ODEP SOLICITATION FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS – National Center on Leadership for Employment and Advancement of Citizens with Disabilities (LEAD)
6/20/2012
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Office of Disability Employment Policy
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for a National Center on Leadership for Employment and Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD)
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA XX-XX
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.720
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is 30 days after date of publication in Federal Register. Applications must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, Reference SGA XX-XX, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N2458, Washington, D.C. 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to section IV.
Summary:
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announces the availability of approximately $1.1 million to fund one cooperative agreement to establish the Leadership for the Employment and Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) national center. The Center will seek to improve employment outcomes and promote the economic advancement of people with disabilities by focusing on five strategic goal areas. First, the Center will stimulate and bring to scale innovative practices and solutions-oriented models focused on both sustainable systems change and improved practices at the individual level. Second, the Center will coordinate and provide state-of-the-art technical assistance, training and knowledge transfer capacity to workforce-related federal, state and local staff, grantees, subcontracting entities and external partners on evidence-based strategies and best practices. Third, the Center will translate emerging and successful solutions identified through demonstration projects and research focused on retention and return-to-work issues for individuals with disabilities, particularly mature workers. Fourth, the Center will assist ODEP in the development of policy by performing, upon request, rapid response to policy analysis and policy implementation questions. Finally, the Center will provide real-time accurate information related to disability employment and serve as a central locus and repository of information on best practices and successful employment strategies to both individual job seekers and the systems that assist them in securing, retaining, and advancing in employment.
This cooperative agreement will be funded for one year with up to four optional years, pending acceptable performance and availability of funding.
This solicitation provides background information, 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 grantee.
Background
1. ODEP’s Mission, Goals, and Priorities
ODEP provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policies and practices that can be used by employers, service delivery organizations, and people with disabilities to improve employment opportunities.
ODEP is guided by DOL’s FY 2011-2016 Strategic Plan and Annual Operating Plans which identified the Agency’s outcomes, outputs and key milestones. ODEP’s strategic plan requires it to promote the adoption and implementation of ODEP-identified disability employment-related policies and practices by the public workforce system, government agencies and employers. Moreover, ODEP established the following three priority areas to frame its efforts and reflect the Secretary Hilda L. Solis’ vision of Good Jobs for Everyone:
Priority Area I: Countering employers’ low expectations and negative perceptions of people with disabilities;
Priority Area II: Increasing exposure to role models and access to training, employment and transition services particularly for youth and certain ethnic, cultural and socio-economically disadvantaged groups; and
Priority Area III: Expanding access to employment supports and accommodations.
The LEAD Center supports all three of ODEP’s priorities.
2. Description of Project
The Center will focus on effectuating improved employment and socioeconomic outcomes of people with disabilities through a unique dual approach that emphasizes the promotion of both individual practices to benefit job seekers and workers with disabilities as well as sustainable systems changes needed to transform how various components of the workforce investment system collaborate and provide services to this population. The collective aims of the Center are to:
Stimulate innovation in both policy and practice;
Increase the knowledge base and capacity of the workforce investment system to effectively serve people with disabilities;
Identify and promote viable retention and return-to-work policy strategies for individuals with disabilities, particularly mature workers;
Assist ODEP in policy development by providing rapid response to policy analysis and policy implementation questions on a wide variety of topical areas as they arise; and
Serve as a central repository of real-time information and access to key experts in a variety of areas intended to enhance employment opportunities and economic advancement of people with disabilities.
The systemic and social barriers that persist in preventing people with disabilities from securing and retaining jobs and achieving economic self-sufficiency are at a crisis level today. Despite the advancement of civil rights for people with disabilities enacted over 22 years ago in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which outlined the goals of equality of opportunity, independent living, economic self-sufficiency and full participation, the employment and socioeconomic outcomes of people with disabilities continue to stagnate.
The most extensive and recent analysis of Federal investments in working-age adults with disabilities reported that in Fiscal Year 2008, nearly 12 percent of all Federal spending ($357 billion in Federal expenditures)1 was directed toward assisting working-age adults with disabilities. Of this amount, only 1.2 percent of the $357 billion in annual Federal spending on working-age adults with disabilities was focused on the education, training and employment of these citizens, while over 95.5 percent was directed towards health and income maintenance programs.2
Research analyzing labor statistical data from June 2008 and June 2010 has already confirmed that the economic decline had a much greater impact on the employment status of workers with disabilities than the non-disabled workforce.3 Furthermore, the April 2012 monthly report from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that participation by people with disabilities in the workforce continues to decline.4 The workforce participation rate for people with disabilities in April 2012 was 20.3 percent compared to 69.1 percent for people without disabilities. The reality that only 20.3 percent of working age people with disabilities – about 6 million people – actually consider themselves part of the labor force is a disconcerting trend to the U.S. Department of Labor, and is in sharp contrast to the labor force participation rate of people without disabilities, which is 69.1 percent. This means that approximately 22 million people with disabilities of working age5 have taken themselves out of the labor force, in many cases due to perceptions that they are not employable.6 And, for those citizens who count themselves as participants in the nation’s workforce, the unemployment rate for people living with a disability was 12.5 percent in April 2012 compared to 7.6 percent during the same month for people with no disability. With respect to people with disabilities who rely on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), approximately 9 percent of individuals receiving SSI are employed with average annual earnings of less than $500, and fewer than .005 percent of individuals receiving SSI ever exit the SSI system due to employment.7
Disability benefits were paid to just under 9.4 million people under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program in 2010.8 Awards to workers with disabilities (1,026,988) accounted for over 89 percent of awards to all disabled beneficiaries (1,141,928).9 In December of 2010, payments to disabled beneficiaries totaled about $9.6 billion. As currently structured, SSDI provides financial assistance to individuals who provide evidence of mental or physical impairments of a long lasting nature and with a severity sufficient to preclude them from engaging in any substantial gainful activity. Thus, rather than returning to work after acquiring an injury, more and more people are remaining on SSDI.
Retention and return-to-work issues also disproportionately impact people with disabilities, especially mature workers. Although an increasing number of workers will be retiring over the next two decades, the sheer number of mature workers means that many employers will have an increasingly aging workforce. Thus, the number of people in the labor force aged 65 and older is expected to increase more than 3 times as fast as the total labor force, due, in part, to workers postponing retirement. Compared with the total labor force, the number of workers younger than age 45 is expected to grow more slowly or to decline. At the same time, the AARP reports that nearly 70 percent of mature workers intend to work beyond the traditional retirement age.10 Many of these workers will experience disabling conditions, placing increased pressure on the employer to have employees who have temporary disabilities return to work quickly to maintain productivity. According to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, disability rates increase with age. Approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population is over age 55, and 52 percent of these individuals have some type of disability. Between 2002 and 2012, the number of workers 55 years and older is projected to grow by 50 percent. By the year 2020, researchers predict that 50 percent of the U.S. population will have at least one chronic condition and 25 percent will be living with multiple chronic conditions.11 The graying of the American workforce presents ODEP with the opportunity to develop and influence policies and practices and to engage workforce systems in rethinking their strategies related to employee recruitment, hiring, development, advancement, and transition to promote the retention of these high-quality, high-contributing employees.
Expanding and promoting stay-at-work and return-to-work policy and practices within a culture of workplace flexibility for all employees is critical to encouraging and incentivizing employers to support employees who leave work due to accident, injury, illness, surgery, and potential work disability.12 It has been proposed that a well-designed work policy, based upon experience from workers’ compensation and public and private disability insurance programs would include “incentives for employers to retain workers with disabilities; incentives for workers to continue working or return to work quickly after the onset of significant, long-term medical conditions; timely access to services for workers and employers; and, income and health benefits for those truly unable to work.”13
The national employment data on workers with disabilities also brings to the forefront the economic crises that many people with disabilities who are unemployed or underemployed continue to face. There is a direct correlation between the employment status of people with disabilities and the high percentage of these people who live in poverty. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty in 2010, which included 27.9 percent of all people with disabilities living in America. People with disabilities experienced the highest rates of poverty of any other subcategory of Americans for the tenth year in a row.14 Additionally, the American Community Survey of 2009 reports that 13.1 percent of Americans live in households below the poverty level, and 26.5 percent of individuals with any type of disability live in households below the poverty level. The poverty data available on the socioeconomic status of people with disabilities reinforces the need for continued and increased Federal investments in proven economic advancement strategies, including but not limited to work incentives, tax credits, and financial literacy initiatives specifically focused on increasing the economic security of workers with disabilities.
Unfortunately, national labor statistics paint an inaccurate picture of both the competencies and desires of people with disabilities to be included in today’s workforce and participate meaningfully in the economic mainstream. To address this disparity, reduce entitlement spending, and help people with disabilities better contribute to our economy requires a strong Federal commitment. Through the funding provided to support this Center, ODEP will continue to invest in rigorous public policy innovation and sustainable systems change efforts to support and incentivize employment and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities.
ODEP previously developed and/or validated effective models, strategies and practices to promote both positive employment outcomes at the individual level and positive sustainable change at the systems level. See e.g., ODEP’s systems change framework.15 In addition, ODEP has invested in bringing these models to scale and promoting their adoption and implementation through a number of grant initiatives including, but not limited to the following: the National Center on Workforce and Disability for Adults (NCWD/A), the Customized Employment and Workforce Action Grant Initiatives; the National Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, and Training Center (START-UP USA); the Training and Technical Assistance for Providers Initiatives (TTAP); the National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities (NTAR), and the Add Us In Initiative. Most recently, ODEP sponsored a number of policy and research initiatives related to Employment First, workplace flexibility, and the retention and return-to-work of aging workers with disabilities. Further information on ODEP’s various activities and efforts to improve the employment, retention, and return-to-work outcomes of people with disabilities can be located at: www.dol.gov/odep.
A common finding derived from ODEP's prior work is that collaboration across many types of organizations and agencies is necessary to adequately respond to the potential spectrum of needs of job seekers with complex barriers to employment, including disability. Through implementation of ODEP’s program and practice models, the leveraging of resources was facilitated at both the systems and individual levels. In addition, the blending or braiding of funds across systems became instrumental in ODEP’s grantees’ ability to support a range of job seekers, to maximize their own resources, and to share the scope of what it takes to effectively provide workforce development services. Through the proposed Center, ODEP will continue to: promote collaboration and the leveraging of resources; expand systems capacity; and capitalize on and promote the adoption and implementation of effective policies and practices ODEP identified previously at the individual and systems level through technical assistance and knowledge transfer activities. In addition, the Center will develop, disseminate, promote, and bring to scale new and innovative models and strategies at both the individual and systems level to promote the employment and economic advancement of people with disabilities. Finally, the Center will conduct policy studies to identify and validate effective models and strategies to promote the return-to-work and retention of workers with disabilities, particularly mature workers.
The Center’s work will focus on the five targeted goal areas set forth below which have been identified through ten years of ODEP research as critical for improving employment outcomes and economic advancement of people with disabilities:
Stimulate sustainable systems change through the development, dissemination, and bringing to scale of novel, innovative, solutions-oriented models, approaches, and practices.
Strengthen the capacity of the workforce investment sector to support job-seekers and workers with disabilities in seeking, attaining, and sustaining employment by providing state-of-the-art technical assistance, training and knowledge transfer capacity that is coordinated with and does not duplicate other DOL-funded efforts.
Improve retention and return-to-work outcomes for individuals with disabilities, particularly mature workers, by implementing and documenting effective retention and return-to-work policies and strategies at both an individual and systems level.
Accelerate ODEP’s capacity to craft, influence, and implement Federal public policy by providing rapid response policy research and policy analysis, and
Increase the knowledge-base and access to real-time accurate information related to disability employment policy for various stakeholders by serving as a central locus and repository of information on best practices and successful strategies, both for individual job seekers and employment systems.
B. Description and Purpose
1. Purpose of SGA
The purpose of this SGA is to implement one cooperative agreement to create a National Center for Leadership in the Employment and Advancement of People with Disabilities (the LEAD Center, or the Center). The Center will seek to improve employment outcomes and promote the economic advancement of people with disabilities by focusing on five strategic goal areas. First, the Center will stimulate and bring to scale innovative practices and solutions-oriented models focused on both sustainable systems change and improved practices at the individual level. Second, the Center will coordinate and provide state-of-the-art technical assistance, training and knowledge transfer capacity to DOL state and regional staff, grantees, subcontracting entities and external partners on evidence-based strategies and best practices. Third, the Center will translate emerging and successful solutions identified through demonstration projects and research focused on retention and return-to-work issues for individuals with disabilities, particularly mature workers. Fourth, the Center will assist ODEP in the development of policy by performing, upon request, rapid response to policy analysis and policy implementation questions. Finally, the Center will provide real-time accurate information related to disability employment and serve as a central locus and repository of information on best practices and successful employment strategies to both individual job seekers and the systems that assist them in securing, retaining, and advancing in employment.
The Center’s dual focus on both reformations at the individual and systems level will result in stronger economic self-sufficiency and full participation of people with disabilities in the workforce and economic mainstream.
Required Activities
The required services outlined in this solicitation relate to the five strategic goals previously identified under Section I.B of this SGA, which are restated below with additional clarifying information:
Goal 1: Increase employment and socioeconomic outcomes of individual job seekers and workers with disabilities, and stimulate sustainable systems change through the development, dissemination, and bringing to scale of novel, innovative, solutions-oriented models, approaches, and practices.
ODEP is interested in developing, validating and disseminating innovative policies and practices to enhance service delivery at the individual level, and in spurring systems change that is creative, sustainable and replicable.
Applicants should include in their application proposed policy initiatives, implementation activities and deliverables specifically focused on stimulating and bringing to scale innovative approaches at both the individual and systems level. The development, testing and dissemination of innovative models and approaches for improving the overall employment and socioeconomic outcomes of people with disabilities is a critical component of the SGA, and applicants must demonstrate how they are uniquely positioned to successfully spur such innovation and bring it to scale.
A strategic plan will be developed with ODEP during the first quarter of year one to confirm and/or modify these proposed activities and deliverables for year one of the cooperative agreement. Identification of deliverables for years two through five will be accomplished collaboratively on an annual basis in the work plan for the grantee.
Goal 2: Strengthen the capacity of the workforce investment sector to support job-seekers and workers with disabilities in seeking, attaining, and sustaining employment by coordinating and providing state-of-the-art technical assistance, training and knowledge transfer capacity.
The successful applicant will provide broad technical assistance, training, and knowledge transfer activities to facilitate understanding and broad adoption or replication of approaches previously validated by ODEP’s prior research, and otherwise facilitate coordination and information sharing among multiple DOL and ODEP state and regional staff, grantees, subcontracting entities, as well as relevant external partners.
A. Target systems must include (but are not limited to) the public workforce investment system and any relevant, mandatory or necessary partners. Activities undertaken under this goal must complement and not duplicate the activities provided through DOL’s Employment and Training Administration and other technical assistance efforts. The successful applicant must closely and on an ongoing basis coordinate activities with the Employment and Training Administration.
Proposals should include an outline of recommended training, technical assistance, and knowledge transfer activities that the applicant will provide that is relevant to increasing the capacity of the public workforce system and relevant partners to improve the employment outcomes and socioeconomic advancement of workers with disabilities.
The grantee will be expected to develop various policy resources to be used by ODEP for the purposes of supporting and educating the workforce investment sector, DOL grantees, subcontracting entities, and external partners on specific policy strategies and approaches focused on the employment of persons with disabilities.
Information and technical assistance provided by the grantee shall include, but not be limited to areas where ODEP has developed and/or validated effective approaches to employment and/or sustainable systems change in order to further their replication and adoption. This includes both individual strategy areas and systems change strategy areas, including those areas identified in ODEP’s systems change framework (see http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/WorkforceSystem.htm). Applicants are encouraged to visit ODEPs Web site at http://www.dol.gov/odep for additional information in these areas.
The grantee must also agree to work with ODEP in its various technical assistance efforts in order to freely share with others what is learned about building systems capacity and leadership across generic and disability-specific systems and linking asset development and employment activities. The Grantee must agree to collaborate with other research institutes, centers, studies, and evaluations that are supported by the DOL and other relevant Federal agencies, as appropriate.
Goal 3: Improve retention and return-to-work outcomes for individuals with disabilities, including mature workers, by implementing and documenting effective retention and return-to-work policies and strategies at both an individual and systems level.
Building upon existing research, including, but not limited to that performed by ODEP, the successful applicant will conduct a pilot demonstration with at least one employer entity to identify and validate effective models and strategies that promote the retention and return-to-work of individuals with disabilities, including mature workers. Applicants should:
A. Outline an overall approach for conducting this pilot, which must at a minimum include providing training and technical assistance (including on-site, individualized supports) and assessing its impact on corporate culture as well as on retention and return-to-work outcomes of individuals with disabilities, particularly mature workers. In addition, the applicant will be required to document policies and practices found to be effective in increasing retention/return-to-work outcomes for individual workers, including, but not limited to workplace flexibility.
B. Identify in their application at least one employer entity willing to participate in year one of the pilot. [1] The entity must be a large national employer that it is willing to actively engage its affiliates in participating in the project. A letter must be included in the Appendix from the employer entity indicating their interest in participating in the proposed policy pilot for a one-year period.
C. Outline the general structure of the approach, including hypothesis, anticipated design, scope, focus of interventions, and outcomes, including proposed policy products.
D. Include a general timeline that specifies key activities and outcomes to be completed in Year One, which at a minimum should include the design and launch of the project, as well as the development of the specific intervention(s) to be tested.
E. Identify key personnel or consultants to provide leadership for implementation of this pilot.
GOAL 4: Accelerate ODEP’s capacity to craft, influence, and implement Federal public policy by providing rapid response policy research and policy analysis.
The successful applicant will help inform ODEP’s policy development by conducting policy research and analysis upon request by ODEP on a rapid-turn-around basis in the areas of responsibility under this solicitation. Applicants must provide information to demonstrate their capacity, experience, and suggestions for providing the following supports:
A. Analyzing and assisting in the development of legislative or regulatory language related to improving the employment outcomes and economic advancement of people with disabilities.
B. Providing policy analysis and developing policy recommendations to addressing the systemic barriers that impede employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
C. Providing timely responses to inquiries from the field about workforce development programs and initiatives from across the nation.
D. Convening policymakers and external stakeholders to obtain input or share information relating to one or more of ODEP’s current or future policy initiatives related to the employment and economic advancement of people with disabilities.
Goal 5: Increase the knowledge-base and access to real-time accurate information related to disability employment policy for various stakeholders by serving as a central locus and repository of information on best practices and successful strategies, both for individual job seekers and employment systems, to improve employment outcomes and the economic advancement of people with disabilities.
The application should include a plan for this goal that at a minimum describes how the applicant will perform the following:
A. Serve as a repository and dissemination center for information and materials from ODEP as well as information developed through other national entities related to employment of people with disabilities. This is to include establishing and maintaining a Web site and implementing other social media activities.
B. Provide national linkages to information experts and activities on exemplary and validated practices in a range of areas related to employment and economic advancement for people with disabilities. The successful applicant will identify and provide resumes in an Appendix of key staff and consultants with expertise who have agreed to participate in Center activities.
C. Facilitate coordination and information sharing among multiple DOL or ODEP grantees and contractors, as well as initiatives of other agencies related to adults with disabilities.
D. Develop and disseminate materials to supplement technical assistance, training and knowledge transfer activities. All materials must be made available through an accessible Web site as defined in Section I.C of the SGA and the Eligibility Information in SGA Section III.E.2. (entitled “Universal Access and Design”).
3. Other Requirements
a. Accessible Deliverables. All deliverables produced by the grantee must be accessible, and all Web materials must be approved by DOL’s Office of Public Affairs Division of Enterprise Communications (OPA-DEC). See definition in Section I.C of the SGA and the Eligibility Information in SGA Section III.E.2. (“Universal Access and Design”).
b. Prior Approval. Input and approval of ODEP will be obtained prior to any of the following activities on the part of the grantee:
Addition, deletion or changes to any key project staff or personnel directly involved in the completion of one or more goals of the initiative;
Significant changes to the project design, scope or key components.
Changes to any projected timelines with regards to completion of various milestones.
Changes to any project milestones or agreed-upon outcomes.
Creation of specific deliverables, including, but not limited to policy products, informational resources, or data collection efforts.
Significant changes to budgetary categories or expenditures.
c. Staffing
The Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing for the project and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the personnel who will carry it out related to the objectives of this solicitation. In addition, the evaluation criteria listed in Section V(1)(c) include consideration of the qualifications, including relevant education, training, and demonstrated experience, of key project personnel, as well as the qualifications, including relevant education, training and demonstrated experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. As such, resumes and brief biographical information on key personnel and contractors should be included in the appendices. Key personnel include any individual (whether a professional staff member or individual consultant or subcontractor) playing a substantial role in the project. Minimum qualifications should be commensurate with the specific role the individual will be responsible for undertaking as identified in the application.
There must be a prime or lead project director who is responsible for overall grant management and serves as the fiscal agent. It is expected that the project director will commit a minimum 50 percent of their time to the direct oversight and management of this project.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to include relevant partners and establish meaningful collaborative arrangements that are necessary to produce the results envisioned by this SGA. Partnerships, however, should be strategic and useful to accomplishing the goals of the SGA, and applications should clearly articulate the rationale and focus of each partnership included in the proposal. All applications must clearly identify the lead grant recipient and fiscal agent, as well as all other members of the consortium, including consultants involved in the proposed scope of work. In addition, the application must identify the relationship between all of the members of the consortium and the specific roles and activities each partner will be responsible for executing.
Successful applications will provide a detailed organizational chart outlining the roles and responsibilities of a project director, program manager(s) and other key members of a project team (including both internal professional staff and external consultants). The organizational chart should also identify the percentages of time of each key project team member that will be allocated toward the fulfillment of the applicant’s scope of work.
In addition, there must be at least one professional staff member, subcontractor, or external consultant among the project team with demonstrated expertise in each of the following areas:
Working and collaborating directly with citizens with disabilities and their families on employment-related goals and supports;
Providing technical assistance and training to the public workforce investment system;
Implementing systems innovation at local, state and national levels;
Implementing evidence-based innovative approaches to individual-level practice;
Assisting in the analysis of and providing recommendations on draft legislative language, regulatory documents, and other Federal policy materials; and
Designing and administering accessible Web materials and programs.
For each staff person named in the application, documentation of all internal and external time commitments shall be provided. In instances where a staff person is committed on a project supported through Federal funds, the application should provide the project name, Federal office, program title, the project Federal award number, and the amount of committed time by each project year.
In general, ODEP will not reduce time commitments on currently funded grants from the time proposed in the original application. Therefore, ODEP will not consider for funding any application where key staff are bid above a time commitment level that staff have available to bid (i.e. 100 percent). Further, the time commitments stated in newly submitted applications will not be negotiated down to permit the applicant to receive a new grant award.
C. Definitions
The following terms are referenced in this SGA:
Systems Change: Please refer to the ODEP Systems Change Framework (http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/WorkforceSystem.htm) for information on the following terms: capacity, coordination, customization, development/adaptation/evaluation of new practices, dissemination of new practices, and sustainability.
Knowledge transfer refers to translating research and existing knowledge into actual utilization, including identification, validation and adoption of successful strategies and models through a variety of means.
Mature workers, for the purposes of this solicitation, refers to individuals who are at least 40 years of age.
Retention and Return-to-work refers to activities resulting in facilitating the retention in and/or return of an employee to the workforce. This includes returning to work as soon as he or she is able to perform meaningful and productive work following onset of injury or disability, as well as retention and return-to-work of mature individuals through productive aging at the workplace.
Workplace flexibility is a universal strategy that can include when, where, and how work is done as well as what job tasks are undertaken. Essentially, flexibility enables both individual and business needs to be met through making changes to the time (when), location (where), and manner (how) in which an employee works as well as the customization of job tasks as appropriate. Flexibility should be mutually beneficial to both the employer and employee.
Employer entity, for the purpose of this solicitation, refers to a large, national employer that has the ability to leverage or direct other businesses across a geographically diverse area. The individual business may be directly or indirectly related to the employer (examples include but are not limited to: the central office of a national employer chain or corporate entity; an insurance company with several member companies; a national company with an affiliate infrastructure; or a national franchise enterprise). The term does not include dues-based employer organizations or affiliate structures where the individual businesses are completely independent from the central office.
II. Award Information
Award Amount
ODEP has approximately $1,100,000 available under this competition and expects to fund one cooperative agreement. The cooperative agreement will not exceed $1,100,000. Any application with a proposed value greater than $1,100,000 will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered.
DOL reserves the right to negotiate the amounts to be awarded under this competition. Additionally, there will be no reimbursement of pre-award costs.
. B. Type of Grant
Inasmuch as the award will be made in the form of a cooperative agreement, DOL/ODEP will have substantial involvement in the administration of the agreement. Monthly conference calls with ODEP focusing on project activities will also be a required component of cooperative agreement activity. This DOL/ODEP involvement will consist of:
Approval of all key personnel, sub-contractors or sub-awardees related to the cooperative agreement awarded by the grantee after the cooperative agreement award;
Participation in site visits as appropriate to the design or implementation of the cooperative agreement;
Reviewing, at reasonable times, all documents related to the grant pertaining to the project, including status and technical progress reports, and financial reports. ODEP will provide the format for the reports;
Oversight and approval of all deliverables, including, but not limited to fact sheets, training materials, press releases and publicity-related materials regarding the project;
Providing advice and consultation to the Grantee on specific program criteria;
Discussing administrative and technical issues pertaining to the project;
Providing the Grantee(s) with technical and programmatic support, including training in DOL monitoring and evaluation systems, and standard procedures regarding DOL management of cooperative agreements;
Oversight and approval of all content for online resources developed through project activities, including clearing topics for material production and final document production; and
Reviewing project evaluation design and participating with ODEP’s independent evaluator.
C. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance will be one year, with up to four option years possible contingent on adequacy of performance and availability of funds. Applicants should plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible lead entities include public/private nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, (including, not limited to small businesses), and faith-based or disability-led organizations with relevant experience in technical assistance and policy analysis as they relate to increasing employment and economic advancement for people with disabilities. Such experience must include demonstrated capacity for work at both an individual and systems level, and prior development of deliverables including policy outputs.
The lead entity must document a consortium of additional organizations as appropriate to meet the requirements of this SGA. The lead entity must have demonstrated experience in technical assistance, knowledge transfer and disability policy analysis at both an individual and systems level and must provide examples of this prior experience in the Appendix. The lead entity must also lay out in clear detail the specific roles and responsibilities of each additional partner. Consortium partners should provide a specific expertise vital to achieving one or more of the five target goal areas.
According to section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, an organization, as described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, that engages in lobbying activities will not be eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan. See 2 U.S.C. 1611; 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(4). Funding restrictions apply.
Cost sharing, matching funds, and cost participation are not required under this SGA. However, leveraging of public and private resources to foster inclusive service-delivery and achieve project sustainability is highly encouraged and included under the evaluation criteria.
In ODEP’s prior work, the leveraging of resources was facilitated at both the systems and individual levels, and the blending or braiding of funds across systems became instrumental in ODEP’s grantees’ ability to support a range of job seekers, to maximize their own resources, and to share the scope of what it takes to effectively provide workforce development services. As such, applicants are strongly encouraged to outline creative approaches to leveraging resources, networks and partnerships strategically as necessary to produce the results envisioned by this SGA.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
The fiscal agent must have proof of successful operation of Federal or other grants of this size and scope.
The lead entity should not be primarily an academic or research entity, although such entity can participate as part of the required consortium as appropriate to the proposed activities of the applicant. Existing ODEP technical assistance and research centers are not eligible to apply as the lead entity to encourage innovation.
Applicants may be required to provide contact information for grant officers and technical experts associated with prior government grants and cooperative agreements.
D. Eligible Participants
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. The Employment and Training Administration’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 Web sites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For this grant competition, we will publish on the Department’s public Web site, or similar publicly accessible location, the Abstracts required by Section IV.B.3 and SF-424 for all applications received. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Project Narrative required by Section IV.B. Part III, for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s Web site or a similar location. Except for the Abstract, none of the attachments to the Project Narrative described in Section IV.B. Part III will be published. The Project Narratives and abstracts will not be published until after the grants are awarded. 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. Proprietary or business confidential information is information that is not usually disclosed outside your organization and disclosing this information is likely to cause you substantial competitive harm.
Personally identifiable information is any 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.16
Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. Applicants should not include any proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information in this summary. In the event that an applicant submits proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information, DOL is not liable for the posting of this information contained in the abstract. The submission of the grant application constitutes a waiver of the applicant’s objection to the posting of any proprietary or confidential business information contained in the abstract. Additionally, the applicant is responsible for obtaining all authorizations from relevant parties for publishing all personally identifiable information contained within the abstract. In the event the abstract contains proprietary or confidential business or personally identifiable information, the applicant is presumed to have obtained all necessary authorizations to provide this information and may be liable for any improper release of this information.
By submission of this grant application, the applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor, its officers, employees, and agents against any liability or for any loss or damages arising from this application. By such submission of this grant application, the applicant further acknowledges having the authority to execute this release of liability.
In order to ensure that proprietary or confidential business information or personally identifiable information is properly protected from disclosure when DOL posts the winning Project Narratives, applicants who’s Project Narratives will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Project Narrative, with any proprietary or confidential business information and personally identifiable information redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s and consortium members’ staff (if applicable) should be removed as well.
The Department will contact the applicants whose Project Narratives will be published by letter or e-mail, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Project Narrative.
Submission of a redacted version of the Project Narrative will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. We will also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Project Narrative, the applicant has obtained the agreement to the applicant’s decision about what material to redact of all citizens and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information or personally identifiable information is contained in the Project Narrative. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Project Narrative within two weeks from the date of receipt of directions regarding submission of a redacted version of the Project Narrative, DOL will publish the original Project Narrative in full, after redacting only personally identifiable information. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Project Narrative will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any personally identifiable information.)
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 capable of identifying a person. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Project Narrative 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.”
Universal Access and Design
The grantee must demonstrate a solid knowledge of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) Level AA. The grantee is responsible for ensuring that all information computer technologies (ICT) deliverables meet or exceed accessibility and universal design requirements under Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 Level AA. The grantee must have the ability and experience in determining 508 compliance of ICT including design specification, testing and verification, and remediation as required.
All ICT deliverables produced by the grantee must be accessible and meet the criteria outlined in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) Level AA. ICT deliverables include, but are not limited to: collaborative workspaces and tools, documents and materials, PDFs, forms, online tools, Web sites and mobile applications, Webcasts, Webinars, multimedia, social media, any training and related training materials, PowerPoint and other presentations and presentation materials, Word and electronic document formats, reports, etc. Print materials must be made available in an alternate accessible format when requested.
3. Security
The grantee shall implement the necessary security controls and configuration management for data collection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This support shall be in accordance with Department-wide guidelines, policies, procedures and templates that will be in compliance with National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance and will satisfy the requirements of the E-Government Act of 2002 including Title III, Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), the Clinger-Cohen Act, Office of Management Budget (OMB) guidance, Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD) 7, 8, and 12, and the DOL Cyber Security Program Plan (CSPP). The grantee will respond to security data calls requested by ODEP’s Information Security Officer (ISO).
This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding. Additional application packages and amendments to this SGA may be obtained from the ODEP Web site address at www.dol.gov/odep, and the Federal Grant Opportunities Web site address at http://www.grants.gov.
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 not being reviewed.
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 project narrative; and (III) attachments to the project narrative. 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. 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). 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 Web site: 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.
The awardee must support the travel and associated costs of one-day quarterly meetings with ODEP staff in Washington D.C.
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 not reviewed.
Note that the Budget and Budget Narrative are not included in the page limit requirements.
Required Activities
The applicant should include a description of proposed activities by strategic goal area (as outlined in Section I.B.2.) designed to achieve an improvement in both individual practices and systems change that result in increased employment outcomes and socioeconomic advancement of citizens with disabilities. For each goal area, applicants must provide information on strategies they will undertake for advancing knowledge development, including describing specific technical assistance and training activities and other initiatives to be undertaken. In addition, applicants must describe how they will effectively disseminate policy knowledge, research findings, and successful practices through and within various networks within the public workforce investment system and relevant external partners, as well as other relevant stakeholder communities (including, but not limited to consumers, employers, and community providers of employment and other services to advance economic stability). They should also describe how they will encourage and monitor the translation and utilization of such knowledge and successful practices. The successful applicant must also provide in the Appendix examples of prior technical assistance, policy analysis and policy pilot work completed or underway that relates to all five strategic goal areas. Finally, the successful applicant will include a detailed plan for ensuring that ODEP’s leadership is timely informed on a regular basis of progress being made in the implementation of this cooperative agreement.
Project Management and Outcomes
Each Project Narrative must include:
A detailed 12 month management plan for project goals, objectives, activities and expected deliverables and milestones must be included to illustrate the connection between proposed grant activities, staff responsibilities, and both project and ODEP outputs and outcomes. (See ODEP Logic Model, attached). A chart of the timeline described in the narrative should be provided in the Appendix.
A description of procedures and approaches that will be used to provide ongoing communication, collaboration with, and input from ODEP's Project Officer on all cooperative agreement-related activities.
c. Staffing
The Project Narrative must describe the proposed staffing for the project and must identify and summarize the qualifications of the personnel who will carry it out related to the objectives of this solicitation. In addition, the evaluation criteria listed in Section V(1)(c) include consideration of the qualifications, including relevant education, training, and demonstrated experience, of key project personnel, as well as the qualifications, including relevant education, training and demonstrated experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. As such, brief biographical information on key personnel should be included in the appendices. Key personnel include any individual (whether a professional staff member or individual consultant or subcontractor) playing a substantial role in the project. Minimum qualifications should be commensurate with the role identified in the application. In addition, the applicant must specify in the application the percentages of time to be dedicated by each key person on the project.
All applications must clearly identify the lead grant recipient and fiscal agent, as well as all other members of the consortium including consultants involved in the proposed scope of work. In addition, the application must identify the relationship between the lead entity and all relevant partners, as well as the roles each will play in the successful implementation of the applicant’s proposal.
Successful applications will provide a detailed organizational chart outlining the roles and responsibilities of a project director, program manager(s) and other key members of a project team (including both internal professional staff and external consultants). The organizational chart should also clarify the percentages of time of each key project team member that will be allocated toward the fulfillment of the applicant’s scope of work.
In addition, there must be at least one professional staff member, subcontractor, or external consultant among the project team with demonstrated expertise in each of the following areas:
Working and collaborating directly with youth and adults with disabilities and their families on employment-related goals and supports
Providing technical assistance and training to the public workforce investment system
Implementing systems innovation at local, state and national levels
Implementing evidence-based innovative approaches to individual-level practice
Analyzing and drafting of legislative language, regulatory documents, and other Federal policy materials
Designing and administering of accessible Web materials and programs
For each staff person named in the application, documentation of all internal and external time commitments shall be provided (i.e., 100 percent). In instances where a staff person is committed on a project supported through Federal funds, the application should provide the project name, Federal office, program title, the project Federal award number, and the amount of committed time by each project year.
Part III. Attachments to the Project Narrative. In addition to the Project Narrative, the applicant must submit the following attachments:
A two-page, single-spaced abstract summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to the scope of the project and proposed outcomes by strategic goal area;
Budget and Budget Narrative
Matrix of key personnel and consultant experience with brief narrative biography and letter of agreement to participate;
Timeline and/or Gantt chart of project activities predicted for year one.
Chart identifying examples of prior work done by key personnel and consultants in each goal area with at least three examples of such products in the appendices, one of which must relate to policy outputs and recommendations.
Applications that do not include the required attachments will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
Only those attachments listed above as required attachments will be excluded from the page limit. The required attachments must be affixed as separate, clearly identified appendices to the application. Additional materials such as general letters of support will not be considered.
Additionally, any letters of commitment from partners involved in the proposed project that do not directly identify the specific commitment or roles of the project partners will not be considered in the evaluation review process.
The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is 30 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 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (fax) will not be accepted.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy must submit an original signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL. Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also required to provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hardcopy and CD format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.
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: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, Reference SGA XX-XX, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N2458, Washington, D.C. 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington D.C. 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 5:00 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).
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 Authorized Organizational (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 e-mail messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first e-mail, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second e-mail will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and subsequently successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be allotted for submission (two business days) and, if applicable, additional time to address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, the application will not be considered.
The components of the application must be saved in an accessible (508 compliant) format as either .doc, .xls or .pdf files. Documents received in a format other than .doc, .xls or .pdf will not be read. If submitted in any other format or are inaccessible (not 508 compliant), applicants assume the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent our ability to consider the application. ODEP 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.
To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, applicants may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription_signup.jsp.
If applicants encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or e-mail “[email protected]”. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 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 5:00 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.”
E. Funding Restrictions
All proposal costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles or other conditions contained in the grant.
Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.
As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate (ICR) is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. Organizations must use the ICR supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If an organization requires a new ICR or has a pending ICR, the Grant Officer will award a temporary billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be issued. This rate is based on the fact that an organization has not established an ICR agreement. Within this 90 day period, the organization must submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal to their Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional ICR.
For purposes of this solicitation, indirect cost rates may not exceed 15 percent, which must include all administrative costs discussed below. Applications claiming an indirect cost rate greater than 15 percent will not be considered.
3. 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 Office of Disability Employment Policy. This product does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The 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.”
4. Travel
Any travel undertaken in performance of this cooperative agreement shall be subject to and in strict accordance with Federal travel regulations.
5. Acknowledgement of DOL Funding
In all circumstances, the following shall be displayed on printed materials prepared by the grantee under the cooperative agreement: “Preparation of this item was funded by the United States Department of Labor under Cooperative Agreement No. XX-XX.”
All printed materials must also include the following notice: “This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.”
6. Use of DOL and ODEP Logo
In consultation with DOL/ODEP, the grantee must acknowledge DOL's role as described. The DOL and/or ODEP logo may be applied to DOL-funded material prepared for world-wide distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best practice reports, and other publications of global interest. The grantee must consult with DOL on whether the logo may be used on any such items prior to final draft or final preparation for distribution. In no event shall the DOL and/or ODEP logo be placed on any item until DOL has given the grantee written permission to use the logo on the item.
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 |
|
10 |
|
35 |
|
25 |
|
10 |
5. Management and Outcomes |
20 |
TOTAL |
100 |
A technical panel will review grant applications against the criteria listed below, on the basis of the maximum points indicated. Applicants must provide relevant information in an Appendix to document experience as appropriate.
1. Significance of the Proposed Project (10 points)
In determining the significance of the proposed Center activities and projects, the Department will consider the extent to which the proposed project will:
Increase knowledge and identify innovative solutions and effective strategies at the individual level for increasing employment and economic advancement of people with disabilities, and for documenting such outcomes (5 points); and
Increase knowledge and identify innovative solutions and effective strategies to build systems capacity and alignment, and for documenting such outcomes (5 points).
Project Design (35 points)
In evaluating the quality of the proposed project design, the Department will consider the extent to which:
The goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified and measurable by each targeted goal area (5 points);
The design of the proposed project is based on a logical framework for advancing individual practice and sustainable systems change to achieve employment, and leverages the ODEP systems change framework for promoting systems capacity and alignment to promote and document systems change in identified areas (4 points);
The design of the proposed project includes a high-quality plan for project implementation, including timeline and proposed deliverables in each goal area, and the use of suitable approaches to ensure successful achievement of project objectives (4 points);
The design of the project includes a detailed vision for implementing demonstration projects to test innovative return-to-work and retention strategies aimed at workers with disabilities (3 points). Project designs with a strong focus on addressing the retention and return-to-work of mature workers will receive an additional three points (3 points);
The proposed project will effectively contribute to increased knowledge and understanding by building upon previous ODEP research and demonstration projects for individuals and systems, including but not limited to workplace flexibility, customized employment, and universal design (5 points);
The proposed project addresses the comprehensiveness of the public workforce investment system and develops, maintains and documents collaborations to foster employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities (4 points);
The design of the proposed project includes a comprehensive strategy for providing training, technical assistance and knowledge transfer (5 points);
The proposed project will be coordinated with similar or related Federal technical assistance, research, training, and information efforts, and leverages other public and private resources to foster inclusive service delivery and concrete evidence of sustainability (including appropriate letters of commitment from key staff and contractors included in the appendices) (2 points).
3. Organizational Capacity and Quality of Key Personnel (25 points)
Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates organizational capacity and quality of key personnel to implement the proposed requirements outlined in the SGA, including:
Demonstrated experience with similar projects providing technical assistance, implementing knowledge transfer activities, developing policy resources and recommendations, and implementing pilot initiatives as specified in the SGA, including examples provided in the appendices (8 points);
Qualifications and demonstrated experience of the applicant's key personnel, subcontractors and consultants in each goal area (8 points);
Involvement of individuals with disabilities in key staff positions and in implementation of project activities (5 points); and
Appropriateness of the organization's structure to carry out the project (4 points).
4. Budget and Resource Capacity (10 points)
In evaluating the capacity of the applicant to carry out the proposed project, ODEP will consider the extent to which:
The budget is adequate to support the proposed project (3 points);
The anticipated costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project (3 points); and
The applicant has demonstrated a strong commitment to leveraging other external resources to maximize efficiencies in effectively accomplishing the various outcomes and milestones (4 points).
5. Management and Outcomes (20 points)
In evaluating the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, ODEP will consider the following factors:
The extent to which the management plan for project implementation appears likely to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on time and within budget (4 points)
The extent to which the management plan for project implementation includes clearly defined staff responsibilities, time allocation to project activities by targeted goal area, timelines, milestones for accomplishing project tasks, project deliverables (5 points);
The adequacy of the mechanisms for ensuring high-quality policy-oriented products and services relating to the scope of work in each targeted goal area (5 points);
The time commitments of the project director and/or principal investigator and other key project personnel are appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed project (3 points);
The extent to which the management plan for project implementation demonstrates experience with the public workforce system and coordination with the Employment and Training Administration in relevant goal areas (3 points).
Applications for grants under this Solicitation will be accepted after the publication of this announcement and until the closing date. A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an application, depending on the quality of the responses to the required information described in section V. A. The ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding, in conjunction with other factors such as urban, rural, and geographic balance; the availability of funds; and which proposals are most advantageous to the government. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to his/her attention. The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
All award notifications will be posted on the ODEP Homepage at: (http://www.dol.gov/odep). Applicants selected for award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified by mail or e-mail 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, ODEP 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.
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:
a. Non-Profit Organizations – OMB Circular A–122 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 230, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements)
b. Educational Institutions – OMB Circular A–21 (Cost Principles), relocated to 2 CFR Part 220, and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
c. 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).
d. Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
e. 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).
f. 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.
g. 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.
h. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
i. 29 CFR part 33—Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of Labor;
j. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
k. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
l. 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:
a. 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.
b. 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).
c. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that it has the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252) (Transparency Act), as follows:
All applicants, except for those excepted from the Transparency Act under sub-paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 below, must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the subaward and executive total compensation reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, should they receive funding.
Upon award, applicants will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, which can be found at the following Web site: 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 citizens (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.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, DOL/ODEP’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 for Evaluation
DOL may require that the program or project participate in an evaluation of overall performance of ODEP grants and require the cooperation of the grantee as a condition of award.
All grantees must agree to cooperate with an independent evaluation to be conducted by ODEP. ODEP will arrange for and conduct this independent evaluation of the outcomes, impacts, and accomplishments of each funded project. Grantees must agree to make available records on all parts of project activity, including participant employment and wage data, available data on specific models being evaluated, and to provide access to personnel, as specified by the evaluator(s), under the direction of ODEP. This evaluation is separate from the process evaluation required of the grantee for project implementation.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports and quarterly progress reports, in addition to a final project report must be submitted by the grantee electronically. The grantee is required to provide the reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Standard Form 425; Federal Financial Form (FFR) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due 30 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 30 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. The report must include quarterly information regarding grant activities. Quarterly progress reports are estimated to take ten hours to complete.
3. Final Project Report
The final report will include an assessment of project performance and outcomes achieved. The final report is estimated to take 20 hours to complete. This report will be submitted in hard copy and on electronically using a format and following instructions, which will be provided by ODEP. Grantees must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements.
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 Cassandra Mitchell, Grants Officer, at (202) 693-4570. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference SGA XX-XX, and along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. This announcement is being made available on the ODEP Web site at: http://www.dol.gov/odep and at: http://www.grants.gov.
VIII. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No. 1225-0086
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires November 30, 2012.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no citizens 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 N.W., Room N1301, Washington, D.C. 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 XXXXX, in Washington, D.C. by:
Cassandra R. Mitchell
Grant Officer
1 Livermore, Stapleton and O’Toole. (September 2011) “Health Care Costs are a Key Driver and Growth in Federal and State Assistance to Working-Age People with Disabilities.” Health Affairs, 30:91664-1672. An appendix providing a list of all 58 government programs included in this study is available at content.healthaffairs.org. The study includes Federal expenditures on working-age people with disabilities (defined as those age 18 to 64),? as well as the amounts spent by disability-related programs to support the dependents of working-age citizens with disabilities.
2 Same as above.
3 Kaye, S. (2010). “The Disproportionate Impact of the Great Recession on Workers with Disabilities”. Institute on Health & Aging, University of San Francisco-California.
4 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor (2011). http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm.
5 The term “working age” is commonly used to describe those age 18 to 64 or a similar age grouping. Here we are referring to people with disabilities ages 16 and over.
6 This group also includes people who choose not to work because they have retired, or have chosen to stay at home to care for family members, or go to school full time, etc.
7 National Council on Disability (2012). Exploring New Paradigms for the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. Supplement to the 2011 NCD publication Rising Expectations: The Developmental Disabilities Act Revisited. Washington, D.C., pp. 51.
8 Social Security Administration (2010). Annual Statistical Report on the Social Security Disability Insurance Program. http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/index.html.
9 Same as above.
10 AARP. (2002). Staying ahead of the curve. AARP work and career study. (report). Washington, D.C, author.
11 Society of Human Resources Management. (2008-09). Census 2000; Building a Labor Market that Works for Everyone: Programs and Policies to Eliminate Unemployment Rate Disparities Affecting Minorities—Report in response to Congressional Appropriations Committees’ Request in Division F of the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations Act, FY 2009 (P.L. 111-8); HR Magazine, several articles.
12 Allan Bergman and Bryon MacDonald. (2011). Restructuring Disability Insurance to Support Work Opportunities and Economic Self-Sufficiency. Report published in Response to “Employment Summit in the Great Recession” held April 7-8, 2011 in Washington D.C. Sponsored by the World Institute on Disability, National Council on Independent Living, and Mathematica. pp. 5-13.
13 Same as above. pp. 13.
14 U.S. Census Bureau (September 2011). www.census.gov
15 More information on ODEP’s systems change framework can be located online at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/WorkforceSystem.htm.
[1] It is anticipated that the successful applicant will continue the demonstration pilot with either the same and/or other employers in years two through five of the grant, subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds.
16 OMB Memorandum 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 | brown-elena |
| File Modified | 2012-06-21 |
| File Created | 2012-06-21 |