_RFA - Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs.pdf

FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs RFA

Food and Nutrition Service

Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs: Fiscal Year 2019 Request for Applications

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.574

Dates:

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Letter of Intent: April 15, 2019

Application Due Date: 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), June 2, 2019

Anticipated Award Date: September 30, 2019

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 time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 60 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov officially retired the legacy .PDF application package as a method to apply for a Federal grant. This changed the way many Grants.gov users completed and submitted their grant applications.

For information on Workspace application process, visit:

https://grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://communications.grants.gov/app/l/6q3KZ8jGoQl892veDQGyBvbQ/8wUMOSFAzsZ0MK9DNLgLtg/hysv8Unh3EXvtNpco6IwbQ https://communications.grants.gov/app/l/6q3KZ8jGoQl892veDQGyBvbQ/8wUMOSFAzsZ0MK9DNLgLtg/hysv8Unh3EXvtNpco6IwbQ https://grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Application Checklist This application checklist provides a list of the required documents; however FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application.

In order to apply, at least four weeks prior to submission, you must have:

Obtained a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

Registered the DUNS number into the System for Award Management (SAM); and Registered in Grants.gov.

When preparing your application, ensure:

Your application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV

“Application and Submission Information,” including page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments.

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

All key staff who are paid by this grant.

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

Your organization’s fringe benefit amount along with the basis for the computation.

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

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

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

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

Justification, description and itemized list of all consultant services.

Indirect cost information (either a copy of a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

(NICRA) or if no agreement exists, the basis of the indirect costs requested). If none 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-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities.

FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (see

Attachment F) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF – Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15) http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SFLLL_1_2-V1.2.pdf http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES 5

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 9

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 18

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 20

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 29

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 33

VII. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 39

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION 39

APPENDICES

A. Guidance for Interpreting Cost Principles for Grants and Sub-Grant Awards B. Progress Report- Sample

ATTACHMENTS

A. Logic Model - Sample B. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - Sample C. Conflict of Interest Form - Sample D. Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire E. Application Cover Page F. Activities/Indicators Tracker G. Letter of Intent

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

A. Background and Legislative Authority

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The mission of FNS is to work with partners to provide food and nutrition education to people in need in a way that inspires public confidence and supports American agriculture. Among these nutrition assistance programs are the Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Administered by State agencies, the Child Nutrition Programs help fight hunger and obesity by reimbursing organizations such as schools, child care centers, and after-school programs for providing nutritionally balanced meals to children at low or no cost.

Team Nutrition Training Grants are authorized under Public Law 111–296, which amended Section 19 of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. As authorized under Section 6(a)(3) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, 42 USC 1755(a)(3), FNS provides training and technical assistance for school nutrition professionals, nutrition education for children and their caregivers, and encourages school and community support for healthy eating and physical activity. These activities are implemented under the Agency’s Team Nutrition initiative. Team Nutrition Training Grants have been a part of the Team Nutrition initiative since its inception in 1995. These grants have provided State agencies with funds to implement training and nutrition education within the Child Nutrition Programs in their State.

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs will help FNS identify innovative, State-developed training programs that focus on improving school meal quality, so that other States may use them as a model or guide for implementing similar training programs. Research1234567 has shown that meal quality, particularly among adolescents, can influence students’ food choices and their overall perceptions of school meals. While NSLP meal pattern requirements set minimum standards for the nutritional quality of lunches served, there are opportunities at the local level that influence how meals are prepared and served that may impact overall meal quality.

B. Key Definitions

• School Nutrition Professionals: School nutrition program employees at the district or school level who are administering or operating the NSLP and/or SBP or who contract with a food service management company to provide school meals and manage aspects of school food service operations. In general, there are three job categories related to school food service operations: directors, managers, and frontline staff. At the local level, there are many different job titles of individuals who perform similar duties. The definitions below are general enough to cover most local school nutrition program employees:

o Directors plan, administer, implement, monitor, and evaluate all district-wide aspects of school nutrition programs.

o Managers have direct responsibility for the day-to-day operations at one or more school buildings. May also be referred to as “supervisors.”

1Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Healthy Eating and School Lunch Meals among Adolescents: A Qualitative Study. Payán DD, Sloane DC, Illum J, Farris T, Lewis LB. Am J Health Behav. 2017; 41(5):661-9.

2 Variables Affecting High School Students' Perceptions of School Foodservice. Meyer MK, Conklin MT. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998; 98(12):1424-31.

3 Student Feedback to Improve the United States Department of Agriculture Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Lin YC, Fly AD. Nutr Res Pract. 2016; 10(3):321-7.

4 High School Students' Recommendations to Improve School Food Environments: Insights from a Critical Stakeholder Group. Yuka Asada, Alejandro G. Hughes, Margaret Read, Marlene B. Schwartz, Jamie F. Chriqui J Sch Health. 2017; 87(11):842–9.

5A Qualitative Study on Factors that Influence Students' Food Choices. Murimi, Mary & Chrisman, Matthew & R.

McCollum, Heather & Mcdonald, Olevia. J Nutri Health. 2016; 2(1):1-6.

6 School-Level Factors Associated with Increased Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Students in California Middle and High Schools. Wendi Gosliner, J Sch Health. 2014; 84(9):559–68.

7 Is Lunch Still Gross? A Qualitative Evaluation of a New School Lunch Program. Cohn, D. J., Pickering, R., & Chin, N. P. ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition. 2013; 5(6):383–92.

o Frontline staff prepare and serve meals, process transactions at point of service, and review the free/reduced price applications, along with other routine work.

Typically, frontline staff do not have management responsibilities.

• Grantee: State agency receiving Team Nutrition Training Grant funds and implementing approved grant-funded activities.

• Pilot: Implementation of a training program on a small scale to determine the feasibility of approach, recruitment, retention, to test new methodology or materials, and/or implementation of a novel intervention.8

• Self-Efficacy: The belief individuals have in their own abilities to meet workplace challenges and complete a task successfully.

• School Meal Quality: Characteristics of food that affect its acceptability to consumers. This includes food appearance (size, shape, color, gloss, and consistency), texture, flavor, nutritional value, and freshness. Examples of factors related to meal quality that have been cited in the research as affecting students’ perceptions of school lunch and willingness to eat it include: variety, flavor, attractiveness of food on the serving line, choices that allow students to meet cultural and ethnic preferences, access to fresh foods, etc. Meal quality can be measured against developed quality standards or by assessing consumers’ perceptions of meal quality (e.g., satisfaction surveys, taste-testing ballots, etc.).

C. Team Nutrition Grant Purpose

The purpose of this FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs is to identify and support the expansion of existing State-developed training programs that are designed to improve school nutrition professionals’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to school meal quality.

This grant enables States to:

• Expand the reach of their professional development training for school nutrition professionals.

• Award sub-grants to support training delivery and the implementation of meal quality improvement strategies by training participants.

• Evaluate their training program on a larger scale to determine if objectives are met and how improvements may be made.

8 Leon AC, Davis LL, Kraemer HC. The role and interpretation of pilot studies in clinical research. J …Psychiatric Res. 2010;45(5):626-9.

• Receive recognition for grant activities in FNS presentations, reports, social media, etc.

D. Key Objectives

Activities under this grant must be clearly aligned to the three objectives below.

Objectives

1. Expand State-developed training programs to increase school nutrition professionals’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to school meal quality.

2. Engage school nutrition professionals in implementing strategies to improve school meal quality or students’ perceptions of school meal quality.

3. Increase State agency capacity to deliver training to school nutrition professionals.

E. Eligible State-Developed Training Programs

This grant supports the broader implementation and evaluation of existing State-developed school meal quality training programs for school nutrition professionals.

Proposals should focus on the expansion of existing State-developed training programs that have been piloted or tested through formative research (published or unpublished) and developed utilizing evidence-informed practices identified in published peer-review research. This grant does not support the development or testing of a new training curricula or programs.

Training content provided under this grant must be designed to improve school meal quality and be targeted to school nutrition directors, school nutrition managers, and/or frontline school nutrition staff. FNS is particularly interested in training programs that include a frontline staff training component. Training programs to be expanded under this grant must also show the potential to be replicated by other States, such that other States (and school nutrition professionals) will benefit from the findings of the grant activities.

Through this grant program, a State may implement a training program that was piloted by another State.

Activities to be conducted under this grant may include:

• Recruitment of training participants;

• Delivery of training and any necessary follow-up;

• Awarding of sub-grants (optional) to support training delivery and the implementation of meal quality improvement strategies by training participants;

• Evaluation of training activities and implementation of meal quality improvement strategies; and

• Reporting.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

A. Total Amount of Funding Expected to Award

In FY 2019, up to $4 million in funding is anticipated to be awarded for the Team Nutrition Training Grants for Innovative State Training Programs, subject to the availability of funds.

B. Anticipated Award Amounts

FNS anticipates competitively awarding this FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs to five State agencies. Up to $700,000 per State agency may be requested for executing this expansion of an existing State-developed training program for school nutrition professionals over a period of three years. FNS reserves the right to make greater or fewer grant awards based upon the level of funding requested, the quality of applications received, or other Agency priorities. The submission of an application does NOT guarantee funding. FNS reserves the right to reduce, increase, or revise proposed budgets based on the availability of funds.

C. Anticipated Start Dates and Period of Performance

Through a competitive grants process, the anticipated grant period of performance is September 30, 2019 through September 30, 2022 (3 years).

D. Type of Federal Financial Assistance

Funding for approved Team Nutrition Training Grants for Innovative State Training Programs will be provided through the Grant Award/Letter of Credit process, upon receipt of a fully executed grant agreement between USDA/FNS and the Grantee. These awards are subject to availability of funding. All Team Nutrition Training Grant funds must be obligated and all activities must be fully completed by September 30, 2022.

E. Use of Grant Funds-Allowable Costs

All requested costs must be allowable, allocable, necessary, and reasonable in accordance with new OMB Code of Federal Regulations Cost Principles as follows:

• 2 CFR Part 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

• 2 CFR Part 400 “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

Allowable use of funds includes, but is not limited to:

Training

• Delivery of piloted State-developed training for school nutrition professionals

• Implementation of a train-the-trainer program or orientation for mentors/coaches to expand the instructors' network for statewide training

• Conducting a grant evaluation and collecting the required performance measures

• Travel reimbursement for attending training (reimbursement may only be paid for travel expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations 41 CFR 301 and shall not exceed the lesser of State or Federal maximum per diem rates)

Sub-Grants to Local School Food Authorities

• Sub-grants for local training of school nutrition professionals

• Sub-grants for implementation of training strategies at schools that participate in the

NSLP (such as taste-testing events, small equipment (less than $5,000) to improve meal quality, etc.)

• All sub-grant awards must follow the “Guidance for Interpreting Cost Principles of Grants and Sub-Grant Awards” (see Appendix A)

Personnel Costs

• Percentage of salary and benefits for the Project Director, Social Scientist, and other key personnel (must be equal to the time spent on the grant activities)

• Contracted employee or trainer salaries (must be equal to the time spent on the grant activities)

• Pay for substitutes while school nutrition professionals attend training

Materials/Resources and Other Supplies

• Printing, duplication, and distribution of training materials

• Justified costs for translating materials, adapting them to different formats, or tailoring another State’s training program

Technology and Equipment to Document and Deliver Training

• Procurement of technology (both hardware and software such as tablets, laptops, display boards, etc.) necessary to implement training (may NOT exceed ten percent of requested funds)

• Expenditures for both supplies and small equipment, less than $5,000 are allowable expenses.

• Grantees will be asked to submit high-resolution photographs of grant-funded activities, with each annual report. Funds used to purchase high-resolution photography equipment shall not exceed $2,000 total. These photos and the accompanying photo releases (for photos including children and adults) will provide USDA with additional documentation of grant-funded activities and will aid in the promotion of the Team Nutrition Training Grant program. USDA will retain rights to these photos and may use them in social media and other USDA materials.

Food Expenses

• Food purchases limited to educational and training purposes, including: sample tables, taste tests, or promotional use. Food costs related to hands-on culinary training, or a new recipe, are also deemed an appropriate use of funds. No more than 10 percent of the grant funds may be used for food purchases.

Travel

• All associated costs for the Project Director and Social Scientist to attend and present their results at a minimum of one national nutrition conference(s), as approved by

FNS.

• All associated costs for the Project Director and Social Scientist to attend a grantee meeting at the FNS National Office in Alexandria, VA twice during the period of the grant.

F. Grantee Requirements

In their grant application, States must describe their training program and evidence supporting its effectiveness. Applicants must indicate how they plan to recruit participants for their State-developed training, implement the training program, administer sub-grants (if provided), evaluate their training efforts, and report results.

Proposed State-Developed Training Program Applications should include a copy of the training curriculum and associated materials as an attachment of their grant application (uploaded into Grants.gov; file size not to exceed 200 MB). Applications can also include a link to publically available online training curriculum and materials. If an applicant is unable to upload a copy of the training materials as an attachment or provide a hyperlink to the materials, they will need to contact the Grants Officer, Anna Arrowsmith, to discuss an alternative method (see section VII Federal Awarding Agency Contacts). Applicants should identify how the training curriculum is designed to increase school nutrition professionals’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to school meal quality. Applications should include a logic model that presents the shared relationships among the resources and activities (inputs), outputs, short and long term outcomes for the training program (see Attachment A). The logic model should be one page and depict the relationship between the training program’s activities and its intended effects.

Applicants should provide a comprehensive description of the proposed training approach, including a detailed description of all training components, their length, intended recipients, duration, time of delivery, and format. The training program may utilize any format, or combination of formats, including, but not limited to in-person trainings or workshops, online learning modules, webinars, videos, web-based applications, or blended learning (i.e., an educational program that combines online/web-based digital media or modules with traditional face-to-face instruction), among others.

All proposed training materials must be consistent with regulations, policy, and guidance pertinent to the NSLP. Applicants must describe how the State-developed training curriculum is evidence-informed and is supported by formative research or pilot testing results. In the proposal, applicants must indicate the cost of delivering the training per participant and justify their approach.

If the State plans to make modifications to the training program to support statewide expansion, then the proposed changes should be thoroughly described and justified in the application. This includes translating materials, making slight changes to tailor materials to a specific audience in the State, adapting materials to different formats, adapting materials developed by a different State, or making slight changes based upon pilot evaluations. If recipes are included as a part of the training, the recipes must be standardized and credited for use in the NSLP. Recipes must use domestic products, in accordance with the Agency’s Buy American Provision.9

Materials from the State-developed training program must be in compliance with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (https://www.section508.gov). At the conclusion of the grant period, FNS plans to publish training materials on FNS communication channels to promote replicability amongst State agencies throughout the country. Applicants should address the accessibility of their training program and

9 United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Memo: SP 38-2017. Compliance with and Enforcement of the Buy American Provision in the National School Lunch Program. June 30, 2017. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cn/SP38-2017os.pdf https://www.section508.gov/ https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cn/SP38-2017os.pdf https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/cn/SP38-2017os.pdf materials in their narrative proposal. In the proposal, applicants should also address how their training program may be replicated by other States and how the training program would be sustainable after the period of the grant.

Recruitment of Training Participants The applicant’s demonstration of their ability to recruit and provide training to school nutrition professionals throughout the State will be a significant consideration of FNS’ evaluation of the application. The applicant should propose how they plan to expand their training program and recruit school nutrition professionals to participate.

A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs; see Attachment B) from each School Food Authority (SFA) that will be participating in the training program should be included in the appendix of the application package.

FNS is particularly interested in training programs that will reach underserved areas within a State. Applicants should include a description of how the training program will allow them to reach rural, underserved, or hard-to-reach areas in their State.

Training Evaluation Plan In the proposal, applicants must include a plan to evaluate the implementation of the State-developed school meal quality training program. Applicants should describe the evaluation type and methodology, timeline of evaluation activities, data collection tools, and plans to control for confounding variables. Applicants must describe how they will:

• Ensure IRB approval as required by State and local entities for data collection.

• Track and provide oversight of all grant-funded activities.

• Identify/develop/validate instruments to measure selected metrics, including knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to meal quality.

• Conduct data collection at key intervals.

• Conduct analysis of data related to grant activities.

• Contribute to the final Grantee report to share findings related to the State-developed training program evaluation.

Applicants must identify a Social Scientist who will lead grant evaluation efforts.

Qualifications of the Social Scientist must include an advanced degree in social science or similar discipline with training and experience in nutrition or public health program evaluation. Experience evaluating school-based interventions is highly desired.

Applicants must propose evaluation measures and indicators that are appropriate for their grant activities as indicated by their logic model. At a minimum, FNS is requiring reporting on the following indicators:

• Hours of training per type of participant (non-duplicated count) (e.g., number of training hours per school nutrition director, per manager, per frontline staff)

• Total number of participants trained, as well as the breakdown of type of participant (e.g., director, manager, frontline staff)

• Demographics of training participants (e.g., urbanicity, district size)

• Cost of training per participant

• Number and amount of sub-grants and their use (if applicable)

• Description of strategies participants implemented to support school meal quality at a school or district level

• Changes in training participants’ knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy related to meal quality

• Training barriers and challenges

Management and Administration of Sub-Grants Applicants must clearly describe their plans for administering and managing sub-grants (if provided) to SFAs participating in grant activities, including the methodology, criteria timing, and amount of sub-grants. The proposed approach must be consistent with the Guidance for Interpreting Cost Principles for Grants and Sub-Grant Awards (see Appendix A).

Project Management and Quality Control The State agency is responsible for overseeing and coordinating grant activities;

providing fiscal oversight; and exercising effective internal control of funds that are provided to a sub-contractor or sub-grantee. Applicants must submit a staffing plan that identifies individuals who are designated as key personnel for this grant. Key personnel generally are identified as those individuals who:

• Assume a substantive responsibility for developing, modifying, and achieving project objectives;

• Are responsible for managing, administering, conducting, or providing oversight for a significant component of the project; and

• Have a direct bearing on the outcome of the project.

Applicants are required to have a Project Director as key personnel at one (1.0) full-time equivalent (FTE) for this grant (no more than two staff positions can be combined to reach one FTE). At a minimum, the Project Director will be responsible for administration of the grant, including fiscal management (including exercising effective internal controls of funds that are provided to sub-grantees as per the “Guidance for Interpreting Cost Principles for Grants and Sub-Grant Awards” listed in Appendix A), reporting to FNS, and providing oversight for grant activities. The application should describe the qualifications of the Project Director. Their resume must demonstrate that they have the appropriate educational, technical, and experiential background for the proposed roles. The Project Director must have a four-year degree in nutrition/dietetics and experience in school nutrition. Experience in managing a large training program is highly desired. A Letter of Commitment from the Project Director and the Project Director’s supervisor is also required.

Applicants are required to have a Social Scientist as key personnel required at one (1.0) FTE for this grant (no more than two staff positions can be combined to reach one FTE). The Social Scientist will be responsible for designing and managing the evaluation of grant-funded activities; pre-testing or developing appropriate evaluation tools; collecting data on performance measures; and reporting regularly on these measures. The application should describe the qualifications of the Social Scientist. Their resume must demonstrate that they have the appropriate experience in evaluating nutrition and/or public health programs, with experience in evaluating school-based programs highly desired.

In addition to the information noted above, applications must contain a staffing plan that includes a clear description with the following information for any additional key project position that must be filled during the course of the grant:

• Position title

• A detailed position description with required qualifications, skills, and knowledge

• A description of specific roles and duties on the project, referencing the project or evaluation narrative

• An anticipated date of hire;

• Expected time commitment with percentages of FTE or total work hours for each year of the grant; and

• Contingency plan if the position is not filled in a timely manner.

In an appendix, the following staffing and personnel information must be provided:

• Current resumes for key personnel that reflect prior relevant experience and the appropriate educational and technical backgrounds for their proposed roles.

• Letters of Commitment from the Project Director, Project Director’s supervisor, Social Scientist, and other key personnel.

• Details for each key project position (other than the Project Director or Social Scientist) that must be filled during the course of the grant: 1) position title; 2) a detailed position description with required qualifications, skills, and knowledge; 3) a description of specific roles and duties on the project, referencing the project or evaluation narrative; 4) an anticipated date of hire; and 5) what arrangements will be made if the position is not filled in a timely manner.

• Organizational chart that indicates chain of command of all key project entities.

If any conflicts of interest are identified for key personnel (especially evaluation personnel or organizations), provide a discussion of what steps the State agency will take to ensure an objective and complete evaluation. Minimally, a signed conflict of interest form (see Attachment C) from the Social Scientist should be submitted as part of the application packet.

Grantee Reporting and Dissemination Grantees are required to submit quarterly reports, cumulative annual performance reports, and a final report. The Grantee is strongly encouraged to utilize FNS-developed reporting templates. Refer to Appendix B for an example of what a report may require. The specific reporting format will be provided to Grantees as a part of their Grant Terms and Conditions, and/or a part of grant orientation.

Quarterly progress reports must provide a description of the activities conducted during the reporting period, major accomplishments with quantitative training data, difficulties encountered, solutions developed, and major planned activities for the next quarter.

Quarterly progress reports must also provide the following information:

• A description of progress towards project goals and objectives, as well as a description of trainings that occurred during the quarter (including descriptions of approaches, methods, and materials used);

• The number of trainings conducted (include total to date, as well as totals for each training delivery format);

• Progress on the award of any sub-contracts or sub-grants (if applicable);

• A summary and description of how partnering organization(s) are engaged (if applicable);

• Total number of training participants (unduplicated count) and average hours of training delivered by category of school nutrition professionals, including school nutrition directors, managers, and front-line staff;

• If applicable, a progress summary of participant follow-ups conducted (frequency, total number of participants, follow-up methodologies, total number of follow-ups conducted to-date towards the total number planned, and general topics covered);

• Budget impacts and deviations from the proposed plan.

A cumulative annual performance report must be submitted within 30 days after the end of each year of the grant period (October 30, 2020; October 30, 2021; October 30, 2022).

This report is a compilation of the information required in the quarterly progress reports.

Grantees should submit a minimum 10 high-resolution photographs (including accompanying photo releases and supporting description) of grant funded activities, with each annual report.

Within 90 days after the end of the grant period, the grantee must electronically submit a final report that includes, but is not limited to:

• A brief description of the evaluation methodology and how performance measures were collected and assessed;

• A brief description of the tested tools or survey instruments used to capture the performance measures;

• Results that include major accomplishments and outcomes, and analysis of all required performance measures (e.g., the total number of unduplicated participants and total encounters reached over the three-year period);

• A summary of lessons learned and best practices gleaned from field experience throughout the duration of the training program that could inform future work;

• Discussion on how the training program and its results can inform other State agencies seeking to enhance school meal quality, and the feasibility (both financially and administratively) of implementing it in other States; and

• Calculation of costs related to the implementation and operation of the grant, including the cost per training participant.

The grantee must also electronically submit a set of final grant materials that are 508-compliant (e.g. training curricula, data collection tools).

The Project Director and Social Scientist are expected to attend a grantee meeting at the FNS National Office in Alexandria, VA twice during the period of the grant. During this meeting, grantees are expected to present their grant progress and evaluation findings to FNS staff. Grantees are also expected to contribute to a grantee report during the last year of the grant. This report will describe all training programs funded under the FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs.

To expand the dissemination of the State-developed training program and results, grantees must submit a poster/oral abstract or educational session proposal to present the outcomes of their grant project to at least one national nutrition meeting (SNEB or another national nutrition meeting), as agreed upon with FNS. If the grantee’s oral abstract/session proposal is accepted for presentation, the grantee must send the Project

Director or Social Scientist to the conference to present the session. Grant application budgets must include cost estimates for poster printing, conference registration fees, and associated travel to the conference(s). Because the location of the conference has not yet been determined, applicants can estimate the costs using current U.S. General Services Administration per diem rates for Washington, DC. Grantees are encouraged to work in coordination with FNS to present findings from the grant at additional conferences; write and submit articles for publication; provide reports/updates on grant activities at meetings; etc.

G. Type of Federal Financial Assistance

Funding for grantees will be provided through the Grant Award/Letter of Credit process, upon receipt of a fully executed grant agreement between USDA Food and Nutrition Service and the grantee. These awards are subject to availability of funding. All Team Nutrition Training Grants for Innovative State Training Programs funds must be obligated and all activities conducted under this grant must be fully completed by September 30, 2022.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

State agencies that administer the NSLP may submit an application in response to this solicitation.

There are two FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant opportunities: Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs and the Team Nutrition E-STAR Training Grant. Each State may submit only one application on behalf of all interested Child Nutrition State agencies within that State and may apply to only one of the two aforementioned Team Nutrition Training Grants. States that submit applications for both grant opportunities will not be considered.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

There are no cost sharing or matching considerations.

C. Pre-Application Screening Requirements

In reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, Federal Awarding Agencies, in accordance with 2 CFR 200.400, are required, prior to making a Federal award, to review information available through various OMB-designated repositories for eligibility qualification or financial integrity, and to have in place a framework for evaluating the risks posed by applicants before they receive Federal awards. The evaluation of the information obtained from the designated repository systems and the risk assessment may result in FNS imposing special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed. The Federal repository systems FNS will review include:

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

2) FAPIIS, the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System, is a database that has been established to track contractor misconduct and performance.

3) Dun and Bradstreet, the system where applicants establish a DUNS number which is used by the Federal government to better identify related organizations that are receiving funding under grants and cooperative agreements, and to provide consistent name and address data for electronic grant application systems. The Federal government requires that all applicants for Federal grants and cooperative agreements with the exception of individuals other than sole proprietors have a DUNS number.

Applicants must also respond to the Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (Attachment D) to allow FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, and history of performance, reports and findings from audits. A questionnaire containing these questions has been provided to facilitate the process. Applicants must answer all the pre-application questions. While answering “yes” may be an indicator of risk, the consideration and evaluation of these questions is only an indicator of potential risk and may or may not result in an additional oversight requirements or special conditions be placed on an award should an award be made. Decisions regarding additional oversight requirements will take into consideration the total number of risks identified.

D. Acknowledge 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 are asked to follow the USDA Visual Standards Guide at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january- 2013.pdf 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.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Interested applicants may request a paper copy of this solicitation and required forms by contacting the FNS Grants Officer at:

Anna Arrowsmith

Grants and Fiscal Policy Division U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 740

Alexandria, VA 22302 E-mail: Anna.Arrowsmith@fns.usda.gov

A. Application Format

Overview

• Include a table of contents (not counted towards page limit).

• Limit the narrative portion of the application to the page lengths stated below.

Narrative response page restrictions apply only to content of the narrative application and do not apply to other required forms/attachments, nor the budget-related documents. Pages exceeding the stated page limits may be omitted during the review process.

• Use a 12-point Times New Roman font (smaller font may be used in tables, charts and graphs as long as they are clearly readable).

• Use at least one-inch margins on the top and bottom of the page.

• Number all pages, excluding the form pages.

• Submit completed application via grants.gov. Files should be submitted as a Portable Document File (PDF) through the grants.gov workspace.

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf mailto:Anna.Arrowsmith@fns.usda.gov

Special Instructions

• Only State agencies that administer the NSLP may submit an application in response to this solicitation. There are two FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant opportunities, the FY 2019 Team Nutrition Training Grant for Innovative State Training Programs and the FY 2019 Team Nutrition E-STAR Training Grant. Each State may submit only one application on behalf of all interested Child Nutrition State agencies within that State and may apply to only one of the aforementioned Team Nutrition Training Grant opportunities. States that submit applications for both grant opportunities will not be reviewed.

• Include signed MOUs from each participating SFA (see Attachment B).

• Letters of Commitment and resumes are required for the Project Director and Social

Scientist. These must be submitted with the application package.

• A copy of the State-developed training curriculum must be submitted with the grant application (does not count towards page limits; there is a Grants.gov file size limit of 200 MB). Alternatively, a link (URL) to a publically available online version of the training curriculum may be provided.

• Late application submission will not be considered in this competition. FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are received.

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

• Applications that are not submitted via the Grants.gov portal will not be considered.

• If multiple application packages are submitted through the Grants.gov portal 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.

• Grant awards are contingent upon the availability of Federal funds.

• FNS reserves the right to make greater or fewer grant awards based upon the level of funding requested, the quality of applications received, or other Agency priorities. The submission of an application does NOT guarantee funding. FNS reserves the right to reduce, increase, or revise proposed budgets based on the availability of funds.

• There is no requirement for cost sharing or matching; therefore, this will not be considered in the review process.

The application should follow this format:

1. Introductory Materials (maximum two pages)

a. Application Cover Page (see Attachment E). Designate a single point of contact for your application. Provide the individual’s name, job title, mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address.

b. Abstract: Provide a summary of your application with the following sections:

Recruitment of SFAs (number of eligible SFAs to participate); Training Components, Duration, and Frequency; Administration of Sub-Grants; and Evaluation Methodology and Analysis.

c. Table of Contents (does not count toward page limit): include all pages, appendices, and attachments. Each page of the application documents should be sequentially numbered.

2. Project Narrative and Implementation (maximum 15 pages)

a. Must include the Activities/Indicators Tracker (see Attachment F).

b. Must address all factors listed in Section II, part F: Grantee Requirements, including a logic model.

3. Overall Project Timeline (maximum 4 pages)

4. Key Personnel and Staffing (maximum 4 pages)

a. Identify the staff (or contractors) who will manage the project. Describe roles and responsibilities of these employees or contractors, as well as relevant qualifications and experience. Include an organizational chart.

b. If a key staff member (other than the Project Director or Social Scientist) has not been hired, please attach the job description that will be used to fill this position (including desired knowledge, skills and education).

c. The application should identify a Project Director with appropriate qualifications as described in this RFA. A letter of commitment and resume is required for the Project Director.

d. A letter of commitment should be included from the Project Director’s supervisor.

e. The application should identify a Social Scientist that has an advanced degree in social science or similar discipline with training and experience in school nutrition program evaluation. A resume, letter of commitment, and conflict of interest form from the Social Scientist should be included in the application.

5. Project Management and Quality Assurance (1 page)

a. Provide a description of the approach to managing the project to ensure that project activities are completed on time, within budget, and with quality results.

6. Budget, Budget Narrative, and Management Plan (no maximum)

a. Provide a proposed budget describing appropriate use of grant funds and justifying costs. Refer to Section II. Federal Award Information, part E: Use of Grant Funds-Allowable Costs when developing the budget. The budget must be submitted using the “Budget Information and Instruction Form” (SF- 424A) Proposed costs must be necessary, reasonable and allocable to carry out the project’s goals and objectives. Include a total project budget, the amount requested from USDA, and the match contributed to the project.

b. In addition to the budget submitted via the “Budget Information and Instruction Form” (SF- 424A), you must also include a narrative line item description, formatted in a table with totals for each budget category, for every allowable cost and show how it supports the grant as well as briefly describe how the total amount for that line item was determined. If key partner(s) are receiving a portion of grant funds to provide essential services, please justify the organizations’ participation in the project. All funding requests must be in whole dollars.

c. 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.

d. All non-profit organizations must include their 501(c)(3) determination letter issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

e. Indirect Cost Rate: If available the current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a Federal negotiating agency, should be used. 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 note that this is what they are requesting. 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.

7. Required Grant Application Forms (no maximum)

a. Signed MOU’s- Attachments

b. Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire-

Attachment

c. Application Cover Page- Attachment

8. Appendices (no maximum)

a. Training curriculum

B. Letter of Intent

The eligible applicant that intends to submit an application should submit a Letter of Intent (Attachment G) notice by April 15, 2019. This notice does not obligate the applicant to submit an application but provides FNS with useful information in preparing for the review and selection process. The notice should include the potential applicant’s name and address, organization’s name, telephone number, and e-mail address of the primary point of contact. The applicant can send the letter via the mail or e-mail to the FNS Grants Officer identified below:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS 3101 Park Center Drive, Room 740

C. Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.Grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), on June 2, 2019.

• Late applications will not be considered.

• FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications once they are submitted.

• Applications must be submitted via the Grants.gov web portal.