Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year 2006 Notice of Funding Availability Policy Requirements and General Section to the SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs, 3382-3404 [06-531]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 13 (Friday, January 20, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3382-3404]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-531]



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Part IV





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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HUD's Fiscal Year 2006 Notice of Funding Availability Policy 
Requirements and General Section to the SuperNOFA for HUD's 
Discretionary Programs; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 2006 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5030-N-01]


Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year 2006 Notice of Funding Availability 
Policy Requirements and General Section to the SuperNOFA for HUD's 
Discretionary Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2006 Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA) policy requirements and general section to the 
FY2006 SuperNOFA for HUD's Discretionary Programs (notice).

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SUMMARY: This notice provides prospective applicants for HUD 
competitive funding with the opportunity to become familiar with the 
General Section to HUD's FY2006 SuperNOFA, in advance of publication of 
the FY2006 SuperNOFA. Publication of HUD's annual SuperNOFA is targeted 
for publication in early 2006. This early publication of the General 
Section is one of several steps that HUD is taking to improve the 
funding process for its grantee community. Early publication of the 
General Section will give prospective applicants additional time to 
become familiar with and address those provisions in the General 
Section, which constitute part of almost every application. HUD will 
publish changes to this General Section made after today's publication 
with the SuperNOFA.
    HUD will continue to require that applicants submit their 
applications electronically via Grants.gov. For FY2006, only the 
Continuum of Care will remain as a paper application process. It is 
HUD's intent to move the Continuum of Care to electronic application 
submittal in FY2007. All prospective applicants should take this time 
to carefully read the Federal Register Notice published on December 9, 
2005 entitled ``Notice of Opportunity to Register Early for Electronic 
Submission of Grant Applications for HUD Funding Opportunities; Early 
Registration with Grants.gov,'' and register prior to the publication 
of the Program Sections of the FY2006 SuperNOFA. The early registration 
notice can be found on HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/
adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. Continuum of Care applicants are advised to 
become familiar with the registration and submission procedures. 
Although HUD is not requiring electronic submission for the Continuum 
of Care this year, all the Federal grant-making agencies are pledging 
to make 75 percent of funding opportunities available on Grants.gov in 
FY2006. Therefore, Continuum of Care agencies would benefit from 
becoming familiar with the requirements so they do not limit their 
ability to get funding from sources other than HUD in FY2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Office of Departmental Grants 
Management and Oversight, Office of Administration, Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 3156, 
Washington, DC 20410-5000, telephone number (202) 708-0667. Persons 
with hearing or speech impairments may access this number via TTY by 
calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Each year, HUD strives to improve its 
competitive funding process. In FY2005, HUD successfully migrated from 
paper application submission for the majority of its funding 
opportunities to electronic application submission. Over 5,400 
applicants successfully submitted applications electronically for HUD's 
grant programs. While the majority of HUD's applicants were able to 
make the transition to electronic government, a minority had difficulty 
with the submission process. In speaking with applicants, HUD has heard 
the concerns raised and therefore has taken several steps to provide 
early technical assistance and information so that every applicant can 
successfully meet the electronic submission requirements.
    HUD wants every applicant to transition successfully to electronic 
application submission in FY2006. HUD believes that by issuing its 
Early Registration for Grant Application Submission Notice published on 
December 9, 2005 (70 FR 73332), and this General Section in advance of 
the publication of the FY2006 Program Sections of the SuperNOFA, 
applicants will have time to familiarize themselves with the General 
Requirements applicable to all programs and complete the five-step 
Grants.gov registration process. This way, when the program NOFAs are 
published, applicants can focus on completing and submitting their 
applications in accordance with all related requirements and timelines.
    The Early Registration Notice provides step-by-step instructions 
for applicants that have to register with Grants.gov and renewal 
instructions for those that have previously registered. The renewal 
instructions are simple and easy to follow, but must be completed 
before an applicant's registration with the Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR) expires. Failure to update the registration in the CCR will 
require an applicant to go through the entire registration process 
again.
    Early registration for electronic grant application submission (see 
notice published on December 9, 2005) and early publication of the 
General Section of the FY2006 SuperNOFA are just two steps that HUD is 
taking in FY2006 to improve the funding process. HUD is also taking 
steps to streamline and simplify the application submission 
requirements so that applications will be easier to complete and 
upload. To ensure that HUD continues to get feedback from the public on 
these improvements, each application and HUD's Web site will contain a 
revised ``You Are Our Client'' survey questionnaire. HUD requests that 
you respond to this survey to let us know what improvements have been 
beneficial and to share your ideas on where improvements can continue 
to be made. HUD carefully considers the comments received from its 
clients and continually strives to improve each year's SuperNOFA and 
its funding process.
    HUD believes that early publication of the General Section is 
beneficial to prospective applicants by providing advance notice of the 
Department's threshold requirements, strategic goals, policy 
priorities, and other comprehensive requirements that are applicable to 
almost every individual NOFA that comprises the SuperNOFA. The General 
Section, as in the past, is structured to refer the reader to the 
individual program NOFAs. Although the program NOFAs are not being 
published at this time, the references are retained. This way, when the 
program sections of the FY2006 SuperNOFA are published, they will work 
together as they have done since the first SuperNOFA was published in 
1998. HUD intends to publish the program NOFAs in early 2006. 
Applicants interested in receiving e-mail notification of the 
availability of the program sections should go to https://
www.grants.gov/Find#receiveGetStarted and sign up for e-mail 
notification of funding opportunities. By doing so, you will receive an 
e-mail as soon as the program NOFA portion of the SuperNOFA and 
application is available on Grants.gov. This publication includes a 
list of programs anticipated to be in the FY2006 SuperNOFA, subject to 
the availability of funds. The program NOFA portion of the SuperNOFA 
will include any changes made to this listing and provide projected 
funding available and application deadline dates.

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    In addition to the early publication of the Grants.gov registration 
process and the General Section of the FY2006 SuperNOFA, HUD 
continually strives to provide technical assistance and training to 
prospective applicants. To ensure effective communication with current 
and potential funding recipients, HUD has been posting pertinent 
documents related to these efforts on its Web site, including training 
opportunities available via satellite broadcast and Webcast, local 
registration and submission clinics, and grant writing workshops 
sponsored by HUD's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. HUD 
encourages you to visit the Department's Web site for information 
regarding the latest developments. HUD's Web site address for 
information on this initiative is https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/
grants/egrants/egrants.cfm. Information on grant streamlining 
activities can be found at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/pl-
106107/pl106-107.cfm.
    HUD hopes that the steps that it has taken to provide information 
early on the FY2006 funding process and SuperNOFA requirements will be 
of benefit to you.

    Dated: January 11, 2006.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary.

General Section to HUD's Fiscal Year 2006 SuperNOFA

Overview Information

    A. Federal Agency Name: Department of Housing and Urban Development 
(HUD), Office of the Secretary.
    B. Funding Opportunity Title: Policy requirements applicable to all 
HUD notices of funding availability (NOFAs) published during FY2006.
    C. Announcement Type: Initial announcement of the general policy 
requirements that apply to all HUD Federal financial assistance NOFAs 
for FY2006 issued simultaneously with or after the publication of this 
notice.
    D. Funding Opportunity Number: FR 5030-N-01.
    E. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: A CFDA 
number is provided for each HUD Federal financial assistance program. 
When using ``Apply Step 1'' on the Grants.gov Web site to download an 
application, you will be asked for the CFDA number. Please refer to the 
program NOFA for the CFDA number assigned to the program(s) for which 
you wish to apply.
    Tip for Finding Application Information: Use only the CFDA number, 
OR the Funding Competition Identification Number, OR Funding 
Opportunity Number when using the search feature on Grants.gov. Using 
more than one of these items will result in an error message indicating 
that the opportunity cannot be found.
    F. Dates: The key dates that apply to all HUD Federal financial 
assistance made available through HUD's FY2006 NOFAs are found in each 
individual program NOFA. Appendix A to this General Section lists the 
programs expected to be included in the FY2006 SuperNOFA. The SuperNOFA 
publication will contain a detailed Appendix A that will provide the 
final list of programs included in the SuperNOFA, funds available under 
each funding opportunity, and key deadline dates.
    G. Optional, Additional Overview Content Information: Unless 
otherwise stated, HUD's general policy requirements set forth in this 
notice apply to all HUD Federal financial assistance made available 
through HUD's FY2006 NOFAs. These policies cover those NOFAs issued 
through the SuperNOFA, as well as those that HUD will issue after 
publication of the SuperNOFA in the Federal Register.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This notice describes HUD's FY2006 policy requirements applicable 
to all of HUD's NOFAs published in FY2006. Each such NOFA will contain 
a description of the specific requirements for the program for which 
funding is made available and each will refer to applicable policies 
described in this General Section. Each program NOFA will also describe 
additional procedures and requirements that apply to the individual 
program NOFA, including a description of the eligible applicants, 
eligible activities, threshold requirements, factors for award, and any 
additional program requirements or limitations. To adequately address 
all of the application requirements for any program for which you 
intend to apply, please carefully read and respond to both this General 
Section and the individual program NOFAs.
    Authority. HUD's authority for making funding available under its 
FY2006 programs is identified in each program NOFA under the section 
entitled ``Funding Opportunity Description.''

II. Award Information

    Funding Available. Each program NOFA will identify the estimated 
amount of funds available in FY2006, either as a result of the 
enactment of a HUD appropriations act or based upon available 
appropriations and any funds from previous years available for award in 
FY2006. Appendix A to this notice contains a chart of the programs 
expected to be included in the FY2006 SuperNOFA. HUD will publish an 
updated chart, noting the amount of funds available for each program, 
and the required deadline date with the publication of the Program NOFA 
section of the FY2006 SuperNOFA. If other program funds become 
available, HUD reserves the right to increase the available funding for 
the applicable program by those amounts. Note that additional program 
NOFAs may be published as part of the FY2006 SuperNOFA or published 
separately from the FY2006 SuperNOFA.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    The individual program NOFAs describe the eligible applicants and 
eligible activities for each program.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    The individual program NOFAs describe the applicable cost sharing, 
matching requirements, or leveraging requirements related to each 
program, if any. Although matching or cost sharing may not be required, 
HUD programs often encourage applicants to leverage grant funds with 
other funding to receive higher rating points.

C. Other Requirements and Procedures Applicable to All Programs

    Except as may be modified in the individual program NOFAs, the 
requirements, procedures, and principles listed below apply to all 
programs in FY2006 for which funding is announced by NOFA and published 
in the Federal Register. Please read the individual program NOFAs for 
additional requirements and information.
1. Statutory and Regulatory Requirements
    To be eligible for funding under HUD's NOFAs issued during FY2006, 
applicants must meet all statutory and regulatory requirements 
applicable to the program or programs for which they seek funding. 
Applicants requiring program regulations may obtain them from the NOFA 
Information Center or through HUD's Grants Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. See the individual 
program NOFAs for instructions on how HUD will respond to proposed 
activities that are ineligible.

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2. Threshold Requirements
    a. Ineligible Applicants. HUD will not consider an application from 
an ineligible applicant.
    b. Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number 
Requirement. All applicants seeking funding directly from HUD must 
obtain a DUNS number and include the number in its Application for 
Federal Assistance submission. Failure to provide a DUNS number will 
prevent you from obtaining an award, regardless of whether it is a new 
award or renewal of an existing award. This policy is pursuant to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policy issued in the Federal 
Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402). HUD published its regulation 
implementing the DUNS number requirement on November 9, 2004 (69 FR 
65024). A copy of the OMB Federal Register notice and HUD's regulation 
implementing the DUNS number can be found on HUD's Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/duns.cfm. Applicants cannot submit 
applications electronically without a DUNS number entry. Applicants 
must carefully enter the DUNS number on the application package, making 
sure it is identical to the DUNS number under which the Authorized 
Organization Representative is registered to submit an application.
    c. Compliance With Fair Housing and Civil Rights Laws.
    (1) With the exception of federally recognized Indian tribes and 
their instrumentalities, applicants must comply with all applicable 
fair housing and civil rights requirements in 24 CFR 5.105(a). If you 
are a federally recognized Indian tribe, you must comply with the 
nondiscrimination provisions enumerated at 24 CFR 1000.12, as 
applicable. In addition to these requirements, there may be program-
specific threshold requirements identified in the individual program 
NOFAs.
    (2) If you, the applicant:
    (a) Have been charged with an ongoing systemic violation of the 
Fair Housing Act; or
    (b) Are a defendant in a Fair Housing Act lawsuit filed by the 
Department of Justice alleging an ongoing pattern or practice of 
discrimination; or
    (c) Have received a letter of findings identifying ongoing systemic 
noncompliance under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 
504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or Section 109 of the Housing 
and Community Development Act of 1974, and the charge, lawsuit, or 
letter of findings referenced in subparagaph (a), (b), or (c) above has 
not been resolved to HUD's satisfaction before the application 
deadline, then you are ineligible and HUD will not rate and rank your 
application. HUD will determine if actions to resolve the charge, 
lawsuit, or letter of findings taken before the application deadline 
are sufficient to resolve the matter.
    Examples of actions that would normally be considered sufficient to 
resolve the matter include, but are not limited to:
    (i) A voluntary compliance agreement signed by all parties in 
response to a letter of findings;
    (ii) A HUD-approved conciliation agreement signed by all parties;
    (iii) A consent order or consent decree; or
    (iv) An issuance of a judicial ruling or a HUD Administrative Law 
Judge's decision.
    d. Conducting Business in Accordance With Core Values and Ethical 
Standards. Applicants subject to 24 CFR parts 84 and 85 (most nonprofit 
organizations and State, local, and tribal governments or government 
agencies or instrumentalities that receive Federal awards of financial 
assistance) are required to develop and maintain a written code of 
conduct (see 24 CFR 84.42 and 85.36(b)(3)). Consistent with regulations 
governing specific programs, your code of conduct must prohibit real 
and apparent conflicts of interest that may arise among officers, 
employees, or agents; prohibit the solicitation and acceptance of gifts 
or gratuities by your officers, employees, or agents for their personal 
benefit in excess of minimal value; and outline administrative and 
disciplinary actions available to remedy violations of such standards. 
Before entering into an agreement with HUD, applicants awarded 
assistance under a HUD program NOFA announced in FY2006 will be 
required to submit a copy of its code of conduct and describe the 
methods it will use to ensure that all officers, employees, and agents 
of its organization are aware of its code of conduct. Applicants are 
prohibited from receiving an award of funds from HUD if they fail to 
meet this requirement for a code of conduct. Applicants that submitted 
an application during FY2004 or FY2005 and included a copy of their 
code of conduct will not be required to submit another copy if the 
applicant is listed on HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/
adm/grants/codeofconduct/cconduct.cfm and if the information has not 
been revised. Applicants not listed on the HUD Web site must submit a 
copy of their code of conduct with their FY2006 application for 
assistance. Applicants must also include a copy of their code of 
conduct if the information listed on HUD's Web site has changed (e.g., 
the person who submitted the previous application is no longer your 
authorized organization representative, the organization has changed 
its legal name or merged with another organization, or the address of 
the organization has changed, etc.). Applicants that need to may submit 
their code of conduct to HUD via facsimile using the form HUD-96011, 
Facsimile Transmittal. When using the facsimile transmittal form, 
please type the requested information. Use HUD-96011 as the cover page 
to the submission and include in the top line of the form under ``Name 
of Document Being Requested,'' ``Code of Conduct for (insert 
organization name, city, and state),'' and fax the information to HUD's 
toll-free number at (800) HUD-1010. If you cannot access the 800 number 
or have problems, you may use (215) 825-8798 (this is not a toll-free 
number). When received, HUD will update the information on its Code of 
Conduct Web site.
    e. Delinquent Federal Debts. Consistent with the purpose and intent 
of 31 U.S.C. 3720B and 28 U.S.C. 3201(e), HUD will not award Federal 
funds to an applicant that has an outstanding delinquent Federal debt 
unless (1) the delinquent account is paid in full, (2) a negotiated 
repayment schedule is established and the repayment schedule is not 
delinquent, or (3) other arrangements satisfactory to HUD are made 
prior to the deadline date.
    f. Pre-Award Accounting System Surveys. HUD may arrange for a pre-
award survey of the applicant's financial management system in cases 
where the recommended applicant has no prior Federal support, HUD's 
program officials have reason to question whether the applicant's 
financial management system meets Federal financial management 
standards, or the applicant is considered a high risk based upon past 
performance or financial management findings. HUD will not disburse 
funds to any applicant that does not have a financial management system 
that meets Federal standards.
    g. Name Check Review. Applicants are subject to a name check review 
process. Name checks are intended to reveal matters that significantly 
reflect on the applicant's management and financial integrity, or if 
any key individual has been convicted or is presently facing criminal 
charges. If the name check reveals significant adverse findings that 
reflect on the business integrity or responsibility of the

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applicant or any key individual, HUD reserves the right to (1) deny 
funding or consider suspension or termination of an award immediately 
for cause, (2) require the removal of any key individual from 
association with management or implementation of the award, and (3) 
make appropriate provisions or revisions with respect to the method of 
payment or financial reporting requirements.
    h. False Statements. A false statement in an application is grounds 
for denial or termination of an award and possible punishment as 
provided in 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    i. Prohibition Against Lobbying Activities. Applicants are subject 
to the provisions of Section 319 of Public Law 101-121 (approved 
October 23, 1989) (31 U.S.C. 1352) (the Byrd Amendment), which 
prohibits recipients of Federal contracts, grants, or loans from using 
appropriated funds for lobbying the executive or legislative branches 
of the Federal Government in connection with a specific contract, 
grant, or loan. In addition, applicants must disclose, using Standard 
Form LLL (SF-LLL), ``Disclosure of Lobbying Activities,'' any funds, 
other than federally appropriated funds, that will be or have been used 
to influence Federal employees, members of Congress, or congressional 
staff regarding specific grants or contracts. Federally recognized 
Indian tribes and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) 
established by federally recognized Indian tribes as a result of the 
exercise of the tribe's sovereign power are excluded from coverage of 
the Byrd Amendment, but state-recognized Indian tribes and TDHEs 
established only under State law must comply with this requirement. 
Applicants must submit the SF-LLL if they have used or intend to use 
Federal funds for lobbying activities.
    j. Debarment and Suspension. In accordance with 24 CFR part 24, no 
award of Federal funds may be made to applicants that are presently 
debarred or suspended, or proposed to be debarred or suspended from 
doing business with the Federal Government.
    3. Other Threshold Requirements. The individual program NOFAs for 
which you are applying may specify other threshold requirements. 
Additional threshold requirements may be identified in the discussion 
of ``eligibility'' requirements in the individual program NOFAs. If a 
program NOFA requires a certification of consistency with the 
Consolidated Plan and the applicant fails to provide a certification, 
and such failure is not cured as a technical deficiency, HUD will not 
fund the application. If HUD is provided a signed certification 
indicating consistency with the area's approved Consolidated Plan and 
HUD finds that the activities are not consistent with the Consolidated 
Plan, HUD will not fund the inconsistent activities or will deny 
funding the application if a majority of the activities are not 
consistent with the approved Consolidated Plan. The determination not 
to fund an activity or to deny funding may be determined by a number of 
factors, including the number of activities being proposed, the impact 
of the elimination of the activities on the proposal, or the percent of 
the budget allocated to the proposed activities.
4. Additional Nondiscrimination and Other Requirements
    Applicants and their subrecipients must comply with:
    a. Civil Rights Laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act 
of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 1201 et seq.), the Age Discrimination Act of 1974 
(42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act 
of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.).
    b. Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. Under Section 808(e)(5) 
of the Fair Housing Act, HUD has a statutory duty to affirmatively 
further fair housing. HUD requires the same of its funding recipients. 
If you are a successful applicant, you will have a duty to 
affirmatively further fair housing opportunities for classes protected 
under the Fair Housing Act. Protected classes include race, color, 
national origin, religion, sex, disability, and familial status. Unless 
otherwise instructed in the individual program NOFA, your application 
must include specific steps to:
    (1) Overcome the effects of impediments to fair housing choice that 
were identified in the jurisdiction's Analysis of Impediments (AI) to 
Fair Housing Choice;
    (2) Remedy discrimination in housing; or
    (3) Promote fair housing rights and fair housing choice.
    Further, you, the applicant, have a duty to carry out the specific 
activities provided in your responses to the individual program NOFA 
rating factors that address affirmatively furthering fair housing. 
These requirements apply to all HUD programs announced via a NOFA, 
unless specifically excluded in the individual program NOFA.
    c. Economic Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons 
(Section 3). Certain programs to be issued during FY2006 require 
recipients of assistance to comply with Section 3 of the Housing and 
Urban Development Act of 1968 (Section 3), 12 U.S.C. 1701u (Economic 
Opportunities for Low- and Very Low-Income Persons in Connection with 
Assisted Projects), and the HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 135, 
including the reporting requirements at subpart E. Section 3 requires 
recipients to ensure that, to the greatest extent feasible, training, 
employment, and other economic opportunities will be directed to low- 
and very-low income persons, particularly those who are recipients of 
government assistance for housing, and business concerns that provide 
economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons. Review the 
individual program NOFAs to determine if Section 3 applies to the 
program for which you are seeking funding.
    d. Ensuring the Participation of Small Businesses, Small 
Disadvantaged Businesses, and Women-Owned Businesses. HUD is committed 
to ensuring that small businesses, small disadvantaged businesses, and 
women-owned businesses participate fully in HUD's direct contracting 
and in contracting opportunities generated by HUD financial assistance. 
Too often, these businesses still experience difficulty in accessing 
information and successfully bidding on Federal contracts. State, 
local, and tribal governments are required by 24 CFR 85.36(e) and 
nonprofit recipients of assistance (grantees and sub-grantees) by 24 
CFR 84.44(b) to take all necessary affirmative steps in contracting for 
the purchase of goods or services to assure that minority firms, 
women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used 
whenever possible or as specified in the individual program NOFAs.
    e. Relocation. The relocation requirements of the Uniform 
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 
1970 (URA), as amended, and the implementing government-wide regulation 
at 49 CFR part 24, cover any person who moves permanently from real 
property or moves personal property from real property as a direct 
result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for a program or 
project receiving HUD assistance. While there are no statutory 
provisions for ``temporary relocation'' under the URA, the URA 
regulations recognize that there are circumstances where a person will 
not be permanently displaced but may need to be moved from a project 
for a short period of time. Appendix A, Sec.  24.2(a)(9)(ii)(D) to the 
URA regulation explains that any tenant who has been temporarily 
relocated for a period beyond one year must be

[[Page 3386]]

contacted by the displacing agency and offered URA relocation 
assistance. Some HUD program regulations provide additional protections 
for temporarily relocated tenants. For example, 24 CFR 583.310(f)(1) 
provides guidance on temporary relocation for the Supportive Housing 
Program for the homeless. Before planning their project, applicants 
should review the regulations for the programs for which they are 
applying. The URA does not apply to displacements resulting from the 
demolition or disposition of public housing covered by Section 18 of 
the United States Housing Act of 1937.
    f. Executive Order 13166, ``Improving Access to Services for 
Persons with Limited English Proficiency (LEP).'' Executive Order 13166 
seeks to improve access to federally assisted services, programs, and 
benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency. Applicants 
obtaining an award from HUD must seek to provide access to program 
benefits and information to LEP individuals through translation and 
interpretive services in accordance with LEP guidance published on 
December 19, 2003 (68 FR 70968). For assistance and information 
regarding your LEP obligation, go to https://www.lep.gov.
    g. Executive Order 13279, ``Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-
Based and Community Organizations.'' HUD is committed to full 
implementation of Executive Order 13279. The Executive Order 
established fundamental principles and policymaking criteria to guide 
Federal agencies in formulating and developing policies that have 
implications for faith-based and community organizations to ensure the 
equal protection for these organizations in social services programs 
receiving Federal financial assistance. Consistent with this order, HUD 
has undertaken a review of all policies and regulations that have 
implications for faith-based and community organizations and has 
established a policy priority to provide full and equal access to 
grassroots faith-based and other community-based organizations in HUD 
program implementation. HUD revised its program regulations in 2003 and 
2004 to remove the barriers to participation of faith-based 
organizations in HUD funding programs (68 FR 56396, September 30, 
2003), (69 FR 41712, July 9, 2004), and (69 FR 62164, October 22, 
2004). Copies of the regulatory changes can be found at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm.
    h. Accessible Technology. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
(Section 508) requires HUD and other Federal departments and agencies 
to ensure, when developing, procuring, maintaining or using electronic 
and information technology (EIT), that the EIT allow, regardless of the 
type of medium of technology, persons with disabilities access to and 
use of information and data on a comparable basis as is made available 
to and used by persons without disabilities. Section 508's coverage 
includes, but is not limited to, computers (hardware, software, word 
processing, email, and Internet sites), facsimile machines, copiers, 
and telephones. Among other things, Section 508 requires that unless an 
undue burden would result to the Federal department or agency, 
electronic and information technology must allow individuals with 
disabilities who are employees or members of the public seeking 
information or services, to have access to and use of information and 
data that are comparable to that of employees and members of the public 
who are not disabled. Where an undue burden exists to the Federal 
department or agency, alternative means may be used to allow a disabled 
individual use of the information and data. Section 508 does not 
require that information services be provided at any location other 
than a location at which the information services are generally 
provided. HUD encourages its funding recipients to adopt the goals and 
objectives of Section 508 by ensuring, whenever EIT is used, procured, 
or developed, that persons with disabilities have access to and use of 
the information and data made available through the EIT on a comparable 
basis as is made available to and used by persons without disabilities. 
This does not affect recipients' required compliance with Section 504 
of the Rehabilitation Act and, where applicable, the Americans with 
Disabilities Act.
    i. Procurement of Recovered Materials. State agencies and agencies 
of a political subdivision of a State that are using assistance under a 
HUD program NOFA for procurement, and any person contracting with such 
an agency with respect to work performed under an assisted contract, 
must comply with the requirements of Section 6002 of the Solid Waste 
Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
    In accordance with Section 6002, these agencies and persons must 
procure items designated in guidelines of the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) at 40 CFR part 247 that contain the highest percentage of 
recovered materials practicable, consistent with maintaining a 
satisfactory level of competition, where the purchase price of the item 
exceeds $10,000 or the value of the quantity acquired in the preceding 
fiscal year exceeded $10,000; must procure solid waste management 
services in a manner that maximizes energy and resource recovery; and 
must have established an affirmative procurement program for 
procurement of recovered materials identified in the EPA guidelines.
    j. Participation in HUD-Sponsored Program Evaluation. As a 
condition of the receipt of financial assistance under a HUD program 
NOFA, all successful applicants will be required to cooperate with all 
HUD staff or contractors who perform HUD-funded research or evaluation 
studies.
    k. Executive Order 13202, ``Preservation of Open Competition and 
Government Neutrality Towards Government Contractors' Labor Relations 
on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects.'' Compliance 
with HUD regulations at 24 CFR 5.108 that implement Executive Order 
13202 is a condition of receipt of assistance under a HUD program NOFA.
    l. Salary Limitation for Consultants. FY2006 funds may not be used 
to pay or to provide reimbursement for payment of the salary of a 
consultant whether retained by the Federal government or the grantee at 
more than the daily equivalent of the rate of the high of the pay band 
paid for level IV of the Executive Schedule, unless specifically 
authorized by law.
    m. OMB Circulars and Government-wide Regulations Applicable to 
Financial Assistance Programs. Certain OMB Circulars also apply to HUD 
programs in this SuperNOFA. The policies, guidance, and requirements of 
OMB Circulars A-87 (Cost Principles Applicable to Grants, Contracts and 
Other Agreements with State and Local Governments), A-21 (Cost 
Principles for Education Institutions), A-122 (Cost Principles for 
Nonprofit Organizations), A-133 (Audits of States, Local Governments, 
and Non-Profit Organizations), and the regulations at 24 CFR part 84 
(Grants and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, 
Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations), and 24 CFR part 85 
(Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to 
State, Local, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments), may 
apply to the award, acceptance, and use of assistance under the 
individual program NOFAs of this SuperNOFA, and to the remedies for 
noncompliance, except when inconsistent with the provisions of HUD's 
appropriations act for FY2006, other Federal statutes or regulations, 
or the provisions of this General Section. Compliance with additional 
OMB

[[Page 3387]]

circulars or government-wide regulations may be specified for a 
particular program in the NOFA Program Section of the SuperNOFA. Copies 
of the OMB circulars may be obtained from EOP Publications, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 2200, Washington, DC 20503, telephone 
(202) 395-3080 (this is not a toll-free number) or (800) 877-8339 
(toll-free TTY Federal Information Relay Service) or from the Web site 
at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/.
    n. Environmental Requirements. If you become a recipient under one 
of HUD's programs that assist in physical development activities or 
property acquisition, you are generally prohibited from acquiring, 
rehabilitating, converting, demolishing, leasing, repairing, or 
constructing property or committing or expending HUD or non-HUD funds 
for these types of program activities, until one of the following has 
occurred:
    (1) HUD has completed an environmental review in accordance with 24 
CFR part 50; or
    (2) For programs subject to 24 CFR part 58, HUD has approved a 
recipient's Request for Release of Funds (Form HUD-7015.15) following a 
Responsible Entity's completion of an environmental review.
    You, the applicant, should consult the individual program NOFA for 
any program for which you are interested in applying to determine the 
procedures for, timing of, and any exclusions from environmental review 
under a particular program. For applicants applying for funding under 
the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly program or Section 
811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program, please 
note the environmental review requirements for these programs.
    o. Conflicts of Interest. If you are a consultant or expert who is 
assisting HUD in rating and ranking applicants for funding under this 
General Section or future NOFAs published in FY2006, you are subject to 
18 U.S.C. 208, the Federal criminal conflict of interest statute, and 
the Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch 
regulation published at 5 CFR part 2635. As a result, if you have 
assisted or plan to assist applicants with preparing applications for 
programs in the SuperNOFA or NOFAs published in FY2006, you may not 
serve on a selection panel and you may not serve as a technical advisor 
to HUD. Persons involved in rating and ranking HUD FY2006 NOFAs, 
including experts and consultants, must avoid conflicts of interest or 
the appearance of conflicts. Persons involved in rating and ranking 
applications must disclose to HUD's General Counsel or HUD's Ethics Law 
Division the following information, if applicable: How the selection or 
non-selection of any applicant under the FY2006 SuperNOFA will affect 
the individual's financial interests, as provided in 18 U.S.C. 208, or 
how the application process involves a party with whom the individual 
has a covered relationship under 5 CFR 2635.502. The person must 
disclose this information before participating in any matter regarding 
a FY2006 NOFA. If you have questions regarding these provisions or 
concerning a conflict of interest, you may call the Office of General 
Counsel, Ethics Law Division, at (202) 708-3815 (this is not a toll-
free number).
    p. Drug-Free Workplace. Applicants awarded funds from HUD are 
required to provide a drug-free workplace. Compliance with this 
requirement means that the applicant will:
    (1) Publish a statement notifying employees that it is unlawful to 
manufacture, distribute, dispense, possess, or use a controlled 
substance in the applicant's workplace and that such activities are 
prohibited. The statement must specify the actions that will be taken 
against employees for violation of this prohibition. The statement must 
also notify employees that, as a condition of employment under the 
Federal award, they are required to abide by the terms of the statement 
and that each employee must agree to notify the employer in writing of 
any violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace no 
later than 5 calendar days after such violation;
    (2) Establish an ongoing drug-free awareness program to inform 
employees about:
    (a) The dangers of drug abuse in the workplace;
    (b) The applicant's policy of maintaining a drug-free workplace;
    (c) Any available drug counseling, rehabilitation, or employee 
maintenance programs; and
    (d) The penalties that may be imposed upon employees for drug abuse 
violations occurring in the workplace;
    (3) Notify the Federal agency in writing within 10 calendar days 
after receiving notice from an employee of a drug abuse conviction or 
otherwise receiving actual notice of a drug abuse conviction. The 
notification must be provided in writing to HUD's Office of 
Departmental Grants Management and Oversight, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Room 3156, Washington, DC 
20410-3000, along with the following information:
    (a) The program title and award number for each HUD award covered;
    (b) The HUD staff contact name, phone, and fax numbers and
    (c) A grantee contact name, phone, and fax number; and
    (4) Require that each employee engaged in the performance of the 
federally funded award be given a copy of the drug-free workplace 
statement required in item (1) and notify the employee that one of the 
following actions will be taken against the employee within 30 calendar 
days of receiving notice of any drug abuse conviction:
    (a) Institution of a personnel action against the employee, up to 
and including termination consistent with requirements of the 
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; or
    (b) Imposition of a requirement that the employee participate 
satisfactorily in a drug abuse assistance or rehabilitation program 
approved for such purposes by a Federal, State, or local health, law 
enforcement, or other appropriate agency.
    q. Safeguarding Resident/Client Files. In maintaining resident and 
client files, HUD funding recipients shall observe State and local laws 
concerning the disclosure of records that pertain to individuals. 
Further, recipients are required to adopt and take reasonable measures 
to ensure that resident and client files are safeguarded.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Addresses To Request Application Package

    This section describes how applicants may obtain application forms, 
additional information about the HUD program NOFAs, and technical 
assistance. Copies of the published NOFAs and application forms for HUD 
programs announced through NOFAs may be downloaded from the Grants.gov 
Web site at https://www.grants.gov/FIND and chosen from links provided 
under the topic ``Search Grant Opportunities,'' which allows applicants 
to do a basic search or to browse by category or agency. Applicants 
having difficulty accessing the information may receive customer 
support from Grants.gov by calling its help line at (800) 518-GRANTS or 
sending an e-mail to support@grants.gov. The customer service 
representatives will assist applicants in accessing the information. 
Applicants that do not have Internet access that need to obtain a copy 
of a NOFA can contact HUD's NOFA Information Center toll-free at (800) 
HUD-8929. Persons with hearing or

[[Page 3388]]

speech impairments may also call toll-free at (800) HUD-2209.
1. Application Kits
    There are no application kits for HUD programs. All the information 
you need to apply will be in the NOFA and available at https://
www.grants.gov/Apply. The NOFAs and forms can be downloaded from http:/
/www.grants.gov/Apply, by clicking on Apply Step 1. Please pay 
attention to the submission requirements and format for submission 
specified in each program NOFA to ensure that you have submitted all 
required elements of your application.
2. Official NOFA Content Retrieval
    In order to retrieve the instructions, applicants must go to the 
Grants.gov Web site entitled ``Download Application Package'' at 
https://apply.grants.gov/forms_apps_idx.html. Insert the Catalog of 
Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number or the Funding Competition 
ID, or the Funding Opportunity Number. Once this information has been 
inserted, click on the ``Download Package'' button. The next page on 
the Web site, ``Selected Grant Application for Download,'' instructs 
applicants to download the application and its instructions by 
selecting the corresponding download link and saving the files to the 
applicant's computer for future reference and use. You do not need to 
be registered to read the instructions or complete the application once 
you have downloaded it and saved it on your computer.
    a. Instructions and Application Download Contents. The instructions 
download will contain several files, the General Section, the Program 
Section, and any other forms that are not part of the Application 
Download. The Application Download will contain a cover page entitled 
``Grant Application Package.'' The cover page provides information 
regarding the application package you have chosen to download, i.e., 
Opportunity Title, Agency Name, CFDA Number, etc., so that you can 
ensure that you have selected the correct application to prepare. The 
Grant Application cover page separates the required forms into two 
categories: ``Mandatory Documents'' and ``Optional Documents.'' Please 
note that regardless of the box in which the forms are listed, the 
published Federal Register document is the official document HUD uses 
to solicit applications. Therefore, applicants should follow the 
submission requirements in the published NOFA for the program in which 
they are applying for funding. The Program NOFA will contain a list of 
forms and other documents that are part of the submission. The NOFA 
will also identify which forms may be applicable to only certain 
applicants and if so, they need to be submitted with the application.
    b. The published Federal Register document is the official document 
that HUD uses to solicit applications. Therefore, if there is a 
discrepancy between any materials published by HUD in its Federal 
Register publications and other information provided in paper copy, 
electronic copy, or at https://www.grants.gov, the Federal Register 
publication prevails. Please be sure to review your application 
submission against the requirements in the Federal Register file for 
the program NOFA or NOFAs to which you are applying. By accessing the 
information via Grants.gov you will not have to wait for copies of the 
NOFAs or forms to begin to prepare your application. HUD is continuing 
to streamline programs and application submission requirements and 
encourages applicants to provide HUD with additional suggestions.
3. Guidebook and Further Information
    A guidebook to HUD programs entitled, ``Connecting with 
Communities: A User's Guide to HUD Programs and the FY2006 NOFA 
Process,'' is available from the HUD NOFA Information Center and the 
HUD Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm. 
The guidebook provides a brief description of all HUD programs, 
identifies eligible applicants for the programs, and provides examples 
of how programs can work in combination to serve local community needs. 
You can also obtain a copy from the NOFA Information Center by calling 
(800) HUD-8929. The hearing impaired may call (800) HUD-2209 (TTY) 
(both are toll-free numbers). The NOFA Information Center is open 
between the hours of 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through 
Friday, except on Federal holidays. The NOFA Information Center will 
open with the publication of this Notice.
4. Technical Assistance
    HUD staff will be available to provide you with general guidance 
and technical assistance about this notice or about individual program 
NOFAs. However, HUD staff is not permitted to help prepare your 
application. Following selection of applicants, but before announcement 
of awards are made, HUD staff is available to assist in clarifying or 
confirming information that is a prerequisite to the offer of an award 
or annual contributions contract (ACC) by HUD. For technical support 
for downloading an application or submitting an application, please 
call Grants.gov Customer Support at (800) 518-GRANTS (this is a toll-
free number) or send an e-mail to support@grants.gov.
5. SuperNOFA Webcasts
    HUD provides technical assistance and training on its programs 
announced through NOFAs. The NOFA broadcasts are interactive and allow 
potential applicants to obtain a better understanding of the threshold, 
program, and application submission requirements for funding. 
Participation in this training opportunity is free of charge and can be 
accessed via HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
fundsavail.cfm. The SuperNOFA Webcast schedule can also be found via 
HUD's Web site at https://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    Be sure to read and follow the application submission requirements 
published in each individual program NOFA for which you are submitting 
an application.
1. Forms
    Each program NOFA will identify all the required forms for 
submission. HUD's standard forms are identified below:
    a. Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424);
    b. Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (SF-424 
Supplement);
    c. Grant Application Detailed Budget (HUD-424-CB);
    d. Grant Application Detailed Budget Worksheet (HUD-424-CBW);
    e. Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL), if applicable;
    f. Applicant/Recipient Disclosure/Update Report (HUD-2880);
    g. Certification of Consistency with RC/EZ/EC-II Strategic Plan 
(HUD-2990), if applicable;
    h. Certification of Consistency with the Consolidated Plan (HUD-
2991), if applicable;
    i. Acknowledgment of Application Receipt (HUD-2993);
    j. You Are Our Client Grant Applicant Survey (HUD 2994-A) 
(Optional);
    k. Program Outcome Logic Model (HUD-96010);
    l. Race and Ethnic Data Reporting Form (HUD-27061), if applicable;
    m. America's Affordable Communities Initiative (HUD-27300), if 
applicable; and

[[Page 3389]]

    n. Facsimile Transmittal (HUD-96011).
    Copies of these forms are available at HUD's Web site at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa06/snofaforms.cfm. Any additional 
program form required to be submitted to meet specific program 
requirements is included with each program NOFA. The electronic 
instructions contain all forms required for submission that are not 
PureEdgeTM forms. The application download contains only the 
PureEdgeTM forms. To have all the forms needed for 
application submission, applicants must download the instructions as 
well as the application.
2. Certifications and Assurances
    The form SF-424-B, Assurances and Certifications, is no longer 
required as a separate submission. However, applicants are placed on 
notice that by signing the SF-424 cover page:
    a. The governing body of the applicant's organization has duly 
authorized the application for Federal assistance. In addition, by 
signing or electronically submitting the application, the Authorized 
Organization Representative (AOR) certifies that the applicant:
    (1) has the legal authority to apply for Federal assistance and the 
institutional, managerial, and financial capacity (including funds to 
pay for any non-Federal share of program costs) to plan, manage, and 
complete the program as described in the application;
    (2) will provide HUD any additional information it may require; and
    (3) will administer the award in compliance with requirements 
identified and contained in the NOFA (General and Program Sections) as 
applicable to the program for which funds are awarded and in accordance 
with requirements applicable to the program.
    b. No appropriated Federal funds have been paid or will be paid, by 
or on behalf of the applicant, to any person for influencing or 
attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member 
of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress, in connection with 
this application for Federal assistance or any award of funds resulting 
from the submission of this application for Federal assistance or its 
extension, renewal, amendment, or modification. If funds other than 
Federal appropriated funds have been or will be paid for influencing or 
attempting to influence the persons listed above, the applicant agrees 
to complete and submit Standard Form LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying 
Activities, as part of its application submission package. The 
applicant further agrees to and certifies that it will require all 
subawards at all tiers including subgrants and contracts to similarly 
certify and disclose accordingly.
    c. Federally recognized Indian tribes and tribally designated 
housing entities (TDHEs) established by a federally recognized Indian 
tribe, as a result of the exercise of the tribe's sovereign power, are 
excluded from coverage by item b. (also known as the Byrd Amendment). 
However, State-recognized Indian tribes and TDHEs established under 
State law are not excluded from the statute's coverage and therefore 
agree to, and must comply with, item b. above.
    By submitting an application, the applicant affirms its awareness 
of these certifications and assurances. The Authorized Organization 
Representative submitting the application is affirming that these 
certifications and assurances are material representations of the facts 
upon which HUD will rely when making an award to the applicant. If it 
is later determined that the signatory to the application submission 
knowingly made a false certification or assurance or did not have the 
authority to make a legally binding commitment for the applicant, the 
applicant may be subject to criminal prosecution, and HUD may terminate 
the award to the applicant organization or pursue other available 
remedies.

C. Deadline Dates and Times

    Applications submitted through Grants.gov must be received and 
validated by Grants.gov no later than 11:59:59 p.m. eastern time on the 
application deadline date. Important Submission Tip: Please be aware 
that when submitting an application via Grants.gov, you will first 
receive a confirmation notice that Grants.gov received the application. 
The application will then go through a validation process. If the 
validation process finds problems with the application, it will be 
rejected and unavailable for retrieval by HUD. The validation check 
ensures that:
    1. The application is virus free;
    2. The application meets the deadline requirements established for 
the funding opportunity;
    3. The DUNS number submitted on the application matches the DUNS 
number in the registration, and that the Authorized Organization 
Representative has been authorized to submit the application for 
funding by the organization identified by its DUNS number; and
    4. All the mandatory fields and forms were completed on the 
application.
    5. Upload the application using Internet Explorer or Netscape 
browsers.
    If the application fails any of these items on the validation 
check, the application will be rejected. The validation check occurs 24 
to 48 hours after the application submission. Therefore, HUD recommends 
that all applicants submit their application no later than 48 to 72 
hours before the deadline. That way, if the application fails the 
validation process, the applicant will receive an e-mail notification 
providing the error messages. By submitting 48 to 72 hours in advance 
of the deadline, applicants have time to cure deficiencies in their 
application and resubmit it in time to meet deadline requirements. In 
developing the application submission dates, HUD has considered the 
validation process and established due dates for all NOFAs that build 
in the additional time for the validation process. For example, if HUD 
previously provided a 60-day application period, HUD will provide a 63-
day application period in FY2006.

D. Intergovernmental Review

    Executive Order 12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal 
Programs,'' was issued to foster intergovernmental partnership and 
strengthen federalism by relying on State and local processes for the 
coordination and review of Federal financial assistance and direct 
Federal development. HUD implementing regulations are published at 24 
CFR part 52. The order allows each State to designate an entity to 
perform a State review function. Applicants can find the official 
listing of State Points of Contact (SPOC) for this review process at 
https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.html. States not listed on 
the Web site have chosen not to participate in the intergovernmental 
review process and, therefore, do not have a SPOC. If your State has a 
SPOC, you should contact the SPOC to see if it is interested in 
reviewing your application before submission to HUD.
    Please make sure that you allow ample time for this review when 
developing and submitting your applications. If your State does not 
have a SPOC, you can submit your application directly to HUD using 
Grants.gov.

E. Funding Restrictions

    The individual program NOFAs will describe any funding restrictions 
that apply to each program.

[[Page 3390]]

F. Other Submission Requirements

    Application Submission and Receipt Procedures. This section 
provides the application submission and receipt instructions for HUD 
program applications. Please read the following instructions carefully 
and completely, as failure to comply with these procedures may 
disqualify your application.
1. Electronic Submission of Applications
    Applicants must submit their applications electronically through 
Grants.gov. HUD described the Grants.gov registration process in its 
Early Grants.gov Registration notice published in the Federal Register 
on December 9, 2005 (70 FR 73332), and in other information available 
at https://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. The site provides registration 
checklists that applicants are advised to use, to ensure that they have 
all the information they need to complete all the steps in the 
registration process. Past applicants have found that the checklists 
made their registration easier and faster.
    There are five sequential steps required for an applicant to 
complete the Grants.gov registration process:
    a. Step one is to call Dun and Bradstreet and request a Dun and 
Bradstreet Universal Data Numbering System (DUNS) number for the 
organization (if it does not already have one), as described above. The 
DUNS number is used by the Federal Government to identify the 
organization. Organizations should be able to obtain a DUNS number on 
the same date they contact Dun and Bradstreet by phone (866) 705-5711 
(this is a toll-free number).
    b. Step two is to register with the Central Contractor Registry 
(CCR) either toll-free by telephone ((888) 227-2423) or by going online 
at https://www.ccr.gov. When an organization registers with the CCR, the 
organization will be required to designate an E-Business Point of 
Contact (E-Business POC). The E-Business POC will designate a special 
password called an ``M-PIN.'' The password gives the E-Business POC 
sole authority to designate which staff member(s) from the organization 
will be allowed to submit applications electronically on its behalf. 
Staff members that are designated by the organization's E-Business POC 
to submit applications on its behalf are called Authorized Organization 
Representatives (AORs). Registering with the CCR is required for an 
organization to be able to use Grants.gov. It takes 1 to 3 days to 
complete this process because security information has to be sent to 
the organization.
    Note that CCR registration expires on an annual basis and, 
therefore, it must be updated to remain active. The CCR will send the 
E-Business POC an e-mail message 30 days before the expiration date of 
their current registration. If the E-Business POC does not update the 
CCR registration by the expiration date, the CCR will send the 
organization a letter notifying it that its account has been 
deactivated.
    c. Step three requires that AORs from the organization register 
with the Credential Provider to obtain their username and password, via 
the Web site, https://apply.grants.gov/OrcRegister. The AOR usernames 
and passwords serve as ``electronic signatures'' when an AOR submits an 
application via Grants.gov on behalf of an organization. AORs must wait 
until after their organization has received registration confirmation 
from the CCR before they can obtain their user names and passwords. 
AORs designate their user name and password when registering with a 
credential provider. AORs will receive validation of their user names 
and passwords on the same day that they submit the information online.
    d. Step four requires the AORs to register with Grants.gov. AORs 
must register with Grants.gov to obtain an account at the Web site, 
https://apply.grants.gov/GrantsgovRegister. AOR registration with 
Grants.gov allows AORs to submit applications on behalf of the 
organization and to track the status of submitted applications.
    e. Step five requires the E-Business POC to approve the designated 
AORs. When an AOR registers with Grants.gov (step 4), the E-Business 
POC will receive an e-mail notification. The E-Business POC must 
subsequently log into Grants.gov (using the organization's DUNS number 
as the user name and the M-PIN as the password) and approve the AOR(s), 
thereby giving each approved AOR permission to electronically submit 
applications on behalf of the organization using Grants.gov. Only the 
organization's E-Business POC can approve AORs. After the E-Business 
POC approves an AOR, Grants.gov will send the AOR confirmation of the 
approval via e-mail. See HUD's Notice on Early Registration for 
complete details of the registration process and steps.
2. Important Registration Tips
    a. The registration process is distinct from application submission 
and encompasses five-steps that can take approximately 10 business days 
to complete. Therefore, applicants must allow sufficient time to 
complete their registration prior to submitting their application. 
Applicants can submit their application to Grants.gov once they are 
fully registered. Please no