RFP# GC18-018: Questions and Answers
FY 2017 National School Lunch Program (NSLP) Equipment Assistance Grant for School Food Authorities (SFAs)
- Is the 12-digit SFA LEA Code the same as the district or school’s BEDS code?
Yes. The 12 digit School Food Authority (SFA) LEA Code is the same as the SFA BEDS code. The SFA LEA Code and the Recipient Agency (RA) LEA Code(s) can be found by logging in to the Child Nutrition Management System (CNMS).
- On page 1 of the RFP it mentions a focus on serving more fruits and vegetables. Will applications that would increase student consumption of fruits and vegetables receive bonus points, or otherwise be looked upon more favorably? Is there a place where you’d like us to address such a focus in the application?
All applications will be scored using the selection criteria form that can be found in the RFP. Additional bonus points will not be provided for equipment that would increase student consumption of fruits and vegetables. Applicants must answer the application questions and determine how best to describe the school’s needs and the benefits of the requested piece of equipment.
There are 4 required sections of the application (Section 1: Recipient Agency Equipment Needs, Section 2: Quality Improvement, Section 3: Focus Areas and Section 4: Research and Budget).
Applicants may indicate that the requested piece of equipment will increase student consumption of fruits and vegetables within Section 2 (Quality Improvement) and/or in Section 3 (Focus Areas) however, it is up to the applicant to determine how best to answer the application questions.
- Will you award partial bonus points in any of the priority categories. For instance, if my district has 39% participation, could we receive 4 points?
No- A sliding scale will not be used to determine how many bonus points will be awarded to RAs for any of the priority funding categories. RAs that meet the criteria for bonus points in the participation category (40% or more of the enrolled children participate in the NSLP) will be awarded the full five points; RAs that do not meet the criteria (less than 40% of the enrolled children participate in the NSLP) will not be awarded any bonus points.
- Can we request funds for milk vending machines?
The equipment purchased with the FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant must be used to support the federally assisted school nutrition programs.
FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant funding may not be used to purchase items that are used solely for the sale of a la carte products. Therefore, if the milk vending machine will be used for a la carte purchases, it does not qualify as an allowable equipment request.
- Is it okay to hand-deliver applications?
Applications may be hand-delivered; however, SED strongly encourages all applicants to mail applications to the address listed in the RFP.
- If we can hand-deliver the grant applications, what time will your offices close on due date?
Hand-delivered applications must be received by 4:00 pm on the date of the application deadline (January 19, 2018). Applications that are received after this time will not be accepted.
- In the past when hand-delivering applications, we have been required to have a person’s name for delivery purposes when we arrived. Can you provide a name that we can use?
Hand-delivered applications may be brought to the security desk of the New York State Education Building, located at 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234. To confirm delivery, applicants should request that applications are received by Tara Webster or Colleen Wise, Room 375 EBA, who may be contacted at (518) 473-8781.
- Do you have a preference on how the applications should be packaged? For example, should we use binder clips on each set of applications?
Please ensure an original application with all supporting documents and two complete copies of the entire application are provided for each piece of requested equipment. SFAs should use the application checklist to ensure all required documents are submitted.
If your SFA is applying for multiple pieces of equipment, please provide the application in separate envelopes or organize each application (original and two copies) using binder clips.
- Is it okay to submit spec sheets for equipment double-sided rather than single-sided in order to save paper (and postage) costs?
Yes, you may submit double-sided specification sheets for the equipment request(s).
- Will the installation of a new kitchen hood count as an equipment?
All requests must meet the definition of equipment as written in the “Equipment Definition” section of the RFP. Installation of a previously purchased kitchen hood does not meet this definition and therefore, is not eligible.
Equipment purchased with the FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant must be used to support the federally assisted school nutrition programs, and as with all federal funds, equipment purchases must be necessary, reasonable and allocable. This grant may be used to cover the cost of equipment, including the cost of modification, attachments and accessories necessary to make the equipment usable for the purpose for which it was acquired. This grant may be not used to cover modifications and/or renovations that are not required to make the requested equipment operational.
- Can we use the grant for equipment that we just recently already purchased?
No, this grant does not apply to equipment that has already been purchased. The project period for this grant is 8/1/2018-7/31/2019. SFAs that are awarded funding through the FY 2017 Equipment Grant must purchase the equipment and complete grant activities during this project period.
- If you received the grant last year what’s the wait to use it again?
There is no period of time you must wait before you are able to apply for an equipment grant after receiving a previous award. All School Food Authorities (SFAs) are eligible to apply for funding for their Recipient Agencies (RA) that participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), including public school districts, non-profit nonpublic schools, charter schools and residential child care institutions in the NSLP in New York State.
RAs that did not receive a previous equipment grant award through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Food Service Equipment Grant, the FY 2010 Equipment Assistance Grant, the FY 2014 Equipment Assistance Grant, the FY 2015 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for School Food Authorities or the FY 2016 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for School Food Authorities will receive an extra 10 points towards their overall score.
- Would a rolling breakfast cart be covered under the grant?
All requests must meet the definition of equipment as written in the “Equipment Definition” section of the RFP. Additionally, the equipment purchased with the FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant must be used to support the federally assisted school nutrition programs. Equipment may not be purchased exclusively for programs outside of the NSLP. However, when a RA participates in other school meal programs (such as the School Breakfast Program), in addition to the NSLP, those other meals programs may benefit from equipment purchased with FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant funds. Additionally, FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant funding may not be used to purchase items that are used solely for the sale of a la carte products.
A request for a rolling breakfast cart would be eligible if the breakfast cart meets the definition of equipment as written in the RFP and the cart will be used to sell reimbursable breakfast meals as part of the School Breakfast Program (SBP).
- Will this grant (if awarded) pay for a POS or the software for this? We currently meal count manually and are looking to upgrade.
SFAs may apply for an electronic POS system to assist in the daily operations of the food service program. The request for a POS system must meet the equipment definition defined in the “Equipment Definition” section of the RFP. The equipment request must address how the equipment improves the quality of school meals. The SFA must clearly identify the cost of the POS system and must clearly indicate the eligible RA that the POS system will be used in on the application.
- Is this grant only for replacing old equipment or can I use it to buy equipment what I never had for my school?
Equipment requests may include: new equipment, used equipment, renovation of equipment (excluding renovations that are valued under $5,000), and replacement of equipment. Requests may include eligible equipment pieces that the SFA has not previously had at the school.
- If I submitted an application last year, can I resubmit the same application? Can you tell me what was wrong with my application from last year?
Applicants should review the current 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFP and application instructions and carefully respond to the application questions. The SFA must submit the completed FY 2017 equipment grant application and required documentation as described within the RFP. A previous equipment grant application will not be accepted.
All unsuccessful applicants from previous equipment grants had the opportunity to request a debriefing within fifteen (15) calendar days of receiving the notice of non-award from NYSED. We are not able to provide a debriefing of equipment grant applications outside of that timeframe.
- In the past 2 years our school submitted an application for the equipment and unfortunately our school did not receive it. If possible, I would like to know what we can improve for this year so that we can have more chances to win.
All unsuccessful applicants from previous equipment grants had the opportunity to request a debriefing within fifteen (15) calendar days of receiving the notice of non-award from NYSED. We are not able to provide a debriefing of equipment grant applications outside of that timeframe.
- Was the question deadline supposed to be 3 days after it was posted?
The RFP was posted to the SED current funding opportunities website on December 8, 2017. Applicants had until December 15, 2017 to submit questions regarding the RFP.
- Is there anything in particular that is new here or might be applicable to the non-publics?
All applicants should carefully review the current 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant RFP and application instructions and carefully respond to the application questions.
In addition to the requirements stated throughout the RFP, non-public schools must include a current Certificate of Occupancy and fire inspection for the RA in which the equipment will be placed. Additionally, all not-for-profit applicants must be Prequalified in the Grants Gateway by the application deadline.
Additional information is provided throughout the RFP and in the Prequalification for Individual Applicants section of the RFP.
- Our district was awarded a FY 2014 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant. Would this make us ineligible to apply for the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant for SFAs or just lower our chances on the priority list?
All Recipient Agencies (RA) under a School Food Authority (SFA) participating in the NSLP in New York State are eligible (including public school districts, non-profit nonpublic schools, charter schools and residential childcare institutions).
Priority will be given to RAs that did not receive a previous grant award through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Food Service Equipment Grant, the FY 2010, FY 2014, FY 2015 or the FY 2016 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grant for School Food Authorities. RAs that did not receive a previous grant award will receive an extra 10 points towards their overall score. A list of RAs that previously received an equipment grant is available at the NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant page.
- Are school districts required to pre-qualify in Grants Gateway to apply?
No. Public school districts do not have to pre-qualify.
- On your website you list the “Grant Application Boilerplate,” but it appears to be a contract. Is it just informational? Do we need to complete any part of it to apply?
The name of this document has been changed on the website to "contract boilerplate." This is the contract boilerplate for non-profit nonpublic schools, charter schools and residential childcare institutions that will be entering into a grant contract. It is informational only and not required for the application submission. Upon receipt of award, these organizations will be required to sign a contract which includes these terms.
- Do public schools, including charter schools, have to register in Grants Gateway?
Charter Schools must pre-qualify by the application due date. Public school districts do not have to prequalify.
- Now that my SFA is 100% free through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) how do I state that in the new equipment grant application?
Applicants do not need to state that they are operating the Community Eligibility Provision on their equipment grant application. Bonus points are calculated using data from the January 2017 lunch claim for reimbursement (2016-2017 school year). That is done by our Child Nutrition office and not the applicant.
- Would a water fountain be an authorized piece of equipment that may be eligible through this grant process?
All requests must meet the definition of equipment as written in the “Equipment Definition” section of the RFP. Additionally, the equipment purchased with the FY 2017 NSLP Equipment Assistance Grant must be used to support the federally assisted school nutrition programs.
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296, establishes a requirement for making potable water available to children in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at no charge in the place where lunch meals are served during the meal service. Therefore, if the water fountain met the definition of equipment as written in the RFP and the water fountain will be used primarily to provide free potable water to all children during breakfast and lunch meal service, the request would be allowed.
Please keep in mind that the equipment purchased with FY 2017 Equipment Grant funding may not be purchased exclusively for programs outside of the NSLP. The location of the water fountain must be in the foodservice area or immediately adjacent to the meal service area. The water fountain must be able to provide unrestricted potable water to students during their meal period to be eligible.