Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP); Solicitation of Proposals, 31544-31548 [2020-11201]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 101 (Tuesday, May 26, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31544-31548]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11201]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[201A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900253G]


Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP); Solicitation of Proposals

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), 
through its Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP), is soliciting 
proposals from Tribes for grants to fund Native language instruction 
and immersion programs for Native students not enrolled at Bureau of 
Indian Education (BIE) schools, including those Tribes in States 
without BIE-funded schools.

DATES: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. ET on August 24, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Email applications to [email protected] in accordance with the 
directions at Step 4 of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephanie Henning, Special Assistant, 
Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP), Office of the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs, Room 4149, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 
20240; telephone: (202) 568-0877; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information
II. Number of Projects Funded
III. Background
IV. Eligibility for Funding
V. Applicant Procurement Procedures
VI. Limitations
VII. Language Instructor Credentials
VIII. LLGP Application Guidance
IX. Review and Selection Process
X. Evaluation Criteria
XI. Transfer of Funds
XII. Reporting Requirements for Award Recipients
XIII. Conflicts of Interest
XIV. Questions and Requests for IEED Assistance
XV. Separate Document(s)
XVI. Paperwork Reduction Act
XVII. Authority

I. General Information

    Award Ceiling: 200,000.
    Award Floor: 25,000.
    CFDA Number: 15.151.
    Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No.
    Number of Awards: 15-60.
    Category: Education Program Enhancements.

II. Number of Projects Funded

    IEED anticipates award of approximately fifteen (15) to sixty (60) 
grants under this announcement ranging in value from approximately 
$25,000 to $200,000. The program can fund projects only one year at a 
time. IEED will use a competitive evaluation process based on criteria 
described in the Evaluation Criteria section (section X of this 
notice).

III. Background

    The Office of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, through 
IEED, is soliciting proposals from Indian Tribes as listed in 85 FR 
5462 for grant funding to support Tribal programs to document Native 
languages or build Tribal capacity to create or expand language 
preservation programs. The LLGP will exclude as grantees BIE schools 
and BIE-funded schools or programs targeting students enrolled in those 
schools.
    The funding will focus on small or start-up programs whose 
objective is to document or build the capacity to preserve Native 
languages that are losing users but which still have active users at 
the grandparent generation. The LLGP seeks to document, preserve, and 
revitalize languages that are used for face-to-face communication; 
languages that can be used by a child-bearing generation, but are not 
being transmitted to children; languages whose only active users are 
members of the grandparent generation or older; languages whose only 
active users are members of the grandparent generation or older but who 
have little opportunity to use them; and

[[Page 31545]]

languages that serve as a reminder of heritage identity for an ethnic 
community, but which lack proficient speakers.
    These grants will be funded under a non-recurring appropriation of 
the BIA budget. Congress appropriates funds on a year-to-year basis. 
Thus, while some LLGP projects may extend over several years, funding 
for successive years depends on each fiscal year's appropriations.
    IEED administers this program through its Division of Economic 
Development (DED).
    The funding periods and amounts referenced in this solicitation are 
subject to the availability of funds at the time of award, as well as 
the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Indian Affairs priorities at 
the time of the award. Neither DOI nor Indian Affairs will be held 
responsible for proposal or application preparation costs. Publication 
of this solicitation does not obligate DOI or Indian Affairs to award 
any specific grant or to obligate all or any part of available funds. 
Future funding is subject to the availability of appropriations and 
cannot be guaranteed. DOI or Indian Affairs may cancel or withdraw this 
solicitation at any time.

IV. Eligibility for Funding

    Only federally recognized Tribes listed on the Indian Entities 
Recognized by and Eligible to Receive Services from the United States 
Bureau of Indian Affairs at 85 FR 5462 are eligible for LLGP grants. 
Indian Tribes are referred to using the term ``Tribe'' throughout this 
notice. While only Tribes may be applicants for LLGP grants, grantees 
may select or retain for-profit or non-profit Tribal organizations as 
defined by 25 U.S.C. 5304(l) or community groups to perform a grant's 
scope of work.
    Excluded as grantees are BIE-operated schools and BIE-funded 
schools or programs targeting students enrolled in those schools.

V. Applicant Procurement Procedures

    The applicant is subject to the procurement standards in 2 CFR 
200.318 through 200.326. In accordance with 2 CFR 200.318, an applicant 
must use its own documented procurement procedures which reflect Tribal 
laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to 
applicable Federal law and standards identified in 25 CFR part 2.

VI. Limitations

    The LLGP grant funding must be expended in accordance with 
applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, including 2 CFR part 
200.
    Applicants that are currently under BIA sanction Level 2 or higher 
resulting from non-compliance with the Single Audit Act are ineligible 
for an LLGP award. Applicants at Sanction Level 1 will be considered 
for funding.
    An applicant may submit more than one grant application. For 
example, an applicant may submit an application to fund an after-school 
language instruction program and a separate application to support a 
summer language instruction program. However, applications should 
address one project and any submissions that contain multiple project 
proposals will not be considered. IEED will apply the same objective 
ranking criteria to each proposal.
    The purpose of LLGP grants is to fund Native language instruction 
and immersion programs only. LLGP awards may not be used for:
     Indirect costs or administrative costs as defined by the 
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR);
     Legal fees;
     Contract negotiation fees; and
     Any other activities not authorized by the grant award 
letter.

VII. Language Instructor Credentials

    Instructors identified in LLGP proposals for funding need only be 
approved by the Tribal applicant and need not be credentialed or 
certified by a state, educational institution, or other external 
entity.

VIII. LLGP Application Guidance

    All LLGP applicants must use the standard forms Application for 
Federal Assistance SF-424 and the Project Narrative Attachment Form. 
These forms can be found at www.grants.gov. A complete proposal must 
contain the five mandatory components as described below.

Step 1. Complete the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424

Instructions to Download the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424
    1. Go to www.grants.gov.
    2. Select the ``forms'' tab. This will open a page with a table 
titled ``SF-424 FAMILY FORMS.''
    3. Under the column ``Agency Owner,'' third row down, is listed, 
Grants.gov--Application for Federal Assistance SF-424.
    4. Click on the blue PDF letters to download the three-page 
document.
Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 (Mandatory Component 1)
    Within the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424, please 
complete the following sections:
     Item 8a. Applicant Information--Legal Name.
     Item 8b.
     Item 8c.
     Item 8d. Address.
     Item 8f. Name and contact information of person to be 
contacted on matters involving this application.
     Item 9. Select I: Indian/Native American Tribal Government 
(Federally Recognized).
     Item 11. CFDA Title box--Type in the numbers: 15.151
     Item 12. Title box--Type in: IEED LLGP Grant.
     Item 15. Descriptive Title of Applicant's Project. Type in 
short description of proposal.
     Item 21. Read certification statement. Check ``agree'' 
box.
     Authorized Representative section: Complete all boxes 
except ``signature of authorized representative.'' Be sure to type in 
the Tribal leader's information. Be sure to include the Tribal leader's 
preferred title (e.g., Governor, President, Chairman).

Save the Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 and name the file 
using the following format: Tribal Name LLGP Grant Application SF-424.
    Example for naming the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance 
file: Pueblo of Laguna LLGP Grant Application SF-424.

Step 2. Prepare the Project Narrative, Budget, Critical Information 
Documents, and Obtain a Tribal Resolution

Project Narrative (Mandatory Component 2)
    The Project Narrative must not exceed 15 pages. At a minimum, it 
should include:
     A technical description of the language project;
     A description of the project's objectives and goals;
     Deliverable products that the project is expected to 
generate; and
     Resumes of key personnel to be retained, if available, and 
the names of subcontractors, if applicable. This information may be 
included as an attachment to the application and will not be counted 
towards the 15-page limitation.
    Project Narratives are not judged based on their length. Please do 
not submit any attachments or documents beyond what is listed above, 
e.g., Tribal history.

[[Page 31546]]

Budget (Mandatory Component 3)
    The Budget should consist of a one-page, detailed budget estimate 
in Excel format with applicable attachments listed below. The budget 
must identify the amount of grant funding requested and a comprehensive 
breakdown of all projected and anticipated expenditures, including 
contracted personnel fees, consulting fees (hourly or fixed), travel 
costs, data collection and analysis costs, computer rentals, report 
generation, drafting, advertising costs for a proposed project and 
other relevant project expenses, and their subcomponents.
     Travel costs should be itemized by airfare, vehicle 
rental, lodging, and per diem, based on the current Federal government 
per diem schedule.
     Data collection and analysis costs should be itemized in 
sufficient detail for the IEED review committee (Committee) to evaluate 
the charges.
     Other expenses may include computer rental, report 
generation, drafting, and advertising costs for a proposed project.
Critical Information Page (Mandatory Component 4)
    Applicants must include a critical information page that includes:
     Project Manager's contact information;
     Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number;
     An active Automated Standard Application for Payment 
(ASAP) number;
     Counties where the project is located; and
     Congressional District number where the project is 
located.
Tribal Resolution Attachment (Mandatory Component 5)
    Applicants must include as an attachment to their application a 
Tribal resolution issued in the fiscal year of the grant application, 
authorizing the submission of a FY 2020 LLGP grant application. It must 
be signed by authorized Tribal representative(s). The Tribal resolution 
must also include:
     A description of the language project to be developed; and
     An explicit reference to the Project Narrative being 
submitted.

Step 3. Prepare the Project Narrative Attachment Form for Submission

    Note: Mandatory components 2-5 must be submitted using the Project 
Narrative Attachment Form.
Instructions to download the Project Narrative Attachment Form
     Go to www.grants.gov.
     Select the ``forms'' tab. This will open a page within the 
table titled ``SF-424 FAMILY FORMS.''
     Under the column ``Agency Owner'' three quarters down the 
table (52nd row), is listed, Grants.gov--Project Narrative Attachment 
Form.
     Click on the blue PDF letters to download the one page 
document.
    When the applicant has successfully downloaded the Project 
Narrative Attachment Form, follow the next steps to upload documents:
     On the Project Narrative Attachment Form, click on the 
button titled ``Add Project Narrative File.''
     Select the Project Narrative that you want to upload and 
click ``open'' to upload the file.
     On the same Project Narrative Attachment Form, you will 
find a grey button titled ``Add Optional Project Narrative File.'' Use 
this button to upload the Budget Narrative, Critical Information Page, 
and the Tribal Resolution as attachments.
    When the applicant has completed uploading the Project Narrative 
and the attachments (Budget, Tribal Resolution, and Critical 
Information Page) to the Project Narrative Attachment Form, the 
applicant will save and name the file using the following format: 
Tribal Name LLGP Grant Attachments.
    Example for naming the Project Narrative Attachment Form file: 
Pueblo of Laguna LLGP Grant Attachments.

Step 4. Submit the Completed LLGP Grant Proposal

    Applicants must submit the Application for Federal Assistance SF-
424 form and the Project Narrative Attachment Form in a single email to 
the email listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice and:
     State ``LLGP APPLICATION NARRATIVE AND SF-424'' in the 
email subject line; and
     Include ``Attention: James R. West, Program Analyst, 
Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development'' in the first line of 
the email.
    Applications and mandatory attachments received and date stamped 
after the time listed in the DATES section of this notice will not be 
considered by the Awarding Official. IEED will accept applications at 
any time before the deadline and will send a notification of receipt to 
the return email address on the application package, along with a 
determination of whether the application is complete.
    Incomplete Applications. Applications submitted without one or more 
of the five mandatory components described above will be returned to 
the applicant with an explanation. The applicant will then be allowed 
to correct any deficiencies and resubmit the proposal for consideration 
on or before the deadline. This option will not be available to an 
applicant once the deadline has passed.

IX. Review and Selection Process

    Upon receiving an LLGP application, IEED will determine whether the 
application is complete. Any proposal that is received after the date 
and time in the DATES section of this notice will not be reviewed. If 
an application is not complete and the submission deadline has not 
passed, the applicant will be notified and given an opportunity to 
resubmit its application.
    The Committee, comprised of IEED staff from other Federal agencies, 
and subject matter experts, will evaluate the proposals against the 
ranking criteria. Proposals will be evaluated using the three ranking 
criteria listed below, with a maximum achievable total of 100 points.
    Final award selections will be approved by the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs and the Associate Deputy Secretary, U.S. 
Department of the Interior. Applicants not selected for award will be 
notified in writing.

X. Evaluation Criteria

    Clarity and Reasonableness: 20 points. The Committee will review 
LLGP grant proposals for completeness, organization, and the 
reasonableness of identified costs, all in the context of achieving a 
project's stated goals and objectives. The Committee will examine 
whether the budget submitted is detailed enough to explain how and when 
funds are to be spent and whether line-item budget numbers are 
appropriate and reasonable to complete the proposed tasks.
    Qualitative Impact: 40 points. The proposal should clearly state 
how the project would document, preserve, or revitalize a Native 
language whose status is described at Section III of this notice. The 
Committee will evaluate the extent to which the Native language 
addressed by the proposal is jeopardized or nearing extinction and the 
degree to which the proposal could enliven the language by arresting or 
minimizing intergenerational disruption.
    Quantitative Impact: 40 points. The proposal should estimate the 
number of students or percentage of Tribal members who will be directly 
and indirectly benefitted by the proposal. This criterion is not 
intended to favor proposals submitted by Tribes with larger populations 
or disadvantage those submitted by Tribes with smaller ones.

[[Page 31547]]

Because LLGP funds are limited, however, the Committee must conduct a 
cost-benefit analysis of each proposal. On this basis, the Committee 
will prefer applicants that are currently receiving little or no 
federal funding for language preservation activities.
    LLGP applications will be ranked using only these criteria (as 
described above):
     Clarity and Reasonableness: 20.
     Qualitative Impact: 40.
     Quantitative Impact: 40.
     Total: 100.

XI. Transfer of Funds

    IEED's obligation under this solicitation is contingent on receipt 
of congressionally appropriated funds. No liability on the part of the 
U.S. Government for any payment may arise until funds are made 
available to the awarding officer for this grant and until the 
recipient receives notice of such availability, to be confirmed in 
writing by the grant officer.
    All payments under this agreement will be made by electronic funds 
transfer through the ASAP. All award recipients are required to have a 
current and accurate DUNS number to receive funds. All payments will be 
deposited to the banking information designated by the applicant in the 
System for Award Management (SAM).

XII. Reporting Requirements for Award Recipients

    The applicant must deliver all products and data required by the 
signed Grant Agreement for the proposed LLGP project to IEED within 30 
days of the end of each quarter and 90 days after completion of the 
project.
    IEED requires that deliverable products be provided in both digital 
format and printed hard copies. Reports can be provided in either 
Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat PDF format. Spreadsheet data can be 
provided in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, or Adobe PDF formats. 
All vector figures should be converted to PDF format. Raster images can 
be provided in PDF, JPEG, TIFF, or any of the Windows metafile formats. 
The contract between the grantee and the consultant conducting the LLGP 
funded project must include deliverable products and require that the 
products be prepared in the format described above.
    The contract should include budget amounts for all printed and 
digital copies to be delivered in accordance with the grant agreement. 
In addition, the contract must specify that all products generated for 
the project belong to the grantee and cannot be released to the public 
without the grantee's written approval. Products include, but are not 
limited to, all reports and technical data obtained, status reports, 
and the final report.
    In addition, this funding opportunity and financial assistance 
award must adhere to the following provisions:

XIII. Conflicts of Interest

Applicability

     This section intends to ensure that non-Federal entities 
and their employees take appropriate steps to avoid conflicts of 
interest in their responsibilities under or with respect to Federal 
financial assistance agreements.
     In the procurement of supplies, equipment, construction, 
and services by recipients and by sub-recipients, the conflict of 
interest provisions in 2 CFR 200.318 apply.

Requirements

     Non-Federal entities must avoid prohibited conflicts of 
interest, including any significant financial interests that could 
cause a reasonable person to question the recipient's ability to 
provide impartial, technically sound, and objective performance under 
or with respect to a Federal financial assistance agreement.
     In addition to any other prohibitions that may apply with 
respect to conflicts of interest, no key official of an actual or 
proposed recipient or sub-recipient, who is substantially involved in 
the proposal or project, may have been a former Federal employee who, 
within the last one (1) year, participated personally and substantially 
in the evaluation, award, or administration of an award with respect to 
that recipient or sub-recipient or in development of the requirement 
leading to the funding announcement.
     No actual or prospective recipient or sub-recipient may 
solicit, obtain, or use non-public information regarding the 
evaluation, award, administration of an award to that recipient or sub-
recipient or the development of a Federal financial assistance 
opportunity that may be of competitive interest to that recipient or 
sub-recipient.

Notification

     Non-Federal entities, including applicants for financial 
assistance awards, must disclose in writing any conflict of interest to 
the DOI awarding agency or pass-through entity in accordance with 2 CFR 
200.112, Conflicts of Interest.
     Recipients must establish internal controls that include, 
at a minimum, procedures to identify, disclose, and mitigate or 
eliminate identified conflicts of interest. The recipient is 
responsible for notifying the Financial Assistance Officer in writing 
of any conflicts of interest that may arise during the life of the 
award, including those that have been reported by sub-recipients.
     Restrictions on Lobbying. Non-Federal entities are 
strictly prohibited from using funds under this grant or cooperative 
agreement for lobbying activities and must provide the required 
certifications and disclosures pursuant to 43 CFR part 18 and 31 U.S.C. 
1352.
     Review Procedures. The Financial Assistance Officer will 
examine each conflict of interest disclosure on the basis of its 
particular facts and the nature of the proposed grant or cooperative 
agreement, and will determine whether a significant potential conflict 
exists and, if it does, develop an appropriate means for resolving it.
     Enforcement. Failure to resolve conflicts of interest in a 
manner that satisfies the Government may be cause for termination of 
the award. Failure to make the required disclosures may result in any 
of the remedies described in 2 CFR 200.338, Remedies for Noncompliance, 
including suspension or debarment (see also 2 CFR part 180).

Data Availability

     Applicability. The Department of the Interior is committed 
to basing its decisions on the best available science and providing the 
American people with enough information to thoughtfully and 
substantively evaluate the data, methodology, and analysis used by the 
Department to inform its decisions.
     Use of Data. The regulations at 2 CFR 200.315 apply to 
data produced under a Federal award, including the provision that the 
Federal Government has the right to obtain, reproduce, publish, or 
otherwise use the data produced under a Federal award as well as 
authorize others to receive, reproduce, publish, or otherwise use such 
data for Federal purposes.
     Availability of Data. The recipient shall make the data 
produced under this award and any subaward(s) available to the 
Government for public release, consistent with applicable law, to allow 
meaningful third party evaluation and reproduction of the following:
    [cir] The scientific data relied upon;
    [cir] The analysis relied upon; and
    [cir] The methodology, including models, used to gather and analyze 
data.

XIV. Questions and Requests for IEED Assistance

    IEED staff may provide technical consultation, upon written request 
by an applicant. The request must clearly

[[Page 31548]]

identify the type of assistance sought. Technical consultation does not 
include funding to prepare a grant proposal, grant writing assistance, 
or pre-determinations as to the likelihood that a proposal will be 
awarded. The applicant is solely responsible for preparing its grant 
proposal. Technical consultation may include clarifying application 
requirements, and registration information for SAM or ASAP.

XV. Separate Document(s)

     Application for Federal Assistance SF-424 Form.
     Project Narrative Attachment Form (this form includes the 
Project Narrative, Budget, Tribal Resolution, and Critical Information 
page).

XVI. Paperwork Reduction Act

    The information collection requirements contained in SF-424, 
Application for Federal Assistance have been reviewed and approved by 
the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) under the Paperwork Reduction 
Act, 44 U.S.C. 3504(h). The OMB control number is 4040-0004. The 
authorization expires on December 31, 2022. An agency may not conduct 
or sponsor, and you are not required to respond to, any information 
collection that does not display a currently valid OMB Control Number.

XVII. Authority

    This is a discretionary grant program authorized under the Snyder 
Act (25 U.S.C. 13) and the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2020 (Pub. L. 116-94). The Snyder Act authorizes the BIA to expend such 
moneys as Congress may appropriate for the benefit, care, and 
assistance of Indians for the purposes listed in the Act. LLGP grants 
facilitate one of the purposes listed in the Snyder Act: ``General 
support and civilization, including education.'' The Further 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, authorizes the BIA to ``carry 
out the operation of Indian programs by direct expenditure, contracts, 
cooperative agreements, compacts, and grants, either directly or in 
cooperation with States and other organizations.'' Further, the 
Conference Report specifies $3,000,000 for grants to federally 
recognized Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations to provide Native 
language instruction and immersion programs to Native students not 
enrolled in BIE schools, including those Tribes and organizations in 
states without Bureau-funded schools.

Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-11201 Filed 5-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P