The grantee shall expend/obligate all project funds by the termination date of the agreement. Grant funds cannot be used for any costs outside the scope of the project for which the grant was awarded. Reimbursement will not be made for any costs incurred outside the grant performance period, with the following limited exceptions:
§ 142.6. Eligible matching funds.
(4) The fair market value of land or buildings provided to the public library by the municipality up to 2 years previous to award of the grant. The market value shall be for the time at which the land or buildings were designated for the public library.
(5) Costs incurred by the municipality or the public library up to 2 years prior to filing of the initial application for the following:
(i) Services of a library building consultant, registered architect, engineering firm used in the development of plans for the project.
(ii) Acquisition of real estate as part of the project.
(iii) Physical site preparation.
Please consult the full program regulations for additional program details, including eligible matching funds.
Keystone Grants for Public Library Facilities award recipients must observe the following requirements.
Accounting
Grant funds must be fully dedicated to the grant project scope as described in the application.
This list, included in the application, also becomes part of an awarded Grant Agreement. Grantees agree to comply with all applicable requirements outlined in the Keystone State Assurances.
All project activities must occur within the contract period identified in the contract. Project costs and obligations incurred prior to or beyond the contract period will NOT be reimbursed.
Grantee agrees to ensure compliance with specified acts and executive orders as applicable to all project work. (See Bidding & Awarding Work tab.) These provisions are to be included in bid specification documentation, as well as all contracts and subcontracts for construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, improvement or maintenance of the public library building.
Maintenance of Records
Grantees are required to keep separate bookkeeping records for the grant project in order to establish an audit trail. In the case of state funds, PDE reserves the right to audit the provision of services and the expenditure of funds. The grantee will provide the auditor selected by PDE with full and complete access to all records related to, and all persons and employees involved in, the performance of the contract.
Local funds (match) and in-kind donations or services are subject to the same laws, rules, and regulations that govern federal and state funds.
Submit all required reports as outlined on or before posted due dates, in order to stay eligible for future grant opportunities.
Agree to retain records for five years after the contract ends, which adequately support that the grant funds were properly used. Please note that records may be required for longer periods of time in the event of an audit.
Maintain active throughout the award and reporting period. Track the entity information expiration date at SAM.gov.
After the contract ends, any funds received in excess of 50% of the total project cost shall be returned by check made payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and sent to the Administration and Data Unit at:
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Office of Commonwealth Libraries
Attn: Admin & Data
607 South Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17120
The check must accompany the final financial report.
Unexpended funds from Keystone awards are returned to the Keystone Fund for use in a future grant round.
Keystone projects must be bid to the same requirements and standards as a municipal project, regardless of who is supervising the project work.
The Keystone grantee is the municipality submitting the application. If a Keystone grant is awarded, all project work must adhere to the same requirements of a municipal project.
Bid Specs
Bid specification documents for the project work must be submitted to the Office of Commonwealth Libraries for approval before bidding and awarding the project. This is generally 90 days after the contract start date. Grantees will be notified of the due date for bid specifications when they receive their fully-executed grant agreement.
What must the bid specification documents contain?
Bid specification documents should be the same documents which will be provided to bidders who are interested in the project. These documents will cover the scope of project work to be completed, include specific equipment or materials required, and contain all legal or other requirements with which a successful bidder agrees to comply when completing project work.
In addition, bid specifications for Keystone projects must contain the following provisions to ensure compliance with:
in all contracts and subcontracts for construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, improvement or maintenance of the public library building.
Grant agreements also include PDE Master Standard Terms and Conditions and Construction Clauses (if applicable).
Project Sign
During the project period, the grantee shall display a sign at the project site identifying the project and stating:
This project is supported in part through a grant from the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Pennsylvania Department of Education, with funds provided from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
There are no required dimensions or materials for this sign. It is only required that it be visibly posted at the site during project work.
News Releases
All news releases about the project shall contain a similar phrase acknowledging the assistance of the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund as source of the funds.