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pdfDEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Application for Urban and NonUrban Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) for Program Year (PY) 2013,
July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014.
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA #13-01 / PY 2013
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.805
Key Dates:
The closing date for receipt of the application is 30 days from the date of
publication in Grants.gov. Application must be received no later than 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time.
Addresses:
Applicants may apply electronically at www.grants.gov. Instructions for
electronic applications are in section IV. C. of this Notice. Applications
submitted by U.S. Mail, professional overnight delivery service or hand-delivery
must be addressed to:
U.S. Department of Labor
Procurement Services Center
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Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Reference SGA #13-01
200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room S-4307
Washington, DC 20210
For complete application and submission information, including online
application instructions, please refer to section IV.
Summary
The U.S. Department of Labor (Department of Labor or USDOL), Veterans’ Employment and
Training Service (VETS) announces a grant competition under 38 U.S.C. Section 2021, which
provides that “Secretary of Labor [the Secretary] shall conduct, directly or through grant or
contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training,
counseling, and placement services (including job readiness, literacy, and skills training) to
expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.” Applications proposing to
serve homeless veterans under this Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP)
solicitation will fall into one of two categories: Urban, Non-Urban geographical areas.
Applicants proposing to serve homeless veterans on Native American tribal lands are encouraged
to apply under the Non-Urban category. HVRP grants are intended to address two objectives: to
provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within
the labor force, and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will
address the complex problems facing homeless veterans.
Successful applicants will propose programs that expedite the reintegration of eligible homeless
veterans into the labor force by providing job placement services, job training, counseling,
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supportive services, and other assistance. There is no prescribed or mandatory model for
applicants to specifically adhere to; however, applicants must address all of the operational,
administrative, and financial requirements described within this solicitation. Successful
applicants will have demonstrated the ability to address the universal challenges as well as the
local or regional problems that have contributed to veteran homelessness and have prevented
these veterans from stabilizing their lives and reentering the workforce.
Under this solicitation, VETS anticipates that up to $5,000,000, to be adjusted based on available
appropriations will be available for Urban and Non-Urban grants. Awards will range from a
minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $300,000 for each Urban grant and from a minimum of
$100,000 to a maximum of $200,000 for each Non-Urban grant. Applications submitted outside
of these ranges will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. VETS expects to
award grants in the Urban and Non-Urban categories. However, the actual number of grants to
be awarded in each category will be announced after selections are made. The primary basis for
award is merit. Financial amounts proposed by the pool of successful applicants may also be
considered. Applicants must clearly identify the funding category for which they are applying.
The Grant Officer reserves the right to negotiate proposed funding amounts and geographic
service delivery areas under each of the designated funding categories.
This notice contains all the necessary information and forms to apply for grant funding under the
HVRP. There may be future addenda to this solicitation published on www.grants.gov and on
the VETS Web site. All applicants are responsible for checking www.grants.gov and the VETS
Web site regularly to ensure that they have all of the latest information regarding any updates to
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this solicitation.
This SGA provides background information on HVRP and identifies the critical elements that
must be contained within proposals funded under this solicitation. It also describes the
application submission requirements, the process that eligible applicants must use to apply for
funds covered by this solicitation, and how grantees will be selected.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Section 2021 of Title 38 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) requires the Secretary to conduct,
directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to
provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness, literacy
training, and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor
force. Section 305 of the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families
Act of 2012, Public law 112-154 reauthorizes HVRP through Fiscal Year 2013. This legislation
was signed into law by President Barack Obama on August 6, 2012.
A. Program Concept and Emphasis
No specific service model is mandatory, but successful applicants will design a program that
addresses the multitude of challenges associated with homeless veterans and is responsive to
their employment and supportive service needs within the local community. HVRP grants are
intended to address two universal objectives: 1) to provide services to assist in reintegrating
homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force; and 2) to stimulate the
development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing
homeless veterans.
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For this PY 2013 grant solicitation, VETS seeks applicants that can demonstrate their ability to
provide services through a client-centered case management approach and who can effectively
collaborate and network with federal, state, local and tribal organizations to effectively target
resources toward assisting homeless veterans, including the more complex demands of serving
chronically homeless veterans. More specifically, successful applicants will demonstrate the
following:
Ability to develop, define, and execute clear strategies and obtainable goals for
training, employment and retention of employment for homeless veterans;
Ability to design, develop, and execute programs that assist eligible veterans by
providing or collaborating with other entities to provide the following: job placement
and retention services, job training, counseling, mentoring, supportive services,
housing, physical and mental health, as well as other forms of assistance to facilitate
the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.
Applicants are encouraged to form collaborations with or give sub-awards to experienced public
agencies, private non-profit organizations, private businesses, community-based organizations,
and colleges and universities that have an understanding of the barriers to employment unique to
homeless veterans, a familiarity with the geographic area to be served, linkages with federal
agencies and American Job Center(s) (formerly One-Stop Career Centers), collaboration with the
local Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH), and the capability to effectively address the
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requirements stated within this solicitation.
B. Scope of Program Design
The project design must include, either directly through the proposed applicant or through
demonstrated collaborative agreements, the following dimensions: outreach, assessment and
intake, employment and training services, and follow up services to enhance placement and
retention in employment. Applicants also must fully demonstrate their organizational capability
and staff experience and the quality of their linkages with supportive service providers on
federal, state, and local levels to serve homeless veteran participants including those who are
chronically homeless. In addition, applicants must demonstrate that their program is able to
offer, either through referrals or through direct interventions, enough housing capability to
adequately care for the number of proposed participants in their program. Further, while a
separate grant solicitation titled the Homeless Female Veterans and Homeless Veterans with
Families Program has been specifically designed to address the distinct needs of female
homeless veterans, applicants should explain how the needs of female veterans will be addressed
within their HVRP grant application whenever appropriate. Most importantly, applicants must
demonstrate how their project design effectively addresses the six criteria specified in section V.
II. Award Information
One (1) year grants with the potential for funding for up to an additional three (3) years (as
described in section C. below); each year with the associated three-quarters (nine-months) of
follow-up (as described in section B. below) will be awarded. It should be noted that the
selection process involves an initial acceptance of an organization’s grant application, but does
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not constitute final approval. Before or shortly after the actual grant is awarded, USDOL may
enter into negotiations about such items as program components, staffing, funding levels, and
administrative systems in place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not result
in a mutually acceptable submission and agreement, the Grant Officer reserves the right to either
terminate the negotiation, decline to fund the application, and/or terminate the award.
A. Award Amount
Under this grant solicitation, VETS anticipates that up to $5,000,000 will be available for Urban
and Non-Urban grants with awards ranging from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum award
of $300,000 for each Urban grant and a minimum award of $100,000 to maximum award of
$200,000 for each Non-Urban grant. All available funds will be awarded and the number of
grants to be awarded in each category will be announced after selections are made as the grants
are awarded based on merit of the applications and the financial amounts proposed by the pool of
successful applicants. Applicants must indicate in writing whether they are applying for an
Urban or Non-Urban grant award.
Urban areas are metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the list of the 75 largest MSA in
population according to the 2010 US Census are listed in Appendix G. All Urban HVRP grant
applicants must provide written documentation and maps, if available, which demonstrate that
the proposed area to be served has a population of at least 698,030.
Non-Urban areas are those areas that serve homeless veterans that are not listed on Appendix G.
All Non-Urban HVRP grant applicants, including those applicants identifying they will serve
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Native American veterans located on tribal lands, must provide written documentation and maps,
if available, which demonstrate that the proposed area to be served has a population less than
698,030 the smallest population on the list in Appendix G. The written documentation and maps
used to demonstrate the area to be served should be a part of the Technical Proposal but they do
NOT count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the 50-page total page
limitation.
The Department of Labor reserves the right to negotiate the amounts to be awarded under this
competition. Please be advised that requests exceeding the maximum award amounts within each
award category for which the application has been submitted will be considered non-responsive
and will not be evaluated. If there are any additional program funds, the Department of Labor
reserves the right to select for funding the next highest scoring eligible applicant(s) on the
competitive list developed from this solicitation as late as September 2013.
B. Period of Performance
The anticipated active first year period of performance will be for the twelve (12) month period
of July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014, unless modified by the Grant Officer. The follow-up
period of performance will be for three (3) additional quarters (nine (9) months) after the end of
the active period of performance or from July 1, 2014 through March 31, 2015. It is anticipated
that grantees will begin first year program operations under this solicitation on July 1, 2013. All
awarded HVRP programs must be fully staffed and operational within 30 days notification of
award.
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All program funds, including all funds reserved to be used for the three quarters (nine months) of
follow-up activities, must be obligated by the grantee by June 30, 2014. Follow-up services must
be performed and reported by the grantee for each eligible HVRP participant who enters
employment during the active performance period.
C. Additional Year Funding
Should Congress appropriate additional funds for this purpose, VETS may consider up to three
(3) optional years of additional funding under the proposed grants. The Government does not,
however, guarantee option year funding for any grantee. See VETS Program Letter #02-12
(Appendix K) for information regarding option year funding.
III.
Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Applications for grant funds will be accepted from State and local Workforce Investment Boards
(SWIBs/LWIBs), local public agencies, Native American tribal governments (federally
recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal
governments), for-profit/commercial entities, and non-profit organizations, including faith-based
and community-based organizations. Applicants must have a familiarity with the area and
population to be served and the ability to administer an effective program that is ready to start
immediately upon the first day of the grant award period of performance.
Please note, 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
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Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying activities are not advocacy activities, may include
fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see OMB Circular A122).
Eligible applicants must fall into one of the following categories:
State and local WIBs, established under Sections 111 and 117 of the Workforce
Investment Act (29 U.S.C 2821 and 2832).
Public agencies, meaning any public agency of a state or of a general purpose
political subdivision of a state that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as
well as general corporate and police powers (this typically refers to cities and
counties). A state agency may propose in its application to serve one or more of the
jurisdictions located in its state. This does not preclude a city or county agency from
submitting an application to serve its own jurisdiction.
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native American
tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments),
For-profit/commercial entities.
Non-profit organizations (faith-based and community-based organizations). If
claiming 501(c) (3) status, a current and valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
statement indicating 501(c) (3) status approval must be submitted with the application
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or the application will be deemed non-responsive and it will not be evaluated. The
IRS Statement should be an attachment to the Technical Proposal and it will not be
counted toward the 50 page limit.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
Cost sharing and matching funds are not required as a condition for application. VETS
encourages grantees to leverage additional resources available to the HVRP program and its
participants through cost sharing and matching agreements. However, applications that include
any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration under the review.
Cost sharing or match is not one of the application criteria.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
1. Religious Activities:
The Department of Labor notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42
U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all federal law and its implementation. If an applicant 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 religious discrimination in employment. If a faith-based organization
is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with information on how to request
such an exemption.
D. Participant Eligibility Criteria
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To help meet the Interagency Council on Homelessness and the VA’s goals to end homelessness,
the following eligibility criteria are presented for purposes of this SGA. To be eligible for
enrollment as a participant under this HVRP grant an individual must be a homeless veteran
defined as follows:
The term “homeless” or “homeless individual” found at 42 U.S.C. 11302(a), as
amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing
(HEARTH) Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22) includes:
1) Persons who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
2) Persons living in supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to
provide temporary living arrangements;
3) An individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human
habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily
resided; and
4) Persons with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not
designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for
human beings.
Inadequate nighttime residence examples include, but are not limited to, sleeping in
the streets, in the woods, in public parks, in cars, on outside benches, under bridges,
in tents, in caves, and under a lean-to. Additionally, under the HEARTH Act, the term
also includes an individual or family who will imminently lose their housing, has no
subsequent residence identified, and who lacks the resources or support networks
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needed to obtain other permanent housing. Evidence that an individual or family will
imminently lose their housing includes: a court order resulting from an eviction
action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days;
having current primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel, but
lacking the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days; or credible
evidence, including a credible oral statement from the individual or family, indicating
that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay
for more than 14 days.
Finally, under the HEARTH Act, the term also includes unaccompanied youth and
homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal
statutes who have experienced a long term period without living independently in
permanent housing; have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent
moves over such period; and can be expected to continue in such status for an
extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or
mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or
childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple
barriers to employment.
The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military and who was
discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable [38 U.S.C. 101(2)].
Veterans who received a “dishonorable” discharge are ineligible for HVRP services.
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The term “chronically homeless'' is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual
with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or
more, or who has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3)
years. A disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable substance abuse disorder,
serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or
disability including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions. A disabling
condition limits an individual's ability to work or perform one or more activities of
daily living.
E. Other Grant Specifications
Transparency
The Department of Labor 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 the Abstracts required [by section IV] and selected information from the SF-424 for all
applications on the Department of Labor’s public Web site or similar publicly accessible
location. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Technical Proposal required [by section
IV], for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department of Labor’s Web site or
a similar location. No other attachments to the application will be published. The Technical
Proposals and Abstracts will not be published until after the grants are announced. In addition,
information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.
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The Department of Labor recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that
an applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain
personally identifiable information (PII). Proprietary or 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.
PII 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.1
Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions.
Applicants should not include any proprietary or confidential business information or PII in this
summary. In the event that an applicant submits proprietary or confidential business information
or PII, the Department of Labor 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 PII contained within the Abstract. In the event the Abstract contains
proprietary or confidential business or PII, 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.
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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.
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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 Department of Labor posts the winning
Technical Proposals, applicants with winning proposals will be asked to submit a second
redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary or confidential business
information and PII redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s and consortium
members’ staff (if applicable) should be removed as well. The Department of Labor will contact
the applicants whose Technical Proposals will be published by letter or email, and provide
further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Technical Proposal.
Submission of a redacted version of the Technical Proposal will constitute permission by the
applicant for the Department of Labor to make the redacted version publicly available. We will
also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Technical Proposal, the applicant has
obtained the agreement to the applicant’s decision about what material to redact of all persons
and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information or PII is contained in the
Technical Proposal. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Technical Proposal
within two weeks of the Department of Labor’s request, the Department of Labor will publish
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the original Technical Proposal in full, after redacting only PII. (Note that the original,
unredacted version of the Technical Proposal will remain part of the complete application
package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any PII).
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly
disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary,
confidential commercial/business information, or PII. The redaction of entire pages or sections
of the Technical Proposal is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion
merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate,
Department of Labor will follow the procedures outlined in Department of Labor ’s Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by Department of Labor 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 the Department of Labor receives a
FOIA request for your application, the procedures in Department of Labor’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.”
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. How to Obtain an Application Package
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This SGA, together with its attachments, includes all the information and links needed to apply
for grant funding. Additional application packages and amendments to this SGA may be
obtained from the VETS Web site at www.dol.gov/vets, or the Federal Grant Opportunities Web
site at www.grants.gov.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
To be considered responsive to this solicitation the application must consist of three (3) separate
and distinct parts: (I) a cost proposal; (II) a technical proposal; and (III) attachments to the
technical proposal. The information provided in these three (3) sections is essential for
applicants to demonstrate an understanding of the programmatic and fiscal requirements of the
HVRP. Applications that do not contain all three required parts or fail to adhere to the
instructions in this section will be deemed non-responsive and will not be evaluated. It is the
applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all
parts and sub-parts of the application.
A complete grant application package must be written in English and must not exceed 50 singlesided pages (8-1/2” x 11”), double-spaced, typed 12-point font, with one inch margins. All
attachments, unless specifically noted in the instructions, are included in the 50-page maximum.
Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the evaluation
review process. Major sections and sub-sections of the application are to be divided and clearly
identified (e.g. with tab dividers), and all pages must be consecutively numbered.
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Part I. The Cost Proposal
The cost proposal will be reviewed for financial appropriateness and reasonableness. No direct
evaluation points will be awarded based upon the information contained within the Cost
Proposal; however, applicants must provide the specific information required or their
applications may be found non-responsive and not evaluated.
The Cost Proposal must include the following items:
A fully completed Standard Form SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
(Appendix A or available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15) with
the original signed in blue ink if submitting in hard copy. The SF-424 must clearly
identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a
grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on
behalf of the applicant shall be considered the authorized representative of the applicant.
As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, the signature of the authorized representative
on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and
Certifications form SF-424B (Appendix C or available at
http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15).
Further, the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program is 17.805
and it must be entered on the SF-424 in Block 11. All applicants for federal grant and
funding opportunities are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS)
number, and must supply their DUNS number on the SF-424. The DUNS number is a
nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not
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have a DUNS number, you can get one free by calling Dun & Bradstreet at 866-705-5711
or by accessing their Web site at www.dunandbradstreet.com/. Requests for exemption
from the DUNS number requirement must be made to the Office of Management and
Budget. Under 2 CFR Part 25, grant recipients authorized to make subawards must be
aware of the following requirements related to DUNS Numbers:
1. Grantees must notify potential sub-grantees that no entity may receive a subaward from you unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to you.
2. Grantees may not make a sub-award to an entity unless the entity has provided its
DUNS number to you.
A fully completed Standard Form SF-424A, “Budget Information Form” (Appendix
B or available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). As an
attachment to SF-424A, the applicant must provide a detailed budget narrative that
includes a cost breakout of each line item on the Budget Information Sheet.
Applicants should label this page or pages as “Budget Narrative” and ensure that
costs reported on the SF- 424A correspond accurately with the Budget Narrative. The
Budget Narrative must include, at a minimum:
i. Personnel Costs. Applicants must provide a breakout of all personnel costs by
position, title, annual salary rates, and the percentage of each person’s time of
each position to be devoted to the proposed project (including sub-grantees)
by completing the “Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and SubApplicants” form (Appendix E).
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ii. Fringe Benefits. Applicants must provide an explanation and breakout of
extraordinary fringe benefit rates and associated charges (i.e., rates exceeding
35 percent of salaries and wages).
iii. Explanation of Costs and Methodologies. Applicants must provide an
explanation of the purpose, composition, and methodology used to derive all costs
which must include: personnel, fringe, travel, equipment, supplies, subawards/contracts, and any other costs associated with executing the grant. The
applicant must include costs of any required travel described in this Solicitation.
Planned travel expenditures may not exceed 5 percent of the total HVRP funds
requested. Mileage charges may not exceed the current federal rate. Updated
federal mileage rates may be secured through the GSA’s Web site at
www.gsa.gov.
iv. Follow-Up Services. Applicants must describe all associated costs for
obtaining and retaining participant information pertinent to the follow-up services
required for the three quarters after the active program year performance period
ends, including any costs of using State Unemployment Insurance data to
substantiate an applicant’s follow-up results, if applicable. Procedures for
safeguarding all follow-up information will be provided after the award of the
grant is determined.
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v. Equipment Purchases. Applicants must provide a description/specification of,
and justification for, all equipment purchases, if any, that are tangible, nonexpendable, personal property having a useful life of more than one year and a
unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. Applicants must specifically
identify any and all equipment that meets the conditions described and secure the
GOTR approval before purchase.
A fully completed Indirect Charges or Certificate of Direct Costs Form (Appendix I).
Note that the entire federal grant amount requested must be included on the SF-424, SF424A and the Budget Narrative. No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424
and the SF-424A. The amounts listed on the SF-424, SF-424A and the Budget Narrative
must be the same. The funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the
official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found. In addition,
applications that do not provide an SF-424, an SF-424A or a properly noted DUNS
number (or an official exemption), will be considered non-responsive and not be
evaluated.
All applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before
submitting an application. SAM is a Web-enabled government wide application that
collects, validates, stores and disseminates business information about the federal
government's trading partners in support of the contract award, grants and the electronic
payment processes. Prior to July 2012, this functionality was handled by the Central
Contractor Registration (CCR). Step-by-step instructions for registering with SAM can
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be found at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. A grantee must maintain an
active SAM 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
SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update
its information in the SAM database on an annual basis from the date of initial
registration or subsequent updates 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
SAM before the application submission will result in an application being found nonresponsive and it will not be evaluated.
Part II. The Technical Proposal
The Technical Proposal must demonstrate the applicant’s capability to implement the grant in
accordance with the provisions of this SGA. The specific guidelines for the content of the
Technical Proposal are provided in section V. The Technical Proposal is not to exceed 15
single-sided pages of double-spaced 12-point font with one inch margins. Any materials beyond
the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the review process. The pages used to
present the Technical Proposal count toward the 50-page total page maximum limitation.
Applicants should number the Technical Proposal beginning with page number 1. The Technical
Proposal should consist of a narrative that fully illustrates the following elements: 1) Need for
the Project; 2) Overall Approach or Strategy; 3) Quality of Linkages; 4) Organizational and Staff
Capability; and 5) Housing Strategy. The associated rating criteria and evaluation points related
to each of the program elements contained within the Technical Proposal is provided in section
23
V. Applications that do not contain a Technical Proposal or does not address the evaluation
factors included in their technical proposal will be considered non-responsive and will not be
evaluated.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal
Applications that fail to contain the required attachments as identified in the SGA will be
determined non-responsive and will not be evaluated. The required attachments must be affixed
as separate, clearly identified sections or appendices to the application. Additional materials
such as general letters of support will have no impact upon the evaluation of the grant proposal.
Applicants should not send attachments or additional documents separately to the Department of
Labor. Only documents contained in the submitted application package will be evaluated.
In addition to the appendices specified through the SGA, the applicant must submit the following
as Attachments to the Technical Proposal:
An up to two-page abstract summarizing the project that will be shared publicly. The
applicant’s proposed overall strategy, timeline, outcomes to be achieved must be
included. The geographic area to be served to include the congressional district and
the type of grant (Urban or Non-Urban) should be clearly identified. No direct
evaluation points will be assessed based upon the information contained within the
abstract. The abstract does not count toward the 15-page Technical Proposal limit,
but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation.
24
Applicants must complete the Program Year (PY) 2013 Competitive Grants Planned
Goals Chart (Appendix D) with proposed programmatic outcomes, including but not
limited to, participants served, placements, and jobs retained. If the applicant fails to
provide the specific and required information as identified on the Program Year (PY)
2013 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart, the grant application will be
considered non-responsive and it will not be evaluated. This chart does not count
toward the 15-Page Technical Proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50page limitation.
All applicants must submit evidence of satisfactory financial management capability,
which must include a recent summary of a financial audit statement or summary of an
audit occurring within the last 18 months of the organization applying for the grant.
This audit does not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the
50-page total page limitation. All successful grantees are required to utilize
Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, maintain a separate accounting for these
grant funds, and have a checking account. If an audit is not included, the application
will receive zero (0) points in the appropriate section of the evaluation.
All applicants must include, if applicable, a list of all employment and training
government grants and contracts that they have had in the past three (3) years,
including grant/contract officer contact information. The Department of Labor
reserves the right to have an agency representative review and verify this data. This
list does not count toward the 15-page Technical Proposal limit, but it does count
25
toward the overall 50-page page limitation.
A completed Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix F)
must be provided. This form does not count toward the 15-page Technical Proposal
limit, but it does count toward the 50-page total page limitation.
A completed Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form OMB Number 4040-0010
(Appendix L or also available at
http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15), must be provided. If using
grants.gov for submission, this form must be attached under the required forms
section. Please note that this is a standard form used for many programs and has a
check box for applying as an individual. Disregard this box on the form as
individuals are not eligible to apply for this solicitation. This form does not count
toward the 15-page Technical Proposal limit, but it does count toward the 50-page
total page limitation.
All individual service contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or other
formal agreements which involve service providers specifically proposed as a part of
the applicant’s team, and provide services within the proposed geographic service
delivery area mentioned within an applicant’s proposal. While these formal
agreements should be noted and identified in the appropriate place within the
applicant’s proposal, copies of these formal agreements are not counted toward either
the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
26
An organizational chart, staff resumes and/or detailed staff capability statements are
not required but are strongly recommended. They do not count toward either the 15page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants must include a statement that confirms their intent to work collaboratively
with the department of Labor and its contractor on potential evaluation efforts related
to veterans. This cooperation will include complying with evaluation requirements of
DOL, as well as the third-party contractors procured by DOL. Grantees may be
required to submit program and participant data and, in accordance with the proper
handling of PII, share this data with DOL contractors upon request. (See section
VI.B.4 under “Special Program Requirements – Evaluation and requests for Grant
Information”).
C. Submission Dates and Times (Acceptable Methods of Submission)
The closing date for receipt of applications under this SGA is 30 days from the date of
publication in the Federal Register. Applications may be submitted by mail, overnight or handdelivery, or electronically at www.grants.gov. Hard copy applications must be addressed to
Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant
Officer, Reference SGA #13-01, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4307, Washington, DC
20210 and be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the closing date.
Applicants are cautioned that applications should be submitted before the deadline to ensure that
the risk of late receipt of the application is minimized. Applications submitted through
Grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m.
27
Eastern Daylight Time on the closing date. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile
(FAX) will not be accepted.
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy must submit an original signed application
(including the SF-424) and two (2) “copy-ready” versions free of bindings, staples or protruding
tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by Department of Labor. 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 submitted by both hard copy and through Grants.gov, a letter must
accompany the hard copy application stating which application to review. If no letter
accompanies the hard copy or if DOL receives multiple copies through Grants.gov, the latest
qualifying submission through Grants.gov will be considered the final version.
Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington DC area may be delayed due to
decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered proposals will be received at the address specified
above. All overnight delivery submissions will be considered to be hand-delivered, and must be
received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.
To be considered responsive, grant applications not submitted through Grants.gov (if an
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electronic submission is made through Grants.gov, copies are not required) must include:
An original, blue ink-signed, and two (2) copies of the cover letter.
An original and two (2) copies of the Cost Proposal that includes an original, blue
ink-signed, Application for Federal Assistance, SF-424 (Appendix A), a Budget
Narrative, Budget Information Sheet SF 424A (Appendix B), an original, blue inksigned, Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C), a Direct Cost
Description for Applicants and Sub-applicants (Appendix E), a completed Survey on
Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix F), and a summary of the
applicant’s financial audit or audit statement dated within the last 18 months. The
Cost Proposal does count toward the 50-page total page limitation. Financial audit
and / or audit statements do not count toward the 50-page total page limitation.
An original and two (2) copies of the Technical Proposal (see below) that includes a
completed Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (Appendix D).
An original and two (2) copies of all required Attachments to the Technical Proposal.
Except as specified above, if any documents listed above are missing, the application will be
considered non-responsive and it will not be evaluated. 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
29
application.
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully submitted through
Grants.gov no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the closing date and then
subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in
more detail below. Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and
to plan for time to resolve any technical problems that may arise, if necessary. No exceptions to
this requirement will be granted.
The Department of labor strongly recommends that before applicants begins to write the
proposal, they 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. The “Get Registered” steps may take as long as
four weeks to complete and this time should be factored into plans for timely 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 applicants walk through the
process. The Department of Labor strongly recommends that applicants download the
“Organization Registration Checklist” at
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 save time and alleviate last
minute searches for required information. As described above, applicants must have a DUNS
Number and must register with the SAM.
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The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to
become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). To read more detailed instructions
for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp. After
creating a profile at Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of contact (E-Biz POC) – a representative from
your organization who is the contact listed with the SAM – will receive an email to grant the
AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will
then log into Grants.gov and approve the applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her
permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization visit:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp . To track AOR status visit:
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp .
An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed
application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval,
establishes an AOR. When the applicant submits their application through Grants.gov, the name
of the AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. Applicants must
register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant
organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.
When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is
generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within
two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email
messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first email,
31
sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the
application by Grants.gov. The second email will indicate the application has either been
successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been
successfully submitted by the deadline and successfully validated will be considered. It is the
sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an
application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve
time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been
successfully validated. Therefore, sufficient time should be allotted for submission (two
business days), and if applicable, additional time to address errors and receive validation upon
resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to
note that if sufficient time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and
time, the application will not be considered.
To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as .doc, .rtf or .pdf
files. If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other
issues will prevent the VETS technical review panel from considering the application. VETS
will attempt to open the document but will not take any additional measures in the event that
there are problems with opening the document. In such cases, the non-conforming application
will not be considered for funding.
VETS strongly advises applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs,
which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at
http://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp . To receive updated information about
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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 or do not find an answer in any of the other
resources, call 800-518-4726 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or email
[email protected]. The Contact Center is available 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 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the closing date contained within
this SGA and then successfully validated will be evaluated. Applicants take a significant risk by
waiting to the last day to submit through 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 no
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 no later than one working day
prior to 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
33
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.
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. 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. No exceptions
to this requirement will be granted.
D. Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs.”
E. Funding Restrictions
All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with federal
guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable
federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or
its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable federal cost
principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants, whether successful or not, will
not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs:
As specified in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular Cost Principles, indirect
34
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 federallyassisted 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.
2. Administrative Costs:
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use
more than 20 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with
the program or project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs, and are defined
at 20 CFR 667.220. Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from
program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form. However, they must be tracked
through the grantee’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are indirect
costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant
agency, as specified above.
3. Salary and Bonus Limitations:
None of the grant may be used by a recipient or sub-recipient of such funds to pay the salary
and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in excess of
Executive Level II. This limitation does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as
35
defined in OMB Circular A-133 (codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Public Laws 111117 (Division D, Title I, section 107) and 112-10 (Division B. Title I) for further
clarification.
4. Intellectual Property Rights:
The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to
reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for federal purposes: i)
the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a sub-grant or contract
under the grant or sub-grant; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the grantee, sub-grantee
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 of Labor 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 Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The product was
created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S.
36
Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or
assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any
information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or
its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.
This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization
and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes are permissible. All other
uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.”
5. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages:
Organizations that receive grants through this SGA may not use grant funds to pay for the
wages of participants. Further, the provision of stipends to training enrollees for the purposes
of wage replacement is not an allowable cost under this SGA. Grantees referring participants
to on the job training (OJT) may use grant funds for reasonable costs of providing training
and additional costs related to training.
F. Other Submission Requirements
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by written notice to the Grant
Officer at any time before an award is made. In addition, applicants must adhere to the
following submission requirements:
There is a limit of one (1) application per submitting organization and physical
location serving the same HVRP participant population and in the same geographic
service area. More than one (1) application from the same organization for the same
37
physical location serving the same HVRP participant population is submitted, the
application with the latest date will be considered. Please do not submit duplicate
grant applications as only one (1) grant application will be considered for funding
purposes.
Due to the limited availability of funding, if an organization was awarded Fiscal Year
2011 or Fiscal Year 2012 HVRP funds for a specific physical location serving the
same HVRP participant population and will be awarded second or third option year
funding in PY 2013, then that organization may not submit an application to serve the
specific physical location serving the same HVRP participant population under this
SGA.
Grantees that receive HVRP funds and also receive Veterans’ Workforce Investment
Program (VWIP) funds are not authorized to co-enroll participants in both the HVRP
and VWIP programs. A grantee may provide employment and training services to
eligible participants through either HVRP or VWIP, but not both. If the same grantee
provides services under both HVRP and VWIP, it may be considered an audit
exception. However, an HVRP grantee and a separate non-affiliated VWIP grantee
may coordinate efforts on behalf of eligible veterans.
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be used under each category to evaluate
38
grant proposals. Please note that the VETS grant review panel members who will be evaluating
all grant applications submitted as a result of this SGA, do not have access to any reporting
information systems during the evaluation process, therefore, if an organization presents past
experience administering and managing grants and their final or most recent technical
performance reports are not submitted, as specified within this SGA, the grant application will be
considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. Further, all MOUs or other formal
agreements related to any part of the Technical Proposal should be submitted as Attachments to
the Technical Proposal. These MOUs or other formal agreements will not count toward either
the 15-page Technical proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation, unless otherwise noted.
In addition to addressing the evaluation criteria presented in the section, applicants will be
expected to fully illustrate the measures of success related to their proposed plan. This plan
should include a proposed system to monitor the implementation of program activities and
achievements of program outcomes. Applicants must indicate their planned level of
performance utilizing the reporting methodology as described in the Technical Assistance Guide
(TAG) for Competitive Grantees (Appendix H). The TAG includes specific directions related to
the proper completion and submittal of the Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart which must
be included as an Attachment to the Technical Proposal.
Applications will receive up to 100 total points based on specific criteria. Applications will be
evaluated on the extent to which they completely, comprehensively and coherently respond to
the required elements of each criterion. The evaluation categories and criteria and their
associated points are listed and described below:
39
Categories / Criteria
Points
1. Need for the Project
10
2. Overall Approach and Strategy
45
(Outreach 10 pts.)
(Assessment & Intake 10 pts.)
(Employment & Training 15 pts.)
(Follow up 10 pts.)
3. Quality of Linkages
15
4. Organizational Capability and Experience
20
5. Housing Strategy
10
TOTAL
100
1. Need for the Project: 10 points
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive
and coherent narrative containing the following information. The applicant must identify the
category type (Urban or Non-Urban) and the specific geographical area to be served to
include the congressional district or districts or Native American tribal area contained within
the proposed geographic service area. The applicant also must document the need for the
proposed project by discussing the following: 1) the potential number or concentration of
homeless individuals and homeless veterans in the proposed project service area. These local
estimates of homeless individuals and homeless veterans should be compared to state and
National data; 2) the rates of poverty and unemployment in the proposed project area as
40
determined by the census or other surveys which should include state and National level
comparisons; 3) the extent of the “gaps” in or lack of local supportive services which
adversely affect the provision of services to homeless veterans; and 4) the specific and
unique employment barriers that local potential HVRP participants must overcome within the
local service area. Applicants also should provide detailed local labor market information
and current trends within the proposed geographic service area. Appropriate sources should
be cited whenever possible to substantiate the applicant’s claims.
2. Overall Approach and Strategy: 45 Points
Applicants must describe their overall approach and strategy to providing comprehensive
employment and training services as well as related supportive services, with an emphasis on
meeting the complex demands of serving chronically homeless veterans. The strategy must
include, either directly through the proposed applicant or through demonstrated collaborative
agreements, the following dimensions: outreach; assessment and intake; employment and
training services and follow up services to enhance placement and retention in employment.
Applicants also must identify and fully describe the supportive services that will be provided
to homeless veteran participants as part of the applicant’s strategy to promote, prepare, and
improve the participant’s state of “job readiness.” A participant flow chart should be
provided to show the sequence and mix of services. This chart will not be included in the 15page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, it will be counted toward the
overall 50-page limit.
41
Outreach (10 points)
Applicants are to clearly describe their proposed program awareness and participant outreach
strategies. Applicants must design, develop, and execute project orientation workshops and
program promotion and awareness activities as a part of their proposed outreach. Applicants
must explain how their program will reach out to and collaborate with other local entities
within their proposed geographic service delivery area that encounter and assist homeless
veterans to introduce the HVRP program to potentially eligible homeless veterans.
In order to promote outreach between the HVRP and the array of local service providers (and
thereby eliminate or reduce the duplication in services and enhance the level and amount of
assistance to participants), the applicant must demonstrate how they will provide project
orientation workshops and program awareness activities to the various types of service
providers and organizations operating within their geographic service delivery area.
Applicants have some flexibility concerning how they propose to meet this requirement;
however, such activities must include at a minimum, attending service provider meetings,
seminars, and conferences. Applicants should develop individual service contracts, MOUs,
or other formal agreements which involve other supportive service providers in the proposed
service delivery area to demonstrate their ability to perform these required activities. More
specifically, grantees will be responsible for providing project orientation workshops and
program promotion and awareness activities to the following:
Direct providers of services to homeless veterans, including shelter and soup kitchen
operators;
42
Federal, state, and local agencies such as the local Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Committees and their associated agencies and
organizations; the Social Security Administration (SSA); Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA), who provide mental and physical healthcare services; State Workforce
Agencies (SWA) and local American Job Centers, who provide employment and
training services to include Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialist
and Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER) services and who integrate
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services when available in their local area; and
other entities who provide healthcare, substance abuse and detoxification services;
and
Civic and private sector groups, support groups and faith-based and community-based
organizations to include Veterans’ Service Organizations (VSO) such as the
American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; Veterans of Foreign Wars; and the
Vietnam Veterans of America.
Applicants are also encouraged to describe how they plan to participate in Stand Down
activities. While no HVRP funding may be budgeted within this solicitation for these
activities, applicants should describe how such activities will be integrated into their
proposed outreach. Stand Down activities will only be funded through a separate USDOL /
VETS Stand Down Solicitation. VETS’ encourages potential HVRP grantees to apply for
this separate funding. VETS considers Stand Downs to be an excellent form of outreach to
43
homeless veterans, organizations may receive favorable scores for this criteria should they
provide details of either hosting or participating in a Stand Down.
Assessment and Intake (10 points)
Applicants must fully explain how they will design and implement their proposed assessment
and intake process. The assessment and intake process must be designed to maximize the
long-term success of participants who are enrolled into the HVRP program and must include
a focus of identifying and addressing the barriers to employment faced by chronically
homeless veterans. Once potentially eligible homeless veterans have been identified, an
assessment must be made of each individual’s abilities, interests, needs, and barriers to
employment, as such an assessment is critical to the potential success of a veteran enrolled in
the program. In addition, applicants should demonstrate how they will determine a potential
program participant’s willingness to enter employment following the receipt of services.
Applicants must illustrate how potential participants will be referred to appropriate
supportive services to overcome barriers to employment such as, but not limited to, physical
rehabilitation, drug or alcohol treatment, mental health services, and/or the assignment of a
temporary or transitional shelter notwithstanding the potential participant’s status as a
participant. During the intake process or the process that may involve the actual enrollment
into the program, applicants must demonstrate how they will determine the skills and/or
services needed by the individual to become employable and/or maintain employment, e.g.
through vocational, skills, or interest-based testing, during the intake process or the process
that may involve the actual enrollment into the program and indicate when in the intake or
enrollment process this determination will be conducted.
44
Applicants must demonstrate how they will collaborate and coordinate their efforts with the
VA and other locally-based VSOs to ensure participants apply for and/or receive the
multitude of veterans’ benefits for which they may be eligible. Applicants must demonstrate
how they will refer participants to the VA to file a claim for compensation or pension
benefits, as appropriate. As a part of the referral process, applicants must describe how they
will track and assist with the progress of a participant’s claim(s) and be able to report the
ultimate outcomes related to these efforts within a participant’s case management file record.
Employment and Training Services (15 points)
Applicants must demonstrate how they will develop formal employment and training service
plans for their participants and how they will manage and note the progress made by their
participants within a formal case management process. The complete array of specific
services proposed for each participant to maintain and improve his or her state of job
readiness and employability must be noted within an Individual Employment Plan (IEP).
The development of the initial IEP and the expected process that grantees must implement to
periodically update it, are intended to help facilitate and monitor the participant’s progress
toward a successful long-term employment outcome.
To complement the employment and training related services outlined within each
participant’s IEP, applicants must also demonstrate how they will provide for the delivery
and maintenance of appropriate supportive services that will enable their participants to
successfully perform all the activities specified within their IEP. Additionally, programs
45
such as the VA’s Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program and/or preparatory classroom
training should be written into an IEP and integrated into the mix of services assigned to
program participants, if a grantee case manager determines that such intervention would
improve the eventual likelihood of long-term employment.
Applicants must clearly show through comprehensive and coherent narrative how they will
place veterans in to jobs that are meaningful and sustainable. Examples of placement
strategies are, OJT, pre-arranged placements, direct hire, collaboration with temporary to
permanent agencies, partnerships with trade schools that guarantee high permanent
employment placement rates, federal government employment initiatives, partnerships with
small disabled veteran owned businesses, and other innovative public-private partnerships,
etc. Applicants must demonstrate how they will directly provide or refer participants to the
following employment services: job search workshops; job counseling; resume writing
techniques; interviewing skills; on-the-job training (OJT) and other training placements; job
development services; and unsubsidized employment placement. In addition, applicants
should demonstrate how their participants, who are assessed as “ready to enter employment,”
will be referred to American Job Centers, as appropriate. A listing of local American Job
Centers can be found at www.servicelocator.org. With regard to OJT, grant funds may not
be used to subsidize participant’s wages. However, reasonable costs of providing training and
additional costs related to the training are allowable.
Applicants should demonstrate how they plan to establish a collaborative relationship with
staff at the American Job Centers or with local DVOP specialists and who are available to
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provide program participants with a full array of job development and job search assistance,
employment and training services, employment-based case management services,
career/employment counseling, and follow-up services usually at no additional cost to the
program. VETS requires that all successful grantees collaborate closely with DVOP staff
and other American Job Center personnel to maximize the funding allocated through the
HVRP, reduce duplication of services, and to more effectively serve veteran participants,
whenever possible.
Applicants must clearly identify specific job or training opportunities within occupations and
industries that are in demand within the geographical area to be served. Applicants must
address how they will successfully target occupations that are locally in demand. Applicants
also must demonstrate how program participants will be placed in jobs or in training with
career growth potential and with sufficiently high wages to ensure long-term self-sufficiency.
Applicants also must describe the applicant’s local employer and training network, to include
a list of training entities and employers who have pledged to hire and train participants, as
well as the various and potential types of jobs proposed to be filled by participants. This list
will not be included in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, it
will be counted toward the overall 50-page limit.
Applicants must also demonstrate how they will provide or coordinate meaningful job skills
training to interested and capable program participants. All proposed training programs
should be completed within a program year timeframe. At least 80 percent of the enrolled
participants must participate in job skills training activities. Examples of training services
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that count toward the 80 percent training threshold are: classroom training, remedial
education activities, on-the-job training, occupational skills training, apprenticeship,
retraining and skill specific vocational training; specialized and/or licensed training
programs, and other formal training programs. Providing basic skills instruction, life skills,
and money management training should be provided to participants, but this type of training
does not count toward the 80 percent training threshold requirement.
Applicants must identify the local services and sources of training to be used to expand the
vocational skills of program participants. Applicants should indicate the type(s) of training
that will be provided and how such proposed training relates to the jobs that are in demand
within the proposed geographic area to be served. Applicants should also indicate the length
of training, the training curriculum, and how the training will improve the eligible veterans’
employment opportunities.
Follow-up Services (10 points)
Applicants must also demonstrate how they will conduct follow-up and retention services to
track a participant’s continued progress for as long as three quarters after a participant is
placed into employment. Applicants are encouraged to present creative approaches and
incentives to successfully address and sustain high levels of employment retention.
Examples of such approaches are: peer-to-peer coaching, mentoring, alumni programs,
transportation and clothing vouchers, and other follow up and retention-oriented services. If
State Unemployment Insurance (UI) data will be used to substantiate the applicant’s followup results, it is suggested that the applicant include any MOU or other formal agreement that
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enables the applicant to obtain such information. These MOUs or other formal agreements do
not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page
limitation.
3. Quality of Linkages: 15 points
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive
and coherent narrative containing the following information. In addition to the linkages
mentioned above under the Overall Approach and Strategy, applicants must demonstrate how
they plan to coordinate their proposed activities with a wide array of federal, state, and local
supportive service programs and their associated agencies and/organizations. Examples of
additional supportive service programs include, but are not limited to the following: the
VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinators and Supportive Services for
Veteran Families (SSVF) programs; including its Disability Navigator Program; local ICH;
organizations; and the Social Security Administration and its Ticket to Work Program. As a
part of the Ticket to Work Program, grantees will be expected to register as an Employment
Network (EN).
Applicants must demonstrate how they will refer and coordinate program participants to
agencies and organizations which provide appropriate and necessary supportive services such
health care, counseling, and rehabilitative services, as needed by their participants. These
services may include, but are not limited to: alcohol and drug rehabilitation, therapeutic
services, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
assessments and treatment, domestic abuse and sexual trauma counseling and care, vision
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and dental services, and physical and mental health services.
Applicants are encouraged to submit a list of their local area network of service providers
that offer and provide services to benefit program participants. For each linkage, the
applicant should identify who the provider is, the source of complementary funding related to
the specific services provided by the organization, and the type of linkages/referral system
established or proposed. This list will not be included in the 15-page limit associated with
the Technical Proposal; however, it will be counted toward the overall 50-page limit.
Applicants should describe, to the extent possible, how their proposed project will be
incorporated into the VA’s five (5) year plan to end veteran homelessness and the local
community’s ten (10) year plan to end homelessness, if applicable. See Interagency Council
on Homelessness Web site address at www.usich.gov for additional information. MOUs and
all other formal agreements with providers of services that are specifically targeted to
assisting homeless veterans and to solidifying the linkages between complementary
organizations should be established and presented as an Attachment to the Technical
Proposal. These agreements or MOUs do not count toward either the 15-page Technical
Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
4. Organizational Capability and Experience: 20 points
All applicants must fully describe their organizational and staff experience and ability to
manage the operational, administrative, programmatic, and financial reporting requirements
specified within this SGA. Applicants must present and describe the skills, experience, work
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history, knowledge, qualifications, and educational credentials / certified capabilities of their
key operational and management staff and directly associate this information to the activities
proposed within their response.
Applications should include a current organizational chart which identifies all relevant
divisions and office locations that will be involved in addressing the requirements presented
within the SGA. Organizational charts also should illustrate how the applicant’s divisions
and/or collaborating organizations are interrelated. If applicable, applicants should identify
the number of staff members who have direct experience with serving homeless individuals
and/or veterans. Applicants also should identify any staff members who are veterans and/or
who have previously been homeless. Submission of an organizational chart, staff resumes
and/or detailed staff capability statements are strongly recommended and do not count
toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants must describe their relevant prior experience in operating employment and
training programs and in providing or coordinating supportive services to veteran participants
similar to those that are proposed under this solicitation. For applicant’s who had a previous
HVRP grant, specific outcomes previously achieved under their past grant must be fully
described and presented. To facilitate review of past HVRP performance, the applicant must
provide a copy of the most recently completed 4th quarter Technical Performance Report
(TPR) and a copy of the most recently completed 4th quarter Technical Performance
Narrative (TPN). Previous HVRP grantees must also include a copy of their planned goals
spreadsheet providing the planned goals for the year the of the most recently completed 4 th
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quarter performance report. Previous HVRP grantees that do not provide a copy of the most
recently completed 4th quarter performance report (TPR and TPN) along with the planned
goals spreadsheet for the most recently completed 4th quarter will be considered nonresponsive to this solicitation and will not be evaluated. Submission of the planned goals
spreadsheet, and the most recent 4th quarter TPN and TPR are required for applicants who
had a previous HVRP grant but do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal
limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants who have not previously been HVRP grantees are not required to submit previous
years of HVRP program outcomes, but they are required to provide related program
outcomes from other similar grant programs they have managed that were funded through
other sources of revenue, such as non-HVRP funding, state or local funding, philanthropic
grants, individual contributions, fee for service, or other sources. Applicants with no
previous HVRP experience, but who can demonstrate previous experience with similar
programs, should submit their most recent three (3) year periods of financial and
programmatic cumulative final year end performance reports related to those programs as
evidence of their ability to operate and manage employment and training type service
programs, if available. A summary narrative of program experience and a descriptive
illustration of the programs employment and training performance outcomes also are
required. These financial and programmatic cumulative final year end performance reports
do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page
limitation.
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Applicants must address their capacity to identify any foreseen challenges related to timely
startup of the program, as well as their ability to comply with the stated programmatic
reporting and follow up requirements. Applicants offering innovative and cost effective
methods related to successfully serving the employment needs associated with homeless
veteran participants are encouraged to apply.
Applicants are also required to fully describe how their proposed program can or will outlast
the federal funding being provided under this grant after either the first year of funding or, if
awarded, after the possible option year or years of funding. To illustrate the long-term
sustainability of the program and the services proposed, applicants should be able to present
a diverse funding base or illustrate an organizational strategic plan that illustrates the
attainment of financial resources beyond those secured through the HVRP grant. Other
evidence such as long-term leases and a strong history of community involvement by the
organizations key staff may also be used to present how the program will outlast the
proposed HVRP grant funding.
5. Housing Strategy: 10 points
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive
and coherent narrative containing the following information. Applicants must demonstrate
how they will develop and implement a comprehensive program to obtain or access
emergency, temporary, transitional, and/or permanent housing for program participants.
Applicants must also illustrate how affordable and/or supportive housing resources will be
accessed by program participants, if available. Applicants should fully illustrate the
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provisions that will be made for program participants to access emergency, temporary,
transitional, and/or permanent housing through various community resources including, but
not limited to: the VA’s Grant and Per Diem Program, which funds emergency and
transitional housing programs; the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)
food and shelter programs; and HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH)
program and the Section 8 single room occupancy housing programs, as well as any other
supportive, affordable and permanent housing programs for homeless persons.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will, either directly or through established
relationships with organizations that provide housing and housing related services, provide
an adequate number of housing interventions or referrals to serve the proposed level of
participants enrolled into the program. Applicants also should describe how their program
delivers a rapid response strategy for addressing the emergency and temporary housing needs
of homeless veterans early in the service delivery process to help stabilize potential program
participants. Applicants should also demonstrate how they will make appropriate housing
referrals based upon the specific needs of their enrolled program participants.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will incorporate both affordable housing alternatives
and permanent supportive housing options into their service mix. Applicants must
demonstrate their understanding of the HUD VASH program and explain how they will
incorporate the allocation of housing vouchers into their program. Applicants are cautioned
to outline housing strategies that will lead to permanent housing or utilizing a HUD VASH
voucher after a participant is enrolled in the program, as potential veterans must be
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“homeless” in order to meet the eligibility requirement for HVRP participation. It is also
recommended that applicants present how they will refer veterans to the Veterans Health
Administration to determine what appropriate housing options a participant may be eligible
to receive, which may include HUD VASH vouchers.
Applicants also must not propose that HVRP funds be used for the purpose of emergency,
transitional, or permanent housing, rent and/or deposit payments for an apartment/house or
the purchasing or leasing of vehicles.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this SGA will be accepted from the publication date of this
announcement and until the closing date and time. A grant 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. Urban and Non-Urban applications will be evaluated against the same criteria. All
responsive applications will be reviewed within their separate and designated category.
The ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding, in
conjunction with other factors. 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
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signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on Grants.gov,
which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted on the VETS Homepage at www.dol.gov/vets. 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 from the Grant Officer.
Selection of an organization as a grantee does not constitute approval of the grant application as
submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, VETS 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. VETS and the Grant Officer reserve the right not to fund any application related
to this SGA.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
All grantees will be subject to applicable federal laws, regulations, and the applicable Office of
Management and Budget Circulars.
The grants awarded under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative standards and
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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 Grantees Recipients must comply with the provisions of Title 38 U.S.C. and its
regulations, as applicable.
f. 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).
g. 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
h. 29 CFR Part 30 – Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training.
i. 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.
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j. 29 CFR Part 32- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
k. 29 CFR Part 35 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
l. 29 CFR Part 36 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or
Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
38 U.S.C. Section 4215 - Requirements for priority of service for veterans in all
Department of Labor training programs.
2. Other Legal Requirements:
a. Transparency Act Requirements
Applicants must ensure that they have the necessary processes and systems in place to
comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law
110-252) Transparency Act), as follows:
All applicants, except for those excepted from the Transparency Act under sub –
paragraphs 1, 2, and 3 below, must ensure that they have the necessary processes and
systems in place to comply with the sub award 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,
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which can be found at the following Web site:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2012/pdf/2010-22705.pdf
The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and
Transparency Act:
(1) Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive federal awards as
natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or
she may own or operate in his or her name);
(2) Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less
than $300,000 in the entities’ previous tax year; and
(3) Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classifies
information.
b. Safeguarding Data Including PII
Applicants submitting proposals in response to this SGA must recognize that
confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the
Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the
prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting a proposal,
Grantees are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of
performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistence with applicable
Federal law. All such activity conducted by VETS and/or Grantee/s will be performed in
a manner consistent with applicable state and federal laws. By submitting a grant
proposal, the applicant agrees to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by
complying with the following provision that are applicable in governing their handling of
confidential information.
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1. To ensure that such PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, all PII and other
sensitive data transmitted via email or stored on CDs, DVDs, thumb drives, etc., must
be encrypted using a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2
compliant and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) validated
cryptographic module. Grantees must not email unencrypted sensitive PII to any
entity, including VETS or contractors.
2. Grantees must take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from
participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from
unauthorized disclosure. Grantees must maintain such PII in accordance with the
VETS standards for information security. Grantees who wish to obtain more
information on data security should contact their Federal Project Officer.
3. Grantees shall ensure that any PII used during the performance of their grant has been
obtained in conformity with applicable federal and state laws governing the
confidentiality of information.
4. Grantees further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through their VETS grants
shall be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons
at all times and the data will be processed using grantee issued equipment, managed
information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by VETS.
Accessing, processing, and storing of VETS grant data on personally owned
equipment, at off-site locations e.g., employee’s home, and non-grantee managed IT
services, e.g., Yahoo mail, is strictly prohibited unless approved by VETS.
5. Grantee employees and other personnel who will have access to
sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data must be advised to the confidential
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nature of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and that
there are civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that are
contained in federal and state laws.
6. Grantees must have their policies and procedures in place under which grantee
employees and other personnel, before being granted access to PII, acknowledge their
understanding of the confidential nature of the data as well as the fact that they may
be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.
7. Grantees must not extract information from data supplied by VETS for any purpose
not stated in the grant agreement.
8. Access to any PII created by the VETS grant must be restricted to only those
employees of the grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform
duties in connection with the scope of work in the grant agreement.
9. All PII data must be processed in a manner that will protect the confidentiality of the
records/documents and is designed to prevent unauthorized persons from retrieving
such records by computer, remote terminal or any other means. Data may be
downloaded to, or maintained on, mobile or portable devices only if the data are
encrypted using NIST validated software products based on FIPS 140-2 encryption.
In addition, wage data may only be accessed from secure locations.
10. PII data obtained by the grantee through a request from VETS must not be disclosed
to anyone but the individual requestor except as permitted by the Grant Officer.
11. Grantees must permit VETS to make onsite inspections during regular business hours
for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to assure
that the grantee is complying with the confidentiality requirements described above.
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In accordance with this responsibility, grantees must make records applicable to this
Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review,
and/or audits.
12. Grantees must retain data received from VETS only for the period of time required to
use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records
retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, the grantee agrees that all data will be
destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic
data.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions:
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, the Department of Labor’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 grant 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 collaborator to the application.
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4. Special Program Requirements – Evaluation and Requests for Grant Information:
By accepting the grant funds, the grantee agrees to make individual records on participants
and funding available to the evaluator(s) under the direction of DOL, as well as to provide
access to program operating personnel and participants, as specified by the evaluator(s) under
the direction of DOL, including after the expiration date of the grant. Please note that, this
evaluation may make use of program MIS data, local administrative data, and program
progress reports. It is critical that the grantee keep this information up to date and accurate
for both performance measurement and evaluation purposes.
Upon request, successful grantees will cooperate with the Interagency Council on
Homelessness, the VA, and the HVRP National Technical Assistance Center concerning
requests for grantee information on performance activities, monitoring activities, and
requests for specific data as approved by the Department / VETS.
C. Reporting
1. Quarterly Reporting:
Title 38, Section 2021 of the U.S. Code provides that, “The Secretary of Labor shall collect
such information as that Secretary considers appropriate to monitor and evaluate the
distribution and expenditure of funds appropriated to carry out this section. The information
shall include data with respect to the results or outcomes of the services provided to each
homeless veteran under this section.” All HVRP grantees will enter data electronically and
attach their Quarterly Technical Performance Report, success stories, and other job related
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information into VETS Operations and Program Activity Report (VOPAR) system. Since
the Federal Financial Report (FFR) SF-425 has replaced the SF-269 and the SF-272, all
grantees are also required to use and submit the FFR in the E-Grants System (eGrants). See
the HVRP Special Provisions and the Veterans Program Letter (VPL) #02-12 (Appendix K)
for detailed requirements regarding quarterly reporting.
2. Performance Measures:
For purposes of assessing performance of grantees selected under this SGA, VETS will focus
on the following four performance measures: enrollments, placements, placement rate, and
cost per placement. However, the grantee will be required to be fully compliant with all
planned performance goals by meeting, at minimum, 85 percent of their planned cumulative
quarterly goals. If a grantee does not meet the minimum rate of performance then a
Corrective Action Plan (CAP) may be required to be submitted. Details related to
requirements under a CAP will be provided to all grantees after award.
Grantees also will be required to report additional performance information, as explained in
the Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees (Appendix H). There are
three (3) outcome measures with established historic and strategic targets for HVRP grants.
Applicants should consider these historic and strategic targets when proposing the goals
submitted within their application.
The first outcome target is the placement rate with a performance target for grantees to meet
a minimum placement rate of 65 percent. This is determined by dividing the number of
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participants who were placed into employment by the number of participants who have
enrolled in the program. Grantees also will be expected to meet a rate of 65 percent for
entered employment. The entered employment rate is a Common Measure based term which
is determined by dividing the number of participants who obtained and retained employment
one quarter after their initial placement or when they “exited” the program by the total
number of participants who have exited the program. In order to determine the entered
employment rate, the program must track the employment status of their enrollees after they
leave the program by re-contacting them in some way.
The second outcome target is the retention rate at three (3) quarters following placement with
a performance target for grantees to meet a minimum rate of retention of 65 percent. This is
determined by dividing the number of participants who entered employment (or those exiters
who earned wages in the quarter after their placement quarter) by those exiters who also
earned wages in all three quarters after their placement quarter. Grantees will not have a
reported retention rate in the first, second, or third quarters because it requires three quarters
after placement to determine employment retention.
The third outcome target is the cost per placement with a performance target for grantees to
meet of $2,800. This is determined by dividing the total annual costs by the number of
placements. A higher cost per placement may be considered if the applicant can justify that
the higher cost per placement leads to significantly higher average wages and/or higher
placement and retention rates.
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3. 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 the final grant close-out.
VII. Agency Contacts
All questions regarding this SGA should be directed to Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, at
202-693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number). Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to
[email protected] and reference SGA #13-01, along with question(s), include a
contact name, fax and phone number. For additional information on the Homeless Veterans’
Reintegration Program, please visit the VETS Web site at www.dol.gov/vets. Individuals with
hearing impairments should call 800 670-7008 (TTY/TDD).
VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants
Department of Labor maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to
applicants. The Web site for VETS iswww.dol.gov/vets/programs/main.htm, is a valuable
source of information including program highlights and brochures, glossary of terms, frequently
used acronyms, general and special grant provisions, and Power-Point presentations on how to
apply for HVRP funding. The HVRP National Technical Assistance center at Web site
www.dol.gov/vets/grants/hvrpnat.htm is also a valuable source of information for grant
applicants. The Interagency Council on Homeless, www.ich.gov has information from various
Agencies that assist homeless persons including updated information on local community ten
(10) year plans to end homelessness and Continuums of Care plans. America’s Service Locator
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Web site, www.servicelocator.org, provides a directory of the nation’s American Job Centers.
Applicants may also review “VETS’ Guide to Competitive and Discretionary Grants” located at
www.dol.gov/vets/grants/Final_VETS_Guide-linked.pdf. For a basic understanding of the
grants process and basic responsibilities of receiving federal grant support, please see “Guidance
for Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government” at,
www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci , as well as the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
at www.nchv.org.
IX. Other Information
A. Public Acknowledgement of USDOL Funding
1. Public References to the Grant:
When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other
documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with federal money, all
grantees receiving federal funds must clearly state the percentage of the total costs of the
program or project financed with federal money; the total dollar amount of federal financial
assistance for the project or program; and the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs
of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
2. Use of USDOL Logo:
Prior to the use of the USDOL logo, the Grant Officer must approve all such use. The
USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL-funded material prepared for distribution, including
posters, videos, pamphlets, research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations,
best practice reports, and other publications of global interest. The grantee(s) must consult
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with USDOL on whether the logo may be used on any such items prior to final draft or final
preparation for distribution. In no event will the USDOL logo be placed on any item until
USDOL has given the grantee permission to use the logo on the item.
B. Information Collection
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, expires on January 31, 2016. According to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of
information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting
burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including
time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments
regarding 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 Michel
Smyth, Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301,
Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected].
PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS.
SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The information
collected through this “Solicitation for Grant Applications” will be used by 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.
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C. Announcement and Award Dates
Announcement of these grant awards is anticipated to occur in June, 2013. Grant agreements are
expected to be awarded on or before July 1, 2013.
D. Appendices
Appendices are located at U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans’ Employment and Training
Service Web site address www.dol.gov/vets. Follow the link for the applicable SGA listed under
announcements.
Appendix A:
Application for Federal Assistance SF-424
Appendix B:
Budget Information Sheet SF-424A
Appendix C:
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
Appendix D:
Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart
Appendix E:
Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and Sub-Applicants
Appendix F:
Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants
Appendix G:
List of 75 Largest in Population Urban Areas 2010 Census
Appendix H:
Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees
Appendix I:
Indirect Charges or Certificate of Direct Costs
Appendix J:
Definitions and Terms
Appendix K:
Veterans Program Letter 02-12
Appendix L:
Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
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Signed in Washington, D.C. this 3rd day of April, 2013.
Cassandra R. Mitchell, Grant Officer
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| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Microsoft Word - PY2013 URBAN NON-URBAN HVRP SGA.docx |
| Author | mitchell-cassandra |
| File Modified | 2013-04-02 |
| File Created | 2013-04-02 |