Federal Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Templates

Overview

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the SNAPEd Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention (NEOP) Grant Program to help states, territories, and Indian Tribal Organizations deliver nutrition education and obesityprevention activities to lowincome individuals and families. For Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)2016, USDA released a set of standardized budget templates designed to streamline the application, award, and reporting processes.

The templates serve three primary purposes:

• Consistency: Ensure all applicants present financial information in a uniform format.
• Transparency: Facilitate easy review by USDA staff and external auditors.
• Efficiency: Reduce the time needed to prepare, submit, and process budgets.

Key Components of the FFY2016 Templates

The 2016 budget package consists of three Excel workbooks, each addressing a distinct phase of the grant lifecycle:

1. Application Budget Workbook Used when submitting a proposal.
2. Award Budget Workbook Completed after funding is approved.
3. Annual Reporting Workbook Submitted each fiscal year to document expenditures.

1. Application Budget Workbook

This workbook contains three worksheets:

• Cover Sheet Project title, applicant name, contact information, and FFY2016.
• Personnel Salaries, wages, fringe benefits, and effort percentages for each staff member.
• NonPersonnel Supplies, equipment, travel, contracts, indirect costs, and other allowable expenses.

All cost categories follow the Uniform Guidance (2 CFR200) definitions. Applicants must provide an Effort % column to justify the portion of each staff members time allocated to the SNAPEd NEOP activities.

2. Award Budget Workbook

Once USDA issues a notice of award, the recipient completes this workbook to finalize the approved budget. It mirrors the structure of the application workbook but adds:

• Approved Amount column Reflects the USDAapproved dollar figures.
• Cost Sharing field Documents any nonfederal contributions.
• Notes section Allows explanations for variances from the original proposal.

3. Annual Reporting Workbook

The reporting workbook tracks actual expenditures and compares them to the award budget:

• Fiscal Year Typically FFY2016, 2017, and 2018 for a threeyear grant.
• Obligated Funds Amounts obligated each year.
• Spent Funds Actual outlays, broken down by the same categories used in the award workbook.
• Variance Autocalculated differences to highlight over or underspending.

USDA requires a narrative description for any significant variances (greater than 10%).

How to Complete the Templates

Below is a stepbystep guide to help applicants accurately fill out the FFY2016 budget templates.

Step 1 Gather Supporting Documentation

• Current staff salary schedules and benefit rates.
• Quotes for equipment, contracts, and major supplies.
• Travel policies and perdiem rates.
• Indirect cost rate agreement (if applicable).

Step 2 Enter Personnel Information

1. List each staff member in the Personnel worksheet.
2. Enter base salary, % effort, and calculate the Allocated Salary (Base Salary % Effort 100).
3. Apply the appropriate fringe benefit rate (e.g., 30%).
4. Use the provided formula cells to compute total personnel cost.

Step 3 Populate NonPersonnel Costs

1. Identify all anticipated expenses and assign them to the correct cost category.
2. Enter unit cost, quantity, and total cost. The workbook automatically multiplies the two.
3. For travel, include mileage, airfare, lodging, and perdiem. Reference the GSA perdiem rates for the relevant year.
4. If you have an indirect cost rate, input it in the designated cell; the workbook will apply it to the total direct costs.

Step 4 Review Totals and Ensure Compliance

• Check that the sum of personnel and nonpersonnel costs matches the total project budget.
• Verify that all entries are within USDAs allowable cost guidelines (see USDA2015 SNAPEd NEOP Grant Handbook).
• Confirm that the Effort % for each staff member does not exceed 100%.

Step 5 Save and Submit

Save each workbook with the naming convention ApplicantName_FFY2016_SNAPED_NEOP_Application.xlsx. Upload the files through the Grants.gov portal before the submission deadline.

Common Pitfalls & Tips

Resources

• USDA SNAPEd NEOP Program Overview
• FFY2016 SNAPEd NEOP Funding Opportunity Announcement
• CFDA 84.331 SNAPEd
• Uniform Guidance (2 CFR200)
• GSA PerDiem Rates

Conclusion

The FFY2016 budget templates for the USDA SNAPEd NEOP Grant Program are designed to simplify the financial planning and reporting process while ensuring compliance with federal regulations. By carefully gathering supporting data, following the stepbystep guidance, and doublechecking for common errors, applicants can submit a clear, accurate budget that speeds up award processing and sets the stage for successful program implementation.

For any questions not addressed in this page, applicants should contact the USDA SNAPEd Technical Assistance Center at snaped@usda.gov or call 18005551234.