HIV/AIDS Prevention and Response Services for African Americans – FY26 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

A fiscal agent is an organization that acts on behalf of another party, performing various financial duties. If duties are limited as such, a CLIA waiver is not required. However, the fiscal agent must be pre-qualified (SAM.gov, Secretary of State, not on stop pay, etc.) – and that organization will be the applicant.

Training will be provided at various points throughout the grant year as needed. The first session will be scheduled after the grants are executed. The exact date is to be determined.

Individuals experiencing food insecurity should be referred to local food pantries and/or Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to determine SNAP eligibility. Grant funding should not be used to meet this need.

It should be noted that IDPH does not generally approve gift card purchase requests due to the extensive work required to maintain compliance with federal and state legal requirements, liability risks, and the ability to monitor that gift cards are used only for authorized activities conducted pursuant to a grant program. Gift cards are allowed under this grant program, and their use must be identified in the application budget. The budget justification must specify the number and amount of gift cards requested, briefly explain what participant support costs the gift card will cover, and why it is necessary and reasonable.

Grantees must have a written gift card policy to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, and gift cards should not be purchased in bulk or in excess of immediate needs. Additional information regarding gift cards can be found in 2 CFR Part 200 and will be provided to grantees whose approved budgets include gift cards.

IDPH does not generally approve vehicle purchase requests due to the extensive work required to maintain compliance with federal and state legal requirements, liability risks, and the ability to monitor that vehicles are used only for authorized activities conducted pursuant to a grant program. Justification for a mobile testing unit should be clearly defined in the scope of work, work plan, and budget while keeping in mind the goals of this funding opportunity as outlined in the NOFO.

If approved, it is worth noting that the title must be conditional, and an entity-held title does not mean the entity has ownership. The entity has title to the grant-funded vehicle, and has custody of its use, management, and disposition, but the entity’s rights are limited, and the entity does not outright own the property. The full IDPH vehicle policy is available upon request.

As stated in the NOFO, a two month advance payment will be initiated upon execution of the grant agreement, subject to rules outlined by GATA. If applicable, grantees will not receive a direct deposit upon receiving their executed grant agreement; however, the payment process will begin upon execution.

The advance amount will depend on the approved budget and will be calculated based on estimated expenses over the 12-month grant period (e.g., budget divided by 12). As a result, the exact amount will vary by grantee.

This grant will be managed exclusively via EGRaMS.

This grant will be managed using the funding processes established by two IDPH offices – the Office of Finance and Administration and the Office of Performance Management.

There are no restrictions on the kinds of personnel that can be expensed. IDPH follows CFR 200 for state and federal funding, and all salaries should align with the scope of work described in the budget justification. Individuals should be compensated at fair market value for the work being performed, and all documentation regarding timekeeping should be kept in compliance with the applicant’s internal policies. This includes transparent cost allocation if multiple funding sources are used to pay the individuals listed in the grant. Additional details can be found in CFR 200.430.

IDPH operates business as usual and has not directed its staff or programs to alter any language in response to Presidential or Federal Executive Orders. Should that change, program staff will inform grantees and provide recommendations based on best practice guidelines available.

The program has not established specific testing volumes for this NOFO. Instead, volumes should be identified in the work plan and tied to the scope of work described by the applicant.

Multi-line text boxes have a 2,048-character limit. However, many sections allow for unlimited text. The system will prompt applicants if there is a section where they have entered less (e.g., missing required text) or exceeded the character limit, if there is a limit set on a specific section.

Yes. An organization should submit two separate applications and would be eligible for up to $200,000 per location.

Application scoring is based solely on the information submitted by the applicant. This includes the scope of work, work plan, and budget justification.

Yes.

There are two separate funding opportunities for each activity.

Activity 2 has the same budget range as Activity 1.

No. Funds cannot be used for the purchase of property. The cost of rent is an allowable expense.

The NOFO states that funding under Activity 2 can be used to develop and/or maintain a hub. Expansion or restructuring of an existing program or service would fall under maintain.

Activity 1 and Activity 2 are two separate funding opportunities. As a result, you should provide a scope of work and work plan responsive to the requirements in each activity.

Yes. You can apply for both Activity 1 and Activity 2. However, you cannot apply for Activity 2 without applying for Activity 1. The maximum is $200,000 per activity.

Funding under Activity 2 can be used to develop and/or maintain a hub. Refer to the NOFO for more information. The scope of work, work plan, and budget should reflect whether applicants are establishing a program versus those maintaining an existing program.

The remaining funding will be less than $1 million based on calculations for both Activity 1 and Activity 2. Those funds will enable the program to respond to emerging grantee needs over the course of the funding year. A formal amendment will be considered for grantees requesting additional funding based on submitted progress and financial reports.

Capacity building should be driven by the needs of the staff hired to perform the work outlined in the NOFO. However, it is important to note that this is not a separate component of the grant application. As such, it should be written into the scope of work, work plan, and budget justification similar to other proposed program activities. In addition, credentials, MOUs, and other pertinent information should be provided as part of the grant application.

This is a competitive NOFO. As a result, IDPH cannot answer these questions.

No. This is a competitive NOFO. As a result, advance review is not permitted.

The goal of Activity 2 is to provide timely, barrier-free access to a wide range of services. As a result, applicants should strive to provide the most services at one site/location as possible. When that’s not possible, applicants should follow the guidance in the NOFO under Activity 2, b.

Reasonable refers to alignment between the scope of work described by the applicant, the work plan to accomplish the scope of work, and the written justification for budget items. Budget items not described in the scope of work or work plan would be considered unreasonable.

The grant manager will be involved in the application review and selection process as part of the transition to sole grant manager. She has extensive grant management experience, including prior experience managing grants in HIV.

The initial contact/request for help occurs via email. After that, you can request and receive support via the phone.

No.

Activity 2 has the same budget range as Activity 1.

No. Applicants seeking funding through this notice must be located in Illinois and meet the eligibility requirements outlined in Ill. Admin. Code tit. 77, § 691.300 (2007), which includes “Have a Board of Directors, the majority of which are African-American.”