I'm sorry if this has already been answered (I'm trying to dig through info!) But are summer educational camps or programs covered by PEP funds? Specifically looking at SeaWorld camps. Thanks!
I'm not entirely sure (this would probably be a Step Up question), but I do know that any purchases prior to July 1, 2023 (when PEP went into effect) will not be covered.
I have an update on this because I asked about it on a call with Step Up today! The qualifying time period for this year's funds is July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. If your summer program is purchased prior to June 30, and it meets all qualifications in the purchase guide, it should be covered under this year's funds. If it is after June 30, it would fall under next year's funds/qualifications (assuming you renew for PEP next year). However, the Step Up rep did state that the FTC FES-EO Purchasing Guide has stricter guidelines for some categories than, say, FES-UA... and that summer programs may or may not fall within the approved categories. To me, if you aren't certain whether your desired summer program qualifies, it sounds like this might be an ideal "pre-authorization" situation, where you would submit a pre-authorization request to be sure it will be covered. (Step Up has told us those pre-authorizations are only necessary if something falls outside the typical categories approved in the Purchase Guide, and that the pre-authorization process can take 1-2 months. They haven't yet set up the pre-authorization form inside the EMA portal, but they will be doing so sometime in September after funds release.)
Thank you for the update!!!! Great info!
I'm not entirely sure (this would probably be a Step Up question), but I do know that any purchases prior to July 1, 2023 (when PEP went into effect) will not be covered.