South Carolina Watershed Assessment Services USDA-NRCS-SC-NWQI-24-NOFO0001353.pdf

South Carolina Watershed Assessment Services

Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 South Carolina Watershed Assessment Services Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) No. USDA-NRCS-SC-NWQI-24-NOFO0001353

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO)

SUMMARY INFORMATION

Federal Awarding Agency Name: U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service

Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: South Carolina Watershed Assessment Services

Notice of Funding Opportunity Number: USDA-NRCS-SC-NWQI-24-NOFO0001353

Assistance Listing: This program is listed in the Assistance Listings (previously referred to as the Catalog of Federal Financial Assistance) on Sam.gov under 10.902 Soil and Water Conservation, which can be found at: https://sam.gov/content/home.

SAM is a web-based, government-wide application that collects, validates, stores, and disseminates business information about the federal government's trading partners in support of the contract awards, grants, and electronic payment processes.

Notice of Funding Opportunity Summary

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NFO) is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for fiscal year 2024. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

NRCS, an agency under the USDA, in the South Carolina State Office, is seeking proposals from partners to develop watershed assessment plans to support the National Water Quality Initiative through the Conservation Technical Assistance (CTA) Program. Proposals are requested for competitive consideration for cooperative agreement awards from eligible organizations who have expertise in watershed assessment plans. Proposals must be one year in duration for projects located in the State of South Carolina. See Section C.1 of this announcement for eligible applicant types.

This notice identifies the objectives, eligibility criteria and application instructions for projects. Proposals will be screened for completeness and compliance with the provisions of this notice. Incomplete and /or noncompliant proposals will be eliminated from competition and notification of elimination will be sent to the applicant.

For new users of Grants.gov, see Section D. of the full Notice of Funding Opportunity for information about steps required before submitting an application via Grants.gov.

Key Dates https://sam.gov/content/home

Applicants must submit their applications via Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on April 15, 2024. For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

For inquiries specific to the content of the NFO requirements, contact the federal awarding agency contact (section G of this NFO). Please limit questions to those regarding specific information contained in this NFO (such as dates, page numbers, clarification of discrepancies, etc.). Questions related to eligibility, or the merits of a specific proposal will not be addressed.

The agency anticipates making selections by May 15, 2024, and expects to execute awards by July 15, 2024. These dates are estimates and are subject to change.

Federal Funding Floor and Ceiling Amounts The estimated funding floor for this opportunity is $130,000 and the estimated funding ceiling is $143,000. The funding floor means the minimum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. The ceiling is the maximum agreement funding amount for the Federal share per agreement awarded. These numbers refer to the total agreement amount, not any specific budget period.

Federal Financial Assistance Training The funding available through this NFO is Federal financial assistance. Grants 101 Training is highly recommended for those seeking knowledge about Federal financial assistance. The training is free and available to the public via https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/.

It consists of five modules covering each of the following topics: 1) laws, regulations, and guidance; 2) financial assistance mechanisms; 3) uniform guidance administrative requirements; 4) cost principles; and 5) risk management and single audit. FPAC agencies also apply Federal financial assistance regulations to certain non-assistance awards (e.g., non-assistance cooperative agreements).

mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.cfo.gov/resources/federal-financial-assistance-training/

Table of Contents

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

2. Type of Award

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Other

3. Match

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

2. Electronic Application Package

3. Content and Form of Application Submission

4. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

1. Review and Selection Process

2. Merit/Technical Criteria

3. Administrative and Risk Criteria

4. Awards Over the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (if applicable)

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. Audit Requirements

G. FEDERAL AWARDING AGENCY CONTACT

H. OTHER INFORMATION

APPENDIX A - Instructions for Completing SF424 APPENDIX B – Instructions for Completing SF424A APPENDIX C – Budget Narrative Guidance

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The authorizing statutes and regulations for this opportunity are:

Soil and Water Conservation: 16 U.S.C. 590a-590f, 590q, 7 CFR part 610

The goals and objectives of this program are: To work with a partner to complete three (3) watershed assessments in South Carolina to support the National Water Quality Initiative Program.

Watershed Assessments will need to be completed for the following 12-digit HUC watersheds in South Carolina:

• Lower Halfway Swamp Creek SC 12 HUC 030501110104

• Warley Creek SC 12 HUC 030501110101

• Crooked Creek SC 12 HUC 030402010506

The elements required for each watershed assessment are outlined below:

I. Background and purpose of the assessment

Clearly identify the primary water quality resource concerns of the pilot watershed, what the water quality objectives will be and to what extent the problem can be addressed through NRCS technical and financial assistance.

a. General overview and location of the watershed assessment area

b. Specific water quality degradation resource concerns and impairments

c. Constituents of concern

d. Opportunities and objectives for meeting water quality goals

e. An assessment of NRCS's ability to help partners reach the watershed goals.

II. Watershed characterization

An overview of the watershed and identification of resource concerns.

This overview should be information that is useful for the water quality assessment and not just a laundry list of collected information.

a. Location of watershed within the drainage network.

b. Landscape characteristics of the major land resource area (MLRA) or ecoregion in which the watershed resides. Provide an overview of landscape conditions within which the watershed resides.

c. Climate. Provide overview that gives context for land cover/uses and a basis for the hydrologic conditions described in section III.

d. Topography.

e. Geology, geomorphology, and soils and soil interpretations.

f. Drainage network (USGS National Hydrographic Dataset link, GIS-derived flow network, National Wetland Inventory, tour, and any visual assessments of the watershed).

g. Land cover and land use.

h. Socioeconomic conditions.

i. Other relevant information to characterize the watershed.

III. Hydrologic and water quality characterization

Fully describe the hydrology (including irrigation) and the water quality conditions within the watershed. The analysis should demonstrate the transport mechanisms for pollutants of concern, and the spatial and temporal characteristics of transport.

a. Available data and resources.

i. Discuss available resources of information compiled by others.

ii. Gaging stations in or near the watershed.

iii. Surface and groundwater water quality sampling sites.

iv. Biological monitoring.

v. NRCS and partner sampling. During the 1-year assessment period, could ad hoc water quality monitoring be undertaken?

b. Runoff and streamflow hydrology, and irrigation. Using streamflow, irrigation and climate data and other watershed information, synthesize hydrological conditions of the watershed.

i. Methods used in analysis.

ii. Runoff and streamflow generation processes. What generates runoff?

Irrigation conveyances and systems.

iii. Precipitation-runoff budget. How much precipitation and irrigation returns as stream runoff? How much goes to deep groundwater? Evapotranspiration?

iv. Spatial distribution of runoff. Do certain areas of the watershed generate more runoff due to soils, geology, topography, or land uses?

v. Temporal distribution of streamflow-monthly, runoff events, baseflows.

c. Water quality conditions in the watershed.

i. What are the general concentrations and loads of major constituents and how do they vary with season, weather, land use, etc.?

ii. Sediment (if a watershed resource concern).

iii. Nutrients-N and P (if a watershed resource concern).

iv. Pathogens (if watershed resource concerns).

v. Other (pesticides, petroleum products, selenium, etc.).

IV. Resource Analysis and Source Assessment

Documentation and comparisons between existing and potential conditions. A preliminary analysis of what could be accomplished. The types of conservation practices and extent needed to assist in meeting the water quality objectives.

The potential tools that can be used to analyze the resource problems identified, and results.

a. The causes of the resource problem are identified.

b. What are potential tools to use related to the type of resource problems?

c. Preliminary analysis to address the problem with available tools.

Hydrologic modeling, GIS analyses, or both used to identify acres with greatest need for treatment (critical acres) based on pollutants of concern and the numbers of acres of conservation to achieve goals. Depending upon the complexity of the watershed, several methods could be used:

i. Simple spreadsheet mass balance models for nutrients.

1. Nutrient inputs based upon areas (acres) for given land cover and use.

2. Nutrient outputs.

3. Possible conservation measures. Use the mass balance spreadsheet to put acres of new conservation in and see results in water quality load reductions.

ii. Simple spreadsheet sediment delivery budget.

1. Identifies the sediment sources in the watershed.

2. Estimate quantity, sediment delivery ratio, to estimate total sediment.

iii. Load reduction spreadsheets for best management practices.

iv. Watershed-based modeling of potential sources and treatment effects.

v. Grid-based GIS modeling.

vi. GIS vulnerability analysis - simple GIS analyses using GIS coverages of land use, management, physical attributes, etc., to assist in the identification of critical areas within the watershed.

vii. Other analyses, including watershed and stream surveys, to identify areas needing treatment.

d. Analysis of treatment and opportunities

i. Current level of treatment in the watershed.

ii. An analysis of producers available in the watershed to participate in the initiative and their likely willingness to participate.

iii. An assessment of how critical area treatment is balanced with participation to achieve the most effective prioritization of implementation.

iv. A set of preferred practices, locations, responsible parties, costs, and timelines should be described based on the above analyses.

V. Summary and Recommendations

a. Description of water quality impairments.

b. Description of the goals (usually reduction goals) and practice efficiencies.

c. Establish interim metrics to track progress. Both implementation

(practices implemented on high priority acres) and effectiveness metrics (estimates of the water quality impacts of implementation, e.g., load reductions, edge-of-field reductions, improvement in biological indicators or physical indicators, monitoring trends) should be selected.

d. Description and evaluation of planned practice scenarios and alternatives that meet the water quality objectives, including estimation of treatment costs. What are the best suites of practices (in-field, edge-of-field, and off-field) to use, and how much is needed to accomplish the treatment objectives?

e. Documentation of NEPA concerns, refer to the CPA-52 example on the NWQI SharePoint for areawide planning.

VI. Appendix: Follow-up

Although this is an assessment (NRCS planning steps 1-6), you will need to complete steps 7-9 for a successful watershed project if the watershed is selected. Tracking progress towards meeting project goals will be required, using the metrics established in section V. Interim metrics are established to assure the project is on track for meeting water quality objectives for agricultural lands in the watershed.

Evaluation of alternatives may be necessary if anticipated progress is not being met. For watersheds with monitoring networks in place, instream monitoring data provides the best way to determine whether water quality objectives are being met for the watershed.

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

1. Available Funding

a. Estimated Funding

The Federal funding agency expects to award approximately $143,000 through this opportunity. However, the agency retains the discretion to award a larger or lesser amount.

This NFO is being released prior to appropriation and/or apportionment of funds for current fiscal year. Enactment of additional continuing resolutions or an appropriations act may affect the availability or level of funding for this program.

b. Start Dates and Performance Periods Projects will be one (1) year in duration. Applicants should plan their projects based on an estimated project start date of September 1, 2024.

c. Number of Awards

The agency expects to make one (1) award.

2. Type of Award

a. Type of Federal Award

The agency plans to award a cooperative agreement pursuant to this opportunity. Depending on the nature of a particular proposal received, the agency may elect to negotiate an alternate award type with the selected applicant.

The agency will be substantially involved in the work performed under the agreement and will undertake activities such as the following:

a. Authority to suspend work if specifications or work statements are not met.

b. Review and approval of one stage of work before another may begin.

c. Review and approval of substantive provisions of proposed subawards or contracts beyond existing Federal policy

d. Agency and recipient collaboration or joint participation

e. Project monitoring to permit specified kinds of direction or redirection of the work because of interrelationships with and impacts on other projects.

f. Highly prescriptive agency requirements that limit recipient discretion

g. Review and approval of key personnel

h. Direct agency operational involvement or participation during the activity

b. Procurement Contracts The agency does not expect to award procurement contracts associated with this NFO.

c. Eligibility of Renewal or Supplemental Project Applications Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible to compete with applications for new Federal awards. An application for renewal means an application submitted to continue an existing agreement that meets the objectives and requirements of this NFO. An application for supplementation of an existing project means an application to add components to an existing agreement so that it would meet the objectives and requirements in this NFO.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

Applicants and applications must meet eligibility criteria by the application deadline to be considered for award. Eligible applicant type is determined by the implementing program statute. Applicant entities identified in the SAM.gov exclusions database as ineligible, prohibited/restricted, or excluded from receiving Federal contracts and certain Federal assistance and benefits will not be considered for Federal funding, as applicable to the funding being requested under this Federal program (2 CFR 200.206(d)).

Neither foreign entities nor individuals are eligible to apply for this opportunity.

Eligibility for this opportunity is limited to the following entity types:

• City or township governments

• County governments

• For profit organizations other than small businesses

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments)

• Private institutions of higher education

• Public and State-controlled institutions of higher education

• State governments

2. Other

Any award made pursuant to this NFO will be made to a single entity.

Applicants that apply as “partnerships” or other similar groupings must clearly describe the relationship between the applicant and the “partner” parties. In all but exceptional cases, it must be reflected in the award as an awardee/sub awardee relationship.

An applicant organization may not submit more than one application for different projects or proposing different approaches. In the case of applications submitted as revisions or corrections to a previously submitted application under this NFO, the agency will consider the last application submitted prior to the established deadline.

Awards made pursuant to this NFO are not Farm Bill incentive contracts;

therefore, the awards in and of themselves are not limited by the payment limitation in 16 USC Chapter 58. However, any agricultural producers receiving a payment through participation in a project awarded under this NFO must meet the eligibility requirements of 7 CFR Part 12 and 7 CFR Part 1400 and have control of the land involved for the term of the proposed award period.

3. Match

There is no match requirement for this opportunity. There is no competitive advantage to applicants who voluntarily provide a match.

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Information for New Users of Grants.gov

a. Overview While a Grants.gov account is not required to download an NFO and related documents, it is required to submit an application. If your organization has never submitted an application via Grants.gov, please be aware that there are several steps you must take to register your organization before you can submit an application. Completing those steps can take a significant amount of time, plan accordingly.

b. Register to Apply through Grants.gov Applicants should read the registration instructions carefully and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process.

Reviewing and assembling the required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information. For assistance with the registration process, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support, available 24/7, at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov.

Organizations must complete all steps to register (steps i. through v.

below). Complete organization instructions are included on Grants.gov here: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/

Although creating a Grants.gov account online can be completed online https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ in minutes, SAM registrations may take several weeks. Therefore, organizations should begin the process early to ensure they have sufficient time to complete registration and meet required application submission deadlines.

Individuals (those submitting on their own behalf) are not subject to the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) or SAM requirement and may begin with step iii., Create a Grants.gov Account, listed below. (Note: Individuals are not eligible for all opportunities.)

c. Steps to Register

i. Obtain a UEI: All entities applying for funding must have a UEI issued by SAM.gov. Applicants must enter the UEI in the data entry field labeled "UEI" on the SF-424 form.

ii. Register with SAM: All organizations (entities) must register with System for Award Management (SAM) to apply online through Grants.gov. Failure to register with SAM will prevent your organization from applying through Grants.gov. SAM registration must be renewed annually. Part of the SAM registration process includes designating an Electronic Business Point of Contact (EBiz POC). The EBiz POC plays an integral part in the organization’s Grants.gov registration and application process. The individual in that role must authorize all other roles in Grants.gov. For more detailed instructions for registering with SAM, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/

iii. Create a Grants.gov Account: From the Grants.gov webpage (https://www.grants.gov/), click “Register” in the top right-hand corner and follow the on-screen instructions.

iv. Add a Profile to a Grants.gov Account: A profile in Grants.gov corresponds to a single applicant organization the user represents (i.e., an applicant) or an individual applicant submitting on their own behalf. If you work for or consult with multiple organizations, you can have a profile for each organization under one Grants.gov account. In such cases you can log in to one Grants.gov account to access all your grant profiles. To add an organizational profile to your Grants.gov account, enter the UEI for the organization in the UEI field. If you are an individual applicant submitting on your own behalf, you do not need a UEI to add the profile. For more detailed instructions about creating a profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/add-profile

v. EBiz POC Authorized Profile Roles: After you register with Grants.gov and create an Organization Applicant Profile, you must establish https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/add-roles for individuals in the organization. The Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role is critical; it gives an individual permission to complete and submit applications on behalf of the organization. Without this role, the organization cannot submit any applications. The request for role assignment will be routed to the organization’s EBiz POC for approval. Once approved, the AOR can submit an application online. For more detailed instructions about creating a EBiz POC authorized profile on Grants.gov, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ebiz-poc-authorizes-profile-roles.

Track Role Status: To track your role request, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status

d. Electronic Signature

When applications are submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the organization applicant with the AOR role that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize people who are able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of the organization as a user with the AOR role. This step (step c.v. above) is often missed, and it is crucial for valid and timely submissions.

e. Workspace

Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For each NFO, you can create individual instances of a workspace. An applicant can start an application in Workspace and return to work on it later within Workspace.

Applicants using unreliable internet connections should be aware that the process of completing the Workspace can take some time. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time to prepare and submit the application before the package closing date.

f. Apply for an Opportunity

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/.

If the Apply button in the opportunity is not active (greyed out), the user does not have the appropriate permissions or has an incomplete http://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/ebiz-poc-https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration/track-profile-role-status https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview/ applicant registration. For additional information, refer to https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#:~:text=The%20Apply%20button%20will%20be,to%20view% 20the%20close%20date.

i. Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete an application online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

ii. Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the status of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

• Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out webforms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility

• Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color.

These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

• Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant’s name, address, and UEI. Once it is completed, the information will transfer (i.e., prepopulate) to the other forms.

iii. Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

iv. Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application.

https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DThe%20Apply%20button%20will%20be%2Cto%20view%20the%20close%20date https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DThe%20Apply%20button%20will%20be%2Cto%20view%20the%20close%20date https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DThe%20Apply%20button%20will%20be%2Cto%20view%20the%20close%20date https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2023/06/08/unlock-the-mystery-of-the-gray-apply-button-four-scenarios/#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DThe%20Apply%20button%20will%20be%2Cto%20view%20the%20close%20date https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility

The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

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

2. Electronic Application Package Applicants interested in submitting an application in response to this NFO must submit it via Grants.gov; the agency will not accept applications submitted via email or any other method. No exceptions will be made for applicants experiencing issues with Grants.gov unless a known system wide Grants.gov issue is identified, in which case the deadline will be extended for all applicants, as appropriate. Applicants are urged to submit early to the Grants.gov system.

For technical issues with Grants.gov, contact Grants.gov Applicant Support, available 24/7, at 1-800-518-4726 or support@grants.gov. Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding Grants.gov accounts.

Address to Request Application Package All information necessary to apply for this opportunity is included in the Grants.gov opportunity announcement.

3. Content and Form of Application Submission The agency may choose not to consider applications that fail to comply with the required content, format, and page limits, or those that are incomplete.

Do not submit video files or files larger than 10MB. File names of attachments must be limited to 50 characters, may not include special characters (e.g., &, –,*,%,/,#), periods (.), blank spaces or accent marks, and must be unique (i.e., no other attachment may have the same file name). An underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) may be used to separate a file name. Attachments must NOT be password protected.

To be considered for funding under this opportunity, an application must contain the documents in a-g below.

a. Application Form (Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance) See Instructions for Completing SF 424 located in the appendices section.

b. Project Narrative

Each page must be numbered and have one-inch margins. The text of the project narrative must be single spaced and typed in a standard typeface (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Courier) with no smaller than 12-point font. The project narrative must not exceed seven (7) https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-training http://www.grants.gov/ pages. This page limitation applies to the project narrative only.

Applicants must submit only one original copy of the application in the following format.

Proposals must be divided into the following sections and are limited to the number of pages stated per section:

i. Project Summary: (First page of grant application. 1/2 page maximum.) A good summary will provide a frame of reference for the reviewer as they begin the review process. It should be clear, concise, and interesting. The summary should be one to three paragraphs long and include the Project Title.

The summary should include one or two sentences about each of the following: the applicant organization, the project starts and end dates, the measurable outcomes and methodology, other organizations that may be involved, and the project total cost, and the amount requested in this proposal.

ii. Introduction: (One (1) page maximum.) This section should introduce your organization to the reviewer and lend credibility to your organization's ability to successfully manage a federal agreement. The response should be succinct, offer a good balance between quantitative and qualitative information, and be free of unnecessary verbiage. It should include a brief history of the organization, including its mission statement and goals, important past events or accomplishments Describe your history of successfully managing federal and non- federal agreements, including meeting, and complying with reporting requirements, submitting final acceptable technical reports, and reporting on progress made in achieving the results under those agreements.

iii. Program Objectives: (One (1) page maximum.) This section of the proposal should demonstrate project outcomes, not project activities. This section should also contain a realistic timeline for completion.

iv. Methods: (Two (2) page maximum plus Deliverable Table.)

Methods, activities, and procedures explain to the reviewer the steps that will be taken to complete the task. This section demands clarity and justification in describing how the objectives will be met.

Use care to present a reasonable number of activities that can be completed within the grant period. Provide a detailed description of how the project will be organized and managed.

Include a list of key project personnel, their relevant education or experience, and their anticipated contributions to the project. Explain the level of participation required in the project by government and non- government entities and identify who will participate in monitoring and evaluating the project.

Proposals that fail to comply with the required content and format will not be considered for funding. Material exceeding stated page limits and/or formatting structure will not be considered. Incomplete and/or noncompliant proposals will not be considered.

The following documents do not count toward the above stated page limit.

c. Standard Form (SF) 424A, Budget Information - Non-Construction Programs

Fill in all spaces as appropriate. Section B, Item 6, Column 1 should reflect the agency funds, and Column 2 should reflect the applicant’s matching funds.

This form is the summary budget for the project and should include the full project totals on pages one and two. See Instructions for Completing SF 424A located in the appendices section. Refer to Section D of this opportunity for information regarding indirect costs. Errors in the SF-424A regarding classifying costs may be negotiated after selection.

d. Budget Narrative In a separate document titled “Budget Narrative,” explain and justify all requested budget items/costs. (Refer to the budget narrative guidance located in the appendices section.) Detail how the totals on the SF-424A were determined and demonstrate a clear connection between costs and the proposed project activities. For personnel salary costs, include the base-line salary figures and the estimates of time (as percentages) to be directly charged to the project. Describe any item that under the applicable Federal cost principles requires the agency’s approval and estimate its cost. The pages included as the budget narrative do not count toward the page limit. Errors in the budget narrative regarding classifying costs may be negotiated after selection.

Refer to the Budget Narrative Guidance located in the appendices section for information about making contract vs. subaward determinations.

Refer to the Budget Narrative Guidance located at the end of this document regarding procurement standards when including contracts for goods or services. Sole-source contracting is prohibited without proper justification.

See Procurement Standards located at 2 CFR 200.317-327.

i. Build America, Buy American. “Buy America” preference applies to Federal financial assistance awards that include construction components, even if it is funded by both Federal and non-Federal funds under the award. Subawards should conform to the terms and conditions of the Federal award from which they flow. A Buy America preference only applies to articles, materials, and supplies that are consumed in, incorporated into, or affixed to a construction project. Refer to the General Terms and Conditions for additional information:

https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-and-agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html

ii. Indirect Costs Recovery. If requesting indirect costs, provide the calculation specifying the amounts used in applying the base (the base specified in the applicable rate agreement) by the applicable rate. The calculation can be displayed in different formats but must capture the components (i.e., amounts used in determining the base and the rate applied to the base).

A. To be eligible to recover any indirect costs under a Federal award, recipients must either 1) have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) with a Federal agency that has not expired; or 2) qualify for use of the de minimis rate authorized by 2 CFR 200.414(f) and described below. For-profit entities (if eligible to apply) must obtain a NICRA from their cognizant agency. USDA will not accept an indirect cost agreement that is not a NICRA, for example, those negotiated or approved by the Defense Contract Audit Agency or the Defense Contract Management Agency.

A copy of the applicant’s current NICRA must be provided with the application (see section D(3)(i)). Indirect costs may not be recovered under an expired NICRA. For applicants negotiating a NICRA, provide a copy of the indirect cost rate proposal submitted to the cognizant agency. See section D(3)(h) below for how to submit a NICRA as part of the application.

B. Any non-Federal entity (except State and local governments that receive more than $35 million per year in Federal funding) that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC) which may be used indefinitely. No documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate, simply indicate in your budget narrative that the recipient elects to use the de minimis rate. Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct https://www.fpacbc.usda.gov/about/grants-and-agreements/award-terms-and-conditions/index.html salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

C. As described in 2 CFR 200.403, costs must be consistently charged as either indirect or direct costs but may not be double charged or inconsistently charged as both. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as a non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.

D. A recipient may voluntarily reduce or waive recovery of indirect costs at its sole discretion and must not be encouraged or coerced in any way to do so by the agency.

iii. Indirect Costs Limitations.

A. In accordance with USDA’s annual appropriations act, indirect costs will be limited to no more than 10 percent of total direct costs for non-profit organizations or institutions of higher education that receive a cooperative or contribution agreement. Other types of entities are not subject to this statutory limitation. An applicant subject to the statutory limitation with a current NICRA, must calculate indirect costs as follows. First, multiply the NICRA rate by the base stated in the NICRA to arrive at Amount A. Next, multiply the statutory limit of 10 percent by the total of all direct costs to arrive at Amount B. The lower of Amount A and B is the amount of indirect cost to include on the budget.

B. Applicants not subject to a statutory limitation, which have a current NICRA must calculate indirect costs using the rate and base specified in their NICRA.

C. Recipients are prohibited from shifting unallowable indirect costs to another Federal award unless specifically authorized to do so by legislation.

iv. Match: N/A Refer to the Budget Narrative Guidance located in the appendices section for information about making contract vs. subaward determinations.

e. Grants.gov Lobbying Form https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/section-200.403

Under Title 31 of the United States Code, Section 1352, an applicant, or recipient must not use any federally appropriated funds (both annually appropriated and continuing appropriations) or matching funds under a grant or cooperative agreement award to pay any person for lobbying in connection with the award. Lobbying is defined as influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress connection with the award. Submission of an application also represents the applicant’s certification of the statements in 2 CFR Part 418, Appendix A-Certification Regarding Lobbying.

f. Applicant Contact Information Provide contact information for the roles identified in the Applicant Contact Information template, located in the Related Documents tab of the opportunity. Upload the contact information under Other Attachments (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application Package.

g. Statement of Current and Pending Support Submit a Statement of Current and Pending Support for each key personnel who will participate in the project. For your convenience, a template is available for your use in in the Related Documents tab of the opportunity.

h. SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities, must be submitted only if you/your organization have/has made or agrees to make any payment using non-appropriated funds for lobbying. See 2 CFR 418.110 for more information on when additional submission of this form is required.

i. Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), if applicable If charging indirect costs using a NICRA (including for match), upload the NICRA under Other Attachments (listed as an Optional Form) in the Grants.gov Opportunity Application Package.

j. Letters of Support Letters of support are not required and should not be submitted.

k. Letters of Intent Letters of intent are not required and should not be submitted.

l. Disclosure of Potential Conflict of Interest In accordance with 2 CFR 400.2, applicants must maintain written standards of conduct covering conflicts of interest and governing the performance of its employees in the selection, award, and administration of Federal awards. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a Federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties referenced, has a financial or other interest in, or a tangible personal benefit from, an applicant considered for a Federal award. The standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by officers, employees, or agents of the applicant.

If the applicant has a parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization that is not a state, local government, or Indian tribe, the applicant must also maintain written standards of conduct covering organizational conflicts of interest.

Organizational conflict of interest means that because of the relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization, the applicant is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting a Federal award action involving a related organization.

Applicants must disclose in writing any potential conflicts of interest to the USDA awarding agency or pass-through entity. Include the name of the individual, the name of the entity with which the individual has a conflict, the nature of the financial or other interest, the value of the interest, a description of how the interest relates to your application. Upload disclosures under Other Attachments (listed separately under Optional Forms) in Grants.gov. If no conflict exists, no submission is required.

m. Post Award Documentation N/A.

n. Unique entity identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal awarding agency under 2 CFR 25.110(d)) is required to: (i) Be registered in SAM before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity identifier in its application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. The agency may not make a Federal award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the agency is ready to make an award, it may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

Entities must obtain a UEI and register in SAM prior to registering with Grants.gov. A description of each is below. Entities are strongly encouraged to apply early for their SAM registration.

System for Award Management (SAM) Registration: To register, go to:

https://www.sam.gov. The Federal Service Desk is available for registration assistance and can be contacted via the Help tab at the website listed above.

Awarding agency staff cannot support applicants regarding UEI or SAM issues.

https://www.sam.gov/

4. Submission Dates and Times and Correspondence All applications must be received by Grants.gov by 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET) by the established due date in the Key Dates section of the Summary Information of this NFO. 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.

Applications received by Grants.gov after the established due date will be considered late and will not be considered for funding. An application is considered on time at 11:59.59 pm ET, but it is late at 12:00 am ET.

Grants.gov will provide either an error or a successfully received transmission in the form of an email sent to the applicant with the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) role attempting to submit the application. The Grants.gov Support Center reports that some applicants end the transmission because they think that nothing is occurring during the transmission process; be patient and give the system time to process the application.

The applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application will receive:

• an acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) from Grants.gov with the successful transmission of their application.

• an email with the official date/time stamp and Grants.gov tracking number serving as proof of timely submission.

When the agency successfully retrieves the application from Grants.gov, and acknowledges the download of submissions, Grants.gov will also provide an electronic acknowledgment of receipt of the application to the applicant with the AOR role who submitted the application. Proof of timely submission shall be the official date and time that Grants.gov receives your application.

If you have trouble submitting an application to Grants.gov, contact the Grants.gov Help Desk to resolve any issues. See Section D. 2. for Grants.gov contact information.

Applicants using unreliable internet connections should be aware that the process of completing the Workspace can take some time. Therefore, applicants should allow enough time to prepare and submit the application before the package closing date.

5. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.” When completing the SF-424, check block c, “Program is not covered by E.O. 13272.”

6. Funding Restrictions Funds may not be used to pay any of the following costs unless otherwise permitted by law and approved in writing by the agency in advance of incurring such costs:

a. Profit and management fees. Any funds awarded to for-profit entities must be used for reimbursement of award related direct and indirect costs only.

b. Costs above the amount of funds authorized for the project.

c. Costs incurred prior to the effective date of the award, including time spent applying for this opportunity.

d. Costs which lie outside the scope of the approved project and amendments thereto.

e. Entertainment costs, regardless of their apparent relationship to project objectives.

f. Compensation for injuries to persons, or damage to property arising out of project activities.

g. Consulting services performed by a Federal employee during official duty hours when such consulting services result in the payment of additional compensation to the employee.

h. Capital expenditures for general purpose equipment, buildings, and land and for improvements to land, buildings, or equipment which materially increase their value or useful life. See 2 CFR 200.439 for additional information.

i. Meals may be charged to an award only if they are necessary for the performance of the project. For instance, meals (normally only lunch) that are a necessary part of the costs of meetings and conferences (i.e., required attendance and continuity of a meeting), the primary purpose of which is the dissemination of information, are allowable, as are costs of transportation, rental of facilities, speakers’ fees, and other items incidental to such meetings or conferences. Note: Meals consumed while in official travel status do not fall in this category. They are considered to be per diem expenses and should be reimbursed in accordance with the organization’s established travel policies subject to statutory limitations or in accordance with Federal travel policies.

j. Costs normally charged as indirect costs may not be charged as direct costs without proper justification and agency approval. Proper justification includes documentation that the costs meet the criteria for allowability (see 2 CFR 200.403).