Department of Labor
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Application for Urban and Non-Urban Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) for Program Year (PY) 2014, July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015.
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA (Insert SGA #)/PY 2014
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 www.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
Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Reference SGA (insert SGA #)
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 (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 or Non-Urban geographical areas. Applicants proposing to serve homeless veterans on Native American tribal lands are encouraged to apply under the Non-Urban category. We intend for the HVRP grants 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-driven training, placement services, counseling, supportive services, and other assistance. There is no prescribed or mandatory model to which applicants must specifically adhere; however, applicants must promote active engagement with industry, employers and employer associations to identify the skills needed for in-demand jobs and careers. Applicants must also 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.
VETS anticipates that up to $6,000,000 will be available for Urban and Non-Urban grants. Competitive 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. We will consider applications submitted outside of these ranges as non-responsive and we will not evaluate them. VETS expects to award grants in both the Urban and Non-Urban categories. However, we will not announce the actual number of grants we will award in each category until after we have made the selections. 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. We may publish future addenda to this solicitation on www.Grants.gov and on the VETS Website. All applicants must check www.Grants.gov and the VETS website regularly to ensure that they have all of the latest information regarding any updates to this solicitation.
This SGA provides background information on HVRP and identifies the critical elements that applicants must contain within their proposals responding to 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 we will select grantees.
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. Public Law 113-37, the “Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2013’,’ reauthorizes HVRP through 2014.
A. Program Concept and Emphasis
Successful applicants will design a program that addresses the multitude of challenges associated with homeless veterans and one that is responsive to the employment and support service needs within the local community. There is no prescribed or mandatory model to which applicants must specifically adhere; however, applicants must promote active engagement with industry, employers and employer associations to identify the skills needed for in-demand jobs and careers. We intend for HVRP grants 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.
For this PY 2014 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. This includes 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 veteran.
Ability to design, develop, and execute programs that assist eligible veterans by providing or collaborating with other entities to deliver job-driven training based on labor market information (LMI). LMI describes current and projected local, regional, state and national labor markets, such as the number and types of available jobs, their characteristics, and the characteristics of the labor supply. LMI can be used to guide jobseekers in choosing which fields of study, training and credentials to pursue. Examples of the use of LMI include, using job openings data to strategically identify employer partners, and analyzing labor market projections and the characteristics of regional labor market to conduct skill gap analysis.
Ability to provide job placement and retention services, counseling, mentoring, support services, housing, physical and mental health services to facilitate the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.
We encourage applicants to form collaborations with 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 that are unique to homeless veterans and that are familiar with the labor market in the area to be served.
We also encourage collaboration with organizations that link with federal agencies, American Job Centers, and the local Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH).
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, job-driven employment and training services, and follow up services to enhance placement and retention in employment. Applicants must also demonstrate how their project design effectively addresses the five criteria specified in section V. Applicants must fully demonstrate their organizational capability and staff experience and the quality of their linkages with support 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, applicants should explain in the overall approach and strategy section of their technical proposal how their HVRP grant application will address the needs of female veterans.
Award Information
We will award one (1) year grants with the potential for optional funding for up to an additional two years (as described in paragraph C below) each with associated nine-month follow-up periods (as described in paragraph B below). Please note that the selection of a grantee does not constitute final approval of the grant application and its associated budget as submitted. Before or shortly after we award the grant, VETS will 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 approximately $6,000,000 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. We will award all available funds, and we will announce the number of grants we will award in each category after we make the selections. Applicants must indicate in the abstract attached to the technical proposal 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 U.S. Census listed in Appendix F. 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 not listed on Appendix G. All Non-Urban HVRP grant applicants, including those applicants identifying that they will serve 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 must 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.
USDOL reserves the right to negotiate the amounts it will award under this competition. Please note that we will consider applications exceeding the maximum award amounts within each award category for which the application has been submitted as non-responsive and we will not evaluate them. If there are any additional program funds available, USDOL 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 2014.
B. Period of Performance
The active period of performance will be for the twelve (12) month period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015, unless modified by the Grant Officer. The follow-up period of performance will be for nine (9) additional months or the period from July 1, 2015 through March 31, 2016. We expect that successful applicants will begin program operations under this solicitation on July 1, 2014. Per grant officer requirements, grantees must obligate all program funds (including all funds to be used for follow-up activities) by June 30, 2015. Grantees must perform and report follow-up services for each eligible HVRP participant that enters employment during the active performance.
C. Additional Year Funding
Should Congress appropriate additional funds for this purpose, VETS may consider up to two (2) option years of additional funding for grants awarded under this solicitation. USDOL does not, however, guarantee option year funding for any grantee. See VETS Program Letter #02-12 (Appendix J) for information regarding option year funding.
Eligibility Information
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 Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible for the receipt of Federal funds constituting an award, grant, or loan.
Eligible applicants must fall into one of the following categories:
State and local WIBs, established under Sections 111and 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, you must submit a current and valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) statement indicating 501(c) (3) status approval with the application or we will deem the application non-responsive and we will not evaluate it. Attach the IRS statement to the Technical Proposal; we will not count it toward the 50 page limit.
B. Cost Sharing or Matching
We do not require cost sharing and matching funds as a condition for application. VETS encourages grantees to leverage external resources available to the HVRP program and its participants through cost sharing agreements; however, our application grading criteria does not include cost sharing or matching.
C. Other Eligibility Criteria
1. Religious Activities:
USDOL 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 of religious discrimination in employment. If we award a faith-based organization with a grant, we will provide the organization with information on how to request such an exemption at their request.
D. Participant Eligibility Criteria
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;
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
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 network 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.
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.1 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
USDOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes. Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For this grant competition, USDOL will publish the abstracts required [by section IV] and selected information from the SF-424 for all applications on USDOL’s public website 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 USDOL’s website or a similar location. We will publish no other attachments to the application. We will not publish the Technical Proposals and abstracts until after we announce the grants. In addition, we may also make information about grant progress and results publicly available.
USDOL 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 may cause your business 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.2
We will publish abstracts 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 USDOL 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, we will presume the applicant has obtained all necessary authorizations to provide this information and we note that the applicant may be liable for any improper release of this information.
By submission of this grant application, the applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States, the USDOL, 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 USDOL posts the winning Technical Proposals, we will ask applicants with winning proposals to submit a second redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary or confidential business information and PII redacted. Applicants with winning proposals should also remove all non-public information about the applicant’s and consortium members’ staff (if applicable). The USDOL will contact by letter or email the applicants whose Technical Proposals we will publish, 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 USDOL 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 USDOL’s request, USDOL will publish 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).
We encourage applicants to maximize the grant application information that we will publicly disclose, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or PII. We will not allow the redaction of entire pages or sections of the Technical Proposal as this is not appropriate, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, USDOL will follow the procedures outlined in the USDOL’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
USDOL will protect redacted information in grant applications 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 USDOL receives a FOIA request for your application, we will follow the procedures in USDOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures in 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.”
How to Obtain an Application Package
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 website at www.dol.gov/vets, or the Federal Grant Opportunities website at www.Grants.gov.
Part I. The Cost Proposal
We will review the cost proposal for financial appropriateness and reasonableness. We will award no direct evaluation points based upon the information contained within the Cost Proposal; however, applicants must provide the specific information required or we may find their applications non-responsive and we will not evaluate such applications.
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 have a DUNS number, you can get one free by calling Dun & Bradstreet at 866-705-5711 or by accessing their Website 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:
Grantees must notify potential sub-grantees that no entity may receive a sub-award from you unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to you.
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:
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 Sub-Applicants” form (Appendix E).
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).
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, sub-awards/contracts, and any other costs associated with executing the grant. 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 website at www.gsa.gov.
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.
Equipment Purchases. Applicants must provide a description/specification of, and justification for, all equipment purchases, if any, that are tangible, non-expendable, 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 H).
Note you must include the entire federal grant amount requested on the SF-424, SF-424A 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. If we find any inconsistencies, we will consider the funding amount included on the SF-424 as the official funding amount requested. In addition, we will consider an application that does not provide an SF-424, an SF-424A or a properly noted DUNS number (or an official exemption) as non-responsive and we will not evaluate such applications.
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). You can find step-by-step instructions for registering with SAM 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 must 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 for and to receive the award. If the applicant fails to register with the SAM before the application submission, we will find the application non-responsive and we will not evaluate it.
Part II. The Technical Proposal
The pages used to present the technical proposal count toward the 50-page total page maximum limitation. The Technical Proposal must demonstrate the applicant’s capability to implement the grant in accordance with the provisions of this SGA. Section V provides the specific guidelines for the content of the Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal must not exceed 15 single-sided pages of double-spaced 12-point font with one inch margins. We will not read or consider any materials beyond the specified page limit in the review process. Applicants should number the Technical Proposal pages 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. Specific information about these program elements and their associated rating criteria and evaluation points related to each of the program elements contained within the Technical Proposal is provided in section V. We will consider applications that do not contain a Technical Proposal as non-responsive and we will not evaluate them.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal
We will consider applications that fail to contain the required attachments identified as non-responsive and we will not evaluate them. 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 USDOL. We will only evaluate documents contained in the submitted application package. Some attachments to the technical proposal count toward the 50-page total page maximum limitation, while others do not; specifics related to each attachment are included below.
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 abstract does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation. The applicant’s proposed overall strategy, timeline, and 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.
Applicants must complete the PY 2014 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (Appendix D) with proposed programmatic outcomes, including but not limited to, participants served, placements, and jobs retained. This chart does not count toward the 15-Page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation. If the applicant fails to provide the specific and required information as identified on the PY 2014 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart, the grant application will receive a low score for this element of the evaluation criteria when evaluated.
All applicants who have previously held federal grant awards must submit evidence of satisfactory financial management capability, which must include a recent summary of a financial audit statement. This audit does not count toward either the 15-page technical proposal limit or the 50-page total page limitation. If an audit is not included when applicable, the application will receive zero (0) points in the appropriate section of the evaluation. All successful grantees must use Generally Accepted Accounting Practices, maintain a separate accounting for these grant funds, and have a checking account.
All applicants must include, if applicable, a list of all employment and training federal grants and contracts that they have had in the past three (3) years, including grant/contract officer contact information. This list does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit or the overall 50-page page limitation. The USDOL reserves the right to have an agency representative review and verify this data.
Applicants must provide a completed Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form OMB Number 4040-0010 (Appendix K) or also available at http://apply07.www.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). This form does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the 50-page total page limitation. If using www.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.
Applicants must provide all individual service contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or other formal agreements which involve service providers not specifically proposed as a part of the applicant’s team, but who provide services within the proposed geographic service delivery area mentioned within an applicant’s proposal. While applicants should note and identify these formal agreements in the appropriate place within their proposal, we will not count copies of these formal agreements toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
We require an organizational chart and staff resumes. They do not count toward either the 15-page technical proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants must include a statement that confirms their intent to work collaboratively with the USDOL and its contractor(s) on potential evaluation efforts related to veterans. This statement counts toward the overall 50-page limitation. This cooperation will include complying with evaluation requirements of USDOL, as well as the third-party contractors procured by USDOL. We may require grantees to submit program and participant data and, in accordance with the proper handling of PII, share this data with USDOL 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 hand-delivery, or electronically at www.Grants.gov. Address hard copy applications to Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, Reference SGA (insert SGA #), 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210. We must receive applications no later than 4:00p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We caution applicants that applications should be submitted before the deadline to minimize the risk of late receipt of the application. Applications submitted through www.Grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on the closing date. We will not accept applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX).
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, we will consider the application on the CD as 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 www.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 www.Grants.gov, we will consider the latest qualifying submission through www.Grants.gov as 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. We will consider all overnight delivery submissions as hand-delivered, and we must receive such submissions at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.
To be considered responsive, grant applications not submitted through www.Grants.gov (if an electronic submission is made through www.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 ink-signed, Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C), a Direct Cost Description for Applicants and Sub-applicants (Appendix E), and 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 we find that any documents listed above are missing, we will consider the application as non-responsive and we will not evaluate it. We will not grant any exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice. We will not accept documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, as part of the application.
Applications that are submitted through www.Grants.gov must be successfully submitted through www.Grants.gov no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then subsequently validated by www.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 begin to write their proposal, they should immediately initiate the registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html. Applicants should read through the registration process carefully before registering. The registration 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 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html 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.
The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with www.Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on www.Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-resources.html. After creating a profile at www.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 www.Grants.gov and approve the applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. An application submitted through www.Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with www.Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When the applicant submits their application through www.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.
An application submitted through www.Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with www.Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When the applicant submits their application through www. 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 www.Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by www. Grants.gov. Within two business days of application submission, www.Grants.gov will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by www.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.
The components of the applications submitted on CD’s 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.
USDOL recommends that 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 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 www. 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 www.Grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern 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 www.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, post marked not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month) or (b) sent by professional overnight delivery service no later than one working day prior to the date specified for receipt of applications. Post marked means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, applicants should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation “bull’s eye” postmark on both the receipt and the package. 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.
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 defined in OMB Circular A-133 (codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Public Laws 111-117 (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 USDOL 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. 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.”
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. If more than (1) application from the same organization for the same 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 we will consider only one (1) grant application for funding purposes.
Due to the limited availability of funding, if an organization was awarded Fiscal Year 2011, Fiscal Year 2012, or Fiscal Year 2013 HVRP funds for a specific physical location serving the same HVRP participant population and will be awarded first, second or third option year funding in PY 2014, then that organization must 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 must not 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. However, an HVRP grantee and a separate non-affiliated VWIP grantee may coordinate efforts on behalf of eligible veterans.
A. Evaluation Criteria
This section identifies and describes the criteria that we will use under each category to evaluate grant proposals. Please note that the USDOL 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 they do not submit final or most recent technical performance reports, as specified within this SGA, the grant application will receive a low score when evaluated for this element of the evaluation criteria. Further, an applicant should submit all MOUs or other formal agreements related to any part of the Technical Proposal as attachments to their 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, we expect applicants 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 using the reporting methodology as described in the Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees (Appendix G). The TAG includes specific directions related to the proper completion and submittal of the Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (included at Appendix D) which applicants must include as an attachment to the Technical Proposal, as described in sec. IV.B.Part III of this Solicitation.
Applications will receive up to 100 total points based on specific criteria. We will evaluate applications 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:
Categories / Criteria Points
1. Need for the Project 15
2. Overall Approach and Strategy 45
(Outreach 10 pts.)
(Assessment & Intake 10 pts.)
(Employment & Training 15pts.)
(Follow up 10 pts.)
3. Quality of Linkages 15
4. Organizational Capability and Experience 15
5. Housing Strategy 10
TOTAL 100
We will evaluate applicants 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 they propose to serve, 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. Please compare these local estimates of homeless individuals and homeless veterans to state and national data; 2) the rates of poverty and unemployment in the proposed project area as determined by the U.S. Census or other surveys which should include state and national level comparisons; 3) the extent of the “gaps” in or lack of local support 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. Please cite appropriate sources 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 job-driven 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, either directly through the proposed applicant or through demonstrated collaborative agreements, identify and target skills and competencies in demand in the applicant’s regional economy and include procedures for outreach, assessment, intake and follow up services that enhance placement and retention in employment. Further, in this section of the technical proposal applicants should explain how they will address the needs of female veterans.
Applicants also must identify and fully describe the support 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. Please provide a participant flow chart to show the sequence and mix of services. We will not include this chart in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, it will be counted toward the overall 50-page limit.
Outreach (0 to 10 points)
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed program will promote active engagement with industry, employers and employer associations to determine the skills needed to pursue in-demand jobs and careers. Applicants must describe how in-demand skills will be provided in their proposed program. Applicants must 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 outreach. Applicants must explain how their program will reach out to and collaborate with local entities within their proposed geographic service delivery area 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 support 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 organizations:
Direct providers of services to homeless veterans, including shelter and soup kitchen operators;
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, women’s organizations, support groups and faith-based and community-based organizations to include Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) such as the American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; Veterans of Foreign Wars; and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
We also encourage applicants to describe how they plan to participate in Stand Down activities. While HVRP funding must not be used for Stand Down activities, applicants should describe how they will integrate such activities into their proposed outreach strategy. Stand Down activities will only be funded through a separate USDOL Stand Down Solicitation. USDOL encourages potential HVRP grantees to apply for this separate funding. USDOL considers Stand Downs to be an excellent form of outreach to homeless veterans. We may award favorable scores for this criterion to applicants that provide details of either hosting or participating in a Stand Down.
Assessment and Intake (0 to 10 points)
Applicants must fully explain how they will design and implement their proposed assessment and intake process. Applicants must design the assessment and intake process 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 grantees identify potentially eligible homeless veterans, they must make an assessment 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 support 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 or enrollment process, grant applicants must describe the assessment of the individual’s skills and knowledge gaps to determine the types of services needed to assist the individual. Services may include career technical training, soft skills training, aptitude testing, counseling, or referral to other services.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will collaborate and coordinate their efforts with the VA and other locally-based Veteran Service Organizations (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.
Job-Driven Employment and Training Services (0 to 15 points)
Applicants must demonstrate how they will develop formal job-driven 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. Applicants must note the specific services proposed for each participant to maintain and improve his or her state of job readiness and employability within an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) developed for each participant. We intend for the development of the initial IEP and the expected process that grantees must implement to periodically update it to help facilitate and monitor the participant’s progress toward a successful long-term employment outcome.
Grantees should use available labor market information to drive decision-making on training and employment services. Employment and training services must be focused on imparting relevant skills with job-market value and should align with and leverage other federal education and training program resources. Services should include:
• Training that is targeted to specific industries, occupations, and skills in demand.
• Training strategies that are geared towards providing skills development for jobs currently available.
• Work-based learning opportunities such as registered apprenticeships, paid internships, on-the-job training, cooperative learning, work experience, and customized training.
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 support services that will enable their participants to successfully perform all the activities specified within their IEP. Additionally, applicants must show how programs such as the VA’s Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program and/or preparatory classroom training will be included in 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 a comprehensive and coherent narrative how they will place veterans into jobs that are meaningful and sustainable. Successful applicants will provide a detailed description of placement strategies that are based on local labor market information and collaboration with employers, other job training programs, and the local American Job Center. Examples of historically successful placement strategies are on-the-job training (OJT), registered apprenticeship, 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. 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; OJT, or registered apprenticeship; 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. You can find a listing of local American Job Centers at: www.servicelocator.org. With regard to OJT, grant funds may not 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 who are available to 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. American Job Centers are a critical resource for labor market information including skills necessary for in-demand jobs. 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 use local labor market information to 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. We will not include this list in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, we will count it 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 that count toward the 80 percent training threshold are: classroom training, remedial education activities, on-the-job training, occupational skills training, registered apprenticeship, retraining and skill specific career technical training; specialized and/or licensed training programs, and other formal training programs. 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 participants will use to expand their career technical skills. 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 (0 to 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. We encourage applicants 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 the applicant plans to use State Unemployment Insurance (UI) data to substantiate the applicant’s follow-up results, we suggest that the applicant include any MOU or other formal agreement that 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: 0 to 15 points
We will evaluate applicants on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive, and coherent narrative. 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 support service programs and their associated agencies and/organizations. Examples of additional support service programs include, but are not limited to: 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 must 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 support services such as 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 Injury (TBI) assessments and treatment, domestic abuse and sexual trauma counseling and care, vision and dental services, and physical and mental health services.
We encourage applicants 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 the provider, the source of complementary funding related to the specific services provided by the organization, and the type of linkages/referral system established or proposed. We will not include this list in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, we will count it toward the overall 50-page limit.
Applicants must describe, to the extent possible, how their proposed project will be incorporated into the VA’s five (5) year plan to end veteran homelessness by 2015 and the local community’s ten (10) year plan to end homelessness, if applicable. See the Interagency Council on Homelessness Website 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: 0 to 15 points
All applicants must fully describe their organization‘s ability to manage the operational, administrative, programmatic, and financial reporting requirements specified within this SGA. Applicants must describe key staff skills, experience, biographies, history, knowledge, qualifications, capabilities, office locations, and provide an organizational chart. Organizational charts, staff resumes and detailed staff capability statements do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants who have operated an HVRP grant program must include the final or most recent cumulative quarterly Technical Performance Report (TPR); the most recently completed 4th quarter Technical Performance Narrative (TPN); a copy of the planned goals spreadsheet providing the planned goals for the year the of the most recently completed 4th quarter TPR; and, the most recent financial and technical performance reports for other relevant programs (within the last three year period), if applicable. Submission of the planned goals spreadsheet, the 4th quarter TPN, and TPR do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Prior HVRP experience is not a requirement for this grant. 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 must describe specific outcomes previously achieved against established targets by the applicant within these related programs, such as number of enrollments, number of participants that entered employment, cost per placement into employment, benefits secured, and network coalitions. 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, if available. We also require a summary narrative of program experience and a descriptive illustration of the programs’ employment and training performance outcomes. 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.
Applicants must also address their capacity for timely startup of the program, programmatic reporting, and participant tracking. 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 must 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.
We will evaluate applicants on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive and coherent narrative containing the following information. Applicants must also illustrate how affordable and/or housing resources will be accessed by program participants, if available. Applicants must fully illustrate the 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 must also demonstrate how they will make appropriate housing referrals based upon the specific needs of their enrolled program participants. 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 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. We caution applicants to outline housing strategies that will lead to permanent housing or using a HUD VASH voucher after a participant is enrolled in the program, as potential veterans must be “homeless” in order to meet the eligibility requirement for HVRP participation. We also recommend 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. USDOL may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on www.Grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted on the VETS homepage at www.dol.gov/vets. Applicants selected for an 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, USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as, program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems. 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.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
All grantees will be subject to applicable federal laws, regulations, and the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements.
The grants awarded under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:
Non-Profit Organizations – 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements) and OMB Circular A-122 (Cost Principles) (See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_circulars).
Educational Institutions– 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements) and OMB Circular A-21 (Cost Principles). (See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_circulars).
State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – 29 CFR Part 97 (Administrative Requirements) and OMB Circular A-87 (Cost Principles). (See http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_circulars).
Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR Part 95 (Administrative Requirements)
All Grantees Recipients must comply with the provisions of Title 38 U.S.C. and its regulations, as applicable.
All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance), 29 CFR 95.13 and Part 98 (Government-wide 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).
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
29 CFR Part 30 – Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training.
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.
29 CFR Part 32- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 35 – Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
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:
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 (Public 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, which can be found at the following Website: 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:
Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive federal awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or her name);
Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities’ previous tax year; and
Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.
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 USDOL 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 USDOL and/or grantee/s will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable state and federal laws. By submitting a grant proposal, the applicant agrees to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable in governing their handling of confidential information.
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 USDOL or contractors.
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 who wish to obtain more information on data security should contact their Federal Project Officer.
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.
Grantees further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through their USDOL 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 USDOL. Accessing, processing, and storing of USDOL 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 USDOL.
Grantee employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data must be advised to the confidential 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.
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.
Grantees must not extract information from data supplied by USDOL for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.
Access to any PII created by the USDOL 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.
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.
PII data obtained by the grantee through a request from USDOL must not be disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor except as permitted by the Grant Officer.
Grantees must permit USDOL 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. 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.
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.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions:
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, the USDOL’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 administrative requirements and 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.
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 USDOL, as well as to provide access to program operating personnel and participants, as specified by the evaluator(s) under the direction of USDOL, 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 USDOL.
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 TPR, success stories, and other job related 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 J) 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, we will require the grantee to fully comply with all planned performance goals by meeting +/- 15% of their planned cumulative quarterly goals, see Appendix J. If a grantee does not meet threshold of performance in these categories, then we will require a Corrective Action Plan (CAP). We will provide details related to requirements under a CAP to all grantees.
We will also require grantees to report additional performance information, as explained in the Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees (Appendix G). 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 66 percent. This is determined by dividing the number of participants who were placed into employment by the number of participants who have enrolled in the program. We will also expect grantees to meet a rate of 53 percent for entered employment.
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. This is determined by dividing the total annual grant award by the number of placements by that grantee. Cost per placement should not exceed $3,000 per participant. We may consider a higher cost per placement if the applicant can justify that the higher cost per placement is needed to implement a job-driven employment and training strategy that will result in better employment outcomes.
Additionally, please note that USDOL tracks the entered employment rate (EER). The EER 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 EER, the program must track the employment status of their enrollees after they leave the program by contacting them.
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 (insert SGA #), 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 Website 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 Website for VETS is www.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 Website 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 Website, www.servicelocator.org, provides a directory of the nation’s American Job Centers. 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
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.
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 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 the USDOL 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.
C. Announcement and Award Dates
Announcement of these grant awards is anticipated to occur in June 2014. Grant agreements are expected to be awarded on or before July 1, 2014.
D. Appendices
Appendices are located at USDOL, VETS website 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: List of 75 Largest in Population Urban Areas 2010 Census
Appendix G: Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees
Appendix H: Indirect Charges or Certificate of Direct Costs
Appendix I: Definitions and Terms
Appendix J: Veterans Program Letter 02-12
Appendix K: Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
Signed in Washington, D.C. this ______ day of __________, 2014.
Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer
BILLING CODE: 4510-79P
1 United States Department of Housing and urban Development. (2006). Super NOFA for Continuum of Care Programs: Fiscal Year 2006. Washington, DC
2OMB Memorandum 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Draft 2010 SGA |
| Subject | Homeless Veterans |
| Author | Palumbo |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-30 |