Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program FOA

VETS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans’ Employment and Training Service

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for: Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP), Incarcerated Veterans’ Transition Program (IVTP), and the Homeless Female Veterans’ and Veterans’ with Families Program (HFVVWF) (referred to collectively as HVRP)

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-VETS-19-01

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.805

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is XXXX. We must receive applications no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Addresses: Address mailed applications to:

The U.S. Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management

Attention: Kia Mason, Grant Officer

Reference FOA-VETS-19-01

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716

Washington, DC 20210

For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is responsible for the grant award process of the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service grant program.

Executive Summary:

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), announces the availability of approximately $13,500,000 in grant funds, authorized under Title 38 of United States Code (U.S.C.), Sections 2021 and 2023 for the HVRP program.

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), DOL will award grants of up to $500,000 for a 12-month period of performance, which is expected to begin on July 1, 2019 and end on June 30, 2020. This performance period includes all necessary implementation, start-up, and follow up activities.

Historically, HVRP grantees have demonstrated the following:

• Clear need for the program based upon current statistical or empirical evidence, including the numbers and characteristics of the eligible veterans who are homeless in their proposed service delivery area;

• Ability to develop and implement strategies with attainable goals for job training based on Labor Market Information (LMI) and evidence-based practices;

• Ability to collaborate and coordinate with organizations to ensure that local, state, and federal resources are used effectively and efficiently to expedite the reintegration of eligible veterans into the labor force;

• Ability to deliver or connect participants to effective job training, counseling, and other wraparound services, such as the provision of housing and necessary health services as the means for expediting the reintegration of eligible veterans into the labor force;

• Ability to provide services specifically tailored to the needs of female homeless veterans and homeless veterans with families as appropriate;

• Ability to provide services specifically tailored to the needs of incarcerated or recently incarcerated veterans who are at risk of homelessness as appropriate; and

• Ability to provide services to chronically homeless¹ veterans as appropriate.

1. Funding Opportunity Description

1. Program Purpose

The purpose of this program is to provide services to reintegrate homeless veterans into the labor force by placing them into meaningful employment and to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans. Meaningful employment is defined as open and competitive paid employment, in line with the homeless veteran’s aspirations, talents, and abilities. Ideally, the employment should provide a family sustaining wage or, in other words, the minimum income necessary for a worker to meet his or her basic financial needs.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released the 2018 Point In-Time (PIT) count², which reflects that 37,878 veterans experienced homelessness on a single night in January 2018. The 2018 PIT count indicates a reduction of 5.4 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness since 2017. Local estimates of veteran homelessness can be viewed at https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5772/2018-pit-estimate-of-veteran-homelessness-in-the-us/.

The United States Interagency Council on Homelessness stated in, Homelessness in America: Focus on Veterans³ just over 9 percent of all adults experiencing homelessness in the United States are veterans of the U.S. Military. Most veterans who experience homelessness are men over age 50 living in urban areas. Older veterans are expected to be a majority of the population of veterans who experience or are at risk of homelessness in the coming years. As members of this group get older, they are likely to have increasingly complex and age-related needs. Women make up about 9% of veterans who were experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) report, veteran women are more than twice as likely as non-veteran women to experience homelessness.⁴ Less than 3 percent of veterans experiencing homelessness (2.9 percent) were in families with children. The VA further reports, veteran women experiencing homelessness are more likely to be part of a family with children, compared to veteran men. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) released a report that stated, among veterans who experience homelessness, and particularly among those who have PTSD or other behavioral health disorders, involvement in the criminal justice system may be both a risk factor for homelessness and/or a consequence of homelessness. About one-half of all veterans experiencing homelessness who have participated in VA homeless assistance programs are involved in the justice system.⁵

In order to meet the fluctuations in population and the changing needs of veterans experiencing homelessness, grant recipients are expected to provide an array of client-centered services utilizing a case management approach that directly assists homeless veterans and provides critical linkages to a variety of support services available in their local communities. This program is focused on obtaining employment and veterans should receive the job training and employment services they need in order to re-enter the labor force. Job placement, job training, job development, career counseling, and resume preparation are among the services that must be provided. Grant recipients must address the complex employment-related needs and provide support services to meet the needs of this population, through either direct services or a robust referral system. Examples of support services include clothing; temporary, transitional, and permanent housing; medical and substance abuse treatment; childcare; and transportation assistance. The most successful projects leverage partnerships with local and national organizations to provide these support services.

2. Program Authority

38 U.S.C. §§ 2021 and 2023.

2. AWARD INFORMATION

1. Award Type and Amount

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. We expect availability of approximately $13,500,000 in grant funds. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $500,000. Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement. We also reserve the right to proportionally reduce or increase the size of a requested award for an applicant selected for funding under this solicitation to ensure adequate geographic coverage.

2. Period of Performance

The period of performance is expected to begin on July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020, unless modified by the Grant Officer. We expect that grantees will begin program operations on July 1, 2019. This performance period includes all necessary implementation, start-up, and follow up activities.

3. Continuation of Funding

Recipients may be eligible for two additional years of funding contingent on Congress appropriating additional funds for this purpose and grantee performance.

3. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

1. Eligible Applicants

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• State Government

• County Government

• City or Township Government

• Special District Government

• U.S. Territory or Possession

• Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education

• Private Institution of Higher Education

• Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)

• Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally

Recognized)

• Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization

• Public and Indian Housing Agencies

• Nonprofit Organizations

• For-profit/commercial entities

• State and Local Workforce Development Boards (SWDBs/LWDBs) established under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

• Other State and Local Government Agencies

• Faith-based organizations

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. The inclusion of such funds is not one of the application screening criteria to be considered, and applications that include any form of cost sharing or matching will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Instead, the agency considers any resources that will be contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency as leveraged resources.

3. Other Information

1. Application Screening Criteria

You should use the list below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure that the application has met all of the screening criteria. Note that this list 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 be deemed nonresponsive and will not move forward through to the merit review process.

Application Requirement	Instructions	Complete?
The deadline submission requirements are met	Section IV.C
Eligibility	Section III.A
If submitted through Grants.gov, the components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt. (We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.)	Section IV.C.2
Application for Federal funds does not exceed the ceiling amount of $500,000	Section II.A
SAM Registration	Section IV.B.1
SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance	Section IV.B.1
SF-424 includes a DUNS Number	Section IV.B.1
SF-424A, Budget Information Form	Section IV.B.2
Budget Narrative	Section IV.B.2
Project Narrative	Section IV.B.3
Two required letters of support from: State Workforce Agency (SWA) or local American Job Center (AJC); and HUD Continuum of Care6 (CoC) Both letters must be included as attachments or the application will be deemed non-responsive and will not move forward through the merit review process.	Section IV.B.3
Abstract (included as an attachment)	Section IV.B.4
Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (see Attachment B)	Section IV.B.4

2. Priority Populations and Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

This Announcement establishes the following three (3) priorities:

1. Priority 1 (HVRP priority) is for applications that meet the requirements of this Announcement but do not fall under Priorities 2 or 3.

2. Priority 2 (HFVVWF priority) is for applicants proposing to use 100 percent of their funding to serve homeless female veterans’ and veterans’ with families.

3. Priority 3 (IVTP priority) is for applicants proposing to use 100 percent of their funding to serve recently incarcerated veterans.

The Department plans to make at least one (1) award under both Priority 2 and Priority 3, if the applications are competitive.

Applicants must identify in the abstract if an application is Priority 1 (HVRP), Priority 2 (HFVVWF), or Priority 3 (IVTP). If one single priority is not explicitly identified in the abstract, the application will be reviewed under Priority 1 (HVRP). There will be no additional changes or discussions of this priority determination during or after the competition. There will be NO exceptions.

Applicants may submit multiple applications to serve the same service delivery area, if each application is for a different priority. Applicants may also identify one or more service delivery areas for each unique application submitted.

The service delivery area is defined as county, parish, independent city, or Native American tribal area. See Attachment A for definitions.

The service delivery area and corresponding priority MUST be stated clearly in the abstract. DOL will not read the entire application to make this determination.

Applicants will receive prioroity consideration of two (2) bonus points if the applicant’s proposed service delivery area is in a qualified Opportunity zone as designated by the Secretary of Treasury; applicants will not receive additional bonus points for more than one Opportunity Zone. For more information on Opportunity Zones, go to: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/opportunity-zones-frequently-asked-questions.

Multiple grant applications with the same service delivery area and the same priority, will not be accepted by the same applicant. If we receive multiple applications from the same applicant for the same service delivery area and priority, we will only consider the most recently received application that meets the deadline. If the most recent application is deemed non-responsive for any reason, we will not replace it with an earlier application.

3. Eligible Participants

The intent of this Announcement is to fund projects that provide job training, employment, and related support services to eligible veterans. An eligible veteran is entitled to receive grant services under Sections 2021 and 2023 of Title 38 of the United States Code. Under 38 U.S.C. 2023, this program can serve incarcerated veterans.

The Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Section 701, amended Section 2021(a) of Title 38, U.S.C, by expanding the definition under HVRP, to include:

• Homeless veterans (including veterans who were homeless but found housing during the 60-day period preceding the date on which the veteran begins to participate in a program under this section);

• Veterans participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs supported housing program for which rental assistance is provided pursuant to section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19)) or the Tribal HUD-VA Supportive Housing (Tribal HUD-VASH) program;

• Indians who are veterans and receiving assistance under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 4101 et seq.);

• Veterans described in section 2023(e) of this title or any other veterans who are transitioning from being incarcerated; and

• Veterans participating in the Department of Veterans Affairs rapid rehousing and prevention program authorized in section 2044 of this title.

Additionally, the Departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Act of 2019 also expanded the eligibility criteria for HVRP to include veterans who were homeless at some point within the 60 days prior to HVRP program entry and veterans who are at risk of homelessness within the next 60 days.

A Homeless Veteran is defined as:

• A person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence;

• A person living in a supervised public or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living arrangements;

• A person who resided in a shelter or place not meant for human habitation and who is exiting an institution where he or she temporarily resided;

• A person 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, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or camping ground;

• A person who will imminently lose their primary nighttime residence, provided that: (i) Residence will be lost within 60 days of the date of application for homeless assistance; (ii) No subsequent residence has been identified; and (iii) The individual or family lacks the resources or support networks needed to obtain other permanent housing;

• A person, 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; or

• A person who is fleeing, or is attempting to flee, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other dangerous or life-threatening conditions in the individual’s or family’s current housing situation, including where the health and safety of children are jeopardized, and who have no other residence and lack the resources or support network to obtain other permanent housing.

An Incarcerated Veteran: Veterans who have been convicted as an adult and imprisoned under municipal, county, tribal, federal, or state law and fall into one of the following categories:

• Category 1 – The veteran was released within the previous 12 months from a penal institution into homelessness and needs employment assistance;

• Category 2 – The veteran has been incarcerated for at least six (6) months and is scheduled for release within six (6) months with no known housing destination and needs employment assistance;

• Category 3 – The veteran was released within the previous 12 months from a penal institution into temporary or permanent housing, but is now at imminent risk of homelessness and needs employment assistance; or

• Category 4 – The veteran is a resident of an institution that provides long-term care for mental illness and is scheduled for release with no known housing destination and needs employment assistance.

4. Application and Submission Information

1. How to Obtain an Application Package

This Announcement, found at www.Grants.gov, contains all of the requisite information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Applications submitted in response to this Announcement must consist of four separate and distinct parts:

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

2. Project Budget, composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative;

3. Project Narrative; and

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative.

You must ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

• You must complete the SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1.

• In the address field, fill out the nine-digit (plus hyphen) zip code. Nine-digit zip codes can be looked up on the USPS website at https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action.

• 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, the signature of the Authorized Representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1. You do not need to submit the SF-424B with the application.

Requirement for DUNS Number

All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities must have a DUNS number, and must supply their DUNS Number on the SF-424. The DUNS Number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not have a DUNS Number, you can get one for free through the D&B website at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.

Grant recipients authorized to make sub-awards must meet the following requirements related to DUNS Numbers:

• Grant recipients must notify potential sub-awardees that no entity may receive a sub-award from you unless the entity has provided its DUNS number to you.

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

(See, Appendix A to 2 CFR section 25.)

Requirement for Registration with SAM

Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM), using chrom or other supported browser before submitting an application. Find instructions for registering with SAM at https://uscontractorregistration.com/sam-registration/.

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 receive the award. If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the Grant Officer is ready to make a Federal award, the Grant Officer may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a Federal award and may use that determination as a basis for making a Federal award to another applicant.

2. Project Budget

You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1. 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.

Each category should include the total cost for the period of performance. Use the following guidance for preparing the Budget Narrative.

Personnel: List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed) including the roles and responsibilities. For each position, give the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant.

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

Travel: For grantee staff only, specify the purpose, number of staff traveling, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and other costs for each type of travel. You should include funds and allowable expenses to provide for an annual post-award conference, professional conference, or trainings to travel to and from an estimated national location. Travel expenditures may not exceed 10 percent of the total HVRP funds requested in the application.

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase 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 item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

Items with a unit cost of less than $5,000 are supplies, not “equipment”. In general, we do not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the grant.

Supplies: Identify categories of supplies (e.g. office supplies) in the detailed budget and list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.94 for the definition of Supplies).

Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR 200.22 as a legal instrument by which a non-Federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award.  A subaward, defined by 2 CFR 200.92, means an award provided by a pass-through entity 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.

For each proposed contract and subaward, specify the purpose and activities to be provided, and the estimated cost.

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

Other: Provide clear and specific detail, including costs, for each item so that we are able to determine whether the costs are necessary, reasonable, and allocable. List any item, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere here.

Indirect Costs: If you include an amount for indirect costs (through a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or De Minimis) on the SF-424A budget form, then include one of the following:

a) If you have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), provide an explanation of how the indirect costs are calculated. This explanation should include which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Also, provide a current version of the NICRA.

or

b) If you intend to claim indirect costs using the 10 percent de minimis rate, please confirm that your organization meets the requirements as described in 2 CFR 200.414(f). Clearly state that your organization has never received a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), and your organization is not one described in Appendix VII of 2 CFR 200, paragraph (D)(1)(b).

Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 CFR 200.68 below for definition) as their cost allocation base. Provide an explanation of which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Note that there are various items not included in the calculation of Modified Total Direct Costs. See below the definitions to assist you in your calculation.

2 CFR 200.68 Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may only be excluded when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

The definition of MTDC in 2 CFR 200.68 no longer allows for any sub-contracts to be included in the calculation. You will also note that participant support costs are not included in modified total direct cost. Participant support costs are defined below.

2 CFR 200.75 Participant Support Cost means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences, or training projects.

See Section IV.B.4. and Section IV.E.1 for more information. Additionally, the following link contains information regarding the negotiation of Indirect Cost Rates at DOL https://www.dol.gov/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm.

Note that the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative must include the entire Federal grant amount requested.

Do not show leveraged resources, as described in section III part B, on the SF-424 and SF-424A. You should describe leveraged resources in the budget narrative.

Applicants should list the same requested Federal grant amount on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative. If minor inconsistencies are found between the budget amounts specified on the SF-424, SF-424A, and the budget narrative, ETA will consider the SF-424 to be the official funding amount requested. However, if the amount specified on the SF-424 would render the application nonresponsive, the Grant Officer will use his or her discretion to determine whether the intended funding request (and match, if applicable) is within the responsive range.

2. Project Narrative

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

The Project Narrative is limited to 15 pages, double-spaced, single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch, with Times New Roman, 12-point text font, and 1-inch margins. You must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

We will not read or consider any materials beyond the specified page limit in the application review process.

The following instructions provide the necessary information to complete the Project Narrative. Carefully read and consider each section, and include the required information in your Project Narrative. The agency will evaluate the Project Narrative using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. You must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative:

1. Statement of Need

Present current evidence to support the need for the proposed project, including any supporting evidence that identifies the nature and extent of the need and the reasons the proposed service delivery area will benefit from HVRP services. The description will include both quantitative and qualitative information as listed below:

1. Clearly state at the onset, your selected priority (as described in Section III.2), the specific service delivery area you propose to serve, if your service delivery area is urban or non-urban (see Attachment D). The service delivery area must be identified by county, parish, independent city, or Native American tribal area.

• For each priority selected include the number of eligible veterans in need in your proposed service delivery area and the demographic information describing the employment and job training needs of the local employers.

• Estimates of sheltered and unsheltered homeless veterans in the identified service delivery area (cite the date of the reported estimates). Local estimates of veteran homelessness can be found at https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/5772/2018-pit-estimate-of-veteran-homelessness-in-the-us/.

• Supporting evidence that clearly demonstrates the nature and extent of the employment-related needs or problems facing eligible veterans in the identified service delivery area.

• Labor market conditions in the identified service delivery area, including in-demand occupations as determined by the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB), industry, or employers, and the types of jobs and careers that are in demand.

• Factors in the service delivery area contributing to the problem or the circumstances creating the need.

• Unemployment and poverty rates for the identified service delivery area.

• How you propose to support the Mayor or Governor’s pledge to end homelessness, if applicable.

• If using the Department of Veterans Affairs, Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) data to support need, identify the number of participants that meet the HVRP homeless and at risk definition.

The distinction between urban and non-urban areas will be used in determining the starting points for you to use in deriving planned performance goals for your project. Utilize Attachment D, which identifies the 75 largest metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in population, in 2017, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau, which are considered urban areas. Areas not listed in Attachment D are considered non-urban.

For applicants proposing to serve both urban and non-urban areas, please identify your service delivery area as urban if over half of the population you propose to serve is in an urban area.

In cases where there are other HVRP grantees who are already serving homeless veterans in a proposed service delivery area (see Attachment C), you must submit justification that an additional award is needed to serve the homeless veteran population. Your justification must include the service delivery area, the remaining participants available to be served, and the reasons why another award will enhance HVRP services being provided within the identified service delivery area. You must also include the name of the current grantee and the number of veterans by priority it serves (see Attachment C).

2. Expected Outcomes

Grantees are required to have measurable outcomes in order to maximize the impact of federal grant dollars. Each grantee will be required to report on progress toward its planned goals on a quarterly basis each year and at the end of the grant. This is the first time grantees will report outcomes on three WIOA performance indicators, scored as part of the application, Section V.A. 2.

Overall success or failure of a grant-funded project is based on seven performance indicators. Performance on each active participant performance indicator will be defined as a range, bounded by an upper value representing the performance goal and a lower value representing 85 percent of the performance goal. Performance below 85 percent of the goal on a critical performance indicator will be considered failure of that indicator. Please refer to Attachment A for definitions of the performance indicators. You will provide numeric goals for the following performance indicators in the Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart (see Attachment B):

1. number of participants enrolled;

2. placement rate for all exiters;

3. average hourly wage at placement;

4. placement rate for the chronically homeless⁷;

5. percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment in the second quarter after exit from the program;

6. percentage of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment in the fourth quarter after exit from the program; and

7. median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment in the second quarter after exit from the program.

We recognize there are differences in labor markets, both when developing active participant performance indicators and comparing urban to non-urban areas. In order to account for these differences when proposing goals, we ask you to use the adjusted PY 2017 values in Table 1 as a starting point. These values may be further adjusted to account for the ease or difficulty in serving a particular group based on characteristics and other mitigating factors, and should be justified in the project narrative.

Applications selected for funding that submitted extremely low active participant planned outcomes will be subject to revision as a condition of the grant award. As this is the first year of establishing post-program outcome performance indicators, VETS does not yet have the baseline data necessary to set extremely low planned values. However, VETS will analyze the PY 2019 actual outcome data and set extremely low planned values for the WIOA indicators in PY 2020.

The term “extremely low planned outcomes” is defined for active participant performance indicators as an outcome value where 90 percent or more of the grants awarded are expected to meet or exceed in PY 2019. With the exception of the total number of enrollments, the “extremely low planned outcomes” was determined using PY 2017 actual outcome data. An “extremely low planned outcome” is not specified for the total number of enrollments.

The active participant indicator and the associated extremely low planned values are:

• The planned Placement Rate for All Exiters – less than 57 percent;

• The planned Average Hourly Wage at Placement – less than $11.00 per hour; and

• The Placement Rate for the Chronically Homeless – less than 51 percent.

PY 2017 actual HVRP outcome data reported by 155 grant recipients were used to derive the averages outlined in Table 1. The highest and lowest five data outliers were removed from data when calculating the averages. Please note a grant is considered to be operating in an urban area if its service area falls into one of the 75 Largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas as determined by the Bureau of the Census.

Table 1

Goal Setting Parameters

Program Year 2017 Cost Per Enrollment, Placement Rates, and

Average Hourly Wage

	Urban Area Average	Non-Urban Area Average
Cost Per Enrollment8	$2,473	$2,774
Placement Rate for All Exiters	69 percent	64 percent
Average Hourly Wage at Placement	$13.36	$12.88
Placement Rate for the Chronically Homeless	66 percent	percent

3. Project Design

You must describe your overall strategy for providing employment and job training services. Services must be delivered through a client-centered case management approach that imparts relevant skills, connects participants with local employment opportunities, and leads to improvements in employment and earnings over time. You must describe the types of support services to be offered to participants and the approaches to provide these support services.

If you are applying under Priority 2 (HFVVWF) or Priority 3 (IVTP), you are limited to serving only individuals who are part of that Priority’s special population group.

The strategy must address:

1. Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement – You must describe in your application how your program will conduct effective client outreach, recruitment, and engagement to meet your participant enrollment goals, including the use of Stand Down⁹ events. For example, effective outreach strategies may include HUD CoC coordinated entry, or inclusion in a local or state plan to end homelessness. The description must include evidence to support the proposed recruitment and engagement strategy with references from published research studies, government reports, or the applicant’s experience showing the strategy yielded positive results.

Outreach, recruitment, and engagement must include an active phase that is non-threatening, persistent over time, and offers a flexible array of services, including help with basic survival needs. Effective engagement, recruitment, and outreach also builds on actions that show commitment to client choice, maintenance of dignity, and investment in a relationship.

You must describe how your project will promote the active engagement of industry, employers, and employer associations in determining the available types of occupations and the skills needed to pursue in-demand jobs and careers.

2. Intake and Assessment – You must explain and provide cited examples of how you will design and implement your proposed intake and assessment process to serve eligible veterans. This evidence should reference published research studies, government reports, or the applicant organization’s experience that shows the strategy yielded positive results in the past.

You must demonstrate that your proposed intake process involves the collection of necessary information on individuals seeking services in order to determine eligibility for the program and for the assessment of the types of services needed to assist the eligible veteran in gaining and retaining meaningful employment. The assessment is the foundation for the development of the participant service plan and budget used by the case manager in coordinating services on behalf of the participant. The assessment should determine employment, job training, and related support services needed for the participant to meet employment goals.

The assessment process must demonstrate how you will determine a participant’s readiness to enter employment following the receipt of services, including the use of information about the individual’s strengths, preferences, medical, social and environmental issues, and behavioral and cognitive status. For example, when responding to this requirement, list assessment tools that will be used to screen for vocational aptitude, employment interests, work history, and physical or psychological barriers. Explain how the project will provide the expertise needed to administer, understand the results, and communicate the results to the participant.

3. Employment and Job Training – You must describe in your application the employment and job training strategy that will be made available to participants in obtaining and retaining meaningful employment. Please note a minimum of 80 percent of your participants must receive one (1) or more job training services, through referral or the grantee’s direct services. Some examples of job training that may be provided to participants are on-the-job training (OJT), customized job training, upgrading or retraining, other work-based learning, and occupational skills training provided by an institution. Please note that placement into an unsubsidized apprenticeship is considered placement into employment.

You must also describe in your application how you will develop a formal employment and job training plan for each participant. This plan must be based on an individual’s job training needs assessment. You must indicate how you will manage and document participant progress within a formal case management process. The description must include evidence to support the proposed employment and job training strategy. For example, evidence may be a narrative describing how the job training process works. This evidence must reference research studies, government reports, or the applicant organization’s experience showing the strategy yielded positive results in the past.

Employment and job training strategies described in a service plan must be focused on in-demand jobs that impart relevant skills, add value, and sought-after skills within the existing job-market, and should align with, and leverage other federal education and job training program resources. Optimally, this plan should include a focus on the referenced in-demand occupations or jobs as determined by the LWDB in the Statement of Need. You must describe the array of employment and job training you will make available to participants. For definitions of various types of job training provided to HVRP grantees see Attachment A. Some examples of employment and job training include:

• Career technical skills training;

• Occupational skills training;

• OJT or internships;

• Classroom job training or any job training normally conducted in an institutional setting; and

• Customized job training

The employment and job training received by participants may be provided directly through the grant or provided to participants through partnerships with an AJC or other training organizations.

All grant recipients are required to enroll their participants in an AJC and receive a direct service from a Wagner-Peyser Act, Jobs for Veterans State Grant, or another WIOA-Title I-funded service offered through the AJC. Please refer to Veterans’ Program Letter (VPL) 03-16, https://www.dol.gov/vets/VMS/VPLs/VPL-03-16.pdfhttps://www.dol.gov/vets/VMS/VPLs/VPL-03-16.pdf for complete details.

4. Linkages and Support Services – Stable housing, health care, and other support services are critical in helping homeless veterans reintegrate into the labor force. You must describe how you will partner and coordinate with these and other support service programs, including penal institutions and halfway houses, if appropriate.

The linkages must also include employment and job training services. For example, does your program or partnership leverage Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E) services, or state vocational rehabilitation programs? Does your program or partnership leverage the GI Bill for job training? Grant recipients should consider the GI Bill as a primary resource when helping participants access job training. Does your program or partnerships leverage apprenticeship programs?

Applicants must also identify support services for overcoming barriers to employment to include, but not limited to: physical rehabilitation, drug or alcohol treatment, childcare, transportation, and mental health services.

As part of the plan for support services, you must also propose a specific housing assistance strategy. You must describe in your application how participants will be rapidly re-housed and highlight the provisions that will be made for program participants to access emergency, temporary, transitional, and/or permanent housing through various community resources. Examples of these resources include, but are not limited to:

• The SSVF program, which rapidly rehouses homeless veterans and their families;

• The VA’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program, which funds emergency and transitional housing programs;

• Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA) food and shelter programs, which provides emergency food and shelter;

• HUD’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, which provides permanent housing for eligible homeless veterans;

• HUD CoC program, which coordinates housing for any homeless citizen and assists in locating other affordable housing alternatives and permanent supportive housing options; and

• Local and state housing authorities.

Please note that grant funds may be spent directly on housing assistance only for participants who meet the definition of recently incarcerated veterans in Attachment A. If you propose to use funds for housing assistance for incarcerated veterans, you must demonstrate in writing that you have exhausted other housing options offered by penal institutions, community based housing providers, or other housing assistance options before using grant funds. If an incarcerated veteran can obtain housing by any other means, such as through other federal or state programs, then grant funds cannot be used for such housing assistance.

The use of grant funds for IVTP housing assistance is limited to 90 days and the amount of assistance must meet the test of rent reasonableness. To meet this test and to be able to pay a landlord up to 90 days of reasonable rent, you must secure at least three (3) samples of rent for housing units located in the specific community and zip code of the desired housing that meets the needs of the eligible recently incarcerated veteran. You may not provide housing funds directly to project participants. For all other participants, you cannot spend any grant funds on housing.

Applicants will provide letters of support to demonstrate an established or planned relationship with specific resources or services cited. Letters of support will indicate who the partner is, the expected impact of the support, and when and how the support will be provided.

There are two required letters of support (see Section III.1.):

• SWA or local AJC; and

• HUD CoC

4. Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity

You must describe in your application how your organization will manage the operational, administrative, programmatic, and financial reporting requirements specified within this announcement. Demonstrate how you will properly manage federal funds through fiscal and administrative controls. You must describe staff skills, experience, history, knowledge, qualifications, capabilities, and office locations, as well as provide an organizational chart for staff funded by the grant. The description must include evidence to demonstrate: the organization’s capacity to carry out the proposed project; the organization’s ability to sustain the project once federal funding ceases; and the sufficiency of qualifications and experience of personnel to fulfill the needs and requirements of the proposed project.

You must also address your capacity for timely implementation of the program, programmatic reporting, and participant tracking, which should also include follow-up services to capture and report post-program outcomes. Follow-up tracking services for each participant begins the first quarter after the quarter of exit and ends the fourth quarter after the quarter of exit. Applicants must describe all associated costs for obtaining and retaining participant information that is pertinent to the follow-up tracking services, including any costs of using State Unemployment Insurance data to substantiate an applicant’s follow-up tracking results, if applicable.

For each PY 2019 award made under this solicitation, the grant recipient will be responsible for: 1) tracking and reporting post-program outcomes during the 12-month grant period of performance, and 2) tracking and reporting post-program outcomes for up to 12-months after exit for a prior year’s grant award. The collection and reporting of post-program outcome data is discussed in more detail in the Technical Assistance Guide located at: https://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/hvrp/VETS-700-Series-TAG-2017.pdf (TPR).

You must fully describe how the proposed program can or will outlast the federal funding being provided under this grant. You must describe in your application a diverse funding base or illustrate an organizational strategic plan that will lead to the attainment of financial resources beyond those secured through this Announcement.

5. Past Performance – Programmatic Capability

If you have previously operated HVRP, HFVVWF, and/or IVTP program(s), then you must include the planned and actual performance outcomes from the most recent completed program year.

If you have not received a HVRP grant award in the past but have experience operating a comparable program, please submit a list of no more than three such agreements. For each agreement, please describe and document past accomplishments achieved against expected outcomes while operating the comparable program. This narrative must include actual performance goals and outcomes. Explain how your experience operating a comparable program prepared you to undertake the complexities of operating the proposed project. Describe how long the comparable program has been in operation.

6. Opportunity Zone – Priority Consideration Bonus Points

Opportunity Zones are economically-distressed communities designated under the authority of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (Public Law 115-97, enacted December 22, 2017). There are over 8700 of these highest poverty communities across the country. Applicants that propose services that include one of these Opportunity Zones will receive priority consideration of two (2) bonus points.

The proposed service delivery area must include a qualified Opportunity Zone as designated by the Secretary of Treasury. Applicants must clearly state in the abstract if their proposed service delivery area is included in a qualified Opportunity Zone. The list of designated Opportunity Zones can be found at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx.

2. Attachments to the Project Narrative

In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled as attachments. We will only exclude those attachments (required and requested attachments) listed below from the page limit. The Budget and Budget Justification do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

You must not include additional materials. 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 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). You may use an underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) to separate words in a file name.

Required Attachments: Please note that if your application does not contain all of the required attachments, it will be considered as non-responsive and will not move forward through the merit review process.

1. Abstract: You must submit a one-page overview.

The one-page overview must summarize the scope of the project and proposed activities. Applicants that propose services in a qualified Opportunity Zone must clearly state so in the one-page overview. This overview is part of the abstract and will not count against the overall page limit of the Project Narrative. When submitting in Grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled Abstract.

2. Required letters of support from:

• SWA or local AJC and

• HUD CoC

3. Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart: A completed Competitive Grants Planned Goals Chart, see Attachment B. Attachment B must be submitted as an Excel file.

Requested Attachments:

We request the following attachments. Omission of these specific attachments will not cause us to disqualify the application; however, as discussed below, the omission of certain attachments may impact scoring under certain circumstances.

1. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement: If you are requesting indirect costs based on a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by your Federal Cognizant Agency, please attach the most recently approved Agreement, and a copy of the approved cost allocation plan. For more information, see Section IV.B.2. and Section IV.F.1. The omission of this attachment does not impact the scoring of the application.

2. Organizational Chart and Qualifications: You must provide an organizational chart and staff qualifications for staff funded by this proposal. Staff qualifications may be shown through résumés or job descriptions for proposed staff. The omission of this attachment(s) will impact the scoring of the application.

3. Previous TPR and Planned Goals Chart: For applicants who previously operated a HVRP program, you must submit your last or most recently completed program year’s TPR and Planned Goals Chart as attachments. The omission of these attachments will impact the scoring of the application.

4. Prior Award Information: For applicants who have not previously operated a HVRP program, you must submit a list of no more than three agreements as described in Section IV.B.3.e. as an attachment. The omission of this attachment will impact the scoring of the application.

3. Submission Date, Time, Process and Address

We must receive your application by [insert date XX days after the date of publication on Grants.gov]. You must submit your application either electronically on https://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or in hard copy by hand delivery (including overnight delivery) no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application before the closing date to minimize the risk of untimely receipt of the application. We will not review applications received after 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We will not accept applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX).

1. Hardcopy Submission

All applications submitted in hardcopy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery) submissions must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time. Applicants submitting applications in hard copy by mail or hand delivery must submit a ‘‘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 must also include in the hard copy submission an identical electronic copy of the application on compact disc (CD) or flash drive. If we identify discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD/flash drive copy, we will consider the application on the CD/flash drive as the official submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hardcopy and CD/flash drive format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.

If an application is physically submitted by both hard copy and through https://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 https://www.grants.gov.

We will grant no exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice. Further, we will not accept documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, as part of the application.

Address mailed applications to the:

U.S. Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration

Office of Grants Management

Attention: Kia Mason, Grant Officer

Reference: FOA-VETS-19-01

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716

Washington, DC 20210

Please note that mail decontamination procedures may delay mail delivery in the Washington, DC area. We will receive hand-delivered applications at the above address at the 3^rd Street Visitor Entrance. 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.

2. Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

Applicants submitting applications through Grants.gov must ensure successful submission no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Grants.gov will subsequently validate the application.

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. Note that validation does not mean that your application has been accepted as complete or has been accepted for review by the agency. Rather, grants.gov only verifies the submission of certain parts of an application.

a. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

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.

Applicants must follow the online instructions for registration at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html. We recommend that you 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.

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 Agency Organizational Representative (AOR). When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of your organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.

b. How to Submit an Application to DOL via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. For a complete workspace overview, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html

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. Grants.gov will send the applicant AOR an email acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) with the successful transmission of the application, serving as proof of their timely submission. The applicant will receive two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system.

• The first email will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov.

• The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors.

Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s registration in SAM is expired. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and later successfully validated will be considered. It is your sole responsibility to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated. Therefore, enough time should be allotted for submission (24-48 hours) 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, DOL will not consider the application.

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 https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html.

We encourage new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through WorkforceGPS at: https://strategies.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/08/11/16/32/applying-for-eta-competitive-grants-a-web-based-toolkit-for-prospective-applicants-438?p=1.

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 https://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 Grants.gov Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it is closed on Federal holidays. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number.

Late Applications

For applications submitted on Grants.gov, we will consider only applications successfully submitted no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated. You take a significant risk by waiting until the last day to submit through Grants.gov.

We will not consider any hard copy application that is received after the exact date and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice, unless we receive it 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 a professional overnight delivery service to the addressee no 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.

3. Intergovernmental Review

This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

4. 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 and at 2 CFR Part 2900 (Uniform Guidance-DOL specific). 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 percent of salaries and wages to support indirect costs. Within 90 days of award, you are required to submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal or CAP to your Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional indirect cost rate. (See Section IV.B.4. for more information on NICRA submission requirements.)

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

2. Intellectual Property Rights

Pursuant to 2 CFR 2900.13, to ensure that the federal investment of DOL funds has as broad of an impact as possible, and to encourage innovation in the development of new learning materials, the grantee will be required to license to the public all work created with the support of the grant under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY) license. Work that must be licensed under the CC BY includes both new content created with the grant funds and modifications made to pre-existing, grantee-owned content using grant funds.

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 grantee. Notice of the license shall be affixed to the work. For general information on CC BY, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

Instructions for marking your work with CC BY can be found at http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Marking_your_work_with_a_CC_license.

Questions about CC BY as it applies to this specific funding opportunity should be submitted to the ETA Grants Management Specialist specified in Section VII.

Only work that is developed by the recipient in whole or in part with grants funds is required to be licensed under the CC BY license. Pre-existing copyrighted materials licensed to, or purchased by the grantee from third parties, including modifications of such materials remain subject to the intellectual property rights the grantee receives under the terms of the particular license or purchase. In addition, works created by the grantee without grant funds do not fall under the CC BY license requirement.

The purpose of the CC BY licensing requirement is to ensure that materials developed with funds provided by these grants result in work that can be freely reused and improved by others. When purchasing or licensing consumable or reusable materials, the grantee is expected to respect all applicable Federal laws and regulations, including those pertaining to the copyright and accessibility provisions of the Federal Rehabilitation Act.

Separate from the CC BY license to the public, the Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for the following Federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a sub award or contract under the grant or sub award; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the recipient, sub recipient or a contractor purchases ownership under an award (including, but not limited to, curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically, or otherwise. The grantee may not use Federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where DOL 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, DOL treats such revenues as program income. Such program income is added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.

If applicable, the following must be on any products developed, in whole or in part, with grant funds:

“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The U.S. Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.”

3. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages

HVRP grant funds may only be used for participant wages in the following manner: Job training wage subsidies are limited to OJT, subsidized apprenticeships, and/or transitional jobs (TJ) strategies in which the participant is in job training and the employer expects to hire the participant at the end of the job training. Funds may be used to pay job training wages for up to 90 days as established by HUD at, http://www.universallivingwage.org/wagecalculator.html for up to 20 hours per week. In order to use HVRP funds for OJT, subsidized apprenticeships and/or TJ wages, you must demonstrate the participant’s need for subsidizing job training wages and develop an agreement with the employer that stipulates the terms of the subsidy, duration of the job training, and expected outcome. The agreement must stipulate that HVRP funds will reimburse the employer for the agreed-upon earnings to be subsidized. Subsidized job training is not a job placement.

5. Other Submission Requirements

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

5. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

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

Criterion	Points (maximum)
Statement of Need (See Section IV.B.3.a Statement of Need)	19
Expected Outcomes (See Section IV.B.3.b Expected Outcomes)	14
Project Design (See Section IV.B.3.c Project Design)	43
Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (See Section IV.B.3.d Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity)	6
Past Performance – Programmatic Capability (See Section IV.B.3.e Past Performance – Programmatic Capability)	12
Budget and Budget Narrative (See Section IV.B.2 Project Budget)	6
TOTAL	100
Opportunity Zone – Priority Consideration Bonus Points	2
	102

1. Statement of Need (up to 19 points)

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based on the requirements in section IV.B.3.a Statement of Need.

NEED	EVIDENCE
Award up to 9 points if the application identifies the service delivery area and the need for the project in the proposed service delivery area. What is the need and does the application clearly describe the need?	Award up to 10 points if the application provides evidence to support the need in the proposed deliver area.

2. Expected Outcomes (up to 14 points, 2 for each critical performance indicator)

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based the requirements in Section IV.B.3.b Expected Outcomes. (14 points, 2 for each performance indicator)

Performance Indicator	0 Points	1 Point	2 Points
	Low	Medium	High
Number of Enrollments (a maximum of 2 points)	The proposed goal is unrealistic and/or not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is realistic and challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.
Placement Rate for all Exiters (a maximum of 2 points)
Average Hourly Wage at Placement (a maximum of 2 points)
Placement Rate for the Chronically Homeless10 (a maximum of 2 points)
Percentage of Program Paricipants who are in Unsubsidized Employment in the Second Quarter after Exit from the Program (a maximum of 2 points)	The proposed goal is unrealistic and/or not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is realistic and challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.
Percentage of Program Paricipants who are in Unsubsidized Employment in the Fourth Quarter after Exit from the Program (a maximum of 2 points)	The proposed goal is unrealistic and/or not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is realistic and challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.
Median Earnings of Program Participants who are in Unsubsidized Employment in the Second Quarter after Exit from the Program. (a maximum of 2 points)	The proposed goal is unrealistic and/or not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is not challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.	The proposed goal is realistic and challenging when considering the population to be served and labor market conditions.

3. Project Design (up to 43 points)

1. Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement - Panelists will evaluate this criterion based on the requirements in Section IV.B.3.c.i Project Design. (7 points)

STRATEGY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 3 points if the application demonstrates a clear outreach, recruitment, and engagement strategy.	Award up to 4 points if the application provides reasons to support why the outreach, recruitment, and engagement strategy will work or the applicant provides its experience showing the strategy yielded positive results.

2. Intake and Assessment - Panelists will evaluate this criterion based on the requirements in Section IV.B.3.c.ii Project Design. (6 points)

STRATEGY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 3 points if the application demonstrates a clear intake and assessment process in reintegrating participants into the workforce.	Award up to 3 points if the application provides reasons to support the intake and assessment process or the applicant provides its experience showing the strategy yielded promising results in the past.

3. Employment and Job Training - Panelists will evaluate this criterion based on the requirements in Section IV.B.3.c.iii Project Design. (19 points)

STRATEGY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 9 points if the applicant demonstrates an effective employment and job training strategy that will be made available to participants to help them obtain and retain meaningful employment.	Award up to 10 points if the applicant provides reasons that employment and job training can be executed and will work. Does the applicant have experience showing the proposed strategy yielded promising results in the past?

4. Linkages and Support Services - Panelists will evaluate this criterion based on the requirements in Section IV.B.3.c.iv Project Design. (11 points)

STRATEGY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 5 points if the applicant demonstrates an effective network of support services that enable the applicant to successfully provide employment and job training services to participants.	Award up to 6 points if applicant provides reasons why the identified network of support services will work, providing examples of promising results.

4. Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (up to 6 points)

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based upon the requirements in Section IV.B.3.d Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity.

STRATEGY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 3 points if the applicant clearly demonstrate organizational, administrative, and fiscal capacity to carry out the proposed project.	Award up to 3 points if the applicant provides evidence supporting the organizational, administrative and fiscal capacity to carry out the proposed project.

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

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based upon the requirements in Section IV.B.3.e Past Performance – Programmatic Capability.

Applicants who have previously operated a HVRP, HFVVWF, or IVTP grant. DOL will assign up to four points for each planned value that was met for 1) the number of participants enrolled, 2) the placement rate for all exiters, and 3) the average hourly wage for all participants employed through the program. Points will be awarded on a sliding scale based on the degree the grantee achieved over 85 percent. The scale is identified below.

Less than 85 percent	0 points
85 percent – 90 percent	2 points
90.1 percent – 95 percent	3 points
95.1 percent – 100 percent	4 points

Number of Enrollments	Placement Rate for all exiters	Average Hourly Wage at Placement
Award up to 4 points according to the chart above.	Award up to 4 points according to the chart above. ---------- Placement rate is calculated by dividing the total number of persons employed at the time of exit (i.e., left or discontinued program services with no future services planned) by the total number of exiters in the reporting period served by the former grant or contract.	Award up to 4 points according to the chart above. ---------- The average hourly wage at placement is calculated by dividing the sum total of hourly wages at placement for all employed participants served by the former grant or contract by the total number of participants reported as placed in employment.

OR

Applicants who have NOT operated an HVRP, HFVVWF, or IVTP grant.

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based upon the requirements in Section IV.B.3.e Past Performance – Programmatic Capability.

CAPABILITY	EVIDENCE
Award up to 6 points if the program’s goals clearly relates to reintegration of homeless veterans back into the labor force. The performance must demonstrate the organization’s capability in obtaining successful performance outcomes for homeless veterans.	Award up to 6 points if the application cites sufficient reasons why the organization’s past performance in operating homeless veteran projects of similar complexity will result in the reintegration of homeless veterans back into the labor force. Performance goals and outcomes must be included.

6. Budget and Budget Narrative (up to 6 points)

Panelists will evaluate this criterion based upon the requirements in Section IV.B.2 Project Budget.

COSTS	KEY PERSONNEL
Award up to 4 points if the budget and narrative demonstrates a clear description of costs.	Award up to 2 points if the key personnel time and costs descriptions demonstrate the practicality of the application.

7. Consideration for Opportunity Zone (2 bonus points)

Opportunity Zone

Applicants will receive two (2) consideration bonus points if the proposed service delivery area is included in an Opportunity Zone.

Opportunity Zone – Priority Consideration Bonus Points

(2 bonus points)

Applicants will receive 2 consideration bonus points if their proposed service delivery area is included in a qualified Opportunity Zone. Applicants must state in their abstract if their proposed service delivery area is included in a qualified Opportunity Zone as designated by the Secretary of Treasury. Opportunity Zones can be found at: https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx.

2. Review and Selection Process

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

A technical merit review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria to determine the merit of applications. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this FOA. Up to 100 points may be awarded to an applicant, depending on the quality of the responses provided. The final scores (which may include the mathematical normalization of review panels) will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer.

The Grant Officer reserves the right to make selections based solely on the final scores or to take into consideration other relevant factors when applicable. Such factors may include the geographic distribution of funds and/or other relevant factors. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to his/her attention.

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

2. Risk Review Process

Prior to making an award, ETA will review information available through various sources, including its own records and 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, ETA will comply with the requirements of 2 CFR Part 180 codified by DOL at 29 CFR Part 98 [Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement)]. This risk evaluation may incorporate results of the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility (application screening) or the quality of its application (merit review). If ETA determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the award. Criteria to be evaluated include:

(1) Financial stability;

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

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

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

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

NOTE: As part of the Employment and Training Administration’s Risk Review process, The Grant Officer will determine:

• If the applicant had any restriction on spending for any VETS grant due to adverse monitoring findings; or 

• If the applicant received a High Risk determination in accordance with Veterans’ Program Letter (VPL) 07-18, 02-17, or other subsequent VPL.

6. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

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

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

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

1. Administrative Program Requirements

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

1. Non-Profit Organizations, Educational Institutions, For-profit entities and State, Local and Indian Tribal Governments – 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards) and 2 CFR 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR Part 200).

2. 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).

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

6. 29 CFR Part 35— Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.

7. 29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.

8. 29 CFR Part 38 – Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

9. 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.

10. Standard Grant Terms and Conditions of Award—see the following link: https://www.doleta.gov/grants/pdf/18StandTermsConds.pdf.

2. Other Legal Requirements:

1. Religious Activities

The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. Section 2000bb, applies to all Federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive Federal financial assistance under this grant solicitation and maintain that hiring practice. If a faith-based organization is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with more information.

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

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

3. Transparency Act Requirements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

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

By submitting a grant application, you agree to take all necessary steps to protect such confidentiality by complying with the following provisions that are applicable in governing their handling of confidential information:

1. You must ensure that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained, or otherwise associated with 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. You must not e-mail unencrypted sensitive PII to any entity, including ETA or contractors.

3. You must take the steps necessary to ensure the privacy of all PII obtained from participants and/or other individuals and to protect such information from unauthorized disclosure. You must maintain such PII in accordance with the ETA standards for information security described in TEGL NO. 39-11 and any updates to such standards we provide to you. Grantees who wish to obtain more information on data security should contact their GOTR.

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

5. You further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through your 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. Your employees and other personnel who will have access to sensitive/confidential/proprietary/private data must be advised of the confidential nature of the information, the safeguards required to protect the information, and that there are civil and criminal sanctions for noncompliance with such safeguards that are contained in Federal and state laws.

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

8. You must not extract information from data supplied by 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 VETS must not be disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor, except as permitted by the Grant Officer or by court order.

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

13. You must retain data received from 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, you agree that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.

5. Record Retention

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

6. Use of Contracts and Sub awards

You must abide by the following definitions of contract, contractor, sub-award, and sub-recipient:

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 sub recipient) purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a Federal award. The term as used in this FOA does not include a legal instrument, even if the non-Federal entity considers it a contract, when the substance of the transaction meets the definition of a Federal award or sub award (see definition of Sub award below).

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

Sub-award: Sub-award means an award provided by a pass-through entity (defined as a non-Federal entity that provides a sub award to a sub recipient to carry out part of a Federal program) to a sub-recipient for the sub-recipient 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 who is a beneficiary of a Federal program. A sub-award may be provided through any form of legal agreement, including an agreement that the pass-through entity considers a contract.

Sub-recipient: Sub-recipient means a non-Federal entity that receives a sub award 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 sub-recipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards that come directly from a Federal awarding agency.

You must follow the provisions at 2 CFR 200.330-.332 regarding sub recipient monitoring and management. Also see 2 CFR 200.308(c)(6) regarding prior approval requirements for sub-awards. When awarding sub awards, you 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.

7. 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 of the grant. Information about this process may be found in the Grant Closeout FAQ located at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/docs/GCFAQ.pdf.

Grantees receive a closeout packet, which includes required closeout documents. The grantee then has ninety days to complete all required closeout documents, including the closeout financial report. All special conditions of award that have not been addressed by the grantee must be resolved prior to closeout.

3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions

Except as specifically provided in this FOA, our acceptance of an application and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Uniform Guidance requires that an entity’s procurement procedures ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide full and open competition. If an application identifies a specific entity to provide goods or services, the award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the procurement, i.e., avoid competition.

4. Special Program Requirements

1. DOL Evaluation

Special Program Requirements – DOL will conduct an evaluation of HVRP, and a condition of receiving a grant award is that the grantee will be required to participate in and cooperate with the DOL program evaluation if the program is selected to be included in the DOL evaluation. The evaluation will also include an impact and/or outcomes analysis within or across grantees.  Conducting an impact analysis could involve random assignment of eligible participants into a treatment group (which would receive program services or enhanced program services) or control group(s) (that would receive no program services or un-enhanced program services).  All grantees will be required to maintain participant records that include personally identifiable information (PII) (name, date of birth, social security number) and other services information needed for performance reporting. However, while grantees are required to request participants’ SSNs, participants cannot be denied services if they choose not to disclose. Under the direction of DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office, DOL’s independent evaluator will coordinate with grantees included in the evaluation to obtain the necessary information in a secure manner to protect personally identifiable information. Participation in the evaluation of performance of DOL grants and cooperation of the recipient is a required condition of award. The grantee agrees to make individual records on participants, including PII, and funding available to the evaluator(s) under our direction, as well as to provide access to program operating personnel and participants, as specified by the evaluator(s) under our direction, including after the expiration date of the grant. This evaluation will use program management information system data, local administrative data, and program progress reports. The grantee must keep this information up to date and accurate.

2. National Veterans’ Technical Assistance Center

VETS funds the National Veterans’ Technical Assistance Center (NVTAC). NVTAC, www.NVTAC.org provides training and technical assistance on veterans’ homelessness issues to grantees, employers, veteran service organizations, agency partners. HVRP grantees are expected to participate in NVTAC training and technical assistance activities during the course of their grant award. Grantees may request training and technical assistance based on their needs. There is no cost to HVRP grantees for NVTAC services.

3. Stand Down Events

Your project is responsible for participating in Stand Down (SD) events. A Stand Down is an event held in a locality for one or more days, where services are provided to veterans experiencing homelessness. These services may include hygiene kits, meals, clothing, employment services, and medical attention. These events are organized within a community and brings service providers together such as the VA, HUD, the local Continuum of Care, Disabled Veterans’ Outreach Program (DVOP) specialists from the State Workforce Agencies, veteran service organizations, civic leaders, and a variety of other interested persons, groups, and other support organizations. Many services are provided onsite with referrals for continued assistance after the SD event. These events often serve as the catalyst that enables homeless veterans to get back into mainstream society.

SD activities are funded through a separate VETS Stand Down application. Go to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=299798 for access to detailed information on applying for a SD grant award.

3. Performance Goals

Applicants will be held to submitted planned performance goals for the entirety of the grant year. Failure to meet those goals may result in technical assistance, or intervention by VETS. Inability to achieve planned performance goals may have a significant impact on decisions about option year awards. For details on planned performance goals, see Section IV 3. of this Announcement.

3. Reporting

You must meet DOL reporting requirements. Specifically, you must submit the reports and documents listed below to DOL electronically:

1. Quarterly Financial Reports

After receiving a grant award, the grantee must complete a Federal Financial Report (SF-425) no later than 30 days after the end of each Federal fiscal quarter (due October 30, January 30, April 30, and July 30). Applicants that receive an award must communicate with the Director for Veterans’ Employment and Training (DVET) in your state for assistance when completing this requirement. See the following link for a directory of VETS state directors, https://www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/regionaloffices/map.htm.

2. Quarterly Performance Reports

The progress reports required for grants awarded under this solicitation are the Technical Performance Report (TPR), the Technical Performance Narrative (TPN). You must submit quarterly progress reports within 30 days after the end of each calendar year quarter.

3. Closeout Report

All HVRP grants must be closed out at the end of the performance period.

Grantees will receive a closeout packet, which includes required closeout documents. The grantee then has ninety days to complete all required closeout documents, including the closeout financial report. All special conditions of award that have not been addressed by the grantee must be resolved prior to closeout. See 2 CFR §200.343 for additional guidance on closeout of federal awards.

7. Agency Contacts

For further information about this FOA, please contact Kia Mason, Grant Officer, Office of Grants Management, at (202) 693-2606. Applicants should email all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference FOA-VETS-19-01. Include a contact name, email address, fax, and phone number. This announcement is available at Grants.gov.

8. Other Information

A. Web-Based Resources

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

B. Industry Competency Models

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

C. WorkforceGPS Resources

We encourage you to view the information gathered through the conference calls with Federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners. The information on resources identified can be found on WorkforceGPS at: https://www.workforcegps.org/.

We encourage you to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through WorkforceGPS at: https://strategies.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/08/11/16/32/applying-for-eta-competitive-grants-a-web-based-toolkit-for-prospective-applicants-438?p=1

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

We created a technical assistance portal at https://www.workforcegps.org/resources/browse?id=b8dd0aa1ecfb4b2282d6cd30c7248790 that contains online training and resources for fiscal and administrative issues. Online trainings available include, but are not limited to, Introduction to Grant Applications and Forms, Indirect Costs, Cost Principles, and Accrual Accounting.

D. SkillsCommons Resources

SkillsCommons (https://www.skillscommons.org) offers an online library of curriculum and related training resources to obtain industry-recognized credentials in manufacturing, IT, healthcare, energy, and other industries. The website contains thousands of Open Educational Resources (OER) for job-driven workforce development that were produced by grantees funded through the US Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) program. Community colleges and other training providers across the nation can reuse, revise, redistribute, and reorganize the OER on SkillsCommons for institutional, industry, and individual use.

E. Apprenticeship

To view apprenticeship resources for career seekers, employers, and educators, visit www.apprenticeship.gov and https://doleta.gov/oa/veterans.cfm.

F. Resources for Serving Homeless Veterans

U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), www.USICH.org, leads national efforts to prevent and end homelessness in America. They drive action among the 19 federal member agencies that comprise the Council and foster the efficient use of resources in support of best practices at every level of government and with the private sector.

The National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/nchav/index.asp, promotes recovery-oriented care for veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness.

National Alliance to End Homelessness, https://endhomelessness.org/, an organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, http://www.nchv.org/, a resource and technical assistance center for a national network of community-based service providers.

9. OMB Information Collection

OMB Information Collection No 1225-0086, Expires May 31, 2019.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, DC 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected].

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR GRANT APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. ONLY SEND COMMENTS ABOUT THE BURDEN CAUSED BY THE COLLECTION OF INFORMATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND YOUR GRANT APPLICATION TO THE SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED EARLIER IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. DOL will use the information collected through this “Funding Opportunity Announcement” to ensure that grants are awarded to the applicants best suited to perform the functions of the grant. This information is required to be considered for this grant.

Signed XXXXX, in Washington, D.C. by:

Kia Mason

Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration

1 A chronically homeless person is an individual who has been continuously homeless for one (1) year or more or has experienced at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the last three (3) years with a combined length of time homeless of least 12 months. Please note this definition of chronically homeless differs from the definition used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the individual is not required to have a verified disability.

2 The 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress, Part 1, December 2018, https://www.hudexchange.info/resources/documents/2018-AHAR-Part-1.pdf

3 Homelessness in America: Focus on Veterans,

www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Homelessness_in_America._Focus_on_Veterans.pdf

4 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, July 2016. Homeless Evidence & Research Roundtable Series: Women Veterans and Homelessness, https://www.va.gov/HOMELESS/nchav/docs/HERS-Womens-Proceedings.pdf

5 U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (June 2015) Breaking the Cycle of Veteran Incarceration and Homelessness: Emerging Community Practices, https://www.usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/Justice_Involved_Veterans.pdf

6 The Continuum of Care (CoC) program is designed to promote communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness; provide funding for efforts by nonprofit providers, and state and local governments to quickly rehouse homeless individuals and families while minimizing the trauma and dislocation caused to homeless individuals, families, and communities…full definition in Attachment A

7 A chronically homeless person is an individual who has been continuously homeless for one (1) year or more or has experienced at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the last three (3) years with a combined length of time homeless of least 12 months. Please note this definition of chronically homeless differs from the definition used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the individual is not required to have a verified disability.

8 Used to determine the total enrollments for your project. It should not be confused with the average cost per placement. For example, if an urban area applicant proposed to spend $500,000 in its application, then the calculated enrollment result is 218 (500,000/2,290=218).

9 Stand Downs are typically one- to three-day events providing supplies and services to homeless veterans, such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings and benefits counseling.

10 A chronically homeless person is an individual who has been continuously homeless for one (1) year or more or has experienced at least four (4) episodes of homelessness in the last three (3) years with a combined length of time homeless of least 12 months. Please note this definition of chronically homeless differs from the definition used by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as the individual is not required to have a verified disability.

39 | Page