FY2025 Innovative Bride and Transitions Grant FAQ

A complete copy of the Notice of Funding Opportunity and a FAQ page can be found at the ICCB website. - https://www.iccb.org/grant-opportunities/
1.	To log into AmpliFund, use the same information you use to log into the GATA portal.
2.	If you experience difficulty accessing the application, please e-mail AmpliFund’s Customer Success team directly. support@il-amplifund.zendesk.com
3.	An applicant must be pre-qualified in GATA prior to any grant application being scored. If you have not met all of the pre-qualification requirements, your application will not be scored. Please go to the GATA portal to view the pre-qualification and other requirements. https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/GATA/Grants/SitePages/CSFA.aspx
Grantee Pre-qualification: All entities must be qualified to do business with the State of Illinois. To be qualified for a grant award, an entity must:

o	Have a valid UEI number;
o	Have a current SAM.gov account;
o	Not be on the Federal Excluded Parties List;
o	Be in Good Standing with the Illinois Secretary of State, as applicable;
o	Not be on the Illinois Stop Payment list;
o	Not on the Dept. of Health and Family Services Provider Sanctions list.
Pre-qualification status will be verified after Grantee Registration is registered and nightly thereafter. If an entity has a pre-qualification issue, the specific issue and remediation support is provided thru the grantee portal. Entities on the Federal Excluded Parties List are not eligible to do business with the State of Illinois.
1.	Q: What is the Amplifund link to the application?
A:https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/9c8ac493-e59e-4789-8ceb-45f6794521fb

2.	Q: Is this grant limited to serve people with disabilities?
A: No, that is one of four options. It can be used to serve students with disabilities under Objective 4. 

3.	Q: Previously, we submitted a proposal but was not chosen, can we submit again?
A: Yes, with this being a one-year grant, any eligible applicant can apply each year, with or without previous funding. 

4.	Q: If we applied for the prior NOFO for a small $ amount, was that a possible reason we did not receive an award? 
A: No, the amount requested had nothing to do with who was funded.  

5.	Q: With only one application per institution, can an organization with multiple locations apply in each location?
A: No, the institution can only apply once.

6.	Q: Are programs serving prison populations eligible? 
A: Yes, as long as one of the objectives is selected and met during the grant.

7.	Q: Could an agency that serves both ESL learners and people with disabilities or build a new bridge curriculum and a new program serving those with disabilities apply for 2 different programs in 1 application? 
A: No, applicants can only apply for one objective within this grant.  

8.	Q: Can you repeat how this would work if we currently have an Innovation Transition grant? We can only apply if it scales are current activity or for new activities?  
A: If an applicant has an FY24 IBT grant, they should not duplicate the activities. However, if they include a new/different population, add a focus area, build on previous activities, that would be allowable.  

9.	Q: Looking to sustain our new efforts beyond the innovation grant year, are there some projects that could be funded by the innovation grant that could not be supported with other grants? 
A: There is also a list of example allowable grant activities in the NOFO on pages 5-6. 

10.	Q: Do proposals need to address all of the objectives or just one or more? 
A: Each applicant needs to select only 1 objective. 

11.	Q: Would this grant support paid work-based learning experiences?
A: Yes, as tied to an Objective. 

12.	Q: Will these funds be available in future fiscal years? 
A: We hope so, but there is no guarantee.

13.	Q: Is it possible to use some of these funds for staff professional development that would lead to better services for students?  
A: Yes, as long as the professional development is tied to one of the objectives. 

14.	Q: Is this a one-time grant or is there a possibility for funding over 2-3 years if the program needs additional funding to continue to develop what is started and if it resubmits an application?  
A: This grant is only for 15 months. It is possible that the grant will be available again in the future, but not for more than 15 months at a time.  

15.	Q: Are paying student stipends allowable? 
A: Yes, they are. 

16.	Q: Just for clarity, we can use this to pay for the target population paying for initial coursework in CTE? 
A: If you mean can you cover tuition for CTE then the answer is yes. 

17.	Q: Are equipment costs able to be included in the grant proposal?
A: Yes, they are. 

18.	Q: When is the deadline? 
A: The deadline is October 8, 2024, at 5:00 pm.

19.	Q: Will this webinar be recorded and available to us?  
A: Yes, the link is on this website - https://www.iccb.org/grant-opportunities/ under the “FY 2025 Innovative Bridge and Transitions Grant Program (posted: August 15, 2024)” section.

20.	Q: With regards to the application narrative, may information provided in a table format be single-spaced? 
A: Yes

21.	Q: Do you want the application narrative in pdf format or in MS Word? 
A: Either format is acceptable as long as it can be opened by our readers.   

22.	Q: Are faculty salaries an allowable expense in lieu of charging student tuition? 
A: Faculty salaries are an allowable expense for this grant. 

23.	Q: For adults not enrolled in HS, do they need a GED or diploma to participate in the program?
A: Having a High School Equivalency document is not a requirement for this grant population. However, if the students are also being counted as Adult Education students, grantees will need to follow those pre-set requirements. See question #49 for more related details. 
24.	Q: When an institution submits one application is it limited to use that money only to programming in one APC office location? Our institution has a regional model with offices in more than one APC.  
A: No, funding is per institution, and not tied to APCs. However, because it is per institution, if applicants with multiple locations can be use funding at those locations – such as satellite locations. This is NOT Adult education funding. Therefore, APCs are not considered. 

25.	Q: If we have previously been awarded an IBT grant in the past, is it allowable to apply for support of the previously awarded program but scaling it in order to serve a larger number of participants? 
A: That is a great way to apply again and demonstrate scaling of the program. 

26.	Q: Is preference given to applications that are submitted earlier if all applications are equivalent? 
A: The time of submission does not impact allocation decisions, as long as the submission is prior to the deadline – October 8, 2024 at 5:00 pm.

27.	Q: Are there any budget guidelines? 
A: Please review the NOFO on pages 9, 11-13 for specific details. 

28.	Q: Will priority be given to programs that have not been funded previously? And, subsequently, will programs who have been previously funded, be penalized?
A: No priority or penalty is given to programs that have applied or been awarded previously. Each year, allocations are based on the application for that specific year. 

29.	Q: Do the apprenticeships need to be registered with the DOL or can they be non-registered apprenticeship programs?
A: ICCB does not require apprenticeships be registered with US DOL for this grant. 

30.	Q: If we are doing Objective #2, do we need to choose a ,b, c, or d or can we do some of each?
A: Applicants will need to choose a specific subcategory (i.e., 2a, 2b, 2c, or 2d).  

31.	Q: The first page of the NOFO says to "Submit Application To: ICCB.IBT@illinois.gov" - you may want to update that. 
A: This is incorrect information.  Please use this link - https://il.amplifund.com/Public/Opportunities/Details/9c8ac493-e59e-4789-8ceb-45f6794521fb to apply.

32.	Q: Do letters need to be on partner letterhead? And, is there a minimum or maximum number of partner letters we need to include?
A: Yes, any reputable partner should have letterhead. There is no minimum or maximum number of partners required. However, if they are listed in the narrative there needs to be a letter from them uploaded in Amplifund.
33.	Q: In the past, the grant period was 1 year. This year, the grant period is 15 months. Why the change? Could we propose a 12 month project or do you want a 15 month project?
A: This change is because ICCB is not allowed to do extensions starting in FY25. And, we know that sometimes it takes a while to get grant agreements signed and returned prior to funds being paid which slows down the start of the grant.  Hopefully, this additional quarter should help offset these issues. You can propose a 12-month project if that fits your needs. 

34.	Q: Do you want acronyms spelled out the first time I use them in a new section. I think often readers might look at one section without looking at a previous section.
A: Spelling out acronyms often is acceptable.  We need it spelled out at least one time, at the beginning.

35.	Q: You said an applicant needs to only choose one Objective. Is it ok to still include elements from other Objectives? For example, if we wanted to propose offering a career path training under Objective 1, can we still include supportive services to those students in our request (which are included under Objective 3)?
A: Applicants can combine various pieces of this together. However, that program will be held accountable to the objective they select and then need to follow through on it.

36.	Q: Do we only need to list (and get letters from) external partners?
A: Internal partners are good to have as well, but not required.

37.	Q: Can you fund paid work experiences/paid Internships in a bridge or ICAPS?
A: Yes, that is allowable. 

38.	Q: Do we need to provide narrative in AmpliFund budget?
A: Not in the AmpliFund section. However, on the Excel file that is uploaded in AmpliFund, applicants need to include a budget narrative for each tab/line in the budget. 

39.	Q: Do we only need to list (and get letters from) external partners?
A: Internal partners are good to have as well, but not required.

40.	Q: Can you fund paid work experiences/paid Internships in a bridge or ICAPS?
A: Yes, that is allowable. 

41.	Q: Amplifund fields question - we learned with ICCB AEFLA application that we CANNOT use a decimal in budget fields because Amplifund rounds up when budget template spreadsheet does NOT, so amounts don't match. Will this be addressed before IBT application submission?
A: Programs will need to round to the nearest whole dollar in a budget category on the Amplifund Budget.  For the Excel budget that will be uploaded, please use accurate numbers with cents added and detail in the narrative section any differences that occur. 
42.	Q: I appreciate this instruction to not do line by line in Amplifund. However, we noticed in the Fringe Benefits section it asks for "How is this determined?" And if we say "it's 7.65% of salary" then Amplifund rounds up to 8%.  So any Fringe Benefits entry (whether 1 person or 20 people) if we tell it Fringe Benefits are this % it overrides. 
A: We understand the basic question is, “how do we deal with the % override” within the Amplifund budget?” There should be only a category level fringe benefits value entered in the Amplifund Budget. This means do not use percentages. Please indicate the cost of the fringe benefits and use the determination rate of “1.00”. 
For example, in the Amplifund budget, if the total fringe cost for all staff is $2,156, then follow the steps below. 
Step 1 - $2,156 will be entered as the overall value of the line 
Step 2 - the rate to be entered (regardless of the number of staff) is the number 1, which equals 100% of the $2,156 entered.    
Remember, additionally in the Excel Budget each staff member needs listed with details and percentages which should total the $2,156 amount.  See Question 41 for details about discrepancies.  

43.	Q: Do we need to provide narrative in AmpliFund budget?
A: Not in the AmpliFund section. However, on the Excel file that is uploaded in AmpliFund, applicants need to include a narrative for each tab/line in the budget. 

44.	Q: If our proposal is primarily the development of a Bridge or ICAPS, how do we have a cost per participant? Do we need to pilot the course so that we can serve students?
A: There would not be a “cost per participant” for this type of grant. You will need to indicate at the top of the Performance Measures chart that this is a curriculum development or program development application.  If you choose to run a pilot, your budget will be based on the cost per participant for the number of pilot students. 

45.	Q: Could we look at development of CBE certificate programs?
A:  Yes, that is seen as "innovative."
	
46.	Q: Can sections in Amplifund be uploaded a different time and saved or must all be uploaded in the same session?
A: Yes, information can be plugged in/uploaded and saved.  

47.	Q: Is integrating multilingual approaches to previously funded ICAPS and Bridges considered innovative?
A: Yes, it is. 

48.	Q: Is the cost per participant based on the full amount of the funds we receive or the instructional piece?
A: The total allocation amount 
49.	Q: According to the updated CFR 200.439, single equipment items costing over $10,000 should fall under the equipment line. However, for this training, should we still follow the previous CFR threshold of $5,000 per item?"
A: While 2 CFR 200 has changes going into effect October 1, 2024, including changing the threshold for capitalizing equipment to $10,000, state regulations appear to be more restrictive and are not changing soon; the more restrictive standard would apply.  According to 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.40, (c ) and (d), the state regulations incorporate “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (2 CFR 200 (November 12, 2020)” and no later editions. This means that programs should continue to use the $5000 limit until otherwise notified by ICCB.  

50.	Q: May we complete the budget using the pdf budget template, or should we only use the excel sheet version of the template?
A: Applicants may use either version of the template provided.  Please make sure your final uploaded version of the template is Excel. 

51.	Q: Are letters of support required of internal partners (e.g., other divisions or areas of the College)? 
A: No. As stated in in #36, internal partners are great to include, but letters are not required.    

52.	Q: Can students participate in an ICAPS program if they have an HSD or equivalent as long as we are not counting them as Adult Ed students?
A: If a program chooses to serve HSE/HSD students and does not want to enroll them in Adult Education, then it is NOT an ICAPS.  Consider Objective 3 instead. Also, if a program chooses not to enter ICAPS students into DAISI, they cannot count them as ICAPS students on the Adult Education quarterly report either. 

**NOTE: Using the ICAPS label of a program/model has legal ramifications.  The term “ICAPS” is tied to Adult Education by federal law.  So, if a program is planning to select Objective 1 and refer to their program as an ICAPS program, Adult Education is a legally required component.  

53.	Q: What is the minimum number of partners an applicant can have? 
A: The minimum number of partnerships required is 1.  Partnerships are one of four “Priority Activities” described in the NOFO on page 4. Additionally, these activities are included in the scoring rubric. Remember, if a partnership is identified in the narrative, it will need a partnership letter attached to the application.  

54.	Q: Are mentorship programs to help high school-aged students (16 and up) transition to college eligible as part any of the objectives?  
A: Yes, that would fit under Objective #2.

55.	Q: Would ICCB consider mentorship as part of wrap-around services?  
A: Mentorship could be part of wrap-around services as long as it is more than workplace based.  If it is solely workplace based, that would not be “wrap-around.”

56.	Q: Can we select more than one objective?
A.	No, only one objective is allowable.  For example, you cannot select 2A and 2B. One of them must be your main objective.

57.	Are food and t-shirts allowable expenses for our target audience in this year’s grant budget?
A: T-shirts and other swag are not allowable.  Food can be allowable in certain situations (i.e. part of a training for students is allowable, grocery cards are allowable.) 

58.	We need clarification on one of the grant criteria. Our understanding is that this year’s proposal needs to be a completely new initiative and not a continuation of the work included in our acepted proposal from FY24. Is this interpretation correct?
A: No, projects can build on, expand, or scale work already established. 

59.	Can the following participant support costs be included in the budget for objective 1?  Potential costs include:
•	Seat licenses for online learning platform – example: Burlington English - $99 per participant
•	CTE Tuition – example: CTE portion @ $1299 per participant
•	CTE Textbooks 
•	Instructional supplies 
•	Background check fee  – example: CTE portion @ $40 per participant
•	State licensing fee – example: CTE portion @ $41 per participant
•	Transportation (gas card, Uber card, bus pass) - example: $50 per participant maximum	
A: Yes, all of the above costs would be allowable in various categories of the budget as part of Objective 1. 

60.	We are proposing Pharmacy Tech bridge and CTE training. Would the cost of Pharmacy Tech Certification Exam vouchers be allowable under Objective 1 if purchased before 3/1/26? 
A: Yes, the cost of exam vouchers would be allowable.  

61.	Q: Are the following professional development activities allowed under Objective 1? All AEL instructors are eligible to teach the bridge courses and may replace one of the assigned instructors at any time—therefore professional development activities that involve guest speakers, group workshops and other professional development activities would greatly benefit all instructors in the program.
•	Stipend to pay Adjunct Instructors for attending professional development trainings
•	Registration and travel costs for Adult Education conferences (IL-TESOL, COABE)
•	Workforce development workshop attendance costs 
•	Transition workshops attendance costs 
•	Travel costs for those paid under the grant to attend required ICCB training
A:  Yes, the above listed costs would be allowable costs under Objective 1. 

62.	Q: Can an applicant request equipment in addition to the $4,500 cost per student for objective 2b or is the total amount the $4,500 per student?
A:  No, all costs are included in the cost per participant calculation. Example: total budget amount divided by the number of students projected to be served = the cost per participant. 

63.	Q: Would it be acceptable for our project to serve adults who have already earned a GED or high school diploma and are enrolled in a credit-bearing community college program, but who are underemployed and need to transfer to a baccalaureate institution and earn a bachelor’s degree in order to find employment in a high skill, high wage occupation?
A:  This would be an acceptable population to serve and this would fit well in Objective 2. 

64.	Q: The Budget portion of the Amplifund portal does have several required fields.  These fields match what the budget asks about individual positions. Since you are instructing us to not enter individual positions and instead enter only "Personnel," should we enter in the fields: 

Name:  "Personnel"
Position: "Personnel"
Salary Amount: [- the total personnel amount in budget -]
Percent of Time: 100
Length of Time: 1 
And then do the same in Fringe Benefits section?
A: Yes, that is how programs will need to complete these fields.  

65.	Q: If we wanted to support students in programs that lead to high-demand occupations such as Truck Driver Training and CNC Machining and also support high school students with transitioning to college life through a Summer Bridge Program, which of the two objectives below should we use? 
Objective 2a: Secondary and Postsecondary Curriculum Alignment
Objective 2b: Dual-Credit Programming CTE program of study development and implementation, or college and career pathway endorsement activities
A: Selection of objectives is left to the program’s discretion. Programs need to select only 1 objective and that needs to reflect the priority activities. Pieces of other objectives can be included.  For example: If a program is wanting to build an apprenticeship, Objective 2c would be selected.  The activities may also include curriculum development (2a) or wrap around support services (3).  But Objective 2c is the high-level objective that would need to be selected.  

66.	Q: Where can we find information about stipends?
A: At the top of this page - https://www.iccb.org/grant-opportunities/ Look for the document named “Guidance for Student Stipends within Grant Programs”

67.	Q: Our proposal will primarily focus on new program development, with a small pilot at the end of the performance period. Do you have any guidance on how to budget our requesting amount since the cost per participant alone would not be sufficient to develop and run the program in its first year?
A: See #44 above for the answer to this question. 

68.	Q: We have not received funding before so don't have to fill out the duplication chart-- can I delete the chart to save space or does it need to stay in the narrative template?
A: Please leave the chart in the Narrative. Programs are welcome to reduce it as much as possible, but the chart needs to remain blank so readers know there was no previous funding through this grant. 

69.	Q: I know the narrative text has to be 12 pt font, double spaced. Does this apply to text within a chart I'm including in the narrative? Or can that font/spacing be adjusted to fit the chart as long as it's legible?
A:  Charts and graphs can be single spaced. The font size needs to be no smaller than 10 point.  

70.	Q: For application components requiring an "Original Signature," do we need to print, sign with ink, and then scan the documents back to PDF? Or would an Adobe signature qualify as an original signature?
A: Either way is acceptable. Electronic signatures have become allowable in recent years.  
71.	Q: I know we can focus on dual credit can that include dual enrollment?
A: Yes, it does, but not as Objective 2b (dual credit). 

72.	Q: I know that two programs were awarded less than the $75,000 award in FY24 which is the minimum indicated on the FY25 application. Are you accepting any proposals for less than $75,000 this year?
A: That $75,000 amount on the cover page of the Notice of Funding Opportunity is a holdover amount and is the minimum amount still for FY25.

73.	Q: How do we include adjunct stipends and fringe benefits for PD training in the GATA budget? Should these items be included under Personnel and Fringe Benefits or should both costs be listed under Training & Education?
A: These costs would all be included in the Personnel and Fringe lines as this is for time worked.  The actual training costs (fees, registration, etc.) would be in the Training & Education line. 

74.	Q: I know that there are two budget forms that must be submitted for this grant 1) downloaded excel template and 2) is the budget form within Amplifund. Per the instructions, the Amplifund form should match the section A tab in the excel. The instructions are clear that in the Amplifund we enter the totals. However, in Amplifund, when you click on the green plus sign to edit the budget lines, there are required fields in the personnel line item to list each staff member, there title, salary, etc. instead of just the total for personnel. Can you provide some guidance on this as it doesn't seem to match the instructions?
A: For the required fields in the Amplifund Budget lines, programs should enter the name of the line such as “Personnel” or “staff” or “Fringe Benefits.” For the additional boxes (staff title, salary, etc.), programs should either skip those boxes, if allowed, or enter basic information. There should only be 1 line item for each category, and that is the total amount budgeted for that category. 

75.	Q: As we are preparing our grant budget for the IBT program using a 10% de minimis indirect cost rate, we wanted to confirm: Will the increase in the federal de minimis indirect cost rate from 10% to 15% effective October 1, 2024 affect the indirect cost amount we are able to request for this grant?
A: If your program has selected the de minimis cost rate, then yes, that rate will change to 15% effective October 1, 2024. Meaning, the new 15% de minimis rate may be used for this grant. 

76.	Q: Regarding budget certification, I am planning to submit the Excel version of our budget per the guidance and FAQ. How should we add the certification signature if we are not submitting via PDF? 
A:  Signatures are acceptable in the following options:
1 – You can add a signature box through Adobe and sign electronically
2 – Print, wet sign, scan, save, upload in Amplifund
3 – Copy and paste a signature image file
**NOTE: Be sure these are signed by an authorized party. 

77.	Q: We are working on an application for the FY25 Innovative Bridge grant, but we’ve also been asked for a letter of support from another applicant.  Can we affirm our intention to participate in their project if funded and still submit our own application for a different/unrelated project?
A: As written in the Bidder’s Conference slidedeck (Slide 3), the rule is one application per institution. A program can not apply for it’s own grant and then apply with another entity on another application. Programs need to determine if they will be applying as part of a consortium or with their own application. Programs cannot be listed on both applications as an applicant. Consortium applications are allowable. Again, programs cannot be part of a consortium AND apply on their own.  

78.	Q: Who should partners address letters of support to?
A: Please address support letters to: “Innovative Bridge and Transitions Grant” 
**Reminder: All partner letters will be uploaded in Amplifund. 
79.	Q: I just received this IBT grant renewal notice from my colleague. I was anticipating that a grant notice would come out but I’m just checking to see if was something similar sent to me? 
Just to confirm this is the grant notice for our grant program is that correct? I recall in past years the deadline was in late October is that correct or am I misremembering? I’m just rather surprised by this earlier deadline.
A: This is not a grant renewal notice, but a new grant announcement that went out to several listservs around 8/15/2024.  The earlier deadline is to help move the process along more smoothly on our end in front of the holidays later this year.  

80.	 Q: We are completing the IBT grant application and would like to provide tuition for IET students, but I am unsure what budget line to enter it in. Is student tuition in "Education and Training" (which I thought refers to staff education and training, not students'), or in "Miscellaneous Costs"? Because the other grants I have written do not have tuition as an allowable cost I am not sure where to put it.
A: Tuition belongs in the “Miscellaneous” line. You are correct that “Education and Training” is for staff education and training, not students. 

81.	Q: We are at 15 participants and roughly $67,500, so we do not meet the floor of the grant. Is this ok or will we be thrown out? We do not want to overestimate what we can do. 
A: While $75,000 is the intended floor of the grant amount, if the grant application is well written, complete, and demonstrates strong merit, it can still be considered. In FY24, we did fund grantees below $75,000.  

82.	Q: A college is telling us that they can submit an application for their institution and also be included as a partner on our application. I don't think this is correct. Are they correct?
A: See question #77 with its corresponding answer. 

83.	Q: One of the four priority activities noted in the notice is: Participate in Professional Development Opportunities provided by the ICCB and its partners, Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support. These required meetings will occur primarily during quarterly operational meetings. Attendance will also be required at other opportunities, unless otherwise stated.
Can you provide some guidance on how this should be addressed in the narrative? Should we address our participation in these opportunities if awarded or are you looking for us to address professional development opportunities we have for our internal staff?
A:  We are looking for a statement that you will attend required meetings and events.

84.	Q: We have a question regarding the target population. Does the target population requirement refer to new students or can it apply to students that we are currently serving?
A: The target population requirement applies to both new and current students. 

85.	Q: If partners (who are providing a partner letter) give significant input on curriculum development input and to review the final curriculum and instructional materials, can we provide the partners a stipend or pay the partner some contractual fee?
A: Yes, that would be a contractual line item. 

86.	Q: We are finalizing our budget amounts for our IBT application.  Can you please clarify if we can include a portion of rent/occupancy and telecommunications in this IBT grant budget?  The budget template (downloaded from Amplifund) includes these tabs, but on Amplifund, there are no fields to enter for #s 8 - 11. 
A: Rent and Telecommunications are allowable expenses for this grant. The missing lines in the Amplifund budget are a mistake that we can fix on the award side. PLEASE include these expenses on your Excel budget document.  We will address the discrepancy with the two budget amounts once awards have been granted.  
87.	Q: The Non-Duplication chart template in the narrative form differs quite a bit from the one in the NOFO. Which one do you want us to use?
A: Please use the one in the narrative template.

88.	Q: In response to Q #33, should we be budgeting staff to this for 12 months or the full 15 months? I know that some contracts have a program period and a budgeting period. I just wanted to make sure that we weren't over/under budgeting because of the additional quarter. 
A: It is up to the program to determine how long they need to budget for staff.  If the project needs 6 month of staff time, then that would be the appropriate amount.  If the project needs 15 months of staff time, that would be the appropriate amount to budget.  This grant will be for only 15 months with no extensions, so programs need to plan, and expend, accordingly. 

89.	Q: We are trying to add our indirect costs into the system with our NICRA rate of 41.5% and Amplifund is rounding up our rate to 42%. It won’t let us use half percentages, we can either use 41% or 42%. Is there a way to change that so we can enter our agreed upon rate? We didn’t want to go over our agreed rate but we also want to claim as much as possible. 
A: Review Questions #41 and #42 of this FAQ document. 

90.	Q: Also, we have some grant exclusive items in our budget this year but there is no budget line for us to enter on Amplifund. We currently have these items listed under (other or miscellaneous costs). Is this acceptable?
A: Grant exclusive items are ONLY allowed with advance permission from ICCB. Items should be listed in the appropriate category in the budget.

91.	Q: I just submitted our grant application for the IBT grant but realized after I hit submit that I attached the Budget that was not signed. I went back into Amplifund to see if I could attach the correct PDF but it said if I withdraw the application, I will not be able to resubmit. What can I do to submit the signed copy? 
A: There is nothing that can be added after the submission button has been clicked.  According to the rubric, you will lose 1 point for an incomplete budget.  

92.	Q: On the Uniform Application, where do we find the following information:
Under section Funding Opportunity Information, where do we find or what is the answer for line 13: Funding Opportunity Program Field?
Under Competition Identification, where do we find the answers to Line 14(Competition Identification Number) and Line 15(Competition Identification
Title), or how do we know if we are applicable or not? 
A: The first page of the Uniform Application is for the Agency (ICCB) and will be completed by us.  The second page of the Uniform Application is for the Applicant and should be submitted by each program.  Please leave page 1 blank.  

93.	Q: There are some key measures for our program that won't be available to us until after the grant period ends. While the work for those measures will be completed during the grant period, there is a lag in some of the college enrollment data, etc. Are those ok to still include in quarter 5 of the performance measures and then report out once we receive them? Again, these are key indicators for our program, we just won't have them for the student impact until fall 2026. 
A: Yes. Please report in Q5 as appropriate and finalize numbers with us in the Close-out report.  

94.Q: We were completing the IBT grant cover page and we don't see an option to select Objective 2d: Out-of School Youth Career Activities. 
A: There is a mistake on that form. Leave the top boxes unchecked and at the top of the description, please add “Objective 2d – Out-of-School Youth Career Activities.”