Q: What if an action item is completed earlier than what was submitted in the budget-work plan?  

A: The budget-work plan is designed to summarize the actions you believe will be completed during your project’s contract term and help manage the grant administratively – you may complete an action item earlier but please try to set completion dates as accurate as you can when drafting your plan. If an action item is completed before the budget-work plan is approved, reimbursement will be based on eligibility. 

Q: Does reaching a milestone mean completing the action items or does it mean starting the action items? 

A: Reaching a milestone means you have initiated one or more of its corresponding actions items (you have also unlocked disbursements for those action items). A milestone is complete when all action items for that milestone have been completed. Note, milestones are administrative priorities; action items are finalist priorities. 

Q: Do we use Submittable to send the budget-work plan template to the TA provider?  

A: No, finalists are expected to download and complete the budget-work plan template from Submittable and share with TA provider by email. Once a TA reviews that template, and provides a signed / dated memo, finalists will upload their documents via the same Submittable form where they were obtained. 

Q: In the CWB budget worksheet, what is "supported by documentation"? 

A: The budget-work plan includes a column that asks if any of the budget lined items are supported by documents. We are not asking you to upload the 'supporting document' at the time you are submitting the budget form, we simply want to know if that budget line is supported by documentation, as it may be requested in the future. This is because during reimbursement, you may be asked for those supporting documents (e.g., if you paid an architect, you will be required to submit a contract (plus other required documents). 

Q: Must every action item in a milestone be complete before reimbursements are made available for that milestone? 

A: No, action items for a milestone do not need to be completed before making reimbursement request; they only need to be initiated. Milestones are administrative priorities; action items are finalist priorities. 

Q: Is Spring 2025 the earliest that projects can be closed out? 

A: For CWB, the Closeout Phase is scheduled for December 2024; for ETOD the Closeout Phase is scheduled for May 2025. 

Q: What document or instrument would be used between pre-development grantees and the TA in order to indicate (to the TA) that a milestone has been completed.  

A: Grantees do not need to notify TAs to confirm completion of an action item or milestone. Once DPD approves the TA reviewed budget-work plan containing your self-reported action items, documentation for action items must be provided to Guidehouse via Submittable for disbursement; TA would only provide non-administrative support and resources for your project at that point.    

Q: Are milestones linear, sequential? Do they have to be completed in order we report in our budget-work plans? 

A: No, self-reported action items are intentionally flexible to avoid having to follow a particular order. Milestones are administrative priorities only; action items are finalist priorities. 

Q: Can the project be closed out as soon as the work is completed? 

A: Yes, if the project has been completed based on what is contained in the budget-work plan, projects can be closed out before the program’s schedule closeout. 

Q: Is a budget-work plan template with projected costs (budget) and action items (work) going to be made available? 

A: Yes, budget-work plans templates will be made available to finalists via Submittable. You will be notified when the form is sent via the email registered in Submittable.  

Q: Is it only one disbursement per month?  

A: Reimbursements are monthly and based on what you spend or have spent (month to month) to either initiate or complete any action item. 

Q: What is the typical timeline per reimbursement request and actual disbursement of funds? 

A: Depending on the accuracy of the request (supporting documentation and whether corrections or additional documents are required), a disbursement may be processed between 14 to 30 days. 

Q: If you are using the grant for [land] acquisition, can you be reimbursed for the acquisition costs? 

A: For CWB, only 50% of the awarded amount can be used for acquisition cost such as a down payment, earnest money or closing fees. For ETOD, 100% of the funds can be used toward acquisition costs. 

Q: How does the DPD team know that the milestone has been completed? is it simply that all the action items have been checked off as completed? 

A: Correct, once all action items are completed then the corresponding milestone is complete. However, the fact that a milestone has been completed is an administrative priority (for program managers to note).   

Q: Do we have to go back and ask for updated invoices to include the project address that have already been paid and qualify for reimbursement? 

A: Receipts, proof of payments and invoices must match the name of the legal entity the city is contracting with and list the project address (if applicable). 

Q: Is there a minimum number of action items per milestone? 

A: There is no minimum or maximum number of action items per milestone required.