information, see the Eligibility Information section of this solicitation.

Letter of Intent Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a non-binding Letter of Intent to ovw.rural@usd oj.gov by February 9, 2021. Interested applicants who do not submit a Letter of Intent are still eligible to apply. For more information, see the Application and Submission Information section of this solicitation.

Pre-Application Information Sessions OVW will post a pre-recorded Pre-Application Information Session on the OVW website. This session is tentatively scheduled to be available by February 2, 2021. For more information, see the Application and Submission Information section of this solicitation.

Contact Information For assistance with the requirements of this solicitation, email OVW at ovw.rural@usdoj.gov.

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

Submission Information Registration: To submit an application, all applicants must obtain a Data Universal Number System (DUNS) number and register online with the System for Award Management (SAM) and with Grants.gov. To ensure sufficient time to complete the registration process, applicants must obtain a DUNS number and register online with SAM and with Grants.gov immediately, but no later than February 9, 2021.

Submission: Applications for this program will be submitted through a NEW two-step process: (1) submission of the SF-424 and SF-LLL in Grants.gov and (2) submission of the full application including attachments in the Justice Grants System (JustGrants). Submit the SF-424 and SF-LLL as early as possible, but not later than 24-48 hours before the Grants.gov deadline. For technical assistance with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. For technical assistance with JustGrants, contact

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https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants mailto:ovw.rural@usdoj.gov

OVW JustGrants Support at 1-866-655-4482 or OVW.JustGrantsSupport@usdoj.gov.

For more information about registration and submission, see the Application and Submission Information section of this solicitation.

Notification OVW anticipates notifying applicants of funding decisions by October 1, 2021.

Contents

Contact Information Program Description

Overview of OVW Statutory Authority About this OVW Program 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

Federal Award Information Awards, Amounts and Durations Availability of Funds Types of Awards Award Period and Amounts Types of Applications Mandatory Program Requirements

Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants Ineligible Entities and Disqualifying Factors Cost Sharing or Matching Other Program Eligibility Requirements

Application and Submission Information Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) . 19 Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) Proposal Abstract Proposal Narrative Budget and Associated Documentation

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) Pre-Agreement Cost Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable) Financial Management Questionnaire (including applicant disclosure of high-risk status) Disclosure of Process Related to Executive Compensation Data Requested with Application Eligible Service Area (Rural Eligibility) Documentation Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Other Supportive Documents Additional Application Components Letters of Nonsupplanting Confidentiality Notice Form Disclosures and Assurances Disclosure of Lobbying Activities DOJ Certified Standard Assurances Applicant Disclosure of Duplication in Cost Items DOJ Certifications Regarding Lobbying; Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; and Drug-Free Workplace Requirements . 31 How to Apply Submission Dates and Time

Application Review Information Review Criteria Review and Selection Process Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

Federal Award Administration Information Federal Award Notices Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements General Information about Post-Federal Award Reporting Requirements . 39

Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) Other Information

Public Reporting Burden- Paper Work Reduction Act Notice Application Checklist

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 34 U.S.C. § 12341

About this OVW Program This program is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 12341. The Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Program (Rural Program) (CFDA# 16.589) supports efforts to enhance the safety of rural victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking and supports projects uniquely designed to address and prevent these crimes in rural areas. For additional information about this program and related performance measures, including how awards contribute to the achievement of program goals and objectives, see:

OVW grant program information: OVW Grants and Programs webpage Program performance measures under the Measuring Effectiveness Initiative: VAWA Measuring Effectiveness Initiative webpage Examples of successful projects in OVW's most recent report to Congress on the effectiveness of VAWA grant programs: 2018 Biennial Report

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 this solicitation, the DOJ Financial Guide, including updates to the financial guide after an award is made, the Solicitation Companion Guide, and the conditions of the award.

Purpose Areas Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12341, funds under this program must be used for one or more of the following purposes:

To identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of1.

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https://www.justice.gov/ovw/grant-programs https://www.vawamei.org/grant-programs/ https://www.vawamei.org/grant-programs/ https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1292636/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1298396/download domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim service providers; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts;

other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers;

educational institutions; and health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners;

To establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, tribal, territorial, and local2.

government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; and To increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by--3.

(A) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and

(B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

For many applicants, the Rural Program is one of the few sources of funding to support the provision of core services for victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. For this reason, OVW will only fund applications that propose projects that implement a collaborative response, support victim services, and/or create a direct response to these crimes in rural communities. Proposed projects must devote at least 70% of their project activities and budget to Rural Program purpose areas 1, 2 and/or 3(A). Applicants may apply to address purpose area 3(B), but no more than 30% of the project budget and activities should be dedicated to prevention and awareness activities. OVW may approve project budgets that allocate more than 30% to prevention and awareness activities where strong justification is provided by the applicant.

In addition to the purpose areas, Rural Program grantees are required to implement at least one of the strategies set forth in 34 U.S.C. § 12341(b)(1)-(5):

Implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law 1.

enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides;

Providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and2.

short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters;

Working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention3.

strategies directed toward such issues;

Developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including4.

sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs; and Developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of5.

domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to shelters and victim services, and limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs.

Victim Service 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

Statutory Priorities Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12341(d)(2)(A), VAWA requires that OVW award 25% of appropriated Rural Program funds to meaningfully address sexual assault in rural communities. Applicants are not required to address sexual assault within their individual applications; however, interested applicants will be asked to identify the percentage of their project that addresses sexual assault. OVW will give priority to projects that address this priority area.

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12341(d)(4), OVW will give priority to projects that meet the needs of underserved populations.

OVW Priority Areas In FY 2021, OVW is interested in supporting the priority area(s) identified below.

Applications proposing activities in the following areas will be given special consideration.

Reduce violent crime against women and promote victim safety through investing in law1.

enforcement and increasing prosecution.

Applications addressing this priority area, through activities proposed under the Rural Program statutory purpose areas in 34 U.S.C. § 12341(a)(1), (2) & (3)(A), must describe how the proposed activities would reduce violent crime and promote victim safety through investing in law enforcement, increasing prosecution, and promoting effective intervention. Examples of ways that applicants might address this priority include establishing multidisciplinary high-risk teams or implementing dedicated domestic violence or sexual assault police or prosecution units; implementing sexual assault examiner programs, Sexual

Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs. Applicants addressing this priority area are required to have at least one formal partnership with local, state, tribal, or territorial nonprofit, nongovernmental (or governmental) victim service providers, and formal partnerships with agencies and organizations necessary to implement an applicant's proposed project. Special consideration will be given to applications that address this priority by proposing activities under statutory strategies (1) (cooperative efforts among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute the four crimes) and (4) (programs addressing sexual assault).

2. Empower victims to become survivors by focusing on long-term safety and sustainable economic independence.

Applicants can address this priority area through Rural Program statutory strategies

(2) and (5), by developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas. Applicants can provide job training, education, treatment, counseling, advocacy, and other long-term and short-term victim services.

3. Increase resources for courts and Tribes to register protection orders in NCIC and give access to Tribes to crime information systems.

Applicants can address this priority area by implementing systems to register protection orders, purchase the technology needed (software, computer, etc.), hire support staff, provide training, implement policies for the protection order registries, and incorporate confidentiality and privacy protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

4. Increase efforts to combat stalking.

Applicants are encouraged to propose activities that will address stalking through statutory strategies (1), (2), and (5). Examples of ways that applicants may address this priority include relocation services for victims of stalking; training for law enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and advocates on enhancing the investigative, prosecution, judicial, and advocacy response to stalking crimes; and outreach and training to local schools and youth programs on healthy relationships and stalking.

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. 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 will not be supported by this program’s funding. See also the list of unallowable costs in the Funding Restrictions section of this solicitation.

Research projects. Funds under this program may not be used to conduct research,1.

defined in 28 C.F.R. § 46.102 as a systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge. Surveys and focus groups, depending on their design and purpose, may constitute research and therefore be out-of-scope. Prohibited research does not include assessments conducted for internal improvement purposes only (see Limited Use of Funds below). For information on distinguishing between research and assessments, see the Solicitation Companion Guide.

Child abuse or family violence issues such as violence perpetrated by a child against a2.

parent or violence perpetrated by a sibling against another sibling.

Services to children for anything other than child sexual assault or services beyond3.

ancillary services provided to a victim’s child when there is an inextricable link between a parent’s victimization and the child’s need for services and in connection to providing victim services for the parent. For example, funds may be used to provide services to children of battered clients residing in a shelter.

Education and prevention for students not specifically related to sexual assault,4.

domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking, such as “bullying” or “character building” educational programs.

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

Limited Use of Funds Grantees may use up to (up two percent of the award) percent of grant award funds to assess their work for internal improvement purposes only, such as by convening a listening session to identify service gaps in the community or surveying training participants about the quality of training content and delivery. Applicants considering such assessments must refer to the OVW research decision tree in the Solicitation Companion Guide to ensure that the activity does not qualify as human subjects research. The Solicitation Companion Guide also provides additional information on federal requirements related to research, assessments, and surveys.

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

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

Federal Award Information Awards, Amounts and Durations Anticipated Number of Awards

Anticipated Maximum Dollar Amount of Awards $750,000.00

Period of Performance Start Date

10/1/20 12:00 AM

Period of Performance Duration (Months)

Anticipated Total Amount to be Awarded Under Solicitation $32,000,000.00

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 2021 funding, depending on the merits of the applications and the availability of funding.

Types of Awards Awards will be made as grants.

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, 2021.

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This program typically makes awards in the range of $350,000 - $750,000. OVW estimates that it will make up to 55 awards for an estimated $32,000, 000.

Funding levels under this program for FY 2021 are:

Continuation applications are limited to $750,000 for the entire 36 months.1.

New applications are limited to $500,000 for the entire 36 months.2.

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.

Types of Applications In FY 2021, 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 on or before February 17, 2020.

Continuation: Applicants that have an existing or recently closed (after February 17, 2020) award under this program and/or an applicant that received funding under this program in FY 2017 or earlier that does not qualify as a new applicant as defined above. Continuation funding is not guaranteed.

Note: Current grantees with a substantial amount of unobligated funds remaining (50 percent or more of the previous award) as of March 31, 2021 without adequate justification may not be considered for funding or may receive a reduced award amount if selected for funding in FY 2021.

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

OVW-sponsored training and technical assistance (TTA).1.

OVW may conduct a program assessment or evaluation necessitating grantee2.

involvement. Therefore, recipients may be expected to dedicate some OVW-funded time and resources to participating in an assessment or evaluation.

Provision of services within statutorily defined rural areas and communities.3.

Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12341(d)(5), at least 75% of the total amount of funding made available for this program must be allocated to eligible entities located in “rural states.”

The term “rural state” means a state that has a population density of 57 or fewer persons per square mile or a state in which the largest county has fewer than 250,000 people, based on the most recent decennial census. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a) (27).

Note: Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(27), the following states and U.S. territories are designated as “rural” based on the definition of “rural state” and the 2010 Census:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands. Pending availability of the 2020 Census data, these designations may change.

Regardless whether an application is submitted by an entity from a rural state or a non-rural state, all applicants must target services in a rural area or community. The statute (34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(26)) defines the terms “rural area” and “rural community” as:

(A) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget;

(B) any area or community, respectively, that is—

(i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered as part of a metropolitan statistical area; and

(ii) located in a rural census tract; or

(C) any federally recognized Indian tribe.

Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12341(b), the following entities are eligible to apply for this program:

States and territories;1.

Indian tribes;2.

Local governments; and3.

Nonprofit (public or private) entities, including tribal nonprofit organizations.4.

State A “state” is any of the states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, America Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(31). Note, although the District of Columbia is included in the statutory definition of “state,” due to the rural service area program eligibility requirement, the District of Columbia is not eligible for this grant program.

Indian Tribe An “Indian tribe” means a tribe, band, pueblo, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation (as defined in, or established pursuant to, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. § 1601 et seq.)), that is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(16).

Local Government For purposes of this grant program, a local government is a unit of local government defined by statute as any city, county, township, town, borough, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a state. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(40).

Tribal Nonprofit Organization A “tribal nonprofit organization” means a victim services provider that has as its primary purpose to assist Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and staff and leadership of the organization must include persons with a demonstrated history of assisting American Indian or Alaska Native victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 34 U.S.C. § 12291(a)(37).

Faith-Based and Community Organizations 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).

Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities To advance Executive Order 13929 Safe Policing for Safe Communities, the Attorney General determined that all state, local, and university or college law enforcement agencies must be certified by an approved independent credentialing body or have started the certification process to be eligible for FY 2021 DOJ discretionary grant funding. To become certified, the law enforcement agency must meet two mandatory conditions: (1) the agency’s use of force policies adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws; and (2) the agency’s use of force policies prohibit chokeholds except in situations where use of deadly force is allowed by law. The certification requirement also applies to law enforcement agencies receiving DOJ discretionary grant funding through a subaward. For detailed information on this new https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants#Resources certification requirement, see Safe Policing to access the Standards for Certification on Safe Policing for Safe Communities, Implementation Fact Sheet, and List of Designated Independent Credentialing Bodies.

Ineligible Entities and Disqualifying Factors Applications submitted by ineligible entities or that do not meet all program eligibility requirements will not be considered for funding. In addition, an application 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. Failure to comply fully with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements (see Application and Submission section for more information on these requirements) will result in removal from consideration. An applicant with past performance issues, long-standing open audits, or an open criminal investigation also may not be considered for funding.

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 matching or cost-sharing requirement.

Other Program Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the eligible entity requirements outlined above, applicants 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 2021 solicitation.

Certifications must take the form of a letter, on letterhead, signed, and dated by the authorized representative. Failure to provide required certifications may disqualify an application from further consideration. At a minimum, an application missing the required certification letter will be required to submit a certification letter prior to receiving an award. The signed certification letter must be uploaded as a separate attachment in JustGrants. Sample certification letters can be found on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants.

Delivery of Legal Assistance Certification Pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12291(b)(12), to be eligible for an award, any recipient or subrecipient providing legal assistance with funds awarded under this program must certify in writing that:

any person providing legal assistance with funds through this program – (A) has1.

demonstrated expertise in providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in the targeted population; or (B)(i) is

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https://cops.usdoj.gov/SafePolicingEO partnered with an entity or person that has demonstrated expertise described in subparagraph (A); and (ii) has completed, or will complete, training in connection with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking and related legal issues, including training on evidence-based risk factors for domestic and dating violence homicide;

any training program conducted in satisfaction of the requirement of paragraph (1) has2.

been or will be developed with input from and in collaboration with a tribal, state, territorial, or local domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking victim service provider or coalition, as well as appropriate tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement officials;

any person or organization providing legal assistance with funds through this program3.

has informed and will continue to inform state, local, or tribal domestic violence, dating violence, or sexual assault programs and coalitions, as well as appropriate state and local law enforcement officials of their work; and the grantee’s organizational policies do not require mediation or counseling involving4.

offenders and victims physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, or child sexual abuse is an issue.

Documentation that Eligible Service Area is Rural To be eligible to receive Rural Program funding, an applicant must demonstrate that it proposes to serve a rural area or rural community. Every application (other than those submitted by federally recognized Indian tribes, which are statutorily defined as “rural”) must include the proper printed documentation demonstrating that the proposed service area meets this eligibility requirement. Instructions to complete the documentation process (“Rural Eligibility Documentation Process”) can be found on the OVW website at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1119056/download. Rural eligibility documentation must be uploaded as an attachment to the application in JustGrants.

Applications must propose to serve a rural area or rural community, as defined by 341.

U.S.C. § 12291(a)(26) to mean (a) any area or community, respectively, no part of which is within an area designated as a standard metropolitan statistical area by the Office of Management and Budget; (b) any area or community, respectively, that is (i) within an area designated as a metropolitan statistical area or considered part of a metropolitan statistical area; and (ii) located in a rural census tract; or (c) any federally recognized Indian tribe. Note that all areas outside of this definition cannot be served with funding from this Program.

Carefully read the directions outlined in the Rural Eligibility Documentation Process,2.

available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1119056/download, and submit documentation for all areas the application proposes to serve, i.e. every county and/or census tract. If proposing to serve a town, city, or area within a county, the application must clearly identify which census tract(s) in that county the communities to be served are in and include corresponding documentation that demonstrates they are eligible rural census tracts.

The only documentation that will be accepted is described in the Rural Eligibility

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https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1119056/download

3.

Documentation Process, available at https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1119056/download. Other types of documentation (from other sources, showing different information, etc.) will NOT be accepted.

Note: Due to delayed release of the 2020 census data, eligibility documentation requirements for the FY 2020 Rural Program application will be based on 2010 census data information.

Please follow the link above to access the Rural Eligibility Documentation Process instructions

Required Partnerships Applications must include at least one partner and must include a victim service provider as a formal project partner and/or the lead applicant, as demonstrated through a required Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). All required partnerships must be demonstrated through a required Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Must include agencies and organizations necessary to implement the proposed project. These partners may include victim service providers addressing sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and/or stalking; law enforcement agencies; prosecutors; courts; other criminal justice service providers; human and community service providers; educational institutions;

and/or health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners. See 34 U.S.C. § 12341(a)(1).

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

Application and Submission Information Address to Request Application Package The complete application package (this solicitation, including links to required forms) is available on Grants.gov and on the OVW website. Applicants wishing to request a paper copy of these materials should contact ovw.rural@usdoj.gov or 202-568-0107.

Pre-Application Information Session: OVW will post a pre-recorded Pre-Application Information Session on its website. Listening to this session is optional and not a requirement to be eligible to apply. The session is tentatively scheduled to be available by February 2, 2021 on the OVW website https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-applicants. The session will be captioned in English and Spanish. Interested applicants needing additional language assistance should contact this program

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https://www.justice.gov/ovw/page/file/1119056/download https://www.justice.gov/ovw/how-apply at ovw.rural@usdoj.gov or at 202-568-0107.

Content and Form of Application Submission The information below (“ Letter of Intent” through “ Submission Dates and Times”) describes the full content and form of application submission.

Letter of Intent Applicants intending to apply for FY 2021 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.rural@usdoj.gov by February 9, 2021. This letter will not obligate the applicant to submit an application. See the OVW website 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:

Double-spaced (Data Requested with Application, Pre-Award Risk Assessment, and1.

charts may be single-spaced).

8½ x 11 inch pages.2.

One-inch margins.3.

Type no smaller than 12 point, Times New Roman (TNR) or Arial font, except for4.

footnotes, which may be in 10-point font.

Page numbers.5.

No more than 20 pages for the Proposal Narrative.6.

Word documents in the following formats: Microsoft Word (.doc), PDF files (.pdf), or7.

Text Documents (.txt).

Headings and sub-headings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of8.

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 Application Checklist in the Other Information section of 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:

Proposal Narrative.1.

Budget Detail Worksheet and Narrative.2.

Data Requested with Application3.

MOU/Letters of Support. All applicants are required to submit a Memorandum4.

of Understanding (MOU) with their applications. Only state courts, tribal courts, territory courts, and local court applicants may submit Letters of Support in lieu of the MOU.

Eligible Service Area (Rural Eligibility) Documentation (except for Indian tribes).5.

Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance

(SF-424)

Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) Applicants must complete the SF-424 in Grants.gov. The SF-424 is generated when the applicant begins the submission process. For “Type of Applicant,” do not select “Other.”

The amount of federal funding requested in the “Estimated Funding” section of this form must match the amount of federal funding requested in the budget section of the application package. This program does not require a match; therefore, the values for the Applicant line should be zero. The individual who is listed as “ Authorized Representative” must be an individual who has the authority to apply for and accept grant awards on behalf of the organization or jurisdiction.

Intergovernmental Review (SF-424 Question 19): This solicitation ("funding opportunity") is subject to Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.

Applicants must check the Office of Management and Budget’s website for the names and addresses of state Single Points of Contact (SPOC) under Intergovernmental Review. If the applicant’s state appears on the SPOC list, the applicant must contact the state SPOC to find out about, and comply with, the state’s process under E.O. 12372. In completing the SF-424, such an applicant is to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 once the applicant has complied with its state E.O. 12372 process. An applicant whose state does not appear on the SPOC list should answer question 19 by selecting the following response:

“Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the state for review.”

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) All applicants must complete and submit the Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) form in Grants.gov. Applicants that expend any funds for lobbying activities must provide the information requested on the SF-LLL. Applicants that do not expend any funds for lobbying activities should enter “N/A” in the required highlighted fields.

Standard Applicant Information (JustGrants 424 and General Agency Information) Applicants must complete this web-based form in JustGrants, which is pre-populated with the SF-424 data submitted in Grants.gov. Applicants are required to review the Standard Applicant Information and make edits as needed, confirm the Authorized Representative, verify the legal name and address, and enter the ZIP code(s) for the areas affected by the project.

Proposal Abstract https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

Proposal Abstract (5 points) 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. The Proposal Abstract, which is to be entered into a text box in JustGrants, worth 5 points and is used throughout the review process.

Proposal Narrative The Proposal Narrative may not exceed 20 pages, double-spaced, and reviewers will not read beyond this page limit. The Proposal Narrative must include the following 3 sections. The total point value for the proposal narrative section is 55 points. Applicants must upload the Proposal Narrative as an attachment in JustGrants.

Purpose of the Proposal (15 points) This section must describe:

The challenge or need faced by the community and how the goal/vision for the1.

proposal will meet that need.

The communities to be served, including the geographic location, the populations2.

in the service area, including any underserved populations, and any available, relevant victimization rates.

Current services available to victims in the targeted rural service area(s).3.

Any gaps in services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence,4.

sexual assault, and/or stalking within the targeted rural service area(s).

How grant funding will address the identified problem and how the5.

proposed project will help alleviate service gaps.

If the project is to serve more than one county and/or census tract, specifically6.

how services and/or activities will be accessed and/or implemented within each county and/or census tract.

Where the applicant organization is located in relationship to the service area, and7.

specifically describe where all grant funded positions (for both the applicant and any partner organizations) will be located in terms of the project service area.

If the applicant is located in a non-rural area and/or is an agency serving both rural8.

and non-rural areas, how the proposed project and requested funding, including all proposed activities and costs, directly benefit only the rural area(s) and/or rural community(ies).

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

This section must describe:

The approach to addressing the challenge or need identified in the Purpose of the1.

Proposal section.

How the applicant will measure its progress in achieving the proposal’s2.

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 https://www.vawamei.org/tools-resource/resources-available/).

How the applicant will move to project sustainability; continuation applicants must3.

provide specific details.

Measurable goals and objectives for the proposed project.4.

In detail the specific tasks and activities necessary to accomplish each goal and5.

objective.

If the applicant is applying to address the priority area to reduce violent crime6.

against women and promote victim safety through investing in law enforcement and increasing prosecution, how activities would accomplish this.

If the applicant is applying to address the priority area to empower victims to7.

become survivors by focusing on long-term safety and sustainable economic independence, how activities would accomplish this.

If the applicant is applying to address the priority area on increasing resources for8.

courts and Tribes to register protection orders in NCIC and access crime information systems, how the activities would accomplish this.

If the applicant is applying to address the priority area on increasing efforts to9.

combat stalking, how the activities would accomplish this.

Include a timeline that identifies when the tasks and activities will be10.

accomplished.

The expected outcomes. At a minimum, the applicant should quantify11.

expected outputs for each activity for each year of the project (e.g., number of victims to be served; number of domestic violence cases to be investigated;

number of trainings to be provided; the number of individuals to be trained).

How the applicant plans to address victim safety, confidentiality, and autonomy in12.

the project.

Any proposed training or educational course content.13.

Whether grant funds will be used to develop any tangible products (brochures,14.

posters, curricula, etc.). (Note: product development is not required).

For applicants proposing to provide direct legal services, provide a supervision15.

and mentoring plan for attorney staff involved in the project.

How the proposed project will be accessible to individuals with disabilities,16.

individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing, and persons with limited English proficiency.

How the project will address the victimization rates identified in the Purpose of the17.

Proposal section.

How the proposed project will reach each population in the service area identified18.

in the Purpose of the Proposal section.

Who Will Implement the Proposal (10 points) https://www.vawamei.org/tools-resource/resources-available/

This section must:

Identify the key individuals and organizations, including project partners, involved in1.

the proposed project.

Demonstrate that the individuals and organizations identified have the capacity2.

to address the stated need and can successfully implement the proposed project activities; attach job descriptions of all key personnel.

Identify all project partners, specify their respective roles and responsibilities,3.

and describe the collaborative relationship to be developed or enhanced.

Describe the experience and expertise of any project partners that will provide4.

direct services to victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.

Clearly demonstrate that any partnerships required by the solicitation have5.

been developed.

Clearly demonstrate that staff, partners, and consultants are reflective of the6.

underserved populations to be served by the project activities and have knowledge or experience relevant to the targeted communities that will be served.

If applicable, identify project partner(s) who is/are necessary to fulfill a statutory or OVW7.

priority.

Budget and Associated Documentation Applicants must complete the web-based form in JustGrants for the budget worksheet and budget narrative. Applicants also must upload the applicable associated documentation as described below under each heading. The budget worksheet and budget narrative are worth a total of 15 points and will be reviewed separately from the proposal narrative. The associated documentation will not be scored, but failure to include it may result in removal from consideration or a delay in access to funding.

Budget Worksheet and Budget Narrative (Web-based Form) Complete the budget worksheet and narrative form for all applicable cost categories. 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. See the sample budget and the Creating a Budget webinar available on the OVW website at OVW website. 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 The FY 2021 Rural Program award period is 36 months and will generally begin on October 1, 2021. Funding levels under the Rural Program for FY 2021 are as follows:

Continuation applications are limited to $750,000.1.

New applications are limited to $500,000.2.

The budget must:

Display a clear link between the specific project activities and the proposed budget1.

items. The budget should not contain items that are not supported by the proposal narrative.

Include funds to attend OVW-sponsored TTA in the amount of $10,000 for applicants2.

located in the 48 contiguous states and $15,000 for applicants located in the territories, Hawaii, and Alaska. This amount is for the entire 36 months 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 Include funds or describe other resources available to the applicant to ensure3.

access for individuals with disabilities, Deaf/hard of hearing individuals, and persons with limited English proficiency. See Accessibility under Federal Award Administration Information f or more information.

Compensate all project partners for their…