U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Serving Young Adult Ex-Offenders through Training and Service-Learning
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-PY-11-03
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.270
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [insert date 60 days after date of publication in Federal Register]. Applications must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Latifa Jeter, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-03, 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 Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $30 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Investment Act for Reintegration of Ex-Offenders (RExO) Training and Service-Learning grants to serve young adult offenders ages 18 through 21 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system from the age of 14 or above and have never been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law. Training provided through these grants is expected to lead to credentials recognized by in demand industries in the grantee’s geographic area to be served. Service-learning projects conducted through these grants must integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection that enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and encourage lifelong civic engagement. Such projects can help rebuild severed relationships between the returning offender and members of the community while developing the participant’s workplace skills, such as leadership and time management. Through service-learning, returning offenders are offered the opportunity to reestablish community-based trust while enhancing their work-based skills and status in their communities.
These grants will be awarded through a competitive process. The Department expects to award a minimum of 20 grants of various amounts. Applicants may each submit only one proposal requesting up to $1.5 million to cover a 30-month period of performance that includes up to four months of planning and a minimum of 26 months of operation. The 26 months of operation includes time for follow-up services for a period of three to four months. Some participants may be receiving follow-up services while others are still receiving direct services. The Department anticipates the approximate cost per participant to be in the range of $12,000 to $16,000 (including administration and planning costs) for average length-of-stays of six to eight months. The Department expects that participants will be enrolled in these programs full-time, as defined by a minimum of 32-hours per week, including time spent in both the service-learning and educational components. Programs may enroll participants for up to one-year terms, inclusive of the follow-up period, with the understanding that participants may leave the program before completion to take other jobs or for personal or conduct-related reasons.
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.
Background of Funding Opportunity
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 in the juvenile justice system have a high probability of returning to crime after their release. As an example, the State of Virginia reports that 75 percent of youth released from state correctional facilities and 61 percent of youth placed on probation in the state are arrested for a new crime within three years.1 A contributing factor to this high recidivism rate is the disproportionately high unemployment rate among ex-prisoners, estimated to range from 25 to 40 percent.
This Solicitation seeks to improve the employability of participants by providing skills training. The training and service-learning grants to be awarded through this announcement hold promise for reducing the recidivism rate of young adult offenders. Job training that leads to employer-recognized credentials helps to ensure the value of the training in the labor market, which benefits the individuals served through the grants. Grantees should develop training programs in areas where there are no prohibitions for employment of persons with criminal records. The attainment of industry-recognized credentials is a strategy for both improving employment and earnings prospects for participants and addressing employers’ needs for more skilled workers.
The service-learning component of these projects provides participants the opportunity to give something back to their communities through community service to make up for past transgressions. At the same time as learning occupational skills, service-learning helps to develop work-place skills, such as leadership and time management. Such projects hold promise for reducing the recidivism rate of juvenile offenders by improving their vocational and educational skills and long-term prospects in the labor market and by increasing their attachment to their community and their sense of community responsibility.
The rehabilitation benefit of providing ex-offenders the opportunity to participate in service-learning projects is based on the premise that, by their criminal acts, offenders have hurt their communities and have depleted any trust that the community has in them. Participating in service-learning projects that integrate occupational skills training offers ex-offenders a chance to demonstrate accountability for their actions and make reparations to the community while developing their work-place skills, such as leadership and time management. This effort at fostering a renewed sense of belonging and investment in their communities is accomplished through 1) service-learning projects that aid in the rebuilding of severed relationships between young offenders and community members while reestablishing trust and a positive status for the offender within the community; and 2) work experience, other vocational training, and academic interventions that enable participants to improve their skills and enhance their future educational and career opportunities.2
Programs funded under this SGA must include each of the following components: 1) meaningful service-learning opportunities; 2) educational interventions that leads to placement opportunities in post-secondary education and vocational training that lead to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served; 3) community awareness of the participants’ service projects that rebuilds the community’s trust in them and enables the community to view them as assets rather than liabilities; 4) high staff-to- participant ratios, including close adult supervision on service-learning projects; 5) a career development; and 6) post-program support and follow-up. These six program components are discussed in more detail in the Required Program Components section, Section I.B, below.
The Department will set performance goals for these grants relating to the rate at which participants enter employment, post-secondary education or training; are retained in employment and education placements; avoid re-arrest and re-incarceration; and receive high school diplomas (or equivalent) and industry-recognized credentials. Programs already serving eligible participants must increase their overall enrollment with DOL funds, rather than serve existing participants through a co-enrollment process.
B. Required Program Components
To address the evaluation criteria in Section V.A. each applicant under this SGA must include each of the components described below.
1. Meaningful service-learning opportunities. Programs funded under these grants must conduct service-learning projects of value to the local community. These projects should also help participants learn work-based skills required for effective and sustained employment, including “soft skills” such as professionalism, communication, and problem-solving. The Department also encourages having participants work in teams. Examples of possible service-learning projects include: conservation projects such as restoration of public lands, maintaining federally-managed fish hatcheries, urban tree planting, and park trail maintenance; graffiti removal; staffing and support for community events like fairs or community days; improving sports fields; and other appropriate activities at health clinics, hospitals, or food banks. Grantees must also place a high priority on public safety, as well as the safety of program participants at project worksites.
2. Educational interventions that lead to placement opportunities in post-secondary education and vocational training that leads to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served. Programs funded under these grants should provide a comprehensive set of interventions to address the varying academic levels of participants. The educational component should integrate education interventions with career and occupational development and include basic skills instruction and remedial education; language instruction for individuals with limited English proficiency; tutoring; study skills training; and credit retrieval. Programs must provide reasonable accommodations to participants with disabilities. Additional educational interventions could include counseling participants on acquiring financial aid to attend college, taking them on visits to local community and four-year colleges, and helping them fill out necessary application forms for college. These interventions should be designed to lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma, GED, or other State-recognized equivalent, including recognized alternative standards for individuals with disabilities. Applicants must also offer vocational training that leads to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in their geographic area to be served. Applicants should use Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and information obtained by their local economic development agency and local Workforce Investment Board (WIB) to develop training programs that are relevant to the local communities’ workforce and economic development needs.
3. Community awareness of the youth’s service projects that rebuilds the community’s trust in the youth and enables the community to view the youth as assets rather than liabilities. Programs funded under these grants must emphasize rebuilding the community’s trust in the young offenders served by the program and also instill a sense of community responsibility in the youth offenders served. Grantees should coordinate with their local communities in developing and implementing service-learning projects that meet real and specific needs. Depending on the project, this could include working with civic organizations, local government leaders, employers, or clergy. Programs should develop ways for the community to recognize the participants who worked on projects, once the projects are completed. The grantees should also work with the community to help support further positive community involvement by the participants.
4. High Staff-to-Participant Ratios, including Close Adult Supervision on Service-Learning Projects. Programs funded under these grants must have a sufficient number of staff to run a high-quality program. In particular, grantees must have enough adult project site supervisors to ensure that work being conducted on service-learning projects is of high quality; that participants are being productive and demonstrating a positive attitude toward the service-learning project at hand; and that participants are gaining employment skills and learning positive behaviors such as leadership, teamwork, and respect for authority and for fellow participants. Programs will also need to ensure that case management is provided either directly with grant funds or through referrals to partner agencies, to address participants’ barriers to employment, such as a lack of transportation and childcare, substance abuse and mental health issues, and history of family instability. Programs will also need to develop strategies to ensure that the interaction among juvenile offenders does not cause them to re-offend. Funding for these grants is appropriated under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). Under WIA Section 181(b)(4), health and safety standards established under Federal and State law otherwise applicable to working conditions of employees are equally applicable to working conditions of program participants engaged in training and other activities.
5. Career Development. Programs funded under these grants must have a strong career development component that seeks to place each participant in employment, post-secondary education, registered apprenticeship program, or vocational training leading to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served. This component should include partnerships with employers, the local workforce investment system’s One-Stop Career Center(s), community colleges, and four-year colleges. This component should be integrated with educational interventions. Career development services also should be an extension of service-learning projects so that the employment skills gained during service-learning projects are related to current and future work opportunities. There should be an emphasis on career development for in demand industries such as health care. DOL has developed a tool to assist in career development and planning called “My Next Move,” which can be accessed at http://mynextmove.org. Service-learning projects may provide exposure to various industries and, in such cases, participants should be exposed to relevant industry data, such as future job openings and educational requirements for different occupations within those industries. For example, service-learning projects in the area of conservation may be connected to learning about job opportunities in land management agencies such as the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Other service-learning projects conducted in hospitals or clinics may be connected, for example, to job or post-secondary educational opportunities in allied health occupations, such as dental hygienists, diagnostic medical sonographers, opticians, and radiologic technologists.
6. Post-Program Support and Follow-Up. Programs funded under these grants must have strong post-program support and follow-up components, including continued coordination and contact with employers, the local workforce development agency, local community colleges, and four-year colleges where participants have been placed, to ensure that participants retain jobs and remain in the schools and in other career development opportunities in which they are placed. Applicants must define the length of these post-placement services which must occur during the 26-month operation period of the grant. Time for follow-up services must be for a period of 3 to 4 months. Some participants may be receiving follow-up services while others are still receiving direct services.
C. Required Partnerships with the Juvenile Justice System and Social Service Agencies
In addition to the links to employers, the local workforce investment system’s One-Stop Career Center(s), Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs), local economic development agencies, community colleges, and four-year colleges described in the Career Development and Post-Program Support and Follow-Up components, each Program funded under this SGA will be expected to develop partnerships with the entities listed in the bullet points below, to leverage resources to provide services.
The local juvenile justice system to receive referrals of eligible individuals who are being released from juvenile correction facilities, who are on probation, who received an alternative sentence, who were diverted before adjudication as an alternative to juvenile prosecution, or who have been involved in the juvenile justice system, and to coordinate services to program participants with juvenile probation officers; and
Social service agencies to provide referrals for health care and mental health services, substance abuse services, parenting classes and services, assistance in using the Earned Income Tax Credit, assistance in accessing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for food stamps and other Federal services, and housing assistance. Grantees must partner with existing networks of county or regional social service agencies funded by state or federal resources that provide services to ex-offenders, where these networks exist.
D. Allowable Uses of Grant Funds
Allowable uses of grant funds for projects funded under these grants include but are not necessarily limited to the following activities:
1.) Service-learning, career development, and education activities, such as:
Service-learning projects;
Skill and interest assessment and career development planning;
Skills training that lead to credentials recognized in demand industries in the geographic area to be served;
Payment of wages to participants;
Payment of stipends to participants based on their performance in the program;
Incentives payments to participants for recognition and achievement tied to training activities and work experiences;
Job placement activities;
Equipment, materials, and supplies for community service projects that support the occupational training aspect of public community service projects, consistent with requirements in 2 CFR 225 and 2 CFR 230, which require prior agency approval for equipment over $5,000 and that materials and supplies be charged at their actual net cost;
Purchase of equipment for reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities;
The purchase of bonds through the Federal Bonding Program;
Basic skills instruction and remedial education;
Referrals to parenting classes;
Credit retrieval and GED instruction;
Language instruction educational programs for individuals with limited English proficiency;
Counseling and assistance in compiling high school credits, applying for post-secondary education, and applying for financial aid; and
Supportive services to include needs-related payments in accordance with Part IV.E. 5.
2.) Case management, supportive services and related activities, including but not limited to:
Mentoring;
Referrals to housing assistance;
Referrals to mental health counseling;
Referrals to parenting classes and services;
Referrals to and payment of legal services related to the purpose of this grant, such as: providing legal assistance to secure driver’s license, expunge criminal records and modify child support orders; and
Referrals to substance abuse treatment.
3.) Leadership and personal development activities that seek to develop cognitive and soft skills that participants will need to succeed in future jobs and that support one or more workplace competencies, including:
Problem-solving;
Oral communication skills;
Strong work ethic; and
Ability to work as part of a team.
4.) Follow-up services that focus on job retention, retention in education and training, wage gains, and career progress through regular contact with employers, educational institutions, and other post-placement supporting agencies, including:
Assistance in addressing work-related problems that arise;
Assistance in securing better-paying jobs;
Career development and further education;
Continued coordination with colleges where participants have been placed and local workforce agencies;
Work in peer support groups;
Mentoring; and
Tracking of progress made by participants in employment, education, and training.
The Department has approximately $30 million in grant funds available through this competition for Training and Service-Learning grants and expects to award a minimum of 20 grants of various amounts. Applicants may submit only one proposal for up to $1.5 million, with the amount requested depending on the number of offenders ages 18 through 21 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system at the age of 15 or above and have never been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law as defined in Section III.D.I the applicant plans to serve. Any grant application with a proposed value greater than $1.5 million will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered.
In the event additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this solicitation.
B. Period of Performance
These grants will be funded for a 30-month period of performance that includes up to four months for a planning phase and a minimum of 26 months of operation, which must include a follow-up period that lasts 3 to 4 months. This follow-up must be included in the period of performance. 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 minimum of 26 months of operation. Grantees should be judicious in their use of funds during the planning period and use funds specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant. Applicants should plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures. Grantees must achieve all planning milestones during the planning phase. These milestones will include: the hiring of core program staff, including the Project Director, Job Developer(s), and Case Manager(s); establishment of all necessary partnerships for the successful delivery of services; and the initiation of recruitment and outreach efforts for enrollment of participants. Completion of these milestones within the grant’s planning phase will be reviewed by the Federal Project Officer.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Any non-profit organization with IRS 501 (c) (3) status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under WIA Section 166 may apply for these grants. An organization may submit only one application for up to $1.5 million. If more than one application is submitted, only the first application will be reviewed.
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for application.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
There are no other eligibility criteria.
D. Eligible Participants
Participants Eligible to Receive Services
Individuals ages 18 through 21 who have been involved in the juvenile justice system at the age of 14 or above and have never been convicted as an adult under Federal or State law. Involvement in the juvenile justice system includes individuals who were:
under the supervision of the juvenile justice system either in out-of-home placements or on probation or parole;
under an alternative sentence by the juvenile justice system; or
in a diversion program as an alternative to juvenile prosecution by the juvenile justice system.
Individuals served with funds under this SGA must reside in the geographic area identified by the applicant (which can be a city, a county, a sub-area of a city or county, a set of contiguous counties, an Indian Reservation, a local workforce investment area, or other similar geographic area), or be returning to the geographic area from an out-of-home placement in the juvenile justice system.
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 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.
Transparency
DOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For this grant competition, we will publish the abstracts required by Section IV, B. Part III for all applications on the Department’s public website or similar publicly accessible location. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Technical Proposal required by Section IV.B.Part II, for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s website or a similar location. No other parts of or attachments to the application will be published. The Technical Proposals and Abstracts will not be published until after the grants are announced. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.
DOL recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that an applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain personally identifiable information (PII). Proprietary or confidential commercial/business information is information that is not usually disclosed outside your organization and the disclosure of which is likely to cause you substantial competitive harm. PII is information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual‘s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother‘s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.3
Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. However, in order to ensure that PII and proprietary or confidential commercial/business information is properly protected from disclosure when DOL posts the winning Technical Proposals, applicants whose technical proposals will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary, confidential commercial/business, and PII redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s staff should be removed as well. The Department will contact the applicants whose technical proposals will be published by letter or email, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Technical Proposal. Submission of a redacted version of the Technical Proposal will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Technical Proposal, DOL will publish the original Technical Proposal in full, after redacting PII. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Technical Proposal will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential information and any PII.)
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or PII. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Technical Proposal is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, DOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by DOL from public disclosure in accordance with federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If DOL receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in DOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. 29 CFR § 70.26. Consequently, it is possible that application of FOIA rules may result in release of information in response to a FOIA request that an applicant redacted in its “redacted copy.”
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 be deemed non-responsive and will not be reviewed. 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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). 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. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, the signature of the authorized representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). The SF-424B is not required to be submitted with the application.
In addition, the applicant’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of the following in accordance with 29 CFR § 37.20:
As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I of WIA, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIA Title I—financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color and national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with 29 CFR Part 37 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.
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 D-U-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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). 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 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, SF-424A, and a budget narrative will be considered non-responsive and will not be 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 register with the CCR before application submission will result in your application being found non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit the following attachments:
A. Technical Proposal Attachments Required for Review of the Application:
An up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project, including but not limited to the scope of the project and proposed outcomes, a brief discussion of the geographic area to be served by the grant, the number of eligible participants to be served, the service-learning projects to be conducted, the educational interventions to be provided including vocational training that leads to industry recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served, the employment opportunities to be offered, the sources of recruitment for participants, and the partnerships that will be developed. If using grants.gov for submission, this document must be attached under the Mandatory Other Attachment section and labeled abstract. Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided and failure to meet those outcomes may have a significant impact on future grants with ETA.
Project/Performance Site Location(s) form (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). If using grants.gov for submission, this form must be attached under the required forms section. Please note that this is a standard form used for many programs and has a check box for applying as an individual. Disregard this box on the form as individuals are not eligible to apply for this solicitation; and
For those applicants submitting an application as a non-profit, verification from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of non-profit 501(c)(3) status signed by an authorized representative of the IRS is required. ALL non-profit applicants must submit this verification even if you are a current DOL grantee and documentation is assumed to be on file.
Applications that do not include all of the required attachments listed above will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
B. Technical Proposal Attachments Required for Receiving Points in Particular Sections or Subsections of the Evaluation Criteria (Section V.) The following documents are required for receiving points in particular section or subsections of the evaluation criteria:
Chart documenting need as discussed in Section V.A.1;
Evidence of progress made in developing partnerships as described in Section V.A.3, which may include letters of commitment and memoranda of understanding from expected partners and other letters to support the applicant’s response to the evaluation criteria found in section V.A.3;
Charts documenting past grant performance and timeliness of reports as discussed in Section V.A.5 and 6; and
Previous grantor contact information as discussed in Section V.A.5 and 6
The required and additional attachments listed above do not count against the 25-page limit for the Technical Proposal.
The attachments must be affixed as separate, clearly identified appendices to the application. Additional materials such as resumés or general letters of support or commitment will not be considered.
The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is [insert date 60 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). Hard copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. 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.
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: Latifa Jeter, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 11-03, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington DC 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 4:00 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 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 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 (E-Biz 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 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. Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s CCR is expired. 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, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf or .pdf files. 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 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 or 606-545-5035 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 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.
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
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.
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 position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express 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 non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.”
20 CFR 664.470 states that funds under WIA may be used to pay wages and related benefits for work experiences in the public; private for-profit; or non-profit sectors where the objective assessment and individual service strategy indicate that work experiences are appropriate. Payments to youth under WIA may take the form of wages or stipends. Grantees must pay stipends in accordance with the policies and procedures of the grantee organization, and maintain documentation on how the amount for the stipend was set and the parameters for its distribution. Grantees must also comply with the requirements of WIA section 181. Grantees providing wages or stipends to youth also should be aware of the income tax implications of the payments under IRS provisions. Please consult www.irs.gov for more information.
In addition, grantees are authorized to provide incentive payments. WIA Section 129 (a) (5) authorizes incentive payments to youth for recognition and achievement tied to training activities and work experiences. Incentive payments must be tied to the goals of the grant. The organization must have policies and procedures in place governing the award of incentives and the incentives provided under the grant must be in alignment with these organizational policies. In addition, incentive payments are generally considered miscellaneous compensation and are taxable. Please consult www.irs.gov for more information. Under this solicitation, grantees can use no more than 1.5% of the award for incentive payments.
Needs-related payments are a form of supportive services which are paid directly to individuals or to other entities to cover specific items of cost incurred by the participant for allowable services that enable the individual to participate in the activity or program. See 20 CFR 663.815. Up to 1.5% of DOL grant funds may be used to provide needs-related payments to assist participants with costs related to transportation, child care, food or other household items, such as paying a utility bill to prevent shut-off. Needs-related payment should be tied directly to the cost identified and must be documented to support both the participant’s need for the service as well as the actual transaction. Needs-related payments may be in the form of stipends; but the stipends must be based on specific items of cost, not to “defray” expenses. Grantees must have a consistent standard and policy in place on the provision of needs-related payments.
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.
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. Need in the Area to be Served |
10 |
2. Project Design
|
55 |
3. Partnerships with the Juvenile Justice System and Social Service Agencies |
10 |
4. Organizational Capacity to Involve Youth in Service-Learning Projects |
5 |
5. Organizational Capacity to Serve Youth Offenders |
10 |
6. Organizational Administrative and Fiscal Capacity |
10 |
TOTAL |
100 |
1. NEED IN THE AREA TO BE SERVED (up to 10 points total)
Up to 10 points will be awarded under this criterion based on the case the applicant makes in the proposal for the local need for the project. The strength of the case is based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates a need for the grant in the geographic area to be served and the reliability of the data provided in support of that need with regard to the following:
the rationale for choosing the geographic area to be served. As noted earlier, the geographic area can be a city, a county, a sub-area of a city or county, a set of contiguous counties, an Indian Reservation, a local workforce investment area, or other similar geographic area. The applicant must describe the area it proposes to serve along with its rationale for choosing that area;
the extent of youth gangs in the area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data;
the resources currently available for serving returning juvenile offenders in the area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data;
the current gaps in services to juvenile offenders in the area. Provide a full explanation and the source of your data; and
the extent to which there is a pool of eligible participants that is equal to or greater than the number of youth that the applicant proposes to serve in the geographic area. See section III D for definition of eligible participants. This information must be provided in chart form as an attachment with the following information:
the number of 18 to 21 year olds in the geographic area and the source of this information;
the number of eligible participants in the geographic area and the source of this information; and
the number of eligible participants that the applicant intends to serve with this grant and the source of this information. Applicants who propose to serve more participants than are eligible for service in the geographic area will receive 0 points for this criterion.
2. PROJECT DESIGN (up to 55 points total)
Describe how you will address the six project design components listed below. This criterion will be evaluated on the likely effectiveness of the project design as determined by the specific information, research, and analysis presented in support of the following:
Meaningful service-learning opportunities (up to 15 points)
the length of time the applicant will request youth to commit to the program;
a description of the service-learning activities;
the benefit to the community derived from the service-learning project;
the proportion of time that participants will spend on service-learning projects versus educational interventions;
whether participants will be working in teams;
how the development of leadership skills and soft skills will be supported;
how the threat of negative peer pressure will be handled; and
how vocational skills will be integrated into the service-learning project.
Educational interventions that lead to placement opportunities in post-secondary education and vocational training that leads to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served. (up to 10 points)
the extent to which the applicant has a comprehensive set of interventions to address the varying academic levels of participants;
the extent to which the educational interventions will lead to the attainment of a high school diploma or GED, placement in post-secondary education, or the attainment of industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in the geographic area to be served; and
the extent to which applicants will offer vocational training that leads to industry-recognized credentials in demand industries in their geographic area to be served. Applicants should provide Bureau of Labor Statistics data and information obtained by their local economic development organization and Workforce Investment Board that supports their proposal.
Community awareness of the youth’s service projects that rebuilds the community’s trust in the youth and enables the community to view the youth as assets rather than liabilities (up to 5 points)
the extent to which the applicant will coordinate with local organizations and individuals in developing the service-learning projects for program participants;
the extent to which the applicant incorporates the needs of the community in the development of work-skills for the participant;
the ways recognition will be given within the community to program participants when the project is completed;
the extent to which the programs will instill a sense of community responsibility of the participants served; and
the extent to which programs will develop ways for the community to recognize the participants who worked on projects, once the projects are completed; how the applicant will work with the community to help support further positive community involvement by the participants.
High Staff-to-Participant Ratio, including Close Adult Supervision on Service-Learning Projects (up to 5 points)
the ratio of the number of participants to the number of supervisors and staff;
the extent to which the staffing level is sufficient to operate a quality program and to teach positive work attitudes to participants;
the extent to which the qualifications that will be required for staff positions are sufficient to operate a quality program;
the likelihood the staffing pattern or referral plan ensures safe project sites and strong case management support to program participants; and
the extent to which case management will be provided either directly with grant funds or through referrals to partner agencies to address the barriers to employment of participants, including such things as a lack of transportation and childcare, substance abuse and mental health issues, and history of family instability.
Career Development (up to 15 points)
how planned partnerships with employers, the local workforce system’s One-Stop Career Centers, community colleges, and four-year colleges will effectively provide the services proposed;
how career development will be integrated into educational offerings; and
how career development will be connected to service-learning projects.
Post-Program Support and Follow-Up (up to 5 points)
the post-program support that the applicant plans to provide;
the strategy that will be used to stay in contact with participants after they have left the program;
the planned coordination and contact with employers, the local workforce development agency, local community colleges and four-year colleges to support retention in long-term placements in employment, education and in other career development opportunities in which they are placed; and
the length of the follow-up period included in the period of performance of the grant.
3. PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES (up to 10 points total)
The points for Required Partnerships will be rated based on the comprehensiveness of the responses and the evidence provided of the following:
the progress made and extent to which the applicant has received commitments from juvenile correctional facilities to refer eligible youth about to be released;
the progress made and extent to which the applicant has received commitments from the local juvenile justice system and courts to refer eligible youth and to coordinate services to program participants with juvenile probation officers;
the progress made and extent to which the applicant has received commitments from drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers, and social service agencies to provide supportive services that program participants may need.
the progress made and extent to which the applicant has received commitments from an existing network of county or regional social service agencies funded by state or federal resources that provide services to ex-offenders, where these networks exist. Applicants must indicate how this grant funded effort fits into that network of service agencies and how it will be supported by that network.
Applicants must provide evidence of progress made in developing these partnerships, such as dates and attendees of meetings held. Letters of commitment and memorandums of understanding may be included as evidence of expected partnerships.
4. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO INVOLVE YOUTH IN SERVICE-LEARNING PROJECTS (up to 5 points total)
The points for organizational capacity to involve youth in service-learning projects will be based on the comprehensiveness of the responses and the reliability of the information provided in support of your descriptions of the following:
your experience operating programs that provide a service to the community;
the number of participants involved in the program(s) described in a typical year;
the extent to which your organization’s service-learning projects provide a needed service that benefit the local community and provide work-based skills to participants; and
the extent to which you have partnerships with other organizations that can provide service-learning opportunities.
5. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY TO SERVE YOUTH OFFENDERS (up to 10 points total)
The points for organizational capacity to serve youth offenders will be rated based on the comprehensiveness of the responses and the evidence provided to the following:
Discuss the length of time and the specific experience the organization has in operating programs for ex-offenders (up to 4 points).
Performance Chart: As an attachment to the technical proposal, all applicants should provide information on past grant performance as required by the grantor, using the category below that is applicable for your organization. All information must be submitted in chart format (up to 4 points):
Youth RExO Applicants – If you have completed an ETA youth RExO grant within the last four years (on or after January 1, 2008), you must, with respect to the most recently-completed youth RExO grant only, provide past grant performance goals established by DOL and the actual grant outcomes obtained for 1) enrollment, and 2) placement (in employment, including the military or in post-secondary education and/or advanced training/occupational skills training). If you have not completed an ETA youth RExO grant within the past four years, you must use data from a completed grant using the instructions in the category below for Youth Non-RExO applicants.
Youth Non-RExO Applicants: If you have not completed an ETA youth RExO grant within the last four years, you must provide information with respect to the grant that you completed most recently within the last four years (on or after January 1, 2008) in which you served youth ex-offenders. This may include a program or project that was funded by one or more foundations, or non-grant funds such as individual donations and contributions. Specifically, you must select and provide two goals required by the grantor(s) and the actual outcomes obtained.
All applicants may reference only one project that was completed within the last four years, as described above. In the attachment, applicants must also provide the project grant number along with the name, title, organization, email address and telephone number of an individual from the previous grantor entity or agency who had oversight for the program referenced above and can verify the information stated by the applicant. If the goals, outcomes obtained and contact information are not provided in the attachment for the selected project, the applicant will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion.
Applicants who demonstrate that they have exceeded their reported project goals will receive the full 4 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met, but did not exceed, their reported project goals will receive 3 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met only one project goal, but exceeded that goal, will receive 2 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who met only one goal and did not exceed that goal will receive 1 point for this sub-criterion. Applicants who did not meet either goal will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion.
ETA reserves the right to confirm this information for all applicants.
Performance Narrative: Explain the circumstance for the project referenced above related to meeting the stated enrollment and placement goals or the reasons that prevented you from meeting those goals. Applicants should discuss the systems in place that allowed the applicant to meet its goals or for those applicants who did not meet their goals, explain how those challenges were overcome to make the project as successful as possible. Points will be determined based on the level of success indicated by the evidence provided. (up to 2 points)
6. ORGANIZATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE AND FISCAL CAPACITY (up to 10 points total)
The points for organizational administration and fiscal capacity will be rated based on the comprehensiveness of the responses and the evidence provided to the following:
the strength of your organization’s administrative structure. In providing this response, describe the administrative structure (up to 2 points);
the strength of the fiscal controls you currently have in place. In providing this response, describe the fiscal controls (up to 2 points);
the ability of the fiscal controls in place to effectively resolve negative audit findings. If applicable, discuss the positive and negative findings from the applicant’s three most recent OMB Circular A-133 audits, and the resolution of negative findings. (Applicants must provide the Department with these audits if requested) (up to 2 points); and
Timely Reporting: In chart format as an attachment to the technical proposal, all applicants must provide the two most recent grant reports due dates and the actual dates submitted for the grant project identified above in the past grant performance goals criterion. These reports can be either program, financial or other reports required by the grant. (up to 4 points)
If these dates are not provided in the attachment applicants will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who demonstrate that they met both due dates will receive 4 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants who demonstrate that they met only one due date will receive 2 points for this sub-criterion. Applicants that did not meet any of the due dates will receive 0 points for this sub-criterion.
If the contact person from the grantor entity or agency who can verify timely submission of reports differs from the contact person verifying past grant performance goals and actual grant outcomes, you must submit the name, title, email address and telephone number for this additional individual. Include this information in the attachment for this sub-criterion.
ETA reserves the right to confirm this information with the contact person described above for all applicants.
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted after the publication of this announcement and until the specified time on 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 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 geographic balance; the availability of funds; and which proposals are most advantageous to the government. If the verification process outlined in V. A. 5 and 6 does not confirm the applicant’s information, that information may affect the selection process. 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 E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
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 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.
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. 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 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 for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB Circular A-122).
iii. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that they have 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:
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);
Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and
Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.
iv. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information
Applicant’s submitting proposals in response to this SGA must recognize that confidentiality of sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting a proposal, Grantees are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal law. All such activity conducted by ETA and/or Grantee/s will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable state and Federal laws.
By submitting a grant proposal, the applicant agrees to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable in governing their handling of confidential information:
Grantees shall not extract information from data supplied by DOL/ETA for any purpose not stated in the SGA.
Grantees shall retain data received from DOL/ETA only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, the Grantee agrees that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and permanent deletion of electronic data.
Grantees shall ensure that any information used during the performance of this Grant has been obtained and is being transmitted in conformity with applicable Federal and state laws governing the confidentiality of information. Information transmitted to DOL/ETA containing sensitive information including personally identifiable information (PII) must be encrypted using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 validated products. The encrypted information must be encrypted in a form that would allow the receiver of the information to decrypt the information without installing additional software or tools.
Access to any information created by DOL/ETA shall be restricted to only those employees of the Grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform duties in connection with the Scope of Work outlined in this SGA.
Grantee employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data shall be advised of the confidential nature of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and the civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that are contained in Federal and state laws.
Prior to being able to have access to confidential data, Grantee employees and other personnel shall execute a standard document acknowledging their understanding of the confidential nature of the data and the safeguards with which they must comply in their handling of such data as well as the fact that they may be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.
Grantees further acknowledge that all data obtained through DOL/ETA shall be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all times and the data will be processed using grantee issued equipment, managed information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by DOL/ETA. Accessing, processing, and storing of DOL/ETA data on personally owned equipment, at off-site locations e.g. employee’s home, and non-Grantee managed IT services e.g. free electronic mail (or “email”) providers, is strictly prohibited unless approved by DOL/ETA.
All data shall be processed in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of the records/documents and is designed to prevent unauthorized persons from retrieving such records by computer, remote terminal or any other means. Data may be downloaded to, or maintained on, mobile or portable devices only if the data are encrypted using NIST FIPS 140-2 validated products. In addition, wage data may only be accessed from secure locations.
Data obtained by the Grantee through a request shall not be disclosed to third parties except as permitted by the Grant Officer.
Grantees shall permit ETA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or to conduct other investigations to assure that the Grantee is complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, Grantees shall make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.
Grantees shall take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from disclosure to unauthorized individuals. Grantees shall maintain such PII in accordance with the DOL/ETA standards for information security provided herein, including any updates to such standards provided to the Grantee by DOL/ETA. Grantees shall report immediately to the DOL ETA Information Security Officer (ISO) any suspected or confirmed breaches or compromise of PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals.
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
A. Evaluation. DOL may require that the program or project participate in a formal evaluation of overall grant performance. To measure the impact of the grant program, DOL may conduct an independent evaluation of the outcomes and benefits of the projects. By accepting the grant funds, the grantee agrees 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 Management Information System (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.
B. 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 reflecting an aggregate of grants’ goals:
The placement rate of participants including placement in employment, post-secondary 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 industry-recognized credentials.
C. Reporting. Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports, quarterly progress reports, including required data regarding performance goals, and MIS data must be submitted 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. 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 and performance goals. 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.
3. Management Information System (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-to-date, and program-to-date information on participant demographics at time of enrollment, participants services provided, and interim and long-term participant outcomes. This reporting will require information on post-placement 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.
For further information about this SGA, please contact Denise Roach, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, at (202) 693-3820. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference SGA/DFA PY-11-03, 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.
A. Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. For example, the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), provides tools to help job seekers explore careers, investigate salary and benefit information, research education and training opportunities, plan a job search and browse job sites, write and improve resumes and cover letters, and prepare for a job interview; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org ) supports workers and students in career planning by accessing key data for identifying and developing workplace skills; and America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), connects people to local offices providing employment and training services, and provides maps and driving directions to the nearest One Stop Career Center and unemployment insurance filing assistance. America’s Service Locator has information on more than 20,000 local resources and offices.
B. Industry Competency Models and Career Clusters
ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development programs. To learn about the industry-validated models, visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel. The CMC site also provides tools to build or customize industry models, as well as tools to build career ladders and career lattices for specific regional economies.
Career Clusters and Industry Competency Models both identify foundational and technical competencies, but their efforts are not duplicative. The National Career Clusters™ Framework provides a structure for organizing and delivering quality Career Technology Education programs through comprehensive programs of study (POS). As an organizing tool for curriculum design and instruction, this national framework provides the essential knowledge and skills for the 16 Career Clusters™ and their Career Pathways. It also functions as a useful guide in developing programs of study bridging secondary and postsecondary curriculum and for creating individual student plans of study for a complete range of career options.
Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be found by accessing www.careerclusters.org.
C. Workforce3One Resources
ETA encourages applicants to view the information gathered through the conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources identified can be found on Workforce3One.org at: http://www.workforce3one.org/view/2001008333909172195/info.
D. My Next Move My Next Move, (http://mynextmove.dol.gov) is a new online tool intended to assist all job seekers, but may be especially useful for students, young adults and other first-time workers as they explore potential careers.
The new website allows users to search by occupation, by industry and using the O*NET Interest Profiler, which matches an individual’s interests with suitable occupations by asking 60 questions. Users can also search for occupations in three categories: careers with a “bright outlook” in growing industries, occupations that are part of the “green” economy and occupations that have a Registered Apprenticeship program.
Each occupation that a user selects has an easy-to-read, one-page profile, including information about what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed; the occupation’s outlook; the level of education required; technologies used within the occupation; and other, similar jobs. In addition, each occupation profile includes direct links to local salary information, training opportunities and relevant job openings.
E. my Skills my Future
The website (http://myskillsmyfuture.org) enables job seekers to match their occupational skills and experience with the skills needed in other occupations. This is a self-help website to help those individuals who are in transition and want to seek out new opportunities or looking for their next career opportunity. Along with possible education and training in those fields, it also can be used by organizations in an effort to help retain current employees.
The site also has links to job openings, specific training/education information and links to the skills required for specific jobs.
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.
IX. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires November 30, 2012.
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:
Latifa Jeter
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration
1 See the State of Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice’s Data Resource Guide for FY 2009 (http://www.djj.virginia.gov/Resources/DJJ_Publications/DRGFY.aspx ). For links to juvenile justice systems in other states see the State Juvenile Justice Profiles web site at http://www.ncjj.org/Publication/Juvenile-Court-Statistics-1998.aspx , but data on recidivism is not typically available through these links.
2 For more information on the history and justification for involving offenders in civic justice projects, see Gordon Bazemore and David Carp, “A Civic Justice Corps: Community Service as a Means of Reintegration,” available at http://www.cjcj.org/files/bazemore.pdf.
3 Memorandums 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | DEPARTMENT OF LABOR |
| Author | frugoli.pam |
| Last Modified By | Michel Smyth |
| File Modified | 2012-02-08 |
| File Created | 2012-02-08 |