FY 2021 - 2023 Economic Development RNTA

FY 2021 - 2023 Economic Development RNTA

NOTICE: PLEASE READ - April 6, 2023 EDA is excited to announce the launch of its new grants management platform: the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE). EDGE was developed to streamline the application and grants management process by implementing a single platform with increased transparency, improved user experience, higher data quality, and more efficiency throughout the entire grant lifecycle. As of April 6th , 2023, applications can no longer be submitted on Grants.gov, and will ONLY be accepted through EDGE. Once your concept proposal has been reviewed, you will receive an invitation to apply in EDGE. More information on how to apply is provided in the full NOFO. You must submit concept proposals to rnta@eda.gov. Program Description EDA provides strategic investments on a competitive merit basis to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States. Under this NOFO, EDA solicits applications from applicants in order to provide investments that support research and technical assistance projects under EDA’s R&E and NTA programs. Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. This NOFO employs a two-step application process: (1) the Concept Proposal and (2) the Full Application. EDA will only review Full Applications submitted by applicants who first submitted a Concept Proposal. Any Full Application received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and not considered for funding. For the Concept Proposal, applicants may use the optional template available at https://eda.gov/programs/rnta/resources/. Full Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov using the link that EDA will provide with it

Details

• Agency: Department of Commerce
• Opportunity #: EDA-HDQ-RNTA-2021
• Expected Awards: 15
• Instrument: cooperative_agreement;grant

Eligibility

Additional Information on Eligibility: Pursuant to Section 3(4) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3122(4)) and 13 C.F.R. § 300.3 (Eligible Recipient), eligible applicants for and recipients of EDA RNTA investment assistance include: a District Organization; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes; a State; a city or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; an institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; a public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political subdivision of a State; private individual; or a for-profit organization.Additional Information:

NOFO updated for EDGE applications

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
• Federal Agency Name: Economic Development Administration (EDA or the Agency),
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).
• Notice of Funding Opportunity Title: FY 2021-2023 Economic Development Research
and Evaluation (R&E) and National Technical Assistance (NTA) programs, jointly
known as RNTA.
• Announcement Type and Date: FY 2021-2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
announcement publishing EDA’s application submission requirements and review
procedures for applications received under EDA’s R&E and NTA programs, authorized
under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965, as amended (42 U.S.C.
§ 3121 et seq.) (PWEDA). Effective date: 04/02/2021.
• Funding Opportunity Number: EDA-HDQ-RNTA-2021-2006892
• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 11.312, Economic
Development – Research and Evaluation and 11.303, Economic Development – National
Technical Assistance.
• Dates: There are no submission deadlines under this NOFO. Applications will be
accepted on an ongoing basis until the termination of this NOFO or publication of a
superseding RNTA NOFO. All applications will first undergo a technical review by EDA
and will undergo a full merit review upon successfully passing technical review. Please
see section E.2 (p. 24) of this NOFO for complete information on EDA’s review process.
• Applicant Submissions: Applicants are advised to carefully read the application and
submission information provided in section D (p. 11) of this announcement.
• Eligible Applicants: Pursuant to section 3(4) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3122(4)) and 13
C.F.R. § 300.3 (Eligible Recipient), eligible applicants for and recipients of EDA RNTA
investment assistance include: a District Organization; an Indian Tribe or a consortium of
Indian Tribes; a State; a city or other political subdivision of a State, including a special
purpose unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure
development activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions; an institution of higher
education or a consortium of institutions of higher education; a public or private non-
profit organization or association acting in cooperation with officials of a political
subdivision of a State; a private individual; or a for-profit organization.
• Funding Opportunity Description: EDA provides strategic investments on a
competitive merit basis to support economic development, foster job creation, and attract
private investment in economically distressed areas of the United States. Under this
NOFO, EDA solicits applications from applicants in order to provide investments that
support research and technical assistance projects under EDA’s R&E and NTA programs.
Grants and cooperative agreements made under these programs are designed to leverage
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existing regional assets and support the implementation of economic development
strategies that advance new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic
prosperity in distressed communities.
EDA may make changes or additions to this NOFO. All changes will be communicated
on Grants.gov.
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FULL ANNOUNCEMENT TEXT
Research and Evaluation and National Technical Assistance
A. Program Description ............................................................................................................. 5
1. Overview and Program Information .......................................................................................... 5
2. EDA Investment Priorities ........................................................................................................ 7
3. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Programs ............................................................................... 8
B. Federal Award Information .................................................................................................. 8
1. What Funding is Available Under this Announcement? ........................................................... 8
2. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards and How Long Will a
Project’s Period of Performance Be? ........................................................................................ 8
C. Eligibility Information ........................................................................................................... 9
1. Eligible Applicants .................................................................................................................... 9
2. Cost Sharing or Matching ....................................................................................................... 10
D. Application and Submission Information ......................................................................... 11
1. Address to Request Application Package ................................................................................ 11
2. Content and Form of Application Submission ........................................................................ 11
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM) ................................... 18
4. Submission Dates and Times .................................................................................................. 18
5. Intergovernmental Review ...................................................................................................... 19
6. Funding Restrictions ................................................................................................................ 19
7. Other Submission Requirements ............................................................................................. 19
E. Application Review Information ........................................................................................ 20
1. Evaluation Criteria .................................................................................................................. 20
2. Review and Selection Process ................................................................................................. 24
3. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) Review ................ 26
F. Federal Award Administration Information ...................................................................... 26
1. Federal Award Notification ..................................................................................................... 26
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements ................................................................. 26
3. Reporting ................................................................................................................................. 27
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) ................................................................................ 28
H. Other Information ............................................................................................................... 28
1. Right to Use Information ......................................................................................................... 28
2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure .................................................................................. 28
3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction ........................................................... 29
4. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for Awards
over $5 Million ....................................................................................................................... 29
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5. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions ............................................ 30
6. EDA’s Non-relocation Policy ................................................................................................. 30
7. Audit Requirements ................................................................................................................. 30
I. Instructions for Application Submission via the Economic Development Grants Experience
(EDGE) .................................................................................................................................. 31
1. Register Early and Submit Early. ............................................................................................ 31
2. Authorized Representative Requirement ................................................................................. 32
3. Verify That Your Submission Was Successful ....................................................................... 33
4. EDGE Systems Issues ............................................................................................................. 33
Appendix A Full Application Checklist .................................................................................... 35
Appendix B Budget Template and Gantt Chart Samples ........................................................ 36
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A. Program Description
1. Overview and Program Information
The EDA mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation
and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide
economy. Through its RNTA programs, EDA works towards fulfilling this mission by funding
research, evaluation, and national technical assistance projects that promote competitiveness and
innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories.
Such projects will support the DOC Strategic Plan (2018-2022) and the EDA Learning Agenda
by providing analysis that supports evidence-based policy making consistent with the
Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (the Evidence Act).1
While EDA regularly evaluates the impacts and outcomes of its various programs, including
EDA’s RNTA programs, the Evidence Act and subsequent implementation guidance create a
more formal framework for developing learning agendas across the federal government.
Competitive proposals under this NOFO will help EDA fulfill or refine its learning agenda.
Under this NOFO, EDA solicits applications for investments that support research, evaluation,
and national technical assistance projects under EDA’s Research and Evaluation (R&E) and
National Technical Assistance (NTA) programs2. This section provides detailed information on
the two programs to which this NOFO applies.
a. R&E Program
Through the R&E program, EDA supports the development of tools, recommendations, and
resources that shape Federal economic development policies and inform economic development
decision-making. R&E program investments provide critical, cutting-edge research and best
practices to regional, state, and local practitioners in the economic development field, thereby
enhancing understanding and implementation of economic development concepts throughout the
country.
R&E investments may be awarded to:
• Evaluate success of economic development programs, policies, and strategies for
improving economic outcomes, including the priority research projects listed in the
forthcoming EDA Learning Agenda;
• Research and evaluate topics or issues to improve the understanding of economic
development principles, strategies, and concepts;
• Improve understanding of the causes of economic distress, entrenched poverty,
underserved areas or populations, and distressed communities and provide effective
strategies or recommendations for addressing the causes thereof;
1 115 Public Law 435, 132 Stat. 5529 (January 14, 2019).
2 EDA publishes separate NOFO announcements for its other programs, including Planning, Local Technical
Assistance, Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance, University Centers, Build to Scale, and Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Firms. For more information see www.eda.gov/funding/funding-opportunities/ and
www.grants.gov. Additional information about EDA’s programs is available through EDA staff and available at
www.eda.gov.
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• Develop innovative tools, measures and widely applicable data sets for studying
economic development outcomes, principles, and policies; or
• Perform other activities determined by EDA to be appropriate under the R&E
program.
Examples of R&E projects include:
• Innovation Index 2.0 –https://www.statsamerica.org/innovation/ – Provides
practitioners an easy-to-compare method of assessing the innovation capacity of
their region by providing the composite index of innovation inputs and outputs built
upon data from five areas: human capital, business dynamics, business profile,
employment and productivity, and economic well-being.
• Measuring Distress – http://www.statsamerica.org/distress – This tool provides
practitioners a fast, simple way to calculate whether a county, region, or
neighborhood may meet EDA eligibility thresholds for unemployment and income.
• Urban Institute: Understanding Impact – This project will first conduct a program
evaluation of infrastructure and non-infrastructure EDA grants from 2010 – 2019.
Using the knowledge from this evaluation, Urban Institute will produce a series of
policy briefs highlighting important findings and develop an immersive narrative
microsite that supports EDA’s mission.
Please note that these examples are informational and in no way limit the range of potential
proposed projects.
b. NTA Program
EDA’s NTA program supports a small number of projects that provide technical assistance at a
national scope. These projects support best practices among communities trying to solve
problems related to economic development goals. By working in conjunction with its national
technical assistance partners, EDA helps States, local governments, and community-based
organizations to achieve their highest economic potential. The NTA program supports activities
that are beneficial to the economic development community nationwide and includes, but is not
limited to, outreach, training, and information dissemination. It can also provide assistance with
implementation of economic development best practices and proven techniques.
NTA investments may be awarded to:
• Determine the causes of excessive unemployment, underemployment, low per capita
income, outmigration, or other economic distress-related problems throughout the
nation;
• Formulate and implement economic development tools, models, and innovative
techniques that will alleviate or prevent conditions of economic distress;
• Formulate and implement economic development programs to increase regional and
national capacity;
• Evaluate the effectiveness and economic impact of programs, projects, and techniques
to alleviate economic distress and promote economic development;
• Disseminate information about effective programs, projects, and techniques that
alleviate conditions of economic distress and promote economic development;
• Assess, market, and establish business clusters and associations; or
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• Perform other activities determined by EDA to be appropriate under the NTA
program.
Examples of NTA projects include:
• Smart Power, Inc. – https://decommissioningcollaborative.org/ – This project
provided technical assistance to Nuclear Closure Community (NCC) stakeholders
across the country to increase their capacity for economic recovery after Nuclear
Power Plant closures. It resulted in the development of a lessons learned and best
practices report and a new educational website for stakeholders.
• Rural Innovation Initiative – https://ruralinnovation.us/rural-innovation-initiative/ –
This program selects communities to receive intensive technical assistance as they
execute an innovation hub strategy: an economic development model that works to
educate and train local residents in digital skills, employ them in new economy jobs,
and empower them to launch the startups that will drive their digital economy.
• US Cluster Mapping Initiative – http://www.clustermapping.us/ – Used by
governments, economic developers, and businesses to understand and shape the
competitive landscape for a wide range of industries, allowing each region to craft an
approach to upgrade its performance based on its own unique assets and relative
strengths.
• Small Scale Manufacturing and Place-Based Economic Development –
https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/made-in-place/ – This program supports
planning and place-making activities with local government leaders, job-seeking
residents and business leaders through economic development planning activities,
expanding opportunities for small scale manufacturing and revitalizing
neighborhoods.
• National Association of Development Organizations: “Stronger CEDS, Stronger
Regions” – https://www.nado.org/stronger-ceds-stronger-regions-resource-archive-2/
– This program provides customized trainings and technical assistance to Economic
Development Districts (EDDs) and other regional partners to amplify EDA’s message
about the tremendous value and potential of the Comprehensive Economic
Development Strategies (CEDS) to support broader regional economic and
community development goals.
Please note that these examples are informational and in no way limit the range of potential
proposed projects.
EDA may make changes or additions to this NOFO. All changes will be communicated on
Grants.gov. It is recommended that applicants set up a Grants.gov account and subscribe to this
funding opportunity in order to be notified of any updates or changes.
2. EDA Investment Priorities
All projects considered for EDA funding under this NOFO must be consistent with at least one
of EDA’s Investment Priorities. EDA’s Investment Priorities can be found at
https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities . EDA’s website will be updated on January
15, April 15, June 15, or September 15 of each year if there are any revisions to these Investment
Priorities.
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Additionally, EDA may post to the agency’s website, https://www.eda.gov/programs/rnta/,
specific programmatic funding priorities that EDA wishes to fund under this NOFO.
3. Statutory Authorities for EDA’s Programs
The statutory authority for the RNTA programs is section 207 of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3147).
Applicant eligibility and program requirements are set forth in EDA’s regulations at 13 C.F.R.
chapter III, and all applicants must address these requirements3. Specific requirements for the
RNTA program are at subpart A of 13 C.F.R. part 306.
B. Federal Award Information
1. What Funding is Available Under this Announcement?
EDA was appropriated $1.5 million for the R&E program and $1 million for the NTA program
pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, Title 1 of Division B—
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2021) and its accompanying
Explanatory Statement.4
The funding periods and amounts referenced in this NOFO are subject to the availability of funds
at the time of award as well as to DOC and EDA priorities at the time of award. Neither DOC
nor EDA will be held responsible for proposal or application preparation costs. Publication of
this announcement does not obligate DOC or EDA to award any specific grant or cooperative
agreement or to obligate all or any part of available funds.
The typical award amounts set out below are provided as contextual information and may prove
useful for planning purposes. Actual amounts awarded may be higher or lower depending on the
nature of the proposed project and the availability of funds. Applications for funding of activities
related to existing awards may compete with applications for new awards.
In recent years, the average size of R&E and NTA investments has been approximately
$350,000, and investments generally range from $200,000 to $500,000. Historically, EDA has
funded approximately five R&E projects and three NTA projects per year. EDA anticipates
making similar awards in FY 2021-2023, subject to availability of funds.
2. What Type of Funding Instrument Will Be Used to Make Awards and How Long
Will a Project’s Period of Performance Be?
Subject to the availability of funds, EDA may award grants or cooperative agreements to eligible
applicants to help support economic development project-based activities. EDA will award a
cooperative agreement on a case-by-case basis if substantial agency involvement is required. For
3 EDA’s regulations are accessible at the U.S. Government Publishing Office website at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-
bin/ECFR?page=browse.7 Under “Browse” select “Title 13 – Business Credit and Assistance,” click “Go,” and
follow the link to parts “300-399.”
4 In the Explanatory Statement, EDA’s NTA program is included as part of EDA’s suite of Technical Assistance
programs along with EDA’s Local Technical Assistance and University Center programs. Collectively these
Technical Assistance programs were appropriated $10 million of which EDA anticipates allocating $1 million to
the NTA program. Information regarding available funding for the Local Technical Assistance and University
Center programs may be found on www.grants.gov and www.eda.gov.
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a cooperative agreement, the nature of EDA’s “substantial involvement” (to be included in the
terms and conditions of the award) will generally be collaboration between EDA and the
recipient on the scope of work. However, other possible examples of EDA’s “substantial
involvement” may include, but are not limited to: (i) authority to halt immediately an activity if
detailed performance specifications are not met; (ii) stipulation that the recipient must meet or
adhere to specific procedural requirements before subsequent stages of a project may continue;
(iii) involvement in the selection of key recipient personnel; and (iv) operational involvement
and monitoring during the project to ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
EDA anticipates a twelve (12) to eighteen (18) month project period for investments funded
under this NOFO, subject to the availability of funds, EDA policy, and satisfactory performance
under the award. Applicants should ensure that their proposal and budget clearly specify how
they will complete the scope of work within this timeframe. A typical project period begins with
an initial kickoff meeting between the recipient and EDA staff to discuss project scope and to
ensure that all parties are in agreement as to the project plan. After the initial meeting, the
recipient generally will be required to submit a final work plan to EDA staff for review and
approval. Progress and financial reports and project work will be submitted to EDA based on the
dates agreed to during the initial meeting and as outlined in the Specific Award Conditions.
The recipient will be expected to submit a draft report to EDA at least 60 days before the end of
the project period for EDA’s review. This report should concisely communicate key project
information and should provide a high-level overview of activities undertaken, detail lessons
learned during the project period, and outline the expected and actual economic benefits of the
project. Based on the Agency’s review, EDA may request technical and substantive revisions to
the draft report. If these revisions are incorporated and the draft report is ultimately approved by
EDA, EDA may approve publication of a final report and the recipient will brief EDA senior
management on research methods and report results.
C. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants5
Pursuant to PWEDA, eligible applicants for and eligible recipients of EDA investment assistance
under this NOFO include a(n):
a. District Organization;
b. Indian Tribe or a consortium of Indian Tribes;
c. State, county, city, or other political subdivision of a State, including a special purpose
unit of a State or local government engaged in economic or infrastructure development
activities, or a consortium of political subdivisions;
d. Institution of higher education or a consortium of institutions of higher education;
e. Public or private non-profit organization or association acting in cooperation with
officials of a political subdivision of a State6;
5 See 42 U.S.C. § 3122(4)(B) and 13 C.F.R. § 300.3.
6 For projects that are national or regional in scope, EDA may, in its sole discretion, waive the requirement that a
non-profit organization or association demonstrate it is acting in cooperation officials of a political subdivision of
a State. See 42 U.S.C. § 3147(a)(3) and 13 C.F.R. § 306.3(b).
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f. Private individual7; or
g. For-profit organization8.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
EDA encourages cost sharing, and applications that include matching funds may be more
competitive than those that do not. Generally, the amount of an EDA award may not exceed 50
percent of the total cost of the project. However, for RNTA awards, the Assistant Secretary of
Commerce for Economic Development (Assistant Secretary) has the discretion to establish a
maximum investment rate of up to 100 percent where the project: (i) merits, and is not otherwise
feasible without, an increase to the investment rate; and (ii) will be of no or only incidental
benefit to the eligible recipient9.
If an Applicant is requesting an EDA investment rate of greater than 50 percent, the
applicant must provide the basis for the request. Applicants must clearly and in detail
describe their justification for the request within their Budget Narrative in accordance
with section D.2.b.i(4) (p. 15).
For match provided, the applicant must document that the matching share will: (i) be committed
to the project for the period of performance, (ii) be available as needed, and (iii) not be
conditioned or encumbered in any way that may preclude its use consistent with the requirements
of EDA investment assistance. In order to meet these requirements, applicants must, at a
minimum, submit for each source of matching share, a commitment letter or equivalent
document signed by an authorized representative of the organization or entity providing the
matching funds. Additional documentation may be requested by EDA in order to substantiate the
availability of the matching funds.
In the application review process, EDA will consider as a competitiveness factor the amount of
the matching share funds as provided in section E.1 (p. 20). Documented in-kind contributions
may provide the required non-Federal share of the total project cost. All in-kind contributions
must be eligible project costs and meet applicable Federal cost principles and uniform
administrative requirements as set forth in 2 C.F.R. part 200. Examples of in-kind contributions
can include space, equipment, or services10. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact EDA
via the email address listed in section G (p. 28) of this NOFO to determine how in-kind
contributions may be utilized to satisfy the matching share requirement for their respective
project concept and application.
7 A private individual means a natural person unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may
own or operate in his or her name. Further, EDA will apply the requirements of 2 C.F.R. part 200 to applicants
and recipients who apply as individuals under this NOFO. See also 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(b) (Exempting individuals
who apply for or receive agency awards or direct subawards from the requirements of the unique entity identifier
and System for Award Management (SAM)).
8 Per 2 C.F.R. § 200.101(c), EDA will apply subparts A through E of the Uniform Administrative Requirements,
Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards to for-profit entities.
9 See 42 U.S.C. § 3144(c)(3); 13 C.F.R. § 301.4(b)(4).
10 See section 204(b) of PWEDA (42 U.S.C. § 3144(b)).
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D. Application and Submission Information
This NOFO employs a two-step application process: (1) the Concept Proposal and (2) the Full
Application. EDA will only review Full Applications submitted by applicants who first
submitted a Concept Proposal. Any Full Application received from an applicant that did
not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and not considered for funding.
1. Address to Request Application Package
For the Concept Proposal, applicants may use the optional template available
athttps://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/research-and-national-technical-assistance/applicant-
resources . For the Full Application, applicants may obtain, complete, and submit the application
package electronically through the Economic Development Grants Experience (EDGE) at
sfgrants.eda.gov. Applicants are advised that they must complete the registration process in
EDGE in order to complete an application. To accommodate accessibility requirements,
applicants may request a paper application by contacting EDA using the contact information in
section G (p. 28) of this NOFO.
Applicants are advised to carefully read the submission information provided in section D (p. 11)
of this NOFO.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
a. Concept Proposal
In order to be considered for funding, applicants must submit a slide-deck that does not exceed
10 slides in the format below. The presentation deck must be submitted as a PowerPoint file and
should address the items identified in the outline below and in the template referenced in section
D.1 (p. 11).
Concept Proposal Deck Structure
Slide 1: Organization Information
Slide 2: Economic Development Need
Slide 3: Strategic Approach
Slide 4: Alignment with EDA’s and RNTA’s Mission
Slide 5: Feasibility of Deliverables and Timeline
Slide 6: Feasibility of Budget
Slide 7: Impacts and National Perspective
Slide 8: Organizational / Applicant Capacity and Personnel
Slide 9: Cross Collaboration with Partners
Slide 10: Sustainability, Scalability, and Dissemination
b. Full Application
Full Applications will only be accepted electronically through EDGE at the link that EDA will
provide with its response to Concept Proposals. Applicants are advised to carefully read the
submission information provided in section D (p. 11) of this NOFO. Any Full Application
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received from an applicant that did not submit a Concept Proposal will be deemed ineligible and
eliminated from the competition without further review.
The preferred electronic file format for attachments is Adobe portable document format (PDF)
and, where appropriate, Microsoft Excel; however, EDA will accept Microsoft Word-formatted
electronic files.
A complete Full Application includes all required documents as set forth below. Full
Applications that do not contain all required forms listed in each part or that fail to adhere to the
instructions in this NOFO, may be considered incomplete and may not be considered for
funding. Additional application materials not requested under this NOFO will not be reviewed or
evaluated.
All documentation and data submitted as part of the Full Application package should be current
as of the date of application submission.
All application forms submitted through EDGE must be signed electronically by an Authorized
Representative; see section I.2 (p. 31) of this NOFO for information on Authorized
Representative requirements. See also sections D.7 (p. 19) of this NOFO for important
information on submitting your application.
Applications must include the following documents:
Project Design and Substance
Executive Summary
Project Narrative
Applicant Capacity and Project Management
Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan
Schedule of Major Milestones and Deliverables
Resumes of Key Personnel
Matching Share Documentation (as applicable)
Forms and Supporting Documentation
ED-900A (Additional EDA Assurances for Construction or Non-Construction
Investments)
SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
SF-424A (Budget Information Non-Construction Programs)
CD-511 (Certification Regarding Lobbying)
SF-LLL (Disclosure of Lobbying Activities) (if applicable)
Organizational Documentation (if applicable)11
11 Only certain types of eligible entities are required to submit organization documents, and the documentation
required varies by eligible entity type. See Section D.2.b.ii(2)(a) (p. 16).
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Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) Documentation (if applicable)12
i. Project Design and Substance
Document
Executive Summary
Project Narrative
Applicant Capacity and Project Management
Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan
Schedule of Major Milestones and Deliverables
Resumes of Key Personnel
Matching Share Documentation (as applicable)
The application must clearly articulate the overall goals of the project, the specific and distinct
Scope of Work and concrete activities that will be accomplished under it, specifically
addressing whether the applicant is applying for R&E funds or for NTA funding. The
application also must demonstrate each applicant’s capability to implement the proposed
activities in accordance with the requirements of this NOFO. Applications will be evaluated
based on the Evaluation Criteria outlined in section E (p. 20). Applicants should carefully
adhere to the word or page limits specified for each section of the application. Pages beyond
the specified page limit for each section may not be read or considered.
(1) Executive Summary
The Executive Summary should be a clear, concise, and descriptive summary of your proposed
project. This should be no more than 500 words and, if selected for funding, may be used in a
public announcement or on EDA’s website.
(2) Project Narrative
The Project Narrative should address all activities that will be undertaken using the funds
requested under this NOFO, a summary of how these activities support the overall project’s
goals, and a clear vision for the final report. All applicants also must state which EDA
Investment Priority(ies) their proposed project aligns with and clearly describe how.
The Project Narrative may not exceed 12-single sided, 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-
point font and 1-inch margins. Within the Project Narrative, applicants should address the
following elements as relevant to their specified type of project proposal (R&E or NTA):
If applying for an R&E investment the applicant must address the following sub-criteria:
• Justification for why the proposed project will provide a specific benefit to the
Nation’s economic development community;
• Description of how the proposed project is original and innovative, and will add to
the body of knowledge supporting decisions made on economic development;
• Description of how the project will promote better understanding of economic
development research, policy, and implementation;
12 Applicants that currently do not have and never have had an ICR agreement with a Federal agency are not
required to submit this documentation and may elect to adopt a de minimis ICR. See Section D.2.b.ii(2)(b) (p. 17).
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• Description of how the proposed project will increase understanding of economic
development principles;
• Explanation of how the proposed project supports EDA’s mission to lead the Federal
economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness,
preparing and supporting American regions for growth and success in the global
economy; and
• Clear plan for ensuring products/services produced by the project will remain
available to the economic development community, and updated as necessary,
without continued EDA financial support.
If applying for an NTA investment the applicant must address the following sub-criteria:
• Description of the technical assistance that will be provided to stakeholders;
• Description of how the proposed project increases the economic development
capacity of individuals, firms, or communities;
• Discussion of how the project will stimulate economic development in distressed
regions;
• Explanation of how the proposed project supports EDA’s mission to lead the Federal
economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness,
preparing and supporting American regions for growth and success in the global
economy; and
• Clear plan for ensuring products/services produced by the project will remain
available to the economic development community, and updated as necessary,
without continued EDA financial support.
(3) Applicant Capacity and Project Management
A separate section on applicant capacity (whether an organization or private individual),
including project management experience, should address the applicant’s ability to perform all
activities that will be undertaken using the funds requested under this NOFO, a summary of how
these activities support the overall project’s goals, and a clear vision for the final deliverables,
including the required report.
The Applicant Capacity and Project Management section may not exceed 5-single sided, 8.5x11-
inch pages, with a minimum 12-point font and 1-inch margins. Note: resumes for key
personnel should be included under Resumes for Key Personnel and will not count against the
page limitations of this section. Within the Applicant Capacity and Project Management section,
applicants should address how the applicant will be able to work collaboratively with Federal
partners and economic development organizations, and demonstrate:
• Subject matter expertise in the various aspects of a regional ecosystem including,
economic development, workforce development, planning, and others.
• Functional expertise in the major components of the work, including leadership and
facilitation of projects related to robust programmatic content, actionable
recommendations, and toolkits.
• Experience coordinating with Federal project managers and collaborating with
various partners (including a discussion of the extent of participation of government
agencies, private sector interests, education providers, non-profits, community and
labor groups, workforce boards, utilities, etc.). This competency includes the
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governance structure of the project and should be as specific as possible regarding
roles and responsibilities.
(4) Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan
A separate budget narrative must be created and submitted to describe the costs associated
with each line item on the Form SF-424A. There is a sample budget template in Appendix C
that applicants may use. Supporting documentation listing the components of these categories
must be included. The budget narrative should include the following:
• A personnel plan listing all positions proposed to be charged to the project whether as
Federal or non-Federal costs. The personnel plan must include the position titles,
salaries, percentage of time dedicated to the project, and amount of salary charged to
the project for each staff member assigned to the project. The sum of all salaries
charged to the project must equal the amount on the “Personnel” budget line item on
Form SF-424A. The personnel plan should provide a description of how the
personnel will carry out the proposed plan, including the adequacy and previous
performance of the proposed team to carry out project activities.
• A description of the source, nature, and amount of all non-EDA funds for the project.
As described in section C.2 (p. 10), all non-EDA funds must be committed to the
project, available as needed, and not conditioned or encumbered in any way that
would preclude their use consistent with the purpose of the project. Applicants must
also attach documentation (e.g., commitment letter from the source) confirming non-
EDA (matching or cost share) funding.
• As described in section C.2 (p. 10), if the applicant is requesting a federal share
higher than 50% of the total project costs, then the applicant must provide a detailed
justification as a part of the Budget Narrative as to why the project (a) merits, and is
not otherwise feasible without, such an increase to the EDA investment rate; and (b)
will be of no or only incidental financial benefit to the recipient.
(5) Schedule of Major Milestones and Deliverables
Applicants must submit a schedule detailing the expected start and end date of all major
milestones and deliverables described in the Project Narrative. The schedule should be outlined
in months (e.g., “One month from award…”), such that an evaluator could easily discern in how
many months the Applicant could start the project from the date of project award, in how many
months each of the key project milestones and deliverables will be accomplished from the date
of project award, and the anticipated number of months after the date of project award that the
project will be completed, generally not to exceed the 18-month award period. Applicants should
incorporate preparation of the final report and presentation into the project timeline and period of
performance.
This is best conveyed through a Gantt Chart. There is a sample Gantt Chart in Appendix B that
applicants may use.
(6) Resumes of Key Personnel
Applicants must attach the resumes of key project staff, each of which should not exceed two
pages in length. Resumes should be compiled and uploaded together as one PDF file.
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(7) Matching Share Documentation (as applicable)
Applicants must submit commitment letters or equivalent documents that demonstrate that all
matching funds (whether cash or in-kind) from all sources (i.e., any applicant, any co-
applicants, and any other sources of matching funds) referenced in the application will be
unencumbered, unrestricted, and committed at the time of award and that are signed by
authorized representatives of the sources of the matching funds. Authorized representatives
must have the authority to execute documents and to obligate and expend funds on behalf of their
respective organizations.
ii. Forms and Supporting Documentation
(1) Forms
Applications must include the following documents, either per applicant or per application, as
noted:
Form Description Number
ED-900A Additional EDA Assurances for Construction One per applicant
or Non-Construction Investments
SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance One per applicant
SF-424A Budget Information—Non-Construction One per application
Programs
CD-511 Certification Regarding Lobbying One per applicant
SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (if One per applicant
applicable)
(2) Supporting Documentation
Applications must include the following documentation, as applicable, depending on a given
project’s primary service area and the type and history of each applicant organization.
Documentation Number
Organizational Documentation For each applicant, depending on entity type
(if applicable)
ICR Documentation (if For each applicant
applicable)
(a) Organizational Documentation
Each applicant and co-applicant must provide documentation that supports each applicant’s or
co-applicant’s organizational status as an eligible entity where applicable (section C.1 (p. 9) of
this NOFO) (e.g., articles of incorporation, certificates of good standing, bylaws).
• States, Indian tribes, cities or other political subdivisions of States, and institutions of
higher education that are 100% publicly-controlled are not required to submit
organizational documentation.
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• Nonprofit organizations must submit documentation that demonstrates their status as
nonprofit organizations. This must include articles of incorporation, bylaws, certificate of
good standing, and a copy of the most recent (not older than 18 months) IRS Form 990
(Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax) (without attachments or schedules).
• Other entities, including institutions of higher education that are not 100% publicly-
controlled, for-profit organizations, and private individuals must provide documentation
that demonstrates their organization type.
(b) Copy of Current, Approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)
If indirect costs are included in the budget, the applicant must include documentation to support
the indirect cost rate it is using (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate,
discussed below).
For most applicants, this will entail the submission of a copy of its current, approved, and
negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). The maximum dollar amount of allocable
indirect costs for which EDA will reimburse a recipient shall be the lesser of the (1) line-item
amount for the Federal Share of indirect costs contained in the EDA approved budget for the
award, or (2) Federal Share of the total allocable indirect costs of the award based on either (a)
the indirect cost rate approved by EDA (or applicable cognizant Federal agency), provided that
the cost rate is current at the time the costs were incurred and provided that the rate is approved
on or before the award end date, or (b) other acceptable documentation as indicated below.
If the applicant does not have a current or pending NICRA, it may propose indirect costs in its
budget; however, the applicant must prepare and submit an allocation plan and rate proposal for
approval within 90 days from the award start date (unless claiming the 10 percent de minimis
indirect cost rate, discussed below). See 2 C.F.R. part 200 Apps. III, IV, V, VI, VII for guidance.
The allocation plan and the rate proposal shall be submitted to EDA’s Office of Regional Affairs
(or applicable cognizant Federal agency). If the applicant chooses to pursue this option, it should
include a statement in its Budget Narrative that it does not have a current or pending NICRA and
will submit an allocation plan and rate proposal to EDA or the applicant’s cognizant Federal
agency for approval.
In accordance with 2 CFR § 200.414(f), an applicant that does not have a current negotiated
(including provisional) rate may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total
direct costs (unless the applicant is a state or local unit of government or an Indian tribe that
receives less than $35 million in direct federal funding per year, discussed below). No
documentation is required to justify the 10 percent de minimis indirect cost rate; however, an
applicant electing to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent must include a statement in its
Budget Narrative that it does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) indirect cost
rate and is electing to charge the de minimis rate.
Note if the applicant is a State or local unit of government (or a Tribe) that receives less than
$35,000,000 in direct Federal funding per year it may submit any of the following:
i. A Certificate of Indirect Costs from DOI or EDA;
ii. Acknowledgment received from EDA and Certificate of Indirect Costs in the
form prescribed at 2 C.F.R. pt. 200, app. VII;
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iii. Cost Allocation Plan approved by a Federal agency (note that cost allocation
plans or indirect cost rates approved by state agencies are not acceptable); or
iv. NICRA.
EDA reserves the right to require District Organizations to submit a cost allocation plan or a full
indirect cost rate proposal if, in EDA’s judgment, a NICRA is required to verify the District
Organization’s proposed indirect cost rate.
3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)
To enable the use of a universal identifier and to enhance the quality of information available to
the public as required by the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006, to
the extent applicable13, applicants are required to: (i) be registered in the System for Award
Management (SAM) before submitting their application; (ii) provide a valid unique entity
identifier in their application; and (iii) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with
current information at all times during which they has an active Federal award or an application
or plan under consideration by a Federal awarding agency. EDA may not make a Federal award
to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable unique entity identifier and
SAM requirements, and if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time
EDA is ready to make an award, EDA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to
receive an award and use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.
Recipients will be subject to reporting requirements, as identified in OMB guidance published at
2 C.F.R. parts 25 and 170.
4. Submission Dates and Times
There are no application deadlines under this NOFO. EDA plans to accept applications on a
rolling basis between FY2021-2023 or until the publication of a new RNTA NOFO. EDA may
cancel or withdraw the NOFO at any time, and all funding is subject to the availability of
funding.
a. Concept Proposal
A Concept Proposal is mandatory; EDA will only review Full Applications submitted by
applicants who submitted a Concept Proposal. Concept Proposals must be submitted via email to
rnta@eda.gov.
b. Full Application
Full Applications will only be accepted electronically through EDGE at the link that EDA will
provide with its response to Concept Proposals. EDA will not accept paper (hard copy),
facsimile or email transmissions of applications.
13 Individuals who apply for or receive agency awards or direct subawards are exempt from the requirements of the
unique entity identifier and System for Award Management (SAM)). See 2 C.F.R. § 25.110(b).
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5. Intergovernmental Review
Applications submitted under this NOFO are subject to the requirements of Executive Order
(EO) 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” if a State has adopted a process
under EO 12372 to review and coordinate proposed Federal financial assistance and direct
Federal development (commonly referred to as the “single point of contact review process”). All
applicants must give State and local governments a reasonable opportunity to review and
comment on the proposed Project, including review and comment from area-wide planning
organizations in metropolitan areas14. To find out more about a State’s process under EO 12372,
applicants may contact their State’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC). Names and addresses of
some States’ SPOCs are listed on the Office of Management and Budget’s home page at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/SPOC-4-13-20.pdf. Question 19 of
Form SF-424 allows applicants to demonstrate compliance with EO 12372.
6. Funding Restrictions
EDA Investment assistance may not be used to start or expand a private business.
In general, EDA does not reimburse pre-award project costs. Applicants that are in need of such
reimbursement should work closely with the EDA representative for their State to determine if
their pre-award costs may be considered for reimbursement. In order for contracted pre-award
costs to be eligible for reimbursement, the applicant must competitively procure services
pursuant to the Federal government’s procurement procedures. All pre-award costs are incurred
at an applicant’s own risk and will be considered for reimbursement, in EDA’s sole discretion,
only if an applicant receives an award and such costs are approved by EDA in writing. Under no
circumstances will EDA or DOC be held responsible for application preparation expenditures,
which are distinguished from pre-award project costs.
7. Other Submission Requirements
a. Means of Submission
Concept Proposals must be submitted via rnta@eda.gov. In its response to concept proposals
received, EDA will provide the EDGE link to submit a Full Application. FULL
APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH EDGE. EDA will not accept paper,
facsimile, or email transmissions of applications for this program except in cases of documented
systems issues as described in section I (p. 31) of this NOFO. The preferred electronic file
format for attachments is Adobe portable document format (PDF); however, EDA will accept
electronic files in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.
14 As provided for in 15 C.F.R. part 13.
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Please see section I (p. 31) of this NOFO for more detailed instructions and information on the
requirements for submitting applications electronically via EDGE.
E. Application Review Information
Throughout the review and selection process, EDA, at its sole discretion, may request from
applicants written clarification or corrected or missing documents and require that applicants
provide such clarifications or corrections in order to continue to be considered for an award
under this NOFO. EDA will provide applicants a reasonable amount of time to provide any
additional documentation. Failure to provide complete and accurate supporting documentation in
a timely manner when requested by EDA may result in the rejection of your application. EDA
may ask applicants to clarify application materials, objectives, and work plans, or modify
budgets or other specifics as necessary to comply with Federal requirements.
1. Evaluation Criteria
a. Concept Proposal
Concept Proposals will be reviewed against the following nine criteria on a “Completely
Addresses”, “Somewhat Addresses”, or “Does not Address” scale. Concept Proposals received
under both the R&E and NTA programs will be scored competitively against other Concept
Proposals received for the same program using the following common criteria:
Summary of Criteria Completely Somewhat Does not
Addresses Addresses Address
Economic Development Need
Strategic Approach
Alignment with EDA’s and
RNTA’s Mission
Feasibility of Deliverables
and Timeline
Feasibility of Budget
Impacts and National
Perspective
Organizational/Applicant
Capacity and Personnel
Cross Collaboration with
Partners
Sustainability, Scalability, and
Dissemination
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All applicants that submit a complete Concept Proposal will receive a letter from EDA notifying
them of the review results. Based on the results of these reviews and EDA’s option to encourage
a project—based on discretion provided through the Evaluation Factors listed above—the letter
from EDA will encourage or discourage the development of a Full Application by the applicant.
Even though a Full Application may be discouraged, an applicant is not precluded from
submitting a Full Application. However, by discouraging the development of a Full Application
based on the Concept Proposal, EDA intends to convey its lack of programmatic interest in the
proposed project to save the applicant the time and expense of preparing a Full Application that
is unlikely to be selected for award.
If EDA encourages an applicant to submit a Full Application, EDA is not obligated to select that
project for award and cannot guarantee that the project will receive funding. Applicants must
submit a Full Application through EDGE to be considered for funding.
Applicants can expect to receive a response to their Concept Proposal approximately 30 days
after EDA receives the Proposal.
b. Full Application
To apply for an award under this announcement, an eligible applicant must submit a completed
Full Application to EDA in accordance with section D (p. 11) of this NOFO. Applications that
do not meet all requirements or that exceed the word/page limitations set forth in section D.2.b
(p. 11) of this announcement may be considered non-responsive and may not be considered for
review.
An Investment Review Committee (IRC) comprised of at least three Federal employees will be
formed to review applications. The review panel will evaluate applications using the evaluation
criteria identified below.
The following criteria apply to all applications, unless criteria are specifically stated to be for
R&E or for NTA. Please read the criteria carefully. The number of points that can be earned for
each category of criteria is listed below, with 100 points the maximum total that can be earned.
All projects applying for EDA funding through this NOFO should clearly articulate and have a
logical nexus to supporting EDA’s Investment Priorities15 and specific programmatic funding
priorities that EDA wishes to fund under this NOFO.
Summary of Criteria
Organizational or Applicant Capacity and Personnel
Strategic Approach
Feasibility of Budget and Financial Match
Feasibility of Deliverables and Timeline
Sustainability, Scalability, and Dissemination
15 EDA’s Investment Priorities can be found at https://www.eda.gov/funding/investment-priorities . The priorities may
be updated from time to time; any future revisions will be reflected on EDA’s website on January 15, April 15,
June 15, or September 15 of each year.
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Cross Collaboration with other EDA and/or RNTA Partners
Organizational or Applicant Capacity and Personnel (15 Points)
• Ability of the applicant to carry out the proposed work and achieve success based on
the education, experience, and professional accomplishments of each organization and
all key personnel;
• Qualified personnel that, as a group, demonstrate project management expertise, as well
as demonstrated success in all aspects of the scope of work;
• Quality of the partnerships and extent of partnership commitments;
• Appropriateness, quality, and availability of any facilities, materials and resources to be
used in implementing the proposed plan; and
• Verifiable quality of past performance on similar projects; applicants may be asked to
provide references to substantiate this information.
R&E specific-criteria:
Expertise of the applicant in the various subject matter necessary to implement research on
performance measurement, metrics, and economic development and to deliver practical, sound
recommendations.
NTA specific-criteria:
Expertise of the applicant in the various subject matter necessary to deliver technical
assistance to applicable regions across different organizational and issue types including: (a)
business and industry; (b) business and industry intermediaries and/or consortia; (c) State
and/or local government leaders; (d) regional and/or local economic development; (e)
secondary, post-secondary, and adult education; (f) regional and/or local workforce
development; and (g) organized labor and/or community-based organizations.
Strategic Approach (30 Points)
• The extent to which the applicant describes how the proposed project fits within one or
more of EDA’s Investment Priorities; and
• The extent to which the applicant describes how the proposed project fits within one or
more RNTA programmatic areas of emphasis (see R&E examples and NTA examples).
R&E specific-criteria:
• Extent to which the proposed project will provide a specific benefit to economic
development practitioners;
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• Extent to which the proposed project is original and substantially contributes to the
existing body of knowledge to support decisions made in economic development;
• Demonstrates that the project will support, promote, and improve understanding of
economic development research, policy, and implementation; and
• Supports EDA’s mission to lead the federal economic development agenda by
promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing and supporting American regions
for growth and success in the global economy.
NTA specific-criteria:
• Compelling description of how the project will provide technical assistance to
stakeholders and how the stakeholders will benefit from the provision of the technical
assistance;
• Demonstrates how the proposed project will increase capacity of individuals, firms, or
communities;
• Ability of the proposed project to stimulate economic development in distressed
regions;
• Strength of proposed project to increase understanding of economic development
principles; and
• Supports EDA’s mission to lead the federal economic development agenda by
promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing and supporting American regions
for growth and success in the global economy.
Feasibility of Budget and Financial Match (15 points)
• Strength of the proposed management plan to achieve the project goals and manage
partner organizations and project staff;
• Completeness of a proposed schedule and budget, including the extent to which
appropriate targets, metrics, and milestones are clearly defined;
• Strength of proposed financial match including documented commitments;
• Identification of how Federal funds will be used and how financial match will be
used; and
• Strength of partnership collaboration and interest in the concept as demonstrated by
willingness of partners to contribute resources (i.e., amount of match contributed,
financial or otherwise).
Feasibility of Deliverables and Timeline (15 points)
• Strength of the timeline to work toward key milestones and dates, measure progress
toward well-defined targets, and the likelihood that metrics and milestones will be met;
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• Proposed plan to work with Federal Project Manager and Federal Project Management
Team; and
• Extent to which challenges and risks are identified and mitigation strategies are proposed.
Sustainability, Scalability, and Dissemination (15 points)
• Demonstrated success in sharing knowledge with groups that do not directly participate in
the project;
• Demonstrated success in efficiently taking existing practices to scale within and after the
period of the initial funding award;
• Demonstrated success in developing recommendations for how the original funders of a
project can utilize additional funding opportunities to maintain and expand project
success;
• Strength of proposed dissemination and outreach strategy; and
• Clear plan for ensuring products/services produced by the project will remain available to
the economic development community, and updated as necessary, without continued EDA
financial support.
Cross-Collaboration with other RNTA partners and grantees (10 Points)
• Proposed plan to work collaboratively, where feasible and practicable, with RNTA
partners, stakeholders, and other grantees; and
• Clear explanation of how the proposed project fits with, compliments, or adds
to/strengthens previously funded projects under the RNTA portfolio and the broader
national EDA “portfolio”.
2. Review and Selection Process
a. Review for Eligibility and Completeness (Technical Review)
EDA staff will initially conduct an eligibility and technical completeness review (the “Technical
Review”) of all Concept Proposals and Full Applications received. Concept Proposals or Full
Applications received from ineligible entities will not be considered for funding. Concept
Proposals that do not address all required elements in the slide-deck as described in section D.2
(p. 11) of this NOFO may be deemed non-responsive, and the proposing organization may not
receive a link to submit a Full Application (see section E.1.b (p. 21)). Full Applications that do
not contain all forms and required documentation listed in section D.2.b (p.11) of this NOFO
may be deemed non-responsive and excluded from further consideration. EDA expects all
applicants to complete and include all required forms and documentation. However, EDA, in its
sole discretion, may determine that an omission is curable and therefore may continue its
consideration of the application despite the deficiency.
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b. Investment Review Committee (IRC)
Merit reviewers will evaluate the Concept Proposal against the evaluation criteria enumerated in
section E.1 (p. 20) of this NOFO. Each Concept Proposal will be reviewed by at least three merit
reviewers. Merit reviewers may include, but are not limited to, DOC and EDA personnel.
An IRC, comprised of at least three federal employees, will evaluate Full Applications against the
evaluation criteria in section E.1 (p. 20) of this NOFO. Full Application scores will be determined
by each panelist on an individual basis, and the average of the individual ratings will produce a
panel score. Based on its consideration of the evaluation criteria, the IRC will prepare a priority
order of funding recommendations for the EDA Grants Officer. R&E and NTA projects will be
evaluated independently of each other based on the evaluation criteria of the specific program.
c. Due Diligence
If the IRC recommends a Full Application, the applicant still may have to complete certain due
diligence requirements. EDA may request that the applicant submit additional documents and
information to allow EDA to fully evaluate compliance with applicable rules and regulations. If
the applicant provides the requested information and supporting documentation in a timely
fashion and EDA determines that the project is fully compliant with applicable rules and
regulations, the Full Application will be forwarded to the Grants Officer for a final decision and
award approval. Applicants that do not provide the additional information and supporting
documentation in a timely fashion or who are deemed not to be in compliance with applicable
rules and regulations will receive notification that their application was not successful.
d. Grants Officer’s Decision
Full Applications recommended by the IRC and deemed fully compliant with applicable rules
and regulations will be forwarded to the EDA Grants Officer under this NOFO. The Grants
Officer has been delegated the authority to make the final decision on whether to fund a Full
Application and may select a project for funding that differs from the IRC’s recommendations
based on any of the following five (5) Selection Factors or use these five Selection Factors to
break a tie for applications that are otherwise considered equal in merit:
i. A determination that the selected application better meets the overall
objectives of the R&E and NTA program (See section A.1 (p. 5) of this
NOFO);
ii. The ability of a project to start quickly;
iii. The extent to which the selection of the application, alone or in the context of
other applications, supports EDA’s compliance with appropriations law
requirements and report language guidance;
iv. The applicant’s performance under previous awards including whether the
grantee submitted required performance reports and data; or
v. The availability of program funding.
The Grants Officer’s final decision must be consistent with this NOFO and EDA’s and DOC’s
published policies. However, if EDA does not receive satisfactory Full Applications, the Grants
Officer may elect not to make any selection.
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3. Federal Awardee Performance & Integrity Information System (FAPIIS) Review
EDA, prior to making a Federal award with a total amount of Federal share 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.
Each 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 Federal
awarding agency previously entered and is currently in the designated integrity and performance
system accessible through SAM. EDA 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
Federal awards when completing the review of risk posed by applicants as described in 2 C.F.R.
§ 200.205.
F. Federal Award Administration Information
1. Federal Award Notification
If an application is selected for funding and the applicant successfully and timely completes all
due diligence requirements, the expectation is that the EDA Grants Officer will issue the grant
award (Notice of Award), which is the authorizing financial assistance award document and
includes Specific Award Conditions and the DOC Financial Assistance Standard Terms and
Conditions (DOC ST&Cs) described in section F.2 (p. 26), below.
EDA will provide the Notice of Award electronically via EDGE to the Authorized
Representative listed on the applicant’s Form SF-424. The applicant’s Authorized
Representative must review and accept the Notice of Award in EDGE without modification
within 30 days of receipt. By accepting the Notice of Award, the applicant agrees to comply with
all award provisions.
If an applicant is awarded funding, neither DOC nor EDA is under any obligation to provide any
additional future funding in connection with that award or to make any future award(s).
Amendment or renewal of an award to increase funding or to extend the period of performance is
at the discretion of DOC and EDA.
EDA will notify unsuccessful applicants electronically in writing to the applicant’s Authorized
Representative. EDA will retain unsuccessful applications in accordance with EDA’s record
retention schedule.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Recipients of an EDA award will be bound by the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance) as set forth in 2
C.F.R. part 200.
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EDA will apply the Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (ST&Cs) applicable on
the date of the award. The ST&Cs may be accessed at the following website:
http://www.osec.doc.gov/oam/grants_management/policy/default.htm.
EDA will apply the Pre-Award Notification Requirements for Grants and Cooperative
Agreements dated December 30, 2014, 79 Fed. Reg. 78,390. The Pre-Award Notice may be
accessed at the Government Printing Office (GPO) website at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-
2014-12-30/pdf/2014-30297.pdf.
3. Reporting
a. Financial, Performance, and Impact Reports
All recipients are required to submit financial, performance, and impact reports in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the grant award, generally no less than semi-annually. All
project progress and financial reports must be submitted to the applicable EDA program officer
in an electronic format to be determined at the time of award.
Recipients will be required to track and submit performance data on EDA-sponsored outputs and
resulting outcomes, semi-annually and annually, respectively, as described in paragraph 2.D.iii.
As part of its administration of this program, EDA may conduct program evaluations. If so,
recipients of grants under this program may need to furnish performance data to evaluators,
including but not limited to EDA staff and outside parties contracted by EDA. EDA may also,
for research purposes linked to improving economic outcomes, choose to share data with other
Federal partners, including but not limited to statistical agencies.
b. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006
The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 includes a requirement for
awardees of applicable Federal grants to report information about first-tier subawards16 and
executive compensation under Federal assistance awards issued in FY 2011 or later. All
awardees of applicable grants and cooperative agreements are required to report to the Federal
Subaward Reporting System (FSRS) available at www.FSRS.gov on all sub-awards over
$25,000. Please see the OMB guidance published at 2 C.F.R. part 170, which can be accessed at
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-
idx?SID=40023e1db665ebc89de0d086aaabf96a&mc=true&node=pt2.1.170&rgn=div5.
c. Government Performance and Results Act
EDA will require additional data on activities, outputs, and actual impact of the funded
investment, in part to fulfill the requirements of the Government Performance and Results Act
(GPRA). EDA anticipates that recipients will be expected to track their engagement activities
within the scope of work, with project beneficiaries, and other project stakeholders. EDA further
anticipates recipients will be expected to collect data, using surveys of beneficiaries or clients if
16 A first-tier subaward means an award provided by the recipient to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out
as part of a Federal award.
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necessary, on the outputs and outcomes of their activities, such as the number of strategic plans
or economic development tools developed, the number of new business partnerships formed, or
the range of new capabilities acquired. EDA plans to collect this information using Forms ED-
916 (Semi-annual Program Outputs Questionnaire for EDA grantees), ED-917 (Annual Capacity
Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees serving clients), and ED-918 (Annual Capacity
Outcomes Questionnaire for EDA Grantees). For more information, please refer to
https://www.eda.gov/performance/gpra.
G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)
For additional information on the R&E and NTA programs please email RNTA@eda.gov.
EDA’s website at www.eda.gov contains additional information on EDA and its programs.
H. Other Information
1. Right to Use Information
The applicant acknowledges and understands that information and data contained in applications
for financial assistance, as well as information and data contained in financial, performance and
other reports submitted by applicants, may be used by the Department of Commerce in
conducting reviews and evaluations of its financial assistance programs. For this purpose,
applicant information and data may be accessed, reviewed and evaluated by Department of
Commerce employees, other Federal employees, and also by Federal agents and contractors,
and/or by non-Federal personnel, all of whom enter into appropriate conflict of interest and
confidentiality agreements covering the use of such information. As may be provided in the
terms and conditions of a specific financial assistance award, applicants are expected to support
program reviews and evaluations by submitting required financial and performance information
and data in an accurate and timely manner, and by cooperating with Department of Commerce
and external program evaluators. In accordance with 2 C.F.R. § 200.303(e), applicants are
reminded that they must take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable
information and other confidential or sensitive personal or business information created or
obtained in connection with a Department of Commerce financial assistance award
2. Freedom of Information Act Disclosure
In addition, Department of Commerce regulations implementing the Freedom of Information Act
(FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552, are found at 15 C.F.R. Part 4, Public Information. These regulations
set forth rules for the Department regarding making requested materials, information, and
records publicly available under the FOIA. Applications submitted in response to this Notice of
Funding Opportunity may be subject to requests for release under the Act. In the event that an
application contains information or data that the applicant deems to be confidential commercial
information that should be exempt from disclosure under FOIA, that information should be
identified, bracketed, and marked as Privileged, Confidential, Commercial or Financial
Information. In accordance with 15 C.F.R. § 4.9, the Department of Commerce will protect from
disclosure confidential business information contained in financial assistance applications and
other documentation provided by applicants to the extent permitted by law.
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3. Notice of Government-Wide Procurement Restriction
The general rule for Federal financial assistance is that contractors that develop draft
specifications, requirements, statements of work, invitations for bids or requests for proposals are
prohibited from competing for the final procurement. For instance, a professional engineer or
architect who prepared the Preliminary Engineering Report for an EDA application would be
excluded from bidding on the same work under the award. Under 2 C.F.R §§ 200.319 and
200.317, which are now controlling, only State recipients are expressly exempt from this
prohibition. Local governments and Indian Tribes may also take advantage of the exemption in
two narrow circumstances: (i) if they are required (by statute, for example) to follow the State’s
procurement rules in full and without exception; or (ii) if they are required to follow a specific
State procurement rule that creates an explicit conflict with the prohibition in 2 C.F.R. §
200.319(a) (i.e., there is a statute that requires or permits the local government or Indian Tribe to
award the final procurement to the same contractor that developed the draft specifications).
Absent one of these two scenarios, the local government or Indian Tribe must comply with the
prohibition. Applicants are encouraged to contact the EDA email address listed in section G (p.
28) of this NOFO with any questions regarding application of this regulation.
4. Certifications Required by Annual Appropriations Acts for Corporations and for
Awards over $5 Million
As discussed in section D.3 (p. 18), all applicants are required to be registered in SAM before
applying under this NOFO. SAM requires registering entities to certify compliance with all
limitations imposed by annual appropriation acts. For corporations, this certification includes
that the corporation:
(a) Was not convicted of a felony criminal violation under a Federal law within the
preceding 24 months, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or debarment of
the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not necessary to
protect the interests of the Government; and/or
(b) Does not have any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all
judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not
being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for
collecting the tax liability, unless a Federal agency has considered suspension or
debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this further action is not
necessary to protect the interests of the Government.
For financial assistance awards in excess of $5 million, this certification includes that the entity:
(a) To the best of its knowledge and belief, has filed all Federal tax returns required
during the three years preceding the certification;
(b) Has not been convicted of a criminal offense under the Internal Revenue Code of
1986; and/or
(c) Has not been notified, more than 90 days prior to certification, of any unpaid Federal
tax assessment for which the liability remains unsatisfied, unless the assessment is the
29

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subject of an installment agreement or offer in compromise that has been approved by the
Internal Revenue Service and is not in default, or the assessment is the subject of a non-
frivolous administrative or judicial proceeding.
5. Past Performance and Non-Compliance with Award Provisions
Unsatisfactory performance under prior Federal awards may result in an application not being
considered for funding. Failure to comply with any or all of the provisions of an award may have
a negative impact on future funding by DOC (or any of its operating units) and may be
considered grounds for any or all of the following actions: (1) establishing an account receivable;
(2) withholding payments to the recipient under any DOC award(s); (3) changing the method of
payment from advance to reimbursement only; (4) imposing other specific award conditions; (5)
suspending any active DOC award(s); and (6) terminating any active DOC award(s).
6. EDA’s Non-relocation Policy
Should an application be selected for award, the recipient will be required to adhere to a
specific award condition relating to EDA’s non-relocation policy as follows:
In signing this award of financial assistance, Recipient(s) attests that EDA funding is not
intended by the Recipient to assist its efforts to induce the relocation of existing jobs within the
U.S. that are located outside of its jurisdiction to within its jurisdiction in competition with other
U.S. jurisdictions for those same jobs. In the event that EDA determines that its assistance was
used for those purposes, EDA retains the right to pursue appropriate enforcement action in
accord with the Standard Terms and Conditions of the Award, including suspension of
disbursements and termination of the award for convenience or material noncompliance, which
may include the establishment of a debt requiring the Recipient to reimburse EDA.
For purposes of ensuring that EDA assistance will not be used to merely transfer jobs from one
location in the United States to another, each applicant must inform EDA of all employers that
constitute primary beneficiaries of the project assisted by EDA. EDA will consider an employer
to be a “primary beneficiary” if: (i) the employer is specifically named in the application as
benefitting from the project, and the applicant estimates that the employer will create or save 100
or more permanent jobs as a result of the investment assistance (if the jobs in question were
originally located in a smaller community, EDA may extend this policy to the relocation of 50 or
more jobs); or (ii) the employer is or will be located in an EDA-assisted building, port, facility,
or industrial, commercial, or business park constructed or improved in whole or in part with
investment assistance prior to EDA’s final disbursement of funds.
7. Audit Requirements
Single or program-specific audits shall be performed in accordance with the requirements
contained in the Uniform Guidance (see 2 C.F.R. part 200, Subpart F, “Audit Requirements”).
The Uniform Guidance requires any non-Federal entity (i.e., non-profit organizations, including
non-profit institutions of higher education and hospitals, States, local governments, and Indian
Tribes) that expends federal awards of $750,000 or more in the recipient’s fiscal year to conduct
a single or program-specific audit in accordance with the requirements set out in the Uniform
30

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Guidance. Applicants are reminded that EDA or the DOC’s Office of Inspector General also may
conduct an audit of an award at any time.
I. Instructions for Application Submission via the Economic Development Grants
Experience (EDGE)
The most up-to-date instructions for application submission via EDGE can be found at
sfgrants.eda.gov.
1. Register Early and Submit Early.
In order to submit an application through EDGE (sfgrants.eda.gov), an applicant must register
for an account in the EDGE system. Please note that organizations already registered in EDGE
do not need to re-register; however, all registered organizations must keep their System for
Award Management (SAM), which includes the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)
database, registration up-to-date through sam.gov.
a. Pre-Submission Registration
Before submitting a Full Application under this NOFO, each applicant must register with
SAM.gov and EDGE. Applicants should note that this process can be lengthy, require
interaction with multiple organization (e.g., SAM.gov), and requires confirmation at each step.
Applicant organizations that have not previously completed any of the above steps may require
three to four weeks to accomplish these tasks due to system processing requirements. For more
information about:
• how to register your organization with SAM.gov (or how to renew your organization’s
registration), visit SAM.gov’s Getting Started with Registration page;
• your organization’s current SAM.gov registration status, visit SAM.gov’s Check Entity
Registration Status page; and
• Create an EDGE account at sfgrants.eda.gov
2. Authorized Representative Requirement
Applicants must register as organizations, not as individuals.17 As part of the registration process, you
will register one Authorized Representative for your organization, however, multiple points of contact
may be registered or added by the applicant to the application workspace to view or work on completing
the application. The Authorized Representative is the only official with the authority to submit
applications.
17 If applying as an individual, please contact EDA at the email address listed in section G (p. 28) of this NOFO for
instructions.
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3. Verify That Your Submission Was Successful
Applicants should save and print written proof of an electronic submission made through EDGE.
Applicants, specifically the Authorized Representative submitting the application and materials,
will receive a time and date stamped email from EDGE confirming the submission and receipt
of the application and other required documents.
Applicants should save and print both the confirmation screen provided in EDGE after the
applicant has submitted an application, and the confirmation email sent by EDGE when the
application has been successfully submitted.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify that its submission was timely received and
submitted successfully in EDGE. To see the date your application was submitted, log on to
EDGE and click on the Submitted Application section from the Home Page.
4. EDGE Systems Issues
If you experience an EDGE systems issue (i.e., a technical problem or glitch with the EDGE
website) that you believe threatens your ability to complete a submission in a timely manner,
please (i) print any error message received; (ii) email the help desk at
GrantHDSupport@eda.gov; and (iii) contact EDA using the contact information in section G (p.
28) of this NOFO. Please be sure to track your issue using a case number given to you by the
help desk. Please note that problems with an applicant’s computer system or equipment are not
considered systems issues. Similarly, an applicant’s failure to, e.g., (i) complete the required
registration, (ii) ensure that an Authorized Representative submits the application, or (iii) notice
receipt of an email message from EDGE are not considered systems issues. An EDGE systems
issue is an issue occurring in connection with the operations of EDGE itself, such as the
temporary loss of service by EDGE due to unexpected volume of traffic or failure of information
technology systems, both of which are highly unlikely. In the event of a confirmed systems issue,
EDA reserves the right to accept an application in an alternate format.
Applicants should go to sfgrants.eda.gov and click on the Resources page for assistance in
navigating EDGE and for a list of useful resources.
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Appendix A
Full Application Checklist
Before you submit your application to EDA, please ensure that the following documents are
included in your submission.
Requirement Location
☐ All required forms (ED 900A, SF424, Section D.2.b (p. 11)
SF424A, CD511, SFLLL)
Executive Summary (500 words or less) Section D.2.b.i (p.13)
☐
☐ Project Narrative (may not exceed 12-single Section D.2.b.i(2); (p. 13)
sided, 8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-
point font and 1-inch margins)
☐ Statement of Applicant Capacity and Project Section D.2.b.i(3) (p. 14)
Management (may not exceed 5-single sided,
8.5x11-inch pages, with a minimum 12-point
font and 1-inch margins)
☐ Budget Narrative and Staffing Plan Section D.2.b.i(4) (p. 15)
☐ Schedule of Major Milestones and Section D.2.b.i(5) (p. 15)
Deliverables
☐ Addenda (including resumes of key personnel; Section D.2.b.i(6) (p.15 )
organizational documentation, if applicable; and a Section D.2.b.ii(2)(a) (p. 16)
copy of a current, approved indirect cost rate Section D.2.b.ii(2)(b) (p. 17)
agreement, if applicable)
☐ Documentation of Matching Share Section D.2.b.i(7) (p. 16)
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Appendix B
Budget Template and Gantt Chart Samples
Budget Template
Cost Category Organization
Federal Share (EDA)
Non-Federal Matching Share
Total Project Cost
Federal Grant Rate
Personnel
Fringe Benefits
Travel
Equipment
Supplies
Contractual
Construction
Other
Total Direct Charges
Indirect Charges (X% Rate
Overall)
Total Project Budget
Gantt Chart
Expected Project Period of Performance = 12 Months
Task/Deliverable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Staffing
Explore/Data
Collections
Applications/Selection
Assessments
Reflection and
Preparation
Publicize and Convene
Evaluate
Draft Final Report and
Present to EDA
Financial Closeout
Preparation
34

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CD-511

FORM CD-511
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
(REV 1-05) CERTIFICATION REGARDING LOBBYING
Applicants should also review the instructions for certification included in the regulations before completing this form. Signature on this form provides for
compliance with certification requirements under 15 CFR Part 28, 'New Restrictions on Lobbying.' The certifications shall be treated as a material representation
of fact upon which reliance will be placed when the Department of Commerce determines to award the covered transaction, grant, or cooperative agreement.
LOBBYING Statement for Loan Guarantees and Loan Insurance
As required by Section 1352, Title 31 of the U.S. Code, and implemented The undersigned states, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief,
at 15 CFR Part 28, for persons entering into a grant, cooperative that:
agreement or contract over $100,000 or a loan or loan guarantee over
$150,000 as defined at 15 CFR Part 28, Sections 28.105 and 28.110, the
applicant certifies that to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that: In 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
(1) No Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid, by or on Member of Congress in connection with this commitment providing for the
behalf of the undersigned, to any person for influencing or attempting to United States to insure or guarantee a loan, the undersigned shall
influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress in complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, 'Disclosure Form to Report
connection with the awarding of any Federal contract, the making of any Lobbying,' in accordance with its instructions.
Federal grant, the making of any Federal loan, the entering into of any
cooperative agreement, and the extension, continuation, renewal,
Submission of this statement is a prerequisite for making or entering into
amendment, or modification of any Federal contract, grant, loan, or
this transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person
cooperative agreement.
who fails to file the required statement shall be subject to a civil penalty of
not less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure
(2) If any funds other than Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will
occurring on or before October 23, 1996, and of not less than $11,000 and
be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or
not more than $110,000 for each such failure occurring after October 23,
employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of
1996.
Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with
this Federal contract, grant, loan, or cooperative agreement, the
undersigned shall complete and submit Standard Form-LLL, 'Disclosure
Form to Report Lobbying.' in accordance with its instructions.
(3) The undersigned shall require that the language of this certification be
included in the award documents for all subawards at all tiers (including
subcontracts, subgrants, and contracts under grants, loans, and
cooperative agreements) and that all subrecipients shall certify and
disclose accordingly.
This certification is a material representation of fact upon which reliance
was placed when this transaction was made or entered into. Submission of
this certification is a prerequisite for making or entering into this
transaction imposed by section 1352, title 31, U.S. Code. Any person who
fails to file the required certification shall be subject to a civil penalty of not
less than $10,000 and not more than $100,000 for each such failure
occurring on or before October 23, 1996, and of not less than $11,000 and
not more than $110,000 for each such failure occurring after October 23,
1996.
As the duly authorized representative of the applicant, I hereby certify that the applicant will comply with the above applicable certification.
* NAME OF APPLICANT
AWARD NUMBER PROJECT NAME
Prefix: * First Name: Middle Name:
* Last Name: Suffix:
* Title:
SIGNATURE: DATE:

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SF-424

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SF-424A

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SF-LLL

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