U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS)
Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Application for Urban and Non-Urban Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) for Program Year (PY) 2015, July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016.
Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA)
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA -VETS-15-01/PY 2015
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.805
Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of the application under this announcement is 30 days from the date of publication on www.Grants.gov. Application must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Addresses: Applicants may apply electronically at www.Grants.gov. Instructions for electronic applications are in section IV. A. of this SGA.
Mailed applications must be addressed to:
The U.S. Department of Labor, Procurement Services Center
Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer
Reference SGA –VETS-15-01
200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4307
Washington, DC 20210
For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please reference section IV.
Executive Summary:
The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), announces the availability of approximately $4 million in grant funds authorized by Title 38 of United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 2021, which provides that the “Secretary of Labor [the Secretary] shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness and literacy and skills training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.” VETS expects to award approximately 19 HVRP grants in program year 2015. HVRP grants address two objectives: to provide employment services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans.
Applications proposing to serve homeless veterans under this Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) solicitation will fall into one of two categories: Urban or Non-Urban geographical areas. Applicants proposing to serve homeless veterans on Native American tribal lands are encouraged to apply. Grant awards will range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $300,000 for an Urban grant and a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $200,000 for a Non-Urban grant. Grants awarded under this solicitation will have a twelve (12) month period of performance and may be considered for additional years of funding depending upon funding availability and satisfactory performance. Though the period of performance is noted as 12 months, each grant year will require an additional 9 months of follow-up and reporting after the active performance period.
Eligible applicants include state and local Workforce Investment Boards (SWIBs/LWIBs), local public agencies, Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), for-profit/commercial entities, and non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community-based organizations.
This solicitation contains all the information and forms necessary to apply for grant funding under the HVRP. USDOL may publish future addenda to this solicitation on www.Grants.gov. All applicants must check www.Grants.gov regularly to ensure that they have the latest information regarding any updates to this solicitation.
This SGA provides background information on HVRP and identifies the critical elements that applicants must include within their proposals in order to be responsive to this solicitation. It also describes the application submission requirements, the process that eligible applicants must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and how grantees will be selected.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
A. Program Purpose
The purpose of this program is to provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans
Successful applicants will propose programs that expedite the employment of eligible homeless veterans by providing job-driven training, placement services, counseling, supportive services, and other assistance. Applicants are encouraged to design a program that addresses the multitude of challenges associated with homeless veterans and one that is responsive to the employment and support service needs within the local community. Applicants must actively engage with industry, employers and employer associations to identify the skills needed for in-demand jobs and careers.
VETS seeks applicants that can provide services through a client-centered case management approach, who can collaborate and network with federal, state, local, and tribal organizations to effectively target resources toward assisting homeless veterans, and to deliver job-driven training for skills that are in-demand by local employers. More specifically, successful applicants will demonstrate the following:
Ability to define, develop and execute clear strategies and obtainable goals for job-driven training, employment, and employment retention by homeless veterans, including chronically homeless veterans.
Ability to design, develop, and execute programs that assist eligible veterans by providing or collaborating with other entities to deliver job-driven training based on Labor Market Information (LMI) in the proposed area. LMI describes current and projected local, regional, state and national labor markets, such as the number and types of available jobs, their characteristics, and the characteristics of the labor supply. LMI can be used to guide jobseekers in choosing which fields of study, training and credentials to pursue. Examples of the use of LMI include using job openings data to strategically identify employer partners, and analyzing labor market projections and the characteristics of regional labor market to conduct skill gap analysis.
Ability to provide job placement and retention services.
Ability to provide counseling, mentoring, and referrals to support services for housing, physical and mental health services to facilitate the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.
Ability to collaborate with experienced public agencies, private non-profit organizations, private businesses, community-based organizations, and colleges and universities that have an understanding of the barriers to employment that are unique to homeless veterans and that are familiar with the labor market in the area to be served.
Ability to collaborate with federal agencies, American Job Centers, local employers and industries, and the local Interagency Council on Homelessness (ICH).
Ability to provide services to female homeless veterans and veterans with families.
B. Program Authority
This program is authorized by 38 U.S.C. Section 2021.
II. Award Information
A. Award Type and Award Amount
VETS anticipates that approximately $4 million will be available for Urban and Non-Urban grants with awards ranging from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum award of $300,000 for each Urban grant and a minimum award of $100,000 to maximum award of $200,000 for each Non-Urban grant. Urban areas are the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in population according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The list of those 75 urban areas can be found in Appendix E. Non-Urban areas are all other areas. Applicants must indicate in the abstract attached to the technical proposal whether the application is for an Urban or Non-Urban grant award.
USDOL reserves the right to negotiate the amounts it will award under this competition. Please note that VETS will consider applications exceeding the maximum award amounts as non-responsive and they will receive no further consideration in the evaluation process. If there are any additional program funds available, USDOL reserves the right to select for funding the next highest scoring eligible applicant(s) on the competitive list developed from this solicitation as late as September 2015.
B. Period of Performance
The period of performance will be for the twelve (12) month period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016, unless modified by the Grant Officer. The follow-up period of performance will be for nine (9) additional months, or the period from July 1, 2016 through March 31, 2017. VETS expects that successful applicants will begin program operations under this solicitation on July 1, 2015. Grantees must obligate all program funds (including all funds to be used for follow-up activities) by June 30, 2016. For an additional 9 months, from July 1 2016 to March 31, 2017, grantees must follow-up and report on HVRP participants that entered employment during the active performance period.
C. Additional Year Funding
Should Congress appropriate additional funds for this purpose, VETS may consider awarding additional funding to grantees selected under this solicitation. USDOL does not guarantee additional funding for any grantee.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants fall into one of the following categories:
State and local Workforce Investment Boards (SWIBs/LWIBs);
Public agencies, meaning any agency of a state or of a general purpose political subdivision of a state that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general corporate and police powers (this typically refers to cities and counties). A state agency may propose in its application to serve one or more of the jurisdictions located in its state. This does not preclude a city or county agency from submitting an application to serve its own jurisdiction;
Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and Native
American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments);
For-profit/commercial entities;
Non-profit organizations, including community and faith-based organizations. (Note: Non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code Section 501(c) (4) are not eligible.).
Applicants must have a familiarity with the geographic area and population to be served. Additionally, applicants must be prepared to administer an effective program that is ready to begin operations immediately upon the first day of the grant award period of performance.
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
Applicants should use the checklist below as a guide when preparing the 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. If your application does not meet all of the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process.
Application Requirement (Instructions) |
Instructions |
Completed? |
The deadline submission requirements are met |
Section IV.C. |
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If submitted through Grants.gov, the components of the application are saved in one of the specified formats and are not corrupted. (We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.) |
Section IV.C. |
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Application is within dollar range specified for the category of grant sought. Urban – $100,000 - $300,000 Non-Urban – $100,000 - $200,000 |
Section II.A. |
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Applicant has registered with System for Award Management (SAM) and maintains an active account |
Section IV.B.1. |
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Signed SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance
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Section IV.B.1. |
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Signed SF-424 includes a DUNS Number |
Section IV.B.1. |
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SF-424A, Budget Information Form |
Section IV.B.2. |
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Budget Narrative |
Section IV.B.2. |
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Technical Proposal |
(Section IV.B.3 |
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Abstract |
(Section IV.B.4 |
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Intent to Work Collaboratively Statement |
Section IV.B.4.(ii) |
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Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart |
Section IV.B.4 |
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2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted
There is a limit of one (1) application per submitting organization and physical location serving the same HVRP participant population and in the same geographic service area. If more than (1) application from the same organization for the same physical location serving the same HVRP participant population is submitted, only the most recent application submitted will be accepted. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, it will not be replaced with an earlier application. If an organization was recently awarded HVRP funds and is eligible for continued option year funding for PY 2015, then that organization should not submit a new application to serve the same population under this SGA.
3. Eligible Participants
To be eligible for enrollment as a participant under these grants an individual must be a homeless veteran defined as follows:
The term “veteran” means a person who served in the active military and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable [38 U.S.C. 101(2)]. Veterans who received a “dishonorable” discharge are ineligible for HVRP services.
The term “homeless” or “homeless individual” found at 42 U.S.C. 11302(a), as amended by the Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-22) includes:
1) Persons who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;
2) Persons living in supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements;
An individual who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided; and Persons with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
Inadequate nighttime residence examples include, but are not limited to, sleeping in the streets, in the woods, in public parks, in cars, on outside benches, under bridges, in tents, in caves, and under a lean-to.
The term “chronically homeless'' is defined as an unaccompanied homeless individual with a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for a year or more, or who has had at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the past three (3) years.1 A disabling condition is defined as a diagnosable substance abuse disorder, serious mental illness, developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or disability including the co-occurrence of two or more of these conditions. A disabling condition limits an individual's ability to work or perform one or more activities of daily living.
Additionally, under the HEARTH Act, the term homeless includes an individual or family who will imminently lose their housing, has no subsequent residence identified, and who lacks the resources or support network needed to obtain other permanent housing. Evidence that an individual or family will imminently lose their housing includes: a court order resulting from an eviction action that notifies the individual or family that they must leave within 14 days; having current primary nighttime residence that is a room in a hotel or motel, but lacking the resources necessary to reside there for more than 14 days; or credible evidence, including a credible oral statement from the individual or family, indicating that the owner or renter of the housing will not allow the individual or family to stay for more than 14 days.
Finally, under the HEARTH Act, the term homeless also includes unaccompanied youth and homeless families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal statutes who have experienced a long period without permanent housing; have experienced persistent instability as measured by frequent moves over such period; and can be expected to continue in such status for an extended period of time because of chronic disabilities, chronic physical health or mental health conditions, substance addiction, histories of domestic violence or childhood abuse, the presence of a child or youth with a disability, or multiple barriers to employment.
How to Obtain an Application Package
This SGA, found at www.Grants.gov and http://www.dol.gov/vets, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants should note that hyperlinks to portions of the SGA are included in various parts of the Announcement. Applicants are required to comply with all parts of the SGA, including those parts found at the hyperlinks.
Content and Form of Application Submission
Applications submitted in response to this SGA must consist of four separate and distinct parts:
the SF-424 of four separate and distinct parts:
Project Budget;
Technical Proposal; and
Attachments to the Technical Proposal.
It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.
A complete grant application submission must be written in English and must not exceed 50 single-sided pages (8 ½” x 11”), double-spaced, typed 12-point Times New Roman font, with one inch margins on all four sides of the page. All attachments, unless otherwise noted in the instructions, are included in the 50-page maximum. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be reviewed or considered in the evaluation process. Applicants must ensure that major sections and subsections of the application are divided and clearly identified (e.g. with tab dividers).
1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
Applicants 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.
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 Dunn & Bradstreet website: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do. As authorized under 2 CFR 25, grant recipients authorized to make subawards must also 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 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
The Applicant 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. Travel expenditures may not exceed 5 percent of the total grant requested. Mileage charges may not exceed the current federal rate, available at: www.gsa.gov.
Follow-up Services – Applicants must describe all associated costs for obtaining and retaining participant information pertinent to the follow-up services required for the three quarters after the active program year performance period ends, including any costs of using state unemployment insurance data to substantiate an applicant’s follow-up results, if applicable.
Equipment – 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.G. for more information on the distinction between contractor and sub recipient.
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. VETS does not consider this as construction and the costs must be shown on other appropriate lines such as Contractual.
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.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 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. Technical Proposal
Preparing the Technical Proposal
The Technical Proposal must demonstrate an Applicant’s 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 Technical Proposal is limited to 15 double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5” x 11” pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1 inch margins on all four sides of the page. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the application review process. Applicants must number the Technical Proposal beginning with page number 1. The pages used to present the Technical Proposal count toward the 50-page maximum limitation.
Applicants should submit all Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or other formal agreements related to any part of the Technical Proposal as attachments to the Technical Proposal. These MOUs or other formal agreements will not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Technical Proposal. Applicants should carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information in your Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V. Applicants must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Technical Proposal:
(1) Statement of Need
The applicant must identify the category type (Urban or Non-Urban) and the specific geographical area it proposes to serve, including the congressional district or districts or Native American tribal area(s) contained within the proposed geographic service area. The applicant also must document the need for the proposed project by discussing the following: 1) the estimated number or concentration of homeless veterans in the proposed project service area; 2) the rates of poverty and unemployment in the proposed project area as determined by the U.S. Census or other surveys, with state and national level comparisons; 3) the extent of the gaps in or lack of local support services which adversely affect the provision of services to homeless veterans; and 4) the specific and unique employment barriers that local potential HVRP participants must overcome within the local service area. Applicants also should provide detailed local labor market information and current trends within the proposed geographic service area. Please cite appropriate sources whenever possible to substantiate the information provided.
(2) Overall Approach and Strategy
Applicants must describe their overall approach and strategy to providing job-driven employment and training services, as well as related supportive services, with an emphasis on meeting the complex demands of serving homeless veterans. Applicants should explain how they will address the needs of female homeless veterans and veterans with families.
The description of the approach must include procedures for outreach, assessment, intake and follow-up services that enhance placement and retention in employment. The strategy must identify and target skills and competencies in demand in the applicant’s regional economy. Applicants also must identify and fully describe the support services that will be provided to homeless veteran participants as part of the applicant’s strategy to promote, prepare and improve the participant’s state of job readiness.
The Overall Approach and Strategy section is made up of four distinct sections: Outreach; Assessment and Intake; Job-Driven Employment and Training Services; and Follow-up Services. Each section is described below.
(i) Outreach
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed program will promote active engagement with industry, employers and employer associations to determine the skills needed to pursue in-demand jobs and careers. Applicants must describe how in-demand skills will be provided in their proposed program. Applicants must explain how their program will conduct outreach and collaborate with local entities within their proposed geographic service delivery area to introduce the HVRP program to potentially eligible homeless veterans.
In order to promote outreach between the HVRP and local service providers, the applicant must demonstrate how they will provide project orientation workshops and program awareness activities to the various types of service providers and organizations operating within their geographic service delivery area. Applicants have some flexibility concerning how they propose to meet this requirement; however, such activities must include at a minimum, attending service provider meetings, seminars, and conferences. Applicants should develop individual service contracts, MOUs, or other formal agreements which involve other support service providers in the proposed service delivery area to demonstrate their ability to perform these required activities. Grantees will be responsible for providing project orientation workshops and program promotion and awareness activities to the following organizations:
Direct providers of services to homeless veterans, including, but not limited to, shelter and soup kitchen operators;
Federal, state, and local agencies such as the local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) Committees and their associated agencies and organizations; the Social Security Administration (SSA); Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), who provide mental and physical healthcare services; State Workforce Agencies (SWA) and local American Job Centers, who provide employment and training services, to include the Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialist and Local Veterans’ Employment Representative (LVER), and who integrate Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services when available in their local area; and other entities who provide healthcare, substance abuse and detoxification services; and,
Civic and private sector groups, women’s organizations, support groups and faith-based and community-based organizations to include Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) such as the American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; Veterans of Foreign Wars; and the Vietnam Veterans of America.
We also encourage applicants to describe how they plan to participate in Stand Down activities. A Stand Down is a local community event where homeless veterans are provided a wide variety of services and incentives. Stand Down funding is provided in the form of non-competitive grants that are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is exhausted. While HVRP funding must not be used for Stand Down activities, applicants should describe how they will integrate such activities into their proposed outreach strategy. Stand Down activities will only be funded through a separate USDOL Stand Down Solicitation found at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/01/28/2014-00755/fiscal-year-2014-through-2016-stand-down-grant-requestsf.
(ii) Assessment and Intake
Applicants must fully explain how they will design and implement their proposed assessment and intake process. Applicants must design the assessment and intake process to maximize the long-term success of participants who are enrolled into the HVRP program and must include a focus on identifying and addressing the barriers to employment faced by chronically homeless veterans. In addition, applicants should demonstrate how they will determine a potential program participant’s willingness to enter employment following the receipt of services. Applicants must illustrate how potential participants will be referred to appropriate support services to overcome barriers to employment such as, but not limited to: physical rehabilitation, drug or alcohol treatment, mental health services, and/or the assignment of a temporary or transitional shelter notwithstanding the potential participant’s status as a participant. During the intake or enrollment process, grant applicants must describe the assessment of the individual’s skills and knowledge gaps to determine the types of services needed to assist the individual. Services may include: career technical training, soft skills training, aptitude testing, counseling, or referral to other services.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will collaborate and coordinate their efforts with the VA and other locally-based VSOs to ensure participants apply for and/or receive the multitude of veterans’ benefits for which they may be eligible. Applicants must demonstrate how they will refer participants to the VA to file a claim for compensation or pension benefits, as appropriate. As a part of the referral process, applicants must describe how they will track and assist with the progress of a participant’s claim(s) and be able to report the ultimate outcomes related to these efforts within a participant’s case management file record.
(iii) Job-Driven Employment and Training Services
Applicants must demonstrate how they will develop formal job-driven employment and training service plans for their participants and how they will manage and note the progress made by their participants within a formal case management process. Applicants must note the specific services proposed for each participant to maintain and improve his or her state of job readiness and employability within an Individual Employment Plan (IEP) developed for each participant.
Grantees should use available labor market information to drive decision-making on training and employment services. Employment and training services must be focused on imparting relevant skills with job-market value and should align with and leverage other federal education and training program resources. Services should include:
Training that is targeted to specific industries, occupations, and skills in demand;
Training strategies that are focused on providing skills development for jobs currently available; and
Work-based learning opportunities such as registered apprenticeships, paid internships, on-the-job training, cooperative learning, work experience, and customized training.
To complement the employment and training related services outlined within each participant’s IEP, applicants must also demonstrate how they will provide for the delivery and maintenance of appropriate support services that will enable their participants to successfully perform all the activities specified within their IEP. Additionally, applicants must show how programs such as the VA’s Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program and/or preparatory classroom training will be included in an IEP and integrated into the array of services assigned to program participants, if a grantee case manager determines that such intervention would improve the eventual likelihood of long-term employment.
Successful applicants will provide a detailed description of placement strategies that are based on local labor market information and collaboration with employers, other job training programs, and the local American Job Center. Examples of historically successful placement strategies are: on-the-job training (OJT), registered apprenticeship, pre-arranged placements, direct hire, collaboration with temporary to permanent agencies, partnerships with trade schools that guarantee high permanent employment placement rates, federal government employment initiatives, partnerships with small disabled veteran owned businesses, and other innovative public-private partnerships. Applicants must demonstrate how they will directly provide or refer participants to the following employment services: job search workshops; job counseling; resume writing techniques; interviewing skills; OJT, or registered apprenticeship; job development services; and unsubsidized employment placement. In addition, applicants should demonstrate how their participants, who are assessed as “ready to enter employment,” will be referred to American Job Centers, as appropriate. You can find a listing of local American Job Centers at: www.servicelocator.org. With regard to OJT, grant funds may not subsidize participant’s wages. However, reasonable costs of providing training and additional costs related to the training are allowable.
Applicants should demonstrate how they plan to establish a collaborative relationship with staff at the American Job Centers who are available to provide program participants with a full array of job development and job search assistance, employment and training services, employment-based case management services, career/employment counseling, and follow-up services usually at no additional cost to the program. American Job Centers are a critical resource for labor market information including skills necessary for in-demand jobs. VETS requires that all successful grantees collaborate closely with DVOP staff and other American Job Center personnel to maximize the funding allocated through the HVRP, reduce duplication of services, and to more effectively serve veteran participants, whenever possible.
Applicants must use local labor market information to clearly identify specific job or training opportunities within occupations and industries that are in demand within the geographical area to be served. Applicants must address how they will successfully target occupations that are locally in demand. Applicants also must demonstrate how program participants will be placed in jobs or in training with career growth potential and with sufficiently high wages to ensure long-term self-sufficiency. Applicants also must describe the applicant’s local employer and training network, to include a list of training entities and employers who have pledged to hire and train participants. We will not include this list in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, we will count it toward the overall 50-page limit.
Applicants must also demonstrate how they will provide or coordinate job skills training to interested and capable program participants. At least 80 percent of the enrolled participants must participate in job skills training activities. All proposed training programs should be completed within a program year. Examples of training services that count toward the 80 percent training threshold are: classroom training, remedial education activities, on-the-job training, occupational skills training, registered apprenticeship, retraining and skill specific career technical training, specialized and/or licensed training programs, and other formal training programs. Basic skills instruction, life skills and money management training should be provided to participants, but this type of training does not count toward the 80 percent training threshold requirement.
Applicants must identify the local services and sources of training participants will use to expand their career technical skills. Applicants must indicate the type(s) of training that will be provided and how such proposed training relates to the jobs that are in demand within the proposed geographic area to be served. Applicants should also indicate the length of training, the training curriculum, and how the training will improve the eligible veterans’ employment opportunities.
(iv) Follow-up Services
Applicants must demonstrate how they will conduct follow-up and retention services to track a participant’s continued progress for as long as three quarters after a participant is placed into employment. USDOL encourages applicants to present creative approaches and incentives to successfully address and sustain high levels of employment retention. Examples of such approaches are: peer-to-peer coaching, mentoring, alumni programs, transportation and clothing vouchers, and other follow up and retention-oriented services. If the applicant plans to use State Unemployment Insurance (UI) data to substantiate the applicant’s follow-up results, we suggest that the applicant include any MOU or other formal agreement that enables the applicant to obtain such information. These MOUs or other formal agreements do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
(3) Quality of Linkages
In addition to the linkages mentioned above under the Overall Approach and Strategy, applicants must demonstrate how they plan to coordinate their proposed activities with a wide array of federal, state, and local support service programs and their associated agencies and/organizations. Organizations must assess level and kind of resources they need, thus creating the best possible opportunity to reintegrate homeless veterans. Organizations that link to external resources are able to address the needs of the whole veteran, particularly healthcare and housing needs that stabilize the veteran, and increase job readiness. VETS does not prescribe linkages. Some examples of additional support service programs that have been successful include, but are not limited to: the VA’s Health Care for Homeless Veterans Outreach Coordinators and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs; including its Disability Navigator Program; local ICH organizations; and the Social Security Administration and its Ticket to Work Program. As a part of the Ticket to Work Program, grantees must register as an Employment Network (EN). Additionally, applicants should consider linking with community resources that can provide legal assistance to homeless veterans that need expungement of criminal records. Homeless veterans, homeless female veterans, and/or homeless veterans with families with dependent children may need assistance in areas of family law, domestic violence, child support enforcement, and poor credit history counseling and repair.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will refer program participants to agencies and organizations which provide appropriate and necessary support services such as health care, counseling, and rehabilitative services, as needed by their participants. These services may include, but are not limited to: alcohol and drug rehabilitation, therapeutic services, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) assessments and treatment, domestic abuse and sexual trauma counseling and care, vision and dental services, and physical and mental health services.
We encourage applicants to submit a list of their local area network of service providers that offer and provide services to benefit program participants. For each linkage, the applicant should identify the provider, the source of complementary funding related to the specific services provided by the organization, and the type of linkages/referral system established or proposed. We will not include this list in the 15-page limit associated with the Technical Proposal; however, we will count it toward the overall 50-page limit.
Applicants must describe, to the extent possible, how their proposed project will be incorporated into the Department of Veterans Affairs(VA)five (5) year plan to end veteran homelessness by 2015 and the local community’s ten (10) year plan to end homelessness, if applicable. See the Interagency Council on Homelessness Website address at www.usich.gov for additional information. MOUs and all other formal agreements with providers of services that are specifically targeted to assisting homeless veterans and to solidifying the linkages between complementary organizations should be established and presented as an Attachment to the Technical Proposal. These agreements or MOUs do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
(4) Organizational Capability and Experience
All applicants must fully describe their organization‘s ability to manage the operational, administrative, programmatic, and financial reporting requirements specified within this SGA. Applicants must describe key staff skills, experience, history, knowledge, qualifications, capabilities, office locations, and provide an organizational chart. Organizational charts, key staff resumes and detailed staff capability statements do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Prior HVRP experience is not a requirement for this grant. Applicants who have not previously been HVRP grantees are required to provide related program outcomes from other similar grant programs they have managed that were funded through other sources of revenue, such as non-HVRP funding, state or local funding, philanthropic grants, individual contributions, fee for service, or other sources. Applicants must describe specific outcomes previously achieved against established targets by the applicant within these related programs, such as number of enrollments, number of participants that entered employment, cost per placement into employment, benefits secured, and network coalitions. Applicants with no previous HVRP experience, but who can demonstrate previous experience with similar programs, should submit their most recent financial and programmatic cumulative final year-end performance reports related to those programs. These financial and programmatic cumulative final year-end performance reports do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants who have operated a HVRP grant program must include the most recent 4th quarter cumulative quarterly Technical Performance Report (TPR); the most recently completed 4th quarter Technical Performance Narrative (TPN); a copy of the planned goals spreadsheet providing the planned goals for the year the of the most recently completed 4th quarter TPR; and, the most recent financial and technical performance reports for other relevant programs, if applicable. Submission of the planned goals spreadsheet, the 4th quarter TPN, and TPR do not count toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants must complete the PY 2015 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (Appendix C) with proposed programmatic outcomes, including but not limited to, participants served, placements, and jobs retained. This chart does not count toward the 15-Page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation.
Applicants must also address their capacity for timely implementation of the program, programmatic reporting, and participant tracking. Applicants must have a familiarity with the area and population to be served and the ability to administer an effective program that is ready to start immediately upon the first day of the grant award period of performance. Applicants are also required to fully describe how their proposed program can or will outlast the federal funding being provided under this grant after either the first year of funding or, if awarded, after the possible option year or years of funding. To illustrate the long-term sustainability of the program and the services proposed, applicants must be able to present a diverse funding base or illustrate an organizational strategic plan that illustrates the attainment of financial resources beyond those secured through the HVRP grant. Other evidence such as long-term leases and a strong history of community involvement by the organizations key staff may also be used to present how the program will outlast the proposed HVRP grant funding.
(5) Housing Strategy
Applicants must illustrate how affordable and/or housing resources will be accessed by program participants. Applicants must fully illustrate the provisions that will be made for program participants to access emergency, temporary, transitional, and/or permanent housing through various community resources including, but not limited to: the VA’s Grant and Per Diem Program, which funds emergency and transitional housing programs; the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) food and shelter programs; and HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program and the Section 8 single room occupancy housing programs, as well as any other supportive, affordable, and permanent housing programs for homeless persons. Applicants must demonstrate how they will incorporate both affordable housing alternatives and permanent supportive housing options into their service mix. Applicants must demonstrate their understanding of the HUD VASH program and explain how they will incorporate the allocation of housing vouchers into their program. VETS cautions applicants to outline housing strategies that will lead to permanent housing or using a HUD VASH voucher after a participant is enrolled in the program, as potential veterans must be “homeless” in order to meet the eligibility requirement for HVRP participation. VETS also recommends that applicants present how they will refer veterans to the Veterans Health Administration to determine what appropriate housing options a participant may be eligible to receive which may include HUD VASH vouchers.
Applicants must demonstrate how they will, either directly or through established relationships with organizations that provide an adequate number of housing interventions or referrals, serve the proposed level of participants enrolled into the program. Applicants must also demonstrate how they will make appropriate housing referrals based upon the specific needs of their enrolled program participants. Applicants should describe how their program delivers a rapid response strategy for addressing the emergency and temporary housing needs of homeless veterans early in the service delivery process to help stabilize potential program participants.
HVRP funds may NOT be used for the purpose of emergency, transitional, or permanent housing, rent and/or deposit payments for an apartment/house or the purchasing or leasing of vehicles.
4. Attachments to the Technical Proposal
In addition to the Technical Proposal, Applicants must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled as Attachments. Additional materials such as general letters of support will have no impact upon the evaluation of the grant proposal and should 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.
(i) Abstract
You must submit an Abstract summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. The proposed project must include the applicant’s name, project title, a description of the area to be served, number of participants to be served, the total cost per participant, and the funding level requested. The Abstract is limited to two-page, double-spaced, single sided 8.5’ x 11” pages with 12 point Times New Roman text font and one (1) inch margins on all four sides of the page. When submitting in www.grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “Abstract.” The abstract does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation.
(ii) Intent to work collaboratively statement
Applicants must include a statement that confirms their intent to work collaboratively with the USDOL and its contractor(s) on potential evaluation efforts related to veterans. This statement does count toward the 15 page technical proposal and the overall 50-page limitation. This cooperation will include complying with evaluation requirements of USDOL, as well as the third-party contractors procured by USDOL. We may require grantees to submit program and participant data and, in accordance with the proper handling of PII, share this data with USDOL contractors upon request. (See section VI.J. under “Special Program Requirements – Evaluation and requests for Grant Information.”)
(iii) PY 2015 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart
Applicants must complete the PY 2015 Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (Appendix C) with proposed programmatic outcomes, including but not limited to, participants served, placements, and jobs retained. This chart does not count toward the 15-Page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the overall 50-page limitation.
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.
(iv) Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
You should submit a Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15). This form is in the grants.gov application package. Please note that this is a standard form used for many programs and has a check box for applying as an individual. Disregard this box on the form as individuals are not eligible to apply for this Announcement. This attachment does not impact scoring of the application. This form does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit, but it does count toward the 50-page total page limitation.
(v) Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
If you are requesting indirect costs based on a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by your Federal Cognizant Agency, attach the most recently approved Agreement. (For more information, see Section IV.E.1. This attachment does not impact scoring of the application. This form does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit, or the 50-page total page limitation.
(vi) Recent summary of financial audit statement
All applicants who have previously held federal grant awards must submit evidence of satisfactory financial management capability, which must include a recent summary of a financial audit statement. This audit does not count toward either the 15-page technical proposal limit or the 50-page total page limitation.
(vii) List of all employment and training federal grants and contracts
All applicants must include, if applicable, a list of all employment and training federal grants and contracts that they have had in the past three (3) years, including grant/contract officer contact information. This list does not count toward the 15-page technical proposal limit or the overall 50-page page limitation. The USDOL reserves the right to have an agency representative review and verify this data. This attachment does not impact scoring of the application.
(viii) Service contracts and other formal agreements
Applicants must provide all individual service contracts, memorandums of understanding (MOUs), or other formal agreements which involve service providers not specifically proposed as a part of the applicant’s team, but who provide services within the proposed geographic service delivery area mentioned within an applicant’s proposal. While applicants should note and identify these formal agreements in the appropriate place within their proposal, we will not count copies of these formal agreements toward either the 15-page Technical Proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation. This attachment does not impact scoring of the application.
(ix) Organization chart and resumes
We require an organizational chart and staff resumes. They do not count toward either the 15-page technical proposal limit or the overall 50-page limitation. If the applicant fails to provide this information, the grant application will receive a low score for the Organizational Capacity and Experience element of the evaluation criteria when evaluated.
C. Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses
The closing date for receipt of applications under this SGA is 30 calendar days from the date of publication. Applications must be submitted either electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hard copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. 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, Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, Reference SGA-VETS-15-01,, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4307, 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, 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 the applicant’s 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.
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.
1. Late Applications
For applications submitted on www.grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date 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 no later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) sent by professional overnight delivery service 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.
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.1. for more information on NICRA submission requirements.)
2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use more than 20 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs. 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
No HVRP grant funding may be used by a grantee or sub-grantee to pay the salary and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. This limitation does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133 (codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Public Laws 111-117 (Division D, Title I, section 107) and 112-10 (Division B. Title I) for further clarification.
F. 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 Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. 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.”
G. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages
Organizations that receive grants through this SGA may not use HVRP grant funds to pay for the wages of participants. Further, the provision of stipends for training enrollees for the purposes of wage replacement is not an allowable cost under this SGA. Grantees referring participants to on-the-job training (OJT) may use grant funds for reasonable costs of providing training and additional costs related to training.
H. 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.
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. (Technical Proposal).
Reviewers will award points based on the evaluation criteria described below:
Applications will receive up to 100 total points based on specified criteria. The evaluation categories and criteria and their associated points are listed and described below:
Criterion |
Points (maximum) |
(See Section IV.B.3.(1)) |
15
|
(See Section IV.B.3.(2)) (Outreach 10 pts.) (Assessment & Intake 10 pts.) (Job-Driven Employment & Training 15pts.) (Follow-up 10 pts.) |
45 |
(See Section IV.B.3.(3)) |
15 |
(See Section IV.B.3.(4)) |
15 |
(See Section IV.B.3.(5)) |
10 |
TOTAL |
100 |
1. Statement of Need: 0 to 15 points
We will evaluate applicants on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive, and responsive narrative that explains the need for the project.
2. Overall Approach and Strategy: 45 Points
Applicants will be graded on the strength of their overall approach and appropriate strategies. Applicants will also be graded on the extent to which they present a clear and complete narrative describing how they will place veterans into jobs that are meaningful and sustainable, and detail a comprehensive approach ensuring that appropriate support services will be provided to homeless veteran participants to enhance participants’ job readiness. Points allocated under the overall approach and strategy section are as follows:
Outreach (0 to 10 points)
Assessment and Intake (0 to 10 points)
Job-Driven Employment and Training Services (0 to 15 points)
Follow-up Services (0 to 10 points)
3. Quality of Linkages: 0 to 15 points
We will evaluate applicants on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive, and responsive narrative.
4. Organizational Capability and Experience: 0 to 15 points
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which the narrative illustrates that the organization has the capacity to carry out the program proposed. Please note that the grant review panel members who will be evaluating grant applications submitted as a result of this SGA do not have access to any reporting information systems during the evaluation process. Therefore, if an organization presents past experience administering and managing grants and they do not submit final or most recent technical performance reports, as specified within this SGA, the grant application will receive a low score when evaluated for this element of the evaluation criteria.
5. Housing Strategy: 0 to 10 points
Applicants will be evaluated on the extent to which they develop a complete, comprehensive and responsive narrative describing an effective strategy for linking program participants to appropriate housing.
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 SGA. 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.
Every application will be evaluated to determine the risks posed by applicants. Prior to making an award, VETS will review information available through any OMB-designated repository of government wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Dun and Bradstreet, and “Do Not Pay.” Additionally, VETS will comply with the requirements of 2 CFR Part 180 codified by DOL at 29 CFR Part 98 (Government wide 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 VETS 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:
(i) Financial stability;
(ii) Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in the Uniform Grant Guidance;
(iii) 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;
(iv) 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;
(v) 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 VETS homepage at www.dol.gov/vets. Applicants selected for an award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution. Non-selected applicants will be notified by mail or e-mail and may request a written debriefing on the significant weaknesses of their proposal from the Grant Officer.
Selection of an applicant as a recipient does not constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the actual grant is awarded, USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and administrative systems 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 SGA.
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 SGA will be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions:
(i) 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)
(ii) Profit Making Commercial Firms – Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) – 48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 2 CFR Part 200 (Administrative Requirements).
(iii) All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 29 CFR Part 98 (Government-wide Debarment and Suspension, and drug-free workplace requirements), and, where applicable, 2 CFR Part 200 (Audit Requirements).
(iv) 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.
(v) 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.
(vi) 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
(vii) 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
(viii) 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
C. General Terms and Conditions of Award—See the following link: http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/common/main.htm
D. Other Legal Requirements:
(i) Religious Activities
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation.
(ii) Lobbying or Fundraising: 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).
(iii) 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, grantees will receive detailed information on the reporting requirements of the Transparency Act, as described in 2 CFR Part 170, which can be found at the following website: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-22705.pdf
The following types of awards are not subject to the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act:
Federal awards to individuals who apply for or receive Federal awards as natural persons (i.e., unrelated to any business or non-profit organization he or she may own or operate in his or her name);
Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and
Federal awards, if the required reporting would disclose classified information.
E. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Applicants submitting applications in response to this SGA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting 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. All such activity conducted by VETS 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. Applicants must ensure that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained, or otherwise associated with DOL/VETS 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. Applicants must not e-mail unencrypted sensitive PII to any entity, including VETS or contractors.
3. Applicants 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.
4. Applicants must ensure that any PII used during the performance of the grant has been obtained in conformity with applicable Federal and state laws governing the confidentiality of information.
5. Applicants further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through the VETS 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 VETS. Accessing, processing, and storing of VETS 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 VETS.
6. Applicants’ 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. Applicants must have policies and procedures in place under which their 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. Applicants must not extract information from data supplied by VETS for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.
9. Access to any PII created by the VETS grant must be restricted to only those employees of the grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform duties in connection with the scope of work in the grant agreement.
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. Applicants must permit VETS to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to assure that applicants are complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, applicants must make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.
13. Applicants must retain data received from VETS only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable Federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, applicants agree that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.
F. Record Retention
Applicants must be prepared to follow Federal guidelines on record retention, which require them 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.
G. Use of Contracts and Subawards
Applicants 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 SGA 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.
Applicants 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, applicants are required to comply with provisions on government wide suspension and debarment found at 2 CFR Part 180 and codified by DOL at 29 CFR Part 98.
H. Closeout of Grant Award
Any entity that receives an award under this Announcement must close its grant with VETS at the end of the final year (September 30th) of the grant.
I. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, VETS’ 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.
J. Special Program Requirements
By accepting the grant funds, the grantee agrees to make individual records on participants and funding available to the evaluator(s) under the direction of USDOL, as well as to provide access to program operating personnel and participants, as specified by the evaluator(s) under the direction of USDOL, including after the expiration date of the grant. Please note that, this evaluation may make use of program MIS data, local administrative data, and program progress reports. It is critical that the grantee keep this information up to date and accurate for both performance measurement and evaluation purposes.
Upon request, successful grantees will cooperate with the Interagency Council on Homelessness, the VA, and the HVRP National Technical Assistance Center concerning requests for grantee information on performance activities, monitoring activities, and requests for specific data as approved by the USDOL.
K. 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 VETS, and may also have a significant impact on decisions about future grants with VETS.
L. 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. Applicants must agree to provide the reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Reporting
All HVRP grantees will enter data electronically and attach their Quarterly TPR, success stories, and other job related information into VETS Operations and Program Activity Report (VOPAR) system. All grantees are required to use and submit their Federal Financial Report (FFR) in the E-Grants System (E-Grants). See the HVRP Special Provisions and Veterans Program Letter (VPL) #09-14 (Appendix I) for detailed requirements regarding quarterly reporting.
2. Performance Measures
For purposes of assessing performance of grantees selected under this SGA, VETS will focus on the following four critical performance measures: enrollments, placements, placement rate, and cost per placement. However, VETS will require the grantee to fully comply with all planned performance goals by meeting at least 85% of their planned cumulative quarterly goals, see Appendix C If a grantee does not meet threshold of performance in these categories, then a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) will be required.
VETS will also require grantees to report additional performance information, as explained in the Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees (Appendix F). There are three (3) outcome measures with established historic and strategic targets for HVRP grants. Applicants should consider these historic and strategic targets when proposing the goals submitted within their application.
Additionally, please note that USDOL tracks the entered employment rate (EER). The EER is determined by dividing the number of participants who obtained and retained employment one quarter after their initial placement or when they “exited” the program by the total number of participants who have exited the program. In order to determine the EER, the program must track the employment status of their enrollees after they leave the program by contacting them.
VII. Agency Contacts
All questions regarding this SGA should be directed to Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer, at 202-693-4570 (this is not a toll-free number). Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and reference SGA-VETS-15-01, along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. For additional information on the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program, please visit the VETS Website at www.dol.gov/vets.
Individuals with hearing impairments should call 800 670-7008 (TTY/TDD).
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, VETS will publish the Abstracts required by Section IV.B.4. i, and selected information from the SF-424 for all applications on the Department’s public website http://www.dol.gov/dol/grants/. Additionally, VETS will publish a version of the Technical Proposal required by Section IV.B.3. for all those applications that are awarded grants, on the Department’s website http://www.dol.gov/dol/grants/. No other attachments to the application will be published. The Technical Proposal 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.2
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 Technical Proposals, applicants whose Technical Proposals will be posted will be asked to submit a second redacted version of their Technical Proposal, with any proprietary, confidential commercial/business 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 Technical Proposals will be published by letter or email, and provide further directions about how and when to submit the redacted version of the Technical Proposal.
Submission of a redacted version of the Technical Proposal will constitute permission by the applicant for DOL to make the redacted version publicly available. VETS will also assume that by submitting the redacted version of the Technical Proposal, the applicant has obtained the agreement to the applicant’s decision about what material to redact of all persons and entities whose proprietary, confidential business information, or PII is contained in the Technical Proposal. If an applicant fails to provide a redacted version of the Technical Proposal within 45 days of DOL’s request, DOL will publish the original Technical Proposal in full, after redacting only PII. (Note that the original, unredacted version of the Technical Proposal will remain part of the complete application package, including an applicant’s proprietary and confidential business information and any PII.)
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the grant application information that will be publicly disclosed, and to exercise restraint and redact only information that clearly is proprietary, confidential commercial/business information, or PII. The redaction of entire pages or sections of the Technical Proposal is not appropriate, and will not be allowed, unless the entire portion merits such protection. Should a dispute arise about whether redactions are appropriate, DOL will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70).
Redacted information in grant applications will be protected by DOL from public disclosure in accordance with Federal law, including the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. § 1905), FOIA, and the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a). If DOL receives a FOIA request for an 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. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants
Department of Labor maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. The website for VETS is http://www.dol.gov/vets/, and it is a valuable source of information including program highlights and brochures, glossary of terms, frequently used acronyms, general and special grant provisions, and PowerPoint presentations on how to apply for HVRP funding. The HVRP National Technical Assistance center’s website http://www.nvtac.org/ is also a valuable source of information for grant applicants. The US Interagency Council on Homeless, http://usich.gov/ has information from various Agencies that assist homeless persons including updated information on local community ten (10) year plans to end homelessness and Continuums of Care plans. America’s Service Locator Website, www.servicelocator.org, provides a directory of the nation’s American Job Centers. For a basic understanding of the grants process and basic responsibilities of receiving federal grant support, please see “Guidance for Faith-Based and Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government”, www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci, as well as the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans at www.nchv.org.
C. Public Acknowledgement of USDOL Funding
Public References to the Grant
When issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs funded in whole or in part with federal money, all grantees receiving federal funds must clearly state the percentage of the total costs of the program or project financed with federal money; the total dollar amount of federal financial assistance for the project or program; and the percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
Use of USDOL Logo
Prior to the use of the USDOL logo, the Grant Officer must approve all such use. The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL funded material prepared for distribution including: posters, videos, pamphlets, research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best practice reports, and other publications of global interest. The grantee(s) must consult with USDOL on whether the logo may be used on any such items prior to final draft or final preparation for distribution. In no event will the USDOL logo be placed on any item until USDOL has given the grantee permission to use the logo on the item.
IX. OMB Information Collection
A. OMB Control Number
OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, expires on January 31, 2016. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of Michel Smyth, Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected]. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND IT TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED IN THIS SOLICITATION.
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The information collected through this “Solicitation for Grant Applications” will be used by the USDOL to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicant best suited to perform the functions of the grant. Submission of this information is required in order for the applicant to be considered for award of this grant.
B. Announcement and Award Dates
Announcement of these grant awards is anticipated to occur in June 2015. Grant agreements are expected to be awarded on or before July 1, 2015.
C. Appendices
Appendices are located at USDOL, VETS website address www.dol.gov/vets. Follow the link for the applicable SGA listed under announcements.
Appendix A: Application for Federal Assistance SF-424
Appendix B: Budget Information Sheet SF-424A
Appendix C: Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart
Appendix D: Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and Sub-Applicants
Appendix E: List of 75 Largest in Population Urban Areas 2010 Census
Appendix F: Technical Assistance Guide (TAG) for Competitive Grantees
Appendix G: Indirect Charges or Certificate of Direct Costs
Appendix H: Definitions and Terms
Appendix I: Veterans Program Letter 09-14
Appendix J: Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form
Signed in Washington, D.C. this ______ day of __________, 2015.
Cassandra Mitchell, Grant Officer
1 United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2006). Super NOFA for Continuum of Care Programs: Fiscal Year 2006. Washington, DC
2OMB Memorandum 07-16 and 06-19. GAO Report 08-536, Privacy: Alternatives Exist for Enhancing Protection of Personally Identifiable Information, May 2008, http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08536.pdf.
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| File Created | 2021-01-30 |