This is a Modification to the Standing Announcement for the Preferred Communities Program Funding Opportunity Announcement, HHS-2008-ACF-ORR-RP-0112, published to the ACF Grant Opportunities webpage on 01/30/2008.  The modification announces changes to Section II. Award Information, Anticipated Total Priority Area Funding and the Anticipated Number of Awards, as well as announcing the implementation of the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR, Performance Progress Report in Section VI.3. Reporting Requirements.

Summary:
The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites the submission of applications for funding, on a competitive basis, for the Preferred Communities program to support the resettlement of newly arrived refugees in Preferred Communities where they have ample opportunities for early employment and sustained economic independence and, to address special populations who need intensive case management, culturally and linguistically appropriate linkages and coordination with other service providers to improve their access to services.  This announcement replaces the Priority Area One - Preferred Communities program included in the Standing Announcement for Services for Recently Arrived Refugees published in the Federal Register on April 23, 2004.

The Director will observe February 24, 2009 and February 24, 2010 as the closing dates for applications.  An applicant may submit more than one application under this announcement.

Modification to the published announcement:

Please delete the following under Section II. Award Information of this Funding Opportunity.

Anticipated Total Priority Area Funding:  $600,000
Anticipated Number of Awards:  2 to 6

Please replace the deleted language under Section II. Award Information of this Funding Opportunity with the following:

Anticipated Total Priority Area Funding:  $2,800,000
Anticipated Number of Awards:  10 to 12

Please delete the following under Section VI.3 Award Administration Information/Reporting Requirements of this Funding Opportunity with the following:

“Grantees will be required to submit program progress and financial reports (SF-269 found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html) throughout the project period. 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.

Program Progress Reports: Semi-Annually
Financial Reports: Semi-Annually”

Please replace the deleted language under Section VI.3 Award Administration Information/Reporting Requirements of this Funding Opportunity with the following:

“Grantees will be required to submit performance progress and financial reports periodically throughout the project period.  Beginning with FY 2009, ACF grantees will begin using the Standard Form-Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) for required performance progress reports.  The SF-PPR is the standard government-wide performance progress reporting format used by Federal agencies to collect performance information from recipients.  Use of ACF’s Division of Discretionary Grants’ (DDG) version of the SF-PPR will begin for all awards (new and continuation) made by ACF in FY 2009.  At a minimum, grantees will be required to submit the DDG version of SF-PPR, which consists of the SF-PPR Coversheet and SF-PPR Appendix B Program Indicators.  ACF Programs utilizing reporting formats that differ from the new DDG SF-PPR have listed those reporting formats below.  Grantees should consult their award documents to determine the appropriate performance progress report format to use for reporting.

Grantees will continue to use the Financial Status Report SF-269 for financial reporting.  

The SF-269 (long form) and the ACF Standard SF-PPR may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html.  Grantees should consult their award documents to determine the appropriate performance progress report format required under their award.

Performance progress and financial reports are due 30 days after the end of 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.

Program Progress Reports: Semi-Annually
Financial Reports: Semi-Annually”

All information in this modification is accurate and replaces information specified in the 01/30/2008 Funding Opportunity Announcement

ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY:

To access this Program Announcement please go to the ACF Grant Opportunities webpage at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/index.html or to http://www.Grants.gov.

For further information, please contact Susan S. Benjamin at 202-401-4851 or (Susan.Benjamin@acf.hhs.gov).

Posted on January 21, 2009