Notice of Funds Available (RFP)
18.RFQ.1.1-2: Request for Qualifications - Self-Advocacy Leadership Series
Specifications
| Posted | Applications Due | Start Date | End Date | Amount | Match | Poverty Match | Council Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2021 | Aug 15, 2018 | Sep 30, 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Lee Larriu |
Project Description
The project number for this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is 18.RFQ.1.1-2. This solicitation shall remain open until September 30, 2021.
The purpose of this solicitation is to certify individuals as MDDC Self-Advocacy Leadership Trainers or Self-Advocacy Leadership Support Trainers. Individuals with developmental disabilities who meet the qualification requirements will be certified as MDDC Self-Advocacy Leadership Trainers. Individuals with or without developmental disabilities who meet the qualification requirements will be certified as Self-Advocacy Leadership Support Trainers. Qualification requirements are detailed in Section 5 of this solicitation (Certification Requirements).
This project supports the MDDC 2018 State Plan, Goal 1 Objectives 1 and 2.
Objective 1.1 - A minimum of 100 youth with developmental disabilities will develop advocacy skills and engage in disability advocacy by September 30, 2021
Objective 1.2 - A minimum of 200 adults with developmental disabilities will develop advocacy skills and engage in disability advocacy by September 30, 2021.
The Federal Fiscal Year 2018 MDDC State Plan Goals and Objectives are included as Attachment #1 to this notice.
Eligibility to Apply
Individuals living in Massachusetts are eligible to apply for these funds. 501 (c) (3) non-profit organizations may apply on behalf of an individual or multiple individuals. Applicants must meet the Qualification requirements are detailed in Section 5 of this solicitation (Certification Requirements).
The DD Council
The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council (MDDC) is an independent agency funded by the federal government to work with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to better support people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Council's mission is to help people with developmental disabilities have opportunities to lead successful lives in their communities by supporting inclusive education, greater employment opportunities, and the right to make choices about where, with whom, and how they live.
The Council is comprised of 31 volunteer members appointed by the Governor and a dedicated staff. Members include individuals with developmental disabilities and family members or guardians of individuals with developmental disabilities, professionals, advocates, and representatives of state and private agencies.
Federal Definition of Developmental Disabilities
(A) A developmental disability is a severe chronic disability of a person five years of age or older which (i.) is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments; (ii.) is manifested before the person attains age twenty-two; (iii.) is likely to continue indefinitely; (iv.) results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: (I) self-care, (II) receptive and expressive language, (III) learning, (IV) mobility, (V) self-direction (VI) capacity for independent living; (VII) economic self-sufficiency; and (v.) reflects the individual's need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated. (B) Infants and Young Children - An individual from birth to age 9, inclusive, who has a substantial developmental delay or specific congenital or acquired condition, may be considered to have a developmental disability without meeting 3 or more of the criteria described in clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A) if the individual, without services and supports, has a high probability of meeting those criteria later in life.
Certification Requirements
Applicants must complete steps 1 and 2 below prior to submitting an application for certification.
To be eligible for MDDC certification the applicant must meet the following criteria:
1. Be a graduate of the Self-Advocacy Leadership Series.
2. Complete the Self-Advocacy Leadership Train the Trainer Series conducted by the MDDC.
3. Successfully teach a minimum of 4 complete Self-Advocacy Leadership Series. One successful series is defined as training a minimum of 6 and maximum of 12 students, with all students successfully completing all 8 of the 2 hour in person classes or students completing all 8 of the 1 hour virtual classes.
For more information on participating in the Train the Trainer Series contact Lee Larriu, MDDC Training Coordinator, at lee.larriu@mass.gov.
Application Requirements
The application consists of a set of questions and required attachments to be uploaded and submitted with the application.
Applications must be submitted online via www.ddsuite.org, the MDDC’s grants management system, prior to the published deadline. No hard copies will be accepted. Applicants must have or create a DD Suite user account and an organization account in order to submit an application. Go to www.ddsuite.org/TA for detailed instructions on creating DD Suite user and organization accounts (Systems Information/Accounts and Organizations).
Deadline to submit applications - This is an open solicitation through 11:59 pm Eastern time on September 30, 2021.
All questions regarding this grant solicitation must be submitted in writing via email to Lee Larriu, MDDC Training Coordinator at lee.larriu@mass.gov.
Applicants may be instructed to revise and resubmit incomplete applications.
There will be no debriefing for applicants who do not receive certification. All applicants who respond to this NOFA will be notified of the outcome of their application (awarded, application modifications requested, or denied) by email through DD Suite.
Evaluation
Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria delineated in Section 5 (Certification Requirements).
Requirements of All MDDC Grantees
The following terms and conditions apply to all individuals and organizations receiving MDDC grant funds:
- Distribute MDDC follow-up surveys to project participants with developmental disabilities and family members, provide survey copies and report survey summary data to the MDDC (Attachment 2).
- Submit payment invoices on a cost-reimbursement basis. Payments will be made under the Commonwealth of Mass. standard 45 day payment cycle.
- Complete and submit vendor forms as a condition of payment.
-The MDDC reserves a royalty-free, non-exclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use, any work developed under MDDC grant funds.
- Final drafts of any training materials, publications, videos, websites or other products shall be reviewed and approved by the MDDC prior to dissemination to the general public. Products must acknowledge MDDC funding (e.g., Funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Federal Award No. 93.630).
- All materials developed shall be available and/or reproducible in accessible formats. Size 12 pt. and sans serifs fonts (e.g., Helvetica and Arial) are generally preferred.
- To comply with the State Library requirements, all publications produced with MDDC funding must be forwarded to the MDDC as follows: ten hard copies and one electronic version.
- The following federal audit requirements are applicable to MDDC funds: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-21, A-87, A-122, and A-133, as well as Title 48 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 31, as well as the Single Audit Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-502).
- The following regulations from Title 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) may be applicable to all sub-grantees. 45 CFR Parts 16, 30, 76, 80, 81, 84, 85, 86, 87, 91, 92, 93, 97, 100, 1385, and 1386.
- In accordance with Public Law 103-333, the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 1995, the following provisions are applicable to this grant award:
- Section 507: Purchase of American-Made Equipment and Products: It is the sense of the Congress that, to the greatest extent practicable, all equipment and products purchased with funds made available in this Act should be American-made.
- Section 508: When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all States receiving Federal funds, including but not limited to State and local government and recipients of Federal research grants, shall clearly state (1) the percentage of the total costs of the program or project which will be financed with Federal money, (2) the dollar amount of Federal funds for the project or program, and (3) percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by nongovernmental sources.
- Direct Federal grants, sub-awards, or contracts under this program shall not be used to support inherently religious activities such as religious instruction, worship, or proselytization.