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OSEPR webinar outlines ACF NOFO for emergency repatriation planning; $750,000 available
Summary
OSEPR presented a notice of funding opportunity from the Administration for Children and Families for emergency repatriation planning, training and exercises. The NOFO anticipates $750,000 in program funds, expects to make two cooperative agreement awards (up to $375,000 each), and details eligibility, required Planning/Training/Exercise activities, application files, and review criteria.
A presenter for OSEPR outlined a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that seeks to bolster state and territorial preparedness for emergency repatriation through planning, training and exercises.
"The overall goal of the NOFO is to increase state and territorial preparedness for emergency repatriation operations through planning, training, and exercises," the presenter said, summarizing the NOFO's purpose. The program is expected to provide $750,000 in total funding and OSEPR expects to make two cooperative agreement awards with a maximum award amount of $375,000 each, subject to the availability of federal funds.
Why it matters: the NOFO aims to help states test and validate emergency repatriation plans and capabilities and increase the number of jurisdictions ready to support federal repatriation operations. Recipients must use award funds to advance ACF priorities and must document how planned activities align with those priorities.
Program requirements: applicants must propose Planning/Training/Exercise (PTE) activities that align with OSEPR doctrine and the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP). Projects must include at least one training activity (virtual or in person) and at least one HSEEP-compliant exercise (discussion- or operations-based). Exercise results must produce an after-action report or summary of conclusions and recipients are required to update the State Emergency Repatriation Plan (SERP) based on exercise findings; a draft updated SERP is due by the end of the project period.
Eligibility and disqualifiers: the presenter said eligibility is broad but listed disqualifying factors including applications that request funding above the award ceiling, late submissions, submissions from individuals (including sole proprietorships), federal entities, or foreign entities, paper-format submissions without an ACF exemption, and applications lacking a letter from a state executive that identifies the state agency responsible for PTE activities and confirms the state will work with the applicant. Applicants that are current or prior recipients of an OSEPR PTE cooperative agreement award are also ineligible.
Application components and format: applications must be submitted through Grants.gov (unless a paper-submission exemption is approved) and require an active SAM.gov account. The application package is split into two files plus standard forms. File 1 must include a table of contents, a one-page project summary, the project narrative (approach, timeline and milestones, evaluation plan, organizational capacity and oversight), and the SF-424A budget information. File 2 must contain attachments including the ACF priorities alignment attestation, indirect cost agreement (if applicable), proof of organization status (if applicable), the letter from a state executive, resumes and organizational charts, and job descriptions for vacant positions. The presenter said applications are limited to 60 pages total for Files 1 and 2 combined; recommended formatting is Times New Roman, 12-point font, and 1-inch margins. Applicants were told not to include external hyperlinks, not to encrypt or password-protect files, and to allow time for Grants.gov validation.
Review and scoring: the presenter described an initial responsiveness review that will disqualify applications failing required criteria, followed by a merit review scored across five categories totaling 110 points: Response (35 points), Impact (35 points), Resources and Capabilities (20 points), Support Requested (10 points), and ACF priorities alignment (10 points). Grants.gov validation failures will not receive notification from ACF.
Post-award responsibilities and reporting: awards will be cooperative agreements and are subject to the terms and conditions in the NOFO and applicable federal statutes and regulations, as well as ACF program-specific requirements. Recipients must submit semiannual performance reports via the ACF OGM PPR form and semiannual federal financial reports using SF-425. The presenter also noted equal-treatment provisions for faith-based organizations referenced in the NOFO.
Contacts and next steps: for programmatic questions, the presenter provided the contact oseper.grants@hhs.gov and directed applicants to the Grants.gov NOFO package. The webinar closed with an encouragement to review the NOFO carefully and submit complete applications before the deadline listed in the NOFO.
