[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 22, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81377-81381]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25817]


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ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION


Help America Vote College Program Service Day Mini-Grant Program

AGENCY: Election Assistance Commission (EAC).

ACTION: Notice of funding opportunity.

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SUMMARY: Through this Notice, EAC is announcing the fiscal year (FY) 
2023 Help America Vote College Program (HAVCP) Service Day Mini-Grant 
Program (Mini-Grant) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).

DATES: Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. eastern 
time on Monday, December 18, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Proposals must be submitted to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Election Assistance Commission Office 
of Grants Management, Risa Garza, (202) 740-1483, or at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Program Description

    Assistance Listing Number: 90.400.
    Funding Opportunity Number: EAC-23-002.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Help America Vote College Program 
Service Day Mini-Grant Program.
    1. Purpose of the Program. The Help America Vote College Program 
(HAVCP) was established in 2004, and through fiscal year 2009, 
distributed over $2.3 million to colleges and non-profits to recruit, 
train and support students serving as poll workers on Election Day. In 
2023, the EAC introduced the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant (Mini-Grant) 
Program. The information in this NOFO is specific to the Service Day 
Mini-Grant Program. The Mini-Grant Program is designed to stimulate 
community action on college campuses and increase the visibility of the 
EAC's National Poll Worker Recruitment Day and Help America Vote Day. 
In 2023, the EAC will make an additional $1 million available for the 
Help America Vote College Program with $50,000 to $150,000 set aside 
for the Service Day Mini-Grant Program.
    The purpose of this grant program is to: (1) Encourage students 
enrolled at institutions of higher education (including community 
colleges) to assist State and local governments in the administration 
of elections by serving as nonpartisan poll workers or assistants; (2) 
Encourage college students to become cognizant of the elections process 
and civic education, and to assist in the administration of elections 
in their community; and (3) Encourage state and local governments to 
use the services of the students participating in the program.
    College Student means any individual enrolled either on a part-time 
or full-time basis in any undergraduate, graduate, or professional 
college accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of 
Education in the United States.
    2. Statutory and Regulatory Authority. The U.S. Election Assistance 
Commission (EAC) anticipates the availability of $1 million dollars in 
discretionary grant funding, enacted in the 2023 Consolidated 
Appropriations Act (Pub. L. No: 117-328), to support the Help America 
Vote College Program (HAVCP) authorized in the Help America Vote Act of 
2002 (HAVA), Public Law 107-252, Title V, Help America Vote College 
Program. Awards will be administered by the EAC.
    3. Performance Measurement. HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program 
awardees will be required to report on the total number of college 
student participants served through the funded Service Day activities. 
The number of students served could include college student 
participants interacting with staff/volunteers tabling, attending a 
presentation or roundtable, or engaging through digital (i.e., social 
media, website), print (i.e., college newspaper), and/or audio 
platforms (i.e., radio show, podcast).

B. Federal Award Information

Service Day Program

    Funding Instrument: Discretionary Mini-Grant.
    Award Minimum: $3,000.
    Award Maximum: $10,000.
     Grant Period: 12 Months.
    Anticipated Funding Available: $50,000-$150,000.
    1. Funding Type. Funding will be provided in the form of a 
discretionary grant. EAC will authorize the Treasury Department to 
disburse funding identified in the agreement through the Payment 
Management System (PMS) to the applicant as an advance to be drawdown 
as expenses arise. Per 2 CFR 200, the timing and amount of advance

[[Page 81378]]

payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual 
disbursements by the non-Federal entity for direct program or project 
costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. The 
non-Federal entity must make timely payment to contractors in 
accordance with the contract provisions. Grantees will be able to 
request payments as often as practical for their program. Cash and in-
kind match expenditures require the same documentation as Federal funds 
under 2 CFR 200. Grantees must request a drawdown of funds for incurred 
costs using the electronic Payment Management System (PMS). Prior to 
initial drawdown of funds, all Grantees must have secured online access 
to Payment Management System.

C. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants. EAC encourages applicants to forge robust 
partnerships to implement the grant and to sustain activities beyond 
the grant period of performance. The recommended partners for the HAVCP 
are institutions of higher education as defined in Section 101(a) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); Nonprofit 
Organizations; Community and Technical Colleges and Systems; 
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic-Serving 
Institutions (HSIs); Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs); State and 
Local Election Offices; and Other Minority Serving Institutions Program 
(MSIs) as designated by the Higher Education Act's Title III and V 
funding.
    Priority Consideration. All selection criteria and application 
quality being equal, EAC will give priority consideration to projects 
from institutions and organizations that engage historically 
underrepresented groups, as defined by the Federal Government (See 
Appendix C), as poll workers. For the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant 
Program, the EAC will provide further priority consideration to 
applicants who have historically not been recipients of EAC funding. 
The EAC is interested in using the Mini-Grant opportunity to engage new 
organizations in supporting and improving the administration of 
elections. The HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program will also provide 
priority consideration for organizations serving individuals or groups 
in an area of persistent poverty and/or historically disadvantaged 
community and for organizations serving individuals or groups in a 
rural area. The EAC is interested in using the Mini-Grant opportunity 
to engage organizations in locations where barriers to participation in 
the election process are frequently higher.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching. At the time of award, applicants must 
demonstrate either cash and/or in-kind contributions on-hand and/or 
commitments, or a combination thereof, to meet the required 10 percent 
match, based on the amount of Federal grant funds requested. Match must 
be met by the project end period.
    EAC encourages applicants to leverage additional resources beyond 
the required match to supplement grant activities. Both matching and 
leveraged resources can come from a variety of sources, including, but 
not limited to the private sector (e.g., businesses or industry 
associations); the philanthropic community (e.g., foundations); and the 
non-profit sector (e.g., community organizations or education and 
training institutions). Non-Federal, public-sector funds (e.g., from 
States or local governments) may be used for matching funds, if 
necessary. Federal funds from other Federal agencies are not a 
permissible source of match, unless specifically authorized by the 
award pursuant to 2 CFR 200.306. Applicants may consult with EAC on 
sources of match to determine permissibility.
    Grantees may recover indirect costs under this grant up to 10 
percent of the total Federal share of the grant. If an applicant has an 
approved Federal indirect cost rate higher than 10 percent, the 
remainder of the indirect costs can be used as a matching contribution.
    3. Other Requirements/Limitations. Applicants may not use any part 
of an award from the EAC to fund religious instruction, worship or 
proselytizing, voter registration, get out the vote (GOTV) drives, or 
other political activities that could be construed as lobbying. Project 
funds must be used for tasks and activities carried out without 
partisan bias and without promoting any political point of view 
regarding any election issue or candidates.
    Applications that propose voter registration or GOTV efforts will 
be considered non-responsive and will not be eligible for funding under 
this announcement.
    Any organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4) that engages in lobbying 
activities is not eligible to apply.
    The applicant nor its principals cannot be presently debarred, 
suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily 
excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal 
department or agency. Federal regulations prohibit supplanting of 
funds, such as replacing routine and/or existing state or local 
expenditures with the use of Federal grant funds and/or using Federal 
grant funds for cost of activities that constitute general expenses 
required to carry out the overall responsibilities of state or local 
government.

D. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package. The FY 2023 HAVCP 
Application Kit, copies of necessary forms and samples, and the program 
regulations are available at https://www.eac.gov/grants/help-america-vote-college-program.
    Application information is also available at https://www.grants.gov/.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission. The deadline for 
receipt of applications will be Monday, December 18, 2023. Please 
submit an email stating your intent to apply to [email protected]. This 
Notice of Intent is not required but helps EAC better plan the review 
of applications.
    The fully completed HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Application Form 
must be submitted, as a word document or pdf, by email to [email protected] with the header ``HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program 
Application--[ORGANIZATION NAME]'' before the application submission 
deadline. The electronic submission of your application must be made by 
an official representative of your institution who is authorized to 
request funding on behalf of the applicant organization.
    3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management (SAM).
    (a) At the time of application, each applicant must have an active 
registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting 
its application in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, Universal Identifier 
and System for Award Management. To register in SAM, entities will be 
required to obtain and create a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 
Instructions for obtaining the UEI are available at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.
    (b) Each applicant must maintain an active SAM registration, with 
current, accurate, and complete information, at all times during which 
it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by 
a Federal awarding agency.
    (c) Each applicant must ensure they complete the Financial 
Assistance General Representations and Certifications in SAM.
    (d) Applicants must provide a valid UEI in its application, unless

[[Page 81379]]

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110, Exceptions.
    (e) The Agency will not make an award until the applicant has 
complied with all SAM requirements including providing the UEI. If an 
applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the 
Agency is ready to make an award, the Agency may determine that the 
applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and use that 
determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another 
applicant.
    4. Submission Dates and Times. The deadline for receipt of 
applications will be Monday, December 18, 2023. Please submit an email 
stating your intent to apply to [email protected]. This Notice of Intent 
is not required but helps EAC better plan the review of applications.
    The fully completed HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Application Form 
must be submitted by email to [email protected] with the header ``HAVCP 
Service Day Mini-Grant Program Application--[ORGANIZATION NAME]'' 
before the application submission deadline. The electronic submission 
of your application must be made by an official representative of your 
institution who is authorized to request funding on behalf of the 
applicant organization.
    Applications received after the deadline date and time are 
considered late applications and, absent extreme circumstances to be 
determined by the EAC, will not be reviewed. The EAC will notify each 
late applicant that the application will not be considered in the 
current competition. The EAC will only consider a request to submit an 
application after the deadline when the applicant can document that a 
technical issue with a government system prevented application 
submission prior to the application deadline. If an applicant misses a 
deadline due to unforeseen technical issues with a government system, 
the applicant may request a waiver to submit an application after the 
deadline to [email protected]. However, the waiver request will not be 
considered unless it includes a timestamp or other data point 
indicating the issue occurred prior to the application submission 
deadline.
    5. Intergovernmental Review. Executive Order 12372, 
``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,'' is not required for 
this program.
    6. Funding Restrictions. Applications must be for eligible purposes 
described in this Notice.
    7. Other Submission Requirements. Applications must be submitted by 
email to [email protected] with the header ``HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant 
Program Application--[ORGANIZATION NAME]'' by the deadline posted on 
Grants.gov. The electronic submission of your application must be made 
by an official representative of your institution who is authorized to 
request funding on behalf of the applicant organization. To request an 
accessible, hard copy of the application, please contact the EAC at 
[email protected]. EAC will not accept requests for a waiver of electronic 
submission requirements during the preview period. Such requests may 
only be submitted once the NOFO has been published on Grants.gov.
    Interested applicants should submit an email to [email protected] 
stating your organization's intent to apply. This notice of intent is 
not required but helps us better plan the review of applications.

E. Application Review Information

    1. Criteria. All complete and eligible applications will be 
evaluated and scored based on the criteria outlined in this section.
    The review and selection process are intended to produce a 
diversified set of high-quality programs that represent the priorities 
described in this Notice. The determinations made by the EAC may be 
different from what the applicant self-determined upon submission of 
its application. The stages of the review and selection process follow:
    The EAC will conduct an initial Compliance and Eligibility Review 
to determine if an application meets the eligibility requirements 
published in this Notice and advances to the next stage of the review 
process.
    An application is compliant if the applicant:
     is an eligible organization,
     submitted an application by the submission deadline, and
     requested Federal funds in the range provided by the 
Notice.
    Reviewing for eligibility is intended to ensure that only 
applications eligible for award are further reviewed. However, 
determinations of eligibility can take place at any point during the 
application review and selection process. Applicants that are 
determined to be ineligible will not receive an award.
    2. Review and Selection Process. The EAC will assess the 
applications based on the Organizational Characteristics, Program 
Design/Strategy, and Budget selection criteria using the scoring rubric 
below. The EAC will also consider the priorities and strategic 
considerations detailed in this Notice. All staff reviewing 
applications will be screened for conflicts of interest. Final funding 
decisions will be made by the Election Assistance Commission.

HAVCP Scoring Criteria

    Total Points Available: 30.
    Each application is scored by three staff members. Average scores 
and priority points are used to present recommendations to the Election 
Assistance Commission Executive Director and Commissioners.
Organizational Characteristics (Possible Points: 20)
History of EAC Funding

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          Possible points                         Criteria
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10................................  Organization has not received past
                                     funding directly from EAC.
0.................................  Organization has received past
                                     funding directly from EAC.
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Area of Persistent Poverty and/or Historically Disadvantaged Community

------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Possible points                         Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.................................  Organization serves population(s) in
                                     an area of persistent poverty and/
                                     or historically disadvantaged
                                     community.
0.................................  Organization does not serve
                                     population(s) in an area of
                                     persistent poverty and/or
                                     historically disadvantaged
                                     community.
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Rural Area

------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Possible points                         Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.................................  Organization serves population(s) in
                                     a rural area.
0.................................  Organization does not serve
                                     population(s) in a rural area.
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Program Design and Strategy (Possible Points: 5)
    Successful applications will address the following elements of 
Program Design and Strategy:
     A sound and relevant program that meets the unique needs 
of the communities served;
     A clear description of how the proposed activities will 
encourage college students to assist state and local governments in the 
administration of elections by serving as nonpartisan poll workers or 
assistants and encourage jurisdictions to utilize these efforts; and,
     The number of targeted college students, including how 
this number was calculated.

[[Page 81380]]



------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Possible points                         Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.................................  Application narrative clearly and
                                     completely addresses all requested
                                     components.
3.................................  Application narrative clearly and
                                     completely addresses most of the
                                     requested components.
0.................................  Application narrative is unclear and/
                                     or does not address critical
                                     application components.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Budget/Cost Effectiveness (Possible Points: 5)
    Successful applications will address the following elements of 
Budget and cost effectiveness:
     Costs are clearly justified based on the proposed 
activities and project scope;
     Budget and budget narrative are accurate and complete (See 
Appendix C); and,
     Cost sharing is clearly and accurately identified.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Possible points                         Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.................................  Budget clearly and completely
                                     addresses all requested components.
3.................................  Budget clearly and completely
                                     addresses most of the requested
                                     components.
0.................................  Budget is unclear and/or does not
                                     address critical application
                                     components.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Priority Consideration. All selection criteria and application 
quality being equal, EAC will give priority consideration to projects 
from institutions and organizations that engage historically 
underrepresented groups, as defined by the Federal Government, as poll 
workers.
    (a) The term ``equity'' means the consistent and systematic fair, 
just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals 
who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such 
treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American 
persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of 
color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; 
persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely 
affected by persistent poverty or inequality.
    (b) The term ``underserved communities'' refers to populations 
sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, 
that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate 
in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the 
list in the preceding definition of ``equity.''
    For the HAVCP Service Day Mini-Grant Program, the EAC will provide 
further priority consideration to applicants who have historically not 
been recipients of EAC funding. The EAC is interested in using the 
Mini-Grant opportunity to engage new organizations in supporting and 
improving the administration of elections. The HAVCP Service Day Mini-
Grant Program will also provide priority consideration for 
organizations serving populations in an area of persistent poverty and/
or historically disadvantaged community and for organizations located 
in a rural area. The EAC is interested in using the Mini-Grant 
opportunity to engage organizations serving locations where barriers to 
participation in the election process are frequently higher.
    3. Applicant Clarification. The EAC may ask applicants for 
clarifying information during the Clarification Stage of the review 
process. An Operational and Financial Management Survey will also be 
requested at this time. The EAC staff will use this information to make 
funding recommendations. A request for clarification does not guarantee 
an award. Applicants may be recommended for funding even if they are 
not asked for clarifying information. An applicant's failure to respond 
to a request for clarification adequately and in a timely manner may 
result in the removal of its application from consideration.
    4. Pre-Award Risk Assessment. The EAC staff will assess the risks 
posed by applicants to determine an applicant's ability to manage 
Federal funds. This assessment is in addition to the Compliance and 
Eligibility Review and the Application Review. Results from this 
assessment will inform funding decisions. If the EAC determines that an 
award will be made to an applicant with assessed risks, special 
conditions that correspond to the degree of assessed risk may be 
applied to the award. Additionally, if the EAC concludes that the 
reasons for applicants having poor risk assessment are not likely to be 
mitigated, those applications may not be selected for funding.

F. Federal Award Notices

    Applicants will be notified in writing of the status of their 
application:
    (a) Eligible and selected for funding;
    (b) Eligible bur offered less than requested;
    (c) Eligible but not selected for funding; or
    (d) Ineligible for the award.
    Applicants who are awarded funding will receive a Notice of Grant 
Award from the EAC with award terms and conditions as well as other 
grant documents. The Notice will inform grantees of the effective date 
for grant activities and disbursement.
    1. Funding Type. Funding will be provided in the form of a 
discretionary grant. EAC will authorize the Treasury Department to 
disburse funding identified in the agreement through the Payment 
Management System (PMS) to the applicant as an advance to be drawdown 
as expenses arise. Per 2 CFR 200, the timing and amount of advance 
payments must be as close as is administratively feasible to the actual 
disbursements by the non-Federal entity for direct program or project 
costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs. The 
non-Federal entity must make timely payment to contractors in 
accordance with the contract provisions. Grantees will be able to 
request payments as often as practical for their program. Cash and in-
kind match expenditures require the same documentation as Federal funds 
under 2 CFR 200. Grantees must request a drawdown of funds for incurred 
costs using the electronic Payment Management System (PMS). Prior to 
initial drawdown of funds, all Grantees must have secured online access 
to Payment Management System.
    2. EAC Terms and Conditions. All awards made under this Notice will 
be subject to the EAC's General Terms and Conditions and the Program-
Specific Terms and Conditions for the program (where applicable). These 
Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory compliance and 
reporting requirements. The full Terms and Conditions may be viewed on 
the EAC website here: https://www.eac.gov/grants/help-america-vote-college-program.
    3. Reporting. Recipients are required to provide one final Federal 
financial report (FFR) and one final progress report (PR) submitted by 
email to [email protected]. Final reports are cumulative over the entire 
award period and consistent with close-out requirements. The final 
reports are due 120 days after the performance period ends. All reports 
must be accurate, complete, and submitted on time.
    The Federal financial report required will be the modified version 
of the Standard Form 425 (SF-425) used by the EAC for other Federal 
awards. The progress report required will consist of a short narrative, 
listing of the actual number of college students served, and images 
demonstrating the Service Day

[[Page 81381]]

activities undertaken with Federal and non-Federal matching funds.
    Once the grant is awarded, recipients will be expected to have in 
place data collection and data management policies, processes, and 
practices that provide assurance that they are reporting high quality 
performance measure data. Failure to submit accurate, complete, and 
timely required reports may affect the recipient's ability to secure 
future EAC funding.
    For general questions about this announcement, please contact the 
EAC Office of Grants Management at [email protected] or 202-734-0639. The 
program website also provides up to date contact information at https://www.eac.gov/grants/help-america-vote-college-program.

H. Other Information

    1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 35), the information 
collection requirements associated with the programs, as covered in 
this Notice, have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) under OMB Control Number 3265-0025. Public burden reporting for 
this collection of information is estimated to average 5 hours per 
response for individuals completing all parts of this form, including 
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, 
gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and 
reviewing the collection of information. You are not required to answer 
these questions unless this number is displayed. Send comments 
regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of 
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, U.S. 
Election Assistance Commission, 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200, 
Washington, DC 20001.
    2. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. All 
applicants, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must be registered in SAM 
and have a UEI number as stated in Section D.3. of this Notice. All 
recipients of Federal financial assistance are required to report 
information about first-tier sub-awards and executive total 
compensation in accordance with 2 CFR part 170, Reporting subaward and 
executive compensation information.
    3. Issuance of Federal Awards. The Election Assistance Commission 
is not obligated to make any Federal awards as a result of this 
announcement.
    4. EAC Terms and Conditions. All awards made under this Notice will 
be subject to the EAC's General Terms and Conditions and the Program-
Specific Terms and Conditions for the program (where applicable). These 
Terms and Conditions contain detailed, mandatory compliance and 
reporting requirements.
    5. Effects of Nondisclosure. The information requested is 
voluntary; however, to be a recipient of this grant program, disclosure 
of personal or sensitive information is required to receive Federal 
benefits.
    6. Use of Material. To ensure that materials generated with HAVA 
funding are available to the public and readily accessible to 
recipients and non-recipients, the EAC reserves a royalty-free, 
nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to obtain, use, modify, reproduce, 
publish, or disseminate publications and materials produced under the 
award, including data, and to authorize others to do so (2 CFR 
200.315).
    7. Uniform Guidance. All awards made under this Notice will be 
subject to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, 
and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), in 2 CFR 
part 200.
    8. Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act. Grant 
recipients will be required to report at www.FSRS.gov on all subawards 
over $30,000 and may be required to report on executive compensation 
for recipients and subrecipients. Recipients must have the necessary 
systems in place to collect and report this information. See 2 CFR part 
170 for more information and to determine how these requirements apply.

Camden Kelliher,
Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
[FR Doc. 2023-25817 Filed 11-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-71-P