Although National Emergency Preparedness Month is celebrated in September, it is wise to keep emergency preparedness in mind throughout the year. The Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) still has emergency funds available for this fiscal year. As this fiscal year draws to a close, consider acting now if you have projects that address public health threats. If you have an emergency, be sure to contact your OPWC program representative.
If you need assistance in navigating Ohio’s resources, please contact us.
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NatureWorks Grant Program
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched the NatureWorks grant program. The NatureWorks grant program provides up to 75 percent reimbursement to local governmental subdivisions (townships, villages, cities, counties, park districts, joint recreation districts, and conservancy districts) for the acquisition, development, and rehabilitation of recreational lands. Since the inception of NatureWorks, the grant has funded over 2,300 public park projects in all 88 counties.
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Eligibility requirements:
- All units of local government are eligible (local school boards are not eligible).
- Local governments may apply for up to 75 percent reimbursement grants (state funds) for the acquisition, development or rehabilitation of public parks and recreation facilities.
- The agency must have proper control (ownership or at least a 15-year non-revocable lease) to be eligible for a development or rehabilitation grant.
- Eligible agencies within each county.
Applications are due June 1, 2024. For more information and to apply, visit Department of Natural Resources.
OPWC Emergency Infrastructure Funds Remain Available for FY 2024
The Ohio Public Works Commission (OPWC) still has emergency infrastructure funds for FY 2024. Infrastructure projects include those that remedy immediate threat to public health, safety, and welfare. They cannot be used for delayed maintenance or aging systems. Eligible applicants are counties, municipalities, townships, sanitary districts, and regional water and sewer systems. For more information, visit the OPWC website.
FY 2024 Ohio Attorney General School Safety Grant
Ohio schools can now apply for a share of $6.7 million in safety grants to be awarded for the 2024 school year.
Public and private schools, charter schools, educational service centers, STEM schools, and schools operated by county boards of developmental disabilities can use the funding for safety planning, training, and classroom programs. House Bill 33 from the 135th General Assembly established this funding.
Each school district or education entity is eligible for a grant of $2,500 or $4.50 per student, whichever is greater, until funds are exhausted. This year's grants will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, so prompt submission of applications is an important consideration.
No applications will be considered after May 17, 2024. The 2024 grants give school leaders flexibility in determining how best to improve student safety. Among other things, educational leaders may use funds for:
- School resource officer certification training
- Active shooter training or equipment
- Educational resources for all grade levels
- Training to identify and assist students with mental health issues
- School supplies or equipment related to safety or the implementation of a school safety plan
- Any other training related to school safety.
The grant application is available at Ohio Grants: Funding Opportunity.
Please direct all questions regarding school safety grants to SchoolSafetyGrants@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.
Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program
Livestock and poultry producers now have access to $14 million in grants to improve and expand their meat processing operations. Funding is available through the Ohio Meat Processing Grant Program, which allows producers to apply for up to $500,000.
Eligible costs include new and upgraded machinery, other equipment and technology products, and construction or expansion of confinement, processing, and refrigeration facilities. Federal or state registered meat harvesting or processing facilities in Ohio may apply by 4 p.m. on June 3, 2024.
The Department of Development administers the program in conjunction with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
Criminal Records Grant Programs
The Ohio Attorney General's Office is accepting applications through May 15, 2024, for three pools of federal grant money totaling $2.45 million focused on improving the state's criminal history database. The National Criminal History Improvement Program funds will be awarded as follows:
- $1.2 million for 60 LiveScan fingerprint capture devices. The grant provides a LiveScan unit, a laptop computer, and on-site setup and training by the vendor. Eligible applicants are all courts of record, as well as any local government agency partnering with a court of record to use the device to capture and submit fingerprints in connection with offences described under ORC Section 109.57. See the LiveScan application for more details and to apply.
- $750,000 in subgrants for electronic reporting of disposition information by Ohio's juvenile courts. Local juvenile and probate courts are eligible to apply. See the Improving the Electronic Reporting of Adjudication Information by Ohio’s Juvenile Courts application for more details and to apply.
- $500,000 in subgrants to defray costs associated with the collection of case dispositions not previously reported to the Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Clerks of court and courts of record throughout the state are eligible to apply. See the Recovery of Case Dispositions Not Previously Reported to BCI application for more details and to apply.
OneOhio Recovery Foundation Kicks Off First Grant Cycle
The OneOhio Recovery Foundation, a nonprofit organization created by the state and local governments to oversee the bulk of opioid settlement proceeds, issued a request for proposals (RFP) as the first step in a 2024 grant cycle to distribute up to $51 million to support treatment, prevention, and other strategies to combat addiction.
OneOhio also opened registration for eligible entities interested in pursuing a grant. Eligible entities may include nonprofits, for-profit entities with services aligned with the foundation’s purpose, or government jurisdictions. Applications are due May 3.
OneOhio will consider projects lasting one, two, or three years. OneOhio will consider proposals spanning more than one of the foundation’s 19 regions but will not consider statewide projects this cycle.
For more information, visit the OneOhio Recovery Foundation Grant Headquarters.
Access to Federal Funding for Justice and Public Safety Initiatives
Looking for easy access to federal funding for justice and public safety initiatives? Consider signing up to receive curated opportunities for state, local, and tribal government entities, and nonprofit organizations. It is published throughout the open grant season for these topics.
OMB Updates to the Uniform Guidance Finalized
On April 4, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released a pre-publication version of changes to its guidance on grants and agreements (including changes to the Uniform Guidance). This reference guide is available as well.
Most notably, the revised guidance:
- Increases the single audit threshold from $750,000 to $ 1 million
- Increases the de minimus indirect cost rate from 10 percent to 15 percent
- Increases the amount of subawards that can be applied to an indirect cost rate from $25,000 to $50,000
- Uses the terms “recipient” and “subrecipient” except in areas where a specific provision applies to an entity that is not a federal entity
- Increases the equipment and supply threshold from $5,000 to $10,000
- Increases the amount of fixed-amount subawards that may be made without prior approval from $250,000 to $500,000
- Revises areas of the cost principles, including clarification of pension costs
This is the most significant revision to the Uniform Grants Guidance since it went into effect 10 years ago. OMB issued a memo to federal agencies to direct a government-wide approach to streamline, simplify, and make more accessible the processes, systems, and data standards associated with federal financial assistance to reduce the burden on federal agencies and recipients. This memo requires the revisions to the Uniform Guidance to be effective for all federal awards made on or after October 1, 2024. However, a federal agency may elect to apply the revisions earlier.
Stay tuned to the Ohio Connects for more details on the Uniform Guidance revisions in future issues.
Upcoming State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Project and Expenditure Reporting
The U.S. Treasury Portal opened April 1, 2024, for Project & Expenditure (P&E) Reports on State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) due April 30, 2024. Non-Entitlement Units of local government (NEUs) who received funds are required to submit their annual report (April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024) during this reporting cycle. If you received a notice of noncompliance for not submitting your P&E Report, the U.S. Treasury Portal remains open for report submissions. The U.S. Department of Treasury has posted updates and resources to assist in reporting, compliance, and troubleshooting.
The U.S. Treasury Portal was updated this cycle as some recipients, whose total SLFRF award is equal to total SLFRF expenditures, will be asked the following close out question: “Have you spent your full SLFRF award and are ready to close out the award?” Please note that responding to this question does not initiate the close out process; rather it will help the U.S. Department of Treasury to communicate more directly with recipients as they design and implement the close out process. The U.S. Department of Treasury will be providing future guidance on how to close out your SLFRF award, including completion of the final report. Recipients must continue to submit reports to the U.S. Department of Treasury as outlined in the SLFRF Compliance and Reporting Guidance.
Complete this form to subscribe to the U.S. Treasury State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Newsletter.
If you require additional assistance, please reach out to Treasury by email:
Updates to the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) FAQ'S
The U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) recently updated the frequently asked questions (FAQ) for the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) program by adding Section 17 to further clarify “obligation.” SLFRF requires that funds to be obligated by December 31, 2024, or they must be returned. Even if funds are being used under the revenue loss category, they must be obligated by December 31, 2024. To meet the December 31, 2024 deadline, Treasury will allow recipients to provide an estimate to cover costs in 2025 and 2026 for certain legal and administrative expenses (FAQs 17.10-13), certain personnel expenses (FAQs 17.7 and 17.8), or certain contract modifications or contingencies (FAQ 17.17) that they would otherwise be required to be returned to Treasury after 2024. Funds obligated through December 31, 2024, including any allowable estimates, must be reported on the Project and Expenditure Report, which is due by April 30, 2025, for annual reporters, and by January 31, 2025, for quarterly reporters.
Important clarifications that were part of this FAQ update:
- An interagency agreement may constitute an obligation for purposes of the SLFRF rule if the agreement satisfies certain conditions.
- A recipient has incurred an obligation for personnel costs for an employee through December 31, 2026, to the extent the employee is serving in a position that was established and filled prior to December 31, 2024.
- Cost increases associated with contracts or subawards entered into through December 31, 2024 are eligible.
The U.S. Department of Treasury will host webinars for recipients on May 8 and 9, 2024 to further explain these and other clarifications.
May 8, 2024, 10-11:30 a.m.
Registration link: https://ustreasury.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_WEQWKZEDQp2eLViOOCBR6w
May 9, 2024, 1-2:30 p.m.
Registration link: https://ustreasury.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_9QFrQzW6R5GNoTtetksehg
Additional information about the SLFRF program is available on the SLFRF program website.
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