1.	Social Security Administration (SSA), 
Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA)
Opportunity Number:  WIPA-WIP-21-001
Office of Research, Demonstration and Employment Support, March 18, 2021

2.	Agenda
•	Brief overview of the WIPA program
•	Application Narrative highlights 
•	The basics of applying and budgeting
•	Questions and answers

3.	Brief Overview of the WIPA Program

4.	Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA)
•	Authorized by Ticket to Work legislation in 1999 to provide accurate information to beneficiaries with disabilities to support employment;
•	Statute requires competition and limits funding;
•	Application due 4/19/2021;
•	Awards begin July 1, 2021 with annual renewal through June 30, 2026 (if funding is available).

5.	Why WIPA Services Matter
•	Going to work as a person with a disability is scary.
•	Beneficiaries are often aware of risks, but not the programs and supports available.
•	There are work incentives that help people begin their work without losing essential supports on which they depend, including work incentives that protect health insurance. 
•	WIPA is the program Social Security funds to provide benefits counseling nationally.
•	WIPA offers accurate and comprehensive information about federal, state, and local programs geared towards the beneficiary’s situation, employment, goals, and employment support needs.

6.	Who Receives WIPA Services
•	Beneficiaries who are age 14 and older who receive any of the following benefits based on their own disabilities:
o	Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI, including Disability Insurance Benefits, Childhood Disability Benefits, Disabled Widow(er)s Benefits); 
o	Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) based on blindness or disability (including people receiving only a state supplementary payment);
o	Medicare under the Extended Period of Medicare Coverage (for former disability beneficiaries performing substantial work);
o	Medicaid under Section 1619(b) of the Social Security Act (for SSI beneficiaries ineligible for payment due to work income); or
o	Medicare coverage based on disability and Medicare qualified government employment.

7.	Service Priority Groups
•	Beneficiaries who are working full or part-time;
•	Beneficiaries who are in the process of interviewing for work, or who have a job offer pending; and 
•	Youth or United States Military Veterans at any point of working or seeking employment.
•	In addition, we have a priority for outreach to underserved and minority populations.

8.	Help Line Referrals
•	The Ticket Program Manager (TPM) is a contract with SSA that supports the Ticket to Work program.
•	In addition, the TPM provides a national call center service called the Ticket to Work Help Line (Help Line).
•	The Help Line provides approximately 80% of current referrals to WIPA projects. 
•	Under this WIPA program release, we encourage projects to increase the use of the Help Line for referrals.
•	This permits screening, and partial benefit verification.

9.	Outreach
•	Successful applicants may perform outreach for the first six months of the cooperative agreement.
•	After that, projects may only conduct outreach with SSA Project Officer permission. 
•	When conducting outreach, projects prioritize underserved and minority populations, youth between the ages of 14 and 25, and Veterans.

10.	Authorized Representative
•	Person who signs application;
•	Person with access to GrantSolutions for application renewals;
•	Only requires favorable suitability determination if also working with beneficiaries;
•	No training requirements;
•	Similar rules for financial staff.

11.	Project Director
•	Provides supervision, guidance, and monitoring to WIPA staff;
•	Must commit at least 25% of time (12 hours) weekly, to WIPA management duties; 
•	Must attend introductory web course and at least audit the initial CWIC course;
•	Must also have a favorable suitability determination.

12.	Community Work Incentives Coordinators (CWIC)
•	Provide in-depth individualized counseling to beneficiaries who are working or serious about work.
•	Must attend and successfully complete training.
•	Must receive favorable suitability determination from SSA.
•	Must maintain certification with ongoing training.
•	Must provide direct services for at least 40% (16 hours) per week funded under WIPA cooperative agreement. 

13.	Workflow 1
•	Once the WIPA project receives a referral or request for services, the CWIC:
1.	Contacts the beneficiary within two business days;
2.	Gathers additional information about the beneficiary, identifies the beneficiary’s goals and current benefits, and explains services;
3.	Provides general information and obtains releases of information, as well as refers beneficiaries to services.

14.	Workflow 2
•	The CWIC: 
4.	Requests and receives verification;
5.	Meets with the beneficiary to provide counseling and creates case notes;
6.	Documents counseling, delivers and explains formal reports;
7.	Meets with the beneficiary and provides proactive follow-up;
8.	Tracks services.

15.	Frequent Questions
•	Eligibility to apply (Request For Application, (RFA), p.20);
•	Service area computations and changes from prior awards (see Frequently Asked Questions);
•	Offering to serve a different set of counties or states (RFA pp.18-19);
•	Having a back-up service area ( RFA p.19);
•	Cost-Share (RFA p.18);
•	Training (RFA p.10).

16.	Application Narrative Highlights

17.	Application Package 
•	A complete application package consists of one electronic submission. It should include the following items:
A.	Project Abstract/Summary (not to exceed two pages);
B.	Table of Contents;
C.	Part I – Application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form/SF 424);
D.	Part II – Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A);
E.	Part III – Project Narrative.

18.	Project Narrative (1)
•	Agency’s Organizational Background, Expertise, and Experience – no more than 10 pages.
•	A background analysis of the key factors contributing to the organizational capacity to support a WIPA cooperative agreement that;
•	Discusses the host agency’s grasp of work incentives, benefits counseling and analysis, return to work programs, and Social Security laws and regulations;
•	Provides a summary of the applicant’s past work that relates directly or indirectly to work incentives and related priorities of this request with should include more than a listing of the projects the applicant completed and provide a sense of institutional commitment to the WIPA program and return to work programs; and
•	Contains an appendix of recent or current projects including a brief summary of the project(s) with a contact person and references, including the addresses and telephone numbers.

19.	Project Narrative (2)
•	Staffing Proposal, Key Personnel, Experience, and Background – no more than eight pages that include:
o	A staffing and organization proposal for the WIPA, including an analysis of the types of background and experience of staff members, the applicant’s organizational structure, and linkages with the host institution and other organizations. Be sure to:
•	Specify how the organization would ensure an effective approach to comprehensive benefits counseling services throughout and within their service area.
•	Describe the role each listed staff person will play in providing WIPA services and should limit funded staffing to individuals who provide a direct benefit to the program.

20.	Project Narrative (2 continued) 
•	The applicant must: 
o	Identify the Project Director and key staff, in particular the CWIC staff; 
o	Include full resumes of all identified proposed staff members as a separate appendix to the application and the aggregate anticipated time commitment to WIPA services as well as commitments for each proposed staff member. As well as, 
o	Specify how they would minimize start-up and transition delays. 

21.	Project Narrative (3)
•	Collaboration, Coordination, and Partnerships – no more than five pages, not including letters of support
•	The applicant should:
o	Describe plans for solidifying relationships with Social Security field offices in the applicant’s service area, Area Work Incentive Coordinators, and Work Incentive Liaisons;
o	Describe other collaborative arrangements with employment related services and supports and, if applicable, employers in the community; and
o	Confirm their willingness to direct these resources to refer beneficiaries to the Ticket to Work Help Line (Help Line) as the first contact for WIPA services.

22.	Project Narrative (4)
•	Data Collection and Reporting – no more than four pages
•	Successful applicants must:
o	Commit to consistently collect, record, enter, and submit service data as required by the Terms and Conditions of the award; and
o	Describe their commitment to confidentiality and security of all beneficiaries’ PII.

23.	Project Narrative (5) 
•	Accessibility, Knowledge of Disability Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Practices – no more than four pages
•	Applicants must:
o	Describe their experience and commitment to providing accessible materials, assistive and adaptive technologies, fully accessible physical sites and locations, interpretation services, and materials in alternate formats and languages;
o	Describe how they will address the needs of underserved ethnic and native communities in their proposed service area, and how they will ensure interpreter services for American Sign Language and languages other than English; and
o	Demonstrate a working knowledge of the most significant and relevant Federal statutes, including Sections 503, 504, and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended, The Americans with Disabilities Act as amended, and other critical civil rights legislation affecting individuals with disabilities.

24.	Important Resources 

•	To find the application: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html?keywords=WIPA
•	To register to apply: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/login.faces?userType=applicant&amp&cleanSession=1
•	For announcements and Frequently Asked Questions: 
https://www.ssa.gov/work/WIPA.html
•	For WIPA training materials and introductory web course: https://vcu-ntdc.org/index.cfm
•	For additional questions: Write to: SSA_TA@GRANTREVIEW.org

25.	The Basics of Applying and Budgeting

26.	Work Incentives Planning & Assistance 
2021 Application Workshop
Dionne Mitchell 
Grants Management Officer
Office of Acquisition and Grants

27.	Overview
•	Grants.gov
•	Follow the Rules: 2 CFR 200
•	It’s in the Details: Budget Detail Worksheet
•	Common Errors

28.	Grants.gov – Register Early!!!
•	Registering an Organization
•	Never applied for a federal grant
•	Obtain a DUNS Number
•	Register for free in SAM.gov
•	Register in Grants.gov
•	New-Workspace Application
•	Allows more than one person to access their piece of the application at the same time. 
•	Applicant Registration 
•	An individual user may have multiple profiles
•	Organization Applicant Profile 
o	Not Individual Applicant Profile 
•	Need Help with Grants.gov 
o	Support@grants.gov 
o	Available 24 hours a day 7 days a week excluding federal holidays
o	1-800-518-4726

29.	Code of Federal Regulations
Title 2 Grants and Agreements
•	PART 200 - Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
•	The Lens a GMO Uses to Review an Application – #FollowTheRules
•	Apply to Federal agencies that make Federal awards to non-Federal entities.
•	Applicable to all costs related to Federal awards.

30.	Many Parts
•	Subpart A - Definitions
•	Subpart B – General Provisions
•	Subpart C - Pre-Federal Award Requirements
o	Grant – Benefits the Public, Contracts the Agency
•	Subpart D - Post Federal Award Requirements
o	Performance Measures, Internal Controls, Budget Revisions
•	Subpart E - Cost Principles

31.	Subpart E – Cost Principles 
•	200.402 – Allowability of Costs
o	Necessary and reasonable for the performance of the Federal award
o	Consistent policies for federally-financed and other non-federally financed (Does your organization normally pay everyone $1M?)
o	Be accorded consistent treatment. A cost may not be assigned to a Federal award as a direct cost if any other cost incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances has been allocated to the Federal award as an indirect cost.

32.	Subpart E – Cost Principles (cont.)
•	200.403 – Allowability of Costs
o	Be determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), except, for state and local governments and Indian tribes only, as otherwise provided for in this part. 
o	Must be adequately documented. 
o	Cost must be incurred during the approved budget period.

33.	Subpart E – Cost Principles (cont.)
•	200.405 – Allocable Costs
o	Is incurred specifically for the Federal award
o	Direct cost allocation principles: If a cost benefits two or more projects or activities in proportions that can be determined without undue effort or cost, the cost must be allocated to the projects based on the proportional benefit. 

34.	200.420 – 476 General Provisions for Selected Items of Cost
•	Advertising
•	Alcoholic Beverages
•	Audit Services
•	Bad Debts
•	Conferences
•	Lobbying
•	Maintenance and Repair Costs
•	Rental Costs

35.	Budget Detail Worksheet
•	Side Notes
o	User-friendly, fillable, spreadsheet
o	No supplanting – reduce local funds to use grant funds instead
o	Subject to 200.33 must be retained for 3 years following the close of the grant and subject to FOIA
o	Please show all decimals when rounding up
o	The budget narrative should fully justify each cost
•	Budget Narrative  
•	Clear link to funds requested 
o	Justify all expenses and be consistent with the program narrative

36.	Budget Categories
•	Personnel 
o	Show annual salary and percent of time 
•	Fringe Benefits
o	Based on actual known costs or approved rate
o	Only for personnel listed in Personnel section
•	Travel… maybe
o	Itemize for project personnel by purpose
•	Equipment
o	Useful life of more than 2 years and costs $5,000 or more
•	Supplies
o	List by type: office supplies, postage, training materials

37.	Budget Categories, (cont.)
•	Construction – not allowable 
•	Consultant/Contracts 
o	Consultant Name, hourly or daily fee and time on project
o	Contracts – promote free and open competition
•	Other Costs
o	List by major type – rent, reproduction, phone, janitorial
o	If rent – give square footage and cost per square foot or monthly rental cost
•	Indirect Costs – Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or use de minimus – 10% of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC)
•	Match/Cost Share – NO LONGER REQUIRED

38.	Common Errors
•	Authorized Official’s eSignature
•	Waiting too late to register on Grants.gov
•	Rounding up resulting in calculation errors 
•	Misc. – unallowable expense
•	Missing Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (ICRA)
•	Missing Resumes
•	Late submissions – due Monday, April 19th at 5pm EST

39.	And Now for Your Questions.