RFA SNAP Moblie APP FM Cooperative Agreement.pdf

Form RFA 01-23

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

Mobile Application Cooperative Agreement, SNAP Farmers and Markets

Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) Assistance Listing Number (ALN): 10.545

Release Date:

Application Due Date:

July 6, 2023

September 5, 2023; 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)

Anticipated Award Date: September 29, 2023

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 60 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:

Obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number;

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

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section 4 –

Application and Submission Information. This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section 5 – Application Review Information, and all necessary attachments.

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

All key staff proposed to be paid by this cooperative agreement.

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 justification, and basis for lodging estimate.

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 an 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 an applicant is requesting the de minimis rate or indirect costs are not required, please state this in the budget narrative.

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

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15) Letters of support/commitment from key staff and partners.

Table of Contents

1. Program Description and Objectives

Program Description

Authorizing Legislation

Key Objectives

2. Federal Award Information

Type of Award

Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

Other Eligibility Criteria

Pre-Award Screening Requirements

Acknowledgement of USDA Support

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

Special Instructions:

Cover Sheet

Table of Contents

Application Project Summary

Project Narrative

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Application Budget Narrative

Indirect Cost Rate

Required Grant Application Forms

Submission Date

Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov

How to Submit an Application via Grants.gov

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

Intergovernmental Review

Funding Restrictions

5. Application Review Information

Review Criteria

Project Design (35 points)

Implementation and Monitoring (15 points)

Sustainability (20 points)

Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (20 points)

Staff Capability Management (10 points)

Review and Selection Process

6. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notice

Administrative and National Policy Requirements

Confidentiality of an Application

Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality of the Review Process

Administrative Regulations

Code of Federal Regulations and Other Government Requirements

Reporting Requirements

Financial Reports

Performance Progress Reports (PPR)

7. Federal Awarding Agency Contacts

8. Other Information

Debriefing Requests

9. Appendix

SNAP Mobile Transaction Processing Application (The App) Requirements

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives

Program Description

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers all USDA domestic nutrition assistance programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is the cornerstone of USDA’s nutrition assistance programs and is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net. SNAP 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.

FNS is directly responsible for the authorization and oversight of retailers who accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. This is accomplished jointly by the Retailer Policy Division (RPD) within SNAP, and the Office of Retailer Operations and Compliance.

Currently, approximately 250,000 retailers are authorized to accept SNAP. Since 2012, FNS has supported the participation of direct marketing farmers (DMFs) and farmer’s markets (FMs) in their efforts to attract more SNAP customers. FNS has also supported individual DMFs (and FMs on behalf of DMFs) that meet specific requirements in procuring low- or no-cost wireless Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) point-of-sale (POS) devices through the SNAP EBT Equipment Program. Thousands of direct marketing farmers and farmers’ markets (DMFs and FMs) apply for SNAP authorization each year.

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to enable SNAP-authorized DMFs (and FMs, as necessary) to determine, at no or little cost to them, whether adding SNAP to their business model has a positive cost-benefit value, and to provide SNAP recipients with greater access to DMFs operating at physical FM locations and via other direct marketing avenues (e.g., roadside stands, pick-your-own). The cooperator will use resources from this cooperative agreement to assist DMFs and FMs in becoming SNAP authorized and support the processing of transactions by these DMFs and FMs through outreach, technical assistance, and a secure SNAP Mobile Transaction Processing Application (The App).

This cooperative agreement opportunity is not intended to support the development of an untested mobile application for SNAP. However, the grantee may collaborate or coordinate with The App provider to develop additional functionality for The App that would enable the processing of transactions for other Federal nutrition assistance programs.

FNS announces, through this Request for Applications (RFA), the availability of a maximum of $4 million to be used over a three (3) year period for a new award as a cooperative agreement. Only non-profit organizations and institutes of higher education are eligible to participate in this competition.

Authorizing Legislation SNAP is authorized by the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, as amended. The Mobile Application Cooperative Agreement, SNAP Farmers and Markets is authorized by the FY23 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328).

Additionally, Report 115-706 of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations for the 115th Congress, 2nd Session encourages FNS to assist DMFs and FMs to participate in SNAP and other Federal nutrition assistance programs.

Key Objectives

Below is a list of the Program Objectives and examples of potential project ideas that align with each program objective. As noted in Section 4, within the “Activities/Indicators Tracker,” proposed activities should be clearly aligned to these objectives and their associated activities and indicators.

Application proposals must address and include all 5 of the objectives identified below.

Note: If awarded, cooperators will be required to report on progress towards activities aligned with the required objective(s) and must use the FNS-908 Performance Progress Report. Carefully considering proposed activities and indicators will prepare grantees for their progress reporting requirements if awarded.

# Objective 1 Objective 1: Assist DFMs in becoming SNAP-authorized.

a. Provide outreach and assistance to DMFs that are not currently SNAP-authorized or are not currently accepting benefits issued through other Federal nutrition assistance programs, e.g., Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to help them complete the application process for SNAP authorization and become SNAP-authorized and, as relevant, participate in one or more nutrition incentive programs.

b. Guide DMFs and FMs in locating SNAP training materials and information and facilitating questions and resolutions with FNS.

2 Objective 2: Provide access to a secure SNAP Mobile Transaction Processing

Application (The App) to SNAP-authorized FMs and DMFs. The App must meet all requirements specified in Section 9, Appendix.

a. Be in use in the current SNAP EBT environment;

b. Adhere to all EBT security requirements, including encrypted PIN-entry as specified in Section 9, Appendix;

c. Be certified and able to conduct all required SNAP transaction types as specified in Section 9, Appendix;

d. Have the ability to be enhanced to process electronic benefits transfer for other Federal nutrition assistance programs, e.g., Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and

e. Have the ability to capture GPS data to identify the location of the device, and enable the transmission of GPS data to FNS as part of the transaction message at a future date, as determined by FNS.

Successful applicants for this cooperative agreement will identify The App that will be used and describe how each requirement in Section 9, Appendix will be satisfied.

The cooperator will enter into a formal agreement with a provider of The App to provide newly authorized DMFs and FMs with access to The App at no cost to the FM for up to one year. The App provider must meet requirements as specified in Section 9, Appendix. The formal agreement will specify all costs and terms for the participation of an FM receiving access to The App for one year at no cost, and on-going access subsequent to the no-cost period.

DMFs and FMs will provide their own mobile device and cellular and data services necessary for transaction processing. Under this cooperative agreement, the cost of The App and any related licenses will be covered for participating farmers (and markets as needed) for 1 (one) year from the initial date of DMF’s or FM’s participation in this cooperative agreement and may be renewed on an annual basis if the DMF/FM demonstrates SNAP redemptions of a minimum of $1,500 per year.

3 Objective 3: Train and provide technical support for DMFs and FMs in use of technology associated with SNAP participation. The grantee will:

a. Train DMFs and FMs on installing, operating and maintaining The App;

b. Help troubleshoot issues, and provide technical assistance through the term of the no-cost agreement;

c. Support outreach that includes a web presence that clearly details the App, technical assistance services provided by the grantee, and how to access both. Social media presence must regularly point to the web information and clearly direct interested farmers to the services offered.

The cooperator will provide newly authorized DMFs and FMs with access to the App for up to one year at no cost. After the one-year, no-cost option, and for any subsequent year that the DMF/FM does not maintain SNAP redemptions of a minimum of $1,500 for the year in question, the grantee will assist that DMF/FM in transitioning their agreement from no-cost to full-cost, or will facilitate transition to the State SNAP Agency SNAP-only alternative that serves the jurisdiction(s) where the FM is located.

4 Objective 4: Monitor progress, including achievements, milestones, and risks and issues.

a. Among other metrics, the grantee will monitor and track the success of outreach activities and training, the number of participating DMFs and FMs using The App, and number of transactions being processed.

5 Objective 5: Assist farmers with direct marketing opportunities that result in connections with under-served SNAP households and families and participants in other Federal nutrition assistance programs. Conduct targeted outreach to special populations and entities that are under-served by SNAP or other Federal nutrition assistance programs in up to three marginalized and/or high food insecurity communities such as:

• Tribal Nations and/or surrounding tribal communities.

• Rural communities as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Persistent poverty counties, as defined by USDA ERS Poverty Area Measures https://mtgis-portal.geo.census.gov/arcgis/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=49cd4bc9c8eb444ab51218c1d5001ef6 https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/poverty-area-measures/

• Low-income and low access census tracts, as defined by the USDA ERS Food Access Research Atlas

This objective can be fulfilled through the work of one to three third-party organizations through sub-grants, however the subgrants under this objective should represent an amount proportionate to the total of objectives listed in this section.

The grantee will also participate in any effort to enable the transmission of GPS data to FNS as part of the transaction message.

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

• Total amount of funding expected to award: $4,000,000

• Anticipated number of awards: 4

• Minimum award amount (award floor): $0

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): $4,000,000

• Anticipated award announcement date: September 2023

• Anticipated period of performance (start and end date of the award): September 2023 to

September 2026

• Anticipated funding of individual awards: $4,000,000

• Application due date: September 5, 2023

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.

Type of Award

FNS will award this grant in the form of a cooperative agreement to enable collaboration between FNS and the grantee during project development and project execution. Examples of FNS participation include:

• Evaluation of quarterly progress reports and financial reports to monitor the grantee’s project activities and ensure that the objectives, terms and conditions of the agreement are met; and

• Periodic on-site and off-site technical assistance to provide evaluation and guidance on project activities and outputs as they relate to FNS objectives, including:

o Review of project plans and milestones;

o Evaluation of technology improvements; and o Other technical assistance related to project objectives.

• Periodic collaborative meetings.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ers.usda.gov%2Fdata-products%2Ffood-access-research-atlas%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cba1036beeb4d4fc0b0c708daed980afa%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C638083534514786715%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eT9S2SPSwsQqlqb4O5wTRRlu%2FUWVarFVoOWkxCZmYu0%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ers.usda.gov%2Fdata-products%2Ffood-access-research-atlas%2F&data=05%7C01%7C%7Cba1036beeb4d4fc0b0c708daed980afa%7Ced5b36e701ee4ebc867ee03cfa0d4697%7C0%7C0%7C638083534514786715%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=eT9S2SPSwsQqlqb4O5wTRRlu%2FUWVarFVoOWkxCZmYu0%3D&reserved=0

FNS will provide funding for approved cooperative agreements through the Grant Award/Letter of Credit process, upon receipt of a properly executed cooperative agreement and subject to the availability of funds.

Allowable Costs

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

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 with prior approval by FNS. While these expenditures are allowable, FNS reserves the right to approve/disapprove these expenditures based upon the needs of the Agency and the proposed project.

Procurement Contracts: Grantees may use grant funds to procure contracts for goods and services.

Unallowable Costs

State Collaboration: Grant funds may not be used to provide no-cost EBT equipment to States to fulfill the State’s requirement to provide a no-cost EBT only option to farmers (and markets as needed). The grantee may collaborate with States on providing a mobile solution as part of the States’ responsibility, however, the grantee may not use grant funds for those costs.

All costs proposed in the budget and detailed in the budget narrative must be allowable, reasonable, necessary, and allocable. Refer to 2 CFR Part 200 Subpart E – Cost Principles for a detailed description of all allowable and unallowable costs.

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Eligible entities include:

• Nonprofit entities, which are any organization or institution with Internal Revenue Service

(IRS)-designated 501(c)(3) status.

• Accredited institutions of higher education, i.e., Eligible Educational Institutes via a list maintained by the IRS.

All applicant organizations must be domestic entities and shall be owned, operated, and located within the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the United States Virgin Islands.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

There are no cost sharing or matching requirements for this award.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-E

Other Eligibility Criteria

Each eligible applicant may only submit one (1) application in response to this grant solicitation.

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

• FNS Risk Assessment Questionnaire o 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.

• Cooperative agreement recipients may be asked to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of the cooperative agreement. All costs associated with the site visit will be paid for by USDA and are not expected to be included in cooperative agreement budgets.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf

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 capture on no more than 50 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of content, resumes, letter(s) of commitment, endorsement letter(s), budget narrative(s), appendices, and required forms. All pages, excluding 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.

• Letters of support must be submitted with the application through grants.gov. Letters submitted via email will not be considered.

• 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 and deemed nonresponsive.

• 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.

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.

Activities/Indicators Tracker Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described in Section 1 – 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 # Objective 1: Assist DFMs in becoming SNAP-authorized.

Activity Informational Meeting held Indicator(s) No. of farmers represented Activity Reviewing SNAP authorization process Indicator(s) Pre-Meeting Survey and Post-Meeting Survey results on application clarity

Objective # Activity Indicator(s)

Objective # Activity Indicator(s)

Application Budget Narrative The budget narrative, formatted as a table, 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. The budget and budget narrative must be in line with the proposed project description. If the budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide a copy of its most recently approved Federal indirect cost rate agreement. Budget categories in this table must match those listed on the SF-424A form. If the budget table is created in a spreadsheet, it must be formatted to fit on an 8.5 x 11-inch page, with a font no smaller than 11-point Times New Roman. All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

Indirect Cost Rate A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a cognizant Federal 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 7 of this RFA.

Required Grant Application Forms The required grants.gov forms are located at grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html.

• Non-Construction Grant Projects Forms: SF-424 Family o Application and Instruction for Federal Assistance (SF-424) o Budget Information and Instructions (SF-424A) o Assurance-Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B)

• SF LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) o Indicate on your form whether your organization intends to conduct lobbying activities. If you organization does not intend to lobby, write “Not Applicable” in boxes required to be completed.

• Copy of the IRS Determination Letter of 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service

• Additional Required Forms and Information o Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Please see below for further information o SAM registration. Please see below for further information.

Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to grants.gov by 11:59 PM EDT September 5, 2023.

• Applications must be submitted via grants.gov. Mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, see the “Preparing for Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov” below.

• 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.

FNS will not accept applications outside of grants.gov. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications through grants.gov should contact applicant support via the toll-free number 1-800-518-4726 and email at support@grants.gov. This service is available 24/7.

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.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://sam.gov/content/home

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a UEI number

What is a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI)?

A UEI is a unique number assigned to all entities (public and private companies, individuals, institutions, or organizations) who register to do business with the federal government. For more information, visit the U.S. General Services Administration website.

Where do I go to learn more about the UEI?

The U.S. General Services Administration Unique Entity Identifier Update page contains the most up-to-date information about the UEI.

Note: After April 4, 2022, entities can register in SAM.gov and will be assigned their “SAM UEI.” They will no longer obtain or use a “DUNS UEI” for entity registration or reporting.

For additional information on the UEI process, please visit SAM.gov.

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

• On April 4, 2022, the UEI used across the federal government changed from the DUNS number to the UEI (generated by SAM.gov).

• SAM combines federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system. Visit SAM.gov for additional information.

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

• 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.

• FNS strongly encourages applicants to begin this 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 Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to complete this process. For more detailed instruction about creating a profile on grants.gov, visit grants.gov/register.html.

How to Submit an Application via 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 or RFA, you can create individual instances of a workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, visit grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update?gsaredirect=entityid https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service/technology-transformation-services/office-of-systems-management/integrated-award-environment-iae/iae-systems-information-kit/unique-entity-identifier-update?gsaredirect=entityid https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home https://www.grants.gov/register.html https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview.html 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 contact grants.gov support and get a ticket number. The Support Center ticket number will assist the Center with tracking your issue.

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please contact the Grant Officer noted in Section 7 – Federal Awarding Agency Contacts of this RFA.

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 or 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 (e.g., ! @ # $ % ^ & * - ‘). This includes periods (.) and spacing followed by a dash in the file. To separate words in naming a file, use underscore (_). For example, Attached_File.pdf.

If these guidelines for file names are not followed, your application will be rejected. FNS will not accept any application rejected from the grants.gov portal due to incorrect naming conventions.

Additional information can be found at grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#attachments.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EDT on the due date listed on the cover page, as detailed in Section 4 – Submission Date. 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 (e.g., GRANTXXXXXXXX) from grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and a 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 acknowledgement 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.

mailto:support@grants.gov

Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is subject to the requirements of EO 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” This Executive Order was issues with the desire to foster the intergovernmental partnership and strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed federal financial assistance and direct federal development. The Order allows each State to designate an entity to perform this function.

If you are located within a State that does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC), you may send application materials directly to a federal awarding agency.

For a list of State agency contacts, please visit whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf.

Funding Restrictions

• This cooperative agreement opportunity is not intended to support the development of an untested mobile application for SNAP. However, the grantee may collaborate or coordinate with The App provider to develop additional functionality for The App that would enable the processing of transactions for other Federal nutrition assistance programs.

• Pre-award costs will not be awarded for this cooperative agreement.

5. Application Review Information

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. If an application does not include all required documentation, FNS will consider the application to be non-responsive and will eliminate it from further evaluation. See Section 4, “Application and Submission Information” for additional details.

The review committee will evaluate proposals against the criteria below. The project narrative sections include a point value to indicate the importance of each section.

Project Design (35 points)

1. The proposal describes the overall approach and the general techniques that will be used to prioritize and conduct outreach to DMFs operating at FMs that are not currently SNAP-authorized (Objective 1).

2. The proposal clearly describes the current characteristics of The App, including but not limited to (Objective 2):

a. its development and current functionality, and the transaction types that it can currently process;

b. how The App meets the minimum requirements for processing SNAP EBT as stated in the Section 9, Appendix.

c. certifications of The App; and https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf

d. formal agreement between the grantee and The App provider that clearly describes the relationship between the two entities and the responsibilities and obligations of each.

3. The proposal provides evidence that the proposed approach is well-suited to meet the purposes of this grant opportunity, including a clear understanding of the EBT transaction process (Objective 2).

4. The proposal describes the overall approach and the general techniques that will be used to support the training of SNAP-authorized DMFs and FMs (Objective 3).

5. The proposal clearly describes the proposed project’s direct effect on the participation of DMFs and FMs as SNAP-authorized retailers. For example, proposals may demonstrate impact by measuring time savings or cost savings, or the benefit(s) that DMFs and FMs may experience while going through the application process (Objective 4).

6. The proposal clearly defines and identifies special populations and entities that are under-served by SNAP or other Federal nutrition assistance programs in up to three local areas.

The proposal details outreach and engagement strategies and clarifies partners in this aspect of the project (Objective 5).

Implementation and Monitoring (15 points)

1. The proposal includes a project timeline that outlines proposed tasks/activities, including sufficient time allotted for each task/activity, and demonstrates agility in progressing from planning and development to implementation.

2. The proposal describes a well-thought-out, organized performance measurement and assessment process that will measure whether the project’s objectives have been achieved and to what extent, assesses lessons learned, and describes new or enhanced approaches to improving performance. The proposal should describe:

a. who will measure and assess the project’s objectives;

b. how the objectives will be measured and assessed; and

c. when the objectives will be measured.

3. The proposal should include a communication plan for communicating internally with FNS, and externally with DMFs and FMs and project stakeholders.

4. The proposal should include sample report templates for summarizing the number of participating farmers (and markets) as well as the participating in training and outreach.

Sustainability (20 points)

1. The proposal shows that the project is very likely to be sustained after the cooperative agreement period ends. The proposal should clearly demonstrate that there is a business plan to enable the continued participation of DMFs and FMs after the no-cost period.

Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (20 points)

1. The proposal includes:

a. A line item budget;

b. 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 objectives of the project. There should be adequate justification for budget costs based on current industry costs/standards;

c. A copy of the approved negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) must be attached if indirect costs are shown as a budget expense to the project; and

d. If applicable, the budget must show how the costs are going to be allocated among the various fees for processing EBT transactions, credit/debit transactions, and other associated fees. It should demonstrate that this grant is only going to fund approved costs.

2. The proposal should be cost effective; it must demonstrate that the anticipated results are commensurate with the cost of the project.

3. Proposals that include hiring a consultant or contracting of work must provide the following information:

a. Consultant’s name and description of service;

b. Itemized list of all direct costs and fees;

c. Salaries must have the number of personnel including the position title;

d. Specialty and specialized qualifications as appropriate to the salary;

e. Number of estimated hours times hourly wage;

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

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

NOTE: Proposal submissions that omit the required budget narratives and/or line-item descriptions will be rejected from consideration. Therefore, applicants should recognize that a well-written budget narrative that justifies the proposed project expenditures assists the reviewers during the review process.

Staff Capability Management (10 points)

1. The proposal identifies the project director/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/manager or key staff, it must include, in the application package, job descriptions for the positions that must be assigned.

Applicants should address their contingency or back-up plans in the event of key staff departures.

2. 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.

3. The proposal demonstrates that effective and consistent oversight by qualified project managers will be implemented throughout the project, and that effective communication will exist within the applicant’s organization.

4. The proposal includes an organization chart of the proposed project.

5. Applicants should address their contingency or back-up plans in the event of key staff departures.

Total Points Available: 100

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. FNS may request information from the applicant not clearly addressed in their proposal. 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.

6. Federal Award Administration Information

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.

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” means information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual (OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource).

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 PII in accordance with applicable law, regulation, and policy [e.g., the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum, M- 17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable Information; OMB Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource (this is a non-exhaustive list of requirements in this area)].

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, regulations, and policies. By submitting a grant application, applicants agree to take all necessary steps to protect PII, including the following: (1) ensuring that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained or otherwise associated with UDSA FNS funded grants is securely transmitted; (2) ensuring that PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, and that PII and other sensitive data is not submitted via email; (3) data is transmitted via FNS approved file sharing services or encrypted mobile media storage devices; and (4) ensuring that PII is encrypted and password protected both in transit and at rest.

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…