Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP); Solicitation of Proposals, 69065-69069 [2021-26401]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Indian Affairs

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 231 (Monday, December 6, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69065-69069]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-26401]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[222A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900253G]


Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP); Solicitation of Proposals

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

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ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Indian Economic Development (OIED), through its 
Living Languages Grant Program (LLGP), is soliciting proposals from 
federally recognized Tribes and Tribal organizations 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 March 7, 
2022.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Dennis Wilson, Grant Management 
Specialist, Office of Indian Economic Development, telephone: (505) 
917-3235; email: [email protected]. Additional Program information 
can be found at https://www.bia.gov/service/grants/llgp.

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 OIED Assistance
XV. Separate Document(s)
XVI. Paperwork Reduction Act
XVII. Authority

I. General Information

    Award Ceiling: 200,000.
    Award Floor: 25,000.
    CFDA Number: 15.032.
    Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No.
    Number of Awards: 15-60.
    Category: Education Program Enhancements.

II. Number of Projects Funded

    OIED 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. OIED 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 
OIED, is soliciting proposals from federally recognized Tribes listed 
as Indian Entities Recognized by and Eligible to Receive Services from 
the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs at 86 FR 7554 (January 29, 
2021) or Tribal Organizations as eligible for LLGP grants. Indian 
Tribes are referred to using the term ``Tribe'' throughout this notice. 
Tribal Organization is defined by 25 U.S.C. 5304(l). While only 
federally recognized Tribes or Tribal Organizations may apply for LLGP 
grants, grantees may select or retain for-profit or non-profit Tribal 
Organizations to perform a grant's scope of work 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 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.
    OIED 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

    The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), through the OIED 
Division of Economic Development (DED), solicits proposals only from 
federally recognized Tribes listed as Indian Entities Recognized by and 
Eligible to Receive Services from the United States Bureau of Indian 
Affairs at 85 FR 5462 or Tribal Organizations are eligible for LLGP 
grants. Indian Tribes are referred to using the term ``Tribe'' 
throughout this notice. Tribal Organization is defined by 25 U.S.C. 
5304(l). While only federally recognized Tribes or Tribal Organizations 
may apply for LLGP grants, grantees may select or retain for-profit or 
non-profit Tribal Organizations to perform a grant's scope of work to 
receive LLGP grants.
    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.
    No more than one proposal will be accepted by a federally 
recognized Tribe. Applications should address only one project. Any 
submissions that contain multiple project proposals will not be 
considered. OIED 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;

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     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 applications must be submitted in digital form to grants.gov. 
For instructions, see https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/HowToApplyForGrants.htm.
    All LLGP applicants must submit the standard forms ``package'' as 
outlined in section IX of this announcement. These forms can be found 
under the ``package'' tab on the LLGP2021 grant listing at 
www.grants.gov. In very limited circumstances, OIED may accept a non-
digital application. Please contact OIED at least a week prior to the 
submission deadline for approval. There are seven mandatory components 
(forms) that must be included in each proposal package. Links to the 
mandatory forms can be found under the ``package'' tab on the LLGP2021 
grant opportunity page at www.grants.gov. The following are the names 
of the required forms:

 Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) [V3.0]
 Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) 
[V1.0]
 Budget Narrative Attachment Form [V1.2]
 Project Abstract Summary [V2.0]
 Project Narrative Attachment Form [V1.2]
 Attachments [V1.2]
 Key Contacts [V2.0]

Application for Federal Assistance SF-424

    It is required that the applicant complete the Application for 
Federal Assistance SF-424. Please use a descriptive file name that 
includes Tribal name and project description. For example: 
LLGPSF424.Tribalname.Project.

Project Abstract Summary and Project Narrative Attachment

    The first paragraph of the project narrative must include the title 
and basic description of the proposed Living Languages project. The 
Project Narrative must not exceed 15 pages. At a minimum, it should 
include:
     A technical description of the project and, if applicable, 
an explanation of how the project would benefit the applicant and does 
not duplicate previous work.
     A description of the project objectives and goals.
     Deliverable products that the project will generate, 
including interim deliverables (such as status reports and technical 
data to be obtained) and final deliverables.
     Resumes of key consultants and/or 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.
     Please use a descriptive file name that includes Tribal 
name and project description. For example: 
LLGPNarrative.Tribalname.Project.
    Project Narratives are not judged based on their length. Please do 
not submit any unnecessary attachments or documents beyond what is 
listed above, e.g., Tribal history, unrelated photos, and maps.

Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) [V1.0] and 
Budget Narrative Attachment Form [V1.2]

    It is required that the budget be submitted using the SF-424A form. 
Please use a descriptive file name that includes Tribal name and 
project description. For example: LLGPBudget.Tribalname.Project.
    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 OIED review committee to evaluate the 
charges.
     Other expenses may include computer rental, report 
generation, drafting, and advertising costs for a proposed project.

Key Contacts [V2.0]

    Applicants must include the Key Contacts information page that 
includes:
     Project Manager's contact information including address, 
email, desk, and cell phone number.
     If there is more than one contact, please provide an 
additional key contact's form.
     Please use a descriptive file name that includes Tribal 
name and identifies that it is the critical information page (CIP). For 
example: LLGPCIP.Tribalname.Project.

Attachments [V1.2]

    Utilize the attachments form to include the Tribal resolution 
issued in the fiscal year of the grant application, authorizing the 
submission of a LLGP 2021 grant application. It must be signed by 
authorized Tribal representative(s). The Tribal resolution must also 
include a description of the Living Language project that will be 
delivered. The attachments form can also be used to include any other 
attachments related to the proposal.

Required Grantee Travel and Attendance at a Language Preservation 
Annual Grantee Meeting

    Grantees will be required to have two individuals who work directly 
on the project attend an in-person annual DOI/OIED-sponsored grantee 3-
day meeting in Washington, DC, during the year of the grant award. 
Applicants must include costs in the budget to cover this requirement. 
Travel costs must not exceed $6,000 per person. Applicants should 
follow their own travel policies to budget for this 3-day meeting.

Special Notes

    Please make sure that the System for Award Management (SAM) number 
used to apply is active, not expired.
    Please make sure an active Automated Standard Application for 
Payment (ASAP) number is provided. Applicants must have an ASAP number 
to be eligible.
    It is helpful to list counties where the project is located and 
congressional district number where the project is located.
    Incomplete Applications. Incomplete applications will not be 
accepted. Please ensure that all of the forms listed in the 
announcement are completed and submitted in grants.gov.

IX. Review and Selection Process

    Upon receiving an LLGP application, OIED 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.
    The Committee, comprised of OIED staff, Federal partners, and 
subject matter experts, will evaluate the proposals against the ranking 
criteria. Proposals will be evaluated using the

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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. 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

    OIED'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 
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 activities to OIED within 
30 days of the end of each reporting period and 90 days after 
completion of the project. The reporting periods will be established in 
the terms and conditions of the final award.
    OIED requires that deliverable products be provided in digital 
format. 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's 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.

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     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 OIED Assistance

    OIED staff may provide technical assistance, upon written request 
by an applicant. The request must clearly identify the type of 
assistance sought. Technical assistance 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 assistance 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, the agreement continues $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 at BIE schools, including those Tribes and 
organizations in states without Bureau-funded schools.

Bryan Newland,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2021-26401 Filed 12-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P