H-1B Technical Skills Training Grants SGA

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications
for Serving Juvenile Offenders in High-Poverty, High-Crime
Communities
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 10-09
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.261
KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is [insert date 45 days after date of publication in Federal
Register]. Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA
PY 10-04, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC
20210. For complete application and submission information, including
online application instructions, please refer to section IV.

Summary:
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training
Administration (ETA), announces the availability of approximately
$17 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Investment Act
for two grants to serve juvenile offenders, ages 16 to 24, in high-poverty,

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high-crime communities. The purpose of these grants is to improve the longterm labor market prospects of these youth. These grants will be awarded
through a competitive process open to organizations with the capacity to
implement multi-site, multi-state projects. The Department expects to award
two grants of $8.5 million each to cover a planning period and up to 26
months of operation.

Grantees will be required to competitively select local sub-grantees to operate
the program in a minimum of five high-poverty, high-crime communities in at
least two states. This solicitation provides background information and
describes the application submission requirements, outlines the process that
eligible entities must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and
outlines the evaluation criteria used as a basis for selecting the grantees.

I. Funding Opportunity Description
Each year, juvenile courts in the United States handle roughly 1.6 million
delinquency cases and an estimated 144,000 youth are placed in juvenile
correctional facilities. Youth placed in juvenile correctional facilities face
severe educational and labor market barriers. A 2001 report stated that “A
conservative, preliminary estimate of the prevalence of youth with learning
and emotional disabilities in juvenile corrections is 32 percent, which is
notably higher than the prevalence of disability among school-age children in

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the United States, which is about nine percent.”1 A 1997 report from the
National Center on Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice noted that the
percentage of youth in juvenile correctional facilities who were identified as
being in special education programs before their incarceration is at least three
to five times higher than the percentage of the general public school
population identified as learning disabled.2 A study of Philadelphia public
schools found that only 10 percent of students in the class of 2000 who had
been placed in a juvenile correctional facility eventually graduated from the
Philadelphia School District.3

Youth placed in juvenile correctional facilities also are characterized by
family disruptions, mental health disorders, and substance abuse problems.
Based on the 2003 Survey of Youth in Residential Placement, only 19 percent
of committed youth were living with two parents when they entered custody,
while 56 percent lived with one parent, and 26 percent were not living with
any parent.4 Mental illness is also especially high among youth offenders. A
2006 study conducted by the National Center for Mental Health and Juvenile

1

Mary Quinn, Robert Rutherford, Jr., and Peter Leone, “Students with Disabilities in
Correctional Facilities,” December 2001, Journal for Exceptional Children Web site.
2

Peter Leone and Sheri Meisel, “Improving Education Services for Students in Detention and
Confinement Facilities,” 1997, available on the National Center on Education, Disability, and
Juvenile Justice Website.

3

Ruth Curran Neild and Robert Balfanz, “Unfulfilled Promise: The Dimensions and
Characteristics of Philadelphia’s Dropout Crisis, 2000-2005,” Philadelphia Youth Transitions
Collaborative, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, undated.
4

Howard Snyder and Melissa Sickmund, “Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 2006 National
Report,” National Center for Juvenile Justice, published by the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice, March 2006.

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Justice estimated that 70 percent of youth in juvenile correctional facilities,
detention centers, and community-based care have a diagnosable mental
health disorder, including 80 percent of girls and 67 percent of boys in these
facilities; that 27 percent of youth in these facilities have a mental disorder
severe enough to require significant and immediate treatment; and that 60
percent of juveniles in residential confinement with a mental health disorder
also suffer from co-occurring substance abuse disorders.5

Youth in the juvenile justice system have a high probability of returning to
crime. As an example, the Commonwealth of Virginia reports that 75 percent
of youth released from state correctional facilities and 61 percent of youth
placed on probation in the Commonwealth are arrested for a new crime within
three years.6

To help address these problems, DOL will award grants under this
announcement to serve juvenile offenders, ages 16 to 24, who currently reside
in, or resided in before confinement, high-poverty, high-crime communities.
DOL believes these grants will improve the long-term labor market prospects
of these youth. DOL will award these grants through a competitive process
open to organizations with the capacity to implement multi-site, multi-state
5

Jennie Shufelt and Joseph Cocozza, “Youth with Mental Health Disorders in the Juvenile
Justice System: Results from a Multi-State Prevalence Study,” National Center for Mental
Health and Juvenile Justice, June 2006.

6

See the State of Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice’s Data Resource Guide for FY
2009. For links to juvenile justice systems in other states see the State Juvenile Justice
Profiles web site at http://70.89.227.250:8080/stateprofiles/, but data on recidivism is not
typically available through these links.

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projects. DOL expects to award two grants of $8.5 million each to cover a
planning period and up to 26 months of operation.

These grants will include a combination of workforce development, education
and training, case management, mentoring, restorative justice, and
community-wide violence reduction components. While the overarching
principle that DOL wants grantees to follow is to provide services that best
meet the needs of each individual youth, DOL expects that for the most part
services for youth ages 17 and under will focus on helping youth succeed in
high school, internships, and summer jobs, and that services for youth ages 18
and above will focus on helping these youth receive high school diplomas or
GEDs, obtain jobs, and enter apprenticeships, post-secondary education, or
vocational training.

The Department will set both in-program and post-program performance goals
for these grants. In-program performance goals will be set for placement rate
of younger youth (who, for the purposes of this project, are youth ages 17 and
below) in internships and summer jobs; the reading and math gains of both
younger and older youth (who, for purposes of this project, are youth ages 18
to 24); and the placement of both younger and older youth in restorative
justice projects and mentoring programs. Post-program performance goals
will be set relating to the placement rate of out-of-school youth, ages 18 to 24,
in employment, apprenticeships, post-secondary education, the military, or

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occupational skills training leading to industry-recognized credentials; the
rate at which both younger and older youth obtain high school diplomas or
GEDs; the retention rate of younger youth in high school and of older youth in
employment and education placements; the recidivism rate of both younger
and older youth; and the rate at which older youth obtain industry-recognized
credentials.

A. Selection of Sub-Grantees
Grantees must competitively select local sub-grantees to operate the program
in a minimum of five high-poverty, high-crime communities in at least two
states. A grantee must hold this competition after it is awarded a grant.
Grantees should not hold competitions or select local sub-grantees and sites
before submitting their proposals. The Department will not award any
additional points to applicants that identify local sub-grantees and sites in their
proposals.

Grantees must follow their own procurement requirements in conducting this
competition and meet the Federal standards at 29 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Parts 95 and 97. These Federal standards require that grantees conduct
procurement transactions in a manner that provides open and free competition
to the maximum extent possible. The manner of selection of sub-grantees for
this project will depend, to some extent, on whether or not the grantee has
local offices, affiliates or members. Grantees with no local offices, affiliates,

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or members or less than 20 local offices affiliates, or members must conduct
an open and free competition to select sub-grantees and sites. Grantees with
20 or more local offices, affiliates, or member organizations have the option
of having a free and open competition among all of their affiliates. DOL
recognizes that whatever inefficiencies there may be from limiting the
competition in this way may be outweighed by the efficiencies that come with
the greater familiarity the organizations has with its affiliates. Within 30 days
of award, grantees must provide a plan for DOL approval for conducting this
competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services,
DOL/ETA award does not provide the justification or basis for a sole source
procurement to that entity, i.e., this award does not justify avoiding
competition, unless the activity is regarded as the primary work of an official
partner to the application.

B. Communities to Be Served
Grants funded under this SGA must focus on serving juvenile offenders
currently residing in, or who resided in before confinement, high-poverty,
high-crime communities. In their solicitations to select sub-grantees, grantees
must require that sub-grantee applicants identify a community to be served
that has a poverty rate of at least 30 percent for urban areas and 25 percent for
rural areas. For the purpose of this SGA, a rural area is defined as a nonmetropolitan area. The U.S. Bureau of Census now has American Community
Survey data available at the Census Tract level. Grantees must require sub-

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grantee applicants to use American Community Survey data to show in their
proposals the cumulative poverty rate of the various Census Tracts (for urban
areas) or counties or county sub-divisions (for rural areas) included in their
target community. Individual Census Tracts within proposed urban target
communities may have poverty rates of less than 30 percent, but the
cumulative poverty rate for the community to be served must be at least 30
percent. Similarly, individual counties or county sub-divisions within
proposed rural target communities may have poverty rates of less than 25
percent, but the cumulative poverty rate for the community to be served must
be at least 25 percent. Census Tracts, counties, and county sub-divisions that
make up the community to be served must be contiguous, and grantees must
require in their solicitations that sub-grantee applicants provide an
accurate map showing a contiguous target community.

In their solicitations to select sub-grantees, grantees also must require that
sub-grantee applicants demonstrate that their community is a high-crime area
by showing that the felony crime rate in the police precinct that most closely
overlaps with the community to be served is higher than the overall felony
crime rate of the city (for urban areas) or of non-metropolitan counties in the
state (for rural areas). Additionally, as part of their solicitation and in order to
demonstrate local need and determine if the target population is large enough
to make such awards within the stated locality, grantees must require subgrantee applicants to provide data from the local juvenile justice agency on the

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number of youth from the community who in the past year returned from
juvenile correctional facilities, were placed on probation, were placed in
alternative sentences, and the number of youth who are expected to return to
the target community over the next two years. The Department imposes no
requirements on the size of the population of the community to be
served. Grantees must require that at least 90 percent of the sub-grantees’
participants must currently reside in (or resided in before confinement) the
community to be served by the sub-grantee, with the remaining participants
currently residing in (or resided in before confinement) a geographic area
close to the target community.

C. Required Project Components
Each local project funded under these grants must include each of the project
components described below. In their solicitations to select sub-grantees,
grantees must require that sub-grantees include each of these components in
their projects. Each individual enrolled in these projects does not necessarily
have to participate in each of these project components. The Department
expects that services under many of these components will start for youth in
out-of-home placements while these youth are still in confinement, and the
rating criteria for these project components reflect, in part, the extent to which
applicants will require that services start while youth are still in confinement.

After the sub-grantees are selected, the grantee must report back to the Grant
Officer on who the sub-grantees are, the communities that will be served, how

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the communities meet the poverty rate and crime rate requirements of the
SGA, the numbers of participants of each type the sub-grantees propose to
serve, the key components that will be provided, and any changes to the plan
as set out in the application. The Grant Officer has the right to negotiate about
any design elements of the grant that are changed after award and has the right
to terminate the grant if negotiations fail.

Female juvenile offenders often face more serious barriers than male juvenile
offenders, and grantees must also require that sub-grantees serve female
juvenile offenders equitably in their programs.

1. Workforce Development
Supporting the development of career goals and an understanding of career
pathway options is an important part of the workforce development program
component. Exposure to career pathway options and the establishment of
career goals should begin for those youth in confinement while youth are still
in confinement. In addition, the workforce development component should
feature year-round and summer internships, and summer jobs for juvenile
offenders ages, 17 and under, and work experience and placement into
apprenticeships and employment for juvenile offenders ages 18 to 24. The
internships should provide enrollees a chance to work, either individually or in
groups, on projects in which they interact with professionals and learn about
new career fields. The workforce development component may also include

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providing paid or unpaid work experience or on-the-job training as part of a
transitional jobs program that eventually leads to placement in private sector
employment for participants, ages 18 to 24.

2. Education and Training
The education and training component must place high priority on helping
both younger and older youth obtain their high school diploma, focusing on
interventions to help youth ages 17 and under succeed in high school and to
help out-of-school youth ages 18 and above enroll and succeed in alternative
schools, evening continuation schools, or GED programs. This component
must also include efforts to improve the reading and math skills of
participants, to encourage younger youth to apply to college, and to assist
older youth enter apprenticeships, vocational training leading to industryrecognized credentials, or community or four-year colleges. Interventions
must include reading and math remediation, credit retrieval, helping youth
compile the credits that they have earned at various high schools and
correctional facilities, tutoring, GED instruction, assisting youth in filling out
college application and financial aid forms, and pre-apprenticeship training.
The education and training activities for youth in juvenile correctional
facilities must begin while these youth are still in confinement. These
interventions must include linking academics to career pathways and career
goals. Implementing this component will require partnerships with the local

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public school system, apprenticeship programs, job training programs, and
community and four-year colleges.

3. Case Management
This component will provide a team of full-time advocates to serve program
participants. The Department anticipates these case managers or advocates
will assist community supervision officers in serving returning young
offenders and in linking these offenders to supportive services, transportation,
housing, mental health services, and other social services. Case managers
should also coordinate with child care agencies to ensure that juvenile
offenders with children have access to child care. Case managers should also
ensure that participants receive training in financial literacy; counseling
regarding criminal records, civil rights, and applying for jobs; and assistance
in applying for Federal benefits such as Pell Grants and Food Stamps. The
Department expects that case management will start at some point before
release for youth in correctional facilities to allow these youth to become
familiar with their case managers before release. The Department also
expects that case managers will provide follow-up services to participants
within the period of performance of the grant.

4. Mentoring

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This component will provide adult mentors for program participants. Mentors
can be provided by many types of organizations, such as faith-and
community-based organizations, business firms, local television and radio
stations, local newspapers, and college fraternities, and may include one-onone mentoring, group mentoring, and service-based mentoring. The
Department encourages the use of one-on-one mentoring and mentoring in
small groups. The Department expects that mentoring will start at some point
before release for youth in correctional facilities to allow these youth to
become familiar with their mentors before release. Mentors will assist youth
with transitioning into the community, and may address issues such as family
support and unification, and assistance with understanding how to secure
supportive services.

5. Restorative Justice Projects
Grantees must require that sub-grantees implement community service
projects that allow returning offenders to give something positive back to their
neighborhood to make up for their criminal offenses. Examples of possible
collaborating agencies for these restorative justice projects include local
conservation and service corps programs, AmeriCorps programs, volunteer
organizations, local businesses, local government agencies, and state and local
parks. Note that no entity may use these grant funds to pay for building
materials.

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6. Community-Wide Efforts to Reduce Crime and Violence
Grantees must require that sub-grantees involve faith-based and community
organizations, state and local government agencies, and social service
organizations in the neighborhoods being served in a communitywide effort to prevent crime and violence as was done in Boston’s 10 Point
Coalition (http://www.bostontenpoint.org/index.html). Such efforts require
multiple organizations and agencies to join together to pressure youth gangs to
reduce violence, to negotiate truces between rival gangs, and to offer guidance
and assistance to youth refraining from violence.

D. Required Partnerships
In their solicitations to select sub-grantees, grantees must require sub-grantees
to, at a minimum, partner with the following organizations and provide
documentation of support and commitments that support these activities:
•

Juvenile correctional facilities to receive referrals of eligible youth
pre-release who plan to return to the community being served; to allow
workforce development, educational, case management, and
mentoring services at the correctional facility; and to coordinate postrelease transitional services for program participants.

•

The local juvenile justice system to receive referrals of eligible youth
who are in locally operated detention facilities, on probation, in
alternative sentence programs, were diverted before adjudication as an
alternative to juvenile prosecution, or have been involved in the

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juvenile justice system within the past 12 months; to coordinate
services for program participants with juvenile community supervision
officers; and to allow workforce development, educational, case
management, and mentoring services at the detention facility.
•

The local public school system in order to take steps to improve the
transition of youth returning to school after release from juvenile
correctional facilities and to improve services to youth placed on
probation by the juvenile justice system.

•

The local foster care system to ensure coordination in serving juvenile
offenders who are in foster care.

•

Local drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers to provide assistance to
program participants in need of such services.

•

The local workforce investment board and local employers to
coordinate the provision of employment services.

E. Allowable Uses of Grant Funds
Allowable uses of grant funds for projects funded under these grants include,
but are not limited to, the following activities:
1) Workforce and education activities, such as:
•

Job placement services

•

Vocational skills training and wages in an on-the-job training
framework.

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•

Paid and unpaid work experiences, including transitional jobs and
community service activities

•

Payment of stipends to participants based on their performance in
the program

•

Payment of employment and retention bonuses

•

Basic skills instruction and remedial education

•

Language instruction educational programs for individuals with
limited English proficiency

•

Tutoring, credit retrieval programs, dropout prevention activities,
GED instruction, and career awareness classes

•

Counseling and assistance in compiling high school credits,
applying for post-secondary education, and applying for financial
aid

•

Alternative secondary school services.

2) Case management and supportive services, including referrals for
mental health, substance abuse, and housing services.
3) Mentoring.
4) Participant personal development activities that seek to develop nontechnical skills, abilities, and traits that participants need to function in a
specific employment environment that support one or more workplace
competencies including problem-solving and other cognitive skills, oral
communication skills, personal qualities, work ethic, and interpersonal and

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teamwork skills. Examples include leadership training, financial literacy
training, and job readiness training.
5) Follow-up services within the period of performance of the grant that
focus efforts on job retention for older youth and school retention for
younger youth, including regular contact with participant employers and
schools; assistance in addressing work-related or school-related problems
that arise; assistance in securing better paying jobs, career development,
and further education; peer support groups, adult mentoring; and tracking
of progress made by participants in employment after training. Follow-up
services for older youth should begin when they have a long-term
placement, and grantees can determine the appropriate point to begin
follow-up services for younger youth.

II. Award Information
A. Award Amount
ETA has approximately $17 million available under this competition and
expects to fund approximately two grants of approximately $8.5 million each.
B. Period of Performance
DOL will fund these grants for a 32-month period of performance that
includes up to six months of planning, and up to 26 months of operation. In
the Budget Narrative, discussed in section IV.B.I, applicants must provide
separate budgets for planning and operations. Regardless of the length of the
planning period, applicants must budget for a maximum of 26 months of

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operation. Grantees must be judicious in their use of funds during the
planning period and careful to use them specifically for planning and preimplementation activities associated with this grant.

III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit Section 501(c)(3) organizations with the
capacity to implement multi-site, multi-state projects.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for application.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
1. Each applicant may submit only one proposal under this
announcement.
2. Transparency
•

The Department is committed to conducting a transparent grant award
process and publicizing information about program outcomes.
Applicants are advised their application and information related to its
review and evaluation (whether or not the application is successful)
may be publicly available, either fully or partially. In addition,
information about grant progress and results may also be made
publicly available.

D. Eligible Participants
1. Participants Eligible to Receive Services

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An individual may participate in a project funded under these grants if they:
•

Are at least age 16 years of age and no older than 24 years of age on
the date of enrollment

•

Are currently involved or have been involved with the juvenile justice
system within 12 months before enrollment, which includes those:
o under the supervision of the juvenile justice system, either in
out-of-home placements or on probation or parole
o placed in an alternative sentence by the juvenile justice system
o placed in a diversion program as an alternative to juvenile
prosecution by the juvenile justice system

•

Currently reside in (or resided in before confinement in a correctional
facility) the community to be served identified by the sub-grantee

Exceptions: Up to 10 percent of participants may be out-of-school youth, ages
21 and under, who have not been involved in the juvenile justice system
within the prior 12 months of enrollment, and up to 10 percent of participants
may be juvenile offenders who currently reside in (or resided in before
confinement in a correctional facility) a geographic area outside of, but close
to, the target community.

2. Veterans Priority for Participants
The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) requires grantees to
provide priority of service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the
receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training

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program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations
implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR part 1010. In
circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified
candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the
veterans priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the
veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that
service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the
program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL
guidance on veterans priority. ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance
Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on
implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all
qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL
No. 10-09 is available at
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. How to Obtain an Application Package
This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed to
apply for grant funding.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
Proposals submitted in response to this SGA must consist of three
separate and distinct parts: (I) a cost proposal; (II) a technical proposal; and
(III) attachments to the technical proposal. Applications that do not contain
all of the three parts or that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section will

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be considered non-responsive and will not be considered. It is the applicant’s
responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across
all parts and sub-parts of the application.
Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the
following items:
• SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at
http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). The
SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an
individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation
of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant shall
be considered the authorized representative of the applicant. All applicants
for Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Data
Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S®) number, and must supply their DU-N-S® Number on the SF-424. The D-U-N-S® Number is a nine-digit
identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not
have a D-U-N-S® Number, you can get one for free through the D&B
website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.
• The SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at
http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). In
preparing the Budget Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise
narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.
• Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of
costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a

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description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant
activities.
• Note that the entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one
year) must be included on the SF-424 and SF-424A and budget narrative. No
leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. The
amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A and budget narrative must be the same.
Please note, the funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered
the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found.
Applications that fail to provide an SF-424 including D-U-N-S® Number, SF424A, and a budget narrative will be considered non-responsive and not
reviewed.
• Regardless of the method of application submission, all applicants
must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR) before
submitting an application. Step-by-step instructions for registering with CCR
can be found at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. An awardee
must maintain an active CCR registration with current information at all times
during which it has an active Federal award or an application under
consideration. To remain registered in the CCR database after the initial
registration, the applicant is required to review and update on an annual basis
from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates its information in
the CCR database to ensure it is current, accurate and complete. For purposes
of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria
and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award. Failure to

22

register with the CCR before application submission will result in your
application being found non-responsive and not being reviewed.
Part II. The Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal must demonstrate
the applicant’s capability to implement the grant project in accordance with
the provisions of this Solicitation. The guidelines for the content of the
Technical Proposal are provided in section V of this SGA. The Technical
Proposal is limited to 22 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with
12 point text font and 1 inch margins. Any materials beyond the specified
page limit will not be read. Applicants should number the Technical Proposal
beginning with page number 1. The first two pages of the technical proposal
must be an abstract which discusses the following: 1) the number of local
sites to be operated under the grant, 2) the anticipated number of youthful
offenders served, 3) the anticipated workforce development and educational
interventions the project will provide, and 4) the anticipated local partnerships
that the project will develop. Applications that do not include Part II, the
Technical Proposal, will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. Attachments to the
technical proposal will not be considered. Additional materials such as
resumes or general letters of support or commitment will not be considered.
Applicants should not send documents separately to ETA, because documents
received separately will be tracked through a different system and will not be
attached to the application for review. ETA will not accept general letters of
support submitted by organizations or individuals that are not partners in the

23

proposed project and that do not directly identify the specific commitment or
roles of the project partners. Support letters of this nature will not be
considered in the evaluation review process.

C. Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses
The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is
[insert date 45 days after date of publication in Federal Register].
Applications may be submitted electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in
hard-copy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hardcopy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4 p.m.
Eastern Time. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully
submitted (as described below) no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.
Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be
accepted.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard-copy must submit an original
signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version
free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the
proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also
required to provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact
disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy
are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official
applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical
applications in hardcopy and CD format may have an impact on the overall
evaluation.

24

If an application is physically submitted by both hard-copy and
through http://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard-copy
application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the
hard-copy, we will review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov.
Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will be
considered non-responsive. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery
requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further, documents
submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, will
not be accepted as part of the application.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA
PY 10-09, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC
20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may
be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered
proposals will be received at the above address. All overnight mail will be
considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place
by the specified closing date and time.
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully
submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the
closing date and then subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission
and validation process is described in more detail below. The process can be
complicated and time-consuming. Applicants are strongly advised to initiate

25

the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical
problems if necessary.
The Department strongly recommends that before the applicant begins to
write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and complete the
“Get Registered” registration steps at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should read
through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may
take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into
plans for electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could
result in the rejection of an application. The site also contains registration
checklists to help you walk through the process. The Department strongly
recommends that applicants download the “Organization Registration
Checklist” at
http://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf
and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration
process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the
registration process will alleviate last minute searches for required
information and save time.
As described above, applicants must have a D–U–N–S® Number and
must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR).
The next step in the registration process is creating a username and
password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational
Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the D-U-N-S® Number of

26

the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete
this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on
Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp.
After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact (EBiz POC) - a representative from your organization who is the contact listed
for CCR – will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit
applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will then log in
to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her
permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization
visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp, or to track AOR status
visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp.
An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission
as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation
with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When you
submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your AOR on file will
be inserted into the signature line of the application. Applicants must register
the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the
applicant organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial
for valid submissions.
When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov,
an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application
is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within two business days of
application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email

27

messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the
system. The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking
number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second
email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or
has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been successfully
submitted by the deadline and subsequently successfully validated will be
considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely
submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully
validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time
before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has
not been successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be allotted
for submission (two business days) and, if applicable, additional time to
address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two
business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if
sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due
date and time, the application will not be considered.
To ensure consideration, the components of the application
must be saved as .DOC (document), . RTF (rich text), . XLS (Excel) or
.PDF (portable document) format (ETA must be able to easily copy and
paste information from applications into other file formats). If
submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that
compatibility or other issues will prevent us from considering the
application. ETA will attempt to open the document but will not take

28

any additional measures in the event of problems with opening. In
such cases, the non-conforming application will not be considered for
funding.
We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents,
including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.
ETA encourages new prospective applicants to view the online
tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive
Grants,” available through Workforce3One at:
http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit .
To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users
and other time sensitive updates as information is available, applicants may
subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription_signup.jsp.
If applicants encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an
answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 to speak to a
Customer Support Representative or email “[email protected]”. The
Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is closed on
federal holidays.
Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only
applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated will be

29

considered. Applicants take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to
submit by Grants.gov.
Any hard-copy application received after the exact date and time
specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice will not be
considered, unless it is received before awards are made, it was properly
addressed, and it was: (a) sent by U.S. Postal Service mail, postmarked not
later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of
applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the
month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) sent by
professional overnight delivery service to the addressee not later than one
working day before the date specified for receipt of applications.
‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression
(exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable,
without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of
mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, applicants
should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ‘‘bull’s
eye’’ postmark on both the receipt and the package. Failure to adhere to these
instructions will be a basis for a determination that the application was not
filed timely and will not be considered. Evidence of timely submission by a
professional overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally
reliable evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time
and place of receipt.
D. Intergovernmental Review

30

This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
“Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
E. Funding Restrictions
All proposal costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance
with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in
accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are
those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative
determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal cost
principles or other conditions contained in the grant.
Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to
reimbursement of pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs
As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that
have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily
identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate (ICR) is
required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other
activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. Organizations must use the ICR
supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If an organization requires a new
ICR or has a pending ICR, the Grant Officer will award a temporary billing
rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be issued. This rate is based on
the fact that an organization has not established an ICR agreement. Within
this 90 day period, the organization must submit an acceptable indirect cost
proposal to their Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional ICR

31

2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or
program may not use more than 10 percent of the amount of the grant to pay
administrative costs associated with the program or project. Administrative
costs could be direct or indirect costs, and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220.
Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program
costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form. However, they must be
tracked through the grantee’s accounting system. To claim any administrative
costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost
Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant agency, as specified above.
3. Salary and Bonus Limitations
Under Public Law 109-234, none of the funds appropriated in Public Law
109-149 or prior Acts under the heading “Employment and Training
Administration” that are available for expenditure on or after June 15, 2006,
may be used by a recipient or sub-recipient of such funds to pay the salary and
bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in
excess of Executive Level II, except as provided for in section 101 of Public
Law 109-149. Public Laws 111-8 and 111-117 contain the same limitation on
funds appropriated under each of these Laws. This limitation applies to
grants funded under this SGA. The salary and bonus limitation does not apply
to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133
(codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Training and Employment
Guidance Letter number 5-06 for further clarification:

32

http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
4. Intellectual Property Rights
The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable
license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use
for Federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the
grant, including a subgrant or contract under the grant or subgrant; and ii) any
rights of copyright to which the grantee, subgrantee or a contractor purchases
ownership under an award (including but not limited to curricula, training
models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses
include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products
worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. The grantee may not
use federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted
work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the
Department has a license or rights of free use in such work. If revenues are
generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including
intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income is
added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.

If applicable, the following needs to be on all products developed in whole or
in part with grant funds:
“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The
product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official

33

position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor
makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, expressed or
implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked
sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its
completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or
ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.
Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for noncommercial purposes are permissible. All other uses require the prior
authorization of the copyright owner.”

F. Other Submission Requirements
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by
written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be used for each
category to evaluate grant proposals. The evaluation criteria are described
below:
Criterion

Points

1.

Project Design

40

2.

Plan for Conducting Competition and for

20

Providing Oversight, Monitoring, and Technical
Assistance to Sub-Grantees

34

3.

Organizational Experience in Conducting

20

Multi-Site Projects and Experience Serving
Juvenile Offenders
4.

Organizational Administrative and Fiscal

20

Capacity
TOTAL

100

In developing the application, applicants should review the project
specifications in section I of this SGA.

1. PROJECT DESIGN (40 points)
Discuss how you will implement each of the required project components
in Part I of the grant announcement:
Workforce Development (8 points):
•

Indicate the total number of youth the project that you will require subgrantees to serve at each site each year, and the number of youth that
you will require sub-grantees to provide workforce development
services each year.

•

Indicate the number of youth in out-of-home placements, including
detention, that that you will require sub-grantees to serve at each site,
and the number of these youth that you will require sub-grantees to
provide workforce development services.

35

•

Provide a general discussion of the workforce development
interventions that you will require sub-grantees to implement,
including a discussion of how you will ensure that these interventions
are culturally sensitive to the varying ethnic, racial, and cultures of the
youth that sub-grantees will serve.

•

Describe the career development efforts, including exposure to career
pathway information and establishing individual career goals,that you
will require sub-grantees to implement.

•

Describe the career development activities that you will require subgrantees to implement for youth still in correctional facilities.

•

Discuss the strategies that sub-grantees that you will require subgrantees to use to place participants, ages 17 and below, in internships
and summer jobs and participants, ages 18 to 24, in apprenticeships
and jobs.

•

Provide examples of the types of internships and summer jobs that you
will require sub-grantees to place younger participants and the types of
jobs and apprenticeships that you will require sub-grantees to place
older participants.

•

Indicate whether you will require sub-grantees to have a transitional
jobs program for older youth, and if so describe the program.

•

Indicate the number of participants that you will require sub-grantees
to serve at each site through each of these workforce development
activities, and indicate the number of participants that you will require

36

sub-grantees to serve within detention or correctional facilities at each
site through each of these activities.

DOL will award points for the workforce development component based on
the comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to
the following:
•

The extent to which the applicant has a cohesive set of workforce
development interventions to address the varying ages of participants.

•

The extent of career development activities started for youth still in
correctional or detention facilities, including both the number to be
served and the level of interventions to be provided.

•

The level of detail provided about the array of interventions subgrantees will provide.

•

The likelihood that the internships and summer jobs described in the
proposal for younger youth and the jobs and apprenticeships described
in the proposal for older youth will teach skills and increase the
workforce attachment of participants.

Education and Training (8 points):
•

Describe the education and training component that you will require
sub-grantees to implement to assist juvenile offenders, ages 17 and
under, improve their reading and math skills; and obtain a high school
diploma, GED, or alternative education certificate.

37

•

Describe the education and training component that you will require
sub-grantees to implement to help juvenile offenders, ages 18 to 24,
enter pre-apprenticeship training, vocational training leading to
industry-recognized credentials, or community or four-year colleges.

•

Describe the educational and training activities that you will require
sub-grantees to provide to youth still in detention or correctional
facilities and how it will be linked to the workforce component.

•

Indicate the number of participants that you will require sub-grantees
to serve at each site through each of the training and educational
strategies, and indicate the number of participants in detention or
correctional facilities that you will require sub-grantees to serve at
each site through each of these activities.

DOL will award points for the educational component based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
•

The extent to which the applicant has a cohesive set of educational
interventions to address the varying academic levels of participants.

•

The extent of educational interventions that sub-grantees will provide
to youth offenders still in correctional or detention facilities, including
both the number to be served and the level of interventions to be
provided:.

•

The level of detail provided about the array of educational
interventions that sub-grantees will provide.

38

•

The likelihood that these interventions will lead to the attainment of a
high school diploma or GED, and placement in pre-apprenticeship
training, vocational training leading to industry-recognized credentials,
or community or four-year colleges.

Case Management (6 points):
•

Discuss how you will carry out this component, including the number
of case managers you will require sub-grantees to hire and the
qualifications that you will require for case managers.

•

Indicate the number of participants that you will require sub-grantees
to have each of their case managers serve.

•

Discuss the extent to which you will require sub-grantees to start case
management while youth are still in confinement; and the extent to
which you will require sub-grantees to provide supportive services and
links to mental health services and other social services.

•

Describe the follow-up services that you will require sub-grantees to
provide to participants within the period of performance of the grant.

DOL will award points for the case management component based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
•

The extent to which the number of case managers that sub-grantees
will hire at each site is sufficient to result in quality case management
provided to each participant.

39

•

The extent to which case management will start while youth are still in
out-of-home placements, including detention centers, correctional
facilities, and group homes.

•

The extent of follow-up services that sub-grantees will provide to
participants.

•

The likelihood that the plan for providing supportive services and links
to mental health services and other social services will result in
improved performance and attendance of younger participants in
internships and schools and improved performance of older
participants in job placements and educational placements.

Mentoring (6 points):
•

Describe what requirements you will place on sub-grantees for
implementing the mentoring component, including requirements
relating to how sub-grantees will recruit, screen, and train mentors.

•

Discuss the expected length of time that you will require that subgrantees have mentors work with youth and the number of mentors
that you will require that sub-grantees bring on board at each site.

•

Describe the requirements that you will place on sub-grantees to
implement the mentoring component for youth in out-of-home
placements.

•

Indicate the number of participants in detention or correctional
facilities at each site that you will sub-grantees to provide with a
mentor.

40

•

Discuss the extent to which you will require sub-grantees to use oneon-one mentoring, group mentoring, service-centered mentoring, and
work-based mentoring.

DOL will award points for the mentoring component based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
•

The extent to which the mentoring component is described in detail.

•

The likelihood that the proposed mentoring component will result in
improved performance and attendance of younger participants in
internships and schools and improved performance of older
participants in job placements and educational placements.

•

The extent to which mentoring will start while youth are still in out-ofhome placements, including detention centers, correctional facilities,
and group homes.

Restorative Justice (6 points):
•

Describe requirements that you will place on sub-grantees to
implement the restorative justice component, including requirements
relating to the number of community service projects to be conducted,
how sub-grantees will supervise participants on these projects, and the
number of enrollees participating in community service projects.

•

Provide details of the specific types of community service projects that
you will require sub-grantees to conduct, and the types of agencies and

41

organizations that you will require sub-grantees to work with in
developing and conducting these projects.
•

Provide details on the requirements that you will place on sub-grantees
to ensure that community service projects will increase the skills and
work ethic of participants.

•

Describe the benefit of the community service projects that you will
require sub-grantees to conduct to the local community, state, or
country.

DOL will award points for the restorative justice component based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
The extent to which the restorative justice component is described in detail.
•

The extent to which participants will be adequately supervised in the
restorative justice projects.

•

The extent to which the specific community service projects proposed
by the applicant will increase the skills and work ethic of participants.

•

The extent to which the specific community service projects proposed
by the applicant will benefit the local community, state, or country.

Community-Wide Violence Reduction Efforts (6 points):
•

Discuss requirements that you will place on sub-grantees for bringing
together faith-and community-based organizations, state and

42

local government agencies, and social service organizations in
neighborhoods served by the grant to prevent crime and violence.

DOL will award points for the community-wide violence reduction
component based on the comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the
responses provided to the following:
•

The extent to which the applicant has a reasonable plan for bringing
together faith- and community-based organizations, state and
local government agencies, and social service organizations in
neighborhoods served by the grant to prevent crime and violence.

•

The level of detail provided about the plan to bring together these
organizations and agencies.

•

The potential for the component as designed to reduce violence in the
communities to be served.

2. PLAN FOR CONDUCTING COMPETITION AND FOR
PROVIDING OVERSIGHT, MONITORING, AND TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE TO SUB-GRANTEES (20 Points)
•

Describe in detail how you will conduct the competition to select subgrantees for the project.

•

Indicate the number of sites in which you intend to implement the
project.

43

•

Describe the factors on which you expect to evaluate proposals from
potential sub-grantees.

•

Discuss how you will provide oversight, guidance, and coordination
for the sub-grantees to ensure the successful implementation of the
project across all sites.

•

Discuss how you will monitor the progress of sub-grantees. Only
discuss your monitoring of the technical aspects of the project under
this criterion; discuss fiscal monitoring under Criterion 4, Fiscal
Capacity, below.

•

Discuss what technical assistance you will provide to sub-grantees for
implementing the required employment, case management,
educational, mentoring, restorative justice, and community-wide
components.

•

Discuss what assistance you will provide to sub-grantees in developing
partnerships with juvenile correctional facilities, the local juvenile
justice system, the local public school system, local drug and alcohol
treatment services, and local workforce investment boards.

DOL will evaluate proposals under this criterion based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
•

The extent to which your plan for conducting the competition is likely
to result in quality sub-grantees operating the project in high-poverty,

44

high-crime communities and the quality of the design of the
competition.
•

The extent to which your plan for providing oversight, guidance,
monitoring, and coordination for sub-grantees is clear, practical, and
likely to result in a successful project.

•

The extent to which your plan for providing technical assistance to
sub-grantees in the six required project components is clear, practical,
and likely to result in a successful project.

•

The extent to which your plan to assist sub-grantees in developing
partnerships with juvenile correctional facilities, the local juvenile
justice system, the local public school system, local drug and alcohol
treatment services, and local workforce investment boards is clear and
likely to be effective in helping sub-grantees develop such
partnerships.

3. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO CONDUCT MULTI-SITE
PROJECTS AND TO SERVE JUVENILE OFFENDERS (20 Points)
•

Discuss your organization's capacity to conduct multi-site projects
in at least five local areas in at least two states, including your capacity
to provide oversight, coordination, and technical assistance to subgrantees.

•

Discuss your organization’s capacity to serve to serve juvenile
offenders.

45

DOL will award up to 10 points for capacity to conduct multi-site projects and
up to 10 points for capacity to serve juvenile offenders.

DOL will award

points based on:
•

The organization's capacity to conduct multi-site projects, including its
capacity to provide oversight, coordination, and technical assistance
provided to sub-grantees.

•

The organization’s capacity to serve juvenile offenders.

4. ORGANIZATIONAL ADMINSTRATIVE AND FISCAL CAPACITY
(20 Points)
Provide evidence of your organization's administrative and fiscal capacity to
carry out this project in a manner that protects government funds.
•

Describe the administrative and fiscal controls that your organization
has in place to safeguard Federal funds.

•

Discuss the positive and negative findings from your organization’s
three most recent audits, and your organization’s resolution of negative
findings (applicants agree to provide the Department with these audits
if requested).

•

Discuss the administrative and fiscal controls you had in place in
overseeing sub-grantees in previous multi-site projects, and discuss
whether there were any fiscal problems relating to sub-grantees in
these previous projects. If you have not previously operated a multisite project involving sub-grantees, discuss the administrative and

46

fiscal controls you propose to provide, the experience of the staff to
operate those controls and to oversee sub-grantees and how these
factors will offer effective control and oversight over the project.
•

Describe the administrative structure and fiscal controls your
organization will have in place overseeing the sub-grantees in this
project.

DOL will evaluate proposals under this criterion based on the
comprehensiveness and likely effectiveness of the responses provided to the
following:
•

The strength of the applicant’s administrative structure.

•

The strength of the fiscal controls the applicant currently has in place.

•

The fiscal controls in place to effectively resolve negative audit
findings.

•

The extent to which the applicant’s administrative and fiscal controls
are adapted to managing several sub-grantees in several sites

C. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted after
the publication of this announcement and until the closing date. A technical
review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria.
These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth
in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an application, depending

47

on the quality of the responses to the required information described in section
V.A. The ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for selection of
applications for funding, in conjunction with other factors such as urban, rural,
and geographic balance; the availability of funds; and which proposals are
most advantageous to the government. The panel results are advisory in
nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer may consider
any information that comes to his/her attention. The government may elect to
award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a
grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the
applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via EAuthentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by
the applicant.

VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage
(http://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted
directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified
by mail or email and may request a written debriefing on the significant
weaknesses of their proposal.
Selection of an organization as a grantee does not constitute approval
of the grant application as submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, ETA
may enter into negotiations about such items as program components, staffing
and funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant

48

implementation. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable
submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiations
and decline to fund the application. DOL reserves the right to not fund any
application related to this SGA.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Administrative Program Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws, regulations,
and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s) awarded under this SGA will
be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:
i. Non-Profit Organizations – OMB Circular A–122 (Cost Principles),
relocated to 2 CFR Part 230, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
ii. Educational Institutions – OMB Circular A–21 (Cost Principles),
relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
iii. State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – OMB Circular A–87
(Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 225, and 29 CFR Part 97
(Administrative Requirements).
iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR Part 95
(Administrative Requirements).
v. All Grant Recipients must comply with the applicable provisions of
The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law No. 105-220, 112 Stat.

49

936 (codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and the applicable
provisions of the regulations at 20 CFR 660 et seq. Note that 20 CFR part 667
(General Fiscal and Administrative Rules) includes unsuccessful applicant
appeal information.
vi. All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions
on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free
Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR 95.13 and Part 98
(Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension, and drug-free workplace
requirements), and, where applicable, 29 CFR Part 96 (Audit Requirements
for Grants, Contracts, and Other Agreements) and 29 CFR Part 99 (Audits of
States, Local Governments and Non-Profit Organizations).
vii. 29 CFR Part 2, subpart D—Equal Treatment in Department of
Labor Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious Liberty
of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.
viii. 29 CFR Part 31—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted
Programs of the Department of Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
ix. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
x. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor.
xi. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in

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Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
xii. 29 CFR Part 37 – Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
xiii. 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of
Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in
Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.
2. Other Legal Requirements:
i. Religious Activities
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
(RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its
implementation. If your organization is a faith-based organization that makes
hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive
Federal financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and
maintain that hiring practice even though Section 188 of the Workforce
Investment Act contains a general ban on religious discrimination in
employment. If you are awarded a grant, you will be provided with
information on how to request such an exemption.
ii. Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds
In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995
(Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities incorporated under
Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying
activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. No activity,
including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising

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for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB
Circular A-122).
iii. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems
in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as
amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252) (Transparency Act), as
follows:
•

All applicants, except for those excepted from the Transparency

Act under sub-paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 below, must ensure that they have the
necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward and
executive total compensation reporting requirements of the Transparency Act,
should they receive funding.
•

Upon award, applicants will receive detailed information on the

reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part
170, Appendix A, which can be found at the following website:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf.
The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding
Accountability and Transparency Act:
(1) Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive Federal
awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or
non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or
her name);

52

(2) Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all
sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year;
and
(3) Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose
classified information.

3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/ETA’s acceptance
of a proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does
not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For
example, the OMB Circulars require that an entity’s procurement procedures
must ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as
practical, to provide open and free competition. If a proposal identifies a
specific entity to provide services, the DOL’s award does not provide the
justification or basis to sole source the procurement, i.e., avoid competition,
unless the activity is regarded as the primary work of an official partner to the
application.
4. Special Program Requirements
Evaluation
DOL may require that the program or project participate in a formal
evaluation of overall grant performance of ETA grants and require the
cooperation of the grantee as a condition of award. To measure the impact of
the grant program, DOL may conduct an independent evaluation of the

53

outcomes and benefits of the projects. By accepting the grant funds, the
programs or projects agree to make individual records on participants,
employers and funding available to the evaluator(s) under the direction of
DOL with appropriate measures to protect the confidentially of participant.
Please note this evaluation may make use of program MIS data, local
administrative data on crime and recidivism, and program progress reports.
DOL recognizes that there will be limitations on this cooperation due to State
confidentiality requirements on data on individual offenders. It is critical that
the grantee keep this information up to date and accurate for both performance
measurement and evaluation purposes.

Performance Goals. These grants will be subject to performance
goals measuring their progress in meeting the goals of the grants. National
goals will be set after grant award in the following areas:
•

the employment rate of participants including placement in postsecondary institutions, advanced training, or occupational skills
training;

•

the retention of participants in employment and education placements
in the quarter after program completion;

•

the recidivism rate of young adult offenders served; and

•

the rate at which participants receive high school diplomas and/or
industry-recognized credentials.

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C. Accountability and Reporting
The Department will set both in-program and post-program performance goals
for these grants. In-program performance goals will be set relating to:
•

the placement rate of youth, ages 17 and below, in internships and
summer jobs.

•

the reading and math gains of both younger and older youth.

•

the placement of both younger and older youth in restorative justice
projects and mentorship programs.

Post-program performance goals will be set relating to:
•

the placement rate of out-of-school youth, ages 18 to 24, in
employment, apprenticeships, post-secondary education, the military,
or occupational skills training leading to industry-recognized
credentials.

•

the rate at which both younger and older youth obtain high school
diplomas, GEDs, or alternative education certificates.

•

the retention rate of younger youth in high school and of older youth in
employment and education placements.

•

the recidivism rate of both younger and older youth.

•

the rate at which older youth obtain industry-recognized credentials.

Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly
financial reports, quarterly progress reports, and MIS data must be submitted

55

by the grantee electronically. The grantee is required to provide the reports
and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until such
time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired.
Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter.
Grantees must use DOL’s Online Electronic Reporting System and
information and instructions will be provided to grantees.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days
after the end of each calendar year quarter. The report must include quarterly
information regarding grant activities, and information on employment
outcomes for those individuals who have exited to date. This reporting will
require post-placement follow-up and tracking of all participants. The last
quarterly progress report that grantees submit will serve as the grant’s Final
Performance Report. This report should provide both quarterly and
cumulative information on the grant activities. It must summarize project
activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and related results of
the project, and should thoroughly document the training or labor market
information approaches used by the grantee. DOL will provide grantees with
formal guidance about the data and other information that is required to be
collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements.

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3. Management Information Systems (MIS) Reports. Organizations
will be required to submit updated MIS data within 45 days after the end of
each quarter based on a DOL template that will require quarterly, year-todate, and program-to-date information on participant demographics at time of
enrollment, participants services provided, and interim and long-term
participant performance outcomes. This reporting will require postplacement follow-up and tracking of participants.
4. Record Retention
Applicants must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record
retention, which require grantees to maintain all records pertaining to grant
activities for a period of not less than three years from the time of final grant
close-out.
VII. Agency Contacts
For further information about this SGA, please contact B. Jai Johnson,
Grant Officer, Division of Federal Assistance, at (202) 693-3296. Applicants
should e-mail all technical questions to Johnson.B. [email protected] and must
specifically reference SGA/DFA PY 10-09 and along with question(s),
include a contact name, fax and phone number. This announcement is being
made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at
http://www.grants.gov.

VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants

A.

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Workforce3One Resources

ETA encourages applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant
Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,”
available through Workforce3One at:
http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.
B. Making the Right Turn: A Guide about Improving Transition Outcomes for
Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System,

The Guide provides professionals with well-researched and documented facts,
offers evidence-based research, highlights promising practices, and provides
the Guideposts for Success for Youth Involved in the juvenile Corrections
System, in addition to pointing out areas requiring further attention by policy
makers and identifying promising practices.

Available at: http://www.ncwdyouth.info/assets/juvenile_justice/making_the_right_turn.pdf

C. The Job Accomodation Network
This Network provides information on job accommodations.
Available at: http://askjan.org/

IX. Other Information

OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires November 30, 2012.

58

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection
displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response,
including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the
collection of information. Send comments about the burden estimated or any
other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for
reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the
Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301,
Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to
[email protected]. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE
COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND IT TO THE
SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a
grant. The information collected through this “Solicitation for Grant
Applications” will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that grants
are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the functions of the grant.
Submission of this information is required in order for the applicant to be
considered for award of this grant.

Signed _________________________________ in Washington, D.C. by:
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration

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