National Guard Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe Program Funding Opportunity Announcement

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for National Guard Youth ChalleNGe and Job ChalleNGe Program

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ETA-15-01

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.261

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is [insert date 45 days after date of publication of the one page notice in the Federal Register]. Applications must be received no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Melissa Abdullah, Grant Officer, Reference FOA-ETA-15-01, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.

Executive Summary:

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $12,000,000.00 in grant funds authorized by Section 171, Pilot and Demonstration Projects, of the Workforce Investment Act, to: 1) test the effectiveness of expanding the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program for youth who have come in contact with the juvenile justice system for committing a status offense¹ or a delinquent act (court-involved youth), and, 2) add and test an additional job training component (DOL Job ChalleNGe) to the program for court-involved youth and youth that have had no contact with the juvenile justice system (non-court-involved youth).

Juvenile courts handled 1.4 million delinquency cases in 2010, resulting in 112,600 out-of-home placements, 491,100 probation assignments, and 310,200 other sanctions. Court-involved youth are highly at-risk of not being successful in the workforce and have high rates of recidivism. State funding across the country for educational and workforce development services for court-involved youth have historically been very limited. DOL is funding this demonstration pilot to test strategies used by the DOD Youth ChalleNGe program to improve the workforce outcomes of this most at-risk population.

The DOL Job ChalleNGe is to be part of the comprehensive National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program in which program participants, referred to as Cadets, receive military-based training, engage in supervised work experience, and complete eight core program components, during a six-month residential phase conducted on an active or closed National Guard base, training center, or school campus. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is operated by the National Guard Bureau and funded through a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Cooperative Agreement executed by the United States Property and Fiscal Officer, National Guard Bureau, and The Adjutant General of a State, Commonwealth, District or Territory.

Under this grant, and upon completion of the six-month residential phase, each Cadet will be matched with a mentor to help him or her prepare to re-enter community life during a 12-month mentorship phase. The 12-month mentorship phase will be non-residential, except for those Cadets who, at the start of the 12-month mentorship phase, elect to enroll in the five-month residential DOL Job ChalleNGe in order to receive additional vocational services. For this DOL Job ChalleNGe solicitation we expect to award up to $4,000,000 each to three (3) grantees totaling $12,000,000 with a period of performance of 42 months. During these 42 months, grantees will operate the DOL Job ChalleNGe, which will include a three-month planning period and facilitation of the 12-month mentoring phase. Applicants may not exceed a request of $4,000,000 to operate this DOL Job ChalleNGe, which will fund the planning period and the five-month residential DOL Job ChalleNGe phase. However, the six-month residential phase of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program must be funded with funds obligated under the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Cooperative Agreement.

The Department will fund an evaluability assessment to determine the feasibility of conducting an evaluation of the impact of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program on court-involved youth. It will also assess the feasibility of evaluating the added value of the Job ChalleNGe phase of the program. The Department will also fund and conduct an impact evaluation, which may use either a rigorous quasi-experimental methods or an experimental evaluation which will include the random assignment of participants to receive services. Grantees will be required to cooperate in all aspects of the evaluation.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Program Purpose

This Announcement solicits applications for the DOL Job ChalleNGe. The purpose of the DOL Job ChalleNGe is to improve the long-term labor market prospects of court-involved and non-court involved youth who successfully complete a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program.

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is a multi-phase intervention program that targets high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 18. Staff members intervene in the lives of program participants, referred to as Cadets, to develop skills that will produce program graduates with the values, education and self-discipline necessary to succeed as adults. This intervention is carried out via a 6-month residential, military-based training that is organized around eight core components: academic excellence, life coping skills, health and hygiene, responsible citizenship, community service, leadership/followership, physical fitness and job skills. The existing job skills core component allows participants to receive hands-on experience, and to develop an understanding of their unique interests and abilities. Participants write resumes, participate in job shadowing with local employers, and have opportunities to earn vocational certifications. Participants are required to take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test and participate in a vocation interpretation of test results. They must also demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills required to seek and obtain employment. In addition, each Cadet is matched with a mentor who helps him or her prepare to re-enter community life during a 12-month mentorship phase. The goal of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program is to improve the education, life skills, and employment potential of youth who have dropped out of high school. Since 1993, over 120,000 students have successfully completed this program.

The National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program has demonstrated significant positive impacts for the youth—including higher rates of employment, high school or GED completion, and earning college credit. However, the program does not currently target court-involved youth for enrollment. Successful grantees will pilot a program to enroll court-involved youth in the core National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program and participate in the associated national evaluation in order to determine if court-involved youth can reap the same benefits from the program as other at-risk youth. An estimated 70% of justice-involved youth have disabilities including emotional disorders, mental illnesses, sensory impairments, and learning or intellectual disabilities, as well as co-occurring disorders,² so grantees must provide appropriate access to accommodations and support services.

DOL Job ChalleNGe. The DOL Job ChalleNGe is a residential program that will expand and enhance the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program’s job skills component. The DOL Job ChalleNGe will provide a robust vocational experience over a 5-month period to participants who (a) complete the 6-month residential phase of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, and (b) choose to participate in the DOL Job ChalleNGe for the first five months of the 12-month mentorship phase of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe, The DOL Job ChalleNGe vocational experience will place participants on a pathway towards credential attainment and/or employment. The DOL Job ChalleNGe must include the following six (5) activities: 1) recruitment of court-involved youth; 2) occupational skills training; 3) individualized career counseling and academic counseling; 4) work-based learning and exposure to the world of work; 5) leadership development activities that encourage responsibility, employability, and other positive social behaviors; and 6) employer engagement to ensure participants’ skills align with employer needs at program completion.

By expanding the services available to Cadets who complete the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, the Department of Labor is seeking to markedly improve these young people’s employment outcomes. The past decade has been the most challenging in 50 years for young people seeking to navigate the transition to adulthood, earn a degree, get a job, and stand on their own financially. Indeed, the employment rate for youth ages 16 to 19 dropped precipitously — down 42 percent since 2000. More youth than ever — 2.2 million teenagers — are neither in school nor working. These young people, given their limited education and job-readiness skills, tend to find fewer employment opportunities. This is especially true of those who are most vulnerable, including youth who are involved with the juvenile justice system.

Workforce development programs provide critical support to help vulnerable youth become successfully employed and move towards self-sufficiency. These programs build various workforce skills and knowledge through mentoring, internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing, career exploration, on-the-job and customized training, resume writing and interviewing, and subsidized and unsubsidized work experiences. Given employers’ concerns about youth acquiring “soft skills,” many workforce development programs also focus on professional communication skills, team work, positive attitude, critical thinking, problem solving, and strong work ethic. Workforce development programs prepare youth for postsecondary education and a job market that increasingly requires and rewards skills and education. This program provides a stronger bridge to the world of work for youth.

2. Program Authority

This program is authorized under section 171, Pilots and Demonstration Projects, of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA ).

II. Award Information

A. Award Type and Amount

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

Approximately $12,000,000 is expected to be available to fund approximately three (3) grants. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $4,000,000. Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

Successful applicants may use these grant funds for costs incurred during the three-month planning period and the twelve-month mentoring phase, and for costs associated with implementing the five-month residential DOL Job ChalleNGe. During the entire project period, successful applicants will be expected to recruit and serve both court-involved and non-court-involved youth, and will be permitted to use grant funds for costs related to those capacity building activities geared primarily at recruiting and serving court-involved youth. During the three-month planning period these activities may include establishing relationships with referral organizations, identifying additional resources, coordinating with the national evaluators and adjusting program models to best serve this population. Additionally, applicants will be permitted to use these grant funds for costs incurred during the 12-month mentoring phase, including costs associated with initiating the mentor-mentee contacts; facilitating an active mentor match (defined as a minimum of two contacts during each 30-day reporting period) between a Cadet and his/her mentor; and monitoring the mentoring relationships and activities, Finally, successful applicants may use these grant funds for all costs associated with the residential DOL Job ChalleNGe.

B. Period of Performance

The period of performance is 42 months with an anticipated start date of May 30, 2015. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

Planning Period: The period of performance will begin with a three-month planning period, paid for by this grant, during which the grantee will engage in activities to augment its capacity to effectively recruit and acclimate court-involved youth.

National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program: The six-month residential phase of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program will immediately follow the planning period. This six-month residential phase will focus on enhancing participants’ education and practical life skills, and must be paid for pursuant to a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Cooperative Agreement.

Mentoring Phase: Youth who successfully complete the six-month residential phase of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program will participate in a 12-month mentoring phase, paid for by this grant, to allow them to evaluate what they learned during the Youth ChalleNGe program, and apply it to real life. The Mentoring Phase will be non-residential for those youth who choose not to participate in the DOL Job ChalleNGe. The Mentoring Phase will be residential for the first five months of the DOL Job ChalleNGe for those youth who participate, but the remaining seven months of the Mentoring Phase will be non-residential for those youth.

DOL Job ChalleNGe: The residential 5-month DOL Job ChalleNGe will begin at the start of the Mentoring Phase, and will focus on the delivery of vocational services to participants. Youth may choose to participate in the DOL Job ChalleNGe. Costs incurred in implementing the DOL Job ChalleNGe will be paid for through this grant.

Each of the 4-cohorts will include 300 participants in the Youth ChalleNGe program, consisting of 150 court-involved youth and 150 non-court-involved youth. From the participants enrolled in the Youth ChalleNGe cohort, 150 participants will enter the Job ChalleNGe program. Participants in the Job ChalleNGe program will consist of 75 court-involved youth and 75 non court-involved youth.

Cohorts: Grantees must serve four cohorts of youth following the initial three-month planning period. Each cohort must last for 18 months, and the fourth cohort must terminate at the end of 42 months. The first cohort will begin in month four, immediately following the three-month planning period, and will continue through month nine, during which time cohort members will participate in the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe. Youth who so choose will then participate in the DOL Job ChalleNGe during months 10 through 14, and all youth will participate in the mentoring phase during months 10 through 21. Each of the three subsequent cohorts will commence one month after the end of the prior Youth ChalleNGe program (see Attachment A – DOL Job ChalleNGe: Proposed 42-month Period of Performance).

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants will have continuously operated a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program for the past five years, and must be currently operating a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program pursuant to a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Cooperative Agreement executed by the United States Property and Fiscal Officer, National Guard Bureau, and The Adjutant General of a State, Commonwealth, District or Territory. A list of the 35 ChalleNGe sites in 27 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia can be found at http://www.ngyf.org/challenge_near_you.html.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required for this program. Please note that any resources contributed to the project are considered leveraged resources and do not constitute cost sharing or matching funds.  More information on leveraged resources may be found in Section IV.B.2. Applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Cost sharing or match is not one of the application screening criteria.

C. Other Information

1. Application Screening Criteria

You should use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure that the application has met all of the screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. We urge you to use this checklist to ensure that your application contains all required items. If your application does not meet all of the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process and will not be considered for funding.

Application Requirement	Instructions	Complete?
The deadline submission requirements are met	Section IV.C
Application does not exceed the ceiling amount of $4,000,000.	Section II.A
Applicant has registered with SAM and maintains an active account	Section IV.B.1
Signed SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance	Section IV.B.1
Signed SF-424 includes a DUNS Number	Section IV.B.1
SF-424A, Budget Information Form	Section IV.B.2
Budget Narrative	Section IV.B.2
Project Narrative	Section IV.B.3
Abstract	Section IV.B.4

2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted

Multiple applications from an organization are not allowed. If multiple applications are received, the most recent application submitted will be accepted. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, we will not replace it with an earlier application.

3. Eligible Participants

1. Participants Eligible to Receive Training through Job Challenge

You must propose a project that focuses on providing services to youth who meet all of the eligibility requirements for participation in, and who successfully complete the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program. In addition to completing the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, a participant must also possess the following characteristics to be eligible to receive training:

• Has come in contact with the juvenile justice system for committing a status offense or a delinquent act (court-involved youth); or has had no contact with the juvenile justice system (non-court-involved youth);

• Has never been convicted as an adult in the federal, state, local or municipal adult criminal justice system.

2. Veterans’ Priority for Participants

38 U.S.C. 4215 requires grantees to provide priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR Part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans’ priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service.  To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program’s eligibility requirements.  Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans’ priority.  ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL.  TEGL No. 10-09 is available at http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants should note that hyperlinks to portions of the FOA are included in various parts of the Announcement. Applicants are required to comply with all parts of the FOA, including those parts found at the hyperlinks.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of four separate and distinct parts: (1) the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance;” (2) Project Budget; (3) Project Narrative; and (4) attachments to the Project Narrative. It is your responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant is considered the Authorized Representative of the applicant. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, signature of the Authorized Representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). The SF-424B is not required to be submitted with the application.

In addition, the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of compliance with the following requirements in accordance with 29 CFR 37.20:

As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)³, the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the WIA, which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIA Title I—financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color and national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with 29 CFR part 37 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.

Requirement for DUNS Number

All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a 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 for free through the D&B website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do. As authorized under 2 CFR 25, grant recipients authorized to make subawards must be aware of the following requirements related to DUNS Numbers:

• Grant recipients must notify potential subawardees that no entity may receive a subaward from you unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to you.

• Grant recipients may not make a subaward to an entity unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to you.

Requirement for Registration with SAM

Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application. Instructions for registering with SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/#1. A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award.

2. Project Budget

You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). In preparing the Budget Information Form, you must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.

Use the following guidance for preparing the budget narrative:

Personnel – List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed). Give the annual salary of each position, the percentage of each position’s time devoted to the project, the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant, and the total personnel cost for the period of performance.

Fringe Benefits – Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, FICA, retirement, etc.

Travel – Specify the purpose, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and other costs for each type of travel.

Equipment – Identify each item of equipment to be purchased which has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.33 for the definition of Equipment). List the quantity and unit cost per item. Items with a unit cost of less than $5,000 are supplies. In general, we do not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the grant.

Supplies – Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.94 for the definition of Supplies). The detailed budget should identify categories of supplies (e.g. office supplies). List the quantity and unit cost per item.

Contractual – Identify each proposed contract and specify its purpose and estimated cost. If applicable, identify any subrecipient agreements, including purpose and estimated costs. See Section VI.B.2.f. for more information on the distinction between contractor and subrecipient.

Construction – Construction costs are not allowed and this line must be left as zero. Minor alterations to adjust an existing space for grant activities (such as a classroom alteration) may be allowable. We do not consider this as construction and the costs must be shown on other appropriate lines such as Contractual.

Other – List each item in sufficient detail for us to determine whether the costs are reasonable or allowable. List any item, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere here.

Indirect Costs – If indirect costs are included in the budget, then include either, a) the approved indirect cost rate with a copy of the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), a description of the base used to calculate indirect costs along with the amount of the base, and the total indirect costs requested, or b) if you meet the requirements to use the 10% de minimis rate as described in 2 CFR 200.414(f), then include a description of the modified total direct costs base (see 2 CFR 200.68 for definition) used in the calculation along with the amount of the base, and the total indirect costs requested based on the 10% de minimis rate. See Section IV.B.4. and Section IV.E.1. for more information. Additionally, the following link contains DOL-specific information: http://www.dol.gov/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm.

Note that the entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one year) must be included on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative.  No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. Leveraged resources should be described in the budget narrative. The requested Federal grant amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative must be the same. The funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found.

3. Project Narrative

a. Preparing the Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must demonstrate your capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Announcement. It provides a comprehensive framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It must be succinct, self-explanatory, and well organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

The Project Narrative is limited to 20 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1 inch margins. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the application review process. You must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Project Narrative. You should carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information in your Project Narrative. The Project Narrative will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. You must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative:

(1) Statement of Need

The applicant must identify and describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the need among program participants for assistance with educational instruction, experiential learning, mentoring and vocational training, including the nature and scope of the problem. The applicant must discuss the dropout crisis within the state or local area in which it operates the implications for youth in terms of reduced job and income opportunities and unemployment, and other consequences of not addressing this crisis. In addition, the applicant must discuss the juvenile crime rate and lack of resources for court-involved youth in the target area. The applicant must describe the current economy and labor market, particularly as they relate to youth employment, and discuss any relevant barriers in the service area that the project hopes to overcome.

(2) Expected Outcomes and Outputs

The Department has identified the following outcomes for the DOL Job ChalleNGe: (a) work-readiness skills acquisition; (b) credential attainment; and (c) job placement. Clearly identify which of these outcomes will result from the project. In addition, clearly identify the outputs, or tangible products or services that will result from the project. For example, if a grantee uses these funds to achieve the outcome of work readiness skills acquisition, an output of the project would be the number of work readiness classes held. The applicant must describe how the project aims to achieve these outcomes, and the objective activities that will be used to reach them. The outcomes should be quantifiable and measurable. The applicant must also describe the relationship of these outcomes to the identified need, how they will benefit the intended participants, and the extent to which the activities described in the application are capable of addressing the problem and attaining the outcomes.

(3) Project Design

The Department has identified several strategies and methods that are critical to achieving the stated outcomes of the DOL Job ChalleNGe. These strategies and methods are: recruitment of court-involved youth, occupational skills training; individualized career counseling and academic counseling; work-based learning and exposure to the world of work; leadership development; and employer engagement. The applicant must submit a narrative logic model showing how these methods – and any others identified by the applicant – will produce desired short, intermediate and long-term outcomes, and a narrative action plan describing the scope and detail of how the methods will be implemented, including a weekly schedule of program activities, and timelines for completion of the work. Include in the plan of action a methodology for engaging with the juvenile justice system to recruit participants; a description of the applicant’s capacity to over-recruit court-involved youth, in order to ensure a large enough sample size of court-involved youth, as may be required for the evaluation; strategies for augmenting your existing program to accommodate any security, safety or staff training issues associated with serving court-involved youth; strategies for ensuring broad community support for program participants; and strategies for addressing any community concerns. Account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Applicants must cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work. Applicants should identify any potential barriers and describe how the project will be able to overcome those barriers.

The information described below should be included regarding the required program design methods.

Recruitment of Court-Involved Youth. The applicant must describe how they will ensure that they will meet the required enrollment goals for the program, including and over-enrollment strategy. The applicant must provide signed and dated Letters of Commitment or Memoranda of Understanding that identifies the relationship with the juvenile justice agency and demonstrates the organization’s commitment to fulfill, at a minimum, recruitment of participants in the program.

Occupational Skills Training. The applicant must incorporate occupational skills training in the workplan, and must fully describe the nature of the occupational skills training that will be provided. The applicant must:

- Describe how the occupational skills training is outcome-oriented and focused on a long-term goal as specified in the participant’s Individual Development Plan;

- Describe how the training will result in the attainment of an industry-recognized certificate awarded in recognition of the participant’s attainment of measurable technical or occupational skills necessary to gain employment or advance within an occupation, or based on standards developed or endorsed by employers;

- Provide a list of training activities that may include: job-specific competency training; on-site industry-specific training; customized training designed for specific employer(s) with a commitment to hire upon successful program completion; pre-apprenticeship training to prepare for longer-term on-the-job apprenticeship programs.

Individualized career counseling and academic counseling. In this section, the applicant must describe the academic and career preparation activities that will assist participants in developing their career and academic goals and understanding long-term career and education pathway options. To address these program objectives, applicants must:

- Describe the ratio of participants to counselors, participant access to counseling services, and the types (including mental health and substance abuse) and frequency of counseling offered;

- Identify and describe the career and academic counseling services available to participants;

- Describe how counseling services will be integrated into the DOL Job ChalleNGe; be augmented by the utilization of program partners; and lead to post-program career placement opportunities.

Work-based learning and exposure to the world of work. In this section, the applicant must describe the types of work-based learning activities and exposures to the world of work provided throughout the 5-month DOL Job ChalleNGe. Applicants must describe the offered work-based learning opportunities, including descriptions of:

- Work experience and career awareness activities (i.e. career exploration, job shadowing opportunities, internships);

- How activities taking place at a worksite will be monitored by the applicant and the type of support the applicant will provide to employers hosting work experience opportunities;

Leadership Development. In this section, the applicant must describe its approach to promoting leadership development among program participants. The applicant’s response should

- Describe the interactive activities, practical experiences, and other hands-on opportunities that elicit leadership qualities among participants that will be incorporated into the project;

- Describe how participants will explore leadership through activities such as project planning, team building, and public speaking;

- Describe how leadership development activities will result in measurable gains in responsibility, employability, and positive social behaviors.

Employer Engagement. In this section, the applicant must describe the specific activities and resources employer partners will provide. Specifically, applicants must:

- Identify and describe employer partners committed to the project, including the role of each employer partner, evidence through MOUs or signed letters of commitment for each employer partner, and the resources contributed to the program by each employer partner (if applicable); MOUs and letters of commitment will not count towards the 20-page limit;

- Describe how employers will incorporate program activities that will create strong career pathways for program participants upon program completion;

- Describe strategies and detailed plans for employer engagement and program participant immersion in an array of work-based learning opportunities that includes a combination of internship opportunities, job shadowing opportunities, and career awareness activities that directly relate to high growth industry(ies)/occupation(s) in which participants are interested.

(4) Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity

Provide information on the applicant organization’s current mission, structure, staffing, and relevant experience. Describe how these factors contribute to the ability of the organization to conduct the program requirements and meet program expectations, including how the applicant will house and train all program participants. Include information about any organization(s) under contract with the applicant that will have a significant role in implementing the project, and describe the qualifications and experience of the personnel who will carry out the project. Describe the applicant’s experience in handling data and systems of records. Describe the fiscal and administrative controls in place to properly manage Federal funds. Provide the applicant’s most recent audited financial statements and management letter. These statements and letter will not count against the 20-page limit on the Project Narrative. Include the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after Federal financial assistance has ended.

(5) Past Performance – Programmatic Capability

Applicants do not need to provide any supporting documentation for this criterion. Eligible applicants will have continuously operated a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program and be currently operating a National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program. Applicants’ past performance will be assessed based on performance goals, spending rate analysis, and timeliness of report submission to the National Guard Bureau. In addition, the National Guard Bureau team will verify any findings of program weakness or need for corrective action stemming from its ChalleNGe Operational and Resource Evaluation (CORE) Program assessment, and will communicate these findings to the Department.

(6) Budget and Budget Justification

Please see Section IV.B.2. for information on requirements related to the budget and budget justification.

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative

In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled as Attachments. Only those attachments listed below will be excluded from the page limit. Additional materials such as resumés or general letters of support must not be included. You must submit your application in one package because documents received separately will be tracked separately and will not be attached to the application for review. Save all files with descriptive file names of 50 characters or less and be sure to only use standard characters in file names: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and underscore (_). File names may not include special characters (e.g. &,–,*,%,/,#), periods (.), blank spaces or accent marks, and must be unique (i.e., no other attachment may have the same file name). An underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) may be used to separate a file name.

Required Attachments

The following attachments must be included with the application package and the failure to do so will cause the application package to be screened out and not be reviewed.

a. Abstract: You must submit an up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. The Abstract is limited to two-page double-spaced single sided 8.5x11 inch pages with 12 point text font and 1 inch margins. The Abstract must include: 1) Applicant’s Name; 2) Project Title, 3) Funding level requested, 4) Short description of the project, 5) Short description of the area to be served, 6) Number of participants to be served including participating employer partners; and 7) public contact information, email, website and phone, where grantee wants public inquires to be addressed ). When submitting in grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “Abstract.”

Requested Attachments

The following attachments are requested, but their omission will not cause the application to be screened out. If the omission of the attachment will impact scoring, such an impact will be noted in the description of the attachment.

2. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: If you are requesting indirect costs based on a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by your Federal Cognizant Agency, then attach the most recently approved Agreement. (For more information, see Section IV.B.2. and Section IV.E.1.) This attachment does not impact scoring of the application.

3. Audited Financial Statement and Management Letter: You must submit the applicant’s most recent audited financial statement and management letter as described in Sec. IV.B.3.a.(4). “Organizational, Administrative and Fiscal Capacity.” The contents of this attachment will impact scoring under section V.A.4.

4. Memoranda of Understanding or Letters of Commitment: You must submit signed memoranda of understanding or letters of commitment from employer partners describing the specific resources they have agreed to commit to this project. The contents of this attachment will impact scoring under section V.A.4. of this Solicitation.

5. Memoranda of Understanding or Letters of Commitment: You must submit signed memoranda of understanding or letters of commitment from the local juvenile justice agency and other partners describing their commitment to provide eligible applicants in which you may recruit for this project. The contents of this attachment will impact scoring under section V.A.3. of this Solicitation.

6. Cohort Implementation Calendar: You must submit a calendar indicating the dates on which the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, the DOL Job ChalleNGe and the mentoring phase will occur for each of the four cohorts. This attachment does not impact scoring of the application.

C. Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses

The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is [insert date 45 days after date of publication of the one page notice in the Federal Register]. Applications must be submitted either electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or in hard copy by hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hard copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. You are cautioned that applications should be submitted before the deadline to ensure that the risk of late receipt of the application is minimized. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.

Applicants submitting applications in hard copy by mail or overnight delivery must submit an original signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the application by DOL. Applicants submitting applications in hard copy are also required to include in the hard copy submission an identical electronic copy of the application on compact disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hardcopy and CD format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.

If an application is physically submitted by both hard copy and through http://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard-copy application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the hard copy, we will review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov.

No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further, documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, will not be accepted as part of the application.

Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management, Attention: Melissa Abdullah, Grant Officer, Reference FOA/DFA PY 14-01, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Mail delivery in the Washington DC area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered applications will be received at the above address. All overnight delivery submissions will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.

Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming. You are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if necessary. Note that validation does not mean that your application has been accepted as complete or has been accepted for review. Rather, grants.gov only verifies that certain parts of an application have been submitted.

We strongly recommend that before you begin to write the application, you should immediately initiate and complete the “Get Registered” registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. You should read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for 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. We strongly recommend that you download the “Organization Registration Checklist” at http://www.grants.gov/documents/19/18243/OrganizationRegChecklist.pdf/fc7e7c18-2497-4b08-8d9b-bfac399947a3

and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for required information and save time.

As described earlier in Section IV.B.1., you must have a DUNS Number and you must register with SAM before submitting an application.

The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the DUNS Number of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-3-username-password.html

After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact (E-Biz POC) - a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for 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 in to Grants.gov and approve an individual as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-4-aor-authorization.html, or to track AOR status visit: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration/step-5-track-aor-status.html

An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. You must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for your organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.

When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov.  Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system.  The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov.  The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors.  Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s registration in SAM is expired. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and later successfully validated will be considered. It is your sole responsibility 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, enough 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 enough time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, the application will not be considered.

To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf or .pdf files.  If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent DOL from considering the application.  We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.

We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html.

We encourage new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, you may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html

If you encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or email [email protected]. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is closed on Federal holidays.

Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated will be considered. You take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit through Grants.gov.

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

D. Intergovernmental Review

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 Cost Principles, now found in the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), codified at 2 CFR Part 200. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.

1. Indirect Costs

As specified in the Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. You have two options to claim reimbursement of indirect costs.

Option 1: You may use a NICRA or Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If you do not have a NICRA/CAP or have a pending NICRA/CAP, and in either case choose to include estimated indirect costs in your budget, at the time of award the Grant Officer will release funds in the amount of 10% of salaries and wages to support indirect costs. Within 90 days of award, you are required to submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal or CAP to your Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional indirect cost rate. (See Section IV.B.4. for more information on NICRA submission requirements.)

Option 2: Any organization that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, with the exceptions noted at 2 CFR 200.414(f) in the Cost Principles, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (see 2 CFR 200.68 for definition) which may be used indefinitely. If you choose this option, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as you choose to negotiate for an indirect cost rate, which you may apply to do at any time. (See 2 CFR 200.414(f) for more information on use of the de minimis rate.)

2. Administrative Costs

Under this FOA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use more than 10 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs, and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220.⁴ Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form. However, they must be tracked through the recipient’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant Agency or be eligible to use the 10% de minimis rate, as specified above.

3. Salary and Bonus Limitations

None of the funds appropriated under the heading “Employment and Training” in the appropriation statute(s) may be used by a recipient or subrecipient 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 contractors providing goods and services as defined in the Audit Requirements of the OMB Uniform Guidance (see 2 CFR 200 Subpart F).  Where States are recipients of such funds, States may establish a lower limit for salaries and bonuses of those receiving salaries and bonuses from subrecipients of such funds, taking into account factors including the relative cost-of-living in the State, the compensation levels for comparable State or local government employees, and the size of the organizations that administer Federal programs involved including Employment and Training Administration programs. See Public Law 113-76, Division H, Title I, section 105, and Training and Employment Guidance Letter number 05-06 for further clarification: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.

4. Intellectual Property Rights

The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for Federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a subaward or contract under the grant or subaward; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the recipient, subrecipient 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 recipient may not use Federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such work. If revenues are generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income is added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities. Additionally, the Federal government has the right to require intellectual property developed under a competitive Federal award process to be licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license. This license allows subsequent users to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt the copyrighted Work and requires such users to attribute the Work in the manner specified by the recipient.

If applicable, and a Creative Commons Attribution license is not required, the following needs to be on all products developed in whole or in part with grant funds:

“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the recipient and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it. Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.”

5. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages

Organizations that receive grants through this FOA may use grant funds to pay for the wages of participants. Further, the provision of stipends to training enrollees for the purposes of wage replacement is an allowable cost under this FOA.

F. Other Submission Requirements

Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.

22. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

We have instituted procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications to provide for an objective review of applications and to assist you in understanding the standards against which your application will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the information required in the application as described in Sections IV.B.2. (Project Budget) and IV.B.3. (Project Narrative). Reviewers will award points based on the evaluation criteria described below:

Criterion	Points (maximum)
Statement of Need (See Section IV.B.3.a.(1) Statement of Need)	5
Expected Outcomes, and Outputs (See Section IV.B.3.a.(2) Expected Outcomes and Outputs)	10
Project Design Recruitment of court-involved youth Occupational Skills Training Individualized Career and Occupational Counseling Work-based Learning and World of Work Leadership Development Employer Engagement (See Section IV.B.3.a.(3) Project Design)	60
Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (See Section IV.B.3.a.(4) Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity)	8
Past Performance – Programmatic Capability (See Section IV.B.3.a.(5) Past Performance – Programmatic Capability) Performance Goals: Residential Performance Academic Grade-level Performance Post-residential Placement Spending Rate Analysis Timeliness of Report Submission	12
Budget and Budget Justification (See Section IV.B.2. Project Budget)	5
TOTAL	100

1. Statement of Need (up to 5 points)

We will award points based on the extent to which the application demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the need for a program serving court-involved youth and the consequences of not addressing the need, based on the quantitative and qualitative information provided, including applicant’s description of the drop-out crisis, juvenile crime rate, and other risk factors in the proposed project area.

2. Expected Outcomes and Outputs (up to 10 points)

We will award points based on the following:

• The extent to which the expected outcomes and outputs are realistic, clear, and consistent with the expressed need (up to 5 points).

• The extent to which the anticipated outcomes and outputs are likely to be achieved and are likely to benefit the identified participants or beneficiaries, and the degree to which the outcomes are quantifiable and measurable (up to 5 points).

3. Project Design (up to 60 points)

We will award points based on:

• The extent to which the application demonstrates, in the form of a narrative logic model, how the methods identified by the Department as being critical to achieving the stated goals of the DOL Job ChalleNGe – and any others identified by the applicant – will produce the desired short, intermediate and long-term outcomes. (up to 3 points);

• The extent to which the application demonstrates in the form of a narrative action plan the scope and detail of how these methods will be implemented, including a weekly schedule of program activities and reasonable timelines for completion of work. (up to 3 points)

• The strength of the justification for the approach, including addressing any factors that might accelerate or decelerate the required work. The degree to which the project takes into account barriers that may impact the project’s success. (up to 3 points)

• The comprehensiveness and effectiveness of the applicant’s approach to providing the required six core program components (up to 51 points):

• Recruitment of court-involved youth (up to 16 points)

  • The applicant’s capacity to over-recruit court-involved youth, in order to ensure a large enough sample size of court-involved youth for evaluation purposes. (up to 5 points)

  • The applicant’s strategy and ability to secure justice partners to recruit court-involved youth. Applicants must submit MOUs or letters of commitment as attachments from justice partners to receive points in this sub criterion. (up to 6 points)

  • The applicant’s strategies for accommodating court-involved youth as program participants, including facilitating security, safety or staff training; garnering community support; and addressing community concerns. (up to 5 points)

• Occupational skills training (up to 8 points)

  • The extent to which the occupational skills training is outcome-oriented and focused on a long-term goal;

  • The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that training will result in the attainment of an industry-recognized certificate, based on standards developed and endorsed by employers;

  • The extent to which the occupational skills training represents a diverse array of training activities.

• Individualized career and academic counseling (up to 8 points)

  • The extent to which the description of the participants’ access to counseling shows they will have ready access to academic counselors and counseling services;

  • The breadth of career and academic counseling services available to participants;

  • The extent to which counseling services will be integrated into the DOL Job ChalleNGe, will be augmented by project partners, and will lead to career placement opportunities.

• Work-based learning and world of work (up to 8 points)

  • The extent to which the applicant is able to offer diverse work experience and career awareness activities;

  • The extent to which the applicant is able to monitor the work experience and career awareness activities occurring at a worksite.

• Leadership development (up to 5 points)

  • The extent to which interactive activities, practical experiences, and other hands-on activities are incorporated into the program;

  • The extent to which participants will be able to explore leadership through activities such as project planning, team building, and public speaking;

  • The extent to which the applicant demonstrates that leadership activities will result in measurable gains in responsibility, employability, and positive social behaviors.

• Employer engagement (up to 6 points)

  • The extent to which the signed MOUs or letters of commitment from each employer partner clearly specify the role of the partner, as well as resources contributed to the program;

  • The clarity with which the applicant describes how employers will incorporate program activities that will create strong career pathways for program participants upon program completion;

  • The clarity with which the applicant describes strategies and detailed plans for employer engagement and participant immersion in activities which promote employment in high-growth industries/occupations.

4. Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (up to 8 points)

We will award points based on:

• The extent to which the applicant has the capacity to carry out the proposed project, including, housing and training all program participants, and handling data and systems of records. The level of qualifications and experience of personnel to fulfill the needs and requirements of the proposed project. (4 points)

• As demonstrated by the applicant’s explanation and from its audited financial statement and management letter, the strength of the fiscal and administrative controls to properly manage Federal funds. The capability of the organization to sustain project activities after Federal financial assistance ends. (4 points)

5. Past Performance – Programmatic Capability (up to 12 points)

Applicants will be scored as follows:

1. Performance Goals: Using the most recent two years of data previously submitted to the National Guard Bureau, the Department will evaluate the applicant’s performance on three performance measures – residential performance, academic grade level performance, and post-residential placement. (up to 6 points)

   1. Residential Performance: Points will be awarded based on percent retention. Two points will be awarded for average retention of 73 percent or higher over the past two years. One point will be awarded for average retention greater than 68 percent and less than 73 percent(up to 2 points)

   2. Academic Grade Level Performance: Points will be awarded based on an increase in average Test of Basic Education (TABE) scores. Two points will be awarded for an average increase in TABE scores of 2.2 grade levels or higher over the past two years. One point will be awarded for an average increase in TABE scores ranging from 1.7 to 2.19 grade levels over the past two years. (up to 2 points)

   3. Post-Residential Placement: Points will be awarded based on percent placement in school and employment at month 12. Two points will be awarded for average placement of 85 percent or above over the past two years. (up to 2 points)

2. Spending Rate Analysis: Spending grant funds within the original period of performance indicates that the applicant organization has the ability to adequately deploy the resources provided by the National Guard Bureau, and manage a budget effectively. The Department, with assistance from the National Guard Bureau, will complete this analysis, based on the spending rate achieved over the past two years. Points will be awarded based on the percentage of grant funds expended by applicants within the period of performance of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Cooperative Agreement. Three points will be awarded for expending 95 percent or more of grant funds over each of the past two years. Two points will be awarded for expending 90 percent to 95 percent of grant funds over each of the past two years. One point will be awarded for expending 85 percent to 90 percent of grant funds over each of the past two years. (up to 3 points)

3. Timeliness of Report Submission: An applicant will receive points for the timely submission of quarterly performance and financial reports to the National Guard Bureau for the four most recent reporting quarters, . The Department will use data from the National Guard Bureau to determine scoring under this section. Points will be awarded for timely submission of performance and financial reports. Three points will be awarded for submission of performance and financial reports on or before the required due dates over each of the past two years. No points will be awarded if financial reports were submitted after the due dates during either of the past two years. (up to 3 points)

6. Budget and Budget Justification (up to 5 points)

We will award points based on:

• The extent to which the budget is reasonable based on the activities outlined in the project narrative. (3 points)

• The extent to which a breakdown of total personnel costs reflect key personnel having adequate time devoted to the project to achieve project results. (1 point)

• The extent to which the anticipated funding per participant, calculated by dividing total grant funds by total number of participants, does not exceed $13,333. (1 point)

2. Review and Selection Process

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

A technical merit review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria to determine the merit of applications. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this FOA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an applicant, depending on the quality of the responses provided. The final scores (which may include the mathematical normalization of review panels) will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer reserves the right to make selections based solely on the final scores or to take into consideration other relevant factors when applicable. Such factors may include the geographic distribution of funds and/or other relevant factors. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to his/her attention.

The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on http://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.

2. Risk Review Process

Every application will be evaluated to determine the risks posed by applicants. Prior to making an award, ETA will review information available through any OMB-designated repository of governmentwide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Dun and Bradstreet, and “Do Not Pay.” Additionally, ETA will comply with the requirements of 2 CFR Part 180 codified by DOL at 29 CFR Part 98 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement)). This risk evaluation may incorporate results of the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility (application screening) or the quality of its application (merit review). If ETA determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the award. Criteria to be evaluated include:

(1) Financial stability;

(2) Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in the Uniform Grant Guidance;

(3) History of performance. The applicant’s record in managing awards, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, if it is a prior recipient of such Federal awards, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements and if applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards;

(4) Reports and findings from audits performed under Subpart F – Audit Requirements of the Uniform Grant Guidance or the reports and findings of any other available audits and monitoring reports containing findings, issues of non-compliance or questioned costs;

(5) The applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, or other requirements imposed on recipients.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage (http://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified by mail or email and may request a written debriefing on the significant weaknesses of their application.

Selection of an organization as a recipient does not constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, we may enter into negotiations about such items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems in place to support grant implementation. If the negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable submission, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiations and decline to fund the application. We reserve the right to not fund any application related to this FOA.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. Administrative Program Requirements

All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws, regulations—including the OMB Uniform Guidance, and the terms and conditions of the award. The grant(s) awarded under this FOA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:

a. Non-Profit Organizations, Educational Institutions, and State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards)

b. Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 2 CFR Part 200 (Administrative Requirements).

c. All recipients must comply with the applicable provisions of The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law No. 105-220, 112 Stat. 936 (codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and the applicable provisions of the regulations at 20 CFR 660 et seq.⁵ Note that 20 CFR part 667 (general fiscal and administrative rules) includes unsuccessful applicant appeal information.

d. All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR Part 98 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension, and drug-free workplace requirements), and, where applicable, 2 CFR Part 200 (Audit Requirements).

e. 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.

f. 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.

g. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

h. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.

i. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

j. 29 CFR Part 37 – Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

k. 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.

l. General Terms and Conditions of Award

m. Special Terms and Conditions of Award—Requirement for ETA Evaluation: See Section VI.B.4.a ETA Evaluation.

2. Other Legal Requirements:

a. Religious Activities

The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive Federal financial assistance under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and maintain that hiring practice even though Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act⁶ contains a general ban on religious discrimination in employment. If a faith-based organization is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with information on how to request such an exemption.

b. Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds

In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c) (4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, State or Local Governments (see 2 CFR 200.450 for more information).

c. Transparency Act Requirements

You must ensure that you have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by section 6202 of Pub. Law 110-252) (Transparency Act), as follows:

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

• Upon award, you will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, Appendix A, which can be found at the following website: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf

The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act:

1. Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive Federal awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or her name);

2. Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and

3. Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.

d. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Applicants submitting applications in response to this FOA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting an application, you are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable Federal law and TEGL NO. 39-11 (issued June 28, 2012). All such activity conducted by ETA and/or recipient/s will be performed in a manner consistent with applicable state and Federal laws.

By submitting a grant application, you agree 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:

1. You must ensure that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained, or otherwise associated with DOL/ETA funded grants is securely transmitted.

2. To ensure that such PII is not transmitted to unauthorized users, all PII and other sensitive data transmitted via e-mail 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. You must not e-mail unencrypted sensitive PII to any entity, including ETA or contractors.

3. You 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. You must maintain such PII in accordance with the ETA standards for information security described in TEGL NO. 39-11 and any updates to such standards we provide to you. If you wish to obtain more information on data security should contact their Federal Project Officer.

4. You must ensure that any PII used during the performance of your grant has been obtained in conformity with applicable Federal and state laws governing the confidentiality of information.

5. You further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through your ETA grant must be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all times and the data will be processed using recipient issued equipment, managed information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by ETA. Accessing, processing, and storing of ETA grant PII data on personally owned equipment, at off-site locations e.g., employee’s home, and non-recipient managed IT services, e.g., Yahoo mail, is strictly prohibited unless approved by ETA.

6. Your employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data must be advised of 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.

7. You must have policies and procedures in place under which your employees and other personnel, before being granted access to PII, acknowledge their understanding of the confidential nature of the data and the safeguards with which they must comply in their handling of such data as well as the fact that they may be liable to civil and criminal sanctions for improper disclosure.

8. You must not extract information from data supplied by ETA for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.

9. Access to any PII created by the ETA 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.

10. 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.

11. PII data obtained by the recipient through a request from ETA must not be disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor except as permitted by the Grant Officer or by court order.

12. You must permit ETA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to assure that you are complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, you must make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.

13. You must retain data received from ETA only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable Federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, you agree that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.

e. Record Retention

You must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record retention, which require you to maintain all records pertaining to grant activities for a period of at least three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report. See 2 CFR 200.333-.337 for more specific information, including information about the start of the record retention period for awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, and when the records must be retained for more than three years.

f. Use of Contracts and Subawards

You must abide by the following definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient:

Contract: Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity (defined as a state, local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), nonprofit organization, for-profit entity, foreign public entity, or a foreign organization that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient) purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this FOA does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or subaward (see definition of Subaward below).

Contractor : Contractor means an entity that receives a contract as defined above in Contract.

Subaward: Subaward means an award provided by a pass-through entity (defined as a non-Federal entity that provides a subaward to a subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal program) to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a Federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

Subrecipient: Subrecipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency.

You must follow the provisions at 2 CFR 200.330-.332 regarding subrecipient monitoring and management. Also see 2 CFR 200.308(c)(6) regarding prior approval requirements for subawards. When awarding subawards, you are required to comply with provisions on governmentwide suspension and debarment found at 2 CFR Part 180 and codified by DOL at 29 CFR Part 98.

g. Closeout of Grant Award

Any entity that receives an award under this Announcement must close its grant with ETA at the end of the final year of the grant. Information about this process may be found in ETA’s Grant Closeout FAQ located at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/docs/GCFAQ.pdf.

3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions

Except as specifically provided in this FOA, our acceptance of an application 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 Uniform Guidance requires that an entity’s procurement procedures ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide full and open competition. If an application identifies a specific entity to provide goods or services, the award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the procurement, i.e., avoid competition.

4. Special Program Requirements

a. ETA Evaluation

As a condition of award, grantees will be required to participate in a two-phase evaluation study. During phase 1, the Department will fund an evaluability assessment to determine the feasibility of conducting an evaluation of the impact of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program on youth served. This evaluability assessment will also assess the feasibility of evaluating the added value of the DOL Job ChalleNGe. During phase 2, the Department will fund and conduct an impact evaluation. The evaluation will use rigorous experimental or quasi-experimental methods, to establish a comparison or control group in order to understand the program’s effect on outcomes for participants compared to those who did not receive the program. If feasible, a random assignment of participants may be required. By accepting the grant funds, grantees of DOL/ETA sponsored programs agree to fully cooperate in this DOL-sponsored evaluation and collect and make individual records on participants, employers, and funding available to the evaluator(s) under the direction of DOL with appropriate measures to protect the confidentiality of participants.

b. Performance Goals

Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided and failure to meet those outcomes may result in technical assistance or other intervention by ETA, and may also have a significant impact on decisions about future grants with ETA.

C. Reporting

You must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements. Quarterly financial reports, quarterly progress reports, and MIS data must be submitted by the recipient electronically. You must agree to provide the reports and documents listed below:

1. Quarterly Financial Reports

A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter. On the final Financial Status Report, you must include any subaward amounts so we can calculate final indirect costs, if applicable. You must use DOL’s Online Electronic Reporting System and information and instructions will be provided to grantees.

2. Quarterly Performance Reports

You must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days after the end of each calendar year quarter.  The report must include quarterly information on grant activities, performance goals, and milestones. The last quarterly progress report will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report. This report must provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant activities.  It must summarize project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and related results of the project, and must thoroughly document the training or labor market information approaches that you used. We will provide you with formal guidance about the data and other information that is required to be collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis.

VII. Agency Contacts

For further information about this FOA, please contact Pia Miller, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at (202) 693-3153. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference FOA-ETA-15-01, and along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. This Announcement is being made available on the ETA Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at http://www.grants.gov.

VIII. Other Information

A. Transparency

DOL is committed to conducting a transparent grant award process and publicizing information about program outcomes.  Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas. For all applications in this grant competition, we will publish the Abstracts required by Section IV.B.4., and selected information from the SF-424 for all applications on the Department’s public website or similar publicly accessible location. Additionally, we will publish a version of the Project Narrative required by Section IV.B.3. for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s website or a similar location. No other attachments to the application will be published. The Project Narratives and Abstracts will not be published until after the grants are announced. In addition, information about grant progress and results may also be made publicly available.

DOL recognizes that grant applications sometimes contain information that an applicant may consider proprietary or business confidential information, or may contain personally identifiable information (PII). Proprietary or business confidential information is information that is not usually disclosed outside your organization and disclosing this information is likely to cause you substantial competitive harm.

PII is any information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, such as name, social security number, date and place of birth, mother’s maiden name, or biometric records, and any other information that is linked or linkable to an individual, such as medical, educational, financial, and employment information.⁷

Abstracts will be published in the form originally submitted, without any redactions. Applicants should not include any proprietary or confidential business information or PII in this summary. In the event that an applicant submits proprietary or confidential business information or PII, DOL is not liable for the posting of this information contained in the Abstract. The submission of the grant application constitutes a waiver of the applicant’s objection to the posting of any proprietary or confidential business information contained in the Abstract. Additionally, the applicant is responsible for obtaining all authorizations from relevant parties for publishing all PII contained within the Abstract. In the event the Abstract contains proprietary or confidential business information or PII, the applicant is presumed to have obtained all necessary authorizations to provide this information and may be liable for any improper release of this information.

By submission of this grant application, the applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor, its officers, employees, and agents against any liability or for any loss or damages arising from this application.  By such submission of this grant application, the applicant further acknowledges having the authority to execute this release of liability. 

In order to ensure that proprietary or confidential business information or PII is properly protected from disclosure when DOL posts the winning Project Narratives, applicants whose Project Narratives will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Project Narrative, with any proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, and PII redacted. All non-public information about the applicant’s and consortium members’ staff (if applicable) should be removed as well.

The Department will contact the applicants whose Project Narratives will be published by letter or email, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Project Narrative.

Submission of a redacted version of the Project Narrative will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. We will also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Project Narrative, the applicant has obtained the agreement to the applicant’s decision about what material to redact of all persons and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information, or PII is contained in the Project Narrative. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Project Narrative within 45 days of DOL’s request, DOL will publish the original Project Narrative in full, after redacting only PII. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Project Narrative will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any PII.)

Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or PII. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Project Narrative is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, DOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).

Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by DOL from public disclosure in accordance with Federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If DOL receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in DOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. See 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.”

B.Web-Based Resources

DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. For example, the CareerOneStop portal (http://www.careeronestop.org), which provides national and state career information on occupations; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (http://online.onetcenter.org) which provides occupational competency profiles; and America's Service Locator (http://www.servicelocator.org), which provides a directory of our nation's One-Stop Career Centers.

C. Industry Competency Models and Career Clusters

ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development programs. To learn about the industry-validated models visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/CompetencyModel. The CMC site also provides tools to build or customize industry models, as well as tools to build career ladders and career lattices for specific regional economies.

Career Clusters and Industry Competency Models both identify foundational and technical competencies, but their efforts are not duplicative. The Career Clusters link to specific career pathways in sixteen career cluster areas and place greater emphasis on elements needed for curriculum performance objectives; measurement criteria; scope and sequence of courses in a program of study; and development of assessments. Information about the sixteen career cluster areas can be found by accessing: www.careerclusters.org.

D. Workforce3One Resources

1. We encourage you to view the information gathered through the conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources identified can be found on Workforce3One.org at: https://www.workforce3one.org/find/?sr=1&ps=20&sort=5.

2. We encourage you to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

3. We created Workforce System Strategies to make it easier for the public workforce system and its partners to identify effective strategies and support improved customer outcomes. The collection highlights strategies informed by a wide range of evidence such as experimental studies and implementation evaluations, as well as supporting resources such as toolkits. We encourage you to review these resources by visiting http://strategies.workforce3one.org/.

4. We created a technical assistance portal at https://etareporting.workforce3one.org/page/financial that contains online training and resources for fiscal and administrative issues. Online trainings available include, but are not limited to, Introduction to Grant Applications and Forms, Indirect Costs, Cost Principles, and Accrual Accounting.

IX. OMB Information Collection

OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires 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 about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS.  SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The information collected through this “Funding Opportunity Announcement” will be used by the Department of Labor to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicants 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 a grant.

Signed__________, in Washington, D.C. by:

Melissa Abdullah

Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration

1 An offense that may be illegal for persons under a certain age, while remaining legal for all others, including alcohol consumption, truancy and running away from home.

2 National Disability Rights Network, Juvenile Justice (Website). Available at http://www.ndrn.org/en/issues/juvenile-justice.html; Mallett C. (2011). “Seven Things Juvenile Courts Should Know about Learning Disabilities.” Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (citing numerous references); Quinn, M., et al.(2005). “Youth with Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections: A National Survey.” Exceptional Children, Vol. 71. No. 3, pp. 339-345.

3 The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (“WIOA”, Public Law 113-128) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. Most provisions of WIOA become effective July 1, 2015. Grants awarded under this FOA are authorized by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), and the terms of the WIA will apply to these grants for the life of the grants.

4 This regulation implements the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). As stated above in footnote 1, grants awarded under this solicitation are authorized under the WIA, and its terms apply for the length of the grant. These terms include implementing regulations such as this one.

5 Please see footnotes 1 and 2 above, regarding the applicability of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and its implementing regulations.

6 Please see footnote 1 above, regarding the applicability of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

7 OMB Memorandum 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.

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