Shared Services Grants

Applicants for Shared Services grants must address all of the following:

• Prove there is need for the project. If a needs assessment is essential for proving the viability of a project, it is the responsibility of the governments involved to ensure a needs assessment is submitted with the application
• Demonstrate the clear financial and administrative advantages of working together by including a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrates the cost savings of implementing the proposed project
• Demonstrate the mutual benefits of the project to all participants
• Provide information on the type, size, and function of the governments and government departments involved, detailed information about the records that will be the focus of the project, and the basis of all costs
• Include a signed Shared Services Agreement Form for each participating institution of your project. Scan the signed form(s) and upload the form(s) to your application as an attachment. Please use "SS Agreement" as the description for your attachment.
• Demonstrate the full participation and support of all participants. Note that this participation and support cannot be fulfilled merely by submitting the required Shared Services agreement forms, which only address the willingness of a local government to participate in a Shared Services grant project. Each Shared Services application must include information about how the participants will continue to work together into the future.

Demonstrate the proposed project will result in ongoing, positive programmatic change involving an alliance of two or more local governments. Also, demonstrate that all participating local governments are committed to supporting and expanding project results, through dedicated funds and staff, for the long term. 

All of the following administrative requirements must also be met by Shared Services applicants:

• One of the local government participants must be designated to serve as the lead applicant and fiscal agent for the grant. The lead applicant and participating local government partners must be eligible grant recipients, as defined by the program statute or regulation.
• The lead applicant must be responsible for the greatest percentage of the budget relative to the other collaborating members.
• In the event a grant is awarded for a Shared Services project, the award will be prepared in the name of the lead applicant only.

The lead applicant must meet the following requirements:

• Must be an eligible grant recipient as defined by statute.
• Must receive and administer the grant funds and submit the required reports to account for the use of grant funds.
• Must require local government partners to provide a letter of intent. Each letter must explain what the government will do in the course of the project; how funds, personnel, facilities, and tasks will be shared; and what benefits will be gained. Each letter must be signed by the chief administrative officer of the participating government.
• Must be an active member of the partnership.
• Cannot act as a flow-through for grant funds to pass to other recipients. 
• Is prohibited from sub-granting funds to other recipients, but the lead applicant is permitted to contract for services with other partners or consultants to provide services that the lead applicant cannot provide itself.
• Must be responsible for the performance of any services provided by the partners, consultants, or other organizations and must coordinate how each will participate. 

If applicants for Shared Services grants do not meet all of these administrative and other requirements as indicated above, their proposals will be ineligible for funding.