Fund Availability Under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program (VANS), 28947-28949 [2013-11585]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 95 (Thursday, May 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28947-28949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11585]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Fund Availability Under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per 
Diem Program (VANS)

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing the 
availability of funds for assistance to acquire vans in order to 
facilitate transportation of veteran participants for currently 
operational Grant and Per Diem grantee projects funded under VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and demonstrate an 
occupancy rate of 65 percent or better for the period of October 1, 
2012, through March 31, 2013. This Notice of Funding Availability 
(NOFA) contains information concerning the program, funding priorities, 
application process, and amount of funding available.

DATES: An original completed and collated grant application (plus three 
completed collated copies) for assistance under VA's Homeless Providers 
Grant and Per Diem Program must be received in the Grant and Per Diem 
Program Office by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, June 28, 2013. 
Applications may not be sent by facsimile (FAX). In the interest of 
fairness to all competing applicants, this deadline is firm as to date 
and hour, and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any 
application that is received after the deadline. Applicants should take 
this practice into account and make early submission of their material 
to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated 
delays, computer service outages (in the case of Grants.gov), or other 
delivery-related problems.
    For a Copy of the Application Package: Download directly from VA's 
Grant and Per Diem Program Web page at: https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/GPD.asp or https://www.grants.gov/. Questions should be referred to the 
Grant and Per Diem Program at (toll-free) (877) 332-0334. For 
additional information on VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem 
Program, see Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 61.
    Submission of Application: An original completed and collated grant 
application (plus three copies) must be submitted to the following 
address: VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program Office, 
10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, Florida 33617. 
Applications must be received in the Grant and Per Diem Program Office 
by the application deadline. This includes applications submitted 
through Grants.gov. Applications must arrive as a complete package. 
Materials arriving separately will not be included in the application 
package for consideration and may result in the application being 
rejected or not funded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeffery L. Quarles, Director, VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans 
Affairs, 10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, Florida 33617; 
(toll-free) (877) 332-0334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This NOFA announces the availability of 
capital funds under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program 
for current operational Grant and Per Diem grantees seeking to purchase 
a van(s) to facilitate transportation of veteran participants. Only one 
application for funding per operational grant project number may be 
awarded. However, in the one allowable application, if the grantee has 
50 or more beds associated with that project number, 2 vans may be 
requested. Please refer to 38 CFR part 61 for detailed program 
information.
    Purpose: VA is pleased to issue this NOFA for VA's Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program as a part of the effort to 
increase the availability of transportation to veteran participants in 
Grant and Per Diem funded programs by providing funding to purchase a 
van(s).
    Definitions: 38 CFR 61.1 contains definitions of terms used in VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. The District of 
Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession 
of the United States, may be considered eligible entities under the 
definition of ``State'' in 38 CFR 61.1.
    Authority: Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by 
title 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2061. VA implements this 
statutory authority in 38 CFR part 61. Funds made available under this 
NOFA are subject to the requirements of those regulations.
    Inspections and Monitoring Requirements: VA places a great deal of 
emphasis on the responsibility and accountability of grantees. VA will 
request the purchase documents, a copy of the title, and insurance upon 
completion of the purchase. VA may also inspect the van(s) upon 
completion of the purchase to determine if it was accomplished in 
accordance with the application submitted and meets all appropriate 
regulations. Applicants agree to submit reasonable assurances with 
respect to receipt of a capital grant under this part that:
    (1) The van(s) will be used principally to furnish veterans the 
level of care for which VA awarded the applicant the original grant 
under the VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program; that not 
more than 25 percent of participants at any one time will be non-
veterans; and that such services will meet the requirements of 38 CFR 
61.1-61.82;
    (2) The recipient will keep records and submit reports as VA may 
reasonably require, within the time frames required and give VA, upon 
demand, access to the records upon which such information is based;
    (3) The applicant has agreed to comply with the applicable 
requirements of 38 CFR part 61 and other applicable laws and has 
demonstrated the capacity to do so;
    (4) The applicant does not have an outstanding obligation to VA 
that is in arrears, and does not have an overdue or unsatisfactory 
response to an audit; and
    (5) The applicant is not in default by failing to meet requirements 
for any previous assistance from VA.
    Allocation: Approximately $2 million is available for grant awards 
under this NOFA. The amount awarded will not exceed 65 percent of the 
estimated total cost of the van(s) as stated in the van application. 
The maximum amount of the van(s) award will be the lesser of the 
approved van(s) award amount, and the actual cost of the van(s) not to 
exceed $35,000.00 per van. As applicants are already operating, they 
should take note that if the application is successful and van(s) 
funding is awarded under this NOFA, they will be subject to the

[[Page 28948]]

recapture provisions of 38 CFR 61.67(f) for this award and the 
disposition requirements of 38 CFR 49.34 and 43.32. Applicants should 
become familiar with the amount of time the van(s) will have to operate 
as based on the amount of funding awarded. Operational time for these 
grants will begin upon van(s) purchase. Grantees will be required to 
support their request for the van(s) (see Application Requirements).
    Payments: Under this NOFA, VA will make payments in a method 
consistent with VA policy. Payments will be paid only for allowable 
costs as specified under the Office of Management and Budget Circulars 
for Grants Management and for the activities outlined in this NOFA. All 
payment specifics will be given to the grantee at the time of award.
    Application: Applicants should be careful to complete the proper 
application package. Submission of an incorrect or incomplete 
application package may result in the application being rejected at 
threshold. The package will consist of two parts. The first part will 
be the standard forms required for van grants to include all required 
forms and certifications and will be provided by VA on the Grant and 
Per Diem Web site. They are:

Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424)
Application Receipt Form (VA Form 10-0361A)
General Assurances (VA Form 10-0361 VAN)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility 
Matters
    --Primary Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension and other Responsibility 
Matters
    --Lower Tier Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility and 
Voluntary
    --Exclusion Lower Tier Covered Transactions (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Drug Free Workplace (VA Form 10-0361)
Certification Regarding Lobbying (VA Form 10-0361)
Standard Form 424A, Non-Construction Budget
Standard Form 424B, Non-Construction Assurances

    The second part of the application will be provided by applicants 
and consist of a project narrative and supporting documentation for 
purchase (see Application Requirements). Selections will be made based 
on the criteria described in the application, VA regulations, and NOFA. 
Applicants who are conditionally selected will be notified of any 
additional information needed to confirm or clarify information 
provided in the application. Applicants will then be notified of the 
deadline to submit such information. If an applicant is unable to meet 
any conditions for grant award within the specified time frame, VA 
reserves the right to not award funds and to use the funds available 
for other Grant and Per Diem applicants.
    Application Requirements: This section sets forth provisions for 
obtaining a van capital grant under 38 U.S.C. 2011. In addition to 
being an eligible entity, an applicant already must have received a 
grant under VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program and that 
grant must currently be operational. In addition, the project must 
demonstrate an occupancy rate of 65 percent or better for the period of 
October 1, 2012, through March 31, 2013. Potential applicants may 
contact the Grant and Per Diem Program Office to determine if this 
requirement is met prior to application.
    Project Narrative and Supporting Documentation: Applicants will be 
required to provide an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) 501(c) 
Determination Letter and a letter from a Certified Public Accountant 
(CPA) or letter from the United Way stating they are a member in good 
standing. Applicants must also submit a narrative responding to the 
items and questions in this section of the NOFA. The responses should 
be labeled with the same titles and order of this NOFA. This is to be 
completed in a normal business format on not more than 15 double-spaced 
typed, single-sided pages in Arial 12 font. The narrative should 
address the following:
    Budget Summary: Note: The estimated total costs of purchasing the 
van(s) may include the purchase price, sales taxes, title, and 
licensing fees.
    (a) The Total Cost of the Van(s). This is the amount requested from 
VA plus the remaining balance of funds required to complete 
acquisition.
    (b) Sixty-Five Percent of Total Cost Requested from VA. This is the 
amount of VA participation.
    (c) Thirty-Five Percent Matching Funds. Provide the cash value of 
documented cash and in-kind resources from other public (including 
Federal and State) and private sources that are committed to the 
acquisition of the van(s), i.e., applicant cash, third party cash, 
third party non-cash.
    Supporting Documentation of Match: Applicants must document 
matching resources on the appropriate organization letterhead 
stationary in the following format.
    (a) Applicant Cash Resources: If this proposal is funded, applicant 
will commit $-------- of its own funds for -------- to be made 
available to VA's Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program. The 
funds will be available on --------.
    (b) Third Party Cash: If this proposal is funded, -------- will 
commit $-------- to -------- for -------- to be made available to VA's 
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem program. These funds will be made 
available on --------.
    (c) Third Party Non-Cash: If this proposal is funded, -------- will 
commit to make available -------- valued at $-------- to VA's Homeless 
Providers Grant and Per Diem program proposed by --------. These 
resources will be made available to VA's Homeless Providers Grant and 
Per Diem program from -------- to --------.
    Timeline: Please provide the number of estimated days and from 
execution of the grant agreement that it will take for the van(s) 
acquisition to occur.
    Description of Need: The information you provide here will assist 
in the rating of your project. Identify the need for this van(s), by 
providing a short and descriptive narrative responding to each of the 
following items:
    (a) Identify other sources of alternate public transportation 
available to homeless veterans in your project.
    (b) Project location (e.g., is the project you are requesting a van 
or vans for located on medical center grounds? If yes, explain how the 
van(s) will be used to link homeless veterans with services off of the 
VA property in the community).
    (c) Is this van(s) replacing a van(s) due to expired life use of 
current van(s)?
    (d) Is this van(s) for special disabled individual transportation?
    Description of Activity: Describe how the van(s) will facilitate 
service to homeless veteran participants. Include the following:
    (a) Frequency of use.
    (b) Type of use (e.g., describe how frequently the van or vans will 
be used for outreach versus used as an appointment shuttle and or 
greater access to neighborhood activities, services, and institutions).
    (c) Type of van(s) (e.g., passenger van, justification for 
wheelchair lift, or other modifications. Include all options and or 
extra equipment that will be added to the van(s)).
    Describe Operator Qualification: Provide a job description for the 
van operator that details the following:
    (a) Requirements of the position, and
    (b) Training that will be provided to the driver.

[[Page 28949]]

    Methodology: VA will review all capital grant applications in 
response to this NOFA as follows: VA will group the applicants into the 
funding priority categories as applicable. Applicants will then be 
ranked within their respective funding category based on score and any 
ranking criteria set forth in that funding category, only if the 
applicant scores at least 80 cumulative points under the criteria in 38 
CFR 61.18(d)(1-3).
    The highest-ranked application for which funding is available, 
within the highest funding category, will be conditionally selected in 
accordance with their ranked order until VA reaches the projected 
amount of funding for each category. If funds are still available after 
selection of those applications in the highest priority group, VA will 
continue to conditionally select applicants in lower priority 
categories in accordance with the selection method set forth in 38 CFR 
61.14.

Signing Authority

    The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or designee, approved this 
document and authorized the undersigned to sign and submit the document 
to the Office of the Federal Register for publication electronically as 
an official document of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Jose D. 
Riojas, Interim Chief of Staff, Department of Veterans Affairs, 
approved this document on May 9, 2013 for publication.

    Dated: May 10, 2013.
Robert C. McFetridge,
Director of Regulation Policy and Management, Office of General 
Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-11585 Filed 5-15-13; 8:45 am]
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