Flexibilities for Cooperative Agreement Recipients

​Due to the nationwide response to COVID-19, ASPR updated or waived several Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement reporting requirements to reduce burden and provide greater flexibility to recipients. This page includes a comprehensive list of both current and archived cooperative agreement flexibilities. Please use the links below to be routed to the appropriate section:

• Current Flexibilities for Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement
  • FY 2020/Budget Period 2
• Archived Flexibilities for HPP Cooperative Agreement
• FY 2020/BP2 Continuation Application Process and Extended Application Deadline
• FY 2019/Budget Period 1
• Archived Flexibilities for HPP Ebola Part A and B Cooperative Agreement
• Archived Flexibilities for NETEC, HPP Ebola Part B (RESPTCs), and HPP Cooperative Agreement COVID-19 Administrative Supplements
• Consolidated COVID-19 Supplemental Work Plan and Budget Narrative/Justification and Submission Extension
• Archived Flexibilities for Hospital Association COVID-19 Preparedness and Response
• Consolidated COVID-19 Application

Current Flexibilities for Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) Cooperative Agreement

FY 2020/Budget Period 2

The following table¹​ provides a brief snapshot of FY 2020/budget period 2 (BP2) changes (please refer to the P​DF ​​​version here). Additional flexibilities will be considered throughout the year, as needed. For more detailed information, see the HPP Cooperative Agreement FY 2020/Budget Period (BP) 2 Requirement Updates PDF. You may also refer to the HPP Cooperative Agreement BP2 Recipient Reporting Requirements PDF for a full list of requirements.

Archived Flexibilities for HPP Cooperative Agreement:

FY 2019/Budget Period 1

• The close date for Budget Period 1 Coalition Assessment Tool (CAT) reporting was extended from June 30, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
• The due date for Recipient End of Year (EOY) Reporting in PERFORMS was extended from September 30, 2020 to January 8, 2021.
• The Pediatric Surge Annex exercise requirement was waived for FY2019/Budget Period 1. HCCs must complete the Pediatric Surge Annex exercise by the end of the 5-year project period
• The FY 2019/Budget Period 1 cooperative agreement ended June 30, 2020. If HPP recipients needed to complete FY 2019/Budget Period 1 activities and had unobligated funds at the end of the performance period, they needed to submit a carryover request to their assigned HPP field project officer (FPO) and ASPR grants management specialist (GMS).
• Upon written request by a recipient, HPP funds were given the flexibility, on a limited, case-by-case basis, be used to support response efforts if the activities fall within those authorized by the HPP’s statutory authority, section 319C-2, the HPP FOA, and the terms and conditions of the HPP notice of award. The activities also must support progress toward achieving ASPR’s four health care preparedness and response capabilities. In addition, the activities must meet the preparedness goals of the statute authorizing HPP. ASPR reduced the normal 30-day request process to one to three business days for urgent requests. Please see the Use of ​HPP Funds for COVID-19 document for additional information.
• HPP recipients (and sub-recipients) could have delayed the completion of FY 2019/Budget Period 1 activities and the submission of performance reports 90 days beyond the normal due date. For example: The due date for the HCC surge estimator tool was extended from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020. The due date for the final pediatric surge annex is extended to January 8, 2021.
• The annual coalition surge test (CST) and annual hospital surge test (HST) were waived for the FY 2019/Budget Period 1. HCCs do not need to complete CST/HST information in the Coalition Assessment Tool (CAT); these related fields were disabled. Further, this information is not a requirement for end-of-year reporting.
• COVID-19 activities could have met the joint HPP and Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Program state-wide exercise requirement if during the activation, there was active participation by PHEP recipients, HPP recipients, health care coalition partners, and emergency management partners, as verified by the after action report (AAR). To receive credit, recipients needed to document active involvement by each partner.

FY 2020/BP2 Continuation Application Process and Extended Application Deadline

All HPP cooperative agreement recipients needed to submit the remaining components of the FY 2020/BP2 continuation application package no later than Monday, June 29, 2020 at 11:59 PM EDT. They included th

• SF 424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs
• SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities;
• Progress Update for FY 2019/Budget Period 1 (Recipient were asked to print the “Progress Update Report” from PERFORMS and include as an attachment for this component.)
• Project Narrative
• Detailed FY 2020/Budget Period 2 Work Plan (Recipient were asked to print the “Capability Work Plan Report” from PERFORMS and include as attachment for this component.)
• Budget Narrative (Recipient were asked to print the “Budget Justification Report” and “Budget Detail Report” from PERFORMS and include as attachments for this component.)
• Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
• MYTEP – joint HPP/PHEP plan
• EMSC support letter
• HCC Sub-recipient scope of work
• HPP Organizational Chart

Optional attachments:

• Bona Fide Agent Status Documentation, if applicable
• Recipient Level Direct Costs (RLDC) Waiver Request Letters of Support, if applicable
• Isolated Hospital Classification Request, if applicable
• Inventory Management Protocol, if applicable

Recipients needed to submit their application documents in a Grant Note via GrantSolutions.gov. They were asked to contact their assigned ASPR grants management specialist for assistance and questions regarding the submission of the FY 2020/BP2 non-competing continuation application in GrantSolutions. The FY 2020/BP2 start date was July 1, 2020.

All awards were subject to the general terms and conditions, budget conditions, and special programmatic terms and conditions following the review of the continuation applications.

Archived Flexibilities for HPP Ebola Part A and B Cooperative Agreement:

• Upon written request, HPP Ebola Part A and Part B funds could have, on a limited, case-by-case basis, been used to support response efforts if the activities fall within those authorized by Title VI of Division G of the Consolidated and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 and section 311 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended, the HPP Ebola Preparedness and Response Activities FOA, and the terms and conditions of the HPP notice of award. The activities needed to support progress toward (2) improving health care system preparedness for Ebola and (2) developing a regional hospital network for Ebola patient care. Please see the Use of HPP Ebola Preparedness and Response Activities Funds for COVID-19 for more information.
• COVID-19 activities could have met the annual Ebola Part A or Ebola Part B annual exercise requirements, as applicable. To receive credit, recipients were required to respond to the annual Ebola performance measures.
• HPP Ebola Part A and Ebola Part B recipients had the option to request a no-cost extension up to 12 months beyond the end of the project period; May 17, 2020 and June 14, 2020, respectively. Recipients could have submitted the no cost extension request to their assigned ASPR grants management specialist and HPP field project officer (FPO). Please see the No Cost E​xtension (NCE) Request Instructions document for more information.

To learn more, see our information about additional Ebola cooperative agreement funding.

Archived Flexibilities for NETEC, HPP Ebola Part B (RESPTCs), and HPP Cooperative Agreement COVID-19 Administrative Supplements:

Consolidated COVID-19 Supplemental Work Plan and Budget Narrative/Justification and Submission Extension

ASPR issued additional guidance regarding the submission of the work plan and budget narrative/justification for the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), HPP Ebola Part B, and HPP cooperative agreement COVID-19 administrative supplement awards. For each respective program, recipients were given the flexibility to submit a consolidated work plan and budget narrative/justification for the two COVID-19 administrative supplement awards instead of a separate work plan and budget narrative/justification for each COVID-19 administrative supplement award. Recipients needed to submit the consolidated work plan and budget narrative and justification in a Grant Note in GrantSolutions by Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Recipients could have used the Optional Work Plan Template.

If recipients formerly submitted the work plan and budget narrative/justification for the initial COVID-19 administrative supplement award, they were asked to submit the work plan and budget narrative and justification for the second administrative supplement award in a Grant Note in GrantSolutions by Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Note: HPP did not require that the second work plan and budget narrative and justification be inclusive of the first work plan and budget/narrative/justification; however, recipient were asked to clearly indicate if the second work plan and/or budget narrative/justification is a complete replacement.

Archived Flexibilities for Hospital Association COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Activities Cooperative Agreement:

Consolidated COVID-19 Application

Recipients were given the flexibility to submit a consolidated application for the two COVID-19 awards. Recipients needed to submit the application by Wednesday, July 15, 2020. Recipients were required to submit:

• Funding Distribution Plan: Recipients needed to submit a funding distribution plan for the second COVID-19 award (administrative supplement). If recipients made any changes to the initial funding distribution plan, they were required to submit a revised funding distribution plan for the initial COVID-19 award.
• Recipients were strongly encouraged to collaborate with regional hospital associations and metropolitan hospital councils to develop plans for funds distributions and to operationalize activities.
• Recipients were strongly encouraged to consider a statewide approach to develop plans for funds distribution and to operationalize activities.
• Funds could have supported member and non-member hospitals and other related health care entities, e.g., long-term care.
• Project Narrative: Please see NOFO [EP-U3R-20-001] regarding details for required sections.
• Background
• Capacity
• Approach and Work Plan
• Performance and Evaluation Strategy
• Additional Information: Please see NOFO [EP-U3R-20-001] regarding details for this section.
• Budget Narrative and Justification: Please see NOFO [EP-U3R-20-001] regarding details for this section.

The Approach and Work Plan and Budget Narrative and Justification could have been consolidated for the two COVID-19 awards instead of providing a separate Approach and Work Plan and Budget Narrative and Justification for each COVID-19 award.
If recipients had formerly submitted their application for the initial award, including the approach and work plan and budget narrative/justification, they were asked to submit the funding distribution plan, approach and work plan, and budget narrative/justification for the second award by Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Note: If you had formerly submitted your application for the initial award, HPP did not require that the second approach and work plan and budget narrative/justification be inclusive of the first work plan and budget narrative/justification; however, recipients were asked to clearly indicate if the second approach and work plan and/or budget narrative/justification is a complete replacement.

¹ Jurisdictions must contact their HPP Field Project Officer to request extensions.

² (BM): These are benchmarks that ASPR identified for Fiscal Year 2020/ Budget Period 2 that are also consistent with those outlined in the FY 2019-2023 HPP FOA as required by section 319C-2(i) of the PHS Act (which refers to section 319C-1(g)).

³ BM8 has been suspended until further notice. ​​​​​​​​​