The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) issued the attached FEDERAL REGISTER notice seeking comments on proposed changes to program policies and procedures for the FY 2013 grants cycle overseen by the agency. The ANA proposes to issue six “Funding Opportunity Announcements” or FOAs. The agency proposes interpretive rules, general policy statements and agency procedural rules. Comments on the proposed changes are due within 30 days of publication of the notice (by March 28, 2013).
For FY 2013, FOAs would be issued for: Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS); Native Asset Building Initiative (NABI); Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies (SEEDS); Native Language Preservation and Maintenance (Language Preservation); Native Language Preservation and Maintenance –Esther Martinez Initiative (Language-EMI); and Environmental Regulatory Enhancement (ERE).
We summarize the proposed FY 2013 FOA changes below.
Proposed Program-Specific Changes for FY 2013. The grant opportunities will result in realignment of program areas under existing FOAs and a new FOA as follows:
• Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS). The agency proposes to discontinue a separate FOA for the SEDS-Tribal Governance program. The Tribal Governance program areas would be incorporated under the annual SEDS FOA. The SEDS FOA would also include the responsible fatherhood interest area and two new program areas–suicide prevention and human trafficking. The SEDS FOA would also be realigned by 1) moving the emergency preparedness interest areas from economic development to governance; and 2) moving economic competitiveness, agriculture and commercial trade to a proposed new FOA–Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies (SEEDS).
• Sustainable Employment and Economic Development Strategies (SEEDS). The agency anticipates there will be $5 million in FY 2013 SEEDS funding for “new, community-based projects that will foster economic development through the creation of small businesses and sustainable job growth.” The ANA has identified four SEEDS priority areas:
(1) Creation of sustainable employment opportunities;
(2) professional training and skill development that increases participants’ employability and earning potential;
(3) creation and development of small businesses and entrepreneurial activities, and;
(4) demonstrated strategy and commitment to keeping the jobs and revenues generated by project activities within the native communities being served
SEEDS funding would be provided for program areas of interest that include, but are not limited to, the following: Agriculture; Career Pathways; Commercial Trade; Economic Competitiveness; Economic Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship and Microbusiness; Local Sourcing and Technology; Professional Development; Interoperability/Integration; and Place-based Strategies. (See page 13063 for details.)
Proposed Administrative Policy Changes. Three policy changes are proposed:
• Failure to include an executed governing body resolution when an application is submitted would no longer be a disqualification factor from the competitive review process. If not submitted at the time of submittal, the applicant would be required to provide documentation of governing body approval prior to the project funds being awarded.
• Applicants would be required to attend Post Award Training in the first year of the grant, and the annual meetings for ANA grantees during each year of the project period. Thus, the application must budget for the associated costs.
• Grantees must ensure compliance with the HHS policy requirement that project-funded staff may not also serve on the governing body. Where a potential grant recipient has a possible staff member who is also a member of the governing body, ANA will ask the potential grantee to modify the staffing.
The attached notice provides additional details on each of the above noted proposed changes along with other application criteria changes being proposed.
If we may be of further assistance regarding the ANA notice, please contact us at the information below.
