Professional_SDM-TAP_Grant_QA.pdf

SDM-TAP

PROFESSIONALS IMPLEMENTATION GRANT

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (Q&A)

1. What types of entities or individuals are eligible to apply for the RFP?

SDM-TAP will award funding, on a competitive basis, to qualified organizations and collaborative partnerships that represent and/or serve professionals within the proposed focus area(s) that support individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) along with mental health issues and aging concerns. Eligible Applicants include:

• Local government agencies

• Non-government organizations

• Tribal organizations

• Community-based non-profits

• Established coalitions that are classified as 501(c)(3) tax exempt under the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) Code

Under this definition, community is defined as a city, a group of cities, a county, a group of counties, and/or Tribal land(s). Applicants may submit proposals as a single organization or on behalf of a consortium of organizations.

2. How detailed does the organizational chart need to be?

There are no specific rules regarding the level of detail of the organizational chart other than highlighting the individuals participating in the proposed project, including sub-contractors, where applicable.

3. Do you offer a grant review so someone can look at it beforehand to make sure we are on track and do not have any mistakes?

No. SDM-TAP does not provide any feedback for individual proposals.

4. Can members of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities write letters of support?

Councilmembers, including state department appointees and employees of the Council or Regional Offices, are ineligible to write letters of support.

5. Is it acceptable to use SDM-TAP Grant funds to leverage other funds?

Yes. So long as the outputs/outcomes of the proposal do not depend on the leveraging of SDM-TAP funds and are allowable costs.

6. “Deliverables and materials produced under the SDM-TAP Grant would become property of SCDD.” Does this mean that the originating entity which creates the materials would be precluded from using the materials without permission from the SCDD? Or would the entities not be able to use the materials at all?

Under the RFP, any and all products or any other object or deliverable produced under the grant is the property of the SCDD. However, it is up to the applicant to decide the scope of their proposal and how to describe the product, object, or deliverable that will be provided to the SCDD in exchange for SDM-TAP Grant funds. Therefore, the answer to the question depends on how the applicant writes up their proposal.

Whether materials that are the property of SCDD may be utilized by the applicant or another person after the conclusion of the SDM-TAP Grant also depends on the particular facts regarding the materials and the intended uses. In general, the SCDD welcomes collaboration and promotes information sharing among professionals, persons with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, their families and organizations supporting these persons.

7. I noticed in the guidelines for the cover letter that it said the proposer must be financially capable of supporting the project. Does that mean all grant funds would come after the program is already up and running?

Yes, SCDD does not make advance payments. You will receive payment within 60 days of SCDD receiving the bi-monthly (every other month) invoice.

8. Is the budget supposed to be based on the entirety of the grant or can it be set at a lower number?

Yes, the proposal can be set at a lower amount. SDM-TAP will consider all proposal submissions and choose one (1) or more that (in combination) will not exceed the full budgeted amount.

9. Does SDM-TAP require matched funds for allowable SDM-TAP Grant costs?

No, matched funds are not required as SDM-TAP is not supported through federal funding. However, applicants that disclose matched funds and/or the fair market value of in-kind contributions will be considered regarding the applicant’s financial capability of supporting the project.

10. Can the funds be used to support an existing program? If the program started in March and the funds are used for expansion, is using funds for expansion of the existing program allowable?

Yes, a proposal may use SDM-TAP funds to expand an existing program that meets the requirements of the chosen implementation area. Since each proposal is scored in accordance with the scoring evaluation, a proposal that expands on an existing program would need to address how it is new and innovative in its approach.

11. Do support letters need to have original signatures?

No.

12. How should additional questions be submitted to SDM-TAP?

Additional questions can be submitted via the GrantVantage platform or through email to SDMTAP@scdd.ca.gov and will be reviewed in the order received.

Responses will be delivered via email and this FAQ document will be updated on a weekly basis with the applicable questions.

mailto:SDMTAP@scdd.ca.gov

13. How many previous grants/awards are required to be attached in the application? Should they be similar to this grant?

There is no minimum or maximum number of grants/awards required. Choosing grants/awards that can demonstrate the organization’s experience with large grants; working with government agencies; or producing deliverables in a timely manner should be prioritized. The grants/awards uploaded are not required to be similar but should speak to your organization’s credentials.

14. Is this a reimbursement grant?

Yes, this is a reimbursement grant. You need to be able to support the work of the program until you are reimbursed. Reimbursements can take up to 2 months after you submit your invoice. You will submit your invoices and supporting documents in order for payment to be processed.

15. Letters of support: is 3 the minimum required or the max allowable?

Both. You must upload 3 – any less and your application will be incomplete. The system will not allow you to upload more than 3 letters of support in category 2, questions 2 – 4. If you have collaborative partners, you can also submit letters of support from those partners in category 2, question 9.

16. Does it matter how small your organization is?

No, the size of the organization isn’t a criterion for scoring, but it must be able to sustain the project until reimbursement is processed.

17. Please provide examples of external collaboration partners.

Remember that collaborative partners are not required but could be used.

Examples include:

• A school district that wants to partner with a family resource center on the professional implementation grant.

• A professional implementation grant may have a community-based organization that partners with the medical association or the bar association depending on the focus area.

18. Are the letters of support from institutions we have worked with?

Yes, you will want to have letters of support from organizations that can speak to your organization’s ability to accomplish projects similar to the one being proposed.

19. Do you have to be non-profit agency?

No, the eligibility is broader than just non-profits. Please review applicant eligibility in the Grant Guidelines.

20. Under the budget, could food and location be an option?

Please review the Grant Guidelines for eligible expenses.

21. Would a CSU be considered a "local government agency?"

No, it is a state entity but is eligible to apply for the grant.

22.Our organization is inquiring as to what constitutes “subject matter expertise”?

There are no set criteria for Subject Matter Experts (SME) outlined by the RFP Grant Guidelines. It would be your responsibility to explain how your staff and organization feel they meet the requirement of having specialized knowledge in the required subject matters, including through trainings, education, personal and professional experiences, certifications/licenses, etc.

23. I am interested in knowing more about the different grants, please send me the information in Spanish. I would also like to receive more details of the following (the “Available Grant Implementation Areas” below), also please in Spanish.

Unfortunately, translation of all the proposal documents is not a service we are able to provide. Grants are largely awarded in English in all state departments.

Grant proposals need to be in English, and interactions with SCDD staff, contractors, and other grantees would also need to be in English.

24. Does the training for professionals have to be statewide or have statewide impact?

The RFP does not have set criteria outlined for that. Per the scoring criteria, you would tell us which counties in California you anticipate serving and the rationale for choosing those areas.

25. What does SDM stand for?

SDM stands for Supported Decision Making.

26. Would proposals from agencies in different geographical areas within the state be considered?

Yes, statewide implementation is the goal, so we are hoping for proposals from various areas throughout California.

27. Do you provide any guidance or coaching for businesses that want to apply for grants?

The guidance that we can provide is to answer questions clarifying the Grant Guidelines or regarding the actual application process. We do not provide feedback on your specific application or program design.

28. For organizations who are interested in applying for the 2024 Supported Decision Making Technical Assistance Program (SDM TAP) Grant, do you have a written SDM-TAP program or project that is successful that we can review as an example or inspiration?

We do not have any examples as this is a brand-new program.