Grant Funding Opportunities: Legal Definitions and Requirements
The information provided on this page is for organizations applying for grant funding from the Division of Care and Treatment Services.
Definitions
The following definitions apply unless otherwise indicated in the grant funding opportunity.
Applicant
An entity that wants to submit, or has submitted, an application in response to a grant funding opportunity
Awardee
An entity that has a contract with DHS as a result of a successful grant funding application
BPTR
Bureau of Prevention Treatment and Recovery within the Division of Care and Treatment Services within the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Contract
The written agreement between DHS and the awardee that covers the legal obligations, including the services to be provided
Contract administrator
The DHS employee who oversees the contract.
DHS
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
DCTS
Division of Care and Treatment Services within the Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Nonprofit organization
An organization that is listed on the federal Internal Revenue Service website as operating under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code
Public agency
The government of the state or a political subdivision of the state. In general, the term "political subdivision" includes counties, townships, cities, towns, villages, school districts, etc.
State
State of Wisconsin
Subcontractor
A person or entity receiving grant funding from the awardee.
Tribal nations
Federally recognized Tribal nation that shares borders with Wisconsin
Communications
All communications regarding a grant funding opportunity related to community mental health and substance use services managed by Bureau of Prevention Treatment and Recovery within the Division of Care and Treatment Services must be sent to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Any communications about a grant funding opportunity with a specific DHS employee outside of DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov may be a cause for rejection of the application.
Applicants who hold a current contract with DHS may continue to communicate with their contract administrator regarding the performance of that current contract.
Accommodations
DHS will provide reasonable accommodations upon request, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format for qualified individuals with disabilities. To request accommodations, contact DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Eligibility requirements
Eligibility requirements must be met at the time of application. DHS reserves the right to waive any qualification if no applicant is able to satisfy that qualification.
Nonprofit agencies must be listed on the Internal Revenue Service website at the time of application.
DHS reserves the right to conduct background checks on the organization, its officers and employees, and subcontractors to determine whether any conviction exists that is substantially related to the service required or if such conviction may otherwise adversely affect the applicant’s ability to perform under the resulting contract. DHS is the sole determinant of whether the results of a background check(s) will negatively impact the awardee’s ability to meet contract obligations and requirements.
DHS must be satisfied that the applicant has sufficient qualified resources available for performing the work described in the funding opportunity. It is the applicant’s responsibility to acquaint DHS with these qualifications by submitting appropriate documentation. This includes assigning work under the contract to workers that are skilled in the tasks to which they are assigned. DHS retains the right to require the reassignment or replacement of personnel, as DHS deems necessary. The reassignment or replacement is not a call for dismissal of the employee.
Subcontractors
The contract will be between DHS and the awardee. The awardee will be responsible for performance of the pertinent contract obligations and ensure subcontractors abide by all terms and conditions.
Acceptable uses and limitations of grant funds
Funding limitations generally follow the guidelines covered under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). There may be additional limitations specific to the funding opportunity.
Awardees must exercise proper stewardship over federal funds and ensure costs charged are allowable, allocable, reasonable, necessary, and consistently applied regardless of the source of funds according to the factors affecting allowability of costs per 2 CFR 200.403 and the reasonable costs considerations per 2 CFR 200.404. A cost is reasonable if, in its nature and amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a prudent person under the circumstances prevailing at the time the decision was made to incur the cost.
All costs must comply with the DHS Allowable Cost Policy Manual.
Funds must be used as a payment of last resort. The awardee is responsible for public and private insurance and that other payer options have been exhausted prior to use of these funds.
The awardee is expected to track and report program income. All program income must be used to plan for, expand, or enhance the grant-funded project.
Payment terms
Awardees must incur all expenses within the contract period. Reimbursement for expenses incurred should be requested periodically throughout the contract term (best practice is monthly).
Final expenses for grant activities must be reported no later than 45 calendar days after the end date of each contract period. Expenses reported later than 45 calendar days after the contract end date will not be recognized, allowed, or reimbursed.
Application submission
If at any time prior to the due date an applicant discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency, the applicant should immediately notify DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov to request clarification. Clarifying information or any revisions to a grant funding opportunity will be posted as an addendum to the grant funding opportunity posting on the DHS Current Grant Funding Opportunities webpage. Applicants are responsible for checking for addenda.
Application materials must be received no later than the due date and time listed in the funding opportunity. Responses to this funding opportunity must be sent to DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
DHS servers accommodate an email (with attachments) up to a size of 10 MB. Emails and attachments over the 10 MB limit are not recommended. If the applicant is unable to send all attachments in one email due to attachment size limitations, the applicant must indicate how many emails DHS will be receiving.
Applicants should receive a confirmation email. If a confirmation email is not received, the applicant is expected to contact DHSDCTSBPTRFundingOpportunities@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
Application costs
The state is not liable for any cost incurred by applicants in replying to a grant funding opportunity.
Contracting
Contracts are dependent upon considerations that include, but may not be limited to, the award statement in the funding opportunity and availability of funds. Contract renewals are dependent on considerations that include, but may not be limited to, the awardee’s performance, federal grant expectations, audit findings, and the availability of funds.
DHS reserves the right to:
- Make a single award, a partial award, or not make any award.
- Negotiate the terms of the contract, including the award amount, with the selected applicant prior to entering into a contract.
- Use the results of this funding opportunity for additional awards if additional funds become available.
Evaluation
The application must be responsive and responsible to be considered for further evaluation. The terms responsive and responsible are defined by the National Institute for Public Procurement.
Accepted applications will be evaluated by an independent committee. Evaluation committee members will be competent and knowledgeable in the field and have a sufficient knowledge base to appropriately score the applications received. Evaluation committee members may be employees of DHS, community partners, and/or other state employees.
Award and denial
All applicants who respond to a grant funding opportunity will be notified in writing of the intent of DHS to award or deny contract(s).
DHS reserves the right to:
- Reject any and all applications received.
- Accept or reject all or part of any application.
- Waive any minor irregularities in the application. A minor irregularity is a variation from the requirements of the funding opportunity that does not give an applicant an advantage over the other applicants and/or does not adversely impact the interests of DHS.
- Request clarification regarding any application.
Appeals
This funding opportunity is through a grant award process and is not subject to appeals under Wis. Stat. ch. 16, sub. IV.
Modifications to the contract
In the event of contract award, the contents of the funding opportunity (including all attachments), addenda and revisions, the application response and any additional terms agreed to in writing by the parties are incorporated into the contract. Failure of the awardee to accept these elements into the contract may result in the cancellation of the award.
The contract must only be used to purchase goods and services within the scope and intent of the original funding opportunity. Any modifications made to the contract must fall within the scope of the funding opportunity. All modifications must be made in writing and signed by both parties.
Applicants must accept all terms and conditions or submit point-by-point exceptions along with proposed alternative or additional language for each point. DHS may or may not consider any of the applicant’s suggested revisions. Any changes or amendments to any of the terms and conditions will occur only if the change is in the best interest of DHS.
DHS reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions of the contract when it is in the best interest of DHS to do so. Applicants may not submit their own contract document as a substitute.
If a contract is executed as a result of the funding opportunity additional terms and conditions may be contained in that document and negotiated at that time.
Open records
The Wisconsin Public Records Law, also known as the Open Records Law, requires DHS to respond to requests to inspect or reproduce agency records. Application materials submitted in response to this funding opportunity are considered agency records and are therefore subject to the provisions of the Wisconsin Public Records Law under Wis. Stat. §§ 19.31-19.39.
Applications and the names of the applicants will be made available upon request after the award notifications have been sent.
Submit open records requests regarding grant funding opportunities for community mental health and substance use services managed by the Bureau of Prevention Treatment and Recovery within the Division of Care and Treatment Services to dhsdctspublicrecords@dhs.wisconsin.gov.