FUND OVERVIEW & TIMELINE 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) allocated funding to Larimer County for Phase 40 for $138,716.  

EFSP funds must be used to supplement food and shelter services and may not be used as seed money for new programs. The key responsibility of participating organizations is to assist within the intent of the program. Agencies may receive funds to provide food, shelter, and supportive services, including, but not limited to:  

• Food services, such as congregate meals or groceries;  

• Lodging in a mass shelter, or a hotel/motel or other off-site shelter facility up to 90 days (3 months) assistance per individual or household 

• Up to 90 days (3 months) rent or mortgage assistance to prevent eviction or foreclosure;  

• Utility assistance for up to 90 days (3 months) of service for gas, electric and water service; and 

• Supplies, including but not limited to cleaning supplies, and small equipment essential to feed or shelter people, not exceeding $300 per item. 

• Please refer to the EFSP Eligible & Ineligible Expenses document on the EFSP website for more details on allowable expenses.  

Overall guiding principles to follow:  

• Funds are to supplement existing programs and expand current, available resources.  

• Funds must not be used as seed money for new agencies or programs.  Must be an existing program.  

• Agencies may not charge any fees for EFSP-funded services.  

• Funds are to be used for direct support of clients, meals, food, shelter, or financial assistance.  

• All eligible expenses must occur within the spending period.  Absolutely no expense may be made outside of the funding period.  

• Agencies may not use funds outside of their approved, single category without prior discussion and approval from the grant administrator (United Way).   

• Duplication of service cannot occur during the spending period. Since Phases 39 and ARPA-R are running almost concurrently, LROs will need to ensure they do not duplicate expenditures for clients in the rent/mortgage and utilities categories. This means clients may receive assistance one time per phase in those categories.  

Some of the below items are allowed by the National Board however, they have been deemed ineligible by the Local Board’s decision:   

• Transportation costs associated with the provision of food or shelter  

• Repairs to mass feeding or shelter facilities  

• Capital equipment necessary to feed or shelter people  

• Payments made in any other form than LRO check or LRO credit/debit card  

• Advancement or reimbursement to staff, volunteers, or clients for program purchases  

• Cash payments of any kind  

• Payments more than 90 days following the invoice or intake date 

• Bank fees or late charges  

• Administrative costs or Membership fees  

• NO pre-payment for expenses or services not yet rendered or incurred (i.e.: may not pay hotel stays until in-residence, may not pay in advance for supplies/delivery/utilities).  This prevents fraud/refunds.  

ELIGIBILITY 

Any nonprofit, faith-based, or governmental agency that provides food, shelter, and supportive services within the intent of the program is eligible to apply for funding. Current or former EFSP participation is not required for participation.  

All agencies applying for EFSP funds must provide their UEI number (formally DUNS) number and FEIN in their applications. Failure to provide these numbers will prevent or delay the release of funds to agencies if they are awarded by the Local Board. The numbers may be obtained, as follows:  

• All agencies participating in the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) must provide their Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).  Agencies applying for these federal funds must have a UEI. The National Board used the DUNS previously, but the DUNS is now obsolete and is not acceptable for entities receiving federal funding. The federal government stopped using the DUNS Number to uniquely identify entities. Now, entities doing business with the federal government or receiving federal funds must use the UEI created in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov).

   

  If your entity is registered in SAM.gov, you already have your UEI, and it is viewable in SAM.gov. Remember, you must be signed in to your SAM.gov account to view entity records. All SAM.gov registrants have been assigned their UEIs and can view them in SAM.gov.

   

• Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN) - FEIN numbers are issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at no cost. Link for FEIN - www.irs.gov 

All agencies must also: 

• Maintain a checking account in the organization’s name for EFSP deposits 

• Pay vendors directly within 90 days for services provided 

• Submit required reports (interim & final reports) 

Any agency that is awarded funds that participated in EFSP in the past and has outstanding compliance exceptions must resolve them prior to the release of funds. 

For a complete list of application questions and to see the review criteria that the Local Board uses to make decisions about allocations, please click here.

PROGRAM TIMELINE FOR PHASE 40

The spending period for Phase 40 funds are November 1st, 2021 – April 23rd, 2023.