Question 1:
Our college is operated directly by the Bureau of Indian Education. Would our institution be eligible for this opportunity?
Answer 1:
As stated in Section III.F. Questions Regarding Eligibility (page 19) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), “DOE will not make eligibility determinations for potential Applicants prior to the date on which applications to this FOA must be submitted. The decision of whether to submit an application in response to this FOA lies solely with the Applicant.” Additionally, per Section III.A. (page 14) of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), "All Applicants will be required to provide eligibility statements and evidence (see Section IV.C.5.) to support DOE’s eligibility determination. DOE will not make sufficiency determinations prior to an application being submitted."
However, for your purposes in making that decision, we offer the following:
The requirements to qualify as an eligible applicant are defined in Section III.A. of FOA, which specifically states, “Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)” for purposes of this FOA, are (1) institutions of higher education located in the 48 contiguous United States or Alaska and (2) defined and eligible based on the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. § 1801(a)(4)), and the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. § 1001, et seq.), respectively, as follows:
“Tribal Colleges and Universities," for purposes of the FOA, mean institutions of higher education which are formally controlled, or have been formally sanctioned, or chartered, by the governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes [Emphasis Added], except that no more than one such institution shall be recognized with respect to any such tribe;
including:
Those institutions cited and eligible for funding undersection 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 (7 U.S.C. § 301 note), any other institution that qualifies for funding under the Tribally Controlled Community College Assistance Act of 1978 (25 U.S.C. § 1801 et seq.), and Diné College, authorized in the Navajo Community College Assistance Act of 1978, Public Law 95-471, title II (25 U.S.C. § 640a note).”
For purposes of this FOA, therefore, TCUs that are “formally controlled, or have been formally sanctioned, or chartered” by any entity other than the governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes are not eligible for funding under this FOA. Only institutions that meet the above requirements are eligible Applicants under this FOA.
Question 2:
Are indirect costs (IDC) allowable costs for the budget for this grant opportunity?
Answer 2:
Indirect costs may be considered allowable costs for this grant opportunity given the costs comply with the administrative requirements prescribed in 2 CFR 200, and the Applicant provides the most recent approved Indirect Rate Agreement or Rate Proposal with the Application. See the Budget Justification Workbook (IE 540.132-01) and Budget Support forms, found under the application forms and template here, for further details.
Question 3:
Are we able to have the authorized representative sign all required documents and have those documents uploaded to IE-Exchange by another person with an account in the organization who will then submit the application, or does the authorized representative have to have their own account through which the grant is submitted?
Answer 3:
The application does not need to be submitted by the authorized representative. Per section VI. Award Information, page 54 of the FOA, ‘IE-Exchange,’ “It is recommended that each organization or business unit, whether acting as a team or a single entity, use only one account as the contact point for each submission. Applicants must also designate backup points of contact so Applicants may be easily contacted if deemed necessary.” Further, there is a ‘share submission function’ in IE-Exchange which provides submission edit rights. To learn more about the share submission function, please review the IE-Exchange Applicant Guide on pages 18-19.
Additionally, per Section VI. Award Administration Information, page 55 of the FOA, ‘Electronic Authorization of Applications and Award Documents,’ “Submission of an application, acceptance of an award, and submittal of supplemental information under this FOA through electronic systems used by DOE, including IE-Exchange and FedConnect, constitutes the authorized representative’s approval and electronic signature.[Emphasis Added]
Question 4:
Do we need to have an established relationship with a consulting firm who will conduct this Energy Options Analysis prior to submission of our application? Or can we simply budget for an unnamed consulting firm contract that is yet to be determined?
Answer 4:
A relationship with a consulting firm prior to submission of the application is not required. However, under the ‘Budget Support Template’ found under Application Forms and Templates on IE-Exchange, p. 3 of the template states: “A Subcontract Plan is required if there are third-parties (i.e., Subrecipients or Vendors) included under the Contractual cost category of the Budget Justification Workbook form (IE 540.132-01) and have not yet been selected. The Subcontract Plan must include a description of the selection process to be employed, statement of work, and criteria to be used for selection. The Subcontract Plan may be supplemented by excerpts of the Applicant’s procurement policy and procedures document.”