Notice of Funds Available (RFP) Print Apply for this Grant

Specifications

What Council Goals and Objectives will be supported under this solicitation?

The Arkansas Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities (GDCCAR) will award a total of $500,000 to a minimum of 3 projects to address each of the State Plan Goals, Objectives and Activities below.

If you want to submit a project under more than 1 goal, please do separate applications.

This project will support the GCDDAR State Plan Goals, Objectives, Activities under its 2022-2026 Five-Year Plan:
GOAL 1 - People with developmental disabilities and their families will be active in advocacy activities that improve their lives, the lives of others and the service system.
GOAL 2 - People with developmental disabilities and their families will have improved access to community support and services.
GOAL 3 - The Council will collaborate with the PASSEs, state agencies, and/or community programs to improve competitive, integrated employment of Arkansans with developmental disabilities.

For a complete listing of the Objectives and Activities under each Goal, find the complete 2022-2026 State Plan at https://gcdd.arkansas.gov/5-year-state-plan or attached to this NOFA.

Eligibility

501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, public educational institutions based in Arkansas, and local and Arkansas state agencies are eligible to apply for these funds.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate the following minimum criteria:
•Display a working knowledge of the issues that affect people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.
•Have experience working with and/or advocating on behalf of people with IDD.
•Show a history of conducting education in the activity area identified in the application.
•Exhibit a functional and operational alignment with mission and values of the GCDDAR.

The GCDDAR strongly encourages applications from organizations that are locate in rural or urban poverty areas, organizations that employ staff with IDD in an integrated setting, and/or organizations that represent linguistic or cultural minorities.

Applicants will be deemed ineligible for funding if:
•Sub-minimum wage is utilized to pay employees or beneficiaries/clients/consumers.
•Employees or beneficiaries/clients/consumers working environment is a segregated enclave unless that environment is for the express purpose of transitional work.

All submitted applications must be complete and include all required information and documents. The Council may return incomplete applications without review, so please be sure your application is complete before submission.

The Arkansas Council

The Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDDAR) consists of twenty-three members, appointed by the Governor. Members include individuals with developmental disabilities, family members of individuals with developmental disabilities, directors of state agencies that serve people with disabilities and representatives from nonprofit and private organizations that provide services and supports for people with disabilities. The Council works to implement the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act in Arkansas. The purpose of the Act is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of community services and supports that allow increased opportunities to live and work within their communities.

The Council works to address identified needs by conducting outreach, fostering systems change, and supporting capacity building efforts that promote self-determination, integration, and inclusion. Key activities include: increasing and strengthening self-advocacy participation across the state; supporting programs which identify and remove barriers to information, services and supports; advocating for legislative and policy changes designed to increase competitive, integrated employment; developing and supporting coalitions; encouraging citizen participation; and keeping policymakers informed about disability issues.

What is a developmental disability?

The federal definition is: a severe, chronic disability of an individual that (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) - (v) of subparagraph (A) if the individual, without services and supports, has a high probability of meeting those criteria later in life.

Funding parameters

Each selected applicant will be awarded funding for project activities to begin on July 1, 2022. The commitment of the funds, by letter from the GCDDAR Executive Director will be done prior to June 30th, 2022. The term of the project will end on June 30, 2023.

A match of 25% is required. A lower match MAY be negotiated for projects that are completed entirely in designated poverty areas. The link to a listing of designated poverty areas is an attachment to this solicitation. Applicant must research and provide sufficient evidence to justify request for match lower than 25%.

The Council funds new projects/programs or expansions of projects/programs intended to test a new promising practice, prove a tested promising practice as a best practice, or demonstrate an innovative approach.

Supplanting of funds is not allowable.

DEFINITION OF SUPPLANTING: Supplanting – using federal funds to replace funds that would, in the absence of federal funds, be made available for the purpose for which federal funds are requested.

The Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Arkansas (GCDDAR) funds cannot be used for existing costs, because those costs have been paid previously by other funding. However, if an agency can substantiate that funding has been lost (ex. Agency received $10,000 in corporate funding during the previous year and this year will only be receiving $5,000), grant funds could be requested to cover costs up to the amount lost. The limited GCDDAR funds are not intended to replace other funding that is being used. Supplementing other funds is allowable. Supplanting is NOT.

GCDDAR grant funding may NOT be used for construction, to purchase vehicles or to purchase food and drinks (in most cases), along with other expenses deemed unallowable per GCDDAR policy and procedure or state/federal laws.

Applicant and timelines

The application consists of a project narrative, work plan with targeted performance measures and budget. Applications must be submitted online via www.ddsuite.org (the GCDDAR’s grants management system) prior to the published deadline. No paper copies will be accepted. New applicants must create a DD Suite user account and an organization account as soon as possible. All applicants must have an organization account prior to completing and submitting an application. Go to www.ddsuite.org/TA for detailed instructions on creating DD Suite user and organization accounts (Systems Information/Accounts and Organizations), and for technical instructions on completing applications (Grantees/Applications).

Deadline to submit written questions-4:30 pm CST-April 7, 2022
Deadline to submit applications-11:59 pm CST-April 13, 2022
Applicants notified of funding commitment-May 6, 2022
Appeals considered-June 9, 2022
Final funding must be Committed by-June 30, 2022
Projects commence-July 1, 2022
Projects end-On or before June 30, 2023

Applicants may be instructed to revise some or all of their application documents, and to resubmit application documents electronically, prior to receiving the official notification of grant award. The award will be effective on the approved project start date regardless of when all required documents are submitted and approved.

There will be no debriefing for applicants who do not receive funding. All applicants who respond to the public posting of this solicitation will be notified of the decision on their application (awarded, application modifications requested, or denied) by email through DD Suite. Applicants may also log on to their account on DD Suite at www.ddsuite.org to check the status of their application.

Assurances

The following terms and conditions apply to all organizations awarded GCDDAR grant funds:

The Council 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 any grant awarded by the GCDDAR.

Final drafts of any training materials, publications, videos, websites or other products shall be reviewed and approved by the GCDDAR prior to dissemination to the general public. Products must acknowledge Council funding (e.g. "This product was funded through a grant from the Arkansas Governor's Council on Developmental Disabilities under provisions of P.L. 106-402, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.")

As a condition of grant award, Grantees will collect and provide data to the Council for post-project performance measures for 18 months after the grant period has ended.

Grantees shall administer and report survey results annually using the GCDDAR Satisfaction and Impact Surveys and through DD Suite reporting of performance measures.

All materials developed by grantees under this award shall be available and/or reproducible in accessible formats.

The applicant will need to complete the assurances page (Attachment #10) and submit along with the proposal. The page must contain the signature of a general or registered agent of the organization.

The selected applicant will be required to complete and submit state and federal contract forms and any other documents required by the federal agency and the state grantee.

Proposed Budget & the Match Requirement

When entering your proposed budget, the cumulative funding and match percentages will show at the bottom of the Budget Section under the Budget Totals row. As you enter funding amounts and match amounts for each line item, the funding/match percentages below will update. The funding percentage (federal dollars requested for a projected expense) should be 75% and the match funds percentage (local/organizational dollars committed) should be 25%. If your percentages are not 75/25, play with your numbers until you get to 75/25 or as close as possible.

Budget Column Explanation:
Project Cost = Total of requested funding + match required
Funding = Amount of requested federal funds (should be 75%)
Match Funds = Amount of match (should be 25%)

Workplan

In your Workplan Section you will be required to identify Project/Program Objectives. Under each objective you will identify Activities. For each Objective you must choose Performance Measures which will be used to measure progress under the objective. You will set Targets for each Performance Measure. Targets should be reasonable and achievable.

Performance data will be reported quarterly and annually to the Council for all funded projects.

A guidance document is attached for reference on Performance Measures.

Required Documents and Information; Application Deadline

Attachments:

Attached documents 1-11 are required for most projects. Please complete and submit all required documents with your application.

Applications must be submitted through the GCDDAR AR on-line grant management program, DD Suites at https://www.ddsuite.org/. All applications MUST be received by April 13, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. (CST). An application submitted through DD Suite will have a confirmation of submission. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE SUCH CONFIRMATION, PLEASE CONTACT A STAFF MEMBER OF THE ARKANSAS COUNCIL AT 501-682-2879.

All submitted applications must be complete and include all required information and documents. The Council may return incomplete applications without review, so please be sure your application is complete before submission.

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Applications must be received by the Council staff (online, in DD Suite) by 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2022, and are subject to public review by State Executive Order 12372. Therefore, applicants must complete SF-424 and submit it with the application.

Please direct all inquiries concerning this Request for Proposal in writing to: ddcstaff@dfa.arkansas.gov

All questions will be answered within 24 hours and posted to a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document weekly. The FAQ document will be available at this link: https://gcdd.arkansas.gov/apply-for-funding

A virtual applicant workshop will be offered on 03/23/22 at 10am and 3pm. Please email ddcstaff@dfa.arkansas.gov to register and request a link to attend. Please put "Applicant Workshop Attendance Request" in the subject line.