Technical Assistance Program

Eligibility

TA Program eligible projects must be designed solely for policy, planning, and/or management capacity-building activities to enhance HIV/AIDS prevention, care, harm reduction, or opioid abatement services and/or delivery systems by the recipient organization or other related service or education providers. Organizations receiving these funds must demonstrate that the TA improves the agency’s ability to serve or benefit City residents living with or at risk for contracting HIV/AIDS or at risk of overdose. 

These include but are not limited to target populations identified in the current City White Paper, AIDS Prevention Program, or activities listed in the Opioid Settlement Funds allowable expenditures. Target populations include: injection drug users, youth, gay and bisexual men,  and women of color. Other priority groups include transgender individuals, people experiencing homelessness, incarcerated and post-incarcerated individuals, sex workers, non-injection drug users and immigrants. TA-assisted projects must be located within the City of Los Angeles-no exceptions.

Eligible projects include clinical trainings, strategic planning, workshops, seminars, media projects, community events targeted toward priority populations with the goal of facilitating access to HIV prevention or Harm Reduction services or other Opioid Settlement Funds allowable expenditures, and publications designed to improve agency/staff capacity to deliver services. 

TA funds may be used to pay for or offset documented costs for the following items: Development and/or printing of materials and/or publications to improve skills and knowledge for service providers and staff; facility and equipment rental; and consultant and training stipends. Additionally, if a community event or activity does not have an explicit HIV testing, education, or care component, or harm reduction component or fall under other Opioid Settlement Funds allowable expenditures, it will not be funded. 

Restrictions

Funds cannot be used for food or refreshments, travel-related costs, purchase of equipment (computers, laptops, tablets, etc.) or direct lobbying activities. Furthermore, you must include a justification for how each item in the budget is necessary to enhance HIV/AIDS services, harm reduction, or opioid abatement service delivery systems. We reserve the right to determine if a specific line item will be funded. Community event activities such as entertainment, DJs, portable bathrooms, and the like will not get funded. 

What to Know Before Applying

Please submit a request at least 45 days before the activity for which you are seeking funding. Untimely submissions are unlikely to be approved. 

Timely requests generally will be approved or denied within 30 days of receipt of application.

If your organization has not received TA funds before and your project proposal is approved, you will be asked to upload your W-9, BTRC (City of L.A. business tax registration certificate), and a copy of your 501c3 letter from the IRS linked below. In addition, you will need to have your insurance broker upload a copy of your Liability and Workers Comp insurance certificates to Kwikcomply.org - without proof of insurance your request cannot be approved. 

In addition, if you are using a fiscal agent, the full legal name of the fiscal agent must be the vendor listed on the agreement, and all other documents must match the fiscal agent name - BTRC, insurance, W-9, etc.

Draft a Proposal Letter

On your organization’s letterhead, please draft and submit a proposal that includes all of the information listed below. The proposal should be in the form of a letter addressed to the City’s AIDS Coordinator, Ricky Rosales. Download the Sample TA Proposal Letter (PDF), see page 6 for the template.

Proposal requirements:

• A detailed description of the project, including the target population, date, time, location/address of the activity/activities, the number of anticipated attendees, and how this relates to enhancing your agency's capacity to provide HIV prevention, education, treatment or Harm Reduction or other opioid abatement activities allowed under Opioid Settlement Funds allowable expenditures servicing priority population(s). Be as concise and detailed as possible within a two-page limit.
• Explanation of the issue your project is trying to address.
• Amount requested (not to exceed $6,000 unless otherwise pre-approved with ACO staff) and type of project (Training, Strategic Planning, Seminar, Media Project, Research, Community Event, etc.)
• A line-item budget with a breakdown that briefly explains what the funds will be used for of the total amount requested. If you are hiring a consultant, please include their rate (e.g., a facilitator consultant $100/hour x 10 hours = $1,000).
• Your scope of work, including a start and end date and list of deliverables. Deliverables could include number of individuals reached, number of tests provided, assessment of learning pre/post-test after an intervention, etc. Please be sure to answer what you will be providing at the project's completion that demonstrates its success.
• Your objectives. These objectives will be included in the Letter of Agreement between the City of Los Angeles and your agency / organization. Objectives should be clear, concise and directly relate to how the activity will enhance your capacity to provide services to a priority population in the City of Los Angeles. You are encouraged to use S.M.A.R.T. goals.
• The legal name of the fiscal agent that will be reimbursed, if applicable.
• The name, title, and email address of the person responsible for signing the Letter of Agreement from the City of Los Angeles for the TA funds.

Once finished, email a PDF of the request letter to Ricky Rosales at ricky.rosales@lacity.org and cc Dahlia Ale-Ferlito at dahlia.ferlito@lacity.org. 

Letter of Agreement

After submission and review of a TA request, you will be notified in writing to let you know whether or not your request has been approved. DO NOT begin work on your project prior to receiving approval. The City will not be able to render payment for projects that have not been approved.

If approved, the representative(s) who will sign the letter will receive an email from our office requesting an electronic signature. It is incumbent upon the agency to sign in a timely manner. The TA request is not approved until the LOA is signed by the organization AND the Department on Disability General Manager or designee. 

The agency will be notified when services can begin, no services can begin until notification is sent by a representative from the ACO. Services must be completed by the end date listed in the Letter of Agreement. Any services completed after the end date listed in the Letter of Agreement will not be reimbursable. 

Please note that materials, flyers, email blasts, etc., developed with City resources must be imprinted with: “Funded by the City of Los Angeles AIDS Coordinator’s Office” or the ACO logo. You will receive the logo upon application approval, as needed.

Payment Procedures

Upon completion of the activity, the payment process can begin. Please be advised that funds are reimbursement-based, and are paid after the activity has occurred, this often requires agencies paying for costs up front.

The agency or organization must submit one invoice, inclusive of the cost of all services rendered pursuant to this Agreement, no later than 15 days after the end of the time of performance listed herein.

The invoice:

• Must be drafted on the invoice template provided to the Contractor by DOD; and
• Must be emailed to dod-contracts@lacity.org and be accompanied by a list of services provided, in an editable format.

The City may request, in writing, changes to the content and format of the invoice and supporting documentation at any time. The City reserves the right to request additional supporting documentation to substantiate costs at any time.

Please provide copies of receipts documenting expenditures to be reimbursed up to the amount of the approved TA request, a copy of sign-in sheets if applicable, and a brief report on the outcome of the activity. A copy of any materials developed with these resources should also be included.

The Technical Assistance Program After-Action Report (PDF) template is available on page 7.
 

Final Report

After the services agreed to in the TA have concluded, you will be required to submit a report to ACO. Download the Technical Assistance Program After-Action Report (PDF), see page 7 for the template.

Please list the type of activities the TA request funded. Please provide a brief narrative detailing the outcomes met with technical assistance funds. Please include successes, challenges, and if applicable, the number of attendees. Attach any reports, website links or other materials that were developed with the TA funds (if applicable). Please list unmet objectives and explain.

This funding runs on a July 1-June 30 cycle. Organizations who fail to submit an invoice within the timeframe set forth in the Letter of Agreement will forfeit the award and the ACO will allocate the funding to another project.

If you have any questions about the Technical Assistance program you may contact Dahlia Ale-Ferlito at the AIDS Coordinator’s Office: 213-202-2754 or email dahlia.ferlito@lacity.org.
 

Questions

If you have questions about the Technical Assistance Program, contact:
Dahlia Ale-Ferlito, AIDS Coordinator’s Office
Phone: 213-202-2754
Email: dahlia.ferlito@lacity.org