Executive Summary:

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

Legislative Authority

II. AWARD INFORMATION

Substantial Involvement with Cooperative Agreement:

Under a cooperative agreement, substantial involvement is anticipated between the awarding office and the recipient during performance of the funded activity.  Substantial involvement will require that the project plan proposed be approved by the ORR Project Officer prior to implementation.  Substantial involvement will include collaboration by the ORR Project Officer in certain specified activities as determined by ORR and, as appropriate, decision-making at specified milestones related to performance. 

Under the cooperative agreement, the successful applicant will be expected to submit for Federal review and approval:

1. Status meetings by telephone with ORR representatives to review project implementation (monthly, or as required by the Project Officer);
   
   
2. Resumes for all Project staff, including sub-awards; all project staff is subject to approval by the Project Officer; 
   
   
3. Names of sub-award organizations. All sub-awards are subject to approval by the Project Officer; 
   
   
4. All materials used or created for both trainings and direct outreach;
   
   
5. Memoranda of Understanding with organizations selected for receipt of sub-awarded funds;
   
   
6. Amount of funding for each sub-awardee;
   
   
7. Schedule for monitoring sub-awardees with respect to location, dates and topics;
   
   
8. Reports following site visits of sub-awardees; and
   
   
9. Quarterly performance and expenditure reports.
   

Initial awards will be made for the first 12-month budget period.  Continuation awards for the second 12-month budget period will be subject to the availability of funds, satisfactory progress by the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Federal Government.

Awards under this announcement are subject to the availability of funds.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants:

• Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity subject to exceptions specified below.)

Eligibility is open to all types of domestic applicants other than individuals.

HHS funds may not be paid as profit to any recipient even if the recipient is a commercial organization (45 CFR 74.81).

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the statutory eligibility requirements are eligible to apply under this announcement.

Foreign entities are not eligible under this announcement.

Please see Section IV for required documentation supporting eligibility or funding restrictions if any are applicable.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: None

3. Other:

The applicant should have in-depth knowledge of the geographical area in which it will conduct the work of this Cooperative Agreement, as well as be familiar with the national, regional and local organizations that are involved in anti-trafficking work.  In addition, the applicant must be located within the region in which it proposes to work.

Section 7 of the TVPRA, 22 U.S.C. § 7110(g), provides that "No funds made available to carry out [the Act] may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution."  It further provides that "No funds made available to carry out [the Act] may be used to implement any program . . . through any organization that has not stated in either a grant application, a grant agreement, or both, that it does not promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution."  Therefore, applicants seeking ORR-administered Federal anti-trafficking funds must certify that they will not use the funds to promote, support or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.  Applicants must include a completed, signed certification with their application.  More details about the certification can be found at Section IV under "Forms, Assurances, and Certifications."

Disqualification Factors

Applications with requests that exceed the ceiling on the amount of individual awards referenced in Section II. Award Information will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement.

Any application that fails to satisfy the deadline requirements referenced in Section IV.3., Submission Dates and Times, will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement.

Applications that do not contain a certification that the applicant will not use the funds to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered for funding under this announcement.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

1. Address to Request Application Package:

Maggie Wynne
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Refugee Resettlement
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW.
Aerospace Building, 8th Floor-West
Washington, DC 20447
Phone:  202-401-4664
Email: trafficking@acf.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission:

Letters of intent are strongly encouraged but not required.  ORR should receive letters of intent by 4:30 p.m., Eastern time, on the due date found at the beginning of the announcement and in Section IV.3.  Letters should state the funding opportunity number and title, the applicant's name and address and the name, phone number, fax number and email address of a contact person, and the geographical area in which the applicant will operate.  One letter for each geographic area that is being applied for should be submitted.

Letters of intent should be sent to the attention of Maggie Wynne, Director of Trafficking in Persons Program, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Aerospace Building, 8th Floor-West, Washington, DC, 20447. 

Applications must include, in an appendix, copies of written materials that will be provided to victims of severe forms of trafficking, including victims of sex trafficking, and these materials must be clear and appropriate.  Successful applicants will be required to submit new materials developed or used with these grant funds to the Project Officer for prior approval.  To the extent practical, applicants should make use of existing HHS-developed Rescue and Restore Victims of Human Trafficking campaign materials.

Application Content
Each application must include the following components and in the following order.  Applications should be organized according to the checklist found below in Section IV.3.

- SF 424 - signed by an official of the organization applying for the grant who has authority to legally obligate the organization
- SF 424A - Budget Information-Non-Construction Programs

- Budget
- Narrative Budget Justification - for each object class category required under Section B, Standard Form (SF) 424A

- Table of Contents

- Project Summary/Abstract of the Proposed Project - not to exceed one page (would be suitable to use in announcing the grant award, if selected), which identifies the type of project, the target population, and the major elements of the work plan

- Project Description/Narrative - a narrative that addresses issues described in the "The Project Description Overview" and the "Evaluation Criteria" found in Section V.1 of this announcement

- Logic Model

- Third-Party Agreements

- Letters of Support - up to three letters of support will be accepted.

- Certification Regarding Prostitution
- Certification Regarding Lobbying
- Certification Regarding Environmental Tobacco Smoke- SF-424 B Assurance for Non-Construction Programs

Application Format
- Do not include organizational brochures or other promotional materials, slides, films, clips, etc.
- The font size may be no smaller than 12 point and the margins must be at least one inch on all sides.
- Number all application pages sequentially throughout the package, beginning with the abstract of the proposed project as page number one.
- For those submitting in hardcopy, submit application materials on white 8.5 x 11 inch paper only. 
- Do not use colored, oversized or folded materials.
- For those submitting in hardcopy, present application materials either in loose-leaf notebooks or in folders with page two-hole punched at the top center and fastened separately with a slide paper fastener.

Page Limitation
- Each application narrative must not exceed 30 pages double-spaced.
- Attachments and appendices must not exceed 30 pages and should be used only to provide supporting documentation such as administration charts, position descriptions, resumes, and letters of intent or partnership agreements.
- A table of contents and an executive summary should be included but will not count in the page limitations.
- Each page should be numbered sequentially, including the attachments and appendices.
- This limitation of 30 pages should be considered as a maximum, and not necessarily a goal.
- Application forms are not to be counted in the page limit.  Any pages that go beyond the 30-page limit will not be considered in the review process.
- Do not include books or videotapes as they are not easily reproduced and are therefore inaccessible to the reviewers.  The review panel will not consider submitted material that exceeds the 30-page limit.

The applicant must specify the geographic area in which it will conduct activities.  The Director of ORR does not intend to award more than one grant per distinct geographic area, and the Director of ORR may ensure that grants are awarded for certain high-priority geographic areas.

D-U-N-S Requirement

All applicants must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number.  On June 27, 2003, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) published in the Federal Register a new Federal policy applicable to all Federal grant applicants.  The policy requires Federal grant applicants to provide a D-U-N-S number when applying for Federal grants or cooperative agreements on or after October 1, 2003.  The D-U-N-S number will be required whether an applicant is submitting a paper application or using the government-wide electronic portal, Grants.gov.   A D-U-N-S number will be required for every application for a new award or renewal/continuation of an award, including applications or plans under formula, entitlement, and block grant programs, submitted on or after October 1, 2003.

Please ensure that your organization has a D-U-N-S number.  You may acquire a D-U-N-S number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free D-U-N-S number request line at 1-866-705-5711 or you may request a number on-line at http://www.dnb.com.

Proof of Non-Profit Status

Non-profit organizations applying for funding are required to submit proof of their non-profit status. 

Proof of non-profit status is any one of the following:

• A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the IRS's most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in the IRS Code.
  
  
• A copy of a currently valid IRS tax-exemption certificate.
  
  
• A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or other appropriate State official certifying that the applicant organization has non-profit status and that none of the net earnings accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.
  
  
• A certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.
  
  
• Any of the items in the subparagraphs immediately above for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

When applying electronically, we strongly suggest that you attach your proof of non-profit status with your electronic application.

Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with their applications the survey titled "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The project description should include all the information requirements described in the specific evaluation criteria outlined in this program announcement under Section V. Application Review Information.  In addition to the project description, the applicant needs to complete all of the Standard Forms required as part of the application process for awards under this announcement.

Applicants seeking financial assistance under this announcement must file the appropriate Standard Forms (SFs) as described in this section.  All applicants must submit an SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance.  For non-construction programs, applicants must also submit an SF-424A, Budget Information and an SF-424B, Assurances.  For construction programs, applicants must also submit SF-424C, Budget Information and SF-424D, Assurances.  When required for programs that involve human subjects, the Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption form must be submitted.  All forms may be reproduced for use in submitting applications.  Applicants must sign and return the appropriate standard forms with their application.  The Protection of Human Subjects Assurance Identification/IRB Certification/Declaration of Exemption (Common Rule) form may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Applicants must furnish, prior to award, an executed copy of the Certification Regarding Lobbying.   Applicants must sign and return the certification with their application.  The Certification Regarding Lobbying may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.   (If any funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the applicant shall complete and submit Standard Form (SF)-LLL, "Disclosure Form to Report Lobbying," in accordance with its instructions.)

The Pro-Children Act of 1994, 20 U.S.C. 7183, imposes restrictions on smoking in facilities where federally funded children's services are provided.  HHS grants are subject to these requirements only if they meet the Act's specified coverage.   The Act specifies that smoking is prohibited in any indoor facility (owned, leased, or contracted for) used for the routine or regular provision of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education or library services to children under the age of 18.  In addition, smoking is prohibited in any indoor facility or portion of a facility (owned, leased, or contracted for) used for the routine or regular provision of federally funded health care, day care, or early childhood development, including Head Start services to children under the age of 18. The statutory prohibition also applies if such facilities are constructed, operated, or maintained with Federal funds.  The statute does not apply to children's services provided in private residences, facilities funded solely by Medicare or Medicaid funds, portions of facilities used for inpatient drug or alcohol treatment, or facilities where WIC coupons are redeemed.  Failure to comply with the provisions of the law may result in the imposition of a civil monetary penalty of up to $1,000 per violation and/or the imposition of an administrative compliance order on the responsible entity.  Additional information may be found in the HHS Grants Policy Statement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_related.html.

Information on the Certification Regarding Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (PFCRA) may be found in the HHS Grants Policy Statement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_related.html.

Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination.  By signing and submitting the application, applicants are providing the necessary certification.  Where return of a form is required, complete the standard forms and the associated certifications and assurances based on the instructions found on the forms.  The forms and certifications may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Information on the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C 552) or FOIA may be found in the HHS Grants Policy Statement at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Certification Regarding Prostitution

The U.S. Government is opposed to prostitution and related activities, which are inherently harmful and dehumanizing, and which contribute to the phenomenon of trafficking in persons.  Reducing the incidence of prostitution is therefore an inseparable part of the larger strategy of the U.S. to combat trafficking.

As noted in Section III, the TVPRA has two provisions concerning restrictions on the use of trafficking funds that require from applicants a certification regarding prostitution:  Restriction on Programs and Restriction on Organizations.  Under the Restriction on Programs, no funds made available by ORR for the purpose of monitoring or combating trafficking in persons may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.  See 22 U.S.C. § 7110(g)(1).  Nothing in the previous sentence shall be construed to preclude assistance designed to ameliorate the suffering of, or health risks to, victims while they are being trafficked, or after they are out of the situation that resulted from their being trafficked.  Moreover, there is no prohibition on the provision of emergency medical care for an emergency medical condition, whenever provided. The HHS/ACF/ORR has determined the statutory prohibition on "support" for prostitution does not prohibit the provision of emergency medical care for an emergency medical condition, and thus recipients of funds may provide emergency medical care for an emergency medical condition to victims during the two time periods described above. 

Under Restriction on Organizations, no funds made available for the purpose of monitoring or combating trafficking in persons may be used to implement any program that targets victims of severe forms of trafficking in persons through any organization that has not certified it does not promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.  However, the preceding sentence does not apply to organizations that provide services to individuals solely after they are no longer engaged in activities that resulted from such victims being trafficked.  See 22 U.S.C. § 7110(g)(2).

To aid applicants' understanding of these requirements, ORR provides the following definitions:

"Ameliorative Assistance" means assistance intended to relieve the suffering of, or health risks to, victims of trafficking caused by their being trafficked or their engagement in activities resulting from such victims being trafficked, including incidental or limited assistance deemed necessary to develop a relationship and rapport with the victim as part of a strategy to help the victim escape his or her trafficked condition and cease those activities which result from their being trafficked.  It does not mean assistance that supports the trafficker or is not intended to facilitate the eventual rescue of the trafficking victim.

"Emergency medical care" means examination or other care appropriate to address an existing emergency medical condition, including transport for further care. 

"Emergency medical condition" means a medical condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain), such that the absence of immediate medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury that:  (a) is life threatening, (b) results in permanent impairment of a body function or permanent damage to a body structure, or (c) necessitates medical or surgical intervention to preclude permanent impairment of a body function or permanent damage to a body structure. 

"To support the legalization or practice of prostitution" means to knowingly provide financial support, including the transfer of funds, services, or goods, to any individual or organization that engages in the practice of prostitution or that promotes or advocates the legalization or practice of prostitution, or that supports the legalization of prostitution; or to endorse a document or conference that supports the legalization of prostitution; or to endorse or sponsor or support a document or conference that supports the legalization of prostitution; or to provide assistance to trafficking victims that is not ameliorative assistance, as defined in this announcement.  An organization or recipient shall not be deemed to have knowingly provided such support if that organization or recipient did not know, and by the exercise of reasonable diligence would not have known, that its financial or organizational support was being used for, or would be used for, such purposes.  Further, providing trafficking victims with emergency medical care for an emergency medical condition does not constitute such support.

"To promote or to advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution" means to use financial, personal, in-kind, or other resources to further the legalization or practice of prostitution, including sponsoring or supporting conferences or publications that further the legalization or practice of prostitution.  This includes, but is not limited to, engaging in lobbying activities or public information or advocacy campaigns to further the legalization or practice of prostitution.

HHS, as a member of the Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG), a statutorily established inter-agency, U.S. Government coordinating body, has decided that a statement in the form of a certification is the best means to ensure enforcement of these requirements.  The required certification has three basic parts, each of which applicants must complete.  A blank certification has also been reprinted in Appendix A for applicants' use.

The first part implements the statutory Restriction on Programs through a Use of Funds Certification, in which an applicant or a recipient that is seeking or receiving Federal anti-trafficking funds administered by the HHS/ACF/ORR certifies it will not use those funds to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.

The second part implements the Restriction on Organizations through three alternative certifications, of which applicants must sign at least one.  Organizations implementing a program to target victims of severe forms of trafficking must provide the Primary Eligibility Certification, unless they serve only individuals who are no longer engaged in the activities that resulted from their being trafficked.  In that case, they must provide Secondary Eligibility Certification A, stating they serve or provide services only to victims who are no longer engaged in the activities that resulted from their being trafficked.  Other organizations that provide services to victims of non-severe forms of trafficking, or otherwise do not meet the criteria for organizations that must provide the other certifications, must provide Secondary Eligibility Certification B, to state that the organization does not implement a program that targets victims of severe forms of trafficking.

The third part of the certification contains Acknowledgement and Sub-recipient Certifications. These require each applicant to acknowledge that its provision of the certifications is a prerequisite to receiving Federal funds, that the Federal Government can stop or withdraw those funds if the HHS/ACF/ORR finds a certification to have been, or become, inaccurate; and that the applicant will ensure that all its sub-applicants also provide the required certifications.  As detailed below, a sub-applicant must, at a minimum, provide the same certification as that provided by the original applicant.

The certification must be completed and signed by an officer or other person authorized to bind the applicant and must be submitted as part of the grant application.

All applicants must provide:
- Use of Funds Certification; and
- Acknowledgement and Sub-recipient Certifications.

Organizations that are applicants must provide at least one of the following:
- Primary Eligibility Certification; or
- Secondary Eligibility Certification A; or
- Secondary Eligibility Certification B.

Organizations that are listed in the application as sub-applicants of an organization providing the Primary Eligibility Certification must themselves provide the Primary Eligibility Certification.  Likewise, organizations that are listed in the application as sub-applicants of an organization providing Secondary Eligibility Certification A must themselves provide Secondary Eligibility Certification A, and organizations that are listed in the application as sub-applicants of an organization providing Secondary Eligibility Certification B must provide Secondary Eligibility Certification B.  Certifications by the sub-applicants must be included in the grant application.

A sample certification is provided in Appendix A.

Sub-applicants listed in the application must provide ORR with a certification as set out above or in a separate writing signed by the sub-recipients' officer or other person authorized to bind the recipient, either of which must be submitted as part of the application for the grant.

Once awarded a grant, a recipient shall be considered in violation of its certifications if an individual who is an employee, director, or otherwise under the control of the recipient supports, promotes, or advocates the legalization or practice of prostitution, unless:

(1) The recipient does not endorse or provide financial support for the action by the individual and prohibits the individual from accepting reimbursement from other organizations for such action insofar as such reimbursement is given on account of the individual's position with the recipient.
(2) The recipient takes reasonable steps necessary to ensure that a reasonable observer would understand that the recipient is not represented by the individual and that the recipient does not endorse the individual's promotion, support, or advocacy.

Recipients and sub-recipients of funds must file a renewed certification upon any extension, amendment, or modification of the grant that extends the term of such instrument or adds additional funds to it. 

Restriction on Programs Operated with or through Consortia

The HHS/ACF/ORR may not make available any funds appropriated for the purpose of monitoring or combating the trafficking of persons through, or expended by, programs operated with, or through, a consortium of organizations that includes any organization that has not provided the HHS/ACF/ORR with a certification as set out in this section.

Termination of Funding
See Section I concerning Termination of Funding.

Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with their applications the survey titled "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Please see Section V.1 for instructions on preparing the full project description.

Please reference Section IV.3 for details about acknowledgement of received applications.

Electronic Submission

Applicants to ACF may submit their applications in either electronic or paper format. To submit an application electronically, please use the http://www.Grants.gov site.

When using www.Grants.gov, applicants will be able to download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the www.Grants.gov site.  ACF will not accept grant applications via facsimile or email.

Acceptable electronic formats for the application attachments (narratives, charts, etc.) must use the following standard technologies, i.e., Microsoft (Word and Excel), Word Perfect, Adobe PDF, Jpeg, and Gif.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Before submitting an electronic application, applicants must complete the organization registration process as well as obtain and register "electronic signature credentials" for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Since this process may take more than five business days, it is important to start this process early, well in advance of the application deadline. Be sure to complete all www.Grants.gov registration processes listed on the Organization Registration Checklist, which can be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/registration_checklist.html.

• Electronic submission is voluntary, but strongly encouraged.
  
  
• Applicants may access the electronic application for this program at http://www.Grants.gov. There applicants can search for the downloadable application package by utilizing the www.Grants.gov FIND function.
  
  
• It is strongly recommended that applicants do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through www.Grants.gov.  Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications well before the closing date and time so that if difficulties are encountered there will still be sufficient time to submit a hard copy via express mail.  It is to an applicant's advantage to submit 24 hours ahead of the closing date and time in order to address any difficulties that may be encountered.
  
  
• To use www.Grants.gov, you, the applicant must have a D-U-N-S number and register in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR).  Applicants should allow a minimum of five days to complete the CCR registration.  REMINDER:   CCR registration expires each year and thus must be updated annually. Applicants cannot upload an application to www.Grants.gov without having a current CCR registration AND electronic signature credentials for the AOR.
  
  
• The electronic application is submitted by the AOR.  To submit electronically, the AOR must obtain and register electronic signature credentials approved by the organization's E-Business Point of Contact who maintains the organization's CCR registration.
  
  
• Applicants may submit all documents electronically, including all information typically included on the SF-424 and all necessary assurances and certifications.
  
  
• Though applying electronically, the application must still comply with any page limitation requirements described in this program announcement.
  
  
• After the application is submitted electronically, the applicant will receive an automatic acknowledgement from www.Grants.gov that contains a www.Grants.gov tracking number.  ACF will retrieve the electronically submitted application from www.Grants.gov.
  
  
• ACF may request that the applicant provide original signatures on forms at a later date.
  
  
• Applicants will not receive additional point value for submitting a grant application in electronic format, nor will ACF penalize an applicant if they submit an application in hard copy.
  
  
• If any difficulties are encountered in using www.Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at: 1-800-518-4726, or by email at support@grants.gov to report the problem and obtain assistance.
  
  
• Checklists and registration brochures are maintained to assist applicants in the registration process and may be found at: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.
  
  
• When submitting electronically via www.Grants.gov, applicants must comply with all due dates AND times referenced in Section IV.3. Submission Dates and Times.
  
  
• For applicants that must demonstrate proof of non-profit status before the award date, ACF strongly suggests that proof of non-profit status be attached to the electronic application. Proof of non-profit status and any other required documentation may be scanned and attached as an "Other Attachment." Acceptable types of proof of non-profit status are stated earlier in this section.
  
  
• The Grants.gov website complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Grants.gov webpages are designed to work with assistive technologies such as screen readers. If an applicant uses assistive technology and is unable to access any material on the site, email the www.Grants.gov contact center at support@grants.gov for assistance.

Hard Copy Submission

Applicants that are submitting their application in paper format should submit one original and two copies of the complete application.  The original and each of the two copies must include all required forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by an authorized representative, and be unbound. The original copy of the application must have original signature(s).

Non-Federal Reviewers

Since ACF will be using non-Federal reviewers in the review process, applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (not the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget as well as Social Security Numbers, if otherwise required for individuals.  The copies may include summary salary information.

If applicants are submitting their application electronically, ACF will omit the same specific salary rate information from copies made for use during the review and selection process.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Due Date For Letter of Intent: 11/19/2008

Due Date for Applications: 12/22/2008

Explanation of Due Dates

The due date for receipt of applications is referenced above.  Applications received after 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the due date will be classified as late and will not be considered in the current competition.

Applicants are responsible for ensuring that applications are mailed or hand-delivered or submitted electronically well in advance of the application due date and time.

Mail

Applications that are submitted by mail must be received no later than 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above at the address listed in Section IV.6.

Hand Delivery

Applications hand carried by applicants, applicant couriers, other representatives of the applicant, or by overnight/express mail couriers must be received on or before the due date referenced above, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., eastern time, at the address referenced in Section IV.6., between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays).

Electronic Submission

Applications submitted electronically via Grants.gov must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m., eastern time, on the due date referenced above.

ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by facsimile or email.

Late Applications

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

ANY APPLICATION RECEIVED AFTER 4:30 P.M., EASTERN TIME, ON THE DUE DATE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR COMPETITION.

Extension of Deadlines

ACF may extend application deadlines when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur; when there are widespread disruptions of mail service; or in other rare cases.  A determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rests with the Chief Grants Management Officer.

Receipt acknowledgement for application packages will not be provided to applicants who submit their package via mail, courier services, or by hand delivery.   Applicants will receive an electronic acknowledgement for applications that are submitted via http://www.Grants.gov.

Checklist

You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package.

Additional Forms

Private, non-profit organizations are encouraged to submit with their applications the survey titled "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants" found under the "Survey" heading at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

4. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs:

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC)

This program is covered under Executive Order (Exec. 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 Exec. Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs.

The official list of the jurisdictions that have elected to participate in Exec. Order 12372, including addresses and contact persons, may be found on the following URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html.

Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert them of prospective applications and receive instructions.  Applicants must submit all required materials to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form (SF) 424, item 19.

Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application due date 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 clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and official State process recommendations, which may trigger the "accommodate or explain" rule.

Comments submitted directly to ACF should be addressed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, 370 L'Enfant Promenade SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20447.

Although some jurisdictions have chosen not to participate in this process, entities that meet the eligibility requirements of the Program Announcement are still eligible to apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, or Commonwealth, etc., does not have a SPOC.  Therefore, applicants from these jurisdictions, or for projects administered by Federally-recognized Indian Tribes, need take no action in regard to Exec. Order 12372.

5. Funding Restrictions:

Costs of organized fund raising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions, are unallowable.

Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs.

Construction and purchase of real property are not allowable activities or expenditures under this grant award.

No grant funds may be used to promote, support, or advocate the legalization or practice of prostitution.  See Section IV.2 concerning Certification Regarding Prostitution.

Current recipients of ORR's Anti-Trafficking in Persons Program funding, via Intermediary contracts (awarded under Solicitation number 06Y009349, entitled "Provide Outreach and Detection of Victims of Human Trafficking") or Street Outreach grants (awarded under Funding Opportunity HHS-2006-ACF-ORR-ZV-0108, "Grants for Outreach to Target Populations under the Trafficking in Persons Program") are eligible to apply to this announcement.  However, ORR will not award funding for activities that are duplicative of those currently supported with ORR funds.  Current recipients of Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking Regional Program grants (awarded under Funding Opportunity HHS-2008-ACF-ORR-ZV-0048) are not eligible to apply to this announcement.  ORR will not award funding for activities that are intended to take place in Colorado; Houston, Texas; Louisville, Kentucky; North Carolina; or Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

6. Other Submission Requirements:

Please see Sections IV.2 and IV.3 for deadline information and other application requirements.

Submit applications to one of the following addresses:

Submission by Mail

Ben Sharp
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Grants Management/Division of Discretionary Grants
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW.
Aerospace Building, 6th Floor-East
Washington, DC 20447

Hand Delivery

Ben Sharp
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Grants Management/Division of Discretionary Grants
901 D Street, SW.
ACF Mail Room, Second Floor Loading Dock, Aerospace Center
Washington, DC 20024

Electronic Submission

Please see Section IV.2 for guidelines and requirements when submitting applications electronically via http://www.Grants.gov.

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 40 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed and reviewing the collection information.

The project description is approved under OMB control number 0970-0139, which expires 4/30/2010.

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.

1. Criteria:

Part I   THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW

PURPOSE

The project description provides the majority of information by which an application is evaluated and ranked in competition with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete.   It 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 the project description, information that is responsive to each of the requested evaluation criteria must 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 in a manner that is clear and complete.

GENERAL EXPECTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

ACF is particularly interested in specific project descriptions that focus on outcomes and convey strategies for achieving intended performance. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance and measurable outcomes, 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.

Part II   GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING A FULL PROJECT DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION

Applicants that are required to submit a full project description shall prepare the project description statement in accordance with the following instructions while being aware of the specified evaluation criteria.  The text options give a broad overview of what the project description should include while the evaluation criteria identify the measures that will be used to evaluate applications.

LETTER OF INTENT

Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify ACF of their intention to submit an application under this announcement. Please submit the letter of intent by the deadline date listed in Section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

The letter of intent should include the following information: number and title of this announcement; the name and address of the applicant organization; and/or Fiscal Agent (if known); and the name, phone number, fax number and email address of a contact person.

Letter of intent information will be used to determine the number of expert reviewers needed to evaluate applications. The letter of intent is optional. Failure to submit a letter of intent will not impact eligibility to submit an application and will not disqualify an application from competitive review.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List the contents of the application including corresponding page numbers.

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT

Provide a summary of the project description (one 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, The Results/Benefits Expected correlate to each of the objectives of the Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking Regional Program. Funding of subsequent award years will be contingent on satisfactory performance in meeting these objectives. 

(1) Number of victims of trafficking, as defined by Federal law, who are identified and connected to a service delivery system that can include the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, the HHS certification process, and the Services to Victims of Human Trafficking contract funded by HHS.  Each successful applicant must establish, in coordination with its sub-awardees, numerical targets for the number of victims certified (for victims who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents).

(2) Demonstrated strengthening of the dedicated coalition of local government personnel, community health officials, local service providers, community-based organizations, ethnic organizations, law enforcement, family court and juvenile justice officials, victims of crime, and others working collaboratively to end trafficking in their community. 

(3) Demonstrated leadership in regional anti-trafficking activities, including coalition activities; increasing and strengthening coalition membership, particularly in the target sectors of anti-trafficking organizations, social service providers (including runaway shelters, homeless shelters, substance abuse treatment centers, domestic violence organizations and shelters, sexual assault responders and organizations dealing with women's issues), faith-based organizations and congregations, ethnic and mutual assistance organizations, legal services organizations, public health entities (including emergency room staff, clinic staff, family planning clinics, and schools of public health and social work), government (including local, State, law enforcement, ACF Regional Offices and consular), immigration organizations, business/labor, education, and transportation; and planning and executing outreach activities and training opportunities for coalition members.

(4) Effective creation and/or strengthening of linkages among anti-trafficking and victim service organizations and local and Federal law enforcement agencies or task forces.

(5) Effective training and technical assistance to local organizations and members of the local coalition, as well as local law enforcement agencies.

(6) Financial assistance provided to existing programs of outreach to populations among which victims of human trafficking may be found in order to support and expand these programs' capacity to identify, serve, and seek certification for trafficking victims.

(7) Increased public awareness in the program area through campaign messages and materials and connection of local anti-trafficking efforts with the activities, materials, and assistance of the national Rescue & Restore Campaign. and

(8) Creation of a Regional Promising Practices Compendium to be made available to the human trafficking community via the ORR website.  This informal compendium will be a "living document" and include promising practices and lessons learned, specific to the region, regarding victim identification, law enforcement collaboration, service provision, coalition growth and sustainability, and direct and public outreach; narratives regarding the trafficking-vulnerable populations and trafficking situations typical of the region; and key organizational contacts in the region.  This compendium should cover the hands-on anti-trafficking work being conducted in the region and the direct experiences of the successful applicant.

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 OMB.  This clearance pertains to any "collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF."

Provide a list of 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.

EVALUATION

Provide a narrative addressing how the conduct of the project and the results of the project will be evaluated.  In addressing the evaluation of results, state how you will determine the extent to which the project has achieved its stated objectives and the extent to which the accomplishment of objectives can be attributed to the project.  Discuss the criteria to be used to evaluate results, and explain the methodology that will be used to determine if the needs identified and discussed are being met and if the project results and benefits are being achieved.  With respect to the conduct of the project, define the procedures to be employed to determine whether the project is being conducted in a manner consistent with the work plan presented and discuss the impact of the project's various activities that address the project's effectiveness.

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

The following are requests for additional information that must be included in the application:

LOGIC MODEL

Applicants are expected to use a model for designing and managing their project. A logic model is a tool that presents the conceptual framework for a proposed project and explains the linkages among program elements. While there are many versions of the logic model, they generally summarize the logical connections among the needs that are the focus of the project, project goals and objectives, the target population, project inputs (resources), the proposed activities/processes/outputs directed toward the target population, the expected short- and long-term outcomes the initiative is designed to achieve, and the evaluation plan for measuring the extent to which proposed processes and outcomes actually occur.

STAFF AND POSITION DATA

Provide a biographical sketch and job description for each key person appointed. Job descriptions for each vacant key position should be included as well. As new key staff is appointed, biographical sketches will also be required.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES

Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners, such as: organizational charts; financial statements; audit reports or statements from Certified Public Accountants/Licensed Public Accountants; Employer Identification Number(s); contact persons and telephone numbers; names of bond carriers; 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.

THIRD-PARTY AGREEMENTS

Provide written and signed agreements between grantees and subgrantees, or subcontractors, or other cooperating entities.   These agreements must detail the 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 package or by the application deadline.

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION

Provide a budget with line-item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information Form (SF-424A or SF-424C).  Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated.  If matching is a requirement, 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 allocation of the proposed costs.

GENERAL

Use the following guidelines for preparing the budget and budget justification.  Both Federal and non-Federal resources (when required) shall be detailed and justified in the budget and budget narrative justification.   "Federal resources" refers only to the ACF grant funds for which you are applying.  "Non-Federal resources" are all other non-ACF 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 in a narrative form.

PERSONNEL

Description:  Costs of employee salaries and wages.

Justification:  Identify the project director or principal investigator, if known at the time of application.   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, personnel costs of delegate agencies, or of specific project(s) and/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.  (This item 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.  If appropriate for this project, 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 that 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 and/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, that 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.  Include third-party evaluation contracts, if applicable, and contracts with secondary recipient organizations, including delegate agencies and specific project(s) and/or businesses to be financed by the applicant.

Justification:  Demonstrate that all procurement transactions will 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 45 CFR Part 92 procedures, must justify any anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without competition and exceeds the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 USC 403(11), currently set at $100,000.

Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-award review and procurement documents, such as requests 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.

OTHER

Enter the total of all other costs.  Such costs, where applicable and appropriate, may include but are not limited to:  insurance; food; medical and dental costs (noncontractual); professional services costs; space and equipment rentals; printing and publication; computer use; training costs, such as tuition 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, upon notification that an award will be made, it should immediately develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year, in accordance with 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.  When an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not be charged as direct costs to the grant.  Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate that 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.

TOTAL DIRECT CHARGES, TOTAL INDIRECT CHARGES, TOTAL PROJECT COSTS

EVALUATION CRITERIA:

The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance that ACF places on each evaluation criterion; however, applicants need not develop their applications precisely according to the order presented. Application components may be organized such that a reviewer will be able to follow a seamless and logical flow of information (i.e., from a broad overview of the project to more detailed information about how it will be conducted).

In considering how applicants will carry out the responsibilities addressed under this announcement, competing applications for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against the following criteria:

Total Number of Points - 105

APPROACH - 50 points

Quality of the Project Plan (40 points)

The extent to which the application has addressed the Program Purposes, Objectives and complied with the budgeting guidance related to sub-awardees as delineated in Section I of this program announcement will be assessed.

The project plan must include a plan for overall fiscal and program management and accountability of awarded and subawarded funds.  The project plan must include the proposed strategy, timeline and benchmarks for each of the eight project objectives.

Applicants must submit a model for designing and managing their project. Applicants are required to incorporate all eight program objectives into the logic model submitted.

The project plan must include a list of each proposed sub-awardee and a description of how each will contribute to the applicant's overall goals of identifying, serving, and seeking certification for trafficking victims.  The project plan must also include a plan for ensuring fiscal and program management and accountability of  sub-awards as well as a plan for monitoring and evaluating sub-awardees' performance.

In addition, the project plan must include the following components:
- A comprehensive plan for coordination of activities among the various program components and community and governmental agencies.
- A comprehensive plan for coordination with both local and Federal law enforcement entities, including but not limited to Department of Justice Task Forces, police departments, sheriff departments, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, regarding victim identification and certification, and prosecution of traffickers.

Protocols for Outreach and Service Provision to Victims (10 points)
Applications will be evaluated for the quality of their planning for vital outreach and connections to service provision to victims of trafficking in the U.S. identified through this work.  Not all services must be provided by Recipients or sub-awardees.  Applicants may use other organizations (including current ORR trafficking program grantees, contractors, subcontractors (such as those receiving funding from the HHS Services to Victims of Human Trafficking contract) and faith-based or community organizations) for service provision.

RESULTS OR BENEFITS EXPECTED - 15 points

Applications will be evaluated for results and benefits expected to be achieved.  The degree to which intended outcomes are quantifiable and achievable, as well as the quality of the proposed mechanism for measuring outcomes will be considered.

Examples of results or benefits expected are:

- the number of victims of trafficking who are identified and connected to services (all victims and derivative T status holders);

- the number of victims of trafficking that are certified (for victims that are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents);

- the number of service providers referred to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops as potential per capita subcontractors for the Services to Victims of Human Trafficking contract;

- increasing of membership and strengthening of a dedicated coalition of organizations, entities, and individuals working collaboratively to end trafficking in their community;

- facilitation of linkages among anti-trafficking and victim service organizations and local and Federal law enforcement agencies or task forces for victim identification and provision of services;

- provision of training and technical assistance to local organizations and members of the local Rescue & Restore coalition, as well as local law enforcement agencies;

- building of infrastructure by providing financial assistance to existing programs of direct outreach and services to populations among which victims of human trafficking may be found;

- education of the general public through Rescue & Restore Campaign messages and materials; and

- creation of a Regional Promising Practices Compendium.

OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR ASSISTANCE - 10 points

Evaluations on this criterion will focus on the assessment of the prevalence of human trafficking in the area being served and the justification provided for the expectation that trafficking victims will be identified within that population. 

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILES - 10 points

Evidence of the organizational capability to achieve the proposed outcomes will be assessed under this criterion. 

The application must include information on the following:  A comprehensive overview of the applicant organization; organization qualifications and history; including philosophy, goals, and history of experience with respect to anti-human trafficking activities; and history of experience with connecting vulnerable populations to services, including Federal benefits and services, and with conducting public awareness to a targeted population or about a specific issue; a description of the organizational structure and lines of authority (organization chart) and a comprehensive program staffing plan and information regarding staff qualifications.

The organizational profile must also include an overview of the proposed sub-awardee organizations, including organization qualifications, history, philosophy and goals.

BUDGET AND BUDGET JUSTIFICATION - 10 points

The budget is clear, logical, complete, and reasonable in relation to the expected activities and outcomes.  The line-item budget narrative is understandable and adequately justifies the costs proposed.  The data provided to justify the budget are consistently and logically presented in terms of the population to be served.  The budget must reflect that at least 60 percent of funds will be sub-awarded to local organizations that identify and work with victims of human trafficking and that no more than 20 percent of the funds may be used for administration and management of coalition efforts. ORR is also interested in the following:

THIRD-PARTY AGREEMENTS - 5 points

The extent to which third party agreements provide the detail and scope of roles and work to be performed, including specifics of how each will contribute to the applicant's overall goals of identifying, serving, and seeking certification for trafficking victims. 

Preferences - 5 points

A 5-point preference will be given to those applicants that demonstrate prior work within an existing Rescue & Restore coalition.

2. Review and Selection Process:

No grant award will be made under this announcement on the basis of an incomplete application.

Initial ACF Screening: Each application will be screened to determine whether it was received by the closing date and time and whether the requested amount exceeds the stated ceiling. Late applications or those exceeding the funding limit will be returned to the applicants with a notation that they were unacceptable and will not be reviewed.

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 time (Section IV.3); (2) the amount requested does not exceed the stated ceiling (Section II); and (3) the application includes the Certification Regarding Prostitution (see Section IV concerning Certification Regarding Prostitution). 

Competitive Review and Evaluation Criteria:  Applications that pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel on the basis of evaluation criteria specified in Section V.  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 on the basis of responsiveness to the evaluation criteria within the context of this program announcement.

Selection of Grant Recipients:  In general, the most highly rated applications will be funded first, to the extent of available funds.  However, the Director of ORR reserves the right to award less or more than the funds described in this announcement.  The Director of ORR reserves the right to award grants after taking into consideration the geographic distribution of eligible recipients.  The Director of ORR does not intend to award more than one grant per distinct geographic, and the Director of ORR may ensure that grants are awarded for certain high-priority geographic areas.  Funding availability for future years is at the ORR Director's discretion.

Please reference Section IV.2 for information on non-Federal reviewers in the review process.

Approved but Unfunded Applications

Applications that are approved but unfunded may be held over for funding in the next funding cycle, pending the availability of funds, for a period not to exceed one year.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates:

The anticipated start date for awards is February 15, 2009.

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

1. Award Notices:

The successful applicants will be notified through the issuance of a Notice of Award (NoA) document that sets forth the amount of funds granted, the terms and conditions of the grant, the effective date of the grant, the budget period for which initial support will be given, the non-Federal share to be provided (if applicable), and the total project period for which support is contemplated. The NoA will be signed by the Grants Officer and transmitted via postal mail.

Following the finalization of funding decisions, organizations whose applications will not be funded will be notified by letter, signed by the Program Office head.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

Grantees are subject to the requirements in 45 CFR Part 74 (non-governmental) or 45 CFR Part 92 (governmental).

Direct Federal grants, sub-award funds, or contracts under this ACF program shall not be used to support inherently religious activities such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization. Therefore, organizations must take steps to separate, in time or location, their inherently religious activities from the services funded under this program.  Regulations pertaining to the Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations, which includes the prohibition against Federal funding of inherently religious activities, can be found at the HHS web site at: http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/waisgate21.pdf.

A faith-based organization receiving HHS funds retains its independence from Federal, State, and local governments, and may continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs. For example, a faith-based organization may use space in its facilities to provide secular programs or services funded with Federal funds without removing religious art, icons, scriptures, or other religious symbols. In addition, a faith-based organization that receives Federal funds retains its authority over its internal governance, and it may retain religious terms in its organization's name, select its board members on a religious basis, and include religious references in its organization's mission statements and other governing documents in accordance with all program requirements, statutes, and other applicable requirements governing the conduct of HHS funded activities.

Faith-based and community organizations may reference the "Guidance to Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government" at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/guidance/index.html.

HHS Grants Policy Statement

The HHS Grants Policy Statement (GPS) is the Department of Health and Human Services new single policy guide for discretionary grants and cooperative agreements. Unlike previous HHS policy documents, the GPS is intended to be shared with and used by grantees. It became effective October 1, 2006 and is applicable to all Operating Divisions (OPDIVS), such as the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), except the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The GPS covers basic grants processes, standard terms and conditions and points of contact as well as important OPDIV-specific requirements. Appendices include a glossary of terms and a list of standard abbreviations for ease of reference. The GPS may be accessed at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_related.html.

3. Reporting Requirements:

Grantees will be required to submit program progress and financial reports throughout the project period.  Beginning with Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 awards and their continuation grants, grantees will begin submitting the Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) for program progress reports.  The SF-PPR is the standard government-wide performance progress reporting format used by Federal agencies to collect performance information from recipients.  Grantees receiving continuation awards for grants awarded prior to FY 09 need not use the SF-PPR and may continue to use the “suggested format” for program progress reports.  Grantees will continue to use the SF-269 for financial reporting.  Both forms may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.

Program progress and financial reports are due 30 days after the reporting period. Final programmatic and financial reports are due 90 days after the close of the project period. 
Final reports may be submitted in hard copy to the Grants Management Office Contact listed in Section VII of this announcement.

Original copies of progress and financial reports should be sent to the Grants Management Office and a copy of both reports should be sent to the project officer.

Program Progress Reports: Quarterly

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

Program Office Contact:

Maggie Wynne
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Refugee Resettlement
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW.
8th Floor-West
Washington, DC 20447
Phone:  202-401-4664
Email: trafficking@acf.hhs.gov

Grants Management Office Contact:

Ben Sharp
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
Office of Grants Management/Division of Discretionary Grants
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW.
Aerospace Building, 6th Floor-East
Washington, DC 20447
Phone:  202-401-5513
Email: ACFOGME-Grants@acf.hhs.gov

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

Posted on November 5, 2008