FY 2021 Agricultural Education - Three Circles (FFA and SAE) grant now available in IWAS

The fiscal year 2021 Agricultural Education - Three Circles (FFA and SAE) grant is now available in the electronic Grants Management System (eGMS) through the ISBE Web Application Security (IWAS) system.

All eligible applicants must create and submit an application through the IWAS system. To create an application, select "Year: 2021" and choose "Create Application."  If a checkbox appears the applicant must select "Yes" before creating an application. 

Due Date: To ensure a July 1 start date, complete and submit the application to ISBE by November 1, 2020. The extended due date is provided as ISBE recognizes the unique challenges local education agencies are experiencing and the necessary time needed to prepare a well-defined and complete application. However, ISBE cannot distribute payments until the application is approved and required expenditure reports are submitted.

Expenditure Report: Public Act 100-0997, enacted on August 20, 2018, made significant changes to the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), including the addition which detail new expenditure reporting requirements. Section 125 of GATA requires grantees to submit a new expenditure report if a state or federal grant is executed more than 30 days after the grant effective date. As a reminder, all state or federal grants in the FY 2021 grant cycle executed (i.e., approved by ISBE) more than 30 days after the grant effective date (i.e., start date) will require the grantee to submit an expenditure report that reflects eligible expenditures from the grant start date through and including the date of execution.

Program allocations are final and based on the final fiscal year 2021 appropriation. This grant is contingent upon and subject to the availability of funds. The state, at its sole discretion, may terminate or suspend the grant, in whole or part, without penalty or further payment being required, if the Illinois General Assembly or the federal funding source fails to make an appropriation sufficient to uphold such obligation or if funds needed are insufficient for any reason (30 ILCS 500/20-60).

Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Requirements:

Applicants must ensure Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requirements are met before the FY 2021 state or federal grant application is fully executed. Applicants must complete prequalification registration in the GATA portal and complete a Fiscal and Administrative Risk Assessment via an Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ). The GATA portal can be accessed at https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/.

The steps below are necessary to fully execute the FY 2021 grants. 

1. Grantee must register and complete the Internal Controls Questionnaire (ICQ)

2. Complete and submit the Organizational Risk Assessment via IWAS. Results will apply to all FY 2021 grants. 

-- ISBE Grant-Specific Assessments will be included in each FY 2021 grant. 

-- A combination of the results of the two risk assessments will generate the Programmatic Risk Conditions in each grant.

3. Submit FY 2021 grant applications to ISBE.  

4. The respective ISBE program area will review and approve the application. 

To create and submit the application, an IWAS user must obtain and receive access and approval level by the local education agency's superintendent. For technical assistance, please contact the CTE and Innovation department at ag_ed@isbe.net.