Section 670.110  Administrative Requirements

 

Grant opportunities and awards will be administered in a manner that complies with all State and federal requirements applicable to each funding opportunity including, but not limited to, GATA, the Uniform Guidance and all applicable State or federal laws or guidance.  Grant applicants and grantees shall review all application materials and grant award documents which will include the specific applicable requirements for the grant opportunity.  DCEO reserves the right to suspend or terminate a grant agreement, recoup grant funds received under this Part or withhold any future year funding for non-compliance with the provisions in the grant agreement or non-compliance with applicable State and federal laws including those listed in Section 670.110(e).

 

a)         Application Process for Direct Grant Awards to Human Services Providers

 

1)         DCEO will post one or more Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the GATA Grantee Portal seeking applications from human services providers, contingent upon available funds.  The NOFO will describe in detail the types of projects for which funding is available (see Section 670.50).  Applicants shall submit their application materials by the deadlines set forth in the NOFO, which will be at least 30 days after posting the NOFO.

 

2)         The applicants will be required to submit an application package, which will include the following:

 

A)        uniform grant application;

 

B)        uniform budget template;

 

C)        conflict of interest disclosure form;

 

D)        mandatory disclosures form;

 

E)        project narrative;

 

F)         documentation demonstrating that applicant is in good standing to operate in the State of Illinois, including but not limited to, proof of current registration with all government entities the applicant is required to register with in order to operate;

 

G)        articles of incorporation and bylaws;

 

H)        an organizational chart for staff of the applicant;

 

I)         resumes of key program staff (both those that will be managing the grant award and those that provide human services within the DHS core programs or areas for the applicant);

 

J)         a copy of the lease agreement if the applicant is renting the facility which is the subject of the capital improvement project, and written permission from the landlord to conduct the grant-funded activities;

 

K)        W-9 and Internal Revenue Service letter to verify the W-9;

 

L)        documentation demonstrating the types of services the applicant provides that are within the core DHS programs or areas and demonstrating that applicant is qualified to provide these services; and

 

M)       any additional documentation to demonstrate or support the information submitted by the applicant for the proposed project.

 

3)         Applicants shall provide the following information about the proposed project in the narrative:

 

A)        a description of the purpose of the grant project;

 

B)        a detailed budget and supporting justification of the costs requested;

 

C)        the location of the project, including a description of the facility

proposed to be improved with grant funds;

 

D)        the ownership and lease information, as applicable, for the facility where the proposed project would occur;

 

E)        a description of the human services provider applicant, including but not limited to:

 

i)          the history of the provider and the provider's mission and goals;

 

ii)         the number of current staff and a list of current board members, if applicable;

 

iii)        the populations and geographic areas served by the provider;

 

iv)        the existing linkages or partnerships with other community resources or organizations;

 

v)         how the populations served by the applicant meet the definitions of low-income or marginalized, including the approximate percentages of individuals served within each category; and

 

vi)        the core DHS programs or areas for which the applicant provides services, including a description of the programs and services provided by the applicant and the length of time the applicant has provided the services;

 

F)         a description of the participants served by the human services provider's programs including:

 

i)          a description of any eligibility criteria for participation in the programs (e.g., income level, age, employment status);

 

ii)         a description of how participants are identified or recruited,

or who refers participants to the organization for services;

 

iii)        if services cannot be provided to all that apply, a description of the manner in which participants are selected (e.g., standardized testing; first-come, first-served); and

 

iv)        a description of the costs to participants for these programs and services, and whether a sliding scale (e.g., cost for services is reduced or waived, based on income or ability to pay) is enacted;

 

G)        the public purpose and public benefit of the project;

 

H)        the financial need of the human services provider for the grant funds;

 

I)         a description of additional funding sources the provider is receiving or requesting for the project, if any;

 

J)         an estimated timeline for completion of the project;

 

K)        a statement regarding whether the applicant will have the ability to deliver services at its facility if the proposed project is not completed;

 

L)        a description of whether the applicant has received prior grant awards from DCEO or DHS and the applicant's grant performance under these awards, if applicable;

 

M)       an explanation of how the applicant will be able to administer and complete the project within the allowable grant period; and

 

N)        any additional information required to demonstrate or support the  information submitted by the applicant for the proposed project.

 

b)         Grant Award Selection

Grants will be awarded by DCEO to grantees following a merit review by DCEO and DHS pursuant to GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.350).  In evaluating applications, DCEO and DHS will consider the criteria listed below:

 

1)         Whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria (see Section 670.100);

 

2)         The financial needs of the applicant;

 

3)         Whether the project is an eligible capital improvement project activity (see Section 670.50);

 

4)         Whether the proposed project expenditures are eligible (see Section 670.60) and will comply with the Uniform Guidance and all other applicable federal and State laws;

 

5)         Whether the proposed project is among the priorities identified by DCEO (see Section 670.50(c));

 

6)         The ability of the applicant to deliver services at its facility if the proposed project is not completed;

 

7)         The applicant's prior grant performance under grants awarded by DCEO or DHS, if applicable; and

 

8)         The ability of the applicant to administer and complete the project within the allowable grant period.

 

For projects and applicants that meet all the eligibility requirements (see Sections 670.50, 670.60 and 670.100), grant awards will be prioritized for applicants with the most financial need for the grant funds and therefore, this criterion will be weighted most heavily during the merit review process (see Section 670.110(b)(2)).

 

c)         Grant Disbursements

Disbursement of grant funds from DCEO will be made in accordance with a schedule included in the grant agreement. DCEO will disburse funds based on the grantee making satisfactory progress to implement grant activities.

 

d)         Grant Performance, Administration, Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

Grantees shall comply with all GATA and DCEO requirements set forth in the grant agreement for grant performance, administration, audits, monitoring and reporting. 

 

1)         Grant performance goals and performance and expenditure reporting will be based on the specific grant project activities of each grant award and will follow GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.410), which include periodic financial and performance reports at least quarterly and financial and performance close-out reports after the end of the grant term (see 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.440). The deadlines for all required reports will be set forth in the grant agreement.

 

2)         Grant audits shall be based on the standards set forth in the GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.90).

 

3)         Grantees must monitor their grant activities to assure compliance with applicable State and federal requirements and to assure their performance expectations are being achieved.  DCEO will monitor the activities of grantees to assure compliance with all requirements and performance expectations of the award.  Grantees shall timely submit all financial and performance reports, and shall supply, upon DCEO's request, documents and information relevant to the award.  DCEO may monitor activities through site visits.

 

e)         Compliance with Applicable Laws

Grantees shall comply with all applicable State and federal laws, including, but not limited to, the Prevailing Wage Act [820 ILCS 130], the Illinois Works Jobs Program Act [30 ILCS 559/20], the Business Enterprise Program for Minorities, Females, and Persons with Disabilities Act [30 ILCS 575], the Employment of Illinois Workers on Public Works Act [30 ILCS 570], the Environmental Protection Act [415 ILCS 5], the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Act [520 ILCS 10], the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act [525 ILCS 30], the Interagency Wetland Policy Act of 1989 [20 ILCS 830], and the Illinois State Agency Historic Resources Preservation Act [20 ILCS 3420]. DCEO may suspend or terminate a grant agreement, recoup grant funds received under this Part or withhold any future year funding for non-compliance with this subsection (e).

 

f)         Records Retention

Grantees shall maintain, for the period of time set forth in the GATA rules (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.430(a) and (b)) adequate books, all financial records and supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the program. If any litigation, claim or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. The applicable retention period will be dependent on the type of capital improvement project for the grant award as set forth in the GATA rules. Grantees shall be responsible for ensuring that contractors and subrecipients comply with the retention requirements.