HUD Archives: FY 1998 SuperNOFA 1: Community Outreach Partnership Centers

FY 1998 SuperNOFA 1

Community Outreach Partnership Centers

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Approximately $7 million is available to establish and operate Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPCs) to assist in outreach and applied research activities addressing the problems of urban areas.

APPLICATION DUE DATE: Completed applications must be submitted no later than 12:00 midnight, Eastern time on July 8, 1998 at HUD Headquarters. See the General Section of this SuperNOFA for specific procedures governing the form of application submission (e.g., mailed applications, express mail, overnight delivery, or hand carried).

ADDRESS FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS: Completed applications (one original and two copies) must be submitted to: Processing and Control Branch, Office of Community Planning and Development, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 7251, Washington, DC 20410. When submitting your application, please refer to COPC, and include your name, mailing address (including zip code) and telephone number (including area code).

FOR APPLICATION KITS, FURTHER INFORMATION AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

For Application Kits. For an application kit and supplemental information please call the SuperNOFA Information Center at 1-800-HUD-8929. Persons with hearing or speech impairments may call the Center's TTY number at 1-800-483-2209. The application kit also will be available on the Internet through the HUD web site. When requesting an application kit, please refer to COPC and provide your name, address (including zip code), and telephone number (including area code).

For Further Information. Jane Karadbil, Office of University Partnerships in the Office of Policy Development and Research, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, S.W., Room 8110, Washington, DC 20410, telephone (202) 708-1537, ext. 5918. Persons with speech or hearing impairments may call HUD's TTY number (202) 708-0770, or 1-800-877-8399 (the Federal Information Relay Service TTY). Other than the "800" number, these numbers are not toll-free. Ms. Karadbil can also be reached via the Internet at Jane_R._Karadbil@HUD.GOV.

For Technical Assistance. An information broadcast via satellite will be held for potential applicants to learn more about the program and preparation of an application. For more information about the date and time of this broadcast, please consult the HUD web site at the web address listed above. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

I. Authority; Purpose; Amount Allocated; and Eligibility.

(A) Authority. This program is authorized under the Community Outreach Partnership Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 5307 note; hereafter referred to as the "COPC Act"). The COPC Act is contained in section 851 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992 (Pub.L. 102-550, approved October28, 1992) (HCD Act of 1992). Section 801(c) of the HCD Act of 1992 authorizes $7.5 million for each year of the 5-year demonstration to create Community Outreach Partnership Centers as authorized in the COPC Act.

(B) Purpose. The purpose of this COPC Program is to assist in establishing or carrying out outreach and applied research activities addressing the problems of urban areas. Funding under this demonstration program shall be used to establish and operate Community Outreach Partnership Centers (COPC).

The six key concepts of the COPC Program are:

(1) The program should provide outreach, technical assistance, applied research, and empowerment to neighborhoods and neighborhood-based organizations based on what the residents decide is needed, not based on what the institution thinks is appropriate for that neighborhood;

(2) Community-based organizations should be partners with the institutions throughout the life of the project, from planning to implementation;

(3) Components of the program may address metropolitan or regional strategies. The applicant must clearly demonstrate how:

(a) Those strategies are directly related to what the targeted neighborhoods and neighborhood-based organizations have decided is needed; and

(b) Neighborhoods and neighborhood organizations are involved in the development and implementation of the metropolitan or regional strategies;

(4) The applied research should be related to the outreach activities and be usable in these activities within the grant period or shortly after it ends, rather than research without practical application;

(5) Assistance through the grant should be provided primarily by faculty, students, or to a limited extent, by neighborhood residents or community-based organizations funded by the university; and

(6) The program should be part of the institution's broader effort to meet its urban mission, and be supported by senior officials, rather than just the work of a few faculty members. Proposed activities should not duplicate those of other entities in the community and should be appropriate for an institution of higher education to undertake in light of its teaching, research, and service missions.

The statute states that grants under the COPC Program must focus on the following specific problems: "problems associated with housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care, job training, education, crime prevention, planning, community organizing, and other areas deemed appropriate by the Secretary." Furthermore, the COPC Act states: "The Secretary shall give preference to institutions of higher education that undertake research and outreach activities by bringing together knowledge and expertise in the various social science and technical disciplines that relate to urban problems."

(C) Amount Allocated. The competition in this program is for up to $7.0 million to fund the fifth year of the COPC Program to fund New Grants. Institutionalization Grants will not be funded under this funding announcement for COPC. COPC grantees that have previously received a New or Institutionalization grant are not eligible to apply under this COPC funding announcement, nor are institutions of higher education that received Joint Community Development Program grants.

New Grants will be awarded to institutions of higher education to begin or expand their applied research and outreach activities. Each New Grant will be for a three-year period of performance (i.e., applicants must complete their proposed activities within three years). In order to ensure that as many eligible applicants are funded as possible, HUD has set the maximum size of any new grant at $400,000. Because these projects are quite complex, HUD has also set the minimum grant size at $250,000. Since the Statement of Work and other facets of the technical review are assessed in the context of the proposed budget and grant request, and in the interest of fairness to all applicants, HUD will not accept an application that is under $250,000 or over $400,000.

(D) Eligible Applicants. Eligible applicants are public or private nonprofit institutions of higher education granting two- or four-year degrees and accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Consortia of eligible institutions may apply, as long as one institution is designated the lead applicant. Since the Statement of Work and other facets of the technical review are assessed in the context of the proposed staffing, and in order to fund as many eligible applicants as possible, HUD has determined that each institution may be part of only one consortium or submit only one application or it will be disqualified. HUD will hold an institution responsible for ensuring that neither it nor any part of the institution, including specific faculty, participates in more than one application.

Different campuses of the same university system are eligible to apply, even if one campus has already received COPC funding. Such campuses are eligible as separate applicants only if they have administrative and budgeting structures independent of other campuses in the system.

(E) Eligible Activities. COPC Programs must combine research with outreach, work with communities and local governments and address the multidimensional problems that beset urban areas. To meet the threshold requirements, applications should be multifaceted and address three or more urban problems. Single purpose applications are not eligible.

To be most effective during the term of the demonstration, the funded research must have a clear near-term potential for solving specific, significant urban problems. The selected institutions must have the capacity to apply their research results and to work with communities and local institutions, including neighborhood groups and other appropriate community stakeholders, in applying these results to specific real-life urban problems.

Eligible activities include:

(1) Research activities which have practical application for solving specific problems in designated communities and neighborhoods, including evaluation of the effectiveness of the outreach activities. In order to ensure that the primary focus of local projects is on outreach, research may not total more than one-quarter of the total project costs contained in any grant made under this COPC funding announcement (including the required 50% match).

(2) Outreach, technical assistance and information exchange activities which are designed to address specific urban problems in designated communities and neighborhoods. Such activities must total no less than three-quarters of the total project costs (including the required 25% match). Examples of outreach activities include, but are not limited to:

(a) Job training and other training projects, such as workshops, seminars and one-on-one and on-the-job training;

(b) Design of community or metropolitan strategies to resolve urban problems of communities and neighborhoods;

(c) Innovative use of funds to provide direct technical expertise and assistance to local community groups, residents, and other appropriate community stakeholders to assist them in resolving local problems such as homelessness, housing discrimination, and impediments to fair housing choice;

(d) Technical assistance in business start-up activities for low-and moderate-income individuals and organizations, including business start-up training and technical expertise and assistance, mentor programs, assistance in developing small loan funds, business incubators, etc;

(e) Technical assistance to local public housing authorities on welfare-to-work initiatives and physical transformations of public or assisted housing;

(f) Assistance to communities to improve consolidated housing and community development plans and remove impediments to design and implementation of such plans;

(g) Assistance to communities to improve the fair housing planning process; and

(h) Regional projects that maximize the interaction of targeted inner city distressed neighborhoods with suburban opportunities similar to HUD's Bridges-to-Work or Moving to Opportunity programs, or projects that link inner-city and suburban youth with leadership training that focuses on the needs of the distressed targeted neighborhoods.

(3) Funds for faculty development including paying for course time or summer support to enable faculty members to work on the COPC.

(4) Funds for stipends for students (which cannot cover tuition and fees) when they are working on the COPC.

(5) Activities to carry out the "Responsibilities" listed under Section II.(A) below. These activities may include leases for office space in which to house the Community Outreach Partnership Center, under the following conditions:

(a) The lease must be for existing facilities;

(b) No repairs or renovations of the property may be undertaken with Federal funds; and

(c) Properties in the Coastal Barrier Resource System designated under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (16 U.S.C. 3501) cannot be leased with Federal funds.

(F) Ineligible Activities.

(1) Research activities which have no clear and immediate practical application for solving urban problems or do not address specific problems in designated communities and neighborhoods.

(2) Any type of construction, rehabilitation, or other physical development costs.

(3) Costs used for routine operations and day-to-day administration of regular programs of institutions of higher education, local governments or neighborhood groups.

II. Program Requirements.

In addition to the program requirements listed in the General Section of this SuperNOFA, grantees must meet the following program requirements:

(A) Responsibilities. In accordance with section 851(h) of the HCD Act of 1992, each COPC shall:

(1) Employ the research and outreach resources of its sponsoring institution of higher education to solve specific urban problems identified by communities served by the Center;

(2) Establish outreach activities in areas identified in the grant application as the communities to be served;

(3) Establish a community advisory committee comprised of representatives of local institutions and residents of the communities to be served to assist in identifying local needs and advise on the development and implementation of strategies to address those issues;

(4) Coordinate outreach activities in communities to be served by the Center;

(5) Facilitate public service projects in the communities served by the Center;

(6) Act as a clearinghouse for dissemination of information;

(7) Develop instructional programs, convene conferences, and provide training for local community leaders, when appropriate; and

(8) Exchange information with other Centers.

The clearinghouse function in (6) above refers to a local or regional clearinghouse for dissemination of information and is separate and distinct from the functions in (8) above, which relate to the provision of information to the University Partnerships Clearinghouse, which is the national clearinghouse for the program.

(B) Cap on Research Costs. No more than 25% of the total project costs (Federal share plus match) can be spent on research activities.

(C) Match. This non-Federal share may include cash or the value of non-cash contributions, equipment and other allowable in-kind contributions as detailed in 24 CFR part 84, and in particular � 84.23 entitled "cost sharing or matching." Applicants must meet the match requirements identified below:

(1) Research Activities. 50% of the total project costs of establishing and operating research activities.

(2) Outreach Activities. 25% of the total project costs of establishing and operating outreach activities.

An example of how to calculate the match is included in the application kit.

(D) Administrative. The grant will be governed by the provisions of 24 CFR part 84 (Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals and other Nonprofit Organizations), A-122 (Cost Principles for Nonprofit Organizations), and A-133 (Audits of States, Local Governments and Nonprofits Organizations.

III. Application Selection Process.

Two types of reviews will be conducted: a threshold review to determine applicant eligibility; and a technical review to rate the application based on the rating factors in this Section III.

(A) Additional Threshold Criteria For Funding Consideration. Under the threshold review, the applicant will be rejected from the competition if the applicant is not in compliance with the requirements of the General Section of the SuperNOFA and if the following additional standards are not met:

(1) The applicant has met the statutory match requirements.

(2) The applicant has proposed a program in which no more than 25% of the total project costs will be for research activities.

(3) The applicant has requested a Federal grant that is no less than $250,000 and no more than $400,000 over the three-year grant period.

(4) The application addresses at least three urban issues, such as affordable housing, fair housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care; job training, education, crime prevention, planning, and community organizing.

(5) The applicant, and any part of the applicant's organization, does not participate in more than one application.

(B) Factors For Award Used To Evaluate and Rate Applications. The factors for rating and ranking applicants, and maximum points for each factor, are provided below. The maximum number of points for this program is 102. This includes two EZ/EC bonus points, as described in the General Section of the SuperNOFA.

Rating Factor 1: Capacity of the Applicant and Relevant Organizational Experience (15 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which the applicant has the organizational resources necessary to successfully implement the proposed activities in a timely manner. The rating of the "applicant" or the "applicant's organization and staff" for technical merit or threshold compliance, unless otherwise specified, will include any faculty, sub-contractors, consultants, sub-recipients, and members of consortia which are firmly committed to the project. In rating this factor HUD will consider the extent to which the proposal demonstrates:

(1) (10 points) The knowledge and experience of the overall proposed project director and staff, including the day-to-day program manager, consultants and contractors in planning and managing programs for which funding is being requested. Experience will be judged in terms of recent, relevant and successful experience of the applicant's staff to undertake eligible program activities. In rating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which the applicant's organization and staff have recent, relevant, and successful experience in:

(a) Undertaking research activities in specific communities that have a clear near-term potential for practical application to significant urban issues, such as affordable housing, fair housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure, health care, job training, education, crime prevention, planning, and community organizing;

(b) Undertaking outreach activities in specific communities to solve or ameliorate significant urban issues;

(d) Providing leadership in solving community problems and making national contributions to solving long-term and immediate urban problems.

(2) (3 points) The applicant has sufficient personnel or will be able to quickly access qualified experts or professionals, to deliver the proposed activities in each proposed service area in a timely and effective fashion, including the readiness and ability of the applicant to immediately begin the proposed work program.

(3) (2 points) The applicant has demonstrated experience in managing programs, and carrying out grant management responsibilities for programs, similar in scope or nature directly relevant to the work activities proposed. If the applicant has managed large, complex, interdisciplinary programs, the applicant should include the information in the response.

Rating Factor 2: Need/Extent of the Problem (15 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which there is a need for funding the proposed program activities and an indication of the urgency of meeting the need in the target area. In responding to this factor, applicants will be evaluated on:

(1) (10 points) The extent to which they document the level of need for the proposed activity: and

(2) (5 points) The urgency in meeting the need. Applicants should use statistics and analyses contained in a data source(s) that:

(a) Is sound and reliable. To the extent that the applicant's community's Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI) identifies the level of the problem and the urgency in meeting the need, references to these documents should be included in the response. The Department will review more favorably those applicants who used these documents to identify need, when applicable.

If the proposed activity is not covered under the scope of the Consolidated Plan and Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice (AI), applicants should indicate such, and use other sound data sources to identify the level of need and the urgency in meeting the need. Types of other sources include, but are not limited to, Census reports, Continuum of Care gaps analysis, law enforcement agency crime reports, Public Housing Authorities' Five Year Comprehensive Plan, and other sound and reliable sources appropriate for the specific program and activities for which an applicant is applying for funding. Applicants may also address needs in terms of fulfilling court orders or consent decrees, settlements, conciliation agreements, and voluntary compliance agreements. For technical assistance programs, input from HUD State and Area Office(s) and assessments are included among the data sources that may be used to identify need.

(b) To the extent possible, specific to the area where the proposed activity will be carried out. Specific attention must be paid to documenting need as it applies to the area where activities will be targeted, rather than the entire locality or state. If the target area is an entire locality or state, then documenting need at this level is appropriate.

The applicant should discuss how it took into account existing and planned efforts of government agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based institutions, for-profit firms and other entities to address such needs in the community(ies) to be served, how the proposed program compliments or supplements these existing efforts, and why additional funds are being requested.

Rating Factor 3: Soundness of Approach (50 Points)

This factor addresses the quality and cost-effectiveness of the applicant's proposed work plan. There must be a clear relationship between the proposed activities, community needs and the purpose of the program funding for an applicant to receive points for this factor. The factor will be evaluated based on the extent to which the proposed activities will:

(1) (4 points) Help solve or address an urgent need or problem as identified under Rating Factor 2 - Need/Extent of the Problem. The impact of the activity will be evaluated, including the tangible benefits to be attained by the community and by the target population including affirmatively furthering fair housing for classes protected under the Fair Housing Act. The applicant should demonstrate a strong familiarity with the existing and planned efforts of government agencies, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, for-profit firms and other entities to address such needs in the communities to be served, and should demonstrate that the applicant can cost-effectively complement any such efforts to attain measurable results.

(2) (8 points) The extent to which the proposed work program identifies the specific services or activities to be performed. In reviewing this subfactor HUD will consider the extent to which:

(a) The applicant's proposal outlines a clear research agenda, based on a thorough familiarity with existing research on the subject. The applicant should demonstrate that the proposed research does not duplicate research previously completed or currently underway by others.

(b) The applicant demonstrates how the research will fit into and strengthen the outreach strategy and activities. For example, an applicant proposing to study the extent of housing abandonment in a neighborhood and then designing a plan for reusing this housing would be able to demonstrate the link between the proposed research and outreach strategies.

(d) There is a plan for involving the university as a whole in the execution of the outreach strategy.

(e) The extent to which grant funds will pay for activities conducted by the grantee, rather than passed through to other entities.

(3) (7 points) The extent to which the proposed program of activities involves the communities to be served in implementation of these activities. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD will look at the extent to which:

(a) One or more Community Advisory Committees, comprised of representatives of local institutions and a balance of the race, ethnic, disability status, gender, and income of the residents of the communities to be served, has been or will be formed to work in partnership with the COPC to develop and implement strategies to address the needs identified in Factor 2. Applicants will be expected to demonstrate that they have already formed such a committee(s) or secured the commitment of the appropriate persons to serve on the committee(s), rather than just describing generally the types of people whose involvement they will seek.

(b) A wide range of neighborhood organizations and local government entities participated in the identification of the research and outreach activities.

(d) The outreach agenda includes training projects for local community leaders, for example, to increase their capacity to direct their organizations or undertake various kinds of community development projects.

(4) (6 points) The extent to which the proposed activities will achieve the purposes of the program from which funding is requested within the grant period. The applicant should identify specific time phased and measurable objectives to be accomplished during the period of performance; the proposed short and long term program objectives to be achieved as a result of the proposed activities; the tangible and measurable impacts the work program will have on the community in general and the target area or population in particular; and the relationship of the proposed activities to other on-going or proposed efforts to improve the economic, social or living environment in the impact area.

(5) (4 points) The extent to which the proposed project will potentially yield innovative strategies or "best practices" that can be replicated and disseminated to other organizations, including nonprofit organizations, State and local governments. In reviewing this factor, HUD will assess the demonstrated ability of the applicant to disseminate results of research and outreach activities to other COPCs and communities. HUD will evaluate the past experience of the applicant and the scope and quality of the applicant's concrete plan to disseminate information on COPC results, strategies, and lessons learned through such means as conferences, cross-site technical assistance, publications, etc.

(6) (3 points) The extent to which the proposed application will further and support the policy priorities of HUD including:

(a) Promoting healthy homes;

(b) Providing opportunities for self-sufficiency, particularly for persons enrolled in welfare to work programs;

(c) Enhancing on-going efforts to eliminate drugs and crime from neighborhoods through program policy efforts such as "One Strike and You're Out" or the "Officer Next Door" initiative;

(d) Providing educational and job training opportunities through such initiatives as Neighborhood Networks, Campus of Learners and linking to AmeriCorps activities.

(7) (5 points) The extent to which the applicant's work will include activities that affirmatively further fair housing, for example:

(a) Overcoming impediments to fair housing, such as discrimination in the sale or rental of housing or in advertising, provision of brokerage services, or lending;

(b) Promoting fair housing through the expansion of homeownership opportunities and improved quality of city services for minorities, families with children, and persons with disabilities; or

(8) (13 points) The extent to which the proposed COPC will result in the COPC function and activities being sustained by becoming part of the urban mission of the institution and being funded in the future by sources other than HUD. In reviewing this subfactor, HUD will consider the extent to which:

(a) COPC activities relate to the institution's urban mission; are part of a climate that rewards faculty work on these activities through promotion and tenure policies; benefit students because they are an overall part of a service learning program at the institution; and are reflected in the curriculum. HUD will look at the institution's commitment to faculty and staff continuing work in COPC neighborhoods or replicating successes in other neighborhoods and to its longer term commitment (e.g., five years after the start of the COPC) of hard dollars to COPC work.

(b) The applicant has received commitments for funding from sources outside the university for related non-COPC-funded projects and activities in the targeted neighborhood or other distressed neighborhoods. Funding sources to be considered include, but are not limited to, local governments, neighborhood organizations, private businesses, and foundations.

Rating Factor 4: Leveraging Resources (10 Points)

This factor addresses the ability of the applicant to secure community resources which can be combined with HUD's program resources to achieve program purposes. In evaluating this factor HUD will consider:

The extent to which the applicant has partnered with other entities to secure additional resources to increase the effectiveness of the proposed program activities. Resources may include funding or in-kind contributions, such as services or equipment, allocated to the purpose(s) of the award the applicant is seeking. Resources may be provided by governmental entities, public or private nonprofit organizations, for-profit private organizations, or other entities willing to partner with the applicant. Applicants may also partner with the funding recipients in other grant programs to coordinate the use of resources in the target area.

Because COPC has a matching requirement, rating points for this factor will be allocated based upon the extent to which an applicant has exceeded the program's minimum match requirement. Up to a total of 5 points will be awarded for a match that is 50% over the statutorily-required match.

The Department is concerned that applicants should be providing hard dollars as part of their matching contributions in order to enhance the tangible resources going into targeted neighborhoods. Thus, while indirect costs can count towards meeting the statutorily required match, they will not be used in calculating match overage. Only direct costs can count in this factor.

In addition, because HUD is interested in promoting the institutionalization of COPC projects and activities, up to an additional 5points will be awarded for the extent to which matching funds are provided from eligible sources other than the applicant (e.g., funds from the city, including CDBG, other State or local government agencies, public or private organizations, or foundations).

Applicants must provide evidence of leveraging/partnerships by including in the application letters of firm commitment, memoranda of understanding, or agreements to participate from those entities identified as partners in the application. Each letter of commitment, memorandum of understanding, or agreement to participate should include the organization's name, proposed level of commitment and responsibilities as they relate to the proposed program. The commitment must also be signed by an official of the organization legally able to make commitments on behalf of the organization.

Rating Factor 5: Comprehensiveness and Coordination (10 Points)

This factor addresses the extent to which the applicant coordinated its activities with other known organizations, participates or promotes participation in a community's Consolidated Planning process, and is working towards addressing a need in a holistic and comprehensive manner through linkages with other activities in the community.

In evaluating this factor, HUD will consider the extent to which the applicant demonstrates it has:

(1) (4 points) Coordinated its proposed activities with those of other groups or organizations prior to submission in order to best complement, support and coordinate all known activities and if funded, the specific steps it will take to share information on solutions and outcomes with others. Any written agreements, memoranda of understanding in place, or that will be in place after award should be described.

(2) (3 points) Taken or will take specific steps to become active in the community's Consolidated Planning process (including the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice) established to identify and address a need/problem that is related to the activities the applicant proposes.

(3) (3 points) Taken or will take specific steps to develop linkages to coordinate comprehensive solutions through meetings, information networks, planning processes or other mechanisms with:

(a) Other HUD-funded projects/activities outside the scope of those covered by the Consolidated Plan; and

(b) Other Federal, State or locally funded activities, including those proposed or on-going in the community.

(C) Selections. In order to be funded under COPC, an applicant must receive a minimum score of 70. It is HUD,s intent to fund at least one eligible applicant that serves colonias, as defined by section 916(d) of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, as long as the applicant receives a minimum score of 70.

If two or more applications have the same number of points, the application with the most points for Factor 3, Soundness of Approach shall be selected. If there is still a tie, the application with the most points for Factor 4, Leveraging Resources shall be selected.

HUD reserves the right to make selections out of rank order to provide for geographic distribution of funded COPCs. The approach HUD will use, if it decides to implement this option, will be based on combining two adjacent standard HUD regions (e.g., Southwest and Southeast Regions, Great Plains and Midwest Regions, etc.). If the rank order does not yield at least one fundable COPC within each combined region, then HUD may select the highest ranking application from such a combination, as long as the minimum score of 70 points is achieved.

After all applications have been rated and ranked and selections have been made, HUD may require that all winners participate in negotiations to determine the specific terms of the Statement of Work and the grant budget. In cases where HUD cannot successfully conclude negotiations, or a selected applicant fails to provide HUD with requested information, awards will not be made. In such instances, HUD may elect to offer an award to the next highest ranking applicant, and proceed with negotiations with the next highest ranking applicant.

After award but before grant execution, winners will be required to provide a certification from an Independent Public Accountant or the cognizant government auditor, stating that the financial management system employed by the applicant meets proscribed standards for fund control and accountability required by OMB Circular A-133, Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grant Agreements With Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations, Revised OMB Circular A-110, or 24 CFR part 85 for States and local governments, or the Federal Acquisition Regulations (for all other applicants). This information should contain the name and telephone number of the Independent Auditor, cognizant Federal auditor, or other audit agency, as applicable.

IV. Application Submission Requirements.

The application should include an original and two copies of the items listed below. In order to be able to recycle paper, please do not submit applications in bound form; binder clips or loose leaf binders are acceptable. Also, please, do not use colored paper. Please note the page limits below for some of the items listed below and do not exceed them.

In addition to the forms, certifications and assurances listed in Section II(G) of the General Section, all applications must, at a minimum, contain the following items:

(A) Transmittal Letter which must be signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the institution or his or her designee. If a designee signs, the application must include the official delegation of signatory authority;

(B) A Statement of Work (25 page limit) which incorporates all activities to be funded in the application and details how the proposed work will be accomplished. Following a task-by-task format, the Statement of Work must:

(1) Arrange the presentation of related major activities by project functional category (e.g., economic development, affordable housing, capacity building), summarize each activity, identify the primary persons involved in carrying out the activity, and delineate the major tasks involved in carrying it out.

(2) Indicate the sequence in which the tasks are to be performed, noting areas of work which must be performed simultaneously.

(3) Identify specific numbers of quantifiable intermediate and end products and objectives the applicant aims to deliver by the end of the award agreement period as a result of the work performed.

(C) Narrative statement addressing the Factors for Award in Section III. (B) (2) above. (30page limit, not including tables, maps, and letters of matching commitments). Your narrative response should be numbered in accordance with each factor and subfactor. Please do not repeat material in your Statements of Work or Need; instead focus on how you meet each factor.

(D) Budget. The budget presentation should be consistent with the Statement of Work and include:

(1) Budget Form--The sample budget form included in the application kit should be used to prepare the budget.

(2) A narrative explanation of how the applicant arrived at its cost estimates, for any line item over $1,000.

(3) A statement of compliance with the 20% limitation on "Planning and Administration" Costs.

(4) An explanation of compliance with the requirement that not more than 25% of the total budget be allocated to research activities.

(5) An explanation of compliance with the matching requirements.

More guidance on all of these items is included in the application kit.

(E) Abstract. (1 page limit) An abstract describing the goals and activities of the program.

V. Corrections to Deficient Applications.

The General Section of the SuperNOFA provides the procedures for corrections to deficient applications.

VI. Environmental Requirements.

In accordance with 24 CFR 50.19(b) of the HUD regulations, activities assisted under this program are categorically excluded from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and are not subject to environmental review under the related laws and authorities.

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Content Archived: July 23, 2012