RFA FY22 SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants.docx

SNAP Employment and Training National Partnership Grants Fiscal Year 2022 Request for Applications (RFA)

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.561

OMB BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number.

The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 40 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.

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);

1. Register in the System for Award Management (SAM); and,

1. Register in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. 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)

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

Table of Contents

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

Program Description The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance programs. It began in its modern form in 1961 but has its origins in the Food Stamp Plan to help the needy in the 1930s. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net and provides nutrition assistance benefits via an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card to millions of low-income people. These benefits help supplement household food budgets so recipients can purchase more healthy food.

SNAP participants are expected to seek and accept work if they are able. Participants who are not specifically exempted by statute, such as those who are caring for a dependent child under 6 or who cannot work due to a physical or mental condition, are subject to work requirements as a condition of eligibility. General SNAP work requirements include registering for work, not voluntarily quitting a job or reducing work hours, taking a suitable job if offered, and participating in an employment and training program as assigned by the State agency. In addition to these general work requirements, able-bodied adults without dependents are required by statute to work or participate in a work program for at least 20 hours per week or participate in workfare in order to receive SNAP benefits for longer than 3 months in a 36-month period.

States are required to operate a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) program to help participants gain skills, education, training, and experience that lead to employment opportunities and greater economic self-sufficiency. USDA is committed to working with States and interested stakeholders to develop E&T programs that are data driven, more effective and efficient, and which have improved employment and earnings outcomes for program participants.

FNS has invested significant resources to help States expand and strengthen their SNAP E&T programs and move SNAP participants toward economic self-sufficiency. One area of particular focus for FNS has been increasing States’ capacity to serve SNAP E&T participants by developing new partnerships with skill-based, employer-driven training providers. FNS has encouraged States to work with training providers able to operate “third-party partnerships” that leverage their own non-Federal funding and utilize SNAP E&T reimbursement funds to support employment and training services for SNAP participants.

FNS has previously done this work primarily at the State level. However, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (P.L. 117-103) included funding to support SNAP E&T National Leadership Activities. FNS intends to use this funding in part to support new SNAP E&T National Partnership Grants for Community Colleges.

FNS intends to make available in fiscal year (FY) 2022 approximately $3 million to non-profit organizations with large networks of community colleges or consortia of community colleges with experience providing workforce development services to low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants. Grant funds will be used to support new organizational capacity to provide network or consortia members training and other technical assistance so that network or consortia members may become third-party SNAP E&T providers.

Allowable activities may include, but are not limited to:

· Organizing and convening conferences or meetings with network or consortia members;

· Developing peer-to-peer learning and networking opportunities or platforms;

· Developing training materials such as toolkits, checklists, and curriculum;

· Sharing best practices through webinars or site visits; and

· Providing professional development opportunities for member or affiliate staff.

Training and technical assistance to network or consortia members may cover issues such as, but not limited to, guidance on:

· Policy and programmatic fundamentals about the SNAP E&T program;

· The role of State SNAP agencies in administering the SNAP E&T program;

· Information technology, administrative, fiscal, and other infrastructure needs related to becoming a SNAP E&T third-party provider;

· Organizational strengths or weaknesses of community colleges related to becoming a SNAP E&T provider and providing SNAP E&T services;

· The provision of case management and participant reimbursements to E&T participants; and

· Best-practices for providing employment and training services to SNAP participants and moving them toward economic self-sufficiency.

Funds cannot be used to provide direct services, for existing organizational activities, or for regular, on-going operating costs. Funds must be used to create new organizational capacity, including staff and other infrastructure needs, to provide SNAP E&T technical assistance and training to network or consortia members.

· Grantees, via one or more of their member or affiliate organizations, must have demonstrated expertise providing SNAP E&T services. Grantees must also have, across multiple member or affiliate organizations, demonstrated expertise moving low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants, toward economic self-sufficiency.

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.

2. 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: Approximately $3,000,000

· Anticipated number of awards: 2-3

· Anticipated award announcement date: September 2022

· Anticipated start dates and period of performance: October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2025

· Estimated funding per award: $1,000,000 to $2,000,000

· Application due date: September 3, 2022

Please note:

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

· 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.

· Funds from this RFA shall not be used to provide direct services. Funds also shall not be used to pay for existing organizational activities, or regular, on-going organizational operational costs. Funds must be used to create new organizational capacity to provide SNAP E&T technical assistance to network member or affiliate organizations.

· FNS reserves the right to request information on all contractual awards and costs after the award of the grantee’s contract.

Allowable Costs Equipment and Supplies: Expenditures for both equipment (i.e., items of personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a cost of $5,000 or more) and supplies are allowable expenses.

Food Expenses: No more than 10 percent of the grant funds may be used for necessary food purchases in the grant budget regardless of funding source. Food purchases must be necessary for the purpose of the grant and should be limited to educational purposes, including sample tables, taste tests, or promotional use. Food costs related to conducting a test run of a new product are considered an appropriate use of funds.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

Eligible Applicants

· The entities eligible to receive grants under this competition are non-profit organizations with large networks of community colleges or consortia of community colleges with experience providing workforce development services to low-income and low-skilled individuals, including SNAP participants.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

· There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this program.

Other Eligibility Criteria Applicants must have:

· At least 30 geographically diverse network or consortia members;

· Previous experience providing technical assistance on complex policy and program areas;

· Demonstrated expertise providing SNAP E&T services, via one or more network or consortia member; and

· Demonstrated expertise moving low-income and low-skilled individuals toward economic self-sufficiency, across multiple member or affiliate organizations.

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

· 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.

· 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.” Grantees should follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide when using the USDA logo.

· 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.

4. 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 10 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter of commitment(s), endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. 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, 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.

Letter of Commitment A letter of commitment is required if an applicant is proposing to work in partnership with another organization(s). The letter should be submitted as part of the application package. The letter(s) of commitment from the partner must describe:

· The organization’s role in the project;

· The amount of time it intends to commit to the project;

· An attestation that it will cooperate with the grant applicant in implementing the project; and

· Must be provided on the respective organization’s letterhead and be signed by an authorizing individual.

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

1. Applicant’s name and mailing address

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

3. 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.

Applicants must include in the project narrative and will be judged on how well they describe the: 1) Soundness or Merit of Project Design, 2) Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency, 3) Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management, 4) Implementation and Evaluation. The detailed description of this criteria is found in section 6: Application Review Information (see: Evaluation Factors and Criteria).

Consistent with USDA’s priorities and Executive Order 13985, FNS is committed to promoting equity[footnoteRef:1] in and through the SNAP E&T program. Throughout the United States, systemic barriers for historically underserved communities have led to significant barriers to education, training, and full participation in the labor market. SNAP E&T programs are primed to be leaders in promoting equitable (i.e. race, gender, geographic, sexual orientation, religion, etc.) access to good jobs and sustained family-supporting wages in high-demand career fields for those from historically underserved groups; as measured by educational attainment, households that participate in the SNAP program are the least well-off in the labor market. FNS strongly encourages applicants to include an equity lens in their projects that is clearly reflected in the project narrative. [1: The term “equity” means the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality. ]

Examples of guiding questions that might be reflected in the project narrative include, but are not limited to:

1. How are your organization’s view on equity and inclusion incorporated in this proposal?

2. What forms of diversity (racial, gender, cultural, citizenship status, linguistic, etc.) does this project seek to focus on? Does your organization’s leadership and/or project management team reflect this diversity?

3. How will your project recognize and address intersecting forms of marginalized identities (i.e. individuals that identify or fall into more than one marginalized category)?

4. How do you propose to draw upon diverse perspectives in the community or field that the proposed work will serve? Did your project design include consultation with members of the group your project intends to serve? What type of consultation?

5. Has your organization had prior success in improving program participation for an underserved community? If so, how can lessons learned be applied to this proposal?

6. What racial equity and inclusion challenges does your organization face?

7. What policies or technologies are in place that may be barriers to meeting the needs of underserved populations in your project area?

8. How will you measure the impact of your proposal on promoting equity in specific communities? What data collection methodologies will be used? Are the data collection methodologies sensitive to the needs of the community they intend to serve?

9. How will the project reduce racial/ethnic disparities in participation and outcomes of SNAP E&T programming? How will the project promote equity?

10. How will racial equity and inclusion efforts extend beyond the project’s period of performance?

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. 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.

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 Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts (Section VII) of this RFA. FNS will evaluate submission issues on a case-by-case basis.

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov Applicants must register with Grants.gov 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 Unique Entity ID (UEI)

· 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 SAM.gov and will be assigned their Unique Entity ID (SAM) within SAM.gov. They will no longer obtain or use a DUNS for entity registration or reporting. For additional information on the UEI process, please visit: SAM.gov | Duns - Sam UEI.

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

1. SAM combines Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system. For additional information regarding SAM.gov, see the following link: https://sam.gov/content/home

2. Access https://www.sam.gov and complete the online SAM registration process to obtain a UEI (SAM) or verify if your organization already has one. If your organization already has a UEI (SAM), go to Step 3

3. To register, you must have your organization’s UEI, entity’s Tax ID Number (TIN), and taxpayer name (as it appears on last tax return). It may take up to 5 – 7 business days or more to register and/or complete the migration of permissions and/or the renewal of an entity record.

4. Ensure you enter your EBiz POC name and EBiz POC email in SAM, and your organization/entity registration process is complete in SAM, this will allow you to register with Grants.gov (Step 3). Contact the Federal Support Help Desk at https://www.fsd.gov/ for help with the UEI.

5. All applicants must have current SAM status at the time of application submission and throughout the duration of a Federal Award in accordance with 2 CFR Part 25.

6. 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 Organizational 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, Grants.gov will provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the email address of the applicant with the AOR role. Again, proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application. Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date for the program will be considered late and will not be considered for FNS funding.

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

Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process:

NOTICE: Special Characters and Naming Conventions

All applicants MUST follow Grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance provided by Grants.gov (per the Grants.gov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Are there restrictions on file names for any attachment I include with my application package?

File attachment names longer than approximately 50 characters can cause problems processing packages. Please limit file attachment names. Also, do not use any special characters (examples: & – * % / # ’ -). This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore, as in the following example: Attached_File.pdf.

Please note that if these guidelines are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from www.grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

Additional information and applicant resources are available at: Workspace Overview | GRANTS.GOV Funding Restrictions

Grant funds shall not be used for:

· Provision of direct services;

· Existing organizational activities, or regular, on-going organizational operational costs;

· Construction; and

· Pre-award costs.

5. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria

1. Review Criteria FNS will pre-screen all applications to ensure the applicants are eligible entities and are in compliance with all Program regulations. FNS will not approve any waivers from Program regulations for any projects submitted in response to this solicitation.

The following selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications for this RFA.

Technical Evaluation Criteria and Weights

1. Soundness or Merit of Project Design (35 points)

Program Design: The proposal clearly describes how the applicant will create new organizational capacity to provide SNAP E&T technical assistance to network members or affiliates. The proposal clearly describes how the applicant will provide technical assistance to network members or affiliates, including how the technical assistance will cover increasingly more complex issues and/or be provided to additional network members or affiliates over the lifetime of the grant. The proposal should include quantifiable metrics of progress and success, including the number of new third-party SNAP E&T providers the applicant expects to result from the technical assistance provided.

Impact:

· The proposal demonstrates a direct impact on the:

· Capacity of the applicant to provide SNAP E&T technical assistance to its member or affiliate network;

· Improved expertise on SNAP E&T for the applicant and its member or affiliate network;

· Quality and quantity of SNAP E&T technical assistance provided to member or affiliate networks; and

· Number of network members or affiliates providing SNAP E&T services.

· The proposal shows a clear progression from idea to practice, and a clear progression in the complexity of technical assistance provided and/or the number of network members or affiliates receiving technical assistance over the lifetime of the grant.

· If the project is not network wide, the proposal demonstrates how the project will impact, interact with, or otherwise inform the work of the applicant’s entire network as it relates to SNAP E&T.

Quality: The proposal shows thoughtfulness, critical analysis, clarity, and the use of relevant facts and knowledge.

Sustainability: Applicants should ensure that the work begun under the grant can be continued after grant funds have been expended.

Letters of Commitment: If the project design involves partnering with another organization(s), the application includes a letter(s) of commitment following the guidelines found on page 13.

Feasibility: The application proposes projects that are capable of being accomplished and likely to be implemented in a timely fashion.

2. Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (20 points)

Budget: The proposal includes:

· A line item budget. See Application Checklist (pg. 4) to assure each category is addressed in the budget.

· A narrative that demonstrates how funds will be spent, by whom and for what purpose.

· The narrative should provide enough detail for reviewers to easily understand how costs were determined and how they relate to the goals and objectives of the project. There should be adequate justification for budget costs based on current industry costs/standards. Information on costs should be obtained from applicable organizations or from online sources.

· Additionally, a copy of the approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement must be attached if indirect costs are shown as a budget expense to the project.

· If desired, a tiered budget and narrative that describes adjustments the applicant would make if it were awarded funding at different levels (only the primary budget will be analyzed against this criterion).

Efficiency: The proposal is cost effective. It demonstrates that the anticipated results are commensurate with the cost of the project.

Contractual and Consultant Costs: Proposals that include hiring of a consultant(s) or contract must provide the following information:

· Consultant’s name and description of service;

· Itemized list of all direct costs and fees;

· Salaries must have the number of personnel including the position title;

· Specialty and specialized qualifications as appropriate to the salary;

· Number of estimated hours times hourly wage; and

· All expenses and fees directly related to the proposed services to be rendered to the project.

Applicants that are required to issue a bid should provide a narrative explaining the requirement and provide a reasonable estimate of Contractual and Consultant Costs.

NOTE: Proposal submissions which omit the required budget forms, budget narratives and/or line item descriptions will not receive the full point value for this criterion. Therefore, applicants should recognize that a well-written budget narrative which justifies the proposed project expenditures assists the reviewers during the review process.

3. Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management (30 points)

Credibility: The proposal establishes the applying organization’s credibility and capabilities. The proposal must demonstrate that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria for the grant.

Oversight: The proposal demonstrates that effective and consistent oversight by a qualified project manager(s) will be implemented throughout the project. The proposal must include a dedicated project manager and detail the roles and responsibilities of the project manager.

Communication: The proposal demonstrates that effective communication will exist within the organization and, if applicable, with partnering organizations. The proposal includes an organizational chart of the proposed project.

Staff: The proposal identifies the project director or manager and other key staff. The proposal includes resumes that demonstrate that the proposed staff has the appropriate technical and experiential backgrounds for their proposed roles. If the applicant is unable to identify the project director or manager and key staff, it must include with the application package job descriptions for positions that must be advertised. Applicants should address their contingency or back-up plans in the event of key staff departures.

Time Commitment: The proposal outlines the amount of time and effort the project director or manager, key staff, and, if applicable, partnering organizations, will contribute to the project.

4. Implementation and Evaluation (15 points)

Timeline: The proposal includes a project timeline that outlines proposed tasks and major milestones, and demonstrates that sufficient time is allotted for each activity.

Evaluation: The proposal describes a well-thought-out, organized review and evaluation process that will measure whether the goals of the project have been met. The evaluation should focus on measuring the impact of the project. Please be sure to include information on who will measure the goals of the project, how the goals will be measured, when the goals will be measured and what the organization will measure.

1. Review and Selection Process Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. The Selecting Official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of order to meet agency priorities, program balance, geographical representation, or project diversity. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next fiscal year should additional funds be made available.

NOTE: If a discrepancy exists between the total funding request (submitted on SF-424, SF-424A, and budget or budget narrative) within the application package in response to this solicitation, FNS will only consider and evaluate the estimated funding request contained on SF-424.

6. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINSTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notice The Government is not obligated to make any award as a result of this RFA. Unless an applicant receives a signed award document with terms and conditions, any contact from a FNS Grants or Program Officer should not be considered as a notice of a grant award. No pre-award or pre-agreement costs incurred prior to the effective start date are allowed unless approved and stated on FNS’ signed award document (FNS-529). Only the recognized FNS authorized signature can bind the USDA, Food and Nutrition Service to the expenditure of funds related to an award’s approved budget.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements Confidentiality of an Application When an application results in an award, it becomes a part of the record of FNS transactions, available to the public upon specific request. Information that the Secretary determines to be of a confidential, privileged, or proprietary nature will be held in confidence to the extent permitted by law. Therefore, any information that the applicant wishes to have considered as confidential, privileged, or proprietary should be clearly marked within the application. Any application that does not result in an award will be not released to the public. An application may be withdrawn at any time prior to the final action thereon.

Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SP 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable information, April 2010).

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. All federal and non-federal employees (e.g., contractors, affiliates, or partners) working for or on behalf of FNS are required to acknowledge understanding of their responsibilities and accountability for using and protecting FNS PII in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget Memorandum M-06-15, Safeguarding Personally Identifiable Information; M-06-16, Protection of Sensitive Agency Information; M-07-16, Safeguarding Against and Responding to the Breach of Personally Identifiable Information; and the NIST Special Publication (SP) 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information.

By submitting an application in response to this RFA, applicants are assuring that all data exchanges conducted throughout the application submission and pre-award process (and during the performance of the grant, if awarded) will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws. By submitting a grant application, applicants agree to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality, including the following: (1) ensuring that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained or otherwise associated with UDSA FNS funded grants is securely transmitted. Transmission of applications through Grants.gov is secure; (2) ensuring that PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, and that PII and other sensitive data is not submitted via email; and (3) Data transmitted via approved file sharing services (WatchDox, ShareFile, etc.), CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must be encrypted.

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process The agency requires all panel reviewers to sign a conflict of interest and confidentiality form to prevent any actual or perceived conflicts of interest that may affect the application review and evaluation process. Names of applicants, including States and tribal governments, submitting an application will be kept confidential, except to those involved in the review process, to the extent permitted by law. In addition, the identities of the reviewers will remain confidential throughout the entire process. Therefore, the names of the reviewers will not be released to applicants.

Administrative Regulations Federal Tax Liabilities Restrictions None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

Felony Crime Conviction Restrictions None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used to enter into a contract, memorandum of understanding, or cooperative agreement with, make a grant to, or provide a loan or loan guarantee to, any corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and has made a determination that this further action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

Debarment and Suspension 2 CFR Part 180 and 2 CFR Part 417 A recipient chosen for an award shall comply with the non-procurement debarment and suspension common rule implementing Executive Orders (E.O.) 12549 and 12669, “Debarment and Suspension,” codified at 2 CFR Part 180 and 2 CFR Part 417. This common rule restricts sub-awards and contracts with certain parties that are debarred, suspended or otherwise excluded from or ineligible for participation in Federal assistance programs or activities. The approved grant recipient will be required to ensure that all sub-contractors and sub-grantees are neither excluded nor disqualified under the suspension and debarment rules prior to approving a sub-grant award by checking the System for Award Management (SAM) at SAM.gov .

Universal Identifier and Central Contractor Registration 2 CFR Part 25 Effective April 4, 2022, all grant applicants must obtain a Unique Entity ID (SAM) as a universal identifier for Federal financial assistance. Active grant recipients and their direct sub-recipients of a sub-grant award also must obtain a UEI. To request a UEI number visit: https://sam.gov/content/home.

The grant recipient must also register its UEI number in SAM.gov.