2019 Equipment Assistance Grants for Local Educational Agencies

Request for

Proposals (RFP)

Maryland State Department of Education

200 West Baltimore Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

Deadline

Friday, January 31, 2020

No later than 5 p.m. EST

This document is available in alternate formats.

Name of Grant and Funding Source:

2019 Equipment Assistance Grants for Local Educational Agencies (LEAs); Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, (Public Law 116-6).

Purpose:

To provide funds that will allow LEAs to purchase equipment that are needed to serve healthier school meals, improve food safety, and expand access to school meals.

Dissemination: Monday December 2, 2019

Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2020, No later than 5:00 p.m. EST.

The completed RFP must be submitted by email to Jill Goldberg at jill.goldberg@maryland.gov. Incomplete RFPs and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Eligible Applicants: LEAs that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

Priorities and Criteria:

High need schools (i.e. schools in underserved areas, schools with limited access to other resources, and age of food service equipment) where 50 percent or more of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Other factors including, but not limited to the following:

Opportunities to realize meaningful impacts on nutrition and quality of meals (such as serving more local foods or replacing fryers with combination steamer-ovens);

Strategies for adopting lunchroom changes that provide more convenience and appeal to the student population (e.g., highlighting healthier choices, redesigning menus that target healthier entrees/options);

The availability of existing State and local funding for equipment purchases; and

3. Priority is also given to schools that have not previously received a NSLP Equipment Grant.

Requirements:

Equipment requests may include new equipment, renovation of equipment, or replacement of equipment. Regulations at 2 CFR Part 200.33 define equipment as tangible personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost which equals or exceeds the lesser of the capitalization level established by the non-Federal entity for financial statement purposes, or $5,000.

For FY 2019 Equipment Assistance Grants, Congress has specified that the threshold for the purchase of equipment cannot be lower than $1,000. All individual items requested under this grant must be valued at $1,000 or more, unless the LEA has established a lower threshold. Cost(s) incurred prior to the approval of the grant may not be funded through the award.

As with all Federal grant funds, procurement regulations at 7 CFR Part 210.21 and 2 CFR Part 200.317-326 applies, and equipment competitively procured using these grant funds must be necessary, reasonable, and allocable. For example, while using these grant funds to purchase a walk-in freezer for school food service or a salad bar may be an allowable cost, building an extension to a cafeteria would not meet the intended purposes of this grant.

Proposal Review:

Applications will be pre-screened for submission requirements and inclusion of all required sections. A review committee established by the MSDE will evaluate applications. Reviewers will comment on the proposals and assign numerical scores. Final approval for awards will be determined by the review committee.

Award Notification: Notification of awards will be sent no later than Monday, March 30, 2020.

Total Funds Available: $436,614

Estimated Number of Awards: 10 – 15

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000 to $90,000

Period of Performance: October 1, 2019 –September 30, 2021

Reporting Requirements:

Grantees must submit quarterly reports due as follows: December 31, 2019; March 31, 2020; June 30, 2020; September 30, 2020; December 31, 2020; March 31, 2021; and June 30, 2021. A final report will be due on or before Thursday, September 30, 2021. Quarterly report forms can be found as tabs on the C-1-25 Grant Budget Form for this grant. Reports must include the following:

Grant activities that occurred during reporting period;

Indication that the grant goals and objectives will be achieved by the end of the grant period;

Indication of adherence to grant timelines;

Grant funds expended to date and percentage of total; and

Indication that 100% of grant funds will be expended by the end of the grant period.

Grant recipients chosen for an award must comply with the attached regulations, principles, assurance, and statements (as applicable).

Proposals must contain the following information, all of which are included in this RFP:

Signed Applicant Information page,

Project Details,

Proposal Narrative,

C-1-25 budget form, and

Signed Assurances.

Budget:

Complete the MSDE grant budget on the form titled Grant Budget Forms [Excel] Revised available at http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/Grants/BudgetInfo.aspx.. This grant will be recorded under 201 Administration – Prog. 21 General Support, column 05 - Equipment. Enter the total at the bottom of column 05.

Signed Assurances:

The attached assurances must be signed and dated by the LEA’s Authorized Representative. Please read all assurances carefully.

Applicant Information

LEA Name:

LEA Number:

Total Funds Requested:

Name and Title of Grant Contact Person:

Email:

Phone:

Address:

LEA’s Authorized Representative Signature	Date

_______________________________________________________ _______________

PROJECT DETAILS (attach additional pages if necessary)
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
School Name	Free and Reduced Price %*	Facility Type	Total Enrollment Served by Proposed Equipment	Equipment Requested	Cost of Equipment, Installation, etc.	Key Focus Area(s)	Child Nutrition Program(s) Utilizing Equipment
School kitchen Production Kitchen Central Kitchen	Meal quality Food safety Energy efficiency Expand participation	SBP NSLP
School Production Kitchen Central Kitchen	Meal quality Food safety Energy efficiency Expand participation	SBP NSLP
School Production Kitchen Central Kitchen	Meal quality Food safety Energy efficiency Expand participation	SBP NSLP
School Production Kitchen Central Kitchen	Meal quality Food safety Energy efficiency Expand participation	SBP NSLP
* Current free and reduced-price meal data is available at: www.eatsmartmaryland.org.

PROPOSAL NARRATIVE OUTLINE (to be submitted with Proposal)

Effective and Efficient Use of Resources

Describe the equipment requested:

Will this equipment replace an older model of the same type of equipment or will this be the first of its kind in the kitchen?

Is there existing local funding for equipment purchases?

Include the cost of maintenance and repair over the past year for present equipment.

Include an estimate of cost of repairs vs. purchase of new equipment.

Are parts available to repair old equipment?

Will old equipment be moved to another school?

Include the cost of removal of old piece of equipment, if known.

Will the equipment improve the overall school meals programs infrastructure and food service?

Focus Areas

Discuss how the request fits the key focus area(s) indicated in the Project Details chart and the Priorities on page 2. Additional aspects to consider may be:

Changes to menus (e.g., increase fresh and/or local fruits/vegetables, new foods) due to time saved because of equipment.

Health inspection orders to update or replace equipment.

Does the building’s current electrical and plumbing systems support requested equipment

Does the equipment have computerized alarm systems or temperature control auto recording?

Estimate participation increases impacted by this equipment.

How the equipment will highlight healthier menu options or increase access to and appeal of nutritious foods?

Energy rating on new equipment vs. old equipment being replaced.

Procurement Process

Present a proposed timeline for the procurement of the requested equipment.

Will funds be expended within one year if awarded a grant?

What steps will be taken to procure this equipment competitively, quickly, and successfully?

Describe the LEA approval process to purchase the equipment.

Discuss any additional costs needed to fully install/utilize this equipment.

Is the requested equipment a stand-alone item or a part of a larger plan. For larger plans, indicate which items must be funded for the plan to be successful and what other funds exist if only partially funded.

4.	Justification for funding:

Discuss the reasons why the LEA/school(s) should be selected for an equipment assistance grant. Summarize the impact that new or renovated equipment will have on this site’s food service. Summarize how a grant will benefit the students who participate in the school meals programs.

GOVERNMENT-WIDE REGULATIONS

2 CFR Part 25: “Universal Identifier and System for Award Management”

2 CFR Part 170: “Reporting Sub-award and Executive Compensation Information”

2 CFR Part 175: “Award Term for Trafficking in Persons”

2 CFR Part 180: “OMB Guidelines to Agencies on Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-Procurement)”

2 CFR Part 200: “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

2 CFR Part 400: USDA Implementing regulations “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards”

2 CFR Part 415: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations”

2 CFR Part 416: USDA “General Program Administrative Regulations for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments”

2 CFR Part 417: USDA “Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension”

2 CFR Part 418 USDA “New Restrictions on Lobbying”

2 CFR Part 421: USDA “Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)”

41 USC Section 22 “Interest of Member of Congress”

Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2009, Public Law 110-417

Sections 738 and 739 of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-55)

“The Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA), dated September 26, 2006”

COST PRINICIPLES

2 CFR, Part 200: Subpart E, Cost Principles

USDA REGULATIONS

7 CFR Part 15: “Nondiscrimination”

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Public access to Federal Financial Assistance records shall not be limited, except when such records must be kept confidential and would have been excepted from disclosure pursuant to the “Freedom of Information” regulation (5 U.S.C. 552).

ASSURANCE OF CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLIANCE

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000d-et seq.), USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part 15, Nondiscrimination, and Department of Justice regulations at 28 CFR Part 42, Nondiscrimination; Equal Employment Opportunity: Policies And Procedures

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part 15a, Education Programs or Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and USDA regulations at 7 CFR Part 15a, Education Programs or Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial Assistance, and Department of Justice regulations at 28 CFR Part 41, Implementation of Executive Order 12250, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap In Federally Assisted Programs

Age Discrimination Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.) The Grantee assures that it will immediately take any measures necessary to effectuate the requirements in these laws, regulations, and directives. The Grantee gives this assurance inconsideration of and for the purpose of obtaining the funds provided under this agreement.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment (Title I), state & local government services (Title II), places of public accommodation and commercial facilities (Title III). (42 U.S.C. 12101-12213)

CIVIL RIGHTS

NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENTS

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement:

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)	mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;

(2)	fax: (202) 690-7442; or

(3)	email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

NOTE: If the material is too small to contain the full statement, the material, at a minimum, must include the following statement:

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

And, if appropriate: Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

MSDE Nondiscrimination statement:

The Maryland State Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry/national origin, color, disability, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. For inquiries related to Department policy, please contact:

Equity Assurance and Compliance Office
Office of the Deputy State Superintendent for Finance and Administration
Maryland State Department of Education
200 W. Baltimore Street - 6th Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201-2595
410-767-0426 - voice
410-767-0431 - fax
410-333-6442 - TTY/TDD

Equipment and Other Capital Expenditures Approval Request

Capital expenditures are:

Equipment that has a useful life of a year or longer OR

Repairs or modifications that materially increase the value or useful life of such equipment AND

Expected purchase or repair cost equals or exceeds the Federal threshold of $5,000 or a lower threshold set by local agency requirements.

When equipment to be purchased is NOT found on the MSDE Capital Equipment List, complete and submit this form prior to making the expenditure.

Agency name: ___________________________________	Agency number: ________________

Name of person completing form: ________________________	Date of request: ___________

Email address: _______________________________________	Phone number: ____________

Agency’s local capitalization threshold (if less than $5,000):

Item to be purchased or repaired	Expected cost	Site(s)	Brief description of intended use in Child Nutrition Program(s)

Reminder: cost estimates and purchases must comply with federal procurement requirements.

MSDE Approval:

MSDE Signature: _____________________________

August 2014