The Uniform Project Description (UPD)
is standard language and sections available for use by
Administration for Children and Families (ACF) program offices to
solicit the required project description and project budget
information from applicants for specific funding opportunities.
Applications are required for project grants and cooperative
agreements as prescribed by HHS regulations 45 CFR § 75.203. The
UPD provides a selection of text options for the program offices to
choose from, which are used to communicate the application
requirements for a specific grant or cooperative agreement notice
of funding opportunity (NOFO), as required by 45 C.F.R. § 75.203,
and Appendix I to Part 75 – Full Text of Notice of Funding
Opportunity. The UPD is fundamental to ACF’s competitive award
process. It ensures the provision of adequate information to
support award decisions. The ability to select the appropriate
standard language for a given NOFO reduces the burden of
application preparation, by eliminating unnecessary portions of the
application for a given announcement. In addition, it provides for
consistency and objectivity in the application and review processes
required by 45 C.F.R. § 75.204. In March 2023, ACF obtained
approval for the current ACF Uniform Project Description (UPD) (OMB
expiration date: March 31, 2026). A subsequent nonsubstantive
change request was approved in October 2023 to allow for an
alternate, simplified version of the UPD to be piloted with 25
NOFOs. The pilot effort, which was part of the HHS SimplerGrants,
SimplerNOFOs Initiative, was successful and ACF would like to
expand use of the simplified version in 2025.
US Code:
31
USC 6301 Name of Law: General Assistance Administration
This nonsubstantive change
request is to increase the number of NOFOs using the streamlined
version of the UPD. Burden estimates based on evaluation of the
SimplerNOFO Pilot of the streamlined UPD has shown a decrease in
burden hours resulting in an overall reduction in burden and costs
to respondents. The feedback also provided a more accurate estimate
for the traditional UPD and estimates have been updated to reflect
this. Additionally, this non-substantive change request includes: •
Updates to language impacted by the recent updates to 2 CFR 200 and
HHS’s implementation of that regulation • Additional updates to
provide better flow and additional plain language principles. •
Moving the highly detailed budget and budget justification section
within the traditional UPD to the web in line with the streamlined
UPD. The burden has been updated to reflect the currently estimated
number of applications in FY2023-2026.
$7,079,600
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Molly Buck 202 205-4724
mary.buck@acf.hhs.gov
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 2 Streamlined Uniform Project Description (UPD)
NonSub Change Request - ACF UPD 2024revised.docx
Streamlined Uniform Project Description (UPD)