Administration for Children and Families; Refugee Microenterprise Development Program

AGENCY:

Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS.

ACTION:

Notice of availability of FY 2003 social services discretionary funds for refugee microenterprise development projects.

CFDA Number: The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program is 93.576. The title of the program is the Refugee Microenterprise Development Program.

SUMMARY:

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for microenterprise development projects for refugees. Applications will be accepted pursuant to the Director's discretionary authority under section 412(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) (8 U.S.C. 1522(c)), as amended. Applications will be screened and evaluated as indicated in this program announcement. Awards will be contingent on the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.

DATES:

The closing date for submission of applications is 30 days from date of publication in the Federal Register. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on submitting applications.

Announcement Availability: This program announcement and the application materials are available on the Office of Refugee Resettlement Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/funding.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Lisa Campbell, Division of Community Resettlement, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, at (202) 205-4597 or LCampbell@ACF.HHS.GOV or Daphne Weeden, Division of Discretionary Grants, Office of Grants Management, Administration for Children and Families, at (202) 260-5980 or paqueries-ogm@acf.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This program announcement consists of four parts:

Part I: Background, legislative authority, funding availability, applicant eligibility, project and budget periods, program purpose and scope, client eligibility, allowable activities, and treatment of program income.

Part II: General instructions for preparing a full project description.

Part III: The Review Process—Intergovernmental review, initial ACF screening, competitive review, and review criteria.

Part IV: The Application—Application materials, application submission information, regulations, and reporting.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13): Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 25 hours, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. The following information collections are included in the program announcement: OMB Approval No. 0970-0139, ACF Uniform Project Description (UPD) which expires 12/31/2003. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.

Part I: Background

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) has supported the field of microenterprise development since 1991 with discretionary grants to various State governments, community economic development agencies, community action and other human service agencies, local mutual assistance associations, and voluntary agencies. Organizations with successful programs have typically been those with a long-term commitment to microenterprise and to its adaptation to the refugee experience. They have committed agency resources to support refugee programs and their work in refugee microenterprise development has been consistent with the overall agency mission. A public or private non-profit agency interested in receiving funding under this announcement must have the organizational capacity to work with refugees who have low incomes, limited English language proficiency, and neither assets nor American business experience. Many newly arrived refugees do not qualify for commercial loans or for admission into mainstream microenterprise development programs for these reasons.

Refugees bring positive attributes to microenterprise development projects, including a diverse and rich array of business ideas, skills, experiences, and ambitions. These characteristics have been largely responsible for the success of the ORR program. During the last ten years, refugees have started or expanded over 800 micro-businesses and over 89 percent of these businesses have survived. ORR grantees have provided over $3 million in financing to these entrepreneurs and the loan repayment rate is close to 100 percent. Over 4,000 refugees have gained new entrepreneurial skills and knowledge and the additional business income is helping refugee families to achieve economic self-sufficiency. By commonly accepted measures of performance (business survival rates, loan default rates, etc.), the ORR-funded programs have excelled and frequently led the field in achievement.

Building on the experience of the last ten years, ORR seeks in this announcement to continue support to this field, particularly on behalf of those refugees who, because of language and cultural barriers, are unlikely to gain access to commercial loans or business training through other programs. To be successful in this competition, refugee-serving organizations must demonstrate their agency's capacity to provide the technical expertise necessary to help refugees start or expand businesses. Economic development agencies must show how they will modify their existing programs to serve refugees effectively.

Legislative Authority: Section 412(c)(1)(A) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA)(8 U.S.C. 1522(c)(1)(A)) authorizes the Director “to make grants to, and enter into contracts with, public or private non-profit agencies for projects specifically designed—(i) to assist refugees in obtaining the skills which are necessary for economic self-sufficiency, including projects for job training, employment services, day care, professional refresher training, and other recertification services; (ii) to provide training in English where necessary (regardless of whether the refugees are employed or receiving cash or other assistance); and (iii) to provide where specific needs have been shown and recognized by the Director, health (including mental health) services, social services, educational and other services.” In addition, section 412(a)(4)(A)(1) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1522(a)(4)(A)(1) authorizes the Director to make loans for the purpose of carrying out this section.

Funding Availability: ORR expects to make available approximately $4 million for Microenterprise Development projects for about 15 to 25 awards in amounts ranging from $100,000 to $300,000. The award amount range is for planning purposes. Applications with requested amounts that exceed the upper value of the dollar range specified will still be considered for review. No matching or cost sharing by the applicant is required.

Applicant Eligibility: Eligible applicants are public and private non-profit agencies. Faith-based and community organizations are eligible to apply for these grants.

Private, non-profit agencies are encouraged to submit with their applications the optional survey located under “Grant Manuals and Forms” at www.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/forms.htm.

Project and Budget Periods: This announcement invites applications for project periods up to four years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year budget period. Applications for continuation grants funded under these awards beyond the one-year budget period but within the four-year project period will be entertained in subsequent years on a noncompetitive basis, subject to availability of funds, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.

Refugee Microenterprise Development Program—Purpose and Scope

The purpose of microenterprise development is to assist refugees in becoming economically self-sufficient and to help refugee communities in developing employment and capital resources. To achieve this purpose, applicants for microenterprise development projects may request funds for: Business technical assistance, short-term training, credit in the form of microloans, the administrative costs of managing the project, a revolving microloan fund or loan loss reserve fund, and post-loan technical assistance.

Projects should be designed in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate for the refugee population, including characteristics such as employment rates, welfare status, length of time in the U.S., interest in micro-businesses, and English language proficiency. Applicants should also be familiar with the capital needs and capital market gaps for refugee entrepreneurs and should demonstrate how refugees will gain access to business credit.

Successful applicants will demonstrate an understanding of the economic opportunities in the community for refugees and will have established working partnerships with the communities' refugee resettlement services network, with existing microenterprise development organizations (where they are present), and with financial institutions.

ORR will not fund applicants who propose to subgrant or contract all or most of the proposed activities under this program to an unrelated entity. Subgranting or contracting for specific services or activities is not barred as long as the applicant proposes to perform directly some of the essential functions of the grant.

Client Eligibility: Eligible clients are refugees who aspire to establish, expand, or stabilize a microenterprise but who lack the financial resources, credit history, or personal assets to qualify for business loans or assistance through commercial institutions. Refugees may participate regardless of their date of arrival in the U.S. Grantees will be responsible for documenting refugee client eligibility.

Allowable Activities: Project components may include one-on-one business consultation and training, training in classroom settings, access to business credit, individual or peer group lending, revolving loan funds, loan loss reserve funds, and technical assistance to refugee businesses. ORR funds may also be used for the administrative costs associated with managing a revolving loan fund.

Microloans consist of small amounts of credit that are less than $15,000 and are extended to low-income entrepreneurs for start-ups of microenterprises or for the expansion or stabilization of existing microenterprises. Applicants may elect to establish cooperative relationships with one or more of the community's financial institutions to obtain access to commercial loan funds. Alternatively, ORR funds may be used for microloans to individual refugee entrepreneurs in sums not to exceed $15,000 (of ORR monies). These funds may be disbursed through individual loans, peer lending mechanisms, or a revolving loan fund. Requests for ORR grant funds for a revolving loan fund may not exceed $50,000 in the first budget period. Grantees will be responsible for establishing written lending policies and procedures and for collecting and servicing loan repayments.

ORR supports the use of commercial lending institutions for refugee borrowers to leverage the limited amount of ORR funds available for this purpose and to provide borrowers with the opportunity to establish credit-worthy histories with traditional lenders. To that end, ORR does not encourage the use of below-market rates of interest for the loan funds. Conversely, grantees may not charge refugees interest rates that exceed four percentage points above the New York prime lending rate at the time of loan approval.

Microloans will have a maximum maturity of three years. They may be used for working capital, inventory, supplies, furniture, fixtures, machinery, tools, equipment, building renovation, and/or leasehold improvements.

Microloan funds may not be used for the following types of businesses:

—As venture capital for established businesses that are attempting major expansion;

—for enterprises engaged in gambling or speculation;

—for any illegal activity or production or for the service or distribution of illegal products;

—for purposes not related to microenterprise development; e.g., for the purchase of a personal-use automobile.

Treatment of Program Income: Projects with revolving loan funds may earn and retain program income in the form of interest (on individual loans or from loan loss reserves). Specifically, program income funds may be retained by the project to expand the pool of credit in accordance with 45 CFR 74.24 (b)(1), (b)(2) and (e) for non-profit organizations and 45 CFR 92.25 (g)(2) for governmental entities. Similarly, repaid loan principal is to be treated as program income and placed in the revolving loan fund for re-lending. Program income may be retained by the grantee so long as the use of these funds furthers the objectives of the grant and is consistent with the Federal statute under which the grant was made (45 CFR 74.36e).

Any fees or charges imposed on refugee clients by the grantee or its subcontractors or affiliates (e.g., loan processing or training fees) must be disclosed in the application and pre-approved by ORR. Program income must be reported on the Financial Status Report (SF-269) semi-annually during the project period.

Successful grantees will be expected to coordinate their policies and procedures for developing and administering refugee microenterprise development projects with the existing refugee microenterprise services network. To ensure an exchange of technical and training information among programs, all grantees are encouraged to attend two ORR training meetings during each year of their participation in this program area. Grant funds may be used to offset the cost of attendance.

Part II: General Instructions for Preparing a Full Project Description

The Project Description Overview

Purpose

The project description provides a major means by which an application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly. In preparing your project description, all information requested through each specific evaluation criteria should be provided. Applicants are encouraged to provide information on their organizational structure, staff, related experience, and other information considered to be relevant. Awarding offices use this and other information in making their funding recommendations. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application.

General Instructions

ACF is particularly interested in specific factual information and statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are not required. Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix. The application narrative should be in a 12-pitch font. A table of contents and an executive summary should be included. Each page should be numbered sequentially, including any attachments or appendices.

Introduction

Applicants required to submit a full project description shall prepare the project description statement in accordance with the following instructions and the specified evaluation criteria. The instructions give a broad overview of what your project description should include while the evaluation criteria expands and clarifies more program-specific information that is needed.

Project Summary/Abstract

Provide a summary of the project description (a page or less) with reference to the funding request.

Objectives and Need for Assistance

Clearly identify the physical, economic, social, financial, institutional, and/or other problem(s) requiring a solution. The need for assistance must be demonstrated and the principal and subordinate objectives of the project must be clearly stated; supporting documentation, such as letters of support and testimonials from concerned interests other than the applicant, may be included. Any relevant data based on planning studies should be included or referred to in the endnotes/footnotes. Incorporate demographic data and participant/beneficiary information, as needed. In developing the project description, the applicant may volunteer or be requested to provide information on the total range of projects currently being conducted and supported (or to be initiated), some of which may be outside the scope of the program announcement.

Results or Benefits Expected

Identify the results and benefits to be derived. For example, ORR is particularly interested in the number of businesses established, expanded, or stabilized; the employment generated by the businesses; the number and size of loans provided to refugees; the amount of additional funds leveraged by the ORR funds for microenterprise loans, and the impact of the businesses assisted on the refugees' movement toward self-sufficiency.

Approach

Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the proposed work will be accomplished. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state your reason for taking the proposed approach rather than others. Describe any unusual features of the project such as design or technological innovations, reductions in cost or time, or extraordinary social and community involvement.

Provide quantitative monthly or quarterly projections of the accomplishments to be achieved for each function or activity in such terms as the number of people to be served and the number of activities accomplished. When accomplishments cannot be quantified by activity or function, list them in chronological order to show the schedule of accomplishments and their target dates.

If any data are to be collected, maintained, and/or disseminated, clearance may be required from the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB). This clearance pertains to any “collection of information that is conducted or sponsored by ACF.”

List organizations, cooperating entities, consultants, or other key individuals who will work on the project along with a short description of the nature of their effort or contribution.

Geographic Location

Describe the precise location of the project and boundaries of the area to be served by the proposed project. Maps or other graphic aids may be attached.

Additional Information

Following are requests for additional information that need to be included in the application:

Staff and Position Data

Provide a biographical sketch for each key person appointed and a job description for each vacant key position. A biographical sketch will also be required for new key staff as appointed.

Organizational Profiles

Provide information on the applicant organization(s) and cooperating partners such as organizational charts, financial statements, audit reports, or statements from CPAs/Licensed Public Accountants, Employer Identification Numbers, names of bond carriers, contact persons and telephone numbers, child care licenses, and other documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information. Any non-profit organization submitting an application must submit proof of its non-profit status in its application at the time of submission.

The non-profit agency can accomplish this by including in the application:

a. A reference to the applicant organization's listing in the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) most recent list of tax-exempt organizations described in the IRS Code.

b. A copy of a currently valid IRS tax exemption certificate.

c. A statement from a State taxing body, State attorney general, or other appropriate State official certifying that the applicant organization has a non-profit status and that none of the net earning accrue to any private shareholders or individuals.

d. A certified copy of the organization's certificate of incorporation or similar document that clearly establishes non-profit status.

e. Any of the items in the above for a State or national parent organization and a statement signed by the parent organization that the applicant organization is a local non-profit affiliate.

Third-Party Agreements

Include written agreements between grantees and subgrantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship.

Letters of Support

Provide statements from community, public, and commercial leaders that support the project proposed for funding. All submissions should be included in the application OR by application deadline.

Budget and Budget Justification

Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information Form. Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.

Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.

General

The following guidelines are for preparing the budget and budget justification. Both Federal and non-Federal resources shall be detailed and justified in the budget and narrative justification. For purposes of preparing the budget and budget justification, “Federal resources” refers only to the ACF grant for which you are applying. Non-Federal resources are all other Federal and non-Federal resources. It is suggested that budget amounts and computations be presented in a columnar format: First column, object class categories; second column, Federal budget; next column(s), non-Federal budget(s), and last column, total budget. The budget justification should be a narrative.

Personnel

Description: Costs of employee salaries and wages.

Justification: Identify the project director or principal investigator, if known. For each staff person, provide the title, time commitment to the project (in months), time commitment to the project (as a percentage or full-time equivalent), annual salary, grant salary, wage rates, etc. Do not include the costs of consultants or personnel costs of delegate agencies or of specific project(s) or businesses to be financed by the applicant.

Fringe Benefits

Description: Costs of employee fringe benefits unless treated as part of an approved indirect cost rate.

Justification: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement insurance, taxes, etc.

Travel

Description: Costs of project-related travel by employees of the applicant organization (does not include costs of consultant travel).

Justification: For each trip, show the total number of traveler(s), travel destination, duration of trip, per diem, mileage allowances, if privately owned vehicles will be used, and other transportation costs and subsistence allowances. Travel costs for key staff to attend ORR-sponsored workshops should be detailed in the budget.

Equipment

Description: “Equipment” means an article of nonexpendable, tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of (a) the capitalization level established by the organization for the financial statement purposes or (b) $5,000. (Note: Acquisition cost means the net invoice unit price of an item of equipment, including the cost of any modifications, attachments, accessories, or auxiliary apparatus necessary to make it usable for the purpose for which it is acquired. Ancillary charges, such as taxes, duty, protective in-transit insurance, freight, and installation shall be included in or excluded from acquisition cost in accordance with the organization's regular written accounting practices.)

Justification: For each type of equipment requested, provide a description of the equipment, the cost per unit, the number of units, the total cost, and a plan for use on the project, as well as use or disposal of the equipment after the project ends. An applicant organization that uses its own definition for equipment should provide a copy of its policy or section of its policy which includes the equipment definition.

Supplies

Description: Costs of all tangible personal property other than that included under the Equipment category.

Justification: Specify general categories of supplies and their costs. Show computations and provide other information that supports the amount requested.

Contractual

Description: Costs of all contracts for services and goods except for those that belong under other categories such as equipment, supplies, construction, etc. Third-party evaluation contracts (if applicable) and contracts with secondary recipient organizations, including delegate agencies and specific project(s) or businesses to be financed by the applicant, should be included under this category.

Justification: All procurement transactions shall be conducted in a manner to provide, to the maximum extent practical, open, and free competition. Recipients and subrecipients, other than States that are required to use part 92 procedures, must justify any anticipated procurement action that is expected to be awarded without competition and exceed the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11) (currently set at $100,000). Recipients might be required to make available to ACF pre-award review and procurement documents, such as request for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.

Note:

Whenever the applicant intends to delegate part of the project to another agency, the applicant must provide a detailed budget and budget narrative for each delegate agency, by agency title, along with the required supporting information referred to in these instructions.

Other

Enter the total of all other costs. Such costs, where applicable and appropriate, may include but are not limited to insurance, food, medical and dental costs (noncontractual), professional services costs, space and equipment rentals, printing and publication, computer use, training costs, such as tuition and stipends, staff development costs, and administrative costs.

Justification: Provide computations, a narrative description, and a justification for each cost under this category.

Indirect Charges

Description: Total amount of indirect costs. This category should be used only when the applicant currently has an indirect cost rate approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or another cognizant Federal agency.

Justification: An applicant that will charge indirect costs to the grant must enclose a copy of the current rate agreement. If the applicant organization is in the process of initially developing or renegotiating a rate, it should, immediately upon notification that an award will be made, develop a tentative indirect cost rate proposal based on its most recently completed fiscal year in accordance with the principles set forth in the cognizant agency's guidelines for establishing indirect cost rates and submit it to the cognizant agency. Applicants awaiting approval of their indirect cost proposals may also request indirect costs. It should be noted that when an indirect cost rate is requested, those costs included in the indirect cost pool should not also be charged as direct costs to the grant. Also, if the applicant is requesting a rate which is less than what is allowed under the program, the authorized representative of the applicant organization must submit a signed acknowledgement that the applicant is accepting a lower rate than allowed.

Program Income

Description: The estimated amount of income, if any, expected to be generated from this project.

Justification: Describe the nature, source, and anticipated use of program income in the budget or refer to the pages in the application that contain this information.

Nonfederal Resources

Description: Amounts of non-Federal resources that will be used to support the project as identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.

Justification: The firm commitment of these resources must be documented and submitted with the application in order to be given credit in the review process. A detailed budget must be prepared for each funding source.

Total Direct Charges, Total Indirect Charges, Total Project Costs

[Self-explanatory]

Part III: The Review Process

Intergovernmental Review

This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” and 45 CFR part 100, “Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities.” Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs.

The following jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these jurisdictions need not take action in regard to E.O. 12372: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc., does not have a Single Point of Contact (SPOC). All remaining jurisdictions participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.

SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Additionally, SPOCs are requested to differentiate clearly between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations, which may trigger the “accommodate or explain” rule.

When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447.

A list of the Single Points of Contact for each participating State and Territory is included with the application materials for this program announcement. The list can also be found on the Internet at http://www.Whitehouse.gov/OMB/index.html.

Initial ACF Screening

Each application submitted under this program announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was mailed by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions in this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.

Competitive Review

Applications, which pass the initial ACF screening, will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel on the basis of specific evaluation criteria. The evaluation criteria were designed to assess the quality of a proposed project and to determine the likelihood of its success. The evaluation criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are awarded only to applications that are responsive to the evaluation criteria within the context of this program announcement.

Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed using the following evaluation criteria:

1. Approach. (25 points) Adequacy and appropriateness of the program approach or design, including project goals and structure (policies, procedures, activities); training and technical assistance; loan funds, lending criteria, and fees, if included in the design; whether the business targets are start-ups, expansions, or both; partner agencies; and credit enhancements, such as loan loss reserve funds.

2. Organization Profiles. (25 points) Demonstrated organizational and management capacity including bilingual/bicultural competent services and experience serving refugees and other economically disadvantaged populations; description of experience in organizational management, including copies of the last two fiscal year financial statements, with balance sheets and income statements; description of experience in providing microenterprise development services and in the management of loan funds, including a projected monthly cash flow chart for the loan fund for the four-year period beginning September 30, 2003; and experience in collaboration with the specific refugee community(ies) and coalition building among refugee and non-refugee service providers.

3. Results and Expected Benefits. (20 points) Extent to which the expected outcomes and unit costs of the project are appropriate, consistent with reported nationwide performance in microenterprise projects, and reasonable in relation to the proposed activities. Results may include the impact of business income and business assets on clients' welfare status, if applicable, and on economic self-sufficiency as well as projected outcomes for business income, employment, and survivability.

4. Objectives and Need for Assistance. (15 points) Quality of the description of the prospective refugee communities' profile with respect to welfare utilization, English language proficiency, length of time in the U.S., interest in microbusiness, and the description of local capital needs and capital market gaps for refugee microentrepreneurs.

5. Budget and Budget Justification. (15 points) Appropriateness and reasonableness of the proposed budget, including the relative distribution of funds for administrative costs, training, technical assistance, and loan capital. The application should include project timelines and a narrative justification supporting each budget line item.

Part IV: The Application

Application Materials: In order to be considered for a grant under this program announcement, an application must be submitted on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Application materials, including forms and instructions, are available from the ORR Web site at http://acf.hhs.gov/programs/orr/funding. The application materials are also available from the contact named under the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in the preamble of this announcement.

An application with an original signature and two clearly identified copies are required. Applicants must clearly indicate on the SF-424 the grant announcement number under which the application is submitted. Applicants have the option of omitting from the application copies (not from the original) specific salary rates or amounts for individuals specified in the application budget.

Application Submission and Deadline

Mailed applications postmarked after the closing date will be classified as late.

Deadline: Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the independent review to: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Mail Stop 6C-462, Washington, DC 20447.

Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly dated, machine produced postmark of a commercial mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be acceptable as a proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private Metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

(Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.)

Applications handcarried by applicants, applicant couriers, or by other representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Grants Management, Division of Discretionary Grants, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor (near loading dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW., Washington, DC 20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the note “Attention: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always deliver as agreed.)

ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.

Late applications: Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition.

Extension of deadlines: ACF may extend application deadlines when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when there are widespread disruptions of mail service, or in other rare cases. Determination to extend or waive deadline requirements rest with the Chief Grants Management Officer.

For Further Information on Application Deadlines, Contact: Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, Division of Discretionary Grants, Office of Grants Management, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447. Telephone: (202) 401-4577.

Certifications, Assurances, and Disclosure Required for Non-Construction Programs— Applicants requesting financial assistance for non-construction projects must file the Standard Form 424B, “Assurances: Non-Construction Programs.” Applicants must sign and return the Standard Form 424B with their applications.

Applicants must provide a signed certification regarding lobbying with their applications, when applying for an award in excess of $100,000. Applicants who used non-Federal funds for lobbying activities in connection with receiving assistance under this announcement shall complete a disclosure form to report lobbying.

Applicants must make the appropriate certification of their compliance with the Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. By signing and submitting the application, the applicant is providing the certification and need not mail back the certification with the application.

Applicants must make the appropriate certification that they are not presently debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible for an award. By signing and submitting the application, the applicant is providing the certification and need not mail back the certification with the application.

Administrative Regulations: Applicable U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regulations can be found at 45 CFR part 74 or part 92.

Post-Award Reporting Requirements: Grantees are required to file the Financial Status Report (SF-269) and Program Performance Reports on a semi-annual basis. Funds issued under these awards must be accounted for, and reported upon, separately from all other grant activities. Although ORR does not expect the proposed projects to include evaluation activities, it does expect grantees to maintain adequate records to track and report on project outcomes. An original and one copy of each report shall be submitted within 30 days of the end of each reporting period directly to the Grants Officer. The mailing address is: Ms. Daphne Weeden, Grants Officer, Division of Discretionary Grants, Office of Grants Management, Administration for Children and Families, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW., Fourth Floor West, Washington, DC 20447. A final Financial Status Report and Program Performance Report shall be due 90 days after the budget expiration date or termination of grant support.