SNAP and TANF E&T Training and Technical Assistance (25-444-80-2538-01) Notice of Funding Opportunity

 Summary Information

Awarding Agency Name	Illinois Department of Human Services
Awarding Division Name	Family and Community Services Office of Workforce Development Bureau of Employment & Training
Agency Contact	Kathy Jackson Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov
Announcement Type	Competitive
Funding Opportunity Title	SNAP and TANF E&T Training and Technical Assistance
Funding Opportunity Number	25-444-80-2538-01
Application Posting Date	June 11, 2024
Application Closing Date	July 11, 2024
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Number	444-80-2538
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Popular Name	SNAP and TANF E&T Training and Technical Assistance
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	N/A
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s)	N/A
Award Funding Source	Federal
Estimated Total Program Funding	Up to $350,000.00
Anticipated Number of Awards	1
Award Range	$300,000.00 - $350,000.00
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement	No
Indirect Costs Allowed	No
Restrictions on Indirect Costs	No
Technical Assistance Session	Session Offered: No Session Mandatory: No

A. Program Description

B. Funding Information

1.  Total Amount of Funding

   1. The Department anticipates the availability of approximately funding  up to $350,000.00..
   2. The source of funding for this program is Federal funds.

2. Number of Grant Awards

   1. The Department anticipates funding approximately 1 (one) grant award to provide this program.

3. Expected Amounts of Individual Grant Award

   1. The Department anticipates that grant awards will be up to $350,000.00. .

4. Amount of Funding per Grant Award on average in previous years

   1.  Previous funding amounts for this grant award program on average was between $290,000.00 - $350,000.00.

5. Anticipated Start Dates and Periods of Performance for new grant awards.

   1. Subject to appropriation, the grant period will begin no sooner than July 1, 2024 and will continue through June 30, 2025.

6. Renewal or Supplementation of existing projects eligibility

   1. Applications for renewal or supplementation of existing projects are not eligible to compete with applications for new State awards.

7.  Type of Assistance Instrument

   1. This is a competitive grant award funding opportunity.

8. Procurement Contract Allowability

   1. Subcontractor Agreement(s) and budgets must be pre-approved by the Department and on file with the Department. Subcontractors are subject to all provisions of this Agreement. The successful applicant Agency shall retain sole responsibility for the performance and monitoring of the subcontractor.
   2. Successful applicants under this NOFO may be eligible to receive two subsequent one-year grant renewals for this program. Renewals are at the discretion of the Department and are based on sufficient appropriation and performance criteria including, but not limited to:
      1. Grantee has performed satisfactorily during the previous reporting period
      2. All required reports have been submitted on time, unless a written exception has been provided by the Division/Department
      3. No outstanding issues are present (e.g., in good standing with all pre-qualification requirements and no outstanding corrective action, etc.)
   3. The release of this NOFO does not obligate the Illinois Department of Human Services to make an award.

C. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

   • This competitive funding opportunity is limited to applicants that meet the following requirements:
     • The types of applicants that may apply for the grant award are must be a Not-for-Profit Community based organization; have one or more physical offices located in the State of Illinois; and have a minimum of 5 (five) years experience providing training and/or technical assistance to community-based organizations.
     • The applicant has met the Prequalification and Mandatory Requirements listed in this funding opportunity.
     • Applicants must be prequalified; therefore, applications from entities that have not prequalified prior to the due date of this application will NOT be reviewed and will NOT be considered for funding.
     • Successful Applicants will not receive an award if pre-award requirements are not met.
     • Funding restrictions-no funding restrictions.

2. Cost Sharing or Match Requirements

   1. Providers are not required to participate in cost sharing or provide match.

3. Other

   1. Limit on Number of Applications - 1 (one) per agency.

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

   1. The complete application package (this Notice of Funding Opportunity, including links to required forms) is available through the Illinois Catalog of State Financial Assistance and the DHS Grants website page.
   2. Each applicant must have access to the internet. The Department's website will contain information regarding the NOFO and materials necessary for submission. Questions and answers will also be posted on the Department's website as described later in this announcement. It is the responsibility of each applicant to monitor that website and comply with any instructions or requirements relating to the NOFO.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

   1. Required Content

      • Applications must include the required documents and demonstrate that the program eligibility requirements have been met. The Department will not contact applicants for missing items listed below. Applicants that do not include all the following documents will be considered substantially incomplete and will not be considered for funding.

   2. Program Narrative

      • IMPORTANT: The program (proposal) narrative makes up the bulk of the application. Please provide a complete response to the following sections. If the program narrative is missing from your application packet, your application will receive a score of zero points and your agency will not meet the criteria to receive a grant under this notice of funding opportunity.

   3. Proposal Narrative Content and Attachments

      • If the applicant believes that the subject has been adequately addressed in another part of the application narrative, then provide the cross-reference to the appropriate part of the narrative. If a cross-reference is not included in the section, the reviewer will only consider content contained within that specific section.
      • Applicants must submit a plan that contains the information outlined below. Each section must begin on a new page and have a heading that corresponds to the headings listed below after each section number. The total application may not exceed the prescribed page limit, single-spaced. The Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance, checklist, attachments, letters of intent and Uniform Budget template/Narrative are not included in the page limitation. If the applicant believes that the subject has been adequately addressed in another part of the application narrative, then provide the cross-reference to the appropriate part of the narrative. If a cross-reference is not included in the section, the reviewer will only consider content contained within that specific section. The narrative portion must follow the page maximums where prescribed and must be organized in the format outlined below. If an applicant receives an award through this NOFO the proposal will become the local program plan and budget unless revisions are required. The application/plan will be the basis for monitoring compliance by DHS.

        1. Executive Summary (Abstract) 1-2 Pages Max

           • The Executive Summary will serve as a stand-alone document for successful applicants that will be shared with various state-level stakeholders and others requesting a brief overview of each funded project. At a minimum, each of the following should be addressed in the summary:
             • Please provide detailed information that describes how the Applicant organization meets the eligibility criteria: be a Not-for-Profit Community-Based Organization for a minimum of five (5) years;
             • AND have one or more physical offices located in the state of Illinois; AND have a minimum of five (5) years' experience providing training and/or technical assistance to community-based organizations;
             • AND be Pre-qualified to apply for this funding notice through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal.
             • The amount requested by this grant.

        2. Need:

           1. None

        3. Capacity:

           • The purpose of this section is for the applicant agency to present an accurate picture of its ability to support the State's TANF and SNAP E&T providers and programs. Information in this section should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following: Convincing evidence that the applicant is capable of carrying out the proposed training program. Describe relevant experience in providing training to a wide variety of service providers. Give examples of training topics utilizing both established and agency-developed curricula.
           • Describe the experience of the Applicant in evaluating participants' satisfaction with training sessions. Include a copy of the satisfaction instrument to be used for evaluation as Attachment D "Training Satisfaction Instrument".
           • If applicant is seeking funding for personnel, indicate number and title of positions, FTE for each position part-time and brief description of what that position will be doing related to this grant. Submit job descriptions for each position that will be funded in part or in whole with grant funds as Attachment A- Job Descriptions. Key personnel must meet or exceed the minimum requirements of a Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field. Lead trainers, at a minimum, should possess at least three years of experience as an educator and/or facilitator. Personnel must have sufficient experience in providing services related to training, technical assistance, conference/meeting planning and coordination; and information dissemination in the areas of E&T services and TANF and SNAP policy. Identified staff must have relevant local or national expertise and experience in the area in which they are assigned.
           • Describe Applicant's experience in developing and maintaining websites.
           • Describe the Applicant's experience and capacity to provide research, data collection, analysis and support in addressing legislative mandates (collecting data, reports, task force support etc.) and other projects. Include a description of sample research/analysis etc.
           • Describe the Applicant's experience in implementing and managing programs that include issuing grants/contracts, monitoring programmatic and fiscal compliance and oversight etc.
           • Describe experience providing TA and support to managing committees and experience applying the Open Meetings Act to such committee meetings and activities
           • Does the applicant entity's mission statement and goals align with the work proposed under this funding opportunity? How so?

        4. Quality:

           • Describe the process that will be used to evaluate and report on the effectiveness of the proposed project. Identify who will be responsible for tracking and reporting on performance measures/standards. Provide detailed information on how information will be tracked etc. to ensure all activities are reported each quarter with sufficient supporting documentation.

        5. Other: Training Plan:

           • Please describe the proposed detailed training plan to be provided. Detail the training sessions to be provided, the numbers of trainings, the training method, the location of trainings, etc. Include the name and creator of the training curricula and the rationale for its use. Provide a schedule of training that includes the proposed locations and dates and subject matter for each session and target audience.
           • Indicate the sessions that will be offered via methods other than in-person training sessions and rational.
           • Describe the plan to ensure the trainings are relevant to the audience and describe how trainings will be delivered throughout the state and to ensure flexibility within the schedule to ensure new program staff resulting from turnover and new provider organizations will be convenient and timely throughout the state.
           • Describe the steps that will be taken to ensure the proposed training plan will be cost effective to the state.
           • Describe the registration function that the Applicant will provide Describe how the Applicant will promote its training sessions to allied professionals while ensuring that priority is given to SNAP & TANF E&T program grantees targeted by the training.
           • Describe the experience of the Applicant in evaluating participants' satisfaction with training sessions. Include a copy of the satisfaction instrument to be used for evaluation.

        6. Training Needs Assessment:

           • Describe the proposed process for conducting a training needs assessment for SNAP and TANF E&T services providers including methodology and implementation. Include a sample needs assessment as Attachment Sample Needs Assessment".

        7. Training Advisory Work Group:

           • Describe how the Applicant will recruit and maintain members of the Advisory Work Group.
           • If Work Group is currently in existence, list members and associated agencies. Provide a proposed schedule of training advisory work group meetings and the proposed venue for the meetings.
           • Include a sample agenda for the work group meeting as Attachment  "Sample Work Group Agenda".

        8. Training Website:

           • Describe how the webpage and its contents will be developed and made available by the applicant to the E&T service providers in Illinois. ef summary of the proposed plan to provide training, technical assistance and support to for the State's TANF and SNAP employment and training providers and programs.

   4. Budget and Budget Narrative

      1. Applicants must enter a budget electronically in the CSA system (Refer to Appendix A: CSA Budget Information for more information and a link to budget forms). The Budget entered into the CSA system will include a narrative or detailed description/justification for each line in the budget and will describe why each expenditure is necessary for program implementation and how you arrived at the particular amount. Please include cost allocations as necessary. This narrative must also clearly identify indirect costs, direct program costs, direct administrative costs, and match within each line item as appropriate. The Budget (including MTDC base exclusions as appropriate) should clearly describe how the specified resources and personnel have been allocated for the tasks and activities described in your plan.
      2. The Budget must be electronically signed and submitted in the CSA system. The Budget must be signed by the Provider's Chief Executive Officer and/or Chief Financial Officer.
      3. IMPORTANT: Please be sure the budget status in CSA says "GATA Budget signed and submitted to program review." This status will appear after the budget is electronically signed by the agency CEO or CFO and submitted to IDHS. See IDHS CSA Tracking System webpage for additional information on CSA
      4. The budget and narrative must tie fiscal activity to program objectives and deliverables and demonstrate that all proposed costs are: 
         1. Reasonable and necessary
         2. Allocable, and
         3. Allowable as defined by program regulatory requirements and the Uniform Guidance (2CFR 200), as applicable.

   5. Required Forms

      • The Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance (pdf)
      • The Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance is a three-page document used to formalize organization's request to apply for funding. The document requires the signature and email address of the organization's authorized representative. This email address will be used for official communication between the Department and the applicant organization for matters regarding this application
      • Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure
      • The grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure is a required for all grant award programs. The document requires agencies to identify actual or potential conflicts of interest. The form must be signed by a representative of the organization.

   6. Required Format

      1. The narrative portion must follow the page maximums where prescribed and must be organized in the format outlined below or points may be deducted.

3. Unique Entity Identifiers and SAM Registration

   • Each applicant (unless the applicant is an individual or Federal or State awarding agency that is exempt from those requirements under 2 CFR § 25.110(b) or (c), or has an exception approved by the Federal or State awarding agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)) is required to:
   • •  Be registered in SAM.gov before the application due date.
     • Provide a valid unique entity identifier (UE) in its application
     • Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal, Federal pass-through or State award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal or State awarding agency.
     • The Department may not make an award until applicant has fully complied to all UEI and SAM requirements
     • The department may determine that an applicant is not qualified if they have not complied to requirements and use that determination as a basis to award to another applicant.

4. Application Submission Dates and Times

   1. Application Due Date and Time

      1. The Department must receive the Preliminary Submission materials (Letter of Intent, etc.)
         1. Not applicable
      2. The Department must receive the Full Application
         1. Due on July 11, 2024 at 11:59 PM CST.
      3. Applicants must electronically submit the complete application including all required narratives and attachments in the prescribed order.
      4. Applications must be sent electronically to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov. The application will be electronically time-stamped upon receipt. The Department will ONLY accept applications submitted by electronic mail sent to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov. Include the following in the subject line: NOFO number and your agency name. Application submissions or delivery to any other email address or contact, including other IDHS offices or employees, will not be considered for review or funding. Applications will NOT be accepted if received by fax machine, hard copy, disk or thumb drive
      5. Applicants are required to notify the Department within 48 hours of the deadline, if they did NOT receive an email notifying them that their application was received. If the applicant does not receive an email and/or does not notify the Department within 48 hours, their application will be considered a late submission and will NOT be reviewed or scored. The applicant will NOT have the right to protest the submission/receipt of their application to the Department after the 48 hours. In the event of a dispute, the applicant bears the burden of proof that the application was received on time at the email location listed above.

   2. Missed Deadlines

      1. Applications received after the due date and time will not be considered for review or funding. All applicants/applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be separately notified in writing, by email, upon determination. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification.
      2. For your records, please keep a copy of your submission with the date and time the application was submitted along with the email address to which it was sent. The deadline will be strictly enforced.
      3. IMPORTANT: It is strongly recommended that the applicant not wait until the last minute to submit an application in case they experience technical difficulties with the submission process. Applicants should keep copies of all documentation that that may prove their application was submitted to the correct location and that it was received by IDHS on or before the deadline. Applicants should also maintain all electronic documentation, including screen shots, email correspondence, help desk ticket numbers, etc. that would document any unforeseen difficulties the applicant may have encountered regarding the timely submission of the application.

5. Funding Restrictions

   1. Pre-Award Costs

      1. Pre-Award Costs are allowed subject to the discretion, review, and prior approval of the IDHS Budget Committee. Pre-Award Costs must be identified as such in the IDHS Uniform Grant Budget Narrative. Pre-award costs are/are not allowable.
      2. IDHS grants are governed by 2 CFR. Part 200, Subpart E-Cost Principles and 30 ILCS 708 which include information on allowable costs, audit requirements, and financial records.

   2. Indirect Costs

      1. Indirect Costs may be applied to this grant award. Approved indirect cost rates must be approved.

   3. Statutory or Regulatory Restrictions/Limitations

      1. n/a

6. Other Submission Requirements

   1. Electronic Submission

      1. Applications must be submitted electronically to Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov.
      2. Documents must not include a password.
      3. Software or electronic capabilities required are as follows:
         1. Internet access, preferably high-speed
         2. Browser software meeting the following criteria: Google Chrome, Edge, Firefox of Internet Explorer 11 or newer
         3. Email capability
         4. Microsoft Excel
         5. Microsoft Word
         6. Adobe Reader
      4. In the event of a system problem, Contact Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov. in the event of technical difficulties.

E. Application Review Information

All competitive grant applications are subject to merit-based review.

1.  Criteria

   1. Applications that fail to meet the criteria described in Section C "Eligibility Information" will not be scored and/or considered for funding.
   2. All applicants / applications determined to be non-compliant or otherwise determined to be disqualified from consideration will be notified. This email will be sent to the email addresses provided in the application and will identify the reason for disqualification.
   3. Evaluation criteria is based upon requirements set forth in 44 IL Admin Code 7000.350 Merit Review of Applications and the IDHS Merit Review Manual. The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications:
      • Cost sharing will not be considered in the evaluation. 

      • Criteria	Weighting
        Executive Summary	5 Points
        Need-Description of Need	10 Points
        Capacity - Agency Qualifications / Organizational Capacity	40 Points
        Quality - Description of Program Design and Services	35 Points
        Budget	10 Points
        Total	100 Points

        As described in the Criteria section above, scoring will be on a 100 point scale. Scoring will not be the sole award criterion. While recommendations of the review panel will be key factors in the funding decisions, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the findings of the review panel to be non-binding recommendations. The Department may, for example consider other items such as geography, past performance, cost effectiveness, etc. when finalizing their decision. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information.

2. Review and Selection Process

   1. The process for evaluation of the application is as follows: Based on the Criteria section above, evaluation of the application will be done by a review team comprised of up to 3 individuals. Applications will first be reviewed and scored individually. Then, team members will collectively review the application, their scores, and comments. Individual team members may choose to adjust scores to appropriately capture content that may have been missed initially. Scores will then be sent to the application Review Coordinator to be compiled and averaged to produce the final application review team score. The numerical score may not be the sole award criterion. The Department reserves the right to consider other factors such as: geographical distribution, demonstrated need, and agency past performance as a state grantee, etc. While the recommendation of the review panel will be a key factor in the funding decision, the Department maintains final authority over funding decisions and considers the findings of the reviewers to be non-binding recommendations. Any internal documentation used in scoring or awarding of grants shall not be considered public information.
   2. In the event of a tie with insufficient funding for all tied applications, the Department may choose to elect one of the following options:
      1. Apply one or more of the additional factors for consideration described above to prioritize the applications
      2. Partially fund each of the tied applications
      3. Not fund any of the tied applications. The Department reserves the right to negotiate with successful applicants to adjust award amounts, targets, deliverables, etc.
   3. Merit-Based Review Appeal Process
      1. Competitive grant appeals are limited to the evaluation process. Evaluation scores may not be protested. Only the evaluation process is subject to appeal and shall be reviewed by IDHS' Appeal Review Officer (ARO).
         1. Submission of Appeal
            1. Appeals submission IDHS contact information:
               1. Name of Agency contact for appeals: Kathy Jackson
               2. Email of Agency contact for appeals: Kathy.L.Jackson@illinois.gov
               3. Email Subject Line: APPEAL 25-444-80-2538-01
            2. An appeal must be submitted in writing to appeals submission IDHS contact listed above, who will send to the IDHS Appeal Review Officer (ARO) for consideration.
               1. An appeal must be received within 14 calendar days after the date that the grant award notice has been published.
               2. The written appeal shall include at a minimum the following:
                  1. Name and address of the appealing party
                  2. Identification of the grant
                  3. Statement of reasons for the appeal
                  4. Supporting documentation, if applicable
         2. Response to Appeal
            1. IDHS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
               1. IDHS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required.
               2. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IDHS within the time period set in the request.
         3. Resolution to Appeal
            1. IDHS will acknowledge receipt of an appeal within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the appeal was received.
            2. IDHS will respond to the appeal within 60 days or supply a written explanation to the appealing party as to why additional time is required.
            3. The appealing party must supply any additional information requested by IDHS within the time period set in the request.
         4. Resolution
            1. The ARO shall make a recommendation to the Agency Head or designee as expeditiously as possible after receiving all relevant, requested information.
               1. In determining the appropriate recommendation, the ARO shall consider the integrity of the competitive grant process and the impact of the recommendation on the State Agency.
               2. The Agency will resolve the appeal by means of written determination.
               3. The determination shall include, but not be limited to:
                  1. Review of the appeal;
                  2. Appeal determination; and
                  3. Rationale for the determination.

3. Simplified Acquisition Threshold - Federal Awards and State Awards

   1. It is anticipated that this grants under this award may receive over $250,000. Potential grantees under this funding announcement may receive an award in excess of the Simplified Acquisition Threshold (currently $250,000) (Refer to 2 CFR 200 Section 200.1). Therefore, the grantee is subject to Simplified Acquisition Threshold and related requirements.
      1. IDHS prior to making an award with a total amount greater than the simplified acquisition threshold, is required to review and consider any information about the applicant that is in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM (currently FAPIIS) (see 41 U.S.C. 2313);
      2. That an applicant, at its option, may review information in the designated integrity and performance systems accessible through SAM and comment on any information about itself that a State or Federal awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance system accessible through SAM
      3. IDHS will consider any comments by the applicant, in addition to the other information in the designated integrity and performance system, in making a judgment about the applicant's integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under State and Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in § 200.206. ~

4. Anticipated Announcement and State Award Dates - Optional

   1. n/a

F. Award Administration Information

1. State Award Notices

   1. Applicants recommended for funding under this NOFO following the above review and selection process will receive a Notice of State Award (NOSA). The NOSA shall include:
      1. Grant award amount
      2. The terms and conditions of the award
      3. Specific conditions, if any, assigned to the applicant based on the fiscal and administrative (ICQ), programmatic risk assessments (PRA) and merit-based review.
   2. Note: The Department cannot issue a NOSA until the successful applicant has an approved budget entered into CSA. The applicant shall receive the NOSA through the Grantee Portal. The NOSA must be signed by the grants officer (or equivalent). This signature effectively accepts the state award amount and all conditions set forth within the notice. This signed NOSA is the document authorizing the Department to proceed with issuing an agreement. The Agency signed NOSA must be remitted to the Department as instructed in the notice.
   3. The notice is not an authorization to begin performance (to the extent that it allows charging to State awards of pre-award costs at the non- State entity's own risk).
   4. A written Notice of Denial shall be sent to the applicants not receiving the award.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

   1. The agency awarded funds shall provide services as set forth in the IDHS grant agreement and shall act in accordance with all state and federal statutes and administrative rules applicable to the provision of the services.
   2. To review a sample of the current IDHS Uniform Grant Agreement.

3. Reporting

   • Upon execution of the grant agreement, reporting shall be in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Uniform Grant Agreement and related Exhibits which includes, but is not limited to the following:
     1. Periodic Financial Reports.
     2. Close-out Reports
     3. Periodic Performance Reports.
     4. Close-out Performance Reports.
     5. Other Unique Programmatic Reporting Requirements: Additional annual performance data may be collected as directed by the Department and in a format prescribed by the Department.
     6. If the State share of any State award may include more than $500,000 over the period of performance, applicants are also subject to the reporting requirements reflected in appendix XII to 2CFR200. Non-compliance with any of the identified reports may lead to being placed on the Illinois Stop Payment List (SSPL).

4. Payment Terms

   1. It is the policy of the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) that this policy complies with 2 CFR 200.302, 2 CFR 200.305, 31 CFR 205 (procedures implementing Cash Management Improvement Act and Treasury-State Agreement (TSA)), and 44 Ill. Admin. Code 7000.120 (GOMB Adoption of Supplemental Rules for Grant Payment Methods). Three different award payment method exist, namely Advance Payment, Reimbursement, and Working Capital Advance.

G. State Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information, if applicable

n/a

I. Mandatory Forms

• Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance
• Uniform Grant Budget Template | Instructions
• Uniform Grant Budget in CSA
• Conflict of Interest Disclosure