• Overview of the Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) Program
  • What is the purpose of PASS funding?
    • COPS Office FY 2020 Preparing for Active Shooter Situations (PASS) program funds are used to increase law enforcement and public safety by providing funds for scenario-based training that prepares officers and other first responders to safely and effectively handle active-shooter and other violent threats.”
  • Who is eligible to apply?
    • This solicitation is open to all public governmental agencies, federally recognized Indian tribes, for-profit (commercial) organizations, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, community groups, and faith-based organizations. For-profit organizations (as well as other recipients) must forgo any profit or management fee. The COPS Office welcomes applications under which two or more entities would carry out the federal award; however, only one entity may be the applicant. Please refer to “PASS topic areas” beginning on page 2 of the PASS Application Guide for further information regarding applicant eligibility and topic descriptions.
  • What is the deadline for this solicitation?
    • The PASS solicitation closes at 7:59 p.m. EDT on March 31, 2020.
  • How long is the award period for the PASS program?
    • Most PASS awards will have a performance period of 24 months in duration. Budgets should accurately reflect the appropriate performance period.
  • Can I submit an application if I am a current COPS Office award recipient?
    • As long as you meet the solicitation eligibility requirements, you are eligible to apply. As outlined in the “Review Criteria” section of the application guide, the COPS Office includes the following criterion: “Project will not result in unnecessary duplication of other efforts by the COPS Office or other DOJ components.”
  • Are partnerships required for my proposed project?
    • Partnerships are not required. However, where appropriate, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit an application that shows partnerships with key organizations including institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations in order to build strong working relationships.
  • How many awards do you anticipate making?
    • The COPS Office is looking to fund one PASS award recipient to train at least 20,000 first responders through scenario-based, multidisciplinary training classes.
• Where to start
  • What are the major steps required for completing this application?
    • In addition to developing your proposal and application, there are a number of requirements for submitting this application. We strongly encourage you to ensure that you have met or will meet these requirements as early as possible to avoid the potential for delaying the submission of your application. Completing a PASS application involves work in two separate federal systems. Applicants are first required to register via http://www.grants.gov and complete an SF-424. The Grants.gov funding code for this solicitation is COPS-Community-Policing-Development-Application-2019. Once the SF-424 has been submitted, applicants will receive an email from the COPS Office with instructions on how to complete the second part of the PASS application through the COPS Office Online Application System. If you have not renewed your COPS Office Account Access information, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770.
      
      For technical assistance with submitting the SF-424, please call the Grants.gov customer service hotline at 800-518-4726, send questions via email to support@Grants.gov, or consult the Grants.gov Organization Applicant User Guide at https://www.grants.gov/help/html/help/Applicants/GrantApplications.htm. The Grants.gov Support Hotline operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on federal holidays.
      
      For programmatic assistance with the requirements of this program or with submitting the application through the COPS Office Online Application System, please call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov. The COPS Office Response Center operates Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, except on federal holidays.
      
      Please note, to apply for funding, applicants must have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number (DUNS numbers are required of all agencies requesting federal funding) and have an active registration with the System for Award Management (SAM) database.
      
      Do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process through the COPS Office website. The registration steps may take several days to complete, and if you wait until the application deadline date you may be unable to submit your application online.
      
      In addition, all applicants are required to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. The SAM database replaces the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) database as the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) requires that all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Applicants must update or renew their SAM registration annually to maintain an active status.
  • Is there a preferred browser for using the COPS Office Online Application System?
    • Applicants should use Internet Explorer 11 or newer. To ensure the compatibility, go to the setting button on the internet window, select “compatibility,” ensure that all COPS Office website links are listed in the box, and select display all websites in compatibility view.
  • How do I apply?
    • Applicants should follow the PASS Application Checklist on the PASS solicitation website.
  • Can you provide assistance or feedback on proposed ideas?
    • The COPS Office is committed to ensuring a fair and open process so we are unable to evaluate the merits of proposals during the open solicitation period. Please carefully review the application guide for what types of projects the COPS Office is looking to invest in this year. Once the solicitation closes, COPS Office staff screen and score applications according to the review process and criteria as set forth in the Application Review Information section of the FY 2020 Application Guide.
      
      Please Note: Proposals should be responsive to the topic selected, improve the delivery of and access to mental health and wellness services for law enforcement, and significantly advance peer mentoring mental health and wellness programs within law enforcement agencies across the country. With the  exception of the “Peer Support Implementation” topic area, initiatives that primarily or solely benefit one or a limited number of law enforcement agencies or other entities will not be considered for funding.
• ORI, DUNS, and SAM
  • I do not know if my organization has an ORI number. How can I check if we have an ORI number or find out how to obtain one?
    • If your organization has never had an award with the COPS Office, you can apply for your ORI number on the COPS Office website at https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/ORIRequest.aspx. If you may have an ORI but you do not know your number, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770, and a representative will be able to look up your ORI number or provide information on how you can obtain your ORI number.
  • What is my organization’s Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number?
    • All applicants must have a DUNS number prior to submitting an application for COPS Office funding. A DUNS number is a unique nine- or thirteen-digit number recognized as the universal standard for identifying and tracking entities receiving federal funds. To verify your DUNS number, please call 866-705-5711 or visit www.dnb.com/us.
  • What is the System for Award Management (SAM) database?
    • The SAM database is the repository for standard information about federal financial assistance applicants, recipients, and subrecipients. The COPS Office requires all applicants (other than individuals) for federal financial assistance to maintain current registrations in the SAM database. Organizations that have previously submitted applications via Grants.gov are already registered with SAM, as it is a requirement for Grants.gov registration. Please note that applicants must update or renew their SAM registration at least once per year to maintain an active status. Information about registration procedures can be accessed at www.sam.gov.
  • My SAM registration is about to expire; how do I renew it?
    • All applicants for federal financial assistance must be registered in the SAM database prior to submitting an application for COPS Office funding. Applicants must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during the award application process. If funded, you must also maintain the currency of your information in the SAM database until you submit the final financial report or receive the final payment under this award, whichever is later. This requires that you review and update your information at least annually after the initial registration and more frequently if required by changes in your information or another award term. If you have an active SAM registration that is set to expire before September 30, 2020, you must renew your SAM registration before completing the application. To verify the expiration date of your SAM registration, or to renew your SAM registration, please visit www.sam.gov.
• Grants.gov
  • How do I find this application on Grants.gov?
    • There is a step-by-step set of instructions for locating and completing the SF-424 on Grants.gov available in https://cops.usdoj.gov/pass/#programdocuments.
  • How do I save my SF-424 in Grants.gov?
    • Grants.gov will prompt you to save your application before submitting it. We strongly recommend that you save your application to an easily accessible location. The default save location may be different and could be a temporary folder, which may be difficult or impossible to access in the future. If you plan to update your application or complete it later, you will need to save it in a folder that is known to you. Also, please note that if you need to make changes to your SF-424 completed in Grants.gov once you are in the COPS Office Online Application System and have started your PASS application, you may do so by revising your saved SF- 424 version and uploading it in section 13 of the application. DO NOT SAVE AND SUBMIT THIS REVISED SF-424, as it will result in the initiation of a new application in the COPS Office Online Application System.
  • What happens if I do not receive an email from the COPS Office after I submit my SF-424 and section 1 on Grants.gov?
    • If you do not receive an email from the COPS Office within 24 hours of submitting your SF-424 and section 1 on Grants.gov, please verify with Grants.gov that your information was correctly submitted. You can verify that there are no errors in your submission through your Grants.gov account by calling the Grants.gov Contact Center at 800-518-4726 or emailing support@grants.gov. Once you have verified that the submission was successful, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or send questions via email to AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov.
• COPS Office Online Application System
  • What is my COPS Office Account Access username?
    • AYour COPS Office Account Access username is what you use to create and submit applications and manage your COPS Office awards. If you have not renewed your COPS Office Account Access information since November 15, 2013, please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770.
      
      In the new COPS Office Agency Portal, your username is the login email address you used to set up your account. At that time, you also established a 12-character password for logging into the COPS Office Online Account Access site. If you need assistance accessing the site, you may contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770.
  • How does my organization obtain its password if it is lost or forgotten?
    • To obtain your password, click on the “Account Access” tab on the top right hand corner of the COPS Office website. The login page has a “Reset Password?” link that you should click on and it will ask you to enter your email address, then click “submit” and if your email address is recognized, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to reset your password.
  • How do I add or change our organization’s authorized contacts?
    • The COPS Office Agency Portal, located at https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov/, is where we manage your organization’s contacts. For new contacts you will need to set-up an account as a user, assign them the appropriate role (law enforcement executive (LE)/program official (PO), government executive (GE)/ financial official (FO), chief legal officer (CLO) or contact and enable their electronic signature.
      
      Detailed instructions on how to manage your contacts are included in the Agency Portal User Manual located on the COPS Office website at https://portal.cops.usdoj.gov. You may also use the change of information form and provide to the COPS Office Response Center via email at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or fax to 202-616-8594.
• Completing your application
  • Can I submit more than one application?
    • Yes, applicants may submit multiple applications. However, we strongly recommend that you complete the application process in Grants.gov and begin the COPS Office Online Application System before starting another application. This will ensure that the correct SF-424 will be assigned within the COPS Office Online Application System.
  • How much time do I have before the application times out?
    • The applications will time out after 20 minutes of inactivity. If your application times out, you will lose only the current page of data. It is advisable to click the “Save” button once you complete each page of the application. This will prevent you from losing data in the event your application is timed out. You will only be able to save pages that are completely filled out.
  • What documents are required to be uploaded to our application in the COPS Office Online Application System?
    • In addition to completing the SF-424 through Grants.gov and the COPS Office Attachment to the SF- 424 through the COPS Office Online Application System, at a minimum applicants are required to upload as attachments a project narrative and a budget narrative that are responsive to the application topic area under which they are applying. Other documents may be required as detailed in the FY 2020 Application Guide under Section 13 “Application attachments”.
      
      All items must be uploaded to section 13 in the COPS Office Online Application System.
• Submitting your application
  • Can I email a copy of my application?
    • The COPS Office will only accept applications via the COPS Office Online Application System. No email, fax, or paper copies will be accepted.
  • Is there any way to print the finished application so that I can review a hard copy prior to submission?
    • Yes. You may print a copy of the application before submission when you get to the last page of the application online. Before submission of the application, you may print the entire application or individual sections.
  • How can I obtain a copy of the application we have already submitted through the COPS Office Online Application System?
    • Find the application you would like to print or save in the COPS Office Online Application System. Double click on the PDF icon and a copy of the application will open as a separate webpage. You can either save the PDF or select “Print.” If you make changes, you will need to save an updated copy of the application for your records.
• Project Narrative
  • Is there a page limit to the project narrative?
    • Yes, the project narrative should be no more than 20 pages long.
      1. Items counting toward the 20 page limit: Executive summaries, abstracts, timelines, graphs, and charts (regardless of pagination in front matter) will count toward overall page limit.
      2. Items not counting toward the 20 page limit: Cover page, table of contents, and references (should be formatted as endnotes) will not count toward the overall page limit.
  • What is the format of project narrative?
    • Following the guidance in the solicitation guide to:
      1. Double-spaced
      2. 8.5 x 11-inch pages
      3. One inch margins
      4. Page numbers
      5. Type no smaller or larger than 12 point, Times New Roman font
      6. Headings and subheadings that correspond to the sections identified in this section of the solicitation
      7. Microsoft Word documents in .doc or .docx formats or PDF files (.pdf)
      
      Resumes, curricula vitae, letters of support from partners (if applicable), and certifications should be separate attachments and do not count towards the overall page count. If the project narrative fails to comply with these length-related restrictions, the COPS Office may consider such noncompliance in peer review and final award decisions. The COPS Office recommends numbering the pages as follows: “1 of 20,” “2 of 20,” etc.
  • What else should I consider as I am writing my project narrative?
    • Most proposals are evaluated in a highly competitive forum, with hundreds of solicitation proposals competing for the exact same funds. Most solicitation proposals do not receive funding. Your proposal must meet at least two goals: (1) inform the reader of your plans, and (2) persuade the reader that your project is worthy of funding. 
      
      You should sell the reviewers on the following points:
      1. The need or problem that you will address or fix with the award is significant and worthy of funding.
      2. The project or program is well planned to ensure a successful implementation if the funds are awarded.
      3. You are capable of successfully managing the funds and completing the proposed project on schedule and meeting your goals and objectives.
      
      Respond to reviewers’ needs and expectations by
      1. including details that sufficiently clarify your plans for the reviewers, who may be unfamiliar with them and who may be reading several other proposals at the same time;
      2. providing good reasons for funding the proposed project in view of the solicitation’s purpose and goals;
      3. ensuring that the proposal is well written and that important information is easily accessible. Reviewers who have trouble accessing or understanding important information will not be convinced that the proposed project deserves funding.
      
      It might help to read the solicitation several times, making note of the overarching theme, its specific requirements, costs that may be prohibited, the performance data that you will need to report, and all tasks that will be required if an award is made.
      
      Finally, pay particular attention to the review process criteria and the percentages allocated for each heading as a way to gauge the importance and how much space should be allocated in the project narrative.
  • For the narrative sections, does the 4,000-character limit include spaces and special characters or just letters?
    • Yes, the 4,000-character limit includes letters, numbers, spaces, and special characters. See the counter at the bottom of the box.
  • Should a timeline be included in the 20-page project narrative?
    • Yes, applicants should include a brief timeline with a list of key activities and milestones to take place within the award period, grouped by month or quarter. The timeline should be detailed enough to include each project goal, related objective, activity, expected completion date, and responsible person or organization.
• Budget and budget narrative
  • What is the maximum amount to be awarded?
    • The COPS Office intends to fund numerous projects with the available funding. Applicants are encouraged to be conservative in their budget proposals, as the amount budgeted will be evaluated against the local or national benefits identified to ensure efficient use of resources. All budget requests must be tailored to the scope of the solicited work and must be reasonable and allowable. Applicants will be evaluated on the total cost of the project relative to the perceived benefit, the appropriateness of the budget relative to the level of effort, and the use of existing resources to conserve costs.
• Do I have to submit my budget using the COPS Office Online Application System, or may I send my own budget using a spreadsheet (Excel, Lotus etc.)?
  • Applicants must use the form-fillable fields within section 14 of the COPS Office Online Application System. The narrative descriptions for each budget item must comprehensively describe the rationale and nature of the budget expense.
• What may my organization request funding for under the PASS program?
  • All items requested will be considered on a case-by-case basis during the budget review process. Items under the program must be purchased using the legislative guidelines established by the appropriations legislation that governs this funding. Additionally, each item requested must programmatically link to the activities described in your application. To the greatest extent practical, all equipment and products purchased with these funds must be American-made.
    
    NOTE: For awards made to states or units of local government (including law enforcement agencies), requests may be made only for items or positions that are not otherwise budgeted with state, local, or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) funds and that would not be funded in the absence of this COPS Office award (see “IV. Nonsupplanting Requirement” beginning on page 68 of the PASS Application Guide).
    
    Each requested budget item must be allowable, necessary, allocable, and reasonable to the project activities.
    
    Budget requests may be made in the following categories:
    1. Civilian or nonsworn base salary and fringe benefits
    2. Equipment/Technology
    3. Supplies
    4. Travel/Training/Conferences
    5. Contracts/Consultants
    6. Other costs
    7. Indirect costs
    
    Construction costs are unallowable.
    
    For-profit organizations (as well as other recipients) must forgo any profit or management fee.
    
    Requests for reimbursement of items purchased or expenses incurred prior to the award start date will not be funded. For more information on allowable and unallowable costs, please refer to the PASS Application Guide section 14 “Budget detail worksheets and narrative” beginning on page 31.
• Is there a match requirement?
  • No. There is no local match.
• If civilian personnel are going to work on this project, may they be included in the budget?
  • Yes. If you are going to apply to have civilian personnel work on your project, please include those calculations and figures under the nonsworn/civilian section in the budget and budget narrative. Salaries of personnel are costs based on the percentage of time spent working directly on the project. Fringe benefits are allowances and services provided by the organization to its employees as compensation in addition to regular salary.

    Please note overtime is the only expense we cover for sworn law enforcement personnel and should be listed in the “Other” category.

    If you have any questions, please refer to allowable/unallowable costs and the nonsupplanting requirements found in the PASS Application Guide under section 14 “Budget detail worksheets and narrative” beginning on page 31.
• Is it allowable to pay for overtime for sworn officers?
  • Yes, this is considered an allowable cost as long as your agency has not currently budgeted for overtime for this proposed project. If so, than it is considered supplanting and not allowable. If you are submitting these costs, the request should be entered under section 14.G. as an “other” cost and not under section 14.B.
• Indirect Cost Rate
  • Are indirect costs allowable under the PASS program?
    • Yes. PASS programs allow your organization to request indirect costs. If your organization has a negotiated indirect (F&A) cost rate, then you must upload a copy of your active and current indirect cost rate agreement that has been approved by your cognizant federal agency as an attachment (within section 13 of the COPS Office Online Application System) to be eligible to receive your established rate.
      
      If you do not have a previously approved federal indirect cost rate, you may negotiate an indirect cost rate with your cognizant agency or you may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs.
  • What if I only have a provisional indirect cost rate?
    • If you are requesting indirect costs, you must submit your most current approved indirect cost rate agreement, which may be a provisional indirect cost rate. If you submit a provisional indirect cost rate, when you receive a final approved indirect cost rate, it must be submitted to the COPS Office. In addition, differences in project costs resulting from different rates must be reconciled within your project budget for the period of the award impacted by the two rates to ensure the proper rates are always applied.
  • If my organization’s indirect cost rate agreement has expired, may we still apply for indirect costs?
    • Yes, you may apply and request an indirect cost rate, but you will not be able to draw down funds for the portion of indirect costs during the award period for which you do not have a current, approved, negotiated indirect cost rate with your cognizant federal agency. If your indirect cost rate expires during your award period, those funds may be frozen until you receive a new approved rate or an extension. To be eligible to receive the full amount of approved indirect costs, you must have an approved agreement or an extension for the entire award period. Documentation must be provided to the COPS Office in order to calculate and verify your indirect cost rate if you do not have a current indirect cost rate agreement.
  • If my organization’s indirect cost rate has expired, can I receive the flat 10 percent de minimis rate?
    • No, if your indirect cost rate agreement has expired, either you must renegotiate the rate or you may request a one-time extension from your cognizant federal agency. The negotiated cost rate may be extended for up to four years. Once the cognizant federal agency has approved your extension, you must abide by the rate for the agreed-upon time period. No further negotiations regarding indirect cost rates may occur until the extension has expired. At the end of the extension period, you must negotiate a new indirect cost rate.
  • How do I apply for an indirect cost rate agreement?
    • For assistance with identifying the appropriate cognizant federal agency for indirect costs, please contact the OCFO Customer Service Center at 800-458-0786 or at ask.ocfo@usdoj.gov. If DOJ is the cognizant federal agency, applicants may obtain information needed to submit an indirect cost rate proposal at https://www.ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/IndirectCosts.pdf.
• Review process
  • What is peer review?
    • Peer review is the technical and programmatic evaluation of applications by a group of subject matter experts (peer review panel) qualified in a particular area related to one of the topic areas. The PASS applications are subject to peer review, which is conducted with different methods: external or internal peer review, in person or online. The peer review process provides an objective, independent review of the applications. Peer review panels identify strengths and areas of improvement of applications, rate them, and recommend which applications merit further consideration of funding. Peer review panel recommendations are advisory in nature.
• Award notifications
  • When should I expect notification if awarded program funds?
    • It is anticipated that awards will be announced on or after October 1, 2020. Notifications will be sent electronically. Any public announcements will be posted on the COPS Office website at www.cops.usdoj.gov.
  • Is there an appeal process?
    • All award decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
• Additional considerations
  • Are there additional requirements if my youth-centered project involves interactions with minors under the age of 18 years old?
    • Yes, to ensure adequate safeguards are in place to mitigate the risk of harm to minors participating in DOJ youth-centered programs, your award may be subject to a special award condition requiring recipients and subrecipients to make determinations of suitability before certain covered individuals interact with participating minors in the course of activities funded under the award.
  • Who is responsible for ensuring that my project deliverables do not infringe upon or misappropriate the intellectual property rights, or violate the right to privacy, of any third party?
    • Recipients are responsible for acquiring the rights—and ensuring that its subrecipients, contractors, and authors acquire the rights—to use copyrighted material in deliverables developed under the award. All licensing, publishing, or similar agreements must include provisions giving the COPS Office a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to use the work (including create derivative works) for Federal Government purposes and to authorize others to do so.
  • Who owns the copyright to any work that is developed under an award?
    • Recipients may copyright any work that is subject to copyright, and was developed or for which ownership was acquired, under the award. However, the COPS Office reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to use the work (including create derivative works) for Federal Government purposes and to authorize others to do so.

Questions? Please contact the COPS Office Response Center at AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov or 800-421-6770.