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

Specifications

Overview and Purpose

A virtual Technical Assistance Zoom call has been scheduled for October 6, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET, for applicants interested in learning more about the process for submitting a proposal application. Advance registration is required. The Zoom registration link is included below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5SlC_1niSmic3ghsHIpp9A

**Please be sure to read the entire RFP and Grants Manual before submitting a Proposal application** 

**In order to submit a Proposal Application, applicants must navigate to the Supporting Documents section of this announcement and download the Word-formatted Proposal Coversheet, Abstract, Budget Justification Narrative Form (Year 1 & 2), Budget Form (Year 1 & 2), Quarterly Activity Timeline & Expenditure Projection, and Proposal Narrative Forms. In addition, the proposal should include all applicable PDF-formatted Appendices, as referenced on page 21 of the Grants Manual. The completed proposal package, including signed Proposal Coversheet and Budget form and Appendices should then be uploaded as ONE file (128MB file size limit) under the “Support Docs” tab within your application. No other attachments, outside of the information requested in this RFP, should be attached to your proposal application.** 

Through this RFP, the Board seeks to support local, regional, or statewide efforts that are culturally and linguistically competent. The developed grant project will result in a project aimed at providing disability service information and other resources to Virginians with disabilities and their families with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). To view past grants, go to: https://www.vbpd.virginia.gov/grants_highlights.htm. Projects that aim to address the unique set of challenges experienced by individuals with disabilities in underserved and unserved rural areas of the Commonwealth, whose primary language is not English, are of particular interest to the Board.

Projects should holistically incorporate cultural and linguistic competence in project design and activities. The Board considers cultural competence to include the following: the organization has defined values, principles and policies that demonstrate that (1) diversity and differences are valued; (2) the organization is able to work effectively across cultures and adapt to the cultural context of the communities being served; (3) the organization recognizes the importance of cultural sensitivity towards the target audience; and (4) it is able to incorporate these values, principles and policies in each aspect of policy-making, administration, practice, service delivery and systematically involve consumers, families and community members. 

The National Center for Cultural Competence (NCCC) at Georgetown University defines culture as “…a system of collectively held values, beliefs, and practices of a group which guides thinking and actions in patterned ways.” They define linguistic competence as “…the capacity of an organization and its personnel to communicate effectively, and convey information in a manner that is easily understood by diverse groups including persons of limited English proficiency, those who have low literacy skills or are not literate, individuals experiencing disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. Linguistic competence required organizational and provider capacity to respond effectively to the health and mental health literacy needs of populations served. The organization must have policies, structures, practices, procedures, and dedicated resources to support this capacity.”1

1The Cultural and Linguistic Competence Assessment for Disability Organizations (CLCADO), National Center for Cultural Competence, Georgetown University https://nccc.georgetown.edu/assessments/clcado.php  

Available Grant Funds

The Board may fund up to $300,000 to one or more organizations for the current grant cycle. The Board may award all or a portion of available funds. The Board may choose not to award grant funds if budget limitations are encountered or if it determines that none of the grant proposals will achieve the desired systemic change. Grant periods are typically 18 – 24 months, however, shorter or longer periods may be considered. The selected grantee will be required to submit an annual renewal application for multi-year projects, in order to demonstrate project outcomes prior to receiving funds for the following year.

MATCH REQUIREMENT: Grantees are required to contribute a minimum match (cash or in-kind) of 25 percent of total project costs (grant funds + match). Federal funds cannot be used as match. If the project primarily serves a Designated Poverty Area, the minimum match requirement is 10 percent of total project costs. Designated Poverty Areas are listed in the Grants Manual, Appendix B.

Entities with a federally negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) agreement may elect to charge indirect costs to the project and a copy of the ICR agreement must be included with the application. Board staff will review the ICR agreement to determine the most appropriate cost rate. Entities that do not have a negotiated cost rate agreement may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC definition can be found in the Grants Manual). In light of the Board’s limited funds availability, applicants are strongly encouraged to use indirect costs towards the minimum match requirement.

What We Will Not Fund

Through this RFP, we will not support the following:

1. Existing projects or services that are a part of an organization’s current program or budget;

2. Projects that would supplant or replace existing federal, state, or local dollars to conduct the project;

3. Projects which have a federal, state or local mandate to be delivered by the applicant organization;

4. Projects which include capital expenditures for the acquisition of land or buildings, new construction or major repair.

5. Projects that do not directly align with one or more of the Board’s State Plan Objectives specified in the RFP.

6. Projects that do not ensure meaningful diversity and inclusion, and are exclusive of an individual’s race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, and veteran status.

7. Projects that take place in restrictive, isolated, or segregated settings that do not promote community integration for children or adults with disabilities.

Board Objectives and Target Population

Projects should be designed to achieve systems change, i.e., to transform fragmented approaches into a coordinated and effective system which ensures that individuals with DD and their families participate in the design of, and have access to, needed community services, individualized supports, and other assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life.

For projects in which there will be direct benefit to individuals, at least 60% of the target population that will benefit from the grant, must be persons with Developmental Disabilities (DD). The definition and all submission requirements can be found in the Grants Manual, at the following link: https://www.vaboard.org/grants.htm. Be sure to review the Grants Manual prior to submission of a proposal.

Projects to be Considered for Funding

Applications must address the following target area. To see the entire State Plan go to: https://www.vaboard.org/reports.htm.

Community Supports: To provide culturally and linguistically competent information about disability services and resources to non-English speaking Virginians with disabilities and/or their families.

State Plan Goal: By October 2026, more Virginians with developmental disabilities and their families, reflecting the state’s geographic and cultural diversity, will have increased ability to access paid and unpaid services and supports that enable community living.

Target Areas

Background: According to LEP.gov, individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English may be considered limited English proficient, or "LEP." These individuals may be entitled to language assistance with respect to a particular type of service, benefit, or encounter.1

According to LEP.gov, individuals who do not speak English as their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, speak, write, or understand English may be considered limited English proficient, or "LEP." These individuals may be entitled to language assistance with respect to a particular type of service, benefit, or encounter.2

1. Example: Strategies to enhance language access for individuals with disabilities and their families with limited English proficiency (LEP).

Scope of Project: The goal of the project is to identify and implement innovative strategies to enhance language access services through policy development and implementation; technology utilization; education for individuals with LEP, including service providers for individuals with developmental and other disabilities and their families.

2. Example: Educate individuals with LEP about disability and healthcare services and information through partnerships with organizations.

Scope of Project: The goal of this project is to partner with Virginia communities and/or Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) to develop multiple culturally sensitive community-based events and activities, held across the state, to educate and inform non-English and English speaking individuals with developmental and other disabilities and their families, including immigrants and refugees, and professionals about important and emerging disability and healthcare related issues, services, and supports available in their communities and statewide.

3. Example: Empower individuals and families with LEP through culturally inclusive education about disability services.

Scope of Project: The goal of the project is to bridge the information gap between individuals and families with LEP and the available disability services and supports within their community. The project will focus on creating culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate educational materials and workshops to increase awareness and understanding of disability services, thereby enhancing access and utilization of needed resources and services.

All project activities will be conducted in consultation with staff to the Board, may be subject to periodic approvals, and are based on the needs of the organization.

1,2 LEP.gov - Commonly Asked Questions and Answers Regarding Limited English Proficient (LEP) Individuals

Performance Measure Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate that their project aligns with at least one of the federally required Performance Measures so that desired impacts are clear (see Appendix C of the Grants Manual for a complete list and their meaning). Long-term measures are generally a result of the activities undertaken by the grantee, and they usually occur over a longer period of time. Applicants may select a combination of the measures, but the project’s scoring is weighted toward grantees that can successfully demonstrate longer-term impacts. Applicants must also demonstrate to the Board that they have the organizational capacity to collect and report the required data.

Applicants MUST include in their grant proposal, the specific federal performance measure(s) that they intend to meet for each activity in the work plan, when applicable. Applicants are not required to have a performance measure for each activity. Applicants are encouraged to identify additional output and outcome information they will collect, even if those outputs and outcomes are not captured by any of the federal performance measures listed below. If you have questions regarding the performance measures, please feel free to contact the Board’s Grants Manager, Jason Withers, at 804-786-9375 or Jason.Withers@vbpd.virginia.gov.


Systems Change (SC) Federal Performance Measures

Short Term Output Measures:

1.1 Policies and Procedures - The number of policies and/or procedures created or changed.
1.2 Statutes and Regulations - The number of statutes and/or regulations created or changed.
1.3 Promising and Best Practices - The number of promising and /or best practices created or supported.
1.3.1 Number of promising practices created
1.3.2 Number of promising practices supported
1.3.3 Number of best practices created
1.3.4 Number of best practices supported
1.4 Training and Education - The number of people trained or educated through systemic change initiatives. This measure does not include information like website hits, social media likes, newsletter subscribers, etc. If the people trained have a disability or are family members of someone with a disability, IFA 1.1 and/or 1.2 should be captured instead.
1.5 Collaboration - The number of collaborative activities with organizations actively involved.

Long Term Outcome Measures:

2.1 Promising and Best Practices - The number of efforts that led to the improvement of promising or best practices, policies, procedures, statute or regulations changes. This includes sub-measures:

2.1.1 The number of policy, procedure, statute or regulations and;
2.1.3 The number of promising and/or best practices improved.

2.2 Systems Change - The number of efforts to transform fragmented approaches into a coordinated and effective system that ensures individuals with DD and their families participate in the design of, and have access to, needed community services, individualized supports and other assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life.

2.1.2 The number of policy, procedure, statute or regulations changes implemented.
2.1.4 The number of promising and/or best practices implemented.


Individual & Family Advocacy (IFA) Federal Performance Measures

IFA 1: Short-Term Output Measures:

IFA 1.1 - The number of people with developmental disabilities who participated in Council supported activities designed to increase their knowledge of how to take part in decisions that affect their lives, the lives of others, and/or systems. Grantees will be required to report aggregate data regarding race/ethnicity, geographic location (urban vs. rural), sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation & gender identity (SOGI) of participants.

IFA 1.2 - The number of family members who participated in Council supported activities designed to increase their knowledge of how to take part in decisions that affect the family, the lives of others, and/or systems. Grantees will be required to report aggregate data regarding race/ethnicity, geographic location (urban vs. rural), sex assigned at birth, and sexual orientation & gender identity (SOGI) of participants.

IFA 2: Long-Term Outcome Measures:

IFA 2.1 - After participation in Council supported activities, the percent of people with developmental disabilities who report increasing their advocacy as a result of Council work.

IFA 2.2 - After participation in Council supported activities, the percent of family members who report increasing their advocacy as a result of Council work.

IFA 2: Sub-Outcome Measures

IFA 2.3 - The percent of people who are better able to say what they want or what services and supports they want or say what is important to them.

IFA 2.4 - The percent of people who are participating now in advocacy activities.

IFA 2.5 - The percent of people who are on cross disability coalitions, policy boards, advisory boards, governing bodies and/or serving in leadership positions.

IFA 3: The percent of people satisfied with a project activity

IFA 3.1 The percent of people with developmental disabilities satisfied with a project activity.

IFA 3.2 The percent of family members satisfied with a project activity.

Application Submission Process

Note: The Board only accepts grant applications submitted electronically through the performance management and government resource planning site, DD Suite, which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.ddsuite.org/. Unless specified in the RFP, emailed, faxed or hard copy proposals are not accepted. 

Proposal Applications must be received electronically in the DD Suite system by 4 p.m. ET on or before the due date listed in the Key Dates attachment document. Late submissions will not be accepted for any reason. 

Proposal Applications should include clear and concise information on the following: 

1. Coversheet 

2. Abstract 

3. Budget 

• Budget Justification Narrative (Year 1 & 2) 
• Budget Form (Year 1 & 2) 
• Quarterly Activity Timeline & Expenditure Projections 

4. Narrative (max 20 double-spaced pages) 

• Applicant Profile 
• Cultural and Linguistic Competence
• Target Population 
• Involvement of Individuals with DD & Families in Project Development, Implementation and Evaluation 
• Collaboration 
• Systems Change, Capacity Building and Sustainability 
• Work Plan: Project Goal, Objectives, Activities, Outcomes, Stories and Performance Measures 
• Strength of Evidence 
• Evaluation Plan 

*Strength of Evidence: Describe in detail the evidence-based model/approach you have chosen and why it was selected for your project, i.e., what is the evidence that supports your approach.

Required Appendices for Proposal Applications: 

5. Letters of Commitment or MOUs (required if partnering to achieve project goals) 

6. Letters of Support 

7. One page resume and position description for each key project personnel Form 990 (for non-profits) 

8. IRS Determination letter on non-profit tax exempt status (for non-profits) 

9. Articles of Incorporation (for non & for profits) 

10. Annual submission to SEC for SCC (for profits) 

11. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (if applicable)

Review and Scoring of Applications

Proposal Applications: 

Each proposal will be date and time stamped upon electronic receipt in the DD Suite system. Late proposals will not be reviewed. 

After a review for technical completeness, the GRT will review and score all proposals. Cut off scores are at the discretion of the GRT. Within the dollar amount available, the highest scoring proposals will be recommended to the Board for funding. 

A project Work Plan (see page 19 in the Grants Manual) must be developed and demonstrate how the proposed objectives and activities align with the selected performance measures. 

Full Proposal Scoring: 

1. Applicant Profile - 10 pts. 

2. Cultural and Linguistic Competence - 5 pts.

3. Target Population - 5 pts. 

4. Involvement of Individuals with DD & Families in Project Development, Implementation and Evaluation - 7 pts. 

5. Collaboration - 6 pts. 

6. Systems Change, Capacity Building & Sustainability - 12 pts. 

7. Work Plan - Project Goals, Objectives, Activities, Outcomes, Stories and Performance Measures - 30 pts. 

8. Strength of Evidence - 7 pts. 

9. Evaluation Plan - 10 pts. 

10. Budget - 10 pts. 

11. Technical Submission Requirements - 3 pts. 

Total Possible Points - 105

Reporting Requirements

All grantees will be required to submit quarterly and final programmatic and financial progress reports. Grantees also will be expected to track and share aggregated data about their projects and participants. Reporting deadlines and requirements will be included in the award letter and contract. In some circumstances, the Board may require monthly programmatic and/or financial reporting. In addition, some grantees may be required to provide post grant reporting and more frequent reports may be required in certain circumstances.

For grants that include direct benefit to individuals, we require that the grantee provide (in the quarterly program reports, final report, or at other times as requested) stories about people with developmental and other disabilities and their families whose lives have improved as a result of the funding support provided through this grant initiative. The privacy of program participants must be protected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can apply for funding from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities’ Competitive Grant Program?

Eligible organizations include state or other public agencies, including universities, non-profit organizations or for-profit organizations. The Board encourages braided funding and partnerships. Please be sure to clearly describe the planned role and responsibilities of each partner at all stages of the project. Only one organization can receive the grant and will be contractually responsible for grant administration, reporting and delivery of the project.

Where does VBPD receive its funding?

Board grants are 100% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL), Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (OIDD).

Can an organization submit more than one application in response to this RFP?

Yes.

Are Board grantees required to have an active UEI number in order to be a recipient of federal funds?

Yes. An active Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number is required in order to receive federal funds. On April 4, 2022, the federal government stopped using Dun & Bradstreet Numbering System (DUNS) numbers. If the grantee does not have the new, non-proprietary identifier called the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), or the Entity ID, please request one from the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

Are there community types you're interested in?

We are particularly interested in projects that benefit individuals with developmental disabilities who are part of underserved, low-income and/or culturally diverse communities.

If I currently have an active grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, can I submit an application?

Yes.

How are grantees reimbursed for project expenses?

All grant payments are processed on a cost reimbursable basis.