SNAP LDP FY23 RFA__Final_4.27.23.pdf

Information Collection: 0584-0512

Expiration date: 07/31/2025

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Longitudinal Data Project (LDP)/Cooperative Agreement

Fiscal Year 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.577

Release Date: April 27, 2023

Application Due Date: 11:59 pm, Eastern Daylight Time

June 26, 2023

Anticipated Award Date: August 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 50 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.

Form RFA 01-23

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 https://www.grants.gov/ww.

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 grant.

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

(FTEs).

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

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

Itemized travel expenses (including type of travel), travel 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)

Resumes of key staff

Letters of support/commitment from key staff and partners

Additional attachments as required.

https://www.grants.gov/

Table of Contents

Checklist…………………………………………………………………………………………………….2

1. Program Description and Objectives

Program Description

Key Objectives

2. Federal Award Information

Allowable Costs

Unallowable Costs

3. Eligibility Information

Eligible Applicants

Ineligible 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

Letter of Intent

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

EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

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

Appendix

RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

FNS-906 Grant Program Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire

FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR)

1. Program Description and Objectives

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the nutrition assistance programs of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

FNS administers SNAP nationally, while State and local human services agencies operate the Program locally. SNAP is the cornerstone of USDA's nutrition assistance programs. SNAP is the largest program in the domestic hunger safety net and provides nutrition assistance benefits to millions of low-income people. These benefits help supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.

Congress set forth a legislative measure in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) which amends Section 17(n) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. Section 17(n) of the Act enables research on SNAP program administration. The overarching goal of the SNAP Longitudinal Data Project

(LDP) is to enable longitudinal research on participation in, and the operation of, SNAP over time and across State lines. Participating States transmit SNAP eligibility, benefit, and demographic information to a secure National-level database where it is made available for longitudinal research. FNS entered an inter-agency agreement with the Census Bureau in order to fulfill the requirements in Section 17(n) of the

Act, while minimizing the burden and administrative costs of the projects associated with this grant award. This grant opportunity is open to the 53 State agencies that administer SNAP.

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 SNAP LDP Grant Program will support States as they develop new efforts, or improve existing ones, to conduct longitudinal SNAP research. There is no single solution or approach required to participate, and each State may require a different approach to enable longitudinal research.

FNS acknowledges the need for flexibility to support State participation in the SNAP LDP and therefore aims to support these unique and State specific needs through the grant program.

Program Description (Section I)

Section 17(n) of the Act authorizes FNS to provide grants on a competitive basis to State agencies that participate in the SNAP LDP. Up to $5 million in grant funding is available in FY 2023 to support State participation. The intent of this grant is to support State participation in the SNAP LDP. There are a variety of ways States may participate that range in level of effort including, but not limited to, the transmission of data to Census for longitudinal research overtime and across State lines, support for State longitudinal research efforts and partnerships to achieve those, and development of internal State databases for longitudinal research that transmit data to Census as well. Each State will decide what level of effort is best for them and may request grant funds necessary to support participation. Technology and data related projects often take more than one year, especially when taking into consideration the procurement and implementation of associated projects. Therefore, this funding is available as a multi-year grant with a performance period (PoP) of up to four years between August 2023 to September 2027.

States that applied but were not selected for a SNAP LDP grant in prior years are strongly encouraged to apply for the FY 2023 grants. States that received grant funding for prior LDP grants may reapply for FY

2023 funding for a new project or addition to a current project. FY 23 grant funds may not be used for an existing grant project and this distinction must be clear in the proposal. Examples may include States who previously requested funds to send data to Census may decide to build an internal database or States working on internal databases may choose to work towards the SNAP Gold Standard or may choose to add in a research component.

States that want to participate in the SNAP LDP must work with the Census Bureau to draft a new, or amend a current, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Grant awardees will then begin transmitting their SNAP data to the Census Bureau, as documented per their MOU, and the Census Bureau will begin the process of creating the longitudinal linkages for the database. States that have not contacted the

Census Bureau to begin drafting the MOU within 30 days of award will be unable to draw down funding until they have done so. Additional details on this process can be found in the SNAP Parameters for

Participation (PFP) (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA- FNS). All funding is determined based on the number of grant requests and availability of funds.

Key Objectives

Below is a list of the Program Objectives. 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.

As stated above, the overarching goal of the SNAP LDP is to enable longitudinal research on participation in, and the operation of, SNAP over time and across State lines. Grant requests must address this overarching objective (Objective 1) AND one or more of Objectives 2-4.

# Objective

1 On an annual basis, securely transmit and/or enable the secure transmission of the monthly required data elements for the SNAP LDP with FNS/Census Bureau.

2 On an annual basis, securely transmit and/or enable the secure transmission of the monthly optional data elements for the SNAP LDP with FNS/Census Bureau.

3 Improve the evaluation of SNAP data across State lines by progressing toward a standardized data format to enable data comparison.

4 Enable SNAP longitudinal research.

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: $5 million

• Anticipated number of awards: 2-5

• Maximum award amount (award ceiling): Up to $2.25 million

• Anticipated award announcement date: August 2023

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

• Anticipated funding of individual awards: Up to $2.25 million

• Application due date: June 26, 2023 https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/longitudinal-data-project-ldp

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.

• Upon the selection and issuance of awards, awardees have 30 days to contact the Census

Bureau to begin the process of establishing or amending an MOU, agreeing upon the details of the data for transmission as it relates to the research on SNAP participation.

• The State agency should report any delays in the MOU process to avoid delays in funding.

• If the State has not reached out to the Census Bureau to establish or amend an MOU to include the SNAP LDP within 30 days after the selection and issuance of the award, funding may be delayed. If the MOU is not complete, FNS reserves the right to withhold funds. Additional details regarding the MOU are in the SNAP PFP (Longitudinal Data

Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS).

Allowable Costs

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

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

Procurement for the SNAP LDP must meet the requirements for a fair and open competition under (2

CFR 200.317)

Resources: Contractors and staff to support technology implementation and management, business process improvement, and data management (e.g. data extraction, data cleansing, data quality for transmitting data)

Technologies and Software: Databases and software technologies to collect, link, cleanse, and curate data for transmission.

Cross-Agency Collaboration: Data integration projects, MOU development, staff time from other offices/agencies to participate, and databases to jointly identify and curate data.

SNAP Gold Standard: Establish or meet the shared data format referred to as the SNAP Gold Standard.

FNS highly encourages States to implement the SNAP Gold Standard. States may request grant funding to achieve the shared data format in order to standardize data for easier, more efficient research opportunities. Information on the SNAP Gold Standard is located in the SNAP PFP at Longitudinal Data

Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS). Additionally, States are encouraged to participate in the National

Information Exchange Model (NIEM) and may pursue funding for both opportunities.

Unallowable Costs

SNAP LDP grant-funded projects may benefit other governmental programs; however, grant funds must only support the grant’s share of the project costs.

Funds may not be used to supplant existing personnel, or any position already supported by Federal funds.

Funds for this grant may not be used to make changes or modifications to existing State systems and are only for the purposes of the SNAP LDP.

Costs of entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any associated costs are unallowable.

Costs associated with promotional items are unallowable unless there is a programmatic purpose and prior approval is granted by FNS.

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

This grant opportunity is open to the 53 State agencies that administer SNAP. FNS will consider only one application per State agency.

To be eligible, the SNAP administering agencies must have the capacity to provide, on a periodic and ongoing basis, household and participant data derived from their eligibility system and other data sources of the State.

Applications for consideration must align with the stated program objectives. Funds from this RFA may not be used to offset costs for existing personnel who are completing activities unrelated to this grant, i.e., the percentage of staff costs attributed to this project must be properly allocated.

Ineligible Applicants

• International (non-U.S. or non-U.S. territories) entities are not eligible to apply.

Cost Sharing or Matching Considerations

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

Other Eligibility Criteria

• States with active SNAP LDP grants from prior years are eligible to reapply to propose a new and different related project to pursue with additional grant funds.

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

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/Fed Reg, 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.

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

4. Application and Submission Information

Content and Form of Application Submission

FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this program to adhere to the following applicant format. The proposed project plan should be presented on 8 ½” x 11” white paper with at least 1-inch margins on the top and bottom. All pages should be single-spaced in 12-point font.

The project description with relevant information should be captured on no more than 25 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.

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

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.

The essential parts of the narrative, which will be reviewed and evaluated, include: 1) Soundness or Merit of Project Design, 2) Implementation and Evaluation 3) Sustainability 4)) Budget Appropriateness and

Economic Efficiency, 5) Organizational Experience, Staff Capability and Management. The detailed description of this criteria begins on page 16 in Section 5 Application Review Information.

Activities/Indicators Tracker

Proposed Activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described starting on page 5 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 # 1) On an annual basis, securely transmit and/or enable the secure transmission of the monthly required data elements for the SNAP LDP with FNS/Census

Bureau.

Activity Establish State agreement with Census

Indicator(s) Finalized MOU with all appropriate signatures

Activity Begin working with Census to transmit agreed upon data elements

Indicator(s) Successful transmission of agreed upon data elements

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.

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, write

“none requested” 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.

*Cognizant Agent Note: Each organization is assigned to a single Federal agency (by the Office of

Management and Budget) that acts on behalf of all Federal agencies in indirect cost rate negotiations and is referred to as the “cognizant agency.”

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.

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

(Submission Date Section) o SAM registration. Please see below for further information (Submission Date Section).

Letter of Intent

The eligible applicant who intends to apply should submit a Letter of Intent by Friday, May 12, 2023.

This letter does not obligate the applicant to apply but provides FNS with useful information in preparing for the review and selection process. The letter should include the potential applicant’s name and address, organizations’ name, telephone number, and email address of the primary point of contact. The applicant can send the letter via email to the FNS Grant Officer at Carla.Garcia@usda.gov as identified in Section 7 of this RFA.

Potential applicants who submit a letter of intent by the due date of Friday, May 12, 2023, will receive a direct invitation to a technical assistance webinar for this solicitation scheduled for May 16, 2023, at 2pm

EDT. If a letter of intent is not submitted and a potential applicant would like to attend the webinar, please contact the FNS Grant Officer for this solicitation.

Submission Date

Complete grant applications must be uploaded to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM EDT on June 26, 2023.

• Applications must be submitted via grants.gov. Mailed, emailed, or hand-delivered application packages will not be accepted. For further instructions, see the following: “Preparing for

Electronic Application Submission through Grants.gov” on www.grants.gov

• 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.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/forms-repository.html mailto:Carla.Garcia@usda.gov http://www.grants.gov/

• 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 www.grants.gov and www.SAM.gov in order to submit an application to

FNS via grants.gov as required.

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 at www.gsa.gov.

Where do I go to learn more about the UEI?

The U.S. General Services Administration Unique Entity Identifier Update page (www.gsa.gov) 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 www.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 www.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.

mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home 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 http://www.gsa.gov/ https://sam.gov/content/home https://sam.gov/content/home

• 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: Applicant Registration |

GRANTS.GOV at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.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.

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: Applicant FAQs | GRANTS.GOV

At: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/appliant-faqs.html#attachments https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/appliant-faqs.html#attachments

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission

All applications must be received by 11:59 PM EDT June 26, 2023, 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 Authorized Organization

Representatives (AOR) 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.

Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is subject to the requirements of Executive Order (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

The following funding restrictions apply to application requests:

• Grant funds cannot be used for any ongoing SNAP operating costs that do not support the SNAP

LDP.

• Funds may not be used to offset costs for existing personnel who are completing activities unrelated to this grant, i.e., the percentage of staff costs attributed to this project must be properly allocated.

• Pre-award costs will not be awarded for this grant project.

• States must contact the Census Bureau to establish or amend an MOU within 30 days after award or funding may be delayed.

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

• Funds from this RFA are for new projects and not for the ongoing cost of carrying out an

• existing project.

• FNS does not intend for this grant program to fund compliance with existing statutory or regulatory program requirements, such as data matching. FNS will continue to fund all State agency activities through 50% Federal matching of administrative costs.

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.

EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

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

1. Soundness or Merit of Project Design (Total of 30 points possible)

Demonstrated Need (Up to 5 points):

• The proposal clearly describes the need for funding support to accomplish the requirements stated in the SNAP PFP and Section 17(n) of the Act in order to participate in the SNAP LDP.

• The proposal should focus on Objective 1, listed on page 6 under “Key Objectives” , and at least one of the other program objectives, providing evidence that the proposed approach supports

State participation.

Impact (Up to 5 points): The proposal clearly demonstrates:

• A direct effect on the SNAP State agency process and provides evidence their approach would help support State participation in the SNAP LDP.

• A description of the project’s expected impact. Impact can be described in terms of the degree to which the new or improved processes are expected to help the State agency’s participation in the project.

Quality (Up to 10 points): The proposal shows:

• Thought, analysis, clarity, and the use of relevant facts and knowledge. This includes a clear understanding of the SNAP PFP requirements, including data transmission and security.

• Clear progression from idea to implementation of the project within a State agency.

• The proposed project integrates principles, procedures, ideas, and/or practices outlined in the

SNAP PFP. Applicants shall demonstrate a clear understanding of the SNAP PFP.

Feasibility (Up to 10 points):

• The application proposes projects that are capable of being accomplished and likely to be implemented.

• The proposal demonstrates State agency readiness and leadership’s interest to implement activities.

• The proposal should demonstrate that the proposed project is appropriate given the current capacity of the agency. Applicants should consider foundational projects that the State agency can build on for future growth in the area of SNAP longitudinal data for research.

2. Implementation and Evaluation (Total of 15 points possible)

Timeline (Up to 5 points):

• The proposal includes a project timeline outlining proposed tasks and demonstrates sufficient time allotted for each activity.

• The period of performance is appropriate for project scope.

Evaluation (Up to 10 points):

• The proposal describes a well-thought-out, organized review and evaluation process that contains measures to track project goals and their completion. This includes information on how goals are measured, who will measure the goals, when the goals are measured, and what the organization will measure.

• The evaluation should also focus on measuring the project impact.

3. Sustainability (Total of 25 points possible): Proposals that fail to address this section appropriately and adequately will be considered incomplete. The proposal shows that the project is sustainable after the grant period ends. The proposal should clearly demonstrate the State agency’s ability and commitment to continue funding and implementing activities once the grant ends. This also applies to personnel hired under this grant program.

Quality: The proposal demonstrates thoughtful analysis and commitment to the long-term sustainability and impact of the project. Sustainability of the SNAP LDP is vital to the success of the project and overarching goals.

4. Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (Total of 20 points possible): Proposal submissions that omit the required budget forms, budget narratives and/or line-item descriptions will not receive the full point value for this criterion.

Budget: The proposal includes:

• A line item budget – please refer to the Application Checklist on page 2 and Budget Narrative

Checklist in the Appendix to ensure each category is addressed in the budget.

• A narrative that demonstrates fund expenditures, including who manages the expenses. The narrative should provide enough detail for reviewers to understand how costs were determined and how those costs relate to the goals and objectives of the project. There should be adequate justification for budget costs based on current industry costs/standards. Information on costs should come from applicable organizations or online sources.

• An attached copy of the approved, negotiated indirect cost rate agreement when showing indirect costs as a budget expense on the project.

• If applicable, the budget must show cost allocation among the benefiting programs and demonstrate that this grant is only going to fund SNAP’s share.

Efficiency: The proposal is cost effective – it demonstrates that the anticipated results are commensurate with the cost of the project. (Contractual and Consultant Costs) Proposals who plan to hire a consultant or contract work out must provide the following information):

• Consultant’s name and description of service

• Itemized list of all direct costs and fees

• Salaries must have the number of personnel, including the position title

• Specialty and specialized qualifications as appropriate to the salary

• Number of estimated hours times hourly wage

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

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

• Applicants MUST follow all procurement rules regarding a fair and open competition and/or a justification for sole source award.

5. Staff Capability and Management (Total of 10 points possible)

Oversight: The proposal demonstrates that effective and consistent oversight by qualified project managers is ongoing throughout the project.

Communication: The proposal demonstrates that effective communication will exist within the organization and includes an organizational chart of the proposed project.

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

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

Bonus Point Criteria (Total of 15 points if applicable)

Evaluation: State agencies that meet ALL three of the following criteria will receive 15 bonus points added to their overall rating. State agencies that meet only one or two of the following criterial will not receive bonus points:

1. The State agency has not previously received a SNAP LDP grant award, and

2. The State agency has an existing agreement with the Census Bureau, and

3. The State agency is already transmitting SNAP data to the Census Bureau.

Total Points Available: 115

Review and Selection Process

Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a panel group to review and determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components and array the applications from highest to lowest score. The panel members will recommend applications for consideration for a grant award based on the evaluation scoring. The Selecting Official reserves the right to accept the panel’s recommendation or to select an application for funding out of rank 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. FNS reserves the right to fund applications at a lesser amount if it determines the project can be implement with less, or if Federal funding is not sufficient to fully fund all applications that merit awards.

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 (PII) is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information (National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST) SP 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable information, April 2010).

Applicants submitting applications in response to this RFA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. All federal and non-federal employees (e.g., contractors, affiliates, or partners) working for or on behalf of FNS are required to acknowledge understanding of their responsibilities and accountability for using and protecting FNS PII in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974; Office of Management and Budget

Memorandum; M-17-12, Preparing for and Responding to a Breach of Personally Identifiable

Information; Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource; and the NIST Special

Publication (SP) 800-122, Guide to Protecting the Confidentiality of Personally Identifiable Information.

By submitting an application in response to this RFA, applicants are assuring that all data exchanges conducted throughout the application submission and pre-award process (and during the performance of the grant, if awarded) will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal laws. By submitting a grant application, applicants agree to take all necessary steps to protect PII, including the following: (1) ensuring that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained or otherwise associated with

UDSA FNS funded grants is securely transmitted. Transmission of applications through Grants.gov is secure; (2) ensuring that PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, and that PII and other sensitive data is not submitted via email; and (3) Data transmitted via approved file sharing services (WatchDox, ShareFile, etc.), CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must be encrypted.

Privacy Policy

The USDA Food and Nutrition Service does not collect any personally identifiable information without explicit consent. To view the USDA Privacy Policy, visit: https://www.usda.gov/privacy-policy

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,…