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Vaccine Access for Individuals with Disabilities FFY 2022 Competitive Grant ProgramRequest for Proposals (RFP)(Awards to begin October 18, 2021)Virginia Board for People with DisabilitiesRequest for ProposalsCompetitive Grant ProgramThe Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (the Board) is the Commonwealth’s Developmental Disabilities (DD) Council. The Board’s mission is to advance opportunities for independence, personal decision-making and full participation in community life for individuals with developmental and other disabilities. The Board’s grant and contractual investments are designed to advance its mission and support the tenets of full inclusion by working with organizations at the local, state, and national levels to achieve our goals. Overview and PurposeThrough this RFP, the Board seeks to support local and statewide efforts that result in increased access to COVID-19 vaccines for people with disabilities. Grant projects funded through this RFP must be used for organizing and conducting culturally and linguistically competent outreach, education, and/or vaccination events and providing needed supports for people with disabilities, including individuals with diverse identities and/or individuals who are underserved. Grant projects may also indirectly benefit individuals with disabilities by targeting other groups such as family members of people with disabilities, direct support workers/providers, personal care attendants, and other support staff. To view past grants, go to: Grants Highlights. The Board considers cultural competence to include the following: the organization has defined values, principles, policies and behaviors that demonstrate that (1) diversity and differences are valued; and (2) the organization is able to work effectively across cultures and adapt to the cultural context of the communities being served.Available Grant Funds The Board may fund up to $98,842 in grant awards for one or more projects in Virginia for the current grant cycle. Funding for individual projects may range from $5,000 to $98,842. The Board may award all or a portion of available funds. The Board may choose not to award grant funds if budget limitations are encountered or if it determines that none of the grant proposals received will achieve the desired systemic change. The grant period for this RFP will be approximately 10-11 months. Entities with a federally negotiated Indirect Cost Rate (ICR) agreement may elect to charge indirect costs to the project and a copy of the ICR agreement must be included with the application. Board staff will review the ICR agreement to determine the most appropriate cost rate. Entities that do not have a negotiated cost rate agreement may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (MTDC definition can be found in the Grants Manual). What We Will Not FundThrough the Board’s grants process, we will not support the following:Existing projects or services that are a part of an organization’s current program or budget;Projects that would supplant or replace existing federal, state, or local dollars to conduct the project;Projects which have a federal, state or local mandate to be delivered by the applicant organization;Projects which include capital expenditures for the acquisition of land or buildings, new construction or major repair.Projects that do not ensure meaningful diversity and inclusion, and are exclusive of an individual’s race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, political affiliation, disability, and veteran statusProjects that take place in restrictive, isolated, or segregated settings that do not promote community integration for children or adults with disabilities. Board Objectives and Target PopulationProjects should also be designed to build capacity, by expanding and improving the ability of individuals with DD, their families and support networks, to promote and enhance self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life. The project must focus on the ability of people with disabilities, in particular, to access COVID-19 vaccines. The project may also choose to support the ability of their support networks, as a secondary target population, to access COVID-19 vaccines. All submission requirements can be found in the Grants Manual. Be sure to review the Grants Manual prior to submission of a proposal.Projects that will be Considered for FundingBackground: People with disabilities may have an increased risk for contracting COVID-19 based on where they live and/or the services they receive. People with disabilities may require close contact with direct service providers, including personal care attendants or other support staff. Additionally, many people with disabilities may have underlying health conditions that increases the risk of severe illness due to COVID-19. It is therefore critical that people with disabilities have access to the COVID-19 vaccine and associated resources. Barriers to information about COVID-19 vaccines and access to the vaccines can vary depending on where a person lives in Virginia and other individual factors, such as available natural supports, access to the internet, accessibility of the information, and mobility. Additionally, some people with disabilities may be hesitant to get the vaccine because they are afraid of needles or need a sensory friendly environment. According to a survey conducted in March – April 2021 by the American Association on Health & Disability, people with disabilities are also hesitant to get the vaccine due to concerns about how the vaccine would interact with their underlying health conditions.Funding provided through this RFP can be used to support time, supplies (including sensory and other support needs), provision of transportation or other supports to access vaccines, marketing materials, developing accessible information1 (preferred language, plain language), non-cash stipends2 to participants in exchange for proof of vaccination, etc. An example of an allowable participant stipend would be a $10 or $25 gift card in exchange for getting vaccinated and sharing a picture or taking a survey on why they got vaccinated, or a stipend for a person with a disability or family member to share their vaccination story during an outreach or educational event.??Other allowable activities include:Hold at least one outreach event, which may include providing vaccinations for people with disabilities and their family members and/or support staff;?Providing education about the vaccine to debunk myths and address hesitancy in accessible formats that could also include languages other than English;Assisting with scheduling vaccine appointments;Helping to arrange vaccine appointments for people with disabilities?who are not able to leave their home, including appointments for their family members and support staff;?Arranging and providing accessible transportation to vaccine appointments;Providing companion/personal supports through each stage of the vaccination process from scheduling to receipt of final shot (vaccine wraparound services);Providing technical assistance to local health departments or other entities on accessibility of vaccine sites;Providing an ongoing series of campaigns as new information and resources become available e.g., the Delta variant, access to vaccines is expanded e.g., children 5 to 12 years old, and booster shots as recommended by the CDCThe Board understands that COVID-19 vaccination needs for individuals with disabilities are fluid and vary across the state. We want to ensure, to the extent possible, that the types of activities conducted are flexible and allow for changes should needs change or additional guidance is received (e.g. boosters, vaccinations for children under 12, etc.). Applicants are invited to submit proposals that include or target children under age 12 in anticipation of vaccine approval for that age group. Any modifications to approved project activities will require Board staff approval in advance of the change being implemented.1American Association on Health & Disability Accessible Vaccine Fact Sheet2Please review the FAQ document from the Administration for Community Living regarding funding for incentives, available in the supporting documents section of DD SuiteGrantee ReportingThe funds being awarded through this RFP were provided to the VBPD from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), with funding and partnership support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to provide critical services to help communities combat COVID-19. Funded projects will be required to report to the Board on any activities that were implemented using grant funding. Grantees should have mechanisms in place to track their activities and impact. Grantees are expected to report on the number and type of people served. This may include some of the following information, as appropriate per the project scope:Number of people with disabilities reached by your education activities;Number of all other people reached by your education activities;Number of local health departments or other entities assisted with technical assistance on vaccine accessibility;Number of people helped in scheduling vaccine appointments;Number of people assisted with accessible transportation to a vaccination site;Number of people assisted with companion/personal support to receive vaccines; and/orNumber of people who needed and received a reminder of their second vaccination appointment.Grantees are also expected to report on the overall outcome of the project. This includes, to the extent available, the number of people with disabilities and the number of other people who are vaccinated as a result of project implementation. Grantees are also expected to report on their collaboration and joint activities with other community-based organizations, including successes and challenges in your collaboration efforts.The selected grantee will be required to submit quarterly and final programmatic and financial progress reports to the Board for review. The reports will include, but are not limited to, the aforementioned information regarding number and type of people served and vaccinated. Reporting deadlines and requirements will be included in the award letter and grant agreement. In some circumstances, the Board may require monthly programmatic and/or financial reporting. In addition, some grantees may be required to provide post grant reporting and more frequent reports may be required in certain circumstances.Application Submission ProcessEligible applicants may submit a Proposal application, which will be reviewed and scored by staff to the Board. Final awards will be made after the review of all received proposals. Key dates are listed below. Application ActivitiesKey DatesProposal applications dueSeptember 20, 2021 by 4 p.m. ETNotification of funding decisions byOctober 1, 2021Earliest possible project start dateOctober 18, 2021The Board only accepts grant applications submitted electronically through the performance management and government resource planning site, DD Suite, which can be accessed here .In order to submit a Proposal, applicants must first register with DD Suite to create an account. Please allow sufficient time to complete your account registration. If you experience any difficulties with registration, please see the DD Suite technical assistance page found here.Proposal applications must be received electronically in the DD Suite system by 4 p.m. ET on or before the due dates listed in the above table. Late submissions will not be accepted for any reason. A project Work Plan (see page 19 in the Grants Manual) must be included with your proposal application. The Work Plan must demonstrate how the proposed objectives and activities align with the reporting requirements described in the “Grantee reporting” section such as number and type of people served and the number and type of people vaccinated as a result of the project. Proposal applications should contain clear and concise information on the following:CoversheetAbstractBudgetBudget Justification NarrativeBudget FormQuarterly Activity Timeline & Expenditure ProjectionsNarrative (max 20 double-spaced pages)Applicant ProfileTarget PopulationInvolvement of Individuals with DD & Families in Project Development, Implementation and EvaluationCollaborationSystems Change, Capacity Building and SustainabilityWork Plan: Project Goal, Objectives, Activities, Outcomes, Stories, and Number and Type of People Served and VaccinatedStrength of Evidence*Evaluation Plan*Strength of Evidence: Describe in detail the evidence-based model/approach you have chosen and why it was selected for your project, i.e., what is the evidence that supports your approach.Review and Scoring of ApplicationsEach Proposal will be date and time stamped upon electronic receipt. Late proposals will not be reviewed. After a review for technical completeness, staff to the Board will review all proposals. Within the dollar amount available, the highest scoring proposals will be funded. Full Proposal ScoringApplicant Profile………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………....10 ptsTarget Population…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…....5 ptsInvolvement of Individuals with DD and Families in Project Development,Implementation and Evaluation………………………………………………………..………………………………………………….……..7 ptsCollaboration……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………......6 ptsSystems Change, Capacity Building & Sustainability…………………………………………..……………………………………..…12 ptsWork Plan: Project Goal, Objectives, Activities, Outcomes, Stories and Number/Type of People Served and Vaccinated………………………………………………………………………………...30 ptsStrength of Evidence……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….……7 ptsEvaluation Plan………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 ptsBudget………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………10 ptsTechnical Submission Requirements ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 ptsBonus Points (projects with multiple funding sources)…………………………………………………………………………………5 ptsTotal Possible Points……………………………………………………………………………………………..…………………105 ptsFrequently Asked QuestionsWho can apply for funding from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities’ Competitive Grant Program?Eligible organizations include state or other public agencies, including universities, non-profit organizations or for-profit organizations. The Board encourages braided funding and partnerships. Please be sure to clearly describe the planned role and responsibilities of each partner at all stages of the project. Only one organization can receive the grant and will be contractually responsible for grant administration, reporting and delivery of the project.Where does VBPD receive its funding?Board grants are 100% federally funded by the U.S. Department of Health, Administration for Community Living, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Can an organization submit more than one application in response to this RFP?No.If I currently have an active grant from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, can I submit an application?Yes. How are grantees reimbursed for project expenses?All grant payments are processed on a cost reimbursable basis. ................
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