Notice of Funds Available (RFP)

Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities
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2018-6:  Older Adults with Developmental Disabilities and their Caregivers

Specifications

Posted Applications Due Start Date End Date Amount MatchPoverty Match Council Staff
Sep 07, 2018 Jan 01, 2019 Dec 31, 2023 $175,000.00 $58,333.00$19,444.00 Danny Fikac

Introduction

TCDD has approved funding for a project intended to intended to identify and address the needs of aging caregivers and older adults with developmental disabilities for both informal and formal supports. TCDD may award a maximum of $175,000 per year, per project, for up to three project(s), for up to 5 years. TCDD will negotiate the budget as needed and may choose not to award funding for these projects.

TCDD does not plan to provide funding for these projects beyond five years. TCDD does not automatically continue funding each year and may terminate funds prior to the end date in this RFP.

If you have questions after reading this RFP, contact Danny Fikac, Planning Specialist, at Danny.Fikac@tcdd.texas.gov or at 512-437-5415.


Who May Apply

Any organization that meets the requirements set forth in this RFP can apply. Types of organizations could include:

  • government agencies,
  • nonprofits,
  • colleges and universities,
  • faith-based institutions,
  • technical and/or professional schools, and
  • for profit businesses.
The organization that applies for this grant must administer the grant and receive, disburse and account for grant funds.

Individuals may not apply for this grant.


Important Dates

Informational Conference Call: August 14, 2018

TCDD will hold an informational conference call to provide more information about TCDD's processes for proposal review and grant award. You are not required to attend in order to apply.

The informational conference call will be held: August 14, 2018 at 11:00 AM Central Time. To participate:

Phone number: 1-877-820-7831

Participant passcode: 649944#

Deadline to Submit Questions: August 17, 2018

Submit all questions about the RFP or application to Danny.Fikac@tcdd.texas.gov by 5:00 PM Central Time on August 17, 2018. TCDD will not answer questions about the RFP or application after that date and time. TCDD will post questions and answers on DD Suite as an attachment to this RFP by 5:00 PM Central Time August 22, 2018.

Deadline to Submit a Proposal: September 7, 2018

Proposals must be received by 5 PM Central Time on September 7, 2018. TCDD does not consider late applications under any circumstances, including user error. If you have questions about DD Suite and cannot find answers in the DD Suite Guide attached to this RFP, email Danny.Fikac@TCDD.Texas.Gov or call 512-437-5415. This should be done as early in the process as possible.

Award Notification: November 30, 2018

TCDD will notify proposers about funding decisions by November 30, 2018.


How to Apply

To have your application considered, complete the steps listed below by the due date. Applications and all associated documents must be submitted via DD Suite. Documents received by fax, email, hand delivery, or mail will not be accepted. Applications that do not include the items listed below, or that include incomplete items, will not be considered.

  1. Complete all required sections of the application in DD Suite.
  2. Complete all sections of the Supplemental Forms packet. The Supplemental Forms packet is attached to this RFP. This information will include all sections of the budget and all sections of the budget justification. The budget justification section must be detailed enough to show how calculations were made. Any zeros in the Fringe Benefits Section must be explained in the budget justification.
  3. Upload the Supplemental Forms packet. Upload the Supplemental Forms packet and other required documents to DD Suite as attachments to your proposal by the due date.
  4. Upload Letters of Support. If you have Letters of Support or letters from other entities or individuals that state they will partner with you on the project, upload them to DD Suite as an attachment to your application.
  5. Submit all attachments through DD Suite by the due date and time.

Background

More individuals with developmental disabilities are living longer and face age-related changes in their health, retirement, finances, mobility, and community involvement. Individuals with DD are also outliving parents who are often the primary caregivers. As these caregivers continue to grow older, they often become less able to provide care for their loved ones as they may also have to address their own health problems, physical disabilities, and other age-related concerns. This inability to care for their child causes additional stress and anxiety on current care and on planning for the future. With a growing number of Texans who are aging, our system must better understand these unique needs to adequately support older individuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers during this life stage.


Project Description and Milestones

TCDD invites proposals to provide new initiatives to support individuals aging with DD and their caregivers. Projects may address needs of family members, individuals, and professional such as:

  • Research and data collection on unique needs of individuals aging with DD, their caregivers, and/or providers of long term services to understand systems gaps, barriers, and possible solutions to improve support;
  • Identification and/or development of best practice related to supporting individuals with DD who are aging and their aging caregivers;
  • Futures planning programs for individuals and caregivers;
  • Physical and behavioral healthcare needs for the caregiver and/or individual;
  • Strategies to improve information and referral for services and supports that include both aging and DD resources;
  • Needs for the continuity of care including residential needs to support aging in place;
  • Strategies to find and access necessary services and supports to support people with I/DD to age in place;
  • Activities to support person-directed planning;
  • Activities to develop self-advocacy skills and provide information and training to empower individuals and caregivers to communicate with providers about what they want and need; and
  • Activities to promote interaction between participants.

An individual project may focus primarily on:

  • meeting the needs of individuals with DD who are aging,
  • meeting the needs of aging caregivers,
  • reducing gaps in the long term services and supports system for those who are aging with DD, or
  • might address all three.

Outputs and Outcomes

TCDD expects your project to:

  • Identify and begin to address service system gaps to better serve and support adults with developmental disabilities who are aging and their caregivers.
  • Provide TCDD with up-to-date information and recommendations that can be used to develop further policy actions and future projects.
  • Promote new initiatives that can have long-term impact that benefits people with developmental disabilities. This might include things such as:
    • enabling more people to have access to services and supports;
    • changing or creating at least one policy, procedure, statute, and/or regulation;
    • educating and sharing information with decision makers or others in the community;
    • creating new partnerships that increase the capacity of the community to support caregivers and individuals with I/DD;
    • creating a new program, model, or technology that continues to be available after the grant funding ends; and/or
    • producing a product that will be of value beyond the life of the grant.

    Match

    Grantees must provide a matching contribution each year. This may include:

    • funding from non-federal sources,
    • volunteer hours, or
    • other "in- kind" donations, such as office space and utilities.

    Other federal funds may not be used as match. Items or funds that are used for match for another federally-funded project may not be used as match. TCDD prefers that the amount of match increase each year of the project.

    Match Amount: The front page of this RFP provides the amount of match expected for non-poverty areas and for poverty areas if you request the full amount. Requesting less than the full amount will reduce the amount of match you must provide.

    Poverty counties are counties in which at least 20 percent of the people in the county live in poverty. The attachments to this RFP includes a list of counties that has poverty counties highlighted.

    • Non-poverty areas: Project activities located in counties not designated as federal poverty areas require matching resources equal to at least 25 percent of total project costs.
    • Poverty areas: Project activities located in counties designated as federal poverty counties require matching resources equal to at least 10 percent of the total project costs.

    • The Review Process

      Your proposal will be reviewed based only on what is in your:

      • application,
      • supplemental forms,
      • workplan,
      • other required attachments, and
      • optional letters of support and/or letters from organizations committing to partnering with you.

      You will not have the opportunity to provide additional information or to clarify questions about your proposal.


      Evaluation criteria include, but are not limited to:

      • program quality,
      • costs,
      • financial ability to perform services,
      • regional needs and priorities,
      • improved access for underserved and unserved areas and/or groups of individuals,
      • ability to continue services at the conclusion of grant funding, and
      • past performance and compliance with previous grant awards.

      Step 1: Staff Review

      TCDD staff review proposals upon submission for compliance with the requirements of the RFP and ensure that all sections are complete. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet the requirements of the RFP will be disqualified.

      Step 2: Independent Review Panel Review

      Proposals that meet the initial requirements will be reviewed by an Independent Review Panel consisting of three to five people with expertise related to the RFP. The panel’s review focuses on the quality of the proposed plan, the feasibility of completing the plan, and how well the proposed project may move TCDD closer to meeting the TCDD State Plan Goals and Objectives. The panel will consider only the information specifically allowed by the RFP and the application instructions. The panel also considers only the information included in the submitted proposal.

      Step 3: Executive Committee Review and Decision

      The TCDD Executive Committee reviews the above information and makes the final funding decisions. If you have received a grant in the last five years, staff document your performance on that project and provide that to the Executive Committee.


      TCDD may give priority to proposals that address the needs of people who are unserved or underserved. This may include, but is not limited to:

      • people living in rural areas,
      • people living in poverty,
      • people of color, and/or
      • people with limited English proficiency.


      Continuation Funding

      Organizations that are awarded funding must submit continuation funding proposals each year. Continuation funding will not exceed the maximum per-year funding amount stated in the RFP.

      Continuation funding is based on:

      • the project's accomplishments,
      • progress towards stated goals and objectives,
      • financial management of funds,
      • compliance with reporting requirements,
      • review of the most recent program audit,
      • review of findings of TCDD's onsite reviews,
      • development of alternative funding, and
      • the availability of TCDD funds.

      Continuation funding is not automatic and TCDD may choose not to award continuation grants. Continuation proposals are generally due approximately three months before the end of the grant year.


      Expectations of All Grantees

      Reporting: Grantees must submit progress reports and financial documents, including reimbursement requests, at least quarterly. Grantees must also provide required evaluation data, annual continuation proposals, and a final report. Failure to meet reporting and spending requirements may impact continuation or future grant awards.

      Continuation proposals: Grantees may be asked to provide information about public policy implications and sustainability in their continuation proposal.

      Advisory committee: Grantees may be asked to develop an advisory committee.

      TCDD support: TCDD will serve as a resource to support grantees to be successful throughout their project. Throughout the project period, grantees may be asked to participate in grants management training as needed. Grantees may also expect calls from TCDD staff about outcome and performance measures, public policy issues that relate to your project, products produced, and project events (if applicable). Grantees may be asked to present their progress at quarterly Council meetings. TCDD may share opportunities for grantees to present at state and/or national conferences.


      Terms

      Applicants must agree to the following terms:

      • Applicants must disclose any conflicts of interest between themselves and TCDD Council members, employees, or their immediate families.
      • Applicants must use People First Language or Identity-First Language (where appropriate) in all materials.
      • All printed materials must be available in Spanish and in an appropriate accessible format — including digital, tagged PDF, or large print. Funding for this should be included in the budget.
      • Videos, DVDs and teleconferencing and distance learning activities produced by this project must be fully accessible. Any videos or DVDs must be captioned.
      • TCDD will retain the rights to all products created using funding awarded through this RFP. The grantee will retain rights to materials that were created prior to receiving the grant and the rights to materials created without using funds that are associated with this project.
      • Proposals received by TCDD are subject to release consistent with provisions of the Texas Public Information Act.

      See "Assurances" in the attached Supplemental Forms for all terms relating to this grant.