Recovery Challenge NOFO_03272019_final (1).docx

FY 2019 – Recovery Challenge Fund Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: F19AS00161 Federal Program: Department of the Interior, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, United States (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), Ecological Services Program Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 15.657 Authorizing Legislation: Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. §1531 et. seq.

Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: We are collecting this information in accordance with the authorizing legislation identified above. Your response is required to obtain or retain a benefit. We will use the information you provide to conduct a competitive review and select projects for funding and, if awarded, to evaluate performance. We may not conduct or sponsor and you are not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. We estimate that it will take you on average about 37 hours to complete an initial application, about 3 hours to revise the terms of an award, and about 8 hours per report to prepare and submit financial and performance reports, including time to maintain records and gather information. Actual time for these activities will vary depending on program-specific requirements. You may send comments on the burden estimate or any other aspect of this information collection to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

OMB Control Number: 1018-0100 (Expiration Date: 7/31/2021) I. Program Description The purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to conserve endangered and threatened species and the ecosystems upon which they depend, and to take appropriate steps to achieve the purposes of treaties and conventions set forth in the ESA. Section 2(a)(5) of the ESA authorizes the use of Federal financial assistance to encourage the States and other interested parties to develop and maintain conservation programs to safeguard the Nation’s heritage in fish, wildlife and plants for the benefit of all citizens. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Ecological Services Program provides Federal financial assistance on a competitive basis to states, other Federal agencies, landowners, educators, non-profit organizations, researchers, and other potential partners to secure information about endangered or threatened species, to aid in the recovery of these species under the ESA, and to help conserve the ecosystems upon which these species depend. The Recovery Challenge Fund provides such an opportunity for eligible longstanding and new partners working on highest priority recovery actions for endangered and threatened species.

Recovery Challenge Fund The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 (H. J. Res. 31, 116th Cong. Div. E, Title I (2019)) authorized specific funding for the Recovery Challenge funding opportunity. The overall goal of this Recovery Challenge funding opportunity is to enhance and increase partnerships with agencies and organizations implementing highest priority recovery actions identified in recovery plans, and in particular for genetically-sound breeding, rearing, and reintroduction programs. This opportunity also addresses the Department of the Interior priorities to:

1) Create a conservation stewardship legacy second only to Teddy Roosevelt by utilizing science to identify best practices to manage land and water resources and adapt to changes in the environment; and,

2) Strike a regulatory balance by ensuring that Endangered Species Act decisions are based on strong science and thorough analysis.

A. Eligible projects for this funding source are limited to eligible partnerships (see below) conducting activities that directly address the highest priority recovery actions for an ESA listed species under the trusteeship of the Service as specified in either:

· An approved draft or final recovery plan, the plan’s implementation schedule, or an approved Recovery Implementation Strategy (RIS) for the species that is considered a highest priority action (specifically identified as Priority 1 as defined by 48 FR 43089, 51985); OR

· A recovery action listed in a recovery outline, if the species has been listed for less than 2.5 years.

Note: Step-by-step instructions on determining highest priority actions for a species are shown below.

B. Eligible partnerships include one of the following:

· A longstanding partnership, where:

· The partner has a history of working with the Service on recovery efforts for the species addressed in the proposal for at least the past 5 years;

· The longstanding partner contributions for the project must be equal to or greater than their current contribution averaged over the past 5 years to meet eligibility criteria for this type of partnership; and

· Documentation is provided in the submission that includes funding and in-kind partner contributions for each of the previous 5 years, along with a brief description and the 5-year average contribution.

· A new partnership, where:

· The partner has not yet worked with the Service on recovery efforts for the species addressed in the proposal; or the partner has worked with the Service on the species addressed in the proposal for less than 5 years; and

· New partner contributions will include at least a 50:50 match.

Eligible proposals will be submitted in two phases: eligible partners may submit a brief preliminary proposal (“pre-proposal”) described below in Section IV Application Requirements, and, if invited by the Service, a full proposal. Unsolicited full proposals may not be considered.

Please confirm that your project is eligible, as described above, before submitting a proposal. We will not consider pre-proposals and full proposals that do not address the highest priority recovery actions as defined, or do not meet the partnership requirements shown. Eligible activities will vary by species, and may include, but are not limited to, genetically-sound breeding, rearing, and reintroduction actions, securing scientific information about endangered or threatened species and their habitat, implementing restoration actions that will lead to delisting or downlisting of a species, help prevent extinction of a species, or aid in the recovery of a species. Please note this program does not provide support for land acquisition or easements, even if such an activity is identified as a highest priority recovery action for the species.

Identifying Highest Priority Recovery Tasks To identify the highest priority recovery actions, please review the approved species recovery documents available on the Ecological Services Program’s website at http://www.fws.gov/endangered. Enter a species name in the “Species Search” query box near the top of the page in the “Find Endangered Species” section, and then hit the search icon (shaped like a magnifying glass). If you enter a general name like the word “trout,” then a list of species names containing the word “trout” will appear. Click on the scientific name of the desired species to see the regulatory profile for that species.

Once you are in the species’ profile, look under Lead Region to find the Service Regional Office with lead for the species. Only threatened and endangered species for which the Service is lead are eligible for this funding opportunity. (Note: If NMFS is lead for the species, then the Lead Region will be “National Marine Fisheries Service, Region 11.” Projects for NMFS-managed species are not included in this funding opportunity.)

Next, scroll down to the Recovery section of the profile. Look under the Current Recovery Plans(s) heading to determine whether the species has an approved draft or final recovery plan or recovery outline (if the species has been listed for less than 2.5 years), and may therefore potentially be eligible to be considered for the funding opportunity. There are separate web links for the recovery plan, the plan’s implementation schedule, and its recovery outline, if available.

For species with approved draft or final recovery plans, click on the recovery plan title to see the recovery plan document and to determine whether the recovery plan lists any Priority 1 recovery actions. As a reminder, only highest priority recovery actions as defined above are eligible for Recovery Challenge funding. Recovery actions are most commonly shown along with their priority ranking (i.e., Priority 1, 2, or 3) in the Implementation Schedule table in the species’ recovery plan. Please make a note of the exact text of the applicable Priority 1 recovery action(s) that apply to your proposal, as you will need to include this in information in your pre-proposal description, and in your proposal description if you are invited to submit a full proposal.

For species listed for less than 2.5 years that has an approved recovery outline, click on the title of the recovery outline to see the document and to determine whether the recovery outline lists any recommended recovery actions. Please make a note of the exact text of the applicable recovery action in the recovery outline, as you will need to include this information in your pre-proposal description and in your proposal description if you are invited to submit a full proposal. Note: If a species has both an approved recovery outline and a more recent approved draft or final recovery plan, the highest priority actions for the species would be Priority 1 recovery actions listed in the approved draft or final recovery plan.

II. Federal Award Information We estimate we will award $6,000,000 under the FY19 Recovery Challenge Fund, as follows:

· At least $2,500,000 to be used to fund longstanding partnership projects. For these projects, partner contributions must be equal to or greater than their current contribution (funding and in-kind) average over the past 5 years.

· Up to $3,500,000 for new partnerships, where there is at least a 50:50 match (i.e., the partner would provide contributions equal to or greater than the amount requested).

The match for both longstanding partnership projects and new partnership projects may include in-kind services; however, neither type of partnership may include any source of federal funds or in-kind services from the Service or any other federal agency or funding source as part of that match. Partial funding will be considered.

As noted above, submittals will follow a two-phase approach: any applicant may submit a pre-proposal per the submission instructions below; after a preliminary screening in the appropriate Region, high ranking pre-proposals within each Region will then be invited to submit a full proposal for a merit review. Applicants are advised to coordinate with the Service prior to submitting a proposal for consideration. Applicants invited to submit a full proposal must coordinate extensively with the Service prior to the second submission. Grants or cooperative agreements may be used for this funding opportunity. If funds are awarded through a cooperative agreement with the Service, the Service will be substantially involved in the project.

III. Eligibility Information Eligible Applicants:

State and local governments/agencies; institutions of higher education, including public, private, state colleges and universities; non-profits; Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally-recognized tribal governments); city, county or township governments; individuals, Native American tribal governments (Federally-recognized); for-profit organizations; and small businesses.

Applicants are expected to have demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the biology of the involved listed species and its ecosystem, including preferably having worked with the species in the past.

Cost Sharing or Matching For projects with longstanding partners, partner contributions must be equal to or greater than their current contribution averaged over the past 5 years. New partnerships require at least a 50:50 match. The match for both longstanding partnership projects and new partnership projects may include in-kind services, but may not include any federal sources as part of the match. A description of all matching funds and in-kind services should be described in the preliminary and invited proposals. If a full proposal is invited, any match resources from other non-federal partners to meet cost-sharing requirements should be clearly indicated on a completed SF424 and any applicable documentation.

Other Eligibility Criteria The following additional criteria apply to all Recovery Challenge funding opportunities and must be satisfied for a proposal to be considered for funding:

1. A proposal cannot include Service Full-Time-Equivalent (FTE) costs.

2. A proposal cannot seek funding for projects that serve to satisfy regulatory requirements of the Endangered Species Act, including complying with a biological opinion under Section 7 of the Act or fulfilling commitments of a Habitat Conservation Plan under section 10 of the Act, or for projects that serve to satisfy other Federal regulatory requirements (e.g., mitigation for Federal permits).

3. An applicant’s administrative costs must either be assumed by the applicant or included in the proposal in accordance with Federal requirements.

4. The applicant must meet either the longstanding or new partnership requirements and their respective contribution amounts or ratios as described above in Section I. Program Description.

5. The proposal must address a highest priority recovery action as described above in Section I. Program Description.

Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration: This requirement does not apply to individuals applying for funds as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name) or any entity with an exception approved by the Service under 2 CFR 25.110(d). All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and then register in SAM.gov prior to submitting a Federal award application. Federal award recipients must continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information through the life of their Federal award(s). See the “Submission Requirements” section of this document below for more information on SAM.gov registration. The Service may not make a Federal award to an applicant that has not completed the SAM.gov registration. If an applicant selected for funding has not completed their SAM.gov registration by the time the Service is ready to make an award, the program may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award. The program can use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

Prohibition on Issuing Awards to Entities that Require Certain Internal Confidentiality Agreements: Domestic (U.S.) non-Federal entities requiring their employees or contractors to sign internal confidentiality agreements or statements that prohibit, or otherwise restrict, such employees or contractors from lawfully reporting waste, fraud, or abuse to a designated investigative or law enforcement representative of a Federal department or agency authorized to receive such information are not eligible to compete for or receive a Federal award. See Pub. L. 113-235, Title VII, Division E, Section 743 for more information.

Excluded Parties: The Service conducts a review of the SAM.gov Exclusions database for all applicant entities and their key project personnel prior to award. The Service cannot award funds to entities or their key project personnel identified in the SAM.gov Exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal contracts, certain subcontracts, and certain Federal assistance and benefits, as their ineligibility condition applies to this Federal program.

IV. Application Requirements

1. Requesting Paper Application Package Contact the Service to request a paper application package if you do not have access to the internet to download the application package forms (see VIII. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)).

Application Form and Content Requirements Any applicant wishing to submit a proposal for consideration under this Recovery Challenge funding opportunity must first submit a pre-proposal per the submission instructions below that includes all of the information listed below. Applicants invited to submit a full proposal by the Service are required to submit additional information; however, the additional information should not be submitted until a formal invitation from the Service to submit a full proposal is received. (Applicants will be also be notified by the Service’s Regional Office if they will not be invited to submit a full proposal within approximately the same time frame.) Unsolicited full proposals may not be considered.

Pre-Proposal: Applicants must submit the following in the pre-proposal (maximum 5 pages):

1. Project Summary. Project Pre-Proposals should include a Project Summary Page containing the following information: Project Name; Applicant; Applicant Address and Contact Information (address, phone, email); Type of Project (Recovery Challenge); and type of partnership (Longstanding or New).

Project Pre-Proposals should also include one clear and succinct paragraph summarizing the proposed project and its location; Requested Funding; and Matching Funding (if any). Matching fund totals should specify funding amounts as well as any in-kind services, their source(s), and a brief statement indicating the status of any commitments towards the match from other partners (e.g., letter of commitment received, etc.). The partnership type and justification must also be documented to demonstrate whether partnership eligibility qualifications are met:

· Longstanding Partnerships Documentation: Describe previous work with the Service on recovery activities for the listed species addressed in the proposal; this work must have occurred for at least the past 5 years AND proposed contributions must at least be equal to the average of past contributions to qualify as a Longstanding Partnership. Note: work on a different species’ recovery activities, or for less than 5 years on recovery activities for the species addressed by the proposal does not count towards meeting the criteria for the Longstanding Partnership. Include the following in your documentation:

· List the annual funding and in-kind partner contributions (and other non-federal partners, as applicable) for each of those years; and

· Calculate the 5-year average from past partner contributions.

· New Partnerships Documentation: Indicate whether the proposed funding and in-kind partner contributions would be at least a 50:50 match (i.e., the partner would contribute as much or more via funding and in-kind contributions than is being requested under this funding opportunity).

2. Project Narrative. The application package should contain a separate document discussing the proposed project in detail. The document should include the following sections:

· Project Description, including: the listed species addressed in the proposal; the specific highest priority recovery action(s) addressed, as stated in the species’ recovery plan or recovery outline, as described previously; how the proposal will address this recovery action(s); any additional activities included in the proposal.

· Timetable/Implementation Schedule for the proposal.

· Budget outline and justification for proposal activities. If the proposal includes activities in addition to the highest priority recovery action(s), the budget must clearly indicate the proportion of funds that will be applied to the highest priority recovery action(s).

· Brief statement summarizing coordination with Service staff prior to submitting the pre-proposal, including contact information and dates of contact with Service staff.

Invited Proposal: Applicants must include all of the following information if invited to submit a full proposal:

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Applicants must submit the appropriate Standard Form (SF)-424, Application for Federal Assistance. Individuals applying as a private citizen (i.e., unrelated to any business or nonprofit organization you may own or operate in your name), must complete the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance-Individual form. All other applicants must complete the standard SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance must be complete, and signed and dated. Please note: Enter only the amount requested from this Federal program in the “Federal” funding box on the SF-424 Application form. Include any other Federal sources of funding in the “Other” box, and provide details on those Federal source(s) and funding amount(s) in the required Budget Narrative (see the “Budget Narrative” section below). Please note information on other federal funding or in-kind services is for informational purposes only, as no federal funding sources (including both monetary and in-kind services) can be included as part of the proposed match.

SF 424, Assurances Applicants must submit the appropriate signed and dated Assurances form. Complete either the SF-424B, Assurances for Non-Construction Programs or the SF-424D, Assurances for Construction Programs, as applicable to your project. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. The SF-424 Assurances forms include a statement that some of the assurances may not be applicable to your organization and/or your project or program. Signing the required SF-424 Assurances form does not make you or your organization subject to laws that are otherwise not applicable to you or your organization. Changing, crossing out, or making notations on the form before signing has no impact on the applicability of law.

Project Narrative

· Project title;

· List of entity(ies) undertaking the project, indicating the primary partner (i.e., the partner receiving the requested funds), as well as any other partners and their respective roles;

· Statement of need, describing why this project is necessary (significance/value) and include supporting information. Summarize previous or ongoing efforts that are relevant to the proposed work. Explain the successes or failures of past efforts and how your proposed project builds on them. If you have received funding previously (from the Service or any other entity) for this specific project work or site, provide a summary of the funding, associated activities and products/outcomes. If the proposal includes a continuation of previous or ongoing work funded through this program, a justification for the continuation of the work must be included in the project description in order to receive full consideration;

· Goals and objectives, stating the long-term, overarching goal(s) of the program/project. State the objectives of the project. Objectives are the specific outcomes to be accomplished in order to reach the stated goal(s). The project objectives must be specific, measurable, and realistic (attainable within the project’s proposed project period). Proposals should include clear and specific information about how the work being proposed would contribute to species recovery;

· Activities, listing the proposed project activities and describe how they relate to the stated objectives. Activities are the specific actions to be undertaken to fulfill the project objectives and reach the project goal(s). The proposed project activities narrative must be detailed enough for reviewers to make a clear connection between the activities and the proposed project costs. The narrative must provide enough detail so that reviewers are able to determine project compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act, Section 7 of the ESA, and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act;

· Methods, providing a detailed description of the method(s) to be used to carry out each activity;

· Timetable or milestones, provide a timetable indicating roughly when activities or project milestones are to be accomplished. Include any resulting tables, spreadsheets or flow charts within the body of the project narrative (do not include as separate attachments). The timetable should not propose specific dates but instead group activities by month over the entire proposed project period. The duration of the proposed project should also be specified (3 years maximum to spend funds);

· Description of stakeholder coordination or involvement, describing, as applicable, how you/your organization has coordinated with and involved other relevant organizations or individuals in planning the project, and detail if/how they will be involved in conducting project activities, disseminating project results and/or incorporating your results/products into their activities. Include a summary of coordination with Service staff on the proposal, including contact information and dates contacted.

· Required project monitoring and evaluation plan, including an adaptive management plan if applicable, and description of assessment tools to be used. Detail the monitoring and evaluation plan for the project. Building on the stated project objectives, which must be specific and measurable, identify what you will measure (i.e., quantitative/quantifiable indicators) and how you will measure (e.g., methods, sample size, survey tools). Reference the stated project timetable (i.e., process indicators) and budget information (i.e., input indicators). Identify the products/services to be delivered and how/to whom they will be delivered (i.e., output indicators). Detail the expected direct effect(s) of the project on beneficiaries (i.e., outcome indicators). Include any available questionnaires, surveys, curricula, exams/tests or other assessment tools to be used for project evaluation. Describe the resources and organizational structure available for gathering, analyzing and reporting monitoring and evaluation data. If applicable, describe how project participants and beneficiaries will participate in monitoring and evaluation activities. Describe how findings will be fed back into decision making and project activities throughout the project period;

· Description of entities undertaking the project, providing a brief description of the applicant organization and all participating entities and/or individuals. Identify which of the proposed activities each agency, organization, group, or individual is responsible for conducting or managing. Provide complete contact information for the individual within the organization that will oversee/manage the project activities on a day-to-day basis;

· Sustainability: As applicable, describe which project activities will continue beyond the proposed project period, who will continue the work or act on the results achieved, and how and at what level you expect these future activities will be funded.

· Literature Cited.

· Map of Project Area: Map should clearly delineate the project area and be large enough to be legible. Label any sites referenced in the project narrative, if applicable.

4. SF-424, Budget Information Applicants must submit the appropriate SF-424 Budget Information form. Complete the SF-424A, Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs. All of the required application forms are available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. Federal award recipients and subrecipients are subject to Federal award cost principles as detailed in the Service’s “Financial Assistance Award Terms and Conditions.” Please note: Show funds requested from this Federal program separately from any other Federal sources of funding. In the “Budget Summary” section, use the first row for funding requested from this Federal program. Use subsequent row(s) for other Federal funding. Enter each Federal program’s CFDA number(s) in the corresponding fields on the form. The CFDA number(s) for this Federal program appears on the first page of this Funding Opportunity.

1. Budget Narrative Describe and justify requested budget items and costs. Detail how the SF-424 Budget Information, Object Class Category totals were determined. For personnel salary costs, include the baseline salary figures and the estimates of time. Describe any item of cost that requires prior approval under the Federal cost principles. See 2 CFR 200.407 “Prior written approval (prior approval)” for more information. If equipment purchased previously with Federal funds is available for the project, provide a list of that equipment and identify the Federal funding source.

Indirect Costs: Individuals Individuals applying for and receiving funds separate from a business or non-profit organization he/she may operate are not eligible to charge indirect costs to their award. If you are an individual applying for funding, do not include any indirect costs in your proposed budget and skip the next section.

Indirect Costs: Organizations The Federal awarding agency that provides the largest amount of direct funding to your organization is your cognizant agency for indirect costs, unless otherwise assigned by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). If the Department of the Interior is your organization’s cognizant agency, the Interior Business Center will negotiate your indirect cost rate. Contact the Interior Business Center by phone 916-930-3803 or using the IBC Email Submission Form. See the IBC Website for more information.

Organizations must have an active Federal award before they can submit an indirect cost rate proposal to their cognizant agency. Failure to establish an approved rate during the award period renders all costs otherwise allocable as indirect costs unallowable under the award. Recipients must have prior written approval from the Service to use amounts budgeted for direct costs to satisfy cost-share or match requirements or to cover unallowable indirect costs. Recipients shall not shift unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

Required Indirect Cost Statement All organizations must include the applicable statement from the following list in their application to the Service, and attach to their application any documentation identified in the applicable statement:

We are:

· A U.S. state or local government entity receiving more than $35 million in direct Federal funding each year with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We submit our indirect cost rate proposals to our cognizant agency. Attached is a copy of our most recently approved rate agreement/certification.

· A U.S. state or local government entity receiving less than $35 million in direct Federal funding with an indirect cost rate of [insert rate]. We have prepared and will retain for audit an indirect cost rate proposal and related documentation.

· A [insert your organization type; U.S. states and local governments, please use one of the statements above or below] that has previously negotiated or currently has an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. [Insert either: “Attached is a copy of our most recently approved but expired rate agreement. In the event an award is made, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award is made.” or “Attached is a copy of our current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement.”]

· A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate]. If we receive an award, we will submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after the award date.

· A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is lower than 10%. Our indirect cost rate is [insert rate; must be lower than 10%]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat indirect cost rate of [insert rate; must be lower than 10%] against [insert a clear description of the direct cost base against which your rate is charged (e.g., salaries; salaries and fringe benefits; or modified total direct costs). However, please note that your organization cannot charge indirect costs in excess of the indirect costs that would be recovered if applied against modified total direct costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68]. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish an approved rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period.

· A [insert your organization type] that has never submitted an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency and has an indirect cost rate that is 10% or higher. Our indirect cost rate is [insert your organization’s indirect rate; must be 10% or higher]. However, if we receive an award we will not be able to meet the requirement to submit an indirect cost rate proposal to our cognizant agency within 90 calendar days after award. We request as a condition of award to charge a flat de minimis indirect cost rate of 10% to be charged against modified total direct project costs as defined in 2 CFR 200.68. We understand that we must notify the Service in writing if we establish a negotiated rate with our cognizant agency at any point during the award period. We understand that additional Federal funds may not be available to support an unexpected increase in indirect costs during the project period and that such changes are subject to review, negotiation, and prior approval by the Service.

· A [insert your organization type] that is submitting this proposal for consideration under the [insert either “Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program” or “Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network”], which has a Department of the Interior-approved indirect cost rate cap of [insert program rate]. If we have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must apply this reduced rate against the same direct cost base as identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. If we do not have an approved indirect cost rate with our cognizant agency, we understand that we must charge indirect costs against the modified total direct cost base defined in 2 CFR 200.68 “Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)”. We understand that we must request prior approval from the Service to use the 2 CFR 200 MTDC base instead of the base identified in our approved indirect cost rate agreement. We understand that Service approval of such a request will be based on: 1) a determination that our approved base is only a subset of the MTDC (such as salaries and wages); and 2) that use of the MTDC base will still result in a reduction of the total indirect costs to be charged to the award. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.405, we understand that indirect costs not recovered due to a voluntary reduction to our federally negotiated rate are not allowable for recovery via any other means.

· A [insert your organization type] that will charge all costs directly.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure Applicants must state in their application if any actual or potential conflict of interest exists at the time of submission. Conflicts of interest include any relationship or matter that might place the recipient, including their employees and subrecipients, in a position of conflict, real or apparent, between their responsibilities under the award and any other outside interests. Conflicts of interest include direct or indirect financial interests; close personal relationships; positions of trust in outside organizations; consideration of future employment arrangements with a different organization; and decision-making authority related to the proposed project. Conflicts of interest are those circumstances real or perceived that would cause a reasonable person with knowledge of the relevant facts to question the impartiality of the applicant, or the applicant’s employees or subrecipients, in matters pertaining to the proposed project. Applicants must notify the Service in writing in their application if any employees, including subrecipient and contractor personnel, are related to, married to, or have a close personal relationship with any Federal employee in the Federal program receiving this application or who otherwise may be involved in the review and selection of their proposal. The term employee means any individual to be engaged in the performance of work pursuant to the Federal award application. Failure to disclose and resolve conflicts of interest in a manner that satisfies the Service may result in the rejection or disqualification of the application.

Single Audit Reporting Statement All U.S. states, local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, and non-profit organizations expending $750,000 USD or more in Federal award funds in the applicant’s fiscal year must submit a Single Audit report for that year through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse’s Internet Data Entry System. U.S. state, local government, federally recognized Indian tribal government, and non-profit applicants must state if your organization was or was not required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year. If your organization was required to submit a Single Audit report for the most recently closed fiscal year, provide the EIN associated with that report and state if it is available through the Federal Audit Clearinghouse website.

Certification Regarding Lobbying Applicants requesting more than $100,000 in Federal funding must certify to the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying. If this application requests more than $100,000 in Federal funds, the Authorized Official’s signature on the appropriate SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form also represents the entity’s certification of the statements in 43 CFR Part 18, Appendix A.

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Applicants and recipients must not use any federally appropriated funds (annually appropriated or continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a Federal award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any U.S. agency, a Member of the U.S. Congress, an officer or employee of the U.S. Congress, or an employee of a Member of the U.S. Congress connection with the award. Applicants and recipients must complete and submit the SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities if the Federal share of the proposal or award is more than $100,000 and the applicant or recipient has made or has agreed to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying in connection with the application or award. The SF-LLL form is available on the “Packages” tab of this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov. See 43 CFR, Subpart 18.100 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement Applicants must provide a statement indicating if there is any overlap between this Federal application and any other Federal application, or funded project, in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel. If no such overlap or duplication exists, state, “There are no overlaps or duplication between this application and any of our other Federal applications or funded projects, including in regards to activities, costs, or time commitment of key personnel”. If any such overlap exists, provide a complete description of overlaps or duplications between this proposal and any other federally funded project or application in regards to activities, costs, and time commitment of key personnel, as applicable. Provide a copy of any overlapping or duplicative proposal submitted to any other potential funding entity and identify when that proposal was submitted, to whom (entity name and program), and when you anticipate being notified of their funding decision. When overlap exists, your statement must end with “We understand that if at any time we receive funding from another source that is duplicative of the funding we are requesting from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in this application, we will immediately notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service point of contact identified in this Funding Opportunity in writing.”

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

A. Pre-Proposal Application Checklist

· Project Summary

· Project Narrative

· Project Description

· Timetable/Implementation Schedule

· Budget Outline and Justification

· Summary of Coordination with Service Staff

B. Invited Proposal Application Checklist

· SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance or Application for Federal Assistance-Individual

· SF-424B or D, Assurances

· Project Narrative

· SF-424A, Budget Information

· Budget Narrative

· Indirect Cost Statement and related documentation (when applicable)

· Conflict of Interest Disclosure (when applicable)

· Single Audit Reporting Statement (when applicable)

· SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (when applicable)

· Overlap or Duplication of Effort Statement

Failure to provide complete information may cause delays, postponement, or rejection of the application.

V. Submission Requirements

1. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM.gov) Registration These requirements do not apply to any individual applying for funds as a private citizen or any entity with an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d). All other applicants are required to obtain a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number from Dun & Bradstreet and provide that number in the application; complete SAM.gov registration before submitting an application; and continue to maintain an active SAM.gov registration with current information at all times when the entity has an active Federal award or application under consideration. There is NO COST to register with Dun & Bradstreet or SAM.gov. There are third-party vendors who will charge a fee in exchange for registering entities with Dun & Bradstreet and SAM.gov; please be aware you can register and request help for free.

1. Obtain a DUNS Number Request a DUNS Number through the Dun & Bradstreet website. The official website address is http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. For technical difficulties, send an email to the D&B SAM Help Desk. Please ensure that you are able to receive emails from SAMHelp@dnb.com. The Grants.gov “Obtain a DUNS Number” webpage also provides detailed instructions. Once assigned a DUNS number, your organization must maintain up-to-date information with Dun & Bradstreet. Applicants must enter their DUNS number in the “Organizational DUNS” field on the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance form.

Register with SAM Register on the SAM.gov website. The official website address is http://www.sam.gov. The “Help” tab on the website contains User Guides and other information to assist you with registration. The Grants.gov Register with SAM” webpage also provides detailed instructions. You can also contact the supporting Federal Service Desk for help registering in SAM. Once registered in SAM, entities must renew and revalidate their SAM registration at least once every 12 months from the date previously registered. Entities are strongly encouraged to revalidate their registration as often as needed to ensure their information is up to date and reflects changes that may have been to the entity’s DUNS or IRS information. Foreign entities who want to receive payment directly to a U.S. bank account must enter and maintain valid, current banking information in SAM.

Submission Dates and Times Submission date for Recovery Challenge Fund pre-proposals is 30 days after the posting of this NOFO on grants.gov. Submission date for a full proposal, if invited, will be specified in the formal invitation from the Service.

Intergovernmental Review Prior to application submission, U.S. state and local government applicants should visit the OMB Office of Federal Financial Management website and view the “State Point of Contact (SPOC) List” to determine whether their application is subject to the state intergovernmental review process under Executive Order (E.O.) 12372 “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” States not on the list do not participate in the intergovernmental review process, and therefore do not have a SPOC. If you are located within a State that does not have a SPOC, you may send application materials directly to a Federal awarding agency. If your state is on the list, contact the designated entity for more information on the state’s prior review requirements for Federal assistance applications.

Funding Restrictions Recovery Challenge funds cannot be used for land or easement acquisition. In addition, pre-award costs consisting of grant-related costs incurred prior to the start date of the grant’s period of performance are allowable only to the extent they would have been allowable if incurred after the date of the funding award and must comply with 2 CFR Part 200.458. Prior written approval from the awarding Service Region is required. Documentation of these pre-award costs and their approval must be retained as part of the award file.

Submission Instructions To submit a pre-proposal, prepare the information indicated above in Section IV B for pre-proposals. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, by email, electronically through Grants.gov, or as otherwise described in the Grants.gov funding opportunity by the submission date shown above. Please select ONE of the submission options shown below. Do not submit a full proposal until you are invited to do so by the Service.

To submit an invited full proposal, download the Application Full Submission Package linked to this Funding Opportunity on Grants.gov to continue the application process. Downloading and saving the Application Package to your computer makes the required government-wide standard forms fillable and printable. Completed applications may be submitted by mail, by email, electronically through Grants.gov, or as otherwise described in the Grants.gov funding opportunity. Please select ONE of the submission options:

To submit an application by e-mail: (preferred submission option) Format all of your documents to print on Letter size (8 ½” x 11”) paper. Format all pages to display and print page numbers. Scanned documents should be scanned in Letter format, as black and white images only. Where possible, save scanned documents in pdf format. E-mail your application to the Service program point of contact identified in the Grants.gov funding opportunity.

For the full proposal submission process, the required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov.” Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

To submit an application by mail:

Number all pages of your printed application. Mail one, single-sided, unbound copy (do not staple or otherwise permanently bind pages) of your complete application to the Service program point of contact identified in Section VIII. Agency Contacts below.

The required SF 424 Application for Federal Assistance and Assurances forms and any other required standard forms MUST be signed by your organization’s authorized official. The Signature and Date fields on the standard forms downloaded from Grants.gov are pre-populated with the text “Completed by Grants.gov upon submission” or “Completed on submission to Grants.gov.” Remove this text (manually or digitally) before signing the forms.

To submit an application through Grants.gov:

Follow these steps to apply through Grants.gov.

1. Register with Grants.gov Applicants must first register an account with Grants.gov and complete all steps of the registration process before they can apply through Grants.gov. Grants.gov registration requires the entity to create an account, create an account profile, and establish authorized profile roles, including the applicant’s authorized representative. Registration can take three to five business days or longer, if you do not complete the required steps in a timely manner.

Grants.gov Workspace Application Grants.gov applicants 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 funding opportunity announcement, you can create individual instances of a workspace. To apply, the applicant will create, complete, and submit a Workspace application package for this Funding Opportunity directly on Grants.gov. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to allow time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission. When attaching files to the Grants.gov application, please do not assign file names longer than 20 characters, including spaces. File names longer than 20 characters will prevent your application received by Grants.gov from automatically downloading into the Service’s financial assistance management system.