taaf fy 2015-2016 ffo (10.8.15).pdf

ANNOUNCEMENT OF FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• Federal Agency Name: Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

• Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2015-2016 Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms Program

• Announcement Type and Date: FY 2015-2016 Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) announcement publishing EDA’s application submission requirements and review procedures for applications received under EDA’s Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program, authorized under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. § 2341 et seq.).

• Funding Opportunity Number: EDA-HDQ-TAAF-2016-2004559

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.313, Economic Adjustment Assistance – Trade Adjustment Assistance

• Dates: The deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on November 24, 2015. Applications received after this deadline will not be reviewed or considered. Applications will only be accepted electronically through www.grants.gov (Grants.gov). Applicants are advised to carefully read the application and submission information provided in section IV. of this FFO.

• Funding Opportunity Description: This FFO announces the availability of funding for the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program (TAAF) administered by DOC – via EDA – under the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. § 2341 et seq.). TAAF provides cost-shared technical assistance to help strengthen the competitiveness of American companies that have been negatively impacted by increasing imports (defined as having lost domestic sales and employment because of increased imports of similar goods and services).

EDA operates TAAF through a national network of Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers (TAACs). EDA is soliciting applications from organizations to operate as TAACs. Each TAAC is expected to provide technical assistance to import-impacted firms in preparing petitions for certification of eligibility under the program, and in developing and implementing adjustment proposals (business recovery plans) for such firms. Through this competition, EDA aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the program through enhanced program performance measurement, decreased program administrative costs, closer alignment of geographic service areas of TAACs with the service areas of EDA’s six regional offices,1 and a more equitable distribution of services across all U.S. States and

1 EDA does not intend to administer the TAAF program through its Regional Offices, only to better align the geographic services areas of TAACs and its Regional Offices. A list of EDA Regional Offices can be found at http://www.eda.gov/contacts.htm

Territories. Applicants are advised to carefully read Appendix B, TAAF Eligibility and Program Requirements for TAACs, which outlines the programmatic and administrative requirements for operating a TAAC.

EDA expects to fund up to 11 TAACs through this competition, each with a period of performance of up to five years. See section II. of this FFO.

• Informational Webinar: EDA will hold an initial informational webinar for prospective applicants on October 19, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Please refer to section IV.C. of this FFO for the webinar registration requirements and protocols.

• Addresses and Designated Points of Contact: General questions regarding the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program should be emailed to TAAF2015@eda.gov. See section VIII. of this FFO for additional contact information.

• Award Notification: Subject to the availability of funding, successful applicants should expect to receive grant award notification within approximately 90 days from the application closing date and times set out in this FFO. The anticipated award will have an initial funding period of twelve months (as part of a five-year period of performance) with an estimated start date on or about 120 days after the closing date of this FFO. See section VI.A. of this FFO for award notification information.

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Overview

B. Program Authority

II. Award Information

A. What funding is available under this announcement?

B. What type of funding instrument will be used to make awards and how long will periods of performance be?

C. Upon acceptance of an EDA award, what are the post-approval requirements?

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

IV. Application Requirements

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

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

C. Content and form of application submissions

D. Deadline for submissions

E. Informational webinar

F. How to submit an application

G. Withdrawal of Applications

V. Application Review and Award Selection Information

A. Application review

B. Merit Review

C. Selection Factors

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award notification

B. Unsuccessful competition

C. Administrative and national policy requirements

D. Reporting requirements

E. Regulations, administrative requirements, and cost principles

F. EDA’s Non-relocation Policy

G. OMB Uniform Guidance audit requirements

VII. Other Information

A. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure

B. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions

C. Restrictions Governing Making Grants to Corporations Convicted of Felony Criminal Violations and/or Unpaid Federal Tax Liabilities

D. Intergovernmental review

E. Implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

VIII. EDA Contact Information

IX. Instructions for Application Submission via Grants.gov

Appendix A. Representation by Corporations Regarding an Unpaid Delinquent Tax Liability or a Felony Conviction Under Any Federal Law

Appendix B. TAAF Eligibility and Program Requirements for TAACs

A. Overview

B. Petitions for Certification of Eligibility

C. Adjustment Proposals:

D. Program Performance Assessment

E. Financial Management

F. TAAC Administrative Guidelines

G. TAAF Promotion

H. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions

I. No Obligation for Future Funding

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Overview EDA’s mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for economic growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA fulfills this mission through strategic investments and partnerships that create the regional economic ecosystems required to foster globally competitive regions throughout the United States. The Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms program (TAAF) is an important part of EDA’s investment portfolio as it supports direct technical assistance to import-impacted businesses to help strengthen their global competitiveness. Direct technical assistance is provided by Trade Adjustment Assistance Centers (TAACs), which are generally non-profit organizations or affiliated with universities, and industry consultants and experts. TAAF funds the TAACs to coordinate direct technical assistance to eligible businesses. TAAF does not provide funding to businesses directly.

TAAF assists firms that have lost domestic sales and employment due to increased imports of similar or competitive goods as global competition intensifies. TAAF accomplishes this through a national network of TAACs, which assist import-impacted firms in:

i. Preparing and submitting petitions to EDA for certification of eligibility necessary to apply for assistance under TAAF (i.e. to become a “certified firm”);

ii. Developing and submitting adjustment proposals (business recovery plans) for EDA approval; and,

iii. Implementing the technical assistance tasks as set forth in approved adjustment proposals, primarily through private sector consultants.2

Through this FFO, EDA is soliciting applications from eligible organizations to operate as TAACs, delivering and administering the benefits of TAAF to eligible firms.

EDA encourages the submission of applications that will significantly benefit import-impacted manufacturing and production firms, as historical trends suggest that such firms make up the majority of import-impacted firms. EDA expects applications to demonstrate familiarity or an ability to quickly become familiar with all aspects of TAAF (e.g. statutory, regulatory, and other requirements) along with the activities and services in which TAACs engage to assist firms as outlined in Appendix B to this FFO.

Through this competition, EDA aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TAAF program through enhanced program performance measurement, decreased program administrative costs, closer alignment of geographic service areas of TAACs with the service areas of EDA’s six regional offices, and a more equitable distribution of services across all U.S. states and territories. Applications should address how selected TAACs will advance each of these goals.

EDA anticipates selecting up to 11 TAACs through this FFO. EDA does not anticipate creating or funding any additional TAACs outside of this competitive solicitation, unless a TAAC cooperative agreement recipient withdraws from the program or does not perform to EDA’s satisfaction. In such cases, EDA may choose to hold an intervening competition.

B. Program Authority The authority for the TAAF program is Chapters 3 and 5 of Title II of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (Pub. L. 93-618, 19 U.S.C. §2341 et seq.), and as further amended by P.L. 97-35, 98-120, 98-369, 99-272, 99-514, 100-418, 103-66, 105-277, 107-210, 111-5, 111-344, 112-40, 113-203, and 114-27. The Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) to establish TAACs to assist EDA in implementing TAAF.

2 13 C.F.R. §§ 315.8 and 315.16.

The Secretary has delegated this authority to EDA. Specific program requirements for TAAF are set forth at 13 C.F.R. part 315.3

II. Award Information

A. What funding is available under this announcement?

Under the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 (P.L. 113-203), funding in the amount of $12.5 million was appropriated for the TAAF program in FY 2015. The TAAF program has not yet received appropriations for FY 2016. EDA expects investments in TAACs for the first year of the five-year period of performance to range from $1 million to $1.5 million, depending on the total number of TAACs selected through this FFO, the service area of each TAAC that is selected, and the availability of appropriations. Awards are expected to start 120 days after the closing date of this FFO.

The funding periods and amounts referenced in this notice are subject to the availability of funds, as well as to DOC and EDA priorities at the time of award. Neither DOC nor EDA will be held responsible for application preparation costs. Publication of this announcement does not obligate DOC or EDA to award any specific grant or cooperative agreement or to obligate all or any part of available funds.

B. What type of funding instrument will be used to make awards and how long will periods of performance be?

The applicants selected to serve as a TAAC will work closely with both EDA and import-impacted firms. EDA will work closely with the TAACs in administering both the administrative and substantive aspects of TAAF. As a result of this close working relationship, EDA may, subject to the availability of funds, award cooperative agreements to selected TAACs under this competitive solicitation. EDA anticipates providing a five-year period of performance for each applicant selected for funding, with an initial funding period of one year. The selected TAACs will not have to compete for subsequent years of funding during the five year period of performance. Funding beyond the initial year will be dependent upon the availability of funds and satisfactory TAAC performance (as determined by EDA and described in Appendix B, subsection D. - Program Performance Assessment) in achieving the scope of work of the cooperative agreement.

Carryover funds and program income earned in one year may be carried over and used to execute eligible activities in a subsequent year throughout the five-year period of performance. At the conclusion of the fifth year, each TAAC will have 90 days to submit final vouchers for reimbursement related to eligible activities funded prior to the expiration of the period of performance.

3 EDA’s regulations are codified at 13 C.F.R. Chapter III. The regulations are accessible on the U.S. Government Printing Office’s website at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title13-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title13-vol1-sec300-3.pdf

C. Upon acceptance of an EDA award, what are the post-approval requirements?

Recipients under this announcement will be required to provide TAAF services to eligible entities both within their immediate U.S. State or Territory and two to seven additional geographically proximate U.S. States all of which fall within one EDA geographic region, and are not spread across multiple EDA Regions, to the greatest extent feasible. Applicants are encouraged to propose a service area that they will cover;

however, EDA will determine the final service area for each TAAC after winning applications are chosen. A full list of EDA Regions and the U.S. States and Territories they serve can be found at http://www.eda.gov/contacts.htm. Final TAAC service areas will be dependent on:

• The geographic location of the selected TAACs;

• Alignment within existing EDA Regional Office service areas to the greatest extent feasible;

• Anticipated or demonstrated demand for TAAC services in identified service areas and the estimated capacity of the selected TAACs to meet the demands of firms in the determined service area, with a particular focus on providing an equitable distribution of services across all States and Territories within each TAAC service area; and,

• Any other relevant factors that EDA determines are necessary based on a review of submitted applications.

In order to ensure continuity of services and maximize the alignment of TAAC geographic service areas with those of EDA’s six Regional offices, EDA reserves the right to modify and finalize TAAC service areas, which may be different from those proposed by the applicant.

In addition, depending on the outcome of this competition, selected TAACs must implement, in conjunction with EDA, the plans outlined in their applications (see section IV.A.2.d.ii.b. of this FFO), for assisting pre-existing TAAF clients in their service area, including the transition of petitions, adjustment proposals, and projects from any current TAACs that are not selected through this competition.

Recipients under this announcement shall make themselves available for up to two TAAF meetings per year, at a time and place designated by EDA. Recipients will also be required to participate in periodic TAAF conference calls or webinars to share best practices and discuss the program’s challenges and opportunities. EDA also expects recipients to plan periodic travel to select communities within their service area to promote TAAF and meet with potential client firms.

As part of the required progress reports (see section VI.D. of this FFO), cooperative agreement recipients will be required to provide an overview of how activities of their TAAC are efficiently and effectively responding to needs of their service areas. For example, TAACs may identify how their activities result in a change in per capita income, or help assist businesses, or they may supply a summary of their technology commercialization activities. Performance reports should include projected and actual impacts of TAAF assistance on client firms, including all performance metrics required by Congress in appropriations and authorization legislation, as well as any other metrics requested by EDA, including but not limited to job/sales growth, business survival rates, retention of employees, average wage rates, and export growth. TAACs will be expected to maintain timely data on the actual impact of each TAAF award, including but not limited to, clients served, sales data, employment data, client North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes, and client location information. TAACs are expected to survey their clients on outcomes, impacts, and satisfaction on a periodic basis.

In addition to an annual performance evaluation by EDA, recipients’ performance may be subject to a peer review at the end of the second year of the period of performance. Two weeks before a recipient’s scheduled peer review, the TAAC must provide EDA with an abstract of its original proposal, a copy of its presentation on the TAAC’s performance, and any other relevant information for dissemination to the peer review panelists. The recipient should be prepared to participate in a moderated discussion with these reviewers at the conclusion of its presentation.

EDA may also conduct program evaluations within the five-year period of performance.

Subject to the confidentiality restrictions established by Congress, TAACs are expected to cooperate with any such evaluation activities and make available pertinent data to either EDA staff or third-party evaluators.

Cooperative agreement recipients are required to comply with all terms and conditions of the award, including special award conditions.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants Pursuant to the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, eligible applicants4 for and eligible recipients of EDA investment assistance under this FFO include:

1. Universities or affiliated organizations;

2. States or local governments; or

3. Non-profit organizations.

Under the Trade Act of 1974, EDA is not authorized to provide grants to individuals or for-profit entities, and such requests will not be considered for funding.

4 13 C.F.R. § 315.4.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching Applicant Cost Sharing or Matching: While matching/cost sharing contributions by applicants (cash or in-kind) are not required, EDA will consider such contributions by applicants during the application review process. In-kind contributions may provide the required non-Federal share of the total project cost and can consist of contributions directly related to the proposed project such as space, equipment, or services. EDA will fairly evaluate all in-kind contributions, which must be eligible project costs and meet applicable Federal cost principles and uniform administrative requirements. The applicant must show that the matching share will: (i) be committed to the project for the period of performance, (ii) be available as needed, and (iii) not be conditioned or encumbered in any way that may preclude its use consistent with the requirements of EDA investment assistance.5 In-kind revenue is not considered to be the client firm cost sharing or matching for the purposes of evaluation.

TAAF Client Firm Cost Sharing or Matching: A matching share is not required for certification assistance provided by TAACs to firms for certification or for administrative expenses of the TAAC.6 Note that certain income will likely be generated by the TAAC since a certified firm must, to the extent practicable, pay the TAAC at least 25 percent of the costs of preparing the certified firm’s adjustment proposal.7 The TAAC will retain such funds and use them to support its TAAF activities. In addition, each certified firm must pay part of the costs of implementing its approved adjustment proposal, which are usually incurred through hiring consultants to implement the technical assistance tasks set forth in the adjustment proposal. If the total amount of technical assistance requested is $30,000 or less, the certified firm must pay at least 25 percent of the consultant costs. If the total amount of technical assistance requested is above $30,000, the certified firm must pay at least 50 percent of the consultant costs. The TAAC’s total share (via EDA funding) of consultant costs for technical assistance is generally limited to $75,000 for any one certified firm.

IV. Application Requirements

A. How to Obtain an Application Package An applicant may obtain the appropriate application package electronically at www.grants.gov (Grants.gov). Applicants may search for this funding opportunity on Grants.gov using Funding Opportunity Number “EDA-HDQ-TAAF-2016-2004559.” All components of the appropriate application package may be accessed and downloaded (in a screen-fillable format) at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp. The preferred electronic file format for attachments is Adobe portable document format (PDF); however, EDA will accept electronic files in Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, or Microsoft Excel. Applicants are advised that they must complete the registration process

5 13 C.F.R. § 301.5.

6 13 C.F.R. § 315.5(d)(2).

7 13 C.F.R. § 315.6(c)(2)(i).

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp prior to submitting an application through Grants.gov; however, please note that registration is not required for an applicant to access, view, or download the application package. Even though an applicant may be able to view and download an application, if the applicant has not correctly completed the Grants.gov registration process, the applicant will not be able to submit the application for EDA’s review.

B. Unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal awarding agency that is excepted from those requirements under 2 CFR §25.110(b) or (c), must: (i) be registered in SAM (www.sam.gov) before submitting its application; (ii) provide a valid unique 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 EDA. EDA 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 the applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time EDA is ready to make a Federal award, EDA 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.

C. Content and form of application submissions Applicants must complete and submit the following components of an application package. An application that does not have all of the required components may be considered incomplete and not receive further consideration. See section V. of this FFO for information regarding application review.

1. Required Forms One of each of the following forms is required:

• Form SF-424 - Application for Federal Assistance.

• Form SF-424A - Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs.

• Form SF-424B - Assurances—Non-Construction Programs.

• Form CD-511 - Certification Regarding Lobbying.

• Form SF-LLL - Disclosure of Lobbying Activities. (If not applicable, return the form signed with N/A marked across it.

2. Required Project Narrative The applicant must submit a Project Narrative in a separate attachment that references and responds to the following questions, to ensure that its application includes a clear and compelling justification for the project. It must be no more than 15 pages of double-spaced text (approximately 200 to 300 words per page), including any attachments but not including the cover page. The Project Narrative must provide for a five-year scope of work and for a timeline for implementation during the five-year period of performance. The timeline must include benchmarks to gauge program progress. The Project Narrative must provide both an overall five-year operational http://www.sam.gov/ plan and scope of work for the entire fiscal years 2016 through 2021 period of performance, and a detailed operational plan and scope of work for the initial year of the period of performance. For each subsequent year of the period of performance, each TAAC will execute an amendment to the cooperative agreement and submit an updated Project Narrative that reflects changes to and trends within the TAAC’s service region. The Project Narrative must include the following:

a) Cover Page The cover page should include the applicant(s)’ name, Federal funding request and proposed matching funds, if applicable.

b) Section 1. Organizational History and Capability Discuss the organization’s capacity and experience in successfully operating technical assistance programs for businesses, especially those focused on increasing global competitiveness, promoting exports and trade and facilitating technology commercialization. Applicants are encouraged to document specific results of such past programs.

Detail the organizational context in which the proposed TAAC will provide technical assistance under TAAF. If the proposed TAAC is affiliated with another entity, such as a university or a non-profit, include the TAAC’s placement within the organizational structure of that entity and explain how this affiliation may impact the cooperative agreement with EDA and the provision of assistance to import-impacted firms.

c) Section 2. Service Region, Needs of Service Region, and Target Audience EDA seeks better integration of TAAC services with other EDA-funded services such as university centers, technology commercialization centers, economic development planning, and more. EDA hopes this can be facilitated by better aligning of geographic service areas of TAACs and EDA’s six regional offices.

This does not mean that EDA will select only six TAACs, but that each TAAC serve no more than one EDA geographic region. Applicants should propose the States and Territories they would serve if selected, noting that each proposed TAAC will be serving their immediate State or Territory and two to seven additional geographically proximate U.S. States, all of which fall within one EDA geographic region. A full list of EDA Regions and the U.S. States and Territories they serve can be found at http://www.eda.gov/contacts.htm. As outlined in section II.C. of this FFO, EDA does not plan to finalize the service areas of selected TAACs until after winning applications are chosen.

Applicants should demonstrate their understanding of trade patterns in the region they plan to serve, along with how those patterns are affecting the competitiveness of firms in the region. Specifically, applicants should demonstrate their understanding of the following:

1. Existing Conditions within the region. Detail the business competitiveness needs, issues, and opportunities with the applicant’s proposed region, focusing on import-impacted industries and firms. Maps and other graphic representations that accurately portray the current condition of the applicant’s proposed region are encouraged.

2. Target Firms and Industries. Identify import-impacted firms and industries within the applicant’s region that should be targeted for TAAF assistance.

3. More Equitable Distribution of Services: One key goal of this competition is to ensure a more equitable distribution of TAAF services across all States and Territories. Traditionally, there has been a tendency for TAACs to focus their assistance on firms in the States in which TAACs exist, resulting in a shortage of services for firms in other States and Territories within those TAACs’ service areas. Applicants should outline a strategy for ensuring that all States and Territories within their proposed region receive as equitable an amount of service as possible.

Since the goal of TAAF is to address the existing conditions of import-impacted firms, applications must contain the most recent available data. The use of data that are not the most recently available may result in an application being considered non-responsive and EDA may reject the application. This section in particular must contain accurate data and estimates provided by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Census Bureau, or other governmental agencies that compile socioeconomic data that are current as of the date of the application.

Additional pertinent, accurate and current data, information, analyses and estimates from reputable non-governmental sources may also be provided, but such data cannot serve as a substitute for governmental data.

d) Section 3. TAAC Business Plan and Anticipated Impacts and Benefits Outline the scope of work to be undertaken by the TAAC during the five-year period of performance. This section must be organized into the following five elements: (i) TAAC program management; (ii) TAAC business plan; (iii) timeline and benchmarks for program implementation; (iv) TAAC outreach strategy; and (v) plan to coordinate EDA Regional Offices, Trade Adjustment Assistance Programs operated by the Department of Labor (DOL), and other relevant institutions and programs to provide the most value to firms and maximize the benefit of each Federal dollar. More specifically, this section should address:

1. TAAC Program Management. Provide a plan for the TAAC’s overall fiscal/financial management to ensure the TAAC’s accountability for Federal funds. This plan must include the TAAC’s procurement code of conduct and procedures. Recipients of Federal assistance that are institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit and commercial organizations must have:

(i) Written standards of conduct governing the performance of its employees engaged in the award and administration of contracts; and,

(ii) Written procurement procedures. See 2 C.F.R. § 200.318 for more information on these requirements.

2. TAAC Business Plan. Describe how the TAAC plans to provide assistance to import-impacted firms. Business plans must include: a strategy for servicing pre-existing TAAF clients in their service area, including the transition of petitions, adjustment proposals, and projects underway to implement adjustment proposals; and a plan for balancing the amount of new firms entering the program with the need to meet the expectations for TAAF assistance of existing client firms.

3. Timeline and Benchmarks for Program Implementation. Provide a five-year timeline for Program implementation which includes anticipated significant milestones and accomplishments. The applicant must also submit a timeline for the initial year of the period of performance detailing over the course of that year the activity, timeline, and benchmarks for the implementation of TAAF.

For existing TAACs, this initial year timeline must include the current status of any pending certifications, APs, or other client-firm assistance. All applicants must provide: the projected number of firms that the TAAC will contact through outreach activities; the projected number of petitions for certification that the TAAC will submit for EDA approval; and the projected number of APs that will be submitted for EDA’s approval. These projections should be based on the applicant’s analysis of need in its geographic service region and its experience operating a TAAC, or if no such experience exists, in serving import-impacted firms.

4. TAAC Outreach Strategy. Detail how the proposed TAAC will provide information about assistance services in the TAAC’s service area. Examples of TAAC information and literature provided to potential client-firms and other outreach strategies are welcome and encouraged.

5. Plan for Coordination with Complementary Federal Programs. Detail how the proposed TAAC will coordinate with other complementary Federal programs that serve, or could serve, trade-impacted businesses and communities in order to provide comprehensive assistance to import-impacted firms, avoid duplicative effort, and maximize Federal dollars. This plan should include a strategy for coordinating with the appropriate EDA Regional Office to facilitate access to all relevant EDA services (those provided through the TAAF program and all other EDA programs); along with coordination with, including but not limited to, Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Centers, U.S. Department of Labor Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program, U.S. Export Assistance Centers, Regional Employment and Training Administration offices, Workforce Investment Boards, and relevant private industry groups.

3. Budget, Budget Narrative, and Staffing Plan Applicants must submit a separate budget (Form SF-424A) and a budget narrative for each year of the five-year period of performance. The budget must include columns reflecting the Federal, non-Federal cash, non-Federal in-kind (if applicable) and total amounts allocated to each budget line-item for each project year. Applicants should use the budget categories identified in “Section B – Budget Categories” of Form SF-424A, with sub-categories and explanations as necessary. The allowability of costs incurred depends upon the classification of the TAAC and is determined in accordance with the requirements set out in 2 C.F.R. part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards. Generally, allowable costs include salaries, supplies, and other expenses that are reasonable and necessary for successful completion of the scope of work.

a) Budget Narrative The budget for each year must include a brief narrative describing each budget line-item. In addition, applicants must provide a detailed breakout of all expenses included in the “Other” line item on the Form SF-424A. For budget planning purposes, applicant TAACs should assume flat funding for the five-year period of performance. Budget costs should include all required post-approval activities outlined in section III.C. of this FFO.

b) Staffing Plan In addition to the budget and budget narrative, applicants also must submit a staffing plan listing all positions that will be charged to the Federal and non-Federal portion of the budget for each year of the five-year period of performance. The staffing plan must include position titles, maximum annual salaries, percentage of time dedicated to the project, and the total amount of annual salaries that would be charged to the project. The total amount of annual salaries that would be charged to the project must be consistent with the amount reflected on the “Personnel” budget line-item on the Form SF-424A for each project year.

c) Program Income If the operation of the TAAC is expected to generate “program income” (as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.80), such amounts must be accounted for in the project budget and must be added to those budget line-items pertaining to direct TAAF delivery.

4. Facilities and Administrative Costs Through this FFO, EDA aims to improve efficiency of TAAC operations in part through minimizing overhead or administrative costs and maximizing the use of funds to provide direct services to client firms. Applicants with indirect or facilities and administrative cost rates of 20 percent or lower will be more competitive than those with higher rates within the “Financial and management capability of the applicant” component of the merit review process of this competition (see section V.C.3. of this FFO).

If indirect or facilities and administrative costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include a copy of its current Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Agreement or documentation applying for an Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Agreement. Applicants that do not have a current Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Agreement negotiated and approved by EDA (or by the applicable cognizant Federal agency) may propose indirect or facilities and administrative costs in their budget. However, any applicant without a currently approved Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Agreement must prepare and submit an indirect or facilities and administrative cost allocation plan and rate proposal as required by 2 C.F.R. Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, as applicable. The allocation plan and the rate proposal must be submitted to EDA (or applicable cognizant Federal agency) within 90 days from the award start date.

The maximum dollar amount of allocable indirect or facilities and administrative costs for which EDA will reimburse a recipient shall be the lesser of the:

(i) line-item amount for the Federal share of indirect or facilities and administrative costs contained in the EDA-approved budget for the award; or

(ii) Federal share of the total allocable indirect or facilities and administrative costs of the award based on the cost rate approved by EDA (or applicable cognizant Federal agency), provided that the cost rate is current at the time the costs were incurred and that the rate is approved on or before the award end date. See Paragraph 5 (Indirect Costs) of the Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements (77 FR 74634).

The applicant should include a statement in the budget narrative indicating whether it does not have, or has not applied for, an Indirect or Facilities and Administrative Cost Rate Agreement.

In addition, in accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.414(f), any non-Federal entity that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, except for those non-Federal entities described in Paragraph D.1.b of Appendix VII to 2 C.F.R. Part 200 (specifically, a governmental department or agency that receives more than $35 million in direct Federal funding), may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs.

5. Organizational Summary and Résumés of Key Project Staff Applicants must attach the résumés of key project staff, which generally should not exceed two pages in length (per résumé). Applicants should also provide a two-page summary description of all personnel (performing for the applicant) and contractors named in the application. The summary should describe each employee’s specific role with reference to proposed TAAC operations, and provide a brief overview of their most pertinent experience. Subject to the availability of funding, successful http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-12-17/pdf/2012-30228.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-12-17/pdf/2012-30228.pdf http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-12-17/pdf/2012-30228.pdf applicants under this FFO must follow the applicable Federal procurement rules prior to selecting or entering into vendor contracts. If the applicant plans to hire employees during the period of performance, then the applicant should provide a staffing plan for filling any vacancies or new positions.

6. Special Instructions if the Applicant is a Consortium Applicants may wish to apply as a consortium composed of, for example, multiple current TAACs, new organizations, or a current TAAC and new organizations.

Please note that although there must be one lead member if the applicant is a consortium, each member institution of the consortium must submit the following:

Forms SF-424, SF-424B, CD-511, and SF-LLL, if applicable. For example, if a consortium of three universities submitted an application package, a complete application package would consist of:

a. Three Forms SF-424 (one for each consortium member);

b. One Form SF-424A;

c. Three Forms SF-424B (one for each consortium member);

d. Three Forms CD-511 (one for each consortium member);

e. Three Forms SF-LLL (one for each consortium member that has or plans to use non-Federal funds for lobbying in connection with this competitive solicitation. If not applicable, return the form signed with N/A marked across it.); and,

f. One Project Narrative and other required attachments.

D. Deadline for submissions The closing date for receipt of applications for funding under the FY 2015-2016 TAAF program competition is 11:59 p.m. ET on November 24, 2015. Applications must be submitted electronically via www.grants.gov (Grants.gov). The date and time that an application will be deemed to be electronically received will be determined in accordance with the electronic submission instructions provided at Grants.gov for this FFO.

See sections IV.E. and IX. of this FFO for additional information regarding electronic submissions. Applications received after the closing date and time will not be considered for funding.

In addition, please note the following:

• EDA will not accept any unsolicited changes, additions, revisions, or deletions to applications after the submission deadline.

• Throughout the review and selection process, EDA reserves the right to seek clarification in writing from applicants whose applications are being reviewed and considered.

• Applicants may be asked to clarify objectives and work plans and modify budgets or other specifics necessary to comply with Federal requirements and provide supplemental information required by the agency before award. EDA http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ may contact an applicant after technical review of all applications for the purpose of determining whether a proposed project can be completed with a modified scope of work (such as geographic coverage areas) acceptable to EDA or for a smaller budget than that proposed if EDA is unable to fund the full amount requested.

• See section V. of this FFO for application review and selection information.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not to wait until the approaching application deadline before logging on and reviewing the instructions for submitting an application through Grants.gov. Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made at Grants.gov. If problems occur while using Grants.gov, the applicant is advised to (i) print any error message received; and

(ii) call Grants.gov at 1-800-518-4726 for immediate assistance. EDA may allow more time for application submission due to “systems issues” at Grants.gov that are beyond the control of the applicant. See section IV.E.1. and section IX. of this FFO for more information on electronic submissions.

E. Informational webinar EDA will hold an initial informational webinar on October 19, 2015, at 2:00 pm EDT.

This webinar will provide general program information and information regarding the preparation of applications for funding under this competitive solicitation. To ensure the integrity of this competition, EDA will not provide substantive information regarding the competition to prospective applicants outside of these scheduled webinar.

To ensure that enough incoming lines are available for each participant, EDA requires interested parties planning to participate on the webinar to register no later than October 15, 2015. To register, please send an email with “TAAF FFO Webinar Registration” in the subject line to the designated contact listed in section VIII. of this FFO. The telephone number and pass code for each webinar will be provided upon registration.

Please be advised that the informational webinar may be audio-taped and the actual recordings or transcripts of the actual recordings may be made available online or otherwise for the benefit of prospective applicants unable to participate. Prospective applicants who participate on the webinar are deemed to consent to the taping.

F. How to submit an application EDA applicants are required to submit applications electronically in accordance with the instructions provided at www.grants.gov. EDA will not accept facsimile and paper (hard copy) transmissions of applications.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to start early and not to wait until the approaching deadline before logging on and reviewing the application instructions at www.grants.gov.

Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made at www.grants.gov. If problems occur, the applicant is advised to (a) print any error message received; and (b) call the www.grants.gov Contact Center at 1-800-518-4726 for assistance. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (except for Federal http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ holidays). The following link is useful resources: http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp. If you do not find an answer to your question under “Applicant FAQ’s.” try consulting the “Applicant User Guide” or contacting www.grants.gov via email at support@grants.gov or telephone at 1-800-518-4726. An application that is not validated and time-stamped by Grants.gov by the application deadline listed in section IV.B. of this FFO will not be processed for consideration by EDA.

Once an application is submitted, it undergoes a validation process through Grants.gov during which the application may be accepted or rejected by the system. Please be advised that the validation process may take 24 to 48 hours to complete. Applications that contain errors will be rejected by Grants.gov, and will not be forwarded to EDA for review. The applicant must correct the error before Grants.gov will accept and validate the application. EDA will not accept late applications that were rejected by Grants.gov due to applicant errors. Accordingly, EDA strongly suggests that applicants submit their applications at least five days before the application deadline to allow the application to be accepted and validated in the system and to allow time for any errors to be corrected. EDA will consider the time-stamp on the validation from Grants.gov as the official submission time.

Please see section IX. of this FFO for more detailed instructions and information on the requirements for submitting an application electronically via Grants.gov.

G. Withdrawal of Applications Applications may be withdrawn by written notice from the designated point of contact at any time before an award is made. Please make the written request to TAAF2015@eda.gov.

V. Application Review and Award Selection Information

A. Application review EDA staff will conduct an eligibility and technical completeness review of all applications received by the above stated deadline (see section IV.B. of this FFO). EDA will reject any documentation of eligibility that the agency determines is inaccurate or incomplete, which may cause the application to be rejected. In cases where EDA receives an application six months or more before the time of award, EDA will re-evaluate the project to determine continued eligibility for investment assistance before making an award.

EDA expects applicants to complete and include all required forms and documentation.

Applications that do not contain all forms and required documentation listed in section IV.A. of this announcement may be deemed non-responsive and excluded from further consideration. However, EDA in its sole discretion reserves the right to consider timely and otherwise complete applications that may contain non-substantive technical deficiencies. Applicants that are ineligible for EDA funding will be informed that they are ineligible.

http://www.grants.gov/help/help.jsp mailto:support@grants.gov

B. Merit Review A panel comprised of at least three Federal employees will be formed to review each application. The panel will only consider applications that are determined to be eligible and technically complete, as outlined in section V.A. of this FFO. The review panel will evaluate and rank applications using the following equally weighted criteria:

1. The ability to develop a service delivery model and manage an organization with business practices that conform with EDA’s and the TAAF program’s statutory and regulatory requirements, including the extent to which the proposed project demonstrates the ability to carry out TAAF requirements outlined in Appendix B;

2. Demonstrated competence in administering business assistance programs;

A successful TAAC proposal will capitalize on the organization’s strengths and will bolster the competitiveness of import-impacted firms, resulting in tangible and quantifiable improvements in the firm’s economic health such as retained or increased numbers of jobs, increased sales, and/or increased employee wages.

3. Background and experience of staff;

A successful TAAC proposal will demonstrate strong leadership, project management experience related to strengthening the global competitiveness of U.S. firms, and a significant commitment of human resources talent to ensure a high-performing TAAC.

4. Proposed scope of work;

A successful TAAC proposal will describe and set forth a comprehensive strategy for assisting import-impacted firms in identifying and addressing both current and probable future challenges and opportunities related to their global competitiveness. EDA will specifically evaluate:

(i) the applicant’s strategy for ensuring an equitable distribution of services across all the States and Territories they are proposing their TAAC to serve.

(ii) the analysis of trade and business competitiveness issues affecting the States and Territories they are proposing to serve;

(iii) proposed plans for coordinating with the appropriate EDA Regional Office to facilitate access to all relevant EDA services (those provided through the TAAF program and all other EDA programs) for U.S.

communities and businesses;

(iv) proposed plans for servicing pre-existing TAAF clients in their service area, including the transition of petitions, adjustment proposals, and projects from any current TAACs that are not selected through this competition;

(v) the extent to which the proposed TAAC will maximize coordination with other relevant organizations (e.g. Manufacturing Extension Partnership Centers, U.S. Export Assistance Centers, Regional Employment and Training Administration offices, Workforce Investment Boards and relevant private industry groups) to leverage other resources, foster collaboration and avoid duplication of services offered by other organizations, and

(vi) the applicant’s degree of support and commitment to the proposed TAAC's mission.

5. Feasibility of the proposed project budget, including the cost to the Federal government.