SNAP LDP RFA_FINAL CFDA 10.577.pdf

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) Grant Program

Fiscal Year 2021 Request for Applications (RFA)

Catalog for Federal Domestic Assistance Number (CFDA): 10.577

Release Date: February 11, 2021 Application Due Date: 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), April 13, 2021 Anticipated Award Date: July 13, 2021

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

The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0584-0512. The estimated average time required to complete this information collection is 60 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Application Checklist

This Application Checklist provides applicants with a list of the required documents. However, FNS expects that applicants will read the entire RFA prior to the submission of their application and comply with all requirements outlined in the solicitation. Please do not include the Application Checklist as part of the Application Package.

Complete the following at least four weeks prior to submission:

Obtain a Dun & Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;

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

When preparing your application, ensure:

Application format and narrative meet the requirements included in Section IV “Application and Submission

Information.” This includes page limits, priorities outlined in Section IV, and all necessary attachments. Insert appropriate section numbers and any additional checklist items that may apply.

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

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

SF-424 – Application for Federal Assistance (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424A – Budget Information and Instruction Form (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-424B – Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (fillable PDF in Grants.gov) SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying Activities FNS-906 – Grant Program Accounting System & Financial Capability Questionnaire (Appendix C) Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (PDF - Upload using the “Add Attachments” button under SF-424 item #15)

When applicable, application packages are required to include the following documents:

AD-3030 – Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants (fillable

PDF in Grants.gov) AD-1047 – Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters Primary Covered

Transactions AD-1048 – Certification Regarding Department, Suspension, Ineligibility and Voluntary Exclusion Lower Tier Covered

Transactions AD-1052 – Certification Regarding Drug-Free Workplace State and State Agencies, Federal Fiscal Year AD-3031 – Assurance Regarding Felony Conviction or Tax Delinquent Status For Corporate Applicants http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html 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 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad3030 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad3030 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-1047 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-1047 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-1048 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-1048 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-1052 https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad3031

Table of Contents

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES 8

Introduction

SNAP Longitudinal Data Project: At a Glance

Grant Opportunity

Key Program Objectives

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION 11

A. Program Requirements

B. Allowable Costs and Use of Funds

Funding per Award

Type of Award

Allowable Uses of Funds

Funding Restrictions

Additional Information

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 15

C. Other Eligibility Criteria

D. Pre-application Screening Requirements

Pre-Application Assessment Questions

Acknowledge USDA support

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 17

Address to Request Application Package

Content and Form of Application Submission

Size, Font, and Page Limit

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 (if applicable)

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 23

1. REVIEW CRITERIA

Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria

2. EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

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

2. Implementation and Evaluation (15 points)

3. Sustainability (20 points)

4. Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (20 points)

5. Staff Capability and Management (10 points)

Review and Selection Process

Determination of Award Amounts

FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 27

Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 28

1. FEDERAL AWARD NOTICE

2. 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

3. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Financial Reports

Performance Progress Report (PPR)

VII. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACTS 34

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION 34

Debriefing Requests

APPENDIX 35

Appendix A: RFA Budget Narrative Checklist

Appendix B Budget Narrative Checklist

Appendix C: FNS-908 Performance Progress Report (PPR) – For Reference Only

I. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES

Introduction 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 the State and local human services agencies1 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 Agricultural 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 (i.e., duration) and across State lines. States who opt to participate in the SNAP LDP may share eligibility, benefit, and demographic information about SNAP households and individual members with one another and establish State longitudinal databases to support data sharing across State lines. FNS will leverage 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 this project.

The SNAP LDP Grant Program will support States as they develop new efforts, or improve existing ones, to share SNAP data as part of the SNAP LDP. There is no single solution or approach to data sharing, and each State may require a different approach to enable longitudinal research. FNS acknowledges the need for flexibility to support State participation and data sharing and therefore aims to support these unique and State specific needs through the grant program.

1 Throughout this RFA, “State agencies” refers to the 53 agencies that administer SNAP in the United States, the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, and Guam.

SNAP Longitudinal Data Project: At a Glance Section 17(n) of the Act allows States the option to participate in the SNAP LDP. Specifically, the SNAP LDP aims to enable research on participation in and the operation of SNAP; including participation in the program over time (duration) and across State lines. Key aspects of Section 17(n) of the Act include:

• Setting aside $20 million in grant funding, available through fiscal year (FY) 2021. This funding is for State agencies interested in establishing longitudinal research databases with eligibility, benefit, and demographic information about SNAP households and individual members. Additionally, $5 million is available in grant funding for each FY thereafter;

• Requiring unique identifiers to protect individual privacy and to enable comparison of participation data across States and over time;

• Requesting SNAP data elements from States including: demographic characteristics, income and financial resources, employment status, household circumstances, and monthly allotment amounts; and

• Requesting data from other State sources, including earning and employment data, health insurance program data, and participation in other State programs.

For more information, please reference the FNS SNAP LDP – Parameters for Participation (PFP) by Interested States (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS).

Grant Opportunity 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 $20 million in grant funding is available in FY 2021 to support State participation. Technology and data related projects often take more than one year, especially considering the procurement and implementation of associated projects. Therefore, the initial $20 million funding is available as a multi-year grant with a four-year Period of Performance (PoP) from June 2021 to June 2025. Section 17(n) of the Act also sets aside $5 million for each FY going forward to carry out this provision, resulting in future grant opportunities to support State participation beyond FY 2021.

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 sharing data, as documented per their MOU, and the Census Bureau will begin the process of creating the longitudinal linkages for the database. States that do not have a signed MOU within 30 days of award will not receive grant funding. FNS highly encourages States to begin the MOU process soon https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/longitudinal-data-project-ldp after submitting their grant proposals in order to ensure they are eligible for funding. States may find more information about this process in the SNAP PFP (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS). All funding is determined based on the number of grant requests and available funds.

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

This table outlines the key program objectives for State agencies to consider during the application process. The applicant must complete the proposed Activities/Indicators Tracker in Section IV, and the activities and indicators should clearly align to Objective 1 and one or more of objectives 2-4:

# Objectives

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

2 On an annual basis, securely share and/or enable the secure sharing 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

All projects must support the objectives of the SNAP LDP. Listed below are some general examples of potential project ideas that address one or more of the Program objectives. Applicants should identify projects that best meets the needs of the State, can be successfully implemented within the period of performance (June 2021 to June 2025), and are sustainable after grant funding has ended. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to consider projects that align with the primary allowable costs as described in Section II. These potential project ideas directly relate to creating a longitudinal database, enhancing data provided for the longitudinal database, or conducting research:

• Define data definitions.

• Add a calculated data element, without modification, to the eligibility system.

• Add a data element that is external to the eligibility system.

• Build/procure a database or longitudinal database.

• Improve technology implementation, data management, and/or business processes.

• Develop a cross-agency sharing agreement.

• Implement additional extract, transform, and load (ETL) tools for data preparation.

• Implement analysis tool or software to support SNAP data analysis as it relates to the SNAP LDP objectives.

• Improve data management processes (e.g., storage, security, standardization, sharing, and extraction).

• Improve data standardization to align to gold standard, as defined in the PFP.

• Develop ETL queries to facilitate data sharing with the Census Bureau.

Further, FNS highly encourages States to implement the gold standard for shared data and to encourage States to work towards the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM). States can request grant funding to accommodate participation in both the Gold Standard and to work towards NIEM. Additional information on the gold standard and NIEM submission are located in the SNAP PFP (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS).

Finally, applicants may submit funding requests to conduct longitudinal research. If a State would like to conduct research via the Census Bureau, States must have established an MOU to share data for this SNAP LDP with FNS and the Census Bureau and follow the process for submitting research proposals and achieving Special Sworn Status (SSS), as outlined in the SNAP PFP (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS).

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Each of the 53 agencies that administer SNAP has the opportunity to apply for the grant. FNS will award grants through a competitive process. The maximum amount a State may request per application is $2.25 million; there is no minimum amount. The total number of awards made depends on the number and amount of State requests and availability of funds.

The period of performance is from June 2021 – June 2025 and will not exceed four years from the start date. States may specify shorter periods of performance based on the scope of their project and funds request. Requests must align with their primary objective and one or more of the additional objectives, as stated in Section I.C, Key Program Objectives. FNS will consider the funding requested for projects and the funding awarded may not reflect the amount requested.

Upon the selection and issuance of awards, awardees have 30 days to establish or amend an MOU with the Census Bureau, agreeing upon the details of the data sharing agreement as it relates to the research on participation in and the operation of SNAP. FNS strongly encourages States to begin working with the Census Bureau at the time of application for grant funds in order to meet the 30-day period. Development of the MOU may take three weeks or longer depending on response times. FNS will not release funds until an MOU is established or amended. At the close of 30 days after selection and issuance of award, FNS will not release funds if the State has not established or amended an MOU to include the SNAP LDP. If the MOU is not complete within 30 days, FNS reserves the right to select another State for award. Additional details regarding the MOU are in the SNAP PFP (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS).

A. Program Requirements The goal of the SNAP LDP is to enable program research over time and across State lines. As such, participating States will share monthly information, on an annual basis, about active and inactive households and members of households that receive benefits, including the below data elements.

If available, the following data elements are required:

• Demographic characteristics (e.g., name, SSN, sex, DOB, & education level),

• Income and financial resources,

• Employment status, and

• Household circumstances, such as, deductible expenses.

The following data elements are preferred, but optional:

• Earnings and employment data from the State’s Department of Labor, and

• Health insurance program data.

The awards will support new projects that fall under the scope of the SNAP LDP and PFP. The PFP can be found as an attachment to this RFA and on the SNAP LDP website (Longitudinal Data Project (LDP) | USDA-FNS). Proposals should clearly describe the intent and scope of activities and their relation to the SNAP LDP. State agencies that do not have access to the SNAP LDP should contact their FNS Regional Office or visit the website.

Proposed projects must be sustainable. FNS will not select unsustainable projects for award funding. A significant part of the evaluation criteria will be dependent on how clear a proposal demonstrates the State agency’s ability to continue funding and implementing activities at the same level once the grant ends. This applies to all proposals, including those that propose hiring personnel to implement a part of the project.

Funds from this RFA are for new projects and shall not be used for the ongoing cost of carrying out an existing project, unrelated or unnecessary to the LDP. Additionally, funds may not be used to offset costs for existing personnel or any position already supported by Federal funds.

Each project design should include quantifiable objectives, measures to assess progress toward meeting those objectives, project activities linked to meeting specific objectives, and a list of deliverables and/or milestones for the duration of the project. Applicants must also include a clear and reasonable timeline, and a narrative description of how the project will be staffed and managed, including a project organizational chart. Every grantee must assess and report on its progress each quarter by using performance measures tied to specific project objectives. These measures can include process measures, output measures, and outcome measures. The proposal should describe the process for collecting and reporting these data including the data source.

The proposal’s project description must capture a legitimate need. The budget and budget narrative must be in line with the proposed project description. FNS reserves the right to request information not clearly addressed.

We encourage potential applicants to carefully read and review the Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria listed in this RFA under Application Review Information (Section V). These criteria outline the qualities FNS expects successful proposals to have; they will also guide the reviewers’ evaluation of proposals.

B. Allowable Costs and Use of Funds

Funding per Award FNS anticipates that funding per award will be up to $2.25 million per State for no more than a four-year period of performance.

Type of Award FNS will award the SNAP LDP Grants in the form of a Federal grant. FNS will provide funding for approved grants through the Grant Award/Letter of Credit process, upon receipt of a properly executed Grant Agreement, a signed MOU with the Census Bureau, and subject to the availability of funding.

Allowable Uses of Funds Projects that enable the sharing of program data to support State longitudinal research are an allowable cost under this grant.

This includes resources, technologies, and other costs that support participation in the SNAP LDP. The allowable costs, in no particular order, are as follows:

• 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 shared data).

• Technologies and Software – databases and software technologies to collect, link, cleanse, and curate date for sharing.

• Cross-Agency Collaboration – data integration projects, sharing agreement development, staff time from other offices/agencies to participate, and databases to jointly identify and curate data.

• Establish or meet the Gold Standard or participate in NIEM.

In addition, FNS recognizes States may benefit from performing their own State specific longitudinal research. Thus, agencies that elect into sharing data with FNS and the Census Bureau may submit funding requests to support State specific longitudinal research needs as an allowable cost.

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

• 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

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

• Grantees may use grants funds to procure contracts for good or services.

Funding Restrictions The following funding restrictions apply to application requests:

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

• Funds may not be used to offset costs for existing personnel.

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

• States must establish or amend an MOU within 30 days after award in order to receive funds.

• 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.

Additional Information

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

• FNS reserves the right to use this competitive grant solicitation to award additional grants for this or the subsequent

FY should additional funds become available.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

This grant opportunity is open to the 53 State agencies that administer SNAP. FNS will consider only one application per State agency. To establish eligibility, review the considerations or factors detailed below in this section. Applications will not be considered for this project if the requested funding covers activities that do not align with the stated program objectives.

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. No cost sharing or matching considerations exist for this project.

C. Other Eligibility Criteria FNS will consider only one application per State agency that administers SNAP.

D. 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 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:

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

• The Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), is a database established to track contractor misconduct and performance.

• 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.

• U.S. Department of Agriculture, AD-3030, Representations Regarding Felony Conviction and Tax Delinquent Status for Corporate Applicants. President’s September 2, 2020 memorandum, entitled Memorandum on Reviewing Funding to State and Local Government Recipients of Federal Funds that Are Permitting Anarchy, Violence, and Destruction in American Cities;

• Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping (E.O. 13950);

• Executive Order on Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal

Violence (E.O. 13933); and

• Guidance for Grants and Agreements in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR), as updated in the Federal

Register’s 85 FR 49506 on August 13, 2020, particularly on:

o Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering results based on the program objectives through an objective process of evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR part 200.205), o Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. No. 115—232) (2 CFR part 200.216), o Promoting the freedom of speech and religious liberty in alignment with Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty (E.O. 13798) and Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities (E.O. 13864) (§§ 200.300, 200.303, 200.339, and 200.341), o Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United States (2 CFR part 200.322), and o Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest extent authorized by law, if an award no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities (2 CFR part 200.340).

Pre-Application Assessment Questions Applicants must also respond to the pre-application assessment questions in Appendix A: Grant Program Accounting System and Financial Capability Questionnaire, to allow FNS to evaluate aspects of the applicant’s financial stability, quality of management systems, history of performance, reports and findings from audits. 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 additional oversight requirements or special conditions placed on an award should an award be made. Decisions regarding additional oversight requirements will take into consideration the total number of risks identified.

Acknowledge USDA support As outlined in 2 CFR 415.2, grant recipients shall acknowledge USDA FNS support on any publications written or published with grant funding. If feasible, any publication reporting the results of, or describing, a grant-supported activity shall also acknowledge USDA FNS, if feasible. Recipients shall include acknowledgement of USDA FNS 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 when using the USDA logo. USDA may ask grant recipients to host USDA officials for a site visit during the course of their grant award. USDA will pay for all costs associated with a site visit. State agencies do not need to include these costs in their grant budgets.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Address to Request Application Package Applicants may request a paper copy of this solicitation and other required forms by contacting:

Carla Garcia, Grant Officer Grants and Fiscal Policy Division https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/visual-standards-guide-january-2013.pdf

U.S. Department of Agriculture, FNS E-mail Carla.garcia@usda.gov

Content and Form of Application Submission FNS strongly encourages eligible applicants interested in applying to this grant to adhere to the following application format.

Size, Font, and Page Limit

• All pages should be typed on 8 ½” X 11” white paper, single-spaced, with 1-inch margins and 12-point font.

• The grant application is no more than 25 pages, not including the cover sheet, table of contents, resumes, letter(s) of commitment, endorsement letter(s), appendices, and required forms.

• All pages, excluding the form pages, are numbered.

• The proposal is well-presented, well-written and void of grammatical errors.

Special Instructions

FNS will not consider:

• Late application submissions in this competition.

• Additions or revisions to applications unless submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline.

• Applications submitted without the required supporting documents, forms, and certification.

• Applications missing the written proposal or budget narrative.

• Applications not submitted via Grants.gov.

Additional Considerations:

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

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

• States must have a signed MOU with the Census Bureau within 30 days of award in order to receive funds. FNS encourages States to start the MOU process when submitting grant proposals.

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

Cover Sheet mailto:Carla.garcia@usda.gov

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 Include relevant sections and subsections and associated page numbers

Application Project Summary The application should clearly describe the proposed project activities and anticipated outcomes.

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

Activities/Indicators Tracker The below format shows that proposed activities and indicators measuring success must be mapped to Program Objectives (as described in Section I – PROGRAM DESCRIPTION), and additional activities/indicators can be added as needed.

Indicators are defined, as any metric you anticipate can 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 Activity Grant-funded activities or trainings Indicator(s) Number Employees Trained Activity Measuring Students’ Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Indicator(s) Number Students Impacted

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

Indirect Cost Rate A current Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), negotiated with a Federal negotiating agency, should be used to charge indirect costs. Indirect costs may not exceed the negotiated rate. If a NICRA is used, indicate the percentage and base. If the applicant does not have or been approved for a NICRA, they may charge up to 10% de minimis. In this instance, the applicant must indicate they are requesting the de minimis rate. An applicant may elect not to charge indirect costs and, instead, use all grant funds for direct costs. If indirect costs are not charged, the phrase "none requested" should be stated in the budget narrative. For questions related to the indirect cost rate, please work with the Grant Officer in section IV.

Required Grant Application Forms

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

Submission Date Applicant must upload completed grant applications to www.grants.gov by 11:59 PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST), on April 13, 2021.

• Submit applications via Grants.gov. FNS will not accept mailed, e-mailed or hand-delivered application packages.

For further instructions, go here.

• FNS will not consider late or incomplete applications.

• FNS will not consider additions or revisions to applications unless submitted via Grants.gov by the deadline. FNS will not accept additions or revisions after the deadline.

• For multiple application packages submitted through Grants.gov by the same applicant to this solicitation, FNS will accept the latest application package successfully submitted. All other packages submitted by the applicant are void.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

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. Please note upon submission, Grants.gov may send multiple confirmation notices; applicants should ensure receipt of confirmation that the application was accepted. Applicants experiencing difficulty submitting applications to Grants.gov should contact the Grant Officer noted in the Agency Contacts section of this RFA. FNS will evaluate submission issues on a case-by-case basis.

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

In order to submit an application, you must:

1. Obtain a DUNS number

• If your organization does not have a DUNS number, or if you are unsure of your organization’s DUNS, contact Dun & Bradstreet at https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform or by calling 1-888-814-1435, Monday thru Friday, 8am- 9pm EST. There is no fee associated with obtaining a DUNS number.

• Obtaining a DUNS number may take 2-3 business days.

2. Register in SAM

• SAM.gov combines Federal procurement systems and the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance into one system.

For additional information regarding SAM.gov, see the following link: https://www.sam.gov/SAM

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

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

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

3. Create a Grants.gov Account:

The next step in the registration process is to create an account with Grants.gov. Applicants must know their organization's DUNS number to complete this process. Completing this process automatically triggers an email request https://www.grants.gov/ https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform for applicant roles to the organization's E-Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC) for review. The EBiz POC is a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for SAM.gov. To apply for grants on behalf of your organization, you will need the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role.

For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-registration.html

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

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

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

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

For questions related to the specific grant opportunity, please reach out to the agency contact for this opportunity, as listed here.

Grants.gov Receipt Requirements and Proof of Timely Submission All applications must be received by April 13, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EST, as detailed here. Grants.gov automatically records proof of timely submission. Upon receipt of an application in Grants.gov, the system generates an electronic date/time stamp.

The applicant AOR will receive an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application. Applicant AORs will also receive the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number in an email serving as proof of their timely submission.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/grantors/grantor-registration.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html mailto:support@grants.gov

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

Additional Information on Grants.gov and the Registration Process:

NOTICE: Special Characters and Naming Conventions All applicants MUST follow grants.gov guidance on file naming conventions. To avoid submission issues, please follow the guidance pulled from the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on grants.gov:

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

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

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

Additional information and applicant resources are available at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

Intergovernmental Review (if applicable) For a list of State agency contacts, please visit the Office of Management website at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SPOC-July2018.pdf

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. REVIEW CRITERIA

Evaluation of Grant Application Criteria http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.htmld https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SPOC-July2018.pdf https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/SPOC-July2018.pdf

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

2. EVALUATION FACTORS AND CRITERIA

FNS will use the following selection criteria to evaluate applications for this RFA.

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

Demonstrated Need: The proposal clearly describes the need for funding support to accomplish the requirements stated in the PFP and Section 17(n) of the Act in order to participate in the SNAP LDP. The proposal should focus on at least one of the Program objectives and provide evidence that the proposed approach supports State participation.

Impact: 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.

• Clear progression from idea to implementation in a State agency.

• A description of the projects expected impact.

o Impact can be described in terms of the degree to which the new or improved processes are expected to help the State agency’s participate in the project

Quality: The proposal shows thought, analysis, clarity, and the use of relevant facts and knowledge. This includes clear understanding of the SNAP PFP requirements including data sharing and security.

Application of the SNAP PFP: The proposed project integrates principles, procedures, ideas and/or practices outlined in the

SNAP PFP.

Feasibility: 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. It should also 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 longitudinal data for research.

2. Implementation and Evaluation (15 points)

Timeline: The proposal includes a project timeline outlining proposed tasks and demonstrates sufficient time allotted for each activity. Period of performance is appropriate for project scope.

Evaluation: The proposal describes a well-thought-out, organized review and evaluation process that contains measures to track project goals and their completion. Include 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 (20 points)

The proposal shows that the project is sustainable after the grant period ends. The proposal should clearly demonstrate the State agency’s ability to continue funding and implementing activities once the grant ends. This also applies to personnel hired under this grant program.

4. Budget Appropriateness and Economic Efficiency (20 points)

Budget: The proposal includes:

• A line item budget – please refer to the Application Checklist on page III and Budget Narrative Checklist in Appendix B 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.

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

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 wish 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.

NOTE: 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.

5. Staff Capability and Management (10 points)

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. The proposal includes an organizational chart of the proposed project.

Staff: The proposal identifies the project director or manager and other key staff. The proposal includes resumes that demonstrate that the proposed staff has the appropriate technical and experiential backgrounds for their proposed roles. If the applicant is unable to identify the project director or manager and key staff, it must include 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.

Review and Selection Process Following the initial screening process, FNS will assemble a review panel to determine the technical merits of each application. The panel will evaluate the proposals based on how well they address the required application components, and score the applications from highest to lowest. 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 to meet agency priorities, geographical representation, or project diversity. FNS reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to award additional grants in the next FY should additional funds be made available. As mentioned above, FNS is interested in funding projects that address priorities specified in Section I of this RFA.

However, FNS reserves the right to award grants to several such entities, or not to award any grants to such entities if it does not receive acceptable applications.

Determination of Award Amounts FNS will fund applications at the level requested if the budget submission is realistic and well- supported.