RFA CN Workforce FINAL_FY24.docx

School Foodservice Workforce Study- Cooperative Agreement Fiscal Year 2024 Request for Applications (RFA)

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.579

OMB Burden Statement: The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 8 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock Place, 5th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314 ATTN: PRA (0584-0512).

Information Collection: 0584-0512 Expiration date: 07/31/2025

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required documents. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. The Application Checklist is for applicant use only and should not be submitted as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

1. Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

2. Register the UEI number in the System for Award Management (SAM); and,

3. Register in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

· Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV “Application and Submission Information.” This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments.

When preparing your budget, ensure the following information is included:

· All key staff proposed to be paid by this grant.

· The percentage of time the Project Director will devote to the project in full-time equivalents (FTEs).

· Your organization’s fringe benefit rate and amount, as well as the basis for the computation.

· The type of fringe benefits to be covered with Federal funds.

· Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel justifications and basis for lodging estimates.

· Types of equipment and supplies, justifications, and estimates, ensuring that the budget is in line with the project description.

· Information for all contracts and justification for any sole-source contracts.

· Justification, description and itemized list of all consultant services.

· Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA) or if no agreement exists and the applicant has never been approved for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis). If applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not requested, please indicate this in the budget narrative.

When submitting your application, ensure you have submitted the following:

· SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

· SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

· SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in Grants.gov)

· SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

· FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (Appendix IV)

· Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15)

Table of Contents

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

Introduction The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) provides nutritious meals at no or low cost to children through the Child Nutrition (CN) programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP). The school foodservice workforce employed approximately 339,000 workers in 2019,[footnoteRef:2] and their labor is vital to implementing these important school-based CN programs. Recent legislation has emphasized the workforce’s role in school meal programs’ success in carrying out their mission of reducing childhood hunger. Notably, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) expanded Professional Standards for the school foodservice workforce. “This provision is intended to ensure that school nutrition professionals that manage and operate the NSLP and SBP have adequate knowledge and training to meet Program requirements. Requiring proper qualifications to serve in the Child Nutrition Programs is expected to improve the quality of school meals, reduce errors, and enhance Program integrity.”[footnoteRef:3] However, FNS’s understanding of school foodservice workers and their characteristics, including their demographics, educational attainment, employment histories, and opportunities for career growth, is limited. [2: Congressional Research Service. “The School Foodservice Workforce: Characteristics and Labor Market Outcomes.” July 27, 2022. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47199] [3: Food and Nutrition Service. “Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.” Federal Register, Vol. 80. No. 40, March 2, 2015. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-03-02/pdf/2015-04234.pdf]

Purpose This Request for Applications (RFA) announces the availability of funds for a cooperative agreement. This funding opportunity will support research projects to better understand and generate information related to the school foodservice workforce focused on dimensions such as worker satisfaction, workforce experience, and training and development. Relevant research activities may include, but are not limited to providing information on career pathways for the school foodservice workforce, including training and skill-building opportunities, promotion potential, and tenure/retention within individual employers and the industry as a whole; identifying skills used on the job by role, including analysis of transferability of skills to other industries; identifying level of worker satisfaction and describe workplace conditions (perception and objective measures); and examining how any of the above vary across roles, demographics, school/school food authority (SFA) characteristics, and geography.

The USDA anticipates awarding up to $1,500,000 in funding to one public or private academic or research institution. Funding will be provided to the selected Cooperator (herein after referred to as Grantee) for a period of performance that will run from fiscal year (FY) 2024 through FY 2027. Eligible applicants include public or private academic or research institutions.

The Grantee shall award over 50% of these funds as sub-grants through a competitive process. These sub-awards shall be made to public or private academic institutions, not-for-profit organizations, or State or Local government organizations for the purpose of conducting research activities that address issues related to the school foodservice workforce. These activities can include, but are not limited to, providing descriptive statistics to better understand the workforce, providing qualitative information about workforce experiences, identifying particular issues affecting the wellbeing of workers, and identifying the relationship between issues facing the workforce (e.g., worker turnover, skill-building opportunities) and other areas of concern for CN programs.

In order to identify the most pressing and promising areas for research, prior to awarding sub-grants, the Grantee will design and carry out listening sessions with a variety of CN program stakeholders and experts (i.e., school food service professionals, State agency staff, academics, community organizations). The Grantee will also develop and complete a public-facing report summarizing the project’s conclusions and providing an overview of funded sub-grantee projects, the outcomes of all sub-grantee projects, and any overarching findings. The Grantee will document findings from the listening sessions in this or another publicly available report. The Grantee shall also be responsible for providing and maintaining public access to data generated by the sub-grantee projects.

Program Description- Authorizing Legislation The legislative authority to issue this award is contained at Section 6 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1755(a)(3), which authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to "carry out surveys and studies of requirements for food service programs in furtherance of the purposes expressed in section 2 of this Act and section 2 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1773 and 1776). Section 2 of the Child Nutrition Act directs USDA to assist States to “meet more effectively the nutritional needs of our children.”

The research funded under this cooperative agreement will examine topics related to school food service workforce overall satisfaction, including access to training and development, workplace conditions, job satisfaction and morale, and how those workplace experiences impact operation of school meal programs. The school nutrition workforce is instrumental in preparing and serving healthy, nutritious meals to all children and this research can help both the Agency and States better understand the needs of the school nutrition workforce. This is a one-time funding opportunity.

Background Through its school-based CN programs, USDA FNS collaborates with State and local governments and Indian Tribal Organizations to foster nutrition security for children by providing consistent access to healthful meals and nutrition education at school. These programs include:

· National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in nearly 100,000 public and not-for‐profit private schools and residential childcare institutions. FNS administers the program at the Federal level. At the State level, the NSLP is usually administered by State education agencies, which operate the program through agreements with school food authorities (SFAs). School districts that participate in the NSLP receive cash subsidies and donated commodities from USDA for each meal they serve. In 2019, almost 30 million children received lunch at school each day, and about 74% of those lunches were provided for free or at a reduced price.

· School Breakfast Program (SBP): The SBP is a federally-assisted meal program that operates in over 90,000 public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. In 2019, nearly 15 million children received a school breakfast each day, and about 85 percent of these meals were served to children certified for free or reduced-price meals.

· Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP): The FFVP provides free fresh fruits and vegetables to students in participating elementary schools during the school day. The fresh fruits and vegetables are provided separately from the lunch or breakfast meal, in one or more areas of the school. The goal of FFVP is to improve children’s overall diet and create healthier eating habits to impact their present and future health.

USDA FNS is interested in gaining a better understanding of the workers employed by these programs and their experiences in the workplace. For the purposes of this funding opportunity, the “school foodservice workforce” is defined as including staff working in SFAs or in school cafeterias and kitchens to operate the NSLP, SBP, and/or FFVP. This encompasses cafeteria workers (such as food servers and cashiers), cooks and food preparation staff (who may work in cafeterias, in central kitchens, etc.), cafeteria and kitchen managers, and SFA-level staff (e.g., SFA Director, procurement specialists). These workers can be hired directly by an SFA or indirectly by way of a food service management company (FSMC) or third-party employment agency. For this opportunity, the school foodservice workforce does not include Residential Child Care Institution (RCCI) workers or those involved in earlier stages of food production, such as workers employed by school food suppliers and manufacturers.

Examples of potential priority areas of interest for sub-grantee research fitting broadly into one or more of the topics listed above may include, but are not limited to:

· Describing variation in worker satisfaction by SFA characteristics and school characteristics (grade level, size, universal free (special provision/State program to offer all students meals at no charge) status, public/private/charter, urban/rural/suburban, percent participating in NSLP, other CN programs offered, etc.)

· Exploring employment during months or time periods school is not in session, including through other FNS CN programs that do operate in those months or time periods, like the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)/Seamless Summer Option (SSO) or the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Program

· Investigating implications of workforce (in)stability on program operations, as well as successful approaches for hiring and retaining staff

· Examining the effectiveness of professional standards and whether their implementation led to any changes in practice, improvements in job performance, improvements in food or nutritional quality, or changes in program participation

· Identifying what skills tend to be used by workers in different contexts (e.g., in different roles, kitchen set-ups, and school food production styles) and analyzing the transferability of these skills outside of school foodservice

· Exploring career paths taken by staff, including occupations prior to entering CN workforce and common jobs among former employees

· Investigating opportunities for worker training by type of food service worker and by SFA and/or school characteristics, including costs of trainings to employers and/or individual employees

· Identifying the role of automation, cost-cutting, and staffing shortages on worker experience

· Identifying changes in the school foodservice workforce resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and recent labor market changes

· Investigating the relationship of more labor-intensive food preparation operations (e.g., cooking raw or minimally processed ingredients, preparing fresh produce) to worker satisfaction

FNS plans to award funding to one public or private academic or research institution to select and support research projects related to the school food workforce. The Grantee shall work cooperatively with FNS to:

1) Design and conduct listening sessions with CN stakeholders to determine priority areas of research and any other relevant considerations for sub-grant awards. These listening sessions should include CN stakeholders such as school food service professionals, State agency staff, academics, and community organizations. FNS anticipates 3-5 listening sessions; however, applicants shall propose their target number, which should not exceed 5. The Grantee shall prepare for public dissemination, including on the FNS website, a summary of the process to conduct these listening sessions, their content, and important takeaways.

2) Develop and manage a competitive sub-grant award process to fund public or private not- for-profit, academic, or government organizations to conduct research on the school foodservice workforce in CN programs. The Grantee shall propose and justify a list of priority research areas for the sub- grants based on FNS priorities and the stakeholder listening sessions. The Grantee will select, award, and monitor the sub-grantee’s research projects.

a) The Grantee will develop a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process. The Grantee’s process shall include developing a written RFP; establishing and following clear evaluation criteria; and widely publicizing the opportunity among a diverse group of potential applicants. The written RFP will describe the opportunity, explain eligibility for the sub-grants, and outline evaluation criteria for the award. FNS will review and discuss the RFP with the Grantee.

Priority should be given to sub-grantees who come from and/or show experience working with communities that are overrepresented in the school foodservice workforce.[footnoteRef:4] The sub-grant award process shall also consider the sub-grantee’s use of methods to facilitate an equitable research process (e.g., collaboration with participating communities) and minimize potential costs to individuals and communities participating in the research. The RFP shall require that, at a minimum, proposals include the following: [4: See Table 5 (pages 20-21) in the Congressional Research Service’s report on the School Foodservice Workforce for data on demographic groups that are overrepresented in the Elementary and Secondary Public School Foodservice compared to other occupations and sectors. Congressional Research Service. “The School Foodservice Workforce: Characteristics and Labor Market Outcomes.” July 27, 2022. https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47199]

· A description of the research project and how it fits the funding opportunity and any priority areas of interest;

· Past experience working with CN programs or other nutrition assistance efforts;

· Documentation of support from any program operators and/or other partners with whom the sub-grantee plans to work;

· A description of the elements of the research design and/or processes that facilitate an equitable approach to research and minimization of costs to participants; and

· Documentation of procedures used to maintain the quality and integrity of all data and analyses.

b) Prior to selection of sub-grantees, the Grantee will submit to FNS the proposals and summaries of all proposals submitted by those applying for sub-grants and discuss the proposals with FNS. At a minimum, the summaries shall include the name of the applicant, requested and suggested award amount, and a brief description of the proposed project. FNS will approve final selection decisions for the subgrants.

c) After sub-grantees are selected, the Grantee will submit updated summaries of selected sub-grantee projects for publication on FNS’s website.

d) After award of sub-grants, the Grantee will administer funding, monitor progress, and report on research projects to FNS. This may include sharing activities accomplished, obstacles encountered, and preliminary findings. It shall also include completing all reports required by FNS.

3) Disseminate findings from the sub-grant projects broadly among CN stakeholders. The Grantee shall prepare a public-facing report or set of reports, outlined on page 6, describing the sub-grantee projects; findings from each project as well as any cross-cutting findings; and a discussion of strengths, limitations, and possible next steps in research and dissemination. The report(s) may also include the summary of the CN stakeholder listening sessions. The Grantee shall share these findings among CN stakeholders including program operators and administrators, community organization partners, policymakers at all levels, and researchers. The Grantee shall also coordinate an opportunity for FNS staff to hear directly from grantees, and for grantees to hear from each other, about the findings of their projects. FNS also encourages the Grantee to present research findings at academic and professional conferences.

The Grantee must also compile and make publicly available all data collected and analyzed by sub- grantees, in a form accessible to other researchers (e.g., downloadable file on a Grantee website), unless otherwise approved by FNS. FNS will provide direction on how the Grantee will make this information available.

Project Management Communication with FNS The Grantee shall schedule and plan a virtual kickoff meeting within one month from date of award to discuss the objectives of the cooperative agreement, plan for communication moving forward, and address any Grantee questions. The Grantee shall also schedule and plan a virtual close out meeting near the conclusion of the project to present findings and exchange information on lessons learned. The Grantee, along with sub-grantees, shall provide a formal presentation to FNS at that time.

Over the course of the project, FNS and the Grantee shall meet regularly, on a schedule to be jointly determined (per the needs of the project, but no less frequently than quarterly). In these meetings, the Grantee shall provide an overview of the activities conducted since the last meeting, major accomplishments, deviations from the proposed plan and/or other challenges encountered, solutions developed and lessons learned, sub-grantee progress and preliminary findings, assistance needed from FNS on technical issues, and major planned activities for the next quarter. Sub-grantees may attend these meetings, and FNS may request sub-grantee attendance. The Grantee shall provide FNS with an agenda 3 business days prior to each call. Should a major issue arise between meetings, the Grantee shall contact the FNS Program Officers immediately.

Reports and Products All documents intended for public dissemination (e.g., reports, peer-reviewed articles) generated by efforts funded through this cooperative agreement must be reviewed and approved by FNS before general distribution or submission to peer review for publication in scientific journals. This includes documents not explicitly required by the cooperative agreement. FNS’s review will be largely consultative in nature, as opposed to intending to specify changes required for distribution or submission. Project timelines should factor in FNS review of reports and products, with 3 weeks for items 30 pages or less and 6 weeks for items greater than 30 pages in length. The Grantee shall provide FNS with an electronic copy of all reports, articles and/or other dissemination materials (e.g., outreach materials and documents, PowerPoint slides) resulting from this grant and sub-grant activity at the time of submission for publication (if applicable) and in final form when published.

Reports to be published by FNS on the USDA webpage require FNS review and clearance. All materials that will be published on FNS’s website must be Section 508-compliant. Please see http://www.section508.gov/ for more information. The Grantee is responsible for delivering compliant documents to FNS for website publication.

Unless otherwise advised by the Agency, the Recipient will acknowledge the support of USDA FNS whenever publicizing the work under this grant. To this end, the Grantee must include in any publication resulting from work performed under this grant an acknowledgment in substantially the form set below. “This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.”

Data and Materials Property All data, documents, communications, and other materials developed and used by the Grantee in the performance of this cooperative agreement shall be maintained by the Grantee for a period of three years from the date of final payment or close-out of the grant, whichever comes last, under this agreement or for such further period as may be necessary to resolve any matters which may be pending. Within one year of conclusion of data collection, the Grantee must also compile and make publicly available for no fewer than five years all data collected and analyzed by sub-grantees, in a form accessible to other researchers (e.g., downloadable file on a Grantee website), unless otherwise approved by FNS. The Grantee shall also provide to FNS data files including raw data, analytic code, output files, codebooks and other applicable documentation sufficient for FNS to replicate the analyses used in any Grantee or sub-grantee reports, publications, or presentations.

The Grantee should have in place appropriate controls to ensure compliance with relevant privacy and confidentiality standards (see, e.g., section below on personally identifiable information) and to ensure sub-grantee compliance with the same. The Grantee should also have in place appropriate controls and procedures to maintain the quality and security of any data collected and ensure the sub-grantees do the same.

FNS reserves the right to utilize, disseminate, or share any deliverables produced with funding under this grant project in accordance with 2 CFR part 200 (including, but not limited to, tools developed by sub-grantees using grant funds).

Key Objectives Below is a list of the Program Objectives. As noted in the section below, within “Activities/Indicators Tracker”, proposed activities should be clearly aligned to these Objectives and their associated Activities and Indicators.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

The following information is intended to provide applicants with information to help applicants make informed decisions about proposal submissions.

· Total amount of funding expected to award: $1,500,000

· Anticipated number of awards: 1

· Anticipated award announcement date: December 8, 2023

· Expected amounts of individual Federal awards: $1,500,000

· Anticipated start dates and period of performance: March 2024-March 2027

· Anticipated amounts and/or numbers of individual awards: 1

· Estimated funding per award: $1,500,000

· Application due date: February 9, 2024

Please note:

1. Grant awards are subject to the availability of funding and/or appropriations of funds.

2. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants this year or the subsequent fiscal year, should additional funds become available.

Allowable Costs This cooperative agreement is a one-time funding opportunity that will be awarded on a competitive basis, subject to the availability of federal funds. Approximately $1,500,000 is available for funding this opportunity, the majority of which shall be awarded through a competitive, sub-grant process to academic, not-for-profit, or government organizations for research projects examining equitable access within CN programs. FNS will accept one application package per applicant. This award is contingent upon the availability and apportionment of Federal funding.

Among other costs, budgets may include expenses related to personnel, contractors, equipment and supplies, food, meeting expenses, travel, and trainings.

Cooperative Agreement Roles and Responsibilities This grant will be awarded in the form of a cooperative agreement. This agreement is a legal instrument reflecting a relationship between the Federal government and the Grantee. Roles and responsibilities of FNS and the grantee are as follows:

FNS. To the extent practicable, FNS is available to provide technical consultation to the Grantee as needed. FNS will comment on major aspects for the projects in advance of their implementation in a manner and timeframe agreed upon between the Grantee and FNS.

At FNS discretion, FNS involvement with the Grantee may include, but is not limited to:

· Communicating regularly with the Grantee regarding their plans to meet this RFA’s requirement

· Reviewing and approving the final RFP for the sub-grantee competition

· Providing comments on a Grantee-provided summary of all applications for the sub-grants

· Approving the final list of sub-grant awards

· Reviewing near-final reports, datasets, and articles generated by efforts funded through this cooperative agreement before general distribution or submission to peer review for publication in scientific journals.

Grantee. The Grantee has overall responsibility for planning, implementation, and operations of the project. The Grantee shall:

· Carry out all activities necessary to fulfill the items as described in the Activities section above

· Keep FNS informed on project progress and major issues or concerns

· Submit timely progress reports and financial reports throughout the award period and submit a final progress report and a final financial report

· Coordinate and attend an initial kickoff meeting, progress meetings, and a close-out meeting via teleconference

· Provide FNS with an opportunity to review near-final reports, datasets, and articles generated by efforts funded through this cooperative agreement prior to dissemination or submission to journals

· Make publicly available all data collected under efforts funded through this cooperative agreement within 12 months of the conclusion of data collection for a period of no fewer than 5 years

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants This Request for Applications (RFA) is open to all accredited institutions of higher education (colleges/universities), nonprofit research entities and other nonprofit organizations with documented experience in public health research and communications. Nonprofit organizations must have documented 501(c)(3) status. These are requirements for the selected recipient of the cooperative agreement, not any potential sub-grantees.

FNS is committed to enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility of our programs and encourages individuals, institutions, and organizations from underserved communities to apply for funding opportunities as grant or subgrant recipients.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this program.

Other Eligibility Criteria FNS will accept only one application from each applicant. Suspended or debarred organizations are ineligible to submit applications in response to this grant solicitation.

Pre-Award Screening Requirements In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, prior to making a Federal award, Federal awarding agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.205, are required to review information available through any OMB-designated repositories of government-wide eligibility qualifications or financial integrity information. Additionally, Federal awarding agencies are required to have a framework in place for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The FNS review of risk posed by applicants will be based on the following:

· SAM.gov, the System for Award Management, the Official U.S. Government system that consolidated the capabilities of CCR/FedReg, ORCA, and EPLS.

· FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance.

· Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is a number that is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements; and

· FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire

· Applicants must complete the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire that allows FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. The questionnaire contains a number of questions that may be an indicator of potential risk.

The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated systems and the risk assessment questionnaire may result in FNS imposing special conditions or additional oversight requirements that correspond to the degree of risk assessed.

Acknowledgement of USDA Support As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any publications written or published with grant support and, if feasible, on any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity. Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA Food and Nutrition Service support on any audiovisual which is produced with grant support and which has a direct production cost of over $5,000.

1. When acknowledging USDA support, use the following language: “This material is based upon work that is supported by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the view or policies of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.” Grantees should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

2. Grant recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in grant budgets.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Content and Form of Application Submission FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced, in 12-point font. The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 25 pages. This page count does not include the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter of commitment(s), endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms but applicants should make an effort to ensure only necessary information is included in the application package. All pages, excluding the form pages, must be numbered.

Special Instructions:

· Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

· Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, or certification will not be considered.

· Applications missing a written proposal or budget narrative will not be considered.

· FNS reserves the right to request clarification on any application submitted in response to this solicitation.

· Applications not submitted via Grants.gov will not be considered.

· If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

· This award is contingent upon the availability and apportionment of Federal funding.

Cover Sheet The cover page should include, at a minimum:

· Applicant’s name and mailing address

· Primary contact’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number and e-mail address

· Grant program title and subprogram title (if applicable)

Table of Contents The Table of Contents should include relevant sections, subsections and associated page numbers.

Application Project Summary The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes that would result if the proposal were to be funded.

Project Narrative The project narrative should clearly identify what the applicant is proposing and how it will address a solution, the expected results and/or benefits once the solution is achieved, and how it will meet the RFA program scope and objectives. The proposed project methodology should describe the project design, address program specific methodology needs, procedures, timetables, monitoring/oversight, and the organization’s project staffing.

The project narrative should include (but is not limited to) the below sections and information. Please use these section headings in the project narrative and number accordingly:

1. Introduction/Background: Provide an overview of the plan for the project and major qualifications. Demonstrate understanding of the project requirements and considerations.

2. Listening Session: Describe a plan to design and conduct stakeholder listening sessions, including major considerations. Include evidence of any prior experience conducting similar sessions or relevant expertise (e.g., experience working with CN programs, participants, or stakeholders) to inform this activity. Include a proposed target number of stakeholder listening sessions and type and number of participants in each.

3. RFP Administration: Describe a plan to administer a competitive RFP process, including development of the solicitation, promotion of the solicitation among eligible applicants, and evaluation criteria for received proposals. Include the target number and scale of grants and describe plans to work with sub-grantees to fulfill the requirements of this project. Describe a plan to monitor and report on sub-grantee progress. Include evidence of any experience or expertise working with researchers or others representing underserved communities.

4. Dissemination: Describe plans for disseminating findings from this grant, including plans to write a summary report and to make project findings accessible to various stakeholders. Include plans for compiling and maintaining data and other project materials to ensure public accessibility.

5. Management: Provide a clear description of the activities to be undertaken to manage the project to ensure that project activities are completed on time, within budget, and with quality results. Provide a clear description of how funds will be administered and distributed to sub-awardees. Describe how quality assurance, data security and privacy controls, recordkeeping, and accounting activities will be executed.

6. Staffing: Describe the organizational structure and identify the key personnel who will manage the project. Describe roles and responsibilities of these individuals, as well as their relevant qualifications, expertise, and experience, and a level of effort specified for specific staff proposed. Explain contingency plans for staff turnover.

7. Timeline: Include a timeline with specific activities that will contribute to accomplishing the project objectives.

8. Resumes/CVs: To assist reviewers in assessing the competence and experience of the proposed project staff, include a resume or curriculum vitae of the key personnel expected to work on the project.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described in Section I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION) in the below format (note that additional Activities/Indicators can be added as needed). Note: Indicators are defined as any metric you anticipate will be able to be tracked during the period of performance of the grant. Common examples include Number of People Attended, Number of People Impacted, Number of Conferences Delivered, Number of Materials Created, Number of Trainings, Number of People Trained.

(Example)

Objective #

Activity

Indicator(s)

Objective #

Activity

Indicator(s)

Application Budget Narrative The budget narrative should correspond with the proposed project narrative and application budget. Budget narrative project totals must match SF-424A, sections A and B. The narrative must justify and support the bona fide needs of the budget’s direct cost. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a Federal negotiating agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, the percentage and base should be indicated. If the applicant does not have, and has never been approved for, a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and, instead, use all grant funds for direct costs. If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase "none requested" should be stated in the budget narrative. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer as noted in Section VII of this RFA.

Required Grant Application Forms Please refer to the Application Checklist for a list of required grant forms.

Submission Date Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM EST on the due date listed on the cover page.

· Applications must be submitted via Grants.gov. Mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, go here.

· Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

· FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless they are submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. No additions or revisions will be accepted after the deadline.

· If multiple application packages are submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant in response to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully. submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant will be removed from this competition.

· This award is contingent upon the availability and apportionment of Federal funding.

FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date and to submit applications to Grants.gov at least one week before the deadline to allow time to troubleshoot any issues, should they arise. Please note that upon submission, Grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to Grants.gov should contact the Support Center at Grants.gov. Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518- 4726 and email at support@grants.gov. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue. FNS will evaluate all submission issues encountered by applicants on a case-by-case basis.

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov Applicants must register with Grants.gov, Dun and Bradstreet and Sam.gov in order to submit an application to FNS via Grants.gov, as required. FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin the registration process at least four weeks before the due date.

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a UEI number

· Existing entities can find their UEI by following the steps here: https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0041254. New entities can get their UEI at SAM.gov and, if required, complete an entity registration.

NOTE: On and after April 4, 2022, entities can register in in SAM.gov and will be assigned their Unique Entity ID (SAM) within SAM.gov. They will no longer obtain or use a UEI (DUNS) for entity registration or reporting. For additional information on the UEI process, please visit: https://sam.gov/content/duns-uei

2. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov)

· SAM.gov combines Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system. For additional information regarding SAM.gov, see the following link: http://www.sam.gov/SAM

· Must have your organization’s DUNS, entity’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on last tax return). It may take 3-5 business days to register in SAM.gov; however, in some instances the SAM process to complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of the entity record will require 5-7 days or more.

· All applicants must have current SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with two CFR Part 25.

· We strongly encourage applicants to begin the process at least 3 weeks before the due date of the grant solicitation.

3. Create a Grants.gov Account:

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's UEI to complete this process. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html

4. Authorize Grants.gov Roles:

After creating an account on Grants.gov, the E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) receives an email notifying them of the registration and request for roles. The E-Biz POC will need to go to Grants.gov and authorize the appropriate roles. An approved Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) must complete and submit the application online at Grants.gov. To learn more about the E-Biz POC role and other profile roles, please visit: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/authorize-roles.html

5. Track Role Status:

To track your role request, please visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration/track-role-status.html

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

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA) or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html

Applicant Support: Grants.gov provides applicants 24/7 support via the toll-free number 1-800-518- 4726 and email at support@grants.gov. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue and understanding background information on the issue.

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EST on the due date listed on the cover page, as detailed here. Proof of timely submission is automatically recorded by Grants.gov. An electronic date/time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. The applicant AOR will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application.

Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov Tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

When FNS successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov and acknowledges the download of submissions,…