2008 NIST Construction Grant Program Applicants

OMB Control No. 0693-XXXX

Expiration Date: XX/XX/2012

Construction Grant Program Proposal Number: ____________ _________

Name of Proposer: _____________________________________________

Organization Contact: __________________________________________

The proposal submitted by your organization under the FY 2008 NIST Construction Grant Program is now being considered for funding under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) (Public Law 111-5). Consistent with Section 3 of the Recovery Act, the projects undertaken through this program will result in the preservation of jobs and the promotion of economic recovery; the provision of investments needed to increase economic efficiency by spurring technological advances; and the investment in infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits. Activities will be commenced as quickly as possible while ensuring prudent management.

To comply with these Recovery Act requirements, the FY 2008 proposals under consideration with Recovery Act funds are subject to an additional Selection Factor, “shovel readiness.” This factor may be applied by the Selecting Official to select proposals out of rank order based on the likelihood that they will (1) stimulate local economies through the creation or retention of jobs for work in U.S. jurisdictions, and (2) yield significant program benefits. 

Accordingly, projects are expected to be those where feasibility studies and/or other baseline information required for a design are available, where required consultations and permits, if not in-hand, are either in progress or there is reasonable assurance provided that they can be attained quickly, and where National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and any environmental permits and authorizations are finished or can be expeditiously completed, so that projects can be implemented shortly after funding is made available.

Before final selections can be made, responses to the following questions are required.

A. Responses to the following questions have no page limit:

1. Is the proposed project in your proposal “shovel ready” consistent with the Recovery Act objectives? If yes, explain.

2. Has anything changed since submission of your initial proposal to NIST? If yes, explain.

3. Are there any changes to any amount(s) and/or source(s) of cost share since submission of your initial proposal to NIST? If yes, explain. Is the source(s) still viable?

4. Submit a completed SF-424C (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/grants/sf424c.pdf) for each proposed year of the project. Also include a summary page. For example, for a 5-year project, provide six (6) SF-424Cs (one for each project year plus a summary page). The figures on the summary page of the SF-424C must correspond with the figures on the Budget Narrative.

5. If there are changes to the SF-424C since the original proposal submission, submit a NIST-1101 Budget Narrative for the total “allowable project costs.”

6. If the revised SF-424Cs and NIST-1101 Budget Narrative result in an adjustment to a previously submitted timeline/Gantt chart, submit a revised timeline/Gantt chart.

7. For any “unallowable project costs” associated with the proposed construction project and critical to bringing the facility up to operational status (whether itemized on the SF-424C column b or not), provide a NIST-1101A NIST Construction Grant Program Details on Unallowable Project costs.

8. Provide a completed NIST-1101B NIST Construction Grant Program Environmental Compliance Questionnaire.

9. In the event that your organization’s proposal is selected for funding, award payments will be made through electronic funds transfers using the Department of Treasury's Automated Standard Application for Payment (ASAP) system.  This payment system allows grant and cooperative agreement recipients to withdraw funding directly from an established ASAP account identified by your organization during the enrollment process.
    
   If your organization is not currently receiving Federal funding and is not enrolled as an ASAP Recipient Organization, we will forward the appropriate enrollment information to you if an award is issued to your organization.  Enrollment applications and information can also be found at the following web site http://www.fms.treas.gov/asap/index.html. If your organization is currently enrolled in ASAP through another Federal award, provide us with your seven-digit ASAP Recipient Organization Identification Number.

  

10. On the form SF-424 items 8.b. and 8.c., the applicant’s 9-digit Employer/Taxpayer Identification Number (EIN/TIN) and 9-digit Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number must be consistent with the information on the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) (www.ccr.gov) and Automated Standard Application for Payment System (ASAP).  For complex organizations with multiple EIN/TIN and DUNS numbers, the EIN/TIN and DUNS number MUST be the numbers for the applying organization.  Organizations that provide incorrect/inconsistent EIN/TIN and DUNS numbers may experience significant delays in receiving funds if their proposal is selected for funding.  Please confirm that the EIN/TIN and DUNS number are consistent with the information on the CCR and ASAP.

11. [Any additional budget related questions to specific applicants that will differ for each applicant.]

B. Response to the following question is limited to no more than one page per question:

[This will differ for each applicant.]

C. IMPORTANT NOTIFICATION:

1. If your organization’s project is selected for funding, the organization will have to abide by all the requirements (reporting and otherwise) of the Recovery Act.

2. Pursuant to OMB Guidance (see, e.g., "Updated Implementing Guidance for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009," April 3, 2009) and consistent with the Recovery Act and other applicable laws, the Department of Commerce encourages recipients to implement best practices to promote equality of opportunity, to provide opportunities for small and disadvantaged businesses, including veteran-owned small businesses and service disabled veteran-owned small businesses, and to follow sound labor practices.

All of the information above must be provided either electronically (e-mail) or by facsimile to 301-926-9524 or 301-590-3053. Your response is due no later than ______, 2009.

Thank you for your prompt response to this request for updated information. Should you have any budget questions, please call Barbara Lambis at 301-975-4021. Any technical questions should be directed to Linda Beth Schilling at 301-975-2887.

This information collection contains requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Notwithstanding any other provisions of the law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA, unless that collection of information displays a currently valid OMB Control Number. The estimated response time for this collection is 1 hour. The response time includes the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the length of this questionnaire, to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Attn., Barbara Lambis, via email at barbara.lambis@nist.gov or telephone (301) 975-4021.

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