VA Department Grant: Technical Assistance for Homeless Veterans

DATES: An original completed and collated grant application (plus three
completed collated copies) for assistance under the VA’s Homeless
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program must be received in the Grant and
Per Diem Field Office, by 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 25,
2009. Applications may not be sent by facsimile (FAX). In the interest
of fairness to all competing applicants, this deadline is firm as to
date and hour, and VA will treat as ineligible for consideration any
application that is received after the deadline. Applicants should take
this practice into account and make early submission of their material
to avoid any risk of loss of eligibility brought about by unanticipated
delays, computer service outages (in the case of Grants.gov), or other
delivery-related problems.
For a Copy of the Application Package: Download directly from VA’s
Grant and Per Diem Program Web page at: http://www.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=3 or call the Grant and Per Diem Program at (toll-free) 1-
877-332-0334. In this package is information on Grants.gov submission
should applicants so desire. For a document relating to the VA’s
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, see the final rule
codified at 38 CFR Part 61.0.
Submission of Application: An original completed and collated grant
application (plus three copies) and a cover letter clearly stating
under which funding priority applicants (see funding priorities) wish
to be considered must be submitted to the following address: VA
Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Field Office, 10770 N. 46th
Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, FL 33617. Applications must be received in
the Grant and Per Diem Field office by the application deadline. This
includes applications submitted through Grants.gov. Applications must
arrive as a complete package. Materials arriving separately will not be
included in the application package for consideration and may result in
the application being rejected or not funded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Chelsea Watson, VA Homeless
Providers Grant and Per Diem Program, Department of Veterans Affairs,
10770 North 46th Street, Suite C-200, Tampa, FL 33617; or call (toll-
free) 1-877-332-0334.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice announces the availability of
funds for assistance under VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem
Program for eligible non-profit entities with expertise in preparing
grant applications relating to the provision of assistance for homeless
veterans to: Provide technical assistance to those non-profit
community-based groups with experience in providing assistance to
homeless veterans in order to help such groups apply for grants under
the final rule, published in the Federal Register, September 26, 2003,
or to apply for other grants from any source for addressing the
problems of homeless veterans.
Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized by the
“Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001,” Public Law
107-95, Sec. 5, codified as amended at 38 U.S.C. 2011, 2012, 2013,
2061, 2064. The program is implemented by the final rule codified at 38
CFR Part 61.0. The regulations can be found in their entirety in 38
CFR, Sec. 61.0 through 61.82. Funds made available under this Notice
are subject to the requirements of those regulations.
Funding applied for under this notice may be used for: (a) Group or
individual seminars providing general instructions concerning grant
applications; (b) Group or individual seminars providing instructions
for applying for a specific grant; or (c) Group or individual
instruction for preparing analyses to be included in a grant
application. Seminars (course of instruction) may be delivered in
electronic, face-to-face (individual or group), and correspondence
methodologies (e.g., Internet based training, video teleconferencing,
computer media such as CD or disk).
VA’s statutory authority is limited to providing grants so that the
recipients “shall provide technical assistance to non-profit
community-based groups

with experience in providing assistance to homeless veterans in order
to assist such groups in applying for grants under this chapter and
other grants relating to addressing problems of homeless veterans” (38
U.S.C. 2064). Potential applicants should take this into consideration
when developing technical assistance applications to ensure their
activities as described in the application meet the regulatory criteria
of aiding potential non-profits by providing general instructions
concerning grant applications, instruction on completing specific grant
applications, or providing analyses to be used in grant applications
(38 CFR 61.50 (a), (b), (c)).
Entities that are interested in providing technical assistance
should be aware that historically the Grant and Per Diem Program office
receives over 1,500 nationwide inquiries per Notice of Fund
Availability (NOFA) from prospective applicants. It is estimated that
an additional 1,000 inquiries are received nationwide at VA Medical
Center Homeless Programs. From these inquiries, VA has seen an increase
in the number of applicants each year. Approximately 100 to 300
applications per funding round have been received in past responses to
NOFAs under VA’s Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem Program. Those
entities applying to provide technical assistance should consider not
only the numbers but the diversity of the service provider seeking
assistance when establishing their service plans.
The applicant for this funding will be expected to develop an
integrated technical assistance plan, using funds for purposes as
specified in this NOFA, the objectives of the program rules and
regulations to offer technical assistance to agencies in their-
specified target area. Applicants should take note that they will be
held accountable to provide to VA documentation that demonstrates the
objectives of technical training are being met throughout the course of
the award cycle and documentation that clearly demonstrates the
completion of technical assistance objectives were met, cumulatively,
at the end of the funding period. Also, VA intends to conduct both
periodic fiscal and performance reviews of the awarded agency(s). The
technical assistance should not only raise the awareness of providers
regarding the availably of funds to assist homeless veterans but also
increase providers’ proficiency in applying for these funds to assist
homeless veterans. Applicants should take the aforementioned into
consideration when developing a technical assistance plan. Outcomes
measures that are specific and measurable should be an integral part of
the technical assistance plan that is submitted in the application.
Grant applicants may not receive assistance to replace funds
provided by any State or local government for the same purpose.

Authority: Funding applied for under this Notice is authorized
by the “Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001,”
Public Law 107-95, Sec. 5, codified as amended at 38 U.S.C. 2011,
2012, 2013, 2061, 2064. The program is implemented by the final rule
codified at 38 CFR Part 61.0. The regulations can be found in their
entirety in 38 CFR, Sec. 61.0 through 61.82. Funds made available
under this Notice are subject to the requirements of those
regulations.

Allocation: Approximately $3 million is available for the technical
assistance grant component of this program. Funding will be for a
period beginning on October 1, 2009 and ending on September 30, 2011.
Not more than $500,000.00 per year per technical assistance provider
will be awarded. Applicants should take into consideration the 24-month
period of award when calculating and submitting their budgets for this
NOFA.
Funding Priorities: Feedback from previous technical assistance
users’ and documented outcomes from previous technical assistance
providers indicates a demand and preference for face-to-face group
seminars to deliver technical assistance information. In order to meet
this demand VA establishes the following funding priorities.
Funding priority 1. Eligible entities that will provide 45 face-to-
face group grant writing seminars, nationwide, per year, specific to
the Grant / Per Diem Program will be placed in funding priority one.
With these criteria, of those eligible entities in the first
funding priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring
applicant will be funded first followed by the second highest scoring
applicant until $1 million is funded. Of this group not more than one
(1) technical assistance grant will be awarded to the same technical
assistance recipient (defined by tax identification number). Using the
guidance above, should the goal not be met and if funding is still
available, remaining funding will go to the second funding priority.
Funding priority 2. Should funding still be available, eligible
entities providing general technical assistance activities as stated in
the regulations will be placed in the second funding priority. Of this
group not more than one (1) technical assistance grant will be awarded
to the same technical assistance recipient (defined by tax
identification number). Of those eligible entities in the second
funding priority, that are legally fundable, the highest scoring
applicants will be funded first until funding is expended.
Application Requirements: Applicants must provide a cover letter
indicating which funding priority they are applying under. The specific
grant application requirements will be specified in the application
package. The package includes all required forms and certifications.
Selections will be made based on criteria described in the application.
Applicants who are selected will be notified of any additional
information needed to confirm or clarify information provided in the
application. Applicants will then be notified of the time in which to
submit such information. If an applicant is unable to meet any
conditions for grant award within the specified time frame, VA reserves
the right to not award funds and to use the funds available for other
grant and per diem applicants.