Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); Policy Requirements and General Section to HUD's FY2008 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs, 14882-14912 [E8-5626]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14882-14912]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-5626]



[[Page 14881]]

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Part II





Department of Housing and Urban Development





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 Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Notice of Funding Availability 
(NOFA); Policy Requirements and General Section to HUD's FY2008 NOFAs 
for Discretionary Programs; Notice

Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 54 / Wednesday, March 19, 2008 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5200-N-01]


Notice of HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Notice of Funding 
Availability (NOFA); Policy Requirements and General Section to HUD's 
FY2008 NOFAs for Discretionary Programs

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of HUD's FY2008 NOFA Policy Requirements and General 
Section to HUD's FY2008 NOFAs for 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 of HUD's FY2008 NOFAs, in advance of publication of any 
FY2008 NOFAs. HUD plans to publish its annual SuperNOFA in spring 2008. 
Early publication of the General Section is one of several steps 
instituted to improve the funding process for the grantee community. 
Early publication of the General Section gives prospective applicants 
additional time to become familiar with and address provisions in the 
General Section, which constitute part of almost every individual 
program application. HUD will publish as a technical correction any 
changes to this General Section made after today's publication.
    HUD will continue to require that applicants submit their 
applications electronically via Grants.gov. In FY2008, HUD will be 
using Adobe Forms applications packages, available on Grants.gov. The 
Adobe Forms packages are compatible with the Windows Vista operating 
system, Apple Macintosh computers, and Microsoft Office 2007. Please 
carefully read the instructions in this notice regarding use of Adobe 
forms.
    To submit an application via Grants.gov, new users will be required 
to complete a five-step registration process, which can take 2 to 4 
weeks to complete. The process includes ensuring that information 
provided by your organization to Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) matches 
information previously provided by your organization and contained in 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) records. If there is a discrepancy in 
the information, the registration cannot be completed until discrepancy 
issues are resolved. Applicants that have previously completed the 
registration process merely have to renew their registration in the 
Central Contractor Registration (CCR). The renewal process confirms 
that the registration information is still accurate and allows 
organizations to make any appropriate changes. During the update 
process, the CCR will check the D&B information against the IRS records 
for your organization. If there are discrepancies, the update cannot be 
completed until the discrepancies are resolved. Please allow adequate 
time to resolve any registration issues. Failure to update the 
registration in the CCR before the CCR registration expires will result 
in an applicant having to complete the five steps of the renewal 
process. If an applicant changes the eBusiness Point of Contact in the 
CCR registration, it should make sure the new eBusiness Point of 
Contact has also granted permission to the person submitting the 
application to be the Authorized Organization Representative (AOR). To 
submit an application to HUD, the AOR must be able to make a legally 
binding agreement for the organizational entity. Please see detailed 
registration instructions in section IV.B. of this notice. HUD 
recommends that all prospective applicants take the time to carefully 
read the Notice entitled ``Notice of Opportunity to Register Early and 
other Important Information for Electronic Application Submission via 
Grants.gov,'' published on March 10, 2008 (73 FR 12751). This notice is 
also available on HUD's Web site at: https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/
grants/fundsavail.cfm and on Grants.gov/Find. HUD's Early Registration 
Notice provides step-by-step instructions for applicants who must 
register with Grants.gov and also provides renewal instructions for 
those who have previously registered. Prospective applicants should 
register prior to the Federal Register publication of the Program 
Sections of the FY2008 SuperNOFA.
    Please note that HUD is transitioning the Continuum of Care 
application from a paper process to an electronic process in FY2008. 
Because the electronic application is not yet available, details of the 
registration process, application, application submission date, and 
timely receipt requirements will be articulated in two publications to 
be issued separate from the SuperNOFA. The first notice is expected to 
be issued in spring 2008. The expected publication date of the Notice 
of Funding Availability will be no earlier than July 1, 2008. 
Notification of the availability of registration instructions, the 
application, and other information will be released via the Grants.gov 
website. To be placed on the Grants.gov notification service for 
notices about the Continuum of Care electronic application process, go 
to: https://www.grants.gov/search/subscribeAdvanced.do. To join the HUD 
homeless assistance program listserv go to: https://www.hud.gov/
subscribe/
signup.cfm?listname=Homeless%20Assistance%20Program&list=HOMELESS-ASST-
L.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on HUD's 
FY2008 Policy Requirements and General Section contact the 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 FY2007, over 99.5 percent of applicants 
successfully submitted applications electronically for HUD's grant 
programs. To help applicants with electronic application registration 
and submission, HUD has developed a Desktop User Guide for Submitting 
Electronic Grant Applications. The user guide provides step-by-step 
details and screen shots of the entire registration and application 
submission process, including troubleshooting application submission 
errors. HUD updates the guide regularly and it is available at https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants.
    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 requirements 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. When the 
Program Sections of the FY2008 NOFAs are published, they are fully 
reconciled with the General Section, as has been the case since 1998 
when the SuperNOFA was first published. Applicants interested in 
receiving e-mail notification of the availability of the program 
sections should go to: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_
subscription.jsp and sign up for e-mail notification of funding 
opportunities. By doing so, you will receive an e-mail as soon as the 
NOFAs and applications are available on Grants.gov.

[[Page 14883]]

    HUD is always interested in improving its application processes. 
You can help HUD improve its outreach and program NOFAs by providing 
feedback on ways it can improve the NOFA process. Please note that each 
application contains a ``You Are Our Client'' survey questionnaire. HUD 
requests that you respond to this survey to let the Department 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 strives to use the comments to 
improve each year's NOFAs and its funding process. This publication 
includes a list of programs anticipated to be in the FY2008 SuperNOFA, 
subject to the availability of funds. The Introduction to the SuperNOFA 
will include any changes made to this listing and provide projected 
funding availability and application deadline dates.
    HUD hopes that the steps that it has taken to provide information 
early in the FY2008 funding process about NOFA requirements will be of 
benefit to you, our applicants.

    Dated: March 14, 2008.
Roy A. Bernardi,
Deputy Secretary.

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 NOFAs published during FY2008.
    C. Announcement Type: Initial announcement of the general policy 
requirements that apply to all HUD federal financial assistance NOFAs 
for FY2008 issued simultaneous with, or after the publication of this 
notice.
    D. Funding Opportunity Number: FR-5200-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 
listing in this notice or the CFDA number in the Grants.gov synopsis of 
the programs for which you wish to apply when using the application 
search feature of Grants.gov. Use only the CFDA number, the Funding 
Competition Identification Number, or the Funding Opportunity Number. 
Using more than one of these items will result in an error message 
indicating that the opportunity cannot be found.
    F. Dates: The deadline dates that apply to the federal financial 
assistance made available through HUD's FY2008 NOFAs will be found in 
the published NOFAs. Appendix A to this General Section lists the 
programs expected to be included in the FY2008 SuperNOFA. When 
published, the SuperNOFA will contain a revised Appendix A to the 
General Section providing the final list of programs included in the 
SuperNOFA, funds available under each funding opportunity, and key 
deadline dates.
    G. 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 FY2008 NOFAs. These policies cover all NOFAs issued for FY2008 
funding.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This notice describes HUD's FY2008 policy requirements applicable 
to all of HUD's NOFAs published in FY2008. 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 FY2008 programs is identified in each program NOFA.

II. Award Information

    Funding Available. Each program NOFA will identify the estimated 
amount of funds available in FY2008 based on available appropriations, 
plus funds from previous years available for award in FY2008. Appendix 
A to this General Section lists the programs HUD expects to be included 
in the FY2008 SuperNOFA. When published, the SuperNOFA will contain a 
revised Appendix A to the General Section providing the final list of 
programs included in the SuperNOFA, funds available under each funding 
opportunity, and key deadline dates.
    Additional program NOFAs may be published separately from the 
FY2008 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.
    It is important to note that the following Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) circulars are applicable, and particular attention should 
be given to the provisions concerning the use of federal funds for 
matching requirements.
    OMB Circular A-102 (Grants and Cooperative Agreements with State 
and Local Governments) establishes consistency and uniformity among 
federal agencies in the management of grants and cooperative agreements 
with state, local, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments. 
The circular provides that state and local administration of federal 
funds must include fiscal and administrative requirements that are 
sufficiently specific to ensure that: funds are used in compliance with 
all applicable federal statutory and regulatory provisions, costs are 
reasonable and necessary for operating these programs, and funds are 
not to be used for general expenses required to carry out other 
responsibilities of a state or its subrecipients. HUD's implementation 
of OMB Circular A-102 is found at 24 CFR part 85.
    OMB Circular A-110 (Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants 
and Agreements with Institutions of Higher Education, Hospitals, and 
Other Non-Profit Organizations) sets forth standards for obtaining 
consistency and uniformity among federal agencies in the administration 
of grants and agreements with institutions of higher education, 
hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations. This circular specifies 
the conditions for which funds may be used for cost sharing or matching 
and provides that federal funds shall not be accepted as cost sharing 
or matching, except where authorized by federal statute to be used for 
cost sharing or matching. HUD's implementation of OMB Circular A-110 is 
found at 24 CFR part 84.

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    OMB Circular A-87 (2 CFR Part 225) (Cost Principles for State, 
Local, and Indian Tribal Governments) establishes principles and 
standards for determining costs for federal awards carried out through 
grants, cost reimbursement contracts, and other agreements with state 
and local governments and federally recognized Indian tribal 
governments (governmental units). This circular provides that an 
allowable cost under a federal award does not include a cost sharing or 
matching requirement of any other federal award in the applicable 
funding period, except as specifically provided by federal law or 
regulation.
    OMB Circular A-122 (Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations) 
establishes principles for determining costs of grants, contracts, and 
other agreements with nonprofit organizations. This circular provides, 
similar to OMB Circular A-87, that an allowable cost under a federal 
award does not include a cost sharing or matching requirement of any 
other federally financed program in the applicable funding period.
    Applicants for funding under HUD's FY2008 SuperNOFA are reminded of 
the importance of confirming that any federal grant funds that they 
intend to use as a matching share are available to be used as matching 
funds under applicable statutes and regulations.
    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 HUD 
programs in FY2008 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 NOFAs issued during FY2008, 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.
    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 their 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 one. This policy is pursuant to the 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. 
When registering with Dun and Bradstreet, please be sure to use the 
organization's legal name that is used when filing a return with or 
making payments to the Internal Revenue Service. Organizations should 
also provide the zip code using the zip code plus the four additional 
digits.
    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 subparagraphs (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/Code of Conduct. Applicants subject to 24 CFR parts 84 or 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, an applicant awarded assistance under a HUD program NOFA announced 
in FY2008 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. An applicant is prohibited from receiving an award of funds 
from HUD if it fails to meet this requirement for a code of conduct. An 
applicant who previously submitted an application and included a copy 
of its code of conduct will not be required to submit another copy if 
the applicant is listed on HUD's Web site: https://www.hud.gov/offices/
adm/grants/codeofconduct/cconduct.cfm, and if the information has not 
been revised. An applicant not listed on the website must submit a copy 
of its code of conduct with its FY2008 application for assistance. An 
applicant must also include a copy of its code of conduct if the 
information listed on the above website 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.). Any applicant that needs to may submit 
its code of conduct to

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HUD via facsimile using the form HUD-96011, ``Facsimile Transmittal'' 
(``Third Party Documentation Facsimile Transmittal'' on Grants.gov) at 
the time of application submission. When using the facsimile 
transmittal form, please type the requested information. Use the form 
HUD-96011 as the cover page for the submission and include the 
following header in the top line of the form under Name of Document 
Being Requested: ``Code of Conduct for (insert your organization's 
name, city, and state).'' Fax the information to HUD's toll-free number 
at (800) 894-4047. If you cannot access the 800 number or have 
problems, you may use (215) 825-8796 (this is not a toll-free number). 
These are new numbers for FY2008 applications only. HUD is 
transitioning to a new system for intake of grants from Grants.gov and 
it needs to separate faxes received for FY2008 grants from those 
received in FY2007 and prior years while it makes this transition. If 
you use the wrong fax number, your fax will be entered as part of HUD's 
FY2007 database. HUD cannot search its FY2007 database to match FY2008 
faxes to FY2008 applications. As a result, your application will be 
reviewed without faxed information if you fail to use the FY2008 fax 
numbers.
    e. Delinquent Federal Debts. It is HUD policy that applicants with 
an outstanding federal debt will not be eligible to receive an award of 
funds from the Department unless: (1) A negotiated repayment schedule 
is established and the repayment schedule is not delinquent, or (2) 
other arrangements satisfactory to HUD are made prior to the award of 
funds by HUD.
    If arrangements satisfactory to HUD cannot be completed within 90 
days of notification of selection, HUD will not make an award of funds 
to the applicant, but offer the award to the next eligible applicant. 
Applicants selected for funding, or awarded funds, have an obligation 
to report to HUD changes in status of current agreements covering 
federal debt. HUD may withhold funding, terminate an award, or seek 
other remedies from a grantee if a previously agreed-upon payment 
schedule has not been adhered to or a new agreement with the federal 
agency to which the debt is owed has not been signed.
    f. Pre-Award Accounting System Surveys. HUD may arrange for a pre-
award survey of the applicant's financial management system if the 
recommended applicant has no prior federal support, if HUD's program 
officials have reason to question whether the applicant's financial 
management system meets federal financial management standards, or if 
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. (Please see 24 CFR 84.21 if you are an institution 
of higher education, hospital, or other nonprofit organization. See 24 
CFR 85.20 if you are a state, local government, or federally recognized 
Indian tribe).
    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, 
including 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 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:

[[Page 14886]]

    (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 (See Certification requirements under 24 CFR 
91.225);
    (2) Remedy discrimination in housing; and
    (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 FY2008 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. Review 
the individual program NOFAs to determine if section 3 applies to the 
program for which you are seeking funding. Section 3 requires 
recipients to ensure, to the greatest extent feasible, that 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 to business concerns that 
provide economic opportunities to low- and very low-income persons in 
the area in which the project is located. The section 3 regulations at 
24 CFR part 135, subpart E, impose certain reporting requirements on 
recipients, including the submission of an annual report, using form 
HUD-60002 or HUD's online system at: https://www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/
section3/section3.cfm.
    The annual report is highly important to the Department in 
determining compliance with section 3. Applicants are notified that the 
Department is currently reviewing the section 3 reporting requirements 
to assess whether, in FY2009, penalties should be imposed, including 
ineligibility to have funds awarded, if the annual report has not been 
submitted in accordance with the regulations. If the department decides 
to allow this type of penalty for failure to submit the section 3 
annual report, the public will be provided advance notification and 
have the opportunity to comment.
    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 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 subgrantees) 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-
owned business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used 
whenever possible or as specified in the individual program NOFAs.
    e. Real Property Acquisition and Relocation. Unless otherwise 
specified by legislation or regulation, HUD-assisted programs or 
projects are subject to the Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real 
Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as amended (Uniform Act or 
URA) (42 U.S.C. 4601), and the governmentwide implementing regulations 
issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation at 49 CFR part 24. The 
Uniform Act's protections and assistance apply to acquisitions of real 
property and displacements resulting from the acquisition, 
rehabilitation, or demolition of real property for federal or federally 
assisted programs or projects. With certain limited exceptions, real 
property acquisitions for a HUD-assisted program or project must comply 
with 49 CFR part 24, subpart B. To be exempt from the URA's acquisition 
policies, real property acquisitions conducted without the threat or 
use of eminent domain, commonly referred to as ``voluntary 
acquisitions,'' must satisfy the applicable requirements of 49 CFR 
24.101(b)(1) through (5). Evidence of compliance with these 
requirements must be maintained by the recipient. The URA's relocation 
requirements remain applicable to any tenant(s) who are displaced by an 
acquisition and who meet the requirements of 49 CFR 24.101(b)(1) 
through (5).
    The relocation requirements of the Uniform Act, and its 
implementing regulations 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 of the URA 
regulation (49 CFR 24.2(a)(9)(ii)(D)) explains that any tenant who has 
been temporarily relocated for a period beyond one year must be 
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. Generally, 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.
    Additional information and resources pertaining to real property 
acquisition and relocation for HUD-funded programs and projects are 
available on HUD's Real Estate Acquisition and Relocation Web site at: 
https://www.hud.gov/relocation. You will find applicable laws and 
regulations, policy and guidance, publications, training resources, and 
a listing of HUD contacts if you have questions or need assistance.
    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 language assistance 
services, in accordance with Final Guidance to Federal Financial 
Assistance Recipients Regarding Title VI Prohibition Against National 
Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons 
published in the Federal Register on January 22, 2007 (72 FR 2732). For 
assistance and information regarding LEP obligations, go to https://
www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/promotingfh/lep.cfm. A link to the final 
guidance issued in the Federal Register can be found on that page.
    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

[[Page 14887]]

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 service 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 organizations in HUD program 
implementation. HUD revised its program regulations in 2003 and 2004 to 
remove the barriers to participation by 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, persons with disabilities to access and use 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, EIT must allow individuals 
with disabilities who are federal employees or members of the public 
seeking information or services to have access to and use information 
and data on a comparable basis as that made available to 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. FY2008 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 a rate more than the equivalent of General Schedule 15, Step 10 base 
pay rate for which the annual rate for FY2008 is $124,010. The hourly 
rate is $57.90.
    m. OMB Circulars and Governmentwide Regulations Applicable to 
Financial Assistance Programs. Certain OMB Circulars (2 CFR 225) also 
apply to HUD programs in the 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 Non-profit 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 the SuperNOFA, and to 
the remedies for noncompliance, except when inconsistent with the 
provisions of HUD's appropriations act for FY2008, other federal 
statutes or regulations, or the provisions of this notice. Compliance 
with additional OMB circulars or governmentwide regulations may be 
specified for a particular program in the Program Section of the 
SuperNOFA. Copies of the OMB circulars may be obtained from https://
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/, or the Executive Office of 
the President Publications, New Executive Office Building, Room 2200, 
Washington, DC 20503; telephone (202) 395-3080 (this is not a toll-free 
number). Individuals with speech or hearing impairments may access this 
number by dialing (800) 877-8339 (toll-free TTY Federal Information 
Relay Service).
    n. Environmental Requirements. If you become a recipient under a 
HUD program that assists 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.

[[Page 14888]]

    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 modifications or exclusions from 
environmental review under a particular program.
    o. Conflicts of Interest. If you are a consultant or expert who is 
assisting HUD in rating and ranking applicants for funding under the 
SuperNOFA or future NOFAs published in FY2008, 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 FY2008, 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 FY2008 NOFAs, 
including experts and consultants, must avoid conflicts of interest or 
the appearance of such 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 nonselection of any applicant under FY2008 NOFAs 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 FY2008 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, telephone, and fax numbers; and
    (c) A grantee contact name, telephone, and fax numbers; 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) above 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. This includes 
when reviewing, printing, or copying client files.
    r. Compliance with the Federal Funding Accountability and 
Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. L. 109-282) (Transparency Act). 
Applicants receiving an award from HUD should be aware of the 
requirements of the Transparency Act. The Transparency Act requires the 
establishment of a central website that makes information available to 
the public regarding entities receiving federal financial assistance, 
by not later than January 1, 2008. In fulfillment of the requirements 
of the Act, OMB launched https://www.USAspending.gov in December 2007. 
The website makes information available to the public on the direct 
awards made by the federal government. The Transparency Act also 
requires, beginning not later than January 2009, that data on subawards 
be made available on the same website. In anticipation of the 
implementation of this requirement, HUD is placing awardees of its 
FY2008 competitive funding on notice of these requirements and note 
that once implemented, grantees will be required to report their 
subaward data to HUD or a central federal database. The only exceptions 
to this requirement under the Act are: (i) Federal transactions below 
$25,000, (ii) credit card transactions prior to October 1, 2008, (iii) 
awards to entities that demonstrate to the Director of OMB that the 
gross income of such entity from all sources did not exceed $300,000 in 
the previous tax year of such entity, and (iv) awards to individuals. 
Guidance for receiving an exception under item (iii) above has not been 
finalized by OMB.
    HUD is responsible for placing award information for direct 
grantees on the government website. The reporting of subaward data is 
the responsibility of the grantee. Grantees should be aware that the 
law requires the information provided on the federal website to include 
the following elements related to all subaward transactions, except as 
noted above:
    (1) The name of the entity receiving the award;
    (2) The amount of the award;
    (3) Information on the award including the transaction type, 
funding agency, the North American Industry Classification System code 
or Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number (where 
applicable), program source, and an award title descriptive of the 
purpose of each funding action;
    (4) The location of the entity receiving the award and primary 
location of performance under the award, including the city, state, 
congressional district, and country;
    (5) A unique identifier of the entity receiving the award and of 
the parent entity of the recipient (the DUNS

[[Page 14889]]

number), should the entity be owned by another entity; and
    (6) Any other relevant information specified by OMB.
    HUD expects OMB to issue further guidance on subaward reporting 
during FY2008. Based on preliminary input from the various federal 
agencies, applicants should be aware that consideration is being given 
to requiring the disclosure of additional data elements to help track 
the flow of funding from the original federal award. Such data elements 
under consideration include the tier at which the subaward was made, 
the federal award number issued to the direct awardee, the dollar 
amount of the federal award emanating from the direct award going to 
the subawardee, as well as the total subaward amount, which could 
include funds from other sources. Additional information regarding 
these requirements will be issued by OMB and will be provided when 
available.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. Addresses To Request Application Package

    This section describes how applicants may obtain application forms 
and request technical assistance.
 1. Technical Assistance and Resources for Electronic Grant 
Applications
    a. Grants.gov Customer Support. Grants.gov provides customer 
support information on its Web site at: https://www.grants.gov/
contactus/contactus.jsp. Applicants having difficulty accessing the 
application and instructions or having technical problems can receive 
customer support from Grants.gov by calling (800) 518-GRANTS (this is a 
toll-free number) or by sending an e-mail to support@grants.gov. The 
customer support center is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. eastern time, 
Monday through Friday, except federal holidays. The customer service 
representatives will assist applicants in accessing the information and 
addressing technology issues.
    b. HUD Website. The following documents and information can be 
found at HUD's Web site at: https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
fundsavail.cfm.
    (1) Desktop Users Guide for Submitting Electronic Grant 
Applications. HUD has published on its Web site a detailed Desktop 
Users Guide that walks applicants through the electronic process, 
beginning with finding a funding opportunity, completing the 
registration process, and downloading and submitting the electronic 
application. The guide includes helpful step-by-step instructions, 
screen shots, and tips to assist applicants in becoming familiar with 
submitting applications electronically.
    (2) Connecting with Communities: A User's Guide to HUD Programs and 
the FY2008 NOFA Process Guidebook. This guidebook to HUD programs will 
be available from the HUD NOFA Information Center and at the HUD's 
Funds Available Web site at: https://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/
fundsavail.cfm after the publication of the SuperNOFA. The guidebook 
provides a brief description of all HUD programs that have funding 
available in FY2008, identifies eligible applicants for the programs, 
and the program office responsible for the administration of the 
program.
    (3) NOFA Webcasts. HUD provides technical assistance and training 
on its programs announced through its 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 website. The NOFA webcast 
schedule can be found via HUD's Web site at: https://www.hud.gov/
webcasts/index.cfm.
    c. HUD's NOFA Information Center. Applicants that do not have 
Internet access and 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 speech impairments may access this number, toll free, via 
TTY by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
The NOFA Information Center is open between the hours of 10 a.m. and 
6:30 p.m. eastern time, Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
    d. HUD Staff. 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, 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. If you have 
program-related questions, follow the instructions in section VII of 
the Program Section entitled ``Agency Contact(s)'' in the program NOFA 
under which you are applying.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    1. Use of Adobe Forms Application Packages. In FY2008, HUD is using 
Adobe Forms in the application packages available from Grants.gov. The 
Adobe Forms packages are compatible with the Microsoft Windows Vista 
operating system, Apple Macintosh computers, and Microsoft Office 2007. 
For more information, see the Grants.gov Web site at: https://
www.grants.gov/assets/Vista_and_office_07_Compatibility.pdf.
    2. Instructions on How to Register for Electronic Application 
Submission. Applicants must submit their applications electronically 
through Grants.gov. Before you can do so, you must complete several 
important steps to register as a submitter. The registration process 
can take approximately 2 to 4 weeks to complete. Therefore, 
registration should be done in sufficient time before you submit your 
application. To register, applicants must complete five sequential 
steps as follows:
    a. Step One: Obtain a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS). Step One of the registration process requires an 
applicant to obtain a DUNS number for the organizational entity for 
which it will be submitting the application. All organizations seeking 
funding directly from HUD must have a DUNS number and include the 
number on the form SF-424, Application for Federal Financial 
Assistance, which is part of the application package. The DUNS number 
is also required as part of the registration process. If your 
organizational entity already has a DUNS number, it may use that 
number, provided it is registered with Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) as 
required by this notice. 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 one. This policy is pursuant to OMB policy 
issued in the Federal Register on June 27, 2003 (68 FR 38402). HUD 
codified the DUNS number requirement on November 9, 2004 (69 FR 65024). 
A copy of the OMB Federal Register notice and HUD's regulation 
codifying the DUNS number requirement can be found at: https://
www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/duns.cfm. Applicants cannot submit an 
application without a DUNS number.
    Applicants must note that applicant information entered and used to 
obtain the DUNS number will be used to pre-

[[Page 14890]]

populate the Central Contractor Registration (CCR), which is Step Two 
of the registration process. Applicants should, therefore, carefully 
review information entered when obtaining a DUNS number. When 
registering with D&B, please be sure to use the organizational entity's 
legal name used when filing a return or making a payment to the 
Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Organizations should also provide the 
zip code using the Zip Code plus four (Zip+4) code.
    Applicants can obtain a DUNS number by calling (866) 705-5711 (this 
is a toll-free number). The approximate time to get a DUNS number is 10 
to 15 minutes, and there is no charge. After obtaining your DUNS 
number, applicants should wait 24 to 48 hours to register with the CCR 
so that its DUNS number has time to become activated in the D&B records 
database.
    b. Step Two: Register with the CCR. The second step of the 
registration process is registering with the CCR. The CCR is the 
primary vendor database for the federal government. An organization 
planning to submit a grant application must register, or annually 
update or renew its registration, with CCR to establish roles and IDs 
for representatives that will use Grants.gov to submit electronic grant 
applications. If you need assistance with the CCR registration process, 
you can contact the CCR Assistance Center, 24 hours a day, 7 days a 
week at (888) 227-2423 or (269) 961-5757. Applicants can also obtain 
assistance online at: https://www.ccr.gov. A CCR Handbook that guides 
applicants through the registration process is available on the CCR 
website by clicking on ``Help.'' If you fail to update/renew your CCR 
registration, your Grants.gov registration will lapse and you will not 
be able to submit an application for funding. Registration, including 
update/renewal, can take several weeks, because CCR compares its 
records to those maintained by D&B and the IRS. If discrepancies arise, 
Step Two cannot be completed until the discrepancies are resolved. For 
this reason, HUD urges applicants to complete the CCR registration, or 
update/renew its existing registration, immediately. Otherwise, the 
CCR's check with D&B and IRS records may delay your completing the 
registration process and adversely affect your ability to submit your 
grant application.
    The CCR registration process consists of completing a Trading 
Partner Profile (TPP), which contains general, corporate, and financial 
information about your organization. When completing the TPP, you will 
be required to identify an eBusiness Point of Contact (eBusiness POC) 
responsible for maintaining the information in the TPP and granting 
authorization to individuals to serve as Authorized Organization 
Representatives (AORs). An AOR is the individual who will submit the 
application through Grants.gov for the applicant organization. 
Applicants can check the CCR registration and eBusiness POC by going to 
https://www.ccr.gov and searching by clicking on ``Search CCR.''
    (1) CCR Use of D&B Information. In July 2006, CCR implemented a 
policy change. Under this policy change, instead of obtaining name and 
address information directly from the registrant, CCR obtains the 
following data fields from D&B: Legal Business Name; Doing Business as 
Name (DBA); Physical Address; and Postal Code (Zip+4). Registrants will 
not be able to enter or modify these fields in CCR because they will be 
pre-populated using previously registered D&B Data Universal Numbering 
System (DUNS) records data. During a new registration, or when updating 
a record, the registrant has a choice to accept or reject the 
information provided from the D&B records. If the registrant agrees 
with the D&B-supplied information, the D&B data will be accepted into 
the CCR registrant record. If the registrant disagrees with the D&B-
supplied data, the registrant must go to the D&B Web site at: 
                    

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