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Executive Summary: The Administration for Children and Families' (ACF) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has supported the field of microenterprise development since 1991 with discretionary grants to various public agencies, community economic development agencies, community action and other human service agencies, local mutual assistance associations, and voluntary agencies. Organizations with successful programs have typically been those with a long-term commitment to microenterprise, particularly access to lending, and to its adaptation to the refugee experience. They have committed agency resources to support refugee programs and their work in refugee microenterprise development has been consistent with the overall agency mission.
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION Statutory Authority Legislative Authority: Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 8 U.S.C.) 1522(c)(1)(A)) authorizes the ORR 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 the 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." In addition, section 412(a)(4)(A)(i) of the INA 8 U.S.C. 1522 (a)(4)(A)(i) authorizes the Director to make loans for the purpose of carrying out this section. Description Background A public or private non-profit agency interested in receiving funding under this announcement must have the organizational capacity to work with refugees who have low incomes, limited English-language proficiency, no credit history or poor credit history, and neither assets nor American business experience. (For convenience, the term "refugee" is used in this notice to encompass all eligible ORR populations. Further information on eligible ORR populations can be found in Section III. Eligibility Information.) For these reasons, many newly arrived refugees do not qualify for commercial loans or for admission into mainstream microenterprise development programs. Organizations that cannot support in-house lending and essential loan-servicing responsibilities may experience difficulties in implementing a microenterprise project. Refugees bring many positive attributes to microenterprise development projects, including a diverse and rich array of business ideas, skills, experiences, and a strong desire to succeed. These characteristics have been largely responsible for the success of the ORR Microenterprise Development (MED) program. During the last 17 years, refugees have started or expanded or strengthened about 6,750 micro-businesses (with a business survival rate of about 88 percent). ORR grantees have provided approximately $7.4 million in financing to these entrepreneurs and the agencies have used these loans to leverage an additional $8.2 million in loans from other sources. The loan repayment rate is close to 100 percent. Additionally, 6,311 new jobs have been created. Over 22,655 refugees have gained new entrepreneurial skills and knowledge through training and technical assistance. The additional business income is helping refugee families to achieve economic self-sufficiency. Thus, by commonly accepted measures of performance such as business survival rates, loan default rates, etc., the ORR-funded programs have excelled and frequently led the microenterprise field in achievement. Building on the experience of the last 17 years, ORR seeks through this announcement to continue to support this field, particularly on behalf of those refugees who, because of language and cultural barriers, are unlikely to gain access to commercial loans or business training through other programs in the mainstream without the assistance of refugee serving agencies. To be successful in this competition, refugee-serving organizations must demonstrate their organization's capacity to provide the business technical expertise necessary to help refugees start, expand, or strengthen businesses and to provide access to credit. Economic development agencies must show how they will modify their existing programs to serve refugees effectively. Purpose and Scope The main purposes of the ORR Microenterprise Development program are: 1) to assist refugees in becoming economically self-sufficient, 2) to help refugee communities in developing employment and capital resources, and 3) to enhance the integration of refugees into the mainstream by helping mainstream organizations develop the experience of serving refugee populations. To achieve these purposes, applicants for microenterprise development projects may request funds for business technical assistance, short-term training, a revolving microloan fund or loan loss reserve fund, and post-loan technical assistance. Funds may also be requested to cover administrative costs associated with managing a microenterprise project for refugees and working with mainstream microenterprise programs. Projects should be designed in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for the refugee population. Applicants should also be familiar with the capital needs and capital market gaps for refugee entrepreneurs and should describe how refugees will gain access to business credit. Furthermore, applicants should demonstrate an understanding of the economic opportunities in the community for refugees and should have established working partnerships with the communities' refugee resettlement services network, as well as with existing microenterprise development organizations and financial institutions in their area of operations. Priority will be given to organizations focused on serving newly impacted communities with an overall objective of promoting integration within the community through business development. Allowable Activities Project components may include pre-loan technical assistance such as one-on-one business consultation and training, training in classroom settings, business plan preparation, access to business credit, revolving loan funds and/or loan-loss reserve funds, and post-loan technical assistance to refugee-owned businesses. ORR funds may also be used for the administrative costs associated with managing a revolving loan fund, including loan funds from other sources that are benefiting refugees. Training and Technical Assistance Training and other services should be individualized and flexible to meet the needs of the refugee clients. While not all clients need extensive training or comprehensive technical assistance, applicants should address how the grant award will be allocated among technical assistance services, loan fund/loan loss reserve, and administrative costs based on an assessment of client needs. Applications should indicate what, and how, technical assistance will be provided to address the complexity of the business plan, the level of risk entailed by the business, and the experiential background of the client. If structured training is offered, it is generally recommended that the training be relatively short-term. One of the main goals of training should be the completion of the business plan. Training should also stress marketing, cash-flow projections, and general small business management. If applicants plan to provide other training for a fee, the nature of the training, the amount of the fee to be charged, and the reason(s) for charging the fee should be included in the application. Loans Microloans consist of small amounts of credit that, in the case of ORR MED program, don't exceed $15,000 and are extended to low-income entrepreneurs for start-ups of microenterprises or for the expansion or stabilization of existing microenterprises. These funds may be disbursed through individual loans as a revolving loan fund or be used as a loan loss reserve. A loan loss reserve (LLR) refers to a certain amount of grant funds set aside to make up for the dollar amount of loans made to refugee participants if the loan, or part of the loan, is declared non-recoverable and written off. Grantees with loan funds must have, and will be responsible for, establishing written lending policies and procedures and for collecting and servicing loan repayments. For the ORR MED loan fund, the lending policies should clearly state the maximum amount to be loaned, the interest rate to be charged, and the period of repayment. ORR supports the use of commercial lending institutions for refugee borrowers to leverage the limited amount of ORR funds available for this purpose and to provide borrowers with the opportunity to establish creditworthy histories with traditional lenders. Applicants may elect to establish cooperative relationships with one or more of the community's financial institutions to obtain access to commercial loan funds. Alternatively, grantees may establish a loan-loss reserve fund with a financial institution, but should ensure that the agreement with the financial institution is beneficial to the grantee and the refugee clients; this should be monitored particularly in reference to the amount of additional funds leveraged using ORR monies and the way in which loans will be approved. If a grantee establishes a loan loss reserve fund, the loans that are made may not exceed $15,000 and the repayment of the loan may not exceed 36 months. ORR does not encourage the use of below-market rates of interest for the loan funds. Conversely, grantees may not charge refugees interest rates that exceed four percentage points above the New York prime lending rate at the time of loan approval. If ORR loan funds are to be used in combination with funds from other sources to meet the financial need of the client, the interest rate on the ORR portion of the loan cannot exceed prime plus four percent. ORR microloans will have a maximum maturity of three years (36 months) even when these loan funds are used in combination with funds from other sources. The applicant must demonstrate how they will ensure that loans are closed out by the end of the project period. If the term of the loan will exceed the time of the grant period, grantees are responsible for the collection of the outstanding loans and must propose how they will continue to administer the loan repayment and provide any necessary technical assistance after the end of the project period. Loans may be used for working capital, inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery, tools, equipment, building renovation, and/or leasehold improvements. Microloan funds may not be used for the following:
Treatment of Program Income Program income of projects with revolving loan funds consists of repayment of principal, interest on individual loans or from loan fund and loan-loss reserves deposited in the bank, application fees, closing fees, and late payment fees. Program income funds may be retained by the project to expand the pool of credit in accordance with 45 CFR 74.24(b)(1), (b)(2) and (e) for non-profit organizations and 45 CFR 92.25(g)(2) for governmental entities. Any fees such as application and closing fees or charges imposed on refugee clients by the grantee or its subcontractors or affiliates (e.g., loan processing or training fees) must be disclosed in the application and preapproved by ORR. Program income must be reported on the Financial Status Report (Standard Form (SF) 269) semi-annually during the project period. The proposed use of such income must be described in the application. Grantees will be expected to coordinate their policies and procedures for developing and administering refugee microenterprise development projects with the existing refugee microenterprise services network. To ensure an exchange of technical and training information among programs, all grantees are encouraged to attend ORR training meetings during each year of their participation in this program area. Grant funds may be used to offset the cost of attendance for a maximum of two people working on the ORR microenterprise program.
II. AWARD INFORMATION
Awards under this announcement are subject to the availability of funds. Additional Information on Awards: Applicants should provide a detailed budget and budget justification for the first 12-month budget period. They should also include a projected budget for the entire four year project period. Generally, non-competing continuation awards will be offered each of the subsequent three budget years. However, continuation of funding after the first budget period is contingent upon availability of funds and grantee performance, and is at the discretion of the Director of ORR. Please see Section IV.5 for any restrictions on the use of funds for awards made under this announcement.
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 1. Eligible Applicants Eligible applicants for refugee programs under 412(c)(1)(A) are "public and private nonprofit agencies" such as:
Foreign entities are not eligible to apply under this announcement. Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply under this announcement. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: None 3. Other: Eligible Clients Eligible clients are refugees who aspire to establish, expand, or stabilize a microenterprise but who lack the financial resources, credit history, or personal assets to qualify for business loans or assistance through commercial institutions. Refugees who are not yet citizens may participate regardless of their date of arrival in the U.S. However, refugees who arrived in the U.S. within the last five years have priority for services. Eligibility for refugee social services includes: (1) refugees; (2) asylees; (3) Cuban and Haitian entrants; (4) certain Amerasians, and (5) victims of a severe form of trafficking. Detailed information on eligibility is available at 45 CFR 400.43 and ORR State Letters 00-17, 01-13, 02-01, and 04-12. Please visit ORR website at www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr to access these letters. Grantees will be responsible for documenting and maintaining refugee client eligibility for services under this project. 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.
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Address to Request Application Package: Belay Embaye For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)). 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: This section provides information on the required form and content of application submissions. Applicants are required to submit one original and two copies of all application materials if applying in hard-copy. The original signature of the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) is required only on the original. Information on the required format, Standard Forms (SFs) and other forms, D-U-N-S Requirement, Project Description, Certifications, Assurances, Electronic Submission of applications, and Hard Copy submission of applications is available in this section. A Checklist of required application elements is available for applicants' use in Section VIII of this announcement. A table of content and a project summary/abstract should be included. The application narrative is limited to 20 pages suing a 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing. Any pages beyond the 20 page limit will be removed and not reviewed. Up to an additional 25 pages of attachments are allowed, not including letters of support, table of contents, project summary/abstract, or standard forms, certifications, and budget and budget justifications. Each page should be numbered sequentially, including attachments or appendices. Do not staple or in any way bind the application other than with a rubber band or a clip. Do not include books or videos as they are not easily reproduced and are, therefore, inaccessible to reviewers. Submit applications to ACF in either electronic or paper format. To submit an application electronically, please use the http://www.Grants.gov/Apply site. If using Grants.gov, download a copy of the application package, complete it off-line, and then upload and submit the application via the Grants.gov site. ACF will not accept grant applications via email or facsimile transmission. Please note the following if submitting an application electronically via Grants.gov.
Forms 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. All required Standard Forms are available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. Non-profit private organizations (not including private universities) are encouraged to submit the "Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants" with their applications. Applicants using a hard copy application, place the completed survey in an envelope labeled "Applicant Survey." Seal the envelope and include it along with your application package. Applicants applying electronically, please submit this survey along with your application. The Survey may be found at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. D-U-N-S Requirement All applicants must have a D&B Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S) number. A D-U-N-S number is required whether an applicant is submitting a paper application or using the government-wide electronic portal, Grants.gov. A D-U-N-S number is 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. A D-U-N-S number may be acquired 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 online at http://www.dnb.com. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 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. 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, ORR is particularly interested in the number and type of businesses established, expanded, or stabilized; the number of new jobs created and jobs retained by the businesses; the number of loans made and the total amount of loans provided to refugees from ORR revolving loan fund; the amount of additional funds leveraged from other resources for the program, the effect of the businesses assisted on the refugees' transition toward self-sufficiency and integration, and the accessibility of mainstream programs to refugees.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:
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.
(As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, P.L. 104-13, the public reporting burden for the Project Description 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 information collection 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.) CertificationsApplicants must furnish, prior to award, an executed copy of the Certification Regarding Lobbying. Applicants must sign and return the certification with their application. 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 Certification Regarding Lobbying may be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/grants_resources.html. 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. AssurancesBy signing and submitting the application, applicants are making the appropriate certification of their compliance with all Federal statutes relating to nondiscrimination. 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. Electronic SubmissionApplicants to ACF may submit their applications in either electronic or paper (hard copy) format. To submit an application electronically, applicants must use the http://www.Grants.gov site. ACF will not accept applications via facsimile or email. IMPORTANT NOTE: Before submitting an application electronically, applicants must complete the organization registration process as well as obtain and register "electronic signature credentials" for the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). Applicants also must be registered in the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). CCR registration must be updated annually. Applicants will not be able to upload an application to Grants.gov without current CCR registration and electronic signature credentials for the AOR. This process may take more than five business days, so it is important to start this process early, well in advance of the application deadline. Be sure to complete all Grants.gov registration processes listed on the Organization Registration Checklist at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/registration_checklist.html. 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 Grants.gov site. If planning to submit an application electronically via http://www.Grants.gov:
After the application is submitted electronically, the applicant will receive two emails from Grants.gov:
ACF will retrieve the electronically submitted application from Grants.gov. Applicants will receive an email notification from ACF acknowledging that ACF has received the application. ACF may request that the applicant provide original signatures on forms at a later date. 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, contact the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov for assistance. Hard Copy Submission of ApplicationsApplicants that are submitting their application in paper format should submit one original and two copies of the complete application with all attachments, unless directed otherwise. The original and each of the two copies must include all required forms, certifications, assurances, and appendices, be signed by the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and be unbound. The original copy of the application must have original signature(s). See Section IV.6 of this announcement for address information for application submissions. Please refer to Section VIII for a checklist of application requirements, their location and due dates that applicants may use in developing and organizing application materials. Please refer to Section IV.3 for details concerning acknowledgement of received applications. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Due Date for Applications: 05/11/2009 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. 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. Acknowledgement of Received Application
ACF will not provide acknowledgement of receipt of hard copy application packages submitted via
mail, courier services, or by hand delivery. Applicants who submit their
application packages electronically via
http://www.Grants.gov will receive two email acknowledgements from that website:
4. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs: State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) This program is covered under Executive Order (E.O.) 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 Executive Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. Applicants should go to the following URL for the official list of the jurisdictions that have elected to participate in E.O. 12372 http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOC, as soon as possible, to alert them of their prospective applications and to receive instructions on their jurisdiction's procedures. Applicants must submit all required application materials to the SPOC and indicate the date of submission on the Standard Form (SF) 424 at item 19. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application due date to comment on proposed new awards. SPOC comments may be submitted directly to ACF to: 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 East, Washington, DC 20447. Entities that meet the eligibility requirements of this announcement are still eligible to apply for a grant even if a State, Territory or Commonwealth, etc., does not have a SPOC or has chosen not to participate in the process. Applicants from non-participating jurisdictions need take no action with regard to E.O. 12372. Applications from Federally-recognized Indian Tribal governments are not subject to E.O. 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 under this grant award. Grant awards will not allow reimbursement of pre-award costs. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Submit applications to one of the following addresses: Submission by Mail Ben L. Sharp, Grants Management OfficerDivision of Discretionary Grants Administration for Children and Families Office of Grants Management 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., 6th Floor East Washington, DC 20447 Hand Delivery Ben L. Sharp, Grants Management OfficerDivision of Discretionary Grants Administration for Children and Families Office of Grants Management 901 D Street, SW, Aerospace Bldg. ACF Mailroom, Second Floor (near loading dock) Washington, DC 20024 Electronic Submission See Section IV.2 for application requirements and for guidance when submitting applications electronically via http://www.Grants.gov. For all submissions, see Section IV.3 for information on due dates.
V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 1. CRITERIA: Competing applications for financial assistance will be reviewed and evaluated against the criteria described in this section. The corresponding score values indicate the relative importance that ACF places on each review criterion. Applicants should address these criteria in the process of developing their application, as they are the basis upon which their applications will be judged. 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). This section will be evaluated on the extent to which the applicant describes:
The quality of the description of the prospective refugee communities' profile with respect to welfare utilization, English proficiency, length of time in the U.S., interest in microbusiness, integration, and the description of local capital needs and capital market gaps for refugee microentreprenuers, including a clear explanation why the capital need of refugees cannot be met by mainstream financial service providers; the quality of data provided that demonstrates levels of refugee welfare dependence and self-sufficiency, opportunities for small business, and available resources for microenterprise development. Priority will be given to organizations focused on serving newly impacted communities with an overall objective of promoting integration within the community through business development.
The organizational and management capacity including staffing, volunteers, and partners with bilingual/bicultural background and experience of serving refugees and other economically disadvantaged populations; description of experience in organizational management, including previous experience in managing grants of similar size; description of experience in providing microenterprise development services and in the management of loan funds, including the experience and/or the ability of the organization to obtain funds for the microenterprise program from other sources. Description of results achieved under any previous microenterprise program; detailed description of the organizations accounting and internal control system to effectively administer the project, and experience in collaboration with the specific refugee community(ies) and coalition building among refugee and non-refugee service providers. If appropriate, written agreements between the applicant and sub-grantee or other cooperating entities, detailing work to be performed, remunerations to be paid, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship to this are provide.
The adequacy and appropriateness of the program approach or design, including a detailed description of proposed activities (outreach, training, pre-loan technical assistance, providing capital (loans), and post-loan technical assistance), timeframes, and benchmarks; lending criteria (policy and procedures), and fees to be charged; whether the business targets are start-ups, expansions, strengthening, or all of the above, and how the applicant will aid each type of client; and the monitoring plan the applicant will put in place in order to ensure the successful implementation of the project. Please present your plan for project continuation beyond the grant support period as part of your description of the approach (exit strategy).
The expected specific measurable deliverable goals and outcomes; the unit costs of the project are appropriate and that they are consistent with reported nationwide performance in microenterprise projects, and that they are reasonable in relation to the proposed activities. Results may include, but not limited to, the number of business assisted (start-ups, strengthened, and expanded); the number of jobs created and retained; the amount of fund (operating and loan funds) leveraged for the program from other sources, and the number of refugee businesses assisted to access mainstream microenterprise programs for their capital and other needs. Results may also include the impact of business income and business assets on clients' welfare status and economic self-sufficiency; projected outcomes for the businesses themselves (business revenue, increased income, survivability, and access to credit/loans from mainstream financial institutions).
The appropriateness and reasonableness of the proposed budget. Applicants should show the breakdown of the proposed budget among administrative costs, training and technical assistance, and loan capital/ loan loss reserve. The budget must be consistent with narrative description of the application. The overall clarity and presentation of the budget and its cost effectiveness in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated results. The application should include a detailed budget and budget justification supporting each budget line item for the first year of the project cycle and lump sum budget forecast for each subsequent years of the project cycle. 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. The ORR Director uses review panel scores when considering competing applications. Review panel scores will weigh heavily in funding decisions, but will not be the only factors considered. Applications generally will be considered in order of the average scores assigned by the review panel. Because other important factors are taken into consideration, highly ranked applications are not guaranteed funding. These other considerations include the timely and proper completion by the applicant of projects funded with ORR funds granted in the last five years; comments of reviewers and government officials; ORR staff evaluation and input; amount and duration of the grant requested and the proposed project's consistency and harmony with ORR goals and policy; administrative costs associated with any sub-grantees; geographic distribution of applicants; previous program performance of applicants; compliance with grant terms under previous U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants; audit reports; investigative reports; and applicant's progress in resolving any final audit disallowance or program review finding on previous ORR or other Federal agency grants. 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: Not Applicable
VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 1. Award Notices: 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 administrative requirements in 45 CFR Part 74 (for non-governmental entities) or 45 CFR Part 92 (for governmental entities). 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. Additional information on "Understanding the Regulations Related to the Faith-Based and Community Initiative" can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/fbci/regulations/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 performance progress and financial reports periodically throughout the project period. Frequency of reporting is listed later in this section. Beginning with FY 2009 awards, most ACF grantees will begin using the a Standard Form (SF) for required performance progress reporting (PPR). The SF-PPR is a standard government-wide performance progress reporting format consisting of a series of forms implemented by Federal agencies to collect performance information from award recipients. Most ACF grantees will begin using the standard format implemented through ACF's Office of Grants Management (OGM), entitled the "ACF-OGM-SF-PPR." Use of the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR will begin for new awards and continuation awards made by ACF in FY 2009. At a minimum, grantees will be required to submit the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR, which consists of the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR Coversheet and the ACF-OGM-SF-PPR Appendix B Program Indicators. ACF Programs that utilize other SF-PPR reporting formats, or other reporting forms or formats that differ from the new ACF-OGM-SF-PPR, have listed those forms or formats below. Grant award documents will inform grantees of the appropriate performance progress report form or format to use beginning in FY 2009. Grantees will continue to use the Financial Status Report (FSR) SF-269 (long form) for required financial reporting. The SF-269 (long form) and the ACF-OGM-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 program performance 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-AnnuallyFinancial Reports: Semi-Annually VII. AGENCY CONTACTS Program Office Contact: Belay Embaye For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)). Grants Management Office Contact: Ben L. Sharp For hearing or speech impaired callers, contact the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 (TTY (Text Telephone) / ASCII (American Standard Code For Information Interchange)).
VIII. OTHER INFORMATION NOTICE: Beginning with FY 2006, ACF will no longer publish grant announcements in the Federal Register. Beginning October 1, 2005, applicants will be able to find a synopsis of all ACF grant opportunities and apply electronically for opportunities via: http://www.Grants.gov. Applicants will also be able to find the complete text of all ACF grant announcements on the ACF web site located at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/index.html. Checklist You may use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package.
Posted live March 12, 2009 |
