02-14465. Discretionary Funds for Projects To Establish Individual Development Account Programs for Refugees

AGENCY:

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

ACTION:

Notice of availability of FY 2002 discretionary social service funds to public and private, non-profit agencies for projects to establish and manage Individual Development Account (IDA) programs for refugees.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for projects to establish and manage Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for low-income refugee ^[1] participants. Eligible refugee participants who enroll in these projects will open and contribute systematically to IDAs for specified Savings Goals, including home ownership, business capitalization, and postsecondary education. Grantees may use ORR funds to provide matches for the savings in the IDAs up to $2,000 per individual refugee and $4,000 per refugee household. Applications will be screened and evaluated as indicated in this program announcement. Awards will be contingent on the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.

DATES:

The closing date for submission of applications is July 10, 2002. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on submitting applications.

ADDRESSES:

Announcement Availability: The program announcement and the application materials are available on the ORR website at www.acf.dhhs.gov/​programs/​orr.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Henley Portner, Program Specialist, Division of Community Resettlement (DCR), ORR, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), [phone]; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This program announcement consists of four parts:

Part I: Background—program purpose, program objectives, legislative authority, funding availability, definition of terms

Part II: Project and Applicant Eligibility—funding priorities, preferences, eligible applicants, project and budget periods, multiple applications, treatment of program income

Part III: The Review Process—intergovernmental review, initial ACF screening, evaluation criteria and competitive review

Part IV: The Application—application materials, application development, application submission

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-13): Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average four hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. The following information collection is included in the program announcement: OMB Approval No. 0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 12/31/2003. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Part I. Background

Program Purpose and Objectives: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites qualified entities to submit competing grant applications for new projects that will establish, support, and manage Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) for eligible low-income refugee individuals and families. The Refugee IDA Program represents an anti-poverty strategy built on asset accumulation for low-income refugee individuals and families with the goal of promoting refugee economic independence. In particular, the objectives of this program are to: Increase the ability of low-income refugees to save; promote their participation in the financial institutions of this country; assist refugees in advancing their education; Increase home ownership; and assist refugees in gaining access to capital. These new projects will accomplish these objectives by establishing programs that combine the provision of matched savings accounts with financial training and counseling.

Eligibility for this program is limited to refugees:

• Who have earned income and whose household earned income at time of enrollment does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level; and
• Whose assets at time of enrollment do not exceed $10,000, excluding the value of a primary residence.

A copy of the HHS Poverty Guidelines is attached to this announcement. The Poverty Guidelines may also be found at http://aspe.hhs.gov/​poverty/​02poverty.htm.

Grantees, in partnership with qualified financial institutions, will create Individual Development Accounts for refugee participants. Refugee participants will systematically contribute to the IDAs out of earned income to purchase specified Savings Goals. Grantees may include any or all of the following Savings Goals in their IDA program:

• Home Purchase or Renovation;
• Postsecondary Education, Vocational Training, or Recertification;
• Microenterprise Capitalization;
• Purchase of an Automobile;
• Purchase of a Computer.

Additional information on these Savings Goals is provided in the Definition of Terms section of this announcement.

ORR encourages applicants to include in their applications a plan for developing commitments of additional public or private funds for matching IDA deposits, operational overhead, or training. If additional funds have been secured, documentation should be provided in the application in writing, executed with the entity providing the non-ORR contribution, on letterhead of the entity, and signed by a person authorized to make a commitment on behalf of the entity.

The grantee will establish a “Savings Plan Agreement” with each refugee participant. The Savings Plan Agreement should include:

(1) A proposed schedule of savings deposits by the participant;

(2) The rate at which the participant's savings will be matched;

(3) The Savings Goal(s) for which the account is maintained;

(4) Any training or counseling which the participant agrees to attend;

(5) Agreement that the participant will not withdraw funds except for the specified Savings Goal or for an emergency and only after notification to the grantee; and

(6) Statement by the participant that the participant is not participating, and has not participated, in any other ORR-funded IDA program;

(7) A procedure for amending the Agreement.

Applicants under this grant announcement may propose additional provisions to be included in Savings Plan Agreements.

The IDA contains only the refugee participant's deposits and interest earned on those deposits. The grantee will create a parallel account (or parallel accounts), separate from the participants' IDAs, in a qualified financial institution, in which all matching ORR grant funds will be deposited and maintained on behalf of the refugee participants. Drawdown of the ORR grant funds and deposit of those funds into the parallel account(s) will be permitted no earlier than the time of the refugee's deposit to the IDA. Grantees must draw down ORR funds for matching IDA deposits within three months of the date that the refugee participant makes the deposit.

ORR funds may be used at a matching rate no greater than one-to-one for each dollar deposited in the IDA by the refugee participant. Grantees may choose to vary the amount of the match by type of Savings Goal and/or by income level of the refugee participants. Over the course of the three-year project period, not more than $2,000 in ORR grant funds may be provided through matching contributions to any one refugee individual and not more than $4,000 may be provided to any one refugee household. When the refugee purchases the Savings Goal, the grantee must use vendor payments for the matching funds.

The interest that accrues on the ORR matching funds deposited in the parallel account must be credited to the IDAs of the refugee participants. The interest that is credited to the refugee participants is not subject to the $2,000/$4,000 limits. The interest on the match funds in the parallel account may not be retained by the grantee for any purpose, including program administration, participant support services, or program data collection.

ORR strongly encourages applicants to incorporate in these projects financial training for the refugee participants. The training may be provided directly by the grantee or the grantee may choose to provide the training through subgrantees or other providers. The training provided by a grantee should reflect both the refugee population and the Savings Goals to be included in the program. Such training could include budgeting, cash management, savings, investment, and credit counseling. Specialized training and technical assistance should be provided for refugee participants for each Savings Goal provided through the program.

Under these projects, grantees should schedule their account activities so that all IDA accounts reach their maximum savings, and refugee participants have purchased their Savings Goal, within the three-year project period.

Legislative Authority: Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the Director “to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public or private nonprofit agencies for projects specifically designed—(i) To assist refugees in obtaining skills which are necessary for economic self-sufficiency, including projects for job training, employment services, day care, professional refresher training, and other recertification services; (ii) to provide training in English where necessary (regardless of whether the refugees are employed or receiving cash or other assistance); and (iii) to provide where specific needs have been shown and recognized by the Director, health (including mental health) services, social services, educational and other services.”

Funding Availability: ORR expects to award approximately $2.5 million in FY 2002 funds for the Refugee IDA Program among approximately six to twelve grantees. Grants are expected to range from $200,000 to $400,000. Approximately 75-80 percent of the ORR grant funds should be designated for the purpose of providing matches for the refugee IDA accounts. The remaining 20-25 percent of ORR funds may be used for the administrative and operational costs of the project and for financial training, counseling, and technical assistance.

The Director reserves the right to award more or less than the funds described in the absence of worthy applications or such other circumstances as may be deemed to be in the best interest of the government. Applicants may be required to reduce the scope of selected projects based on the amount of the approved grant award.

Definition of Terms: Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) are leveraged, or matched, savings accounts. IDAs are established in insured accounts in qualified financial institutions. The funds are intended for the Savings Goals specified in this announcement. Although the refugee participant maintains control of all funds that the participant deposits in the IDA, including all interest that may accrue on the funds, the participant must sign a Savings Plan Agreement with the grantee that specifies that the funds in the account will be used only for the participant's Savings Goal or for an emergency withdrawal. A signed Savings Plan Agreement is required for the refugee participant to be eligible for matching funds.

The Savings Goals, as specified below, are the purchases/investments for which the matching funds, and the interest on matching funds, are available when used in conjunction with the savings from the IDAs of refugee participants. The Savings Goal specified by a participant in the Savings Plan Agreement may be for the benefit of the refugee participant or of a refugee dependent of the refugee participant. Savings Goals are defined as follows:

• Home Ownership: includes costs of a principal residence including the down payment and closing costs when purchasing a home; also renovation costs of a newly purchased home or of an existing primary residence. In the case of acquisition, the purchaser must be a first-time home buyer.
• Microenterprise Capitalization: means costs for a start-up micro-business described in a qualified business plan, such as capital, plant, equipment, working capital, and inventory expenses. The business plan must be approved by a financial institution, a microenterprise development organization, or a non-profit loan fund. The plan must also describe services or goods to be sold and include a marketing plan and projected financial statements.
• Postsecondary Education, Vocational Training, and Recertification: Tuition or fees, professional recertification fees, books, supplies, and equipment related to the enrollment or attendance of a refugee student at an educational institution.
• Purchase of an Automobile: if necessary for the purpose of maintaining or upgrading employment or for the purpose of transportation for postsecondary education, vocational training, or recertification.
• Purchase of a Computer: including hardware and software, to support a refugee student's enrollment in an educational, vocational, or recertification institution or for a microenterprise.

Qualified financial institution means a Federally insured bank or credit union or a State-insured bank or credit union if no Federally insured bank or credit union is available.

A parallel account is an insured account (or accounts) opened by the grantee in a qualified financial institution for the purpose of depositing the matching funds for the savings deposited by refugee participants in their individual IDAs. Interest earned on the matching funds must remain in the parallel account and be credited to the refugee participants. Both the matching funds and the interest earned on those funds must be made available to the refugee participant at the time that the participant purchases the Savings Goal. The matching funds and the interest on the matching funds in the parallel account are not available to the refugee participant except for the Savings Goals defined in this announcement.

An emergency withdrawal is a withdrawal of funds, or a portion of funds, deposited by the refugee participant in his/her Individual Development Account. The withdrawal may also include any of the interest that may have accrued to the participant's savings in the account. The participant must notify the project grantee of the withdrawal prior to the withdrawal. Causes for emergency withdrawals include, but are not limited to, medical expenses, payments to prevent eviction or foreclosure, or payments for necessary living expenses. If funds withdrawn for emergency purposes are not repaid within 12 months, the refugee participant forfeits the match on those funds. Emergency withdrawals may never be authorized from the parallel account(s).

Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility

Eligible Applicants: To be eligible for funding under this announcement, projects must meet the following requirements. Eligible applicants for these funds include public and private, non-profit organizations. Faith-based organizations are eligible to apply for these grants.

Any non-profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission. The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations, or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax-exempt certificate, or by providing a copy of the articles of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or association is domiciled.

Applicants may request funding to administer a refugee IDA project directly with refugee participants or to act as an intermediary agency which will administer multiple projects through participating community-based organizations.

Applicants must also provide documentation of participation of a qualified financial institution(s) in the project. This documentation must be in writing, on letterhead of the financial institution, and signed by a person authorized to make the commitment on behalf of the financial institution. The documentation must include a commitment by the financial institution to establish IDAs for the refugee participants, to establish a parallel account (or accounts) for the matching funds, and to provide the grantee with account activity data on the IDAs and the parallel account(s) in a timely manner.

Project and Budget Periods: This announcement invites applications for project periods of up to three years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year budget period. Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the first one-year budget period but within the three-year project period will be entertained in subsequent years on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.

Part III: The Review Process

A. Intergovernmental Review

This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” and 45 CFR Part 100, “Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities.” Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs.

The following jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these jurisdictions need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc., does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC). All remaining jurisdictions participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.

SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to differentiate clearly between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations, which may trigger the “accommodate or explain” rule.

When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447.

A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory is included with the application materials for this program announcement.

B. Initial ACF Screening

Each application submitted under this program announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was received by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions in this announcement; and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.

C. Competitive Review and Evaluation Criteria—Listed According to UPD Order

Applications that pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel on the basis of specific evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria were designed to assess the quality of a proposed project and to determine the likelihood of its success. The evaluation criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are awarded only to applications that are responsive to the evaluation criteria within the context of this program announcement. Proposed projects will be reviewed using the following evaluation criteria:

1. Objectives and Need for Assistance. The application identifies the refugee population to be assisted by this project and describes the need for assistance of this population. Indicators of the need for assistance include low rates of home ownership, education, access to capital, and use of financial institutions and high rates of reliance on public assistance and of incomes below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. (15 points)

2. Approach. The application provides a clear explanation of a feasible, appropriate, and complete plan for establishing and managing IDAs for the refugee participants and, to the extent possible, for leveraging additional non-Federal financial matching resources. The plan clearly describes the structure, uses, requirements, and management of the IDAs and includes procedures for managing the parallel account(s), ensuring that interest on the matches is credited to refugee participants, and providing financial training appropriate to the refugee population and to the Savings Goals included in the project. (25 points)

3. Organizational Profiles. Applicant organization and staff and partner organizations have demonstrated capability to implement and manage new programs and to recruit and work with the refugee population. The applicant has developed a partnership with a financial institution(s) to implement the IDAs. (25 points)

4. Results or Benefits Expected. The outcomes and benefits proposed are reasonable and reflect the objectives of this announcement. The methodology proposed for collecting outcome data is reasonable. (20 points)

5. Budget and Budget Justification. The budget is reasonable and clearly justified. The methodologies for estimating the number of refugee participants and amount of matching funds are reasonable. (15 points)

Part IV. The Application

A. Application Development

In order to be considered for a grant under this program announcement, an application must be submitted on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Application materials including forms and instructions are available from the contact named under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT section in the preamble of this announcement.

General Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description

Part I—The Project Description Overview

Purpose

The project description provides a major means by which an application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing your project description, all information requested through each specific evaluation criteria should be provided. Awarding offices use this and other information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application.

General Instructions

ACF is particularly interested in specific factual information and statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix. Please do not include books or videotapes as they are not easily reproduced and are, therefore, inaccessible to reviewers.

Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be included for easy reference.

Part II—Introduction

Applicants required to submit a full project description shall prepare the project description statement in accordance with the following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The instructions give a broad overview of what your project description should include while the evaluation criteria expands and clarifies more program-specific information that is needed.

Project Summary/Abstract

Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with reference to the funding request.

Objectives and Need for Assistance

Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial, institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to provide information on the total range of projects currently being conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be outside the scope of the program announcement.

Results or Benefits Expected

Identify the results and benefits to be derived. For example, ORR is particularly interested in the projected outcomes for the refugee participants, including the number of IDAs established, the amount of savings by refugee participants, the number and size of withdrawals for each of the Savings Goals, and the impact of the purchase of the Savings Goal on the refugee participant's movement toward self-sufficiency.

Approach

Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.

Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates.

If any data is to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated, clearance may be required from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This clearance pertains to any “collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF.”

List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution.

Geographic Location

Describe the precise location of the project and boundaries of the area to be served by the proposed project. Maps or other graphic aids may be attached.

Additional Information

Following are requests for additional information that need to be included in the application:

Staff and Position Data

Provide a biographical sketch for each key person appointed and a job description for each vacant key position. A biographical sketch will also be required for new key staff as appointed.

Organizational Profiles

Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial statements, audit reports, or statements from CPAs/Licensed Public Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond carriers, contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses, and other documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. Any non-profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission.

The non-profit agency can accomplish this by providing a copy of the applicant's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code or by providing a copy of the currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate or by providing a copy of the articles of incorporation bearing the seal of the State in which the corporation or association is domiciled.

Third-Party Agreements

Include written agreements between grantees and subgrantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship.

Letters of Support

Provide statements from community, public and commercial leaders that support the project proposed for funding. All submissions should be included in the application OR by application deadline.

Budget and Budget Justification

Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.

Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.

General

The following guidelines are for preparing the budget and budget justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed and justified in the budget and narrative justification. For purposes of preparing the budget and budget justification, “Federal resources” refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying. Non-Federal resources are all other Federal and non-Federal resources. It is suggested that budget amounts and computations be presented in a columnar format: first column, object class categories; second column, Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s), and last column, total budget. The budget justification should be a narrative.

Personnel

Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.

Justification: Identify the project director or principal investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project (as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to be financed by the applicant.

Fringe Benefits

Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as part of an approved indirect cost rate.

Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc.

Travel

Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).

Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s), travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ACF-sponsored workshops should be detailed in the budget.

Equipment

Description: “Equipment” means an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the capitalization level established by the organization for the financial statement purposes, or (b) $5,000. (Note: Acquisition cost means the net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular written accounting practices.)

Justification: For each type of equipment requested, provide a description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units, the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the equipment definition.

Supplies

Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than that included under the Equipment category.

Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their costs. Show computations and provide other information that supports the amount requested.

Contractual

Description: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, supplies, construction, etc. Third-party evaluation contracts (if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations, including delegate agencies and specific project(s) or businesses to be financed by the applicant, should be included under this category.

Justification: All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open and free competition. Recipients and subrecipients, other than States that are required to use Part 92 procedures, must justify any anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without competition and exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at $100,000). Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-award review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.

Note:

Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of the project to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailed budget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, by agency title, along with the required supporting information referred to in these instructions, professional services costs, space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer use, training costs, such as truition and stipends, staff development costs, and administrative costs.

Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description, and a justification for each cost under this category.

Indirect Charges

Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or another cognizant Federal agency.

Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, it should immediately upon notification that an award will be made, develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year in accordance with the principles set forth in the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. It should be noted that when an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant. Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

Program Income

Description: The estimated amount of income, if any, expected to be generated from this project.

Justification: Describe the nature, source, and anticipated use of program income in the budget or refer to the pages in the application that contain this information.

Nonfederal Resources

Description: Amounts of non-Federal resources that will be used to support the project as identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.

Justification: The firm commitment of these resources must be documented and submitted with the application in order to be given credit in the review process. A detailed budget must be prepared for each funding source.

Total Direct Charges, Total Indirect Charges, Total Project Costs

Applicants requesting financial assistance for non-construction projects must file the Standard Form 424B, Assurances: Non-Construction Programs. Applicants must sign and return the Standard Form 424B with their applications. Applicants must provide a certification regarding lobbying when applying for an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants must sign and return the certification with their applications. Applicants must disclose lobbying activities on the Standard Form LLL when applying for an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants who have used non-Federal funds for lobbying activities in connection with receiving assistance under this announcement shall complete a disclosure form to report lobbying. Applicants must sign and return the disclosure form, if applicable, with their applications.

Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. By signing and submitting the application, the applicant is providing certification and need not mail back the certification with the application. Applicants must make the appropriate certification that they are not presently debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for an award. By signing and submitting the application, the applicant is providing the certification and need not mail back the certification with the application.

B. Application Submission

1. Mailed applications postmarked after the closing date will be classified as late.

2. Deadline. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the independent review to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Washington, DC 20447. Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly dated, machine produced postmark of a commercial mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.) Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, or by other representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, ACF Mailroom, Second Floor (near loading dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the note “Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer.” ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.

3. Late applications. Applications that do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition.

4. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when there is widespread disruption of the mail service, or in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.

Program Income

Program income from activities funded under this program may be retained by the recipient and added to the funds committed to the project and used to further program objectives.

Applicable Regulations

Applicable U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations can be found in 45 CFR Part 74 or 92.

Reporting Requirements

Grantees under this program announcement will be required to provide quarterly program narrative reports, describing outcomes and activities under the grant. Grantees will also be required to submit semi-annual financial reports using the Financial Status Report (SF-269). A final financial and narrative report shall be due 90 days after the end of the project period (i.e., after the final budget period).

Dated: May 24, 2002.

Nguyen Van Hanh,

Director, Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Footnotes

1.  Eligibility for refugee social servcies includes: (1) Refugees; (2) asylees; (3) Cuban and Haitian entrants under section 501 of the Refugee Education Assistance Act of 1980 (Pub. L. 96-422); (4) certain Amerasians from Vietnam who are admitted to the U.S. as immigrants under section 584 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, as included in the FY 1988 Continuing Resolution (Pub. L. 100-202); (5) certain Amerasians from Vietnam, including U.S. citizens, under Title II of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 100-461), 1990 (Pub. L. 101-167), and 1991 (Pub. L. 101-513); and (6) victims of a severe form of trafficking (see 45 CFR 400.43 and ORR State Letter on trafficking victims). For convenience, the term “refugee” is used in this notice to encompass all such eligible persons.