Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant Program

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $42,500,000 in grant funds authorized under the Department of Labor Appropriation Act, 2019 (Public Law 115-245) resulting in approximately 15-20 Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants.

The Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grant program’s purpose is to support the enrollment of youth (16-24 years, in-and-out of school) into new or existing Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAP), and ensure that wraparound services, such as childcare, transportation, and other support services that enable a participant’s participation in the program, are provided to improve youth apprentices’ prospects for success in the program.¹ Grants will be awarded to the lead organization of a youth apprenticeship partnership, which will serve as the applicant and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility of a resultant grant. Eligibility information, including required partnerships, is further outlined in Section III.

Through this grant program, the partnership will directly engage educational entities, including traditional, alternative, and non-traditional schools, as well as programs that serve out-of-school youth, school boards, workforce boards, employers, workforce partners, and other apprenticeship intermediaries, to develop comprehensive approaches to establishing new apprenticeship models for youth or expanding existing apprenticeship programs for youth.

Successful applicants must demonstrate strategies resulting in the design of new RAPs for youth that respond to labor market demands where there are unfilled jobs and unskilled workers. They must develop methods for promoting the models and assisting education stakeholders and employers of all sizes – particularly small- and medium-sized businesses – in adopting them.

Allowable activities under this grant include establishing or expanding existing RAPs for youth, pre-apprenticeship leading to a RAP, and wrap-around/supportive services that enable youth to participate and succeed in a pre-apprenticeship leading to a RAP or a RAP.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grants. The purpose of this grant program is to support the development of new or the expansion of existing RAPs for youth. This also includes quality pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to a RAP.²

In June 2017, the President issued an Executive Order on Expanding Apprenticeship in America, focusing on expanding apprenticeships to secondary and post-secondary institutions, and increasing youth participation.³ This grant program supports the President’s Executive Order and the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration’s goals to promote pre-apprenticeships, to develop a strong youth apprenticeship pipeline, and to expand access to youth apprenticeships. As a result, the grant will:

1) Increase awareness and adoption of the earn-and-learn apprenticeship model as a solution for experiential learning at the secondary educational level;

2) Increase parental, young adult, and employer awareness around the benefits of youth participation in RAPs, as well as their engagement in these models;

3) Develop and expand the number of RAP opportunities for youth, ensuring they meet RAP standards and pre-apprenticeship programs are of high quality and lead to RAP;

4) Increase academic and career-focused learning among youth, based on sound assessments, to increase employability in the labor force;

5) Promote increased alignment between state education and workforce systems through the development of policies that facilitate the transition from school to a RAP; and

6) Increase RAP opportunities for all youth, particularly underrepresented populations (including women, people of color, ex-offenders, persons with disabilities), youth with barriers to employment, and out-of-school youth.

There are approximately 7.0 million job openings right now in the United States, many of which require skilled labor.⁴ Expanding the apprenticeship model in the nation will help more individuals gain the skills necessary to fill these vacancies and help more employers find skilled workers more easily and quickly. Research suggests several factors that contribute to the current skills gap, including a lack of workers who have the specialized skills needed to fill many trade positions and a lack of applicants with the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills needed for many of today’s jobs.⁵ Other factors including an aging workforce and technology changes are also having an impact.

To address these skills gaps, the workplace is radically changing across all industries and employers are turning to apprenticeship as a workforce development solution. With a 94 percent retention rate and proven return on investment, companies of all sizes are creating apprenticeship programs to train students and adults for careers of today and tomorrow. Research has also shown the following benefits from Registered Apprenticeship for apprentices and employers:

For every dollar an employer spends on apprenticeship they get a return on investment of $1.47;⁶
Over their lifetime, an apprentice earns $300,000 more than peers who did not enter into a RAP;⁷ and
From DOL’s most recent fiscal year data, the average apprenticeship completer earns $70,000/annum in the year following completion of a RAP.⁸

There is also growing federal and state support for youth employment and training programs. For example, final rules for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) placed increased emphasis on improving youth access to employment in high-quality jobs and careers.^⁹ While traditional RAPs have served adults, there is growing emphasis among public workforce and education systems on developing RAPs for youth.^¹⁰ In FY 2018, more than 238,000 individuals nationwide entered the RAP system, with 47,485 participants being registered youth apprentices.^¹¹ In FY 2019, the number of youth participating in RAPs increased to 52,050. In FY 2019, the industry with the highest participation of youth was construction (37,641) followed by manufacturing (2,280), healthcare and social assistance (1,838), and education services (1,455).

Across the United States, states have enacted laws to advance youth employment by promoting the alignment of apprenticeships with education systems.¹² Further, there are efforts underway to align Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs within high schools with apprenticeship programs to prepare students to transition to college or enter the workforce job-ready. CTE teachers partner with high school apprenticeship coordinators, businesses, and community or technical colleges to ensure apprenticeship students attain the knowledge and skills needed for success in their chosen career cluster. By integrating classroom instruction and hands-on learning, both Registered Apprenticeships for youth and CTE can enhance a learner’s educational experience and better prepare them for future career success. Rather than isolating CTE as a separate educational strategy, an integrated approach to education and training can ensure that all learners have opportunities to succeed in a career.

State programs often designate apprenticeship coordinators at the local level – within the high schools or at their partnering community or technical colleges. Apprenticeship coordinators are closely connected with both students and participating businesses, ensuring all have the resources and support they need for success. These coordinators may also serve as conduits within the schools, monitoring instructional alignment and attainment of student outcomes. Successful programs promote open and frequent communication among partners, seek feedback (especially from business partners), and establish program accountability and goals against which progress is measured. One approach is to develop local or regional advisory bodies, comprised of representatives from business, schools, and other key partners.

As a critical step toward advancing high-quality RAPs in the United States, these funds will be awarded to the lead of a youth apprenticeship partnership that seeks to partner with business and industry to develop new RAPs or expand existing RAPs. Specifically, the funds will support training thousands of underrepresented youth for apprenticeships in new and non-traditional occupations or expanded apprenticeship programs.

Grant recipients may establish new RAPs for youth, create the training infrastructure or network necessary to deploy these programs, expand existing RAPs for youth, develop or expand pre-apprenticeship program pathways into RAPs, or promote all grant-funded RAPs for youth within a local/regional, statewide or national scope.

Grant funds must be used primarily to support the assessment, training, and development of youth apprentices in new or expanded RAPs. Allowable training and training-related activities include funding the costs of developing and delivering training through the educational or instructional components; paid, work-based learning components; and some supportive services, such as childcare and transportation, designed to assist youth to participate and remain in a RAP. The grants will also support the development of curriculum (both for on-the-job learning/training (OJL/OJT) and classroom training) that satisfy the requirements of a RAP, as well as the development of appropriate quality assurance and processes to ensure consistency and quality of apprenticeship.

RAPs funded and developed under this grant program must align with the below requirements:

Registered Apprenticeship Program¹³

RAPs are a proven model of job preparation, validated by DOL or a DOL-recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA), which combine paid OJL/OJT with related instruction (RI) to progressively increase workers’ skill levels and wages. RAPs are also a business-driven model that provide an effective way for employers to recruit, train, and retain highly skilled workers. RAPs allow workforce partners, educators, and employers to develop and apply industry standards to training programs, thereby increasing the quality of the workforce and workforce productivity. RAPs offer job seekers immediate employment opportunities that pay sustainable wages and offer advancement along a career path as they complete their training. Graduates of RAPs receive nationally recognized, portable credentials, and their training may be applied toward further post-secondary education.

RAPs are authorized through regulations issued under the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937 (29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.), which are located at 29 C.F.R. 29, Part A, and 30. The Office of Apprenticeship (OA), in conjunction with SAAs, registers programs for federal purposes, ensures that RAPs meet applicable federal and State laws and regulations covering RAPs, issues certificates of completion to apprentices, encourages the development of new programs through outreach and technical assistance, protects the safety and welfare of apprentices, and ensures equal employment opportunity for apprentices.

All RAPs consist of the following five core components:

Direct Business (Employer) Involvement. Employers are the foundation of all RAPs and are an essential component in every design of a RAP program. Employers must play an active role in developing and expanding RAPs and are most critical in delivering the OJL/OJT of the apprenticeship program.

Structured On-the-Job Learning/ Training. All RAPs include structured OJL/OJT in a RAP. Companies hire apprentices and provide hands-on training from an experienced professional. This training is developed by mapping the skills and knowledge the apprentice must learn over the course of the program to be fully proficient in the occupation. At a minimum, OJL/OJT for apprentices must last a year (for competency-based occupations) or 2000 hours (for time-based occupations).

Related Instruction (RI). Apprentices receive RI (sometimes referred to as related technical instruction) or classroom style training that complements the OJL/OJT. 29 CFR 29.2, Part A, defines “Related Instruction” as "an organized and systematic form of instruction designed to provide the apprentice with the knowledge of the theoretical and technical subjects related to the apprentice's occupation. Such instruction may be given in a classroom, through occupational or industrial courses, or by correspondence courses of equivalent value, electronic media, or other forms of self-study approved by the Registration Agency.” Federal regulations recommend a minimum of 144 hours of Related Instruction annually for apprentices. This instruction helps refine the technical and academic skills that apply to the job. An accredited training provider such as a community college, technical school or college, an apprenticeship training school, an online provider, the sponsor, or a combination of sources, may provide related instruction. This instruction can be provided at the school, online, or at the work site. It can also be front-loaded, where the related instruction occurs upfront and prior to the OJL/OJT, it can be simultaneously provided with the OJL/OJT (e.g., in the evenings or weekends), or it could be segmented or provided sporadically throughout the OJL/OJT. These different modalities highlight the flexibility inherent in this apprenticeship model in order to meet unique industry and youth apprentice needs.

Rewards for Skill Gains. Apprentices receive increases in pay as their skills and knowledge increase. Progressive wage increases motivate apprentices as they advance through training and become more productive and skilled at their job. Apprentices must receive at least one pay increase during the RAP.

National Occupational Credential. Every graduate of RAPs receives a nationally recognized credential, referred to as a Certificate of Completion, which is issued by the DOL or a federally recognized SAA. This portable credential signifies that the apprentice is qualified to perform in an occupation. Many RAPs (particularly in high-growth industries such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and transportation) also offer interim credentials as apprentices master a variety of skills as part of a career pathway. These interim credentials, based on specific measurable and technical skills, may also positively count towards the WIOA Credential Attainment Rate.

Quality Framework for Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

A pre-apprenticeship program is defined as a set of strategies designed to prepare individuals for entry into a RAP.¹⁴ Pre-apprenticeship programs differ from internships, job shadowing, externships, and co-ops, which may also offer individuals an opportunity to experience firsthand a profession or practice, but do not always engage in “real world” experiential learning.

For the purposes of this FOA, pre-apprenticeship programs must include the following five elements to be considered a quality pre-apprenticeship program:

Designed in Collaboration with RAP Sponsors. Quality pre-apprenticeship programs are designed by organizations with input from a RAP sponsor. A pre-apprenticeship program’s educational and pre-vocational services prepare individuals to meet the entry requisites of one or more RAPs. They have training goals to teach participants a defined set of skills required and agreed upon by the RAP sponsor for entry into their programs. The start date and length of specific pre-apprenticeship programs may vary. Ideally, pre-apprenticeship programs provide an industry-recognized credential and possibly stipends or wages.

Meaningful Hands-on Training that Does Not Displace Paid Employees. Quality pre-apprenticeship programs provide hands-on training to individuals in 1) a workplace, 2) simulated lab experience, or 3) work-based learning environment, and which also do not supplant a paid employee, while accurately simulating the industry and occupational conditions of the partnering RAPs, which includes observing proper supervision and safety protocols.

Facilitated Entry and/or Articulation. The purpose of a pre-apprenticeship program is to train individuals for entry into a RAP. A quality pre-apprenticeship program assists in exposing participants to local, state, and national apprenticeship programs and provides direct assistance to participants applying to those programs. When possible, formalized agreements exist with RAPs that enable individuals who have successfully completed the pre-apprenticeship program to enter directly into a RAP. These may also include articulation agreements that allow the individual to earn advanced credit/placement for skills and competencies already acquired.

Sustainability through Partnerships. To support the ongoing sustainability of a quality pre-apprenticeship partnership, such partnerships collaboratively promote the use of RAPs as a preferred means for employers to develop a skilled workforce and to create career opportunities and pathways for individuals.

Access to Appropriate Supportive Services. Quality pre-apprenticeship programs facilitate access to appropriate supportive servicesduring the program; these supportive services may continue after the participant leaves the pre-apprenticeship program and enters a RAP. Services may include counseling, transportation assistance, childcare, and rehabilitative services.

PROGRAM AUTHORITY

Funds awarded come from the authority provided in the Department’s Fiscal Year 2019 appropriation, which provided funds to “[e]xpand opportunities relating to apprenticeship programs registered under the National Apprenticeship Act… through grants, cooperative agreements, contracts and other arrangements, with States and other appropriate entities…” See Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019 (Public Law 115-245, Division B, Title I).

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

As discussed below, applicants must identify the geographic scope of the proposed project. Applicants may choose one of the following geographic scopes: local/regional, statewide, or national scope. The geographic scope is the physical service area in which awarded applicants will serve participants.

Local/regional means serving a part of one state or a contiguous area that includes multiple sites that may cross more than one state;
Statewide means serving an entire state or multiple non-contiguous sites within one state; and
National means serving multiple states in multiple locations across the country. The service area does not need to be contiguous.

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES/ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

The Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grant program will expand opportunities for youth in Registered Apprenticeships across a diverse group of industries, and increase the participation of employers and industry in developing opportunities for youth to enter apprenticeship. This includes RAPs, and quality pre-apprenticeship programs that lead to a RAP, during the grant period of performance. Applicants must design implementation strategies that comprise all of the following activities:

Establishing new RAPs for youth or expanding existing programs;
Registering the program and apprentices via OA or applicable SAAs;
Recruiting and enrolling youth into RAPs;
Creating the training infrastructure or network to deploy RAPs for youth;
Promoting alignment between state education and workforce systems through the development of or supporting policies that facilitate the transition from school, including alternative and non-traditional schools as well as programs that serve out-of-school youth, to RAP (at the regional, state, and local level), as applicable;
Developing or modifying training activities to meet the needs of youth apprentices;

Creating new national guidelines and/or local program standards for a new RAP;
Modifying and/or developing curricula to prepare youth for entry into a RAP, including the incorporation of quality pre-apprenticeship programs, as defined in Section I.A.2 of this FOA;
Conducting participant assessments to determine skill levels, aptitudes, abilities, interests, and competencies of apprentices;
RI: Grant funds may be used to support the RI (sometimes referred to as classroom training or related technical instruction) of a RAP. Allowable costs include (1) the development of courses at the secondary level that are integrated into the RAP and local and/or state educational standards; (2) apprentice tuition or other educational fees; and (3) the delivery of instruction requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors, etc.);
OJL/OJT: Grant funds may be used to reimburse employers for the extraordinary costs of OJL/OJT. The negotiated reimbursement percentage may not exceed 50 percent of the participant’s hourly wage (see Section IV.E.5);
Supportive Services: Supportive services for training participants may include transportation, childcare, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in education and training activities funded through this grant. Supportive services activities may include, but are not limited to, provision of the actual supportive service (i.e. childcare); providing participants with a voucher for the service (i.e. public transportation cards or tokens); or providing a stipend directly to the apprentice. Funding for supportive services may not exceed 20 percent of the funding level;
Pre-Apprenticeship Program Training: As applicable, grant funds may be used to support quality pre-apprenticeship programs and other strategies that can serve as on-ramps to RAP opportunities. Of note, these training efforts should lead youth into a recognized RAP that offers an industry-recognized credential, as outlined in Section I.A.2 Program Purpose;
Providing all grant recipient designated partners (e.g., education stakeholders, workforce boards, and employers) with technical assistance, advice, and support to help create RAP standards;
Increasing awareness of parents, educators, students and employer/sponsors in the targeted service area about the benefits of youth entering a RAP;
Facilitating industry-specific engagement and support to promote registration of apprenticeship programs with OA or the SAA;
Promoting innovation, inclusion, and alignment with CTE programs (if applicable to the program model) and post-secondary opportunities; and
Collecting data on the required program elements for tracking and reporting performance outcomes of enrolled apprentices.

The central goal of this grant program is to increase the number of youth enrolled in RAPs. While grant funds may be used to subsidize the training, education, and supportive service costs for apprentices enrolled in programs, the Department also encourages Youth Readiness Apprenticeship Program applicants to submit proposals that maximize the use of their resources and minimize the duplication of efforts through partnership building, system alignment, and leveraging of other federal and non-federal funding sources, such as co-enrolling participants with other youth programs.

The intent of co-enrollment is to meet the education, training and employment needs of program participants and provide as many participants as possible with comprehensive services that may not otherwise be available or allowable under an individual grant or funding source. As programs braid funds together to increase impact, they have the opportunity to show integration in the form of participant co-enrollment, including but not limited to co-enrollment in the WIOA Adult program, WIOA Youth program, YouthBuild, Job Corps, Adult Education, Career and Technical Education, and Vocational Rehabilitation.

To address inconsistency in the execution and development of RAPs for youth across the nation, this grant program will encourage consistency and uniformity in the development and promotion of quality RAPs for youth, including quality pre-apprenticeship programs (see Section I.A.2) that have a direct link to a RAP for youth. To support the ultimate goal of increasing employability among youth, this grant will support the use of stackable credentials in pre-apprenticeship programs and/or RAPs. Per ETA TEGL No. 15-10, a credential is considered “stackable” when it is part of a sequence of credentials that can be accumulated over time and move an individual along a career pathway or up a career ladder.¹⁵ The opportunity to earn credentials in less than two years is very attractive for youth and young adults who are at-risk, out-of-school, or have some other barrier to employment, as they provide an alternative to more lengthy and costly undergraduate degrees.¹⁶ Additionally, because youth may require additional preparatory training and wraparound services to participate in RAPs, this program encourages providing preparatory and wraparound services so that youth can participate and succeed in a RAP.

At a minimum, successful applications resulting in grant awards must:

Engage employers in developing and sustaining the RAP for youth;
Serve youth 16-24 years (in-school or out-of-school youth) who meet the minimum legal age to be employed as apprentices under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).^¹⁷ This includes youth enrolled in secondary education, including alternative and non-traditional schools as well as programs that serve out-of-school youth, post-secondary education, or technical training institutions;
Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations on child labor as stated in the FLSA (see Child Labor Bulletin 101) and also comply with state workers’ compensation laws;¹⁸
Register new apprenticeship programs with the federal or state registering agency to ensure the employer sponsor is in compliance with the agreements and standards, and that youth apprentices will earn a nationally-recognized apprenticeship credential;
Focus on industries that are growing and/or experiencing skills gaps, including new industries for RAPs such as healthcare, Information Technology, advanced manufacturing, transportation, and financial service;
Combine academic and career and technical education classroom instruction with work experience, allowing youth to develop industry specific workplace competencies, skills and knowledge;
Align academic and technical standards in secondary and postsecondary education, including 2- and 4-year institutions and technical colleges, CTE, and industry credentials/certifications;
Design the work portion of the program with flexibility to meet the needs of youth who may be in school or alternative education programming, or as part of a work-study program;
Design classroom instruction with flexibility to meet the needs of youth apprentices, such as frontloading before the on-the-job learning portion of the apprenticeship or occuring simultaneously while the student is working; and
Incorporate stackable credentials of value for multiple pathways, including entrance into community and technical colleges, universities, and sustainable employment.

AWARD INFORMATION
1. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

We expect availability of approximately $42.5 million to fund approximately 15 to 20 grants ranging from $1 million to $5 million each. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $5 million. Applicants should request funding that is commensurate with the scope and scale of the project proposed, as described below. 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.

To ensure that grant funds meet required targets, we have established goals for the minimum number of Registered Apprentices to be enrolled during the period of performance, based on the amount of funds requested by the applicant (see Figure 1 below). Applicants must clearly identify the proposed number of apprentices to be enrolled over the life of the grant, based on the minimum thresholds identified in table below, for which they are seeking funding. Applicants that fail to propose to serve the minimum number of apprentices required per the table below will be disqualified because their applications will be considered non-responsive. The minimum number of apprentices enrolled means those individuals who are in a RAP recognized by OA or applicable SAA.

Figure 1. Minimum Goal Examples for Registered Apprentices Enrolled During the Grant Period Based on Funding Request
Funding Request	Minimum Registered Apprentices Enrolled During Grant Period
$1,000,000 - 1,499,999	200
$1,500,000 - 1,999,999	300
$2,000,000 – 2,499,999	400
$2,500,000 – 2,999,999	500
$3,000,000 – 3,499,999	600
$3,500,000 – 3,999,999	700
$4,000,000 – 4,499,999	800
$4,500,000 – 5,000,000	900

The minimum goals, listed above in Figure 1, identify the minimum number of apprentices the project must enroll in RAP during the grant period based on the applicant’s requested funding amount. Applicants may request any funding amount between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 as long as the proposed minimum number of apprentices enrolled meets or exceeds the minimum required according to the above table. For example, an applicant requesting funding in the amount of $2,000,000 must propose to enroll no fewer than 400 apprentices, but may propose to enroll more than 400 apprentices. While pre-apprentices do not count toward the Minimum Number of Registered Apprentices Enrolled target, pre-apprenticeship that leads to a RAP is an allowable activity, and those who participate in pre-apprenticeship count toward overall participant numbers reported. Applicants should refer to Section IV.B.3.a.(2) Expected Outcomes and Outputs for more information on how they will be scored on the proposed targets. Grantees are expected to leverage resources up to 25 percent to increase opportunities for RAPs for youth; see Section IV.B.2.

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 48 months with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2020. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. These activities include developing and expanding RAPs, providing training to apprentices, and follow-up for tracking and reporting performance outcomes. We expect that hiring appropriate grant project personnel and undertaking start-up activities will begin immediately and that grant recipients will begin enrolling apprentices no later than nine months after the date of grant award. We strongly encourage applicants to develop their Youth Apprenticeship Readiness project work plans and timelines accordingly. Grant recipients must plan to fully expend grant funds during the period of performance.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Grants under this program will be awarded to a youth apprenticeship partnership of public and private sector entities. This Youth Apprenticeship Readiness partnership team must include both public and private sector entities as outlined below; otherwise, the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered or reviewed further. An entity cannot serve as more than one type of required partner for the purpose of meeting FOA requirements.

The requirements for the lead applicant are described in Section III.A.1. The requirements for additional required partners are described in Section III.A.2. Required Partner(s).

Grants will be awarded to the lead applicant of a youth apprenticeship partnership, which will serve as the grant recipient and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant.

Eligible Lead Applicant Entities

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

For the purposes of this FOA, eligible lead applicants for these grants are private non-profit, for-profit, or public agencies and include the following four types of entities:

Education and Training Providers

For the purposes of this FOA, education and training institutions include the following entitites:

Local and state education agencies (including high schools and school districts);¹⁹
Institutions of higher education (IHEs), as defined in Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 USC 1001(a)). This includes IHEs applying as the lead applicant representing a consortium of IHEs;
State college coordinating entities, such as a community college system office or a single state educational board; and
Community-based organizations that offer job training.

These organizations have a direct connection to the youth population and can provide educational programming for youth. These organizations may also provide leadership in developing, operating, and serving as program sponsors for RAPs. By the closing date of this FOA, eligible institutions must be accredited by a nationally recognized accrediting agency or association that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; grant recipients must maintain that accreditation throughout the entirety of the period-of-performance. A database of institutions that are accredited by bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Workforce Development System Entities

Organizations involved in administering the workforce development system established under WIOA (29 U.S.C. 3151), which are limited to State Workforce Development Boards, Local Workforce Development Boards, and Indian and Native American entities (as outlined in Section 166 of WIOA) (29 U.S.C. 3221).

These organizations have expertise in workforce development and may provide leadership in implementing the following types of activities: 1) understanding and analyzing the need for education and training in the local labor market and regional economy; 2) identifying targeted industries, occupations, regional clusters, hiring needs, and populations to be served; 3) providing relevant sources of data, including labor market information and other tools or reports; 4) assessing potential participants for the grant program; 5) identifying and referring candidates for education and training in the grant program; 6) providing additional supportive services; 7) connecting and placing participants with employers that have Registered Apprenticeships; and 8) collecting, tracking, and reporting participant data to ETA.

Organizations Functioning as Workforce and Industry Intermediaries

These include entities such as, labor-management organizations, community-based organizations, and industry associations, which help broker local, regional, and national workforce solutions. Among other things, they often help job seekers find jobs and employers find workers, convene employers and community partners to determine workforce trends, and may assist in leveraging funding and services to create more impactful workforce solutions.

State Agencies

This includes a State Educational Agency, State Workforce Agencies eligible for funding under Title I of the WIOA, or an SAA.

These agencies are well positioned to align the secondary education system with the workforce system in order to facilitate students moving from high school to Registered Apprenticeships. In addition, these agencies have the ability to develop or expand policies that can increase alignment between state education and workforce systems that facilitate the transition for in- and out-of-school youth to access Registered Apprenticeship opportunities.

Role of the Lead Applicant

Grants will be awarded to a lead applicant within the youth apprenticeship partnership, which will serve as the grant recipient and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant. Please note that all elements of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards) and 2 CFR Part 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR Part 200) apply to any entity that carries out a Federal award as a recipient or subrecipient, including for-profit organizations. This includes the monitoring and the examination of their records. In addition, the entity may not earn or keep any profit resulting from Federal financial assistance.

An eligible entity cannot serve as more than one type of required entity for the purpose of meeting the partnership requirements described below. The lead applicant must be the organization specified in Section 8 of the SF-424 Application Form, and will be:

The point of contact with the Department to receive and respond to all inquiries or communications under this FOA and any subsequent grant award;

The entity with authority to withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human Services - Payment Management System;
The entity responsible for submitting to the Department all deliverables under the grant, including all technical and financial reports related to the project, regardless of which partnership member performed the work;
The entity that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the grant agreement or statement of work;
The entity with overall responsibility for carrying out the programmatic functions of the grant, as well as for the stewardship of all expenditures under the grant;
The entity responsible for coordinating with the national evaluator (if there is a national evaluation of the program), including participating in a random assignment evaluation and other studies, if selected by DOL; and
The entity responsible for working with DOL to close out the grant.

Required Partners:

The lead applicant must also include the following organizations, in the quantity specified below, as required partners on the application if not the lead applicant:

A minimum of two employer partners, or an industry/trade associations that represents at least two employers;
Education or Training Provider (as described above in Section III.A.1.i) ;
The State Apprenticeship Agency (for states with a federally recognized SAA); and
An entity carrying out activities under WIOA, such as a local workforce development board (as described above in Section III.A.1.ii).

Optional Partners:

We strongly encourage applicants to collaborate with other partners that can support and advance the work of the youth apprenticeship partnership. These include, but are not limited to, organizations functioning as workforce intermediaries, labor-management organizations, community-based organizations, training providers, and service providers; other organizations to support outreach and training activities, such as: industry-led training organizations, industry intermediaries, unions, or educational organizations; Small Business Development Centers; American Job Centers; community organizations that provide social support and/or wrap-around services; YouthBuild programs; Job Corps centers; WIOA Youth programs; foundations and philanthropic organizations; and federally-funded youth-serving programs.

COST SHARING OR MATCHING

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Including such funds is not one of the application screening criteria and applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Instead, the agency considers any resources contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency as leveraged resources. We intend for this grant program to raise the visibility of the youth pipeline to RAPs as an effective and innovative secondary and post-secondary education and training pathway. These efforts will increase education and business stakeholder confidence in the model as one of primary solutions to train workers for current and future jobs. As a result, we expect that this infusion of additional public funds will increase the willingness of the education community and private sector to participate in and invest further in youth apprenticeships.

Applicants will be required to identify 25 percent of the total grant funds requested in leveraged resources. Please note that this will be a scoring factor for the application. Section IV.B.3. provides more information on leveraged resources.

OTHER INFORMATION
1. Application Screening Criteria

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

Application Requirement	Instructions	Complete?
The deadline submission requirements are met	Section IV.C
Eligibility (Applicants that fail to include all of the required partners as detailed in Section III.A.2 will not move forward through the merit review process.)	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 federal funds request is at least $1,000,000 and does not exceed the ceiling amount of $5,000,000 along with the minimum number enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships meets minimum threshold	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

Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

We will consider only one application from each organization as the lead applicant. However, eligible applicants may submit an application as the lead applicant, and serve as a partner in an application in which they do not serve as the lead applicant. If we receive multiple applications from the same organization, we will consider only the most recently received application that met the deadline. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, we will not replace it with an earlier application.

Eligible Participants

Participants Eligible to Receive Training

The intent of this FOA is to fund projects that provide education and training services to youth to help them pursue a RAP within the grant’s period of performance. For purposes of this program, eligible participants must be in-school or out-of-school youth (as defined in Section 129 of WIOA) between the ages of 16 to 24 at the time of program participation. Within this population of youth, applicants may serve a wide range of individuals, such as in-school and out-of-school youth, youth who are employed or unemployed, youth ex-offenders, underrepresented populations (i.e., women, people of color, ex-offenders, and persons with disabilities), and other youth with barriers to employment including foster youth, parenting youth, homeless youth, and youth offenders/ex-offenders.

Veterans’ Priority for Participants

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

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION
1. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.

CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

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

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

2. Project Budget, 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.

SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available 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 (available 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: https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.

Grant recipients authorized to make subawards must meet these requirements related to DUNS numbers:

Grant recipients must notify potential subawardees that no entity may receive a subaward unless the entity has provided its DUNS number; and
Grant recipients may not make a subaward to an entity unless the entity has provided its DUNS number.

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

Requirement for Registration with SAM

Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application. Find instructions for registering with SAM at https://www.sam.gov.

A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award. 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 use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

Project Budget

You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available 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. The Budget Narrative should also include a section describing any leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities. Leveraged resources are all resources, both cash and in-kind, in excess of this award. Applicants are encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself.

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.

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that 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 adjust 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 items, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere.

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.

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 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII(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 the definitions below 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/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination.

Note that the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative must include the entire federal grant amount requested (not just one year).

Do not show leveraged resources 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 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.

Project Narrative

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

The Project Narrative is limited to 20 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1-inch margins. 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 all of the information needed to complete the Project Narrative. Carefully read and consider each section, and include all 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.

Statement of Need (12 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on the extent to which the Statement of Need’s discussion of the following factors is clear, logical, and an accurate interpretation of labor market information (LMI). In the event of panel dispute, the accuracy of LMI interpretation will be determined by the Grant Officer in consultation with the program office. All data sources must include citations that provide information that enables the identification and verification of data.

Target Industry(ies) and Employer Demand (4 points)

Clear identification and complete explanation of the target industry(ies) or occupation(s) targeted by the proposed project. This includes a detailed and convincingly supported description of the current and future projected local, state, and regional demand for employment in the selected target industry and occupation. Applicants must cite the source for the projected demand, such as Bureau of Labor Statistics or other DOL sources, state workforce agency sources, employers, or other written labor market information provided by employers or other knowledgeable parties. Applicants must provide strong evidence with citations that identifies the average current wages offered for the selected industry and occupation, based on national, state, or local data. To the extent possible, data should reflect the service area proposed (local/regional, statewide, or national).

Current Registered Apprenticeship Landscape (4 points)

Applicants should include data on the industries, demographics, and communities intended to be served. Based on LMI that the applicant provides, the proposal should outline the approach to the two scenarios:

If there are RAPs in the service area, provide clear description of current apprenticeship opportunities and identify how the project will expand and build upon these existing RAPs. If there are few to no RAP opportunities in the geographic area, explain how the project will create new apprenticeship opportunities in the geographic area.

Populations Served (4 points)

Clear description of the specific youth population segment(s) to be served through the project, including demographic characteristics, skill levels, and a description of how the targeted population(s) to be served in the project will meet the requirements of this FOA as identified in Section III.B.3. Eligible Participants; (2 points) and
Clear description of how the project will increase access to youth with barriers to employment or underserved populations in RAP, including those populations listed under eligible participants. (2 points)

Expected Outcomes and Outputs (10 points)

Participant Outcomes and Outputs (6 points)

Applicants must clearly identify outcomes and outputs that the project will achieve as a direct result of the proposed project. Outcomes are measurable characteristics that directly result from the implementation of specific project design activities. Outputs are tangible products or services that result from the project.

Outcomes proposed must be consistent with the chart titled "Figure 1: Minimum Goal Examples for Registered Apprentices Enrolled During the Grant Period Based on Funding Request" in Section II.A. Applicants must provide a table that clearly identifies the outcomes and the outputs (listed directly below) that will result from the project. This table will include annual target outcomes that will be used for the purposes of technical assistance. In addition, applicants must describe in a narrative format how these outcomes and outputs align with their project goals.

The performance table must be submitted as a separate attachment and does not count against the page limit of the Project Narrative (see Section IV.B.4. Attachments to the Project Narrative, as well as Appendix A, Performance Outcome Measures Table).

Applicants must include comprehensive numerical outcome projections for each of the six outcome measures identified below and defined in Appendix A. Applicants must provide raw numbers for each of the target outcome measures; otherwise, they will not receive full points. Percentages, percent increases, or other types of data projections are not acceptable.

1) Total participants served. This includes all individuals who receive a grant-funded service including both youth who enter pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship;

2) Total participants who enroll in a RAP (please see minimum participant enrolled in Registered Apprenticeship thresholds in Section II.A.);

3) Total participants who complete a RAP;

4) Total participants who receive a degree or other type of credential during the period of performance;

5) Average hourly wage of apprentice at exit; and

6) Total participants in Post-Exit Training-Related Employment in the second quarter after exit.

Expanding Registered Apprenticeship Programs Outputs (4 points)

Applicants are required to provide feasible targets for the following performance metrics to track the efforts of developing new apprenticeship programs and/or expanding existing RAPs. These targets must be included in the performance table in Appendix A discussed above. Applicants must provide raw numbers for each of the target outcome measures; otherwise, they will not receive full points. Percentages, percent increases, or other types of data projections are not acceptable.

1) Total number of all newly created RAPs;

2) Total number of existing RAPs if applicable, that are expanded, (e.g., new industries, occupations or service areas, or increased number of apprentices registered); and

3) Total number of new employers engaged due to the grant (i.e., those employers that adopt apprenticeship programs as a result of your grant project).

Project Design (40 Points)

Youth Apprenticeship Partnership Design (12 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on how completely the application describes how the lead applicant has structured the youth apprenticeship partnership to effectively meet the goals outlined in the funding opportunity.

Documentation of the active roles of all required and additional partners identified in Section III.A.2 and 3., Youth Apprenticeship Partnership. This includes a thorough and clear description of the capacity and role of each partner’s involvement, including in expanding an existing apprenticeship program on a local/regional, statewide, or national scale, deploying a new apprenticeship program, and/or providing outreach and recruitment services, training activities, supportive services, and other services. Such documentation must be included in the form of attached partnership agreements, letters on the partner letterhead outlining partnership commitment signed by an officer of the entity, or other documentation (as described in Sections IV.B.4. Attachments to the Project Narrative). Failure to provide documentation for each required partner and each additional partner identified in Section III.A.3., Youth Apprenticeship Partnership, will cause the applicant to receive zero points for this rating factor; and (8 points)
Clear and convincing explanation and evidence, with appropriate citations, that the employer partner(s) represent(s) a presence in the service area and how the entity(ies) will be involved in the project, including its specific role(s) in the activities proposed in Section IV.B.3. Project Narrative. (4 points)

Developing and Expanding Apprenticeship Opportunities for Youth (6 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on how fully the application describes how the lead applicant will directly engage required partners and, if applicable, additional partners per Section III.A Eligible Applicants to develop and expand RAPs for youth. These strategies should align with and respond to employer hiring needs.

Thorough description of comprehensive approaches to establishing new apprenticeship models or expanding existing apprenticeship programs on a local/regional, statewide, or national scale (see Section I.3., Geographic Scope). This must include a clear identification of the proposed service area, such as economic region(s), cities, counties, and states, where new or existing apprenticeship programs will be deployed; (2 points)
Clear and complete explanation of the OJL/OJT portion of the project, including the partner(s) responsible for providing the OJL/OJT; how the lead applicant and partner(s) will directly engage with the OA or SAA staff to ensure it meets the applicable Registered Apprenticeship standards; and demonstration that the employer has the capacity to provide the quantity and quality of mentors required by the Registered Apprenticeship standards; and (2 points)
Clear and complete description of the job Related Technical Instruction (RTI), including how courses to be integrated into the apprenticeship program will be developed at the secondary or post-secondary level; the specific partner(s) that will provide the RTI; whether the project and/or leveraged resources will cover apprentice tuition or other educational fees; the delivery of instruction requirements (e.g., virtual learning technology, classroom instructors, online instructors); and how the project will support dual enrollment for youth to allow for dual credit, and ensure that credit for prior learning can be received at various educational institutions, if applicable based on program design. (2 points)

Increasing Registered Apprenticeship Opportunities for All Youth (6 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on how fully the project describes how it will increase Registered Apprenticeship opportunities for all youth, particularly underrepresented populations in apprenticeship (including women, people of color, and ex-offenders), and youth with barriers to employment. This includes supportive services designed to assist apprentices to enroll in and successfully complete a RAP.

Comprehensive description of RAP enrollment strategy for engaging the target population(s), including clear identification of partner organizations identified in Section IV.B.3.c.1, Youth Apprenticeship Partnership, which will support this effort, and the process to ensure collaboration between the applicant, applicant’s outreach partners, and other relevant partners in these activities. This must include a thorough description of the assessment process that will be used to determine if individuals are an appropriate fit for the apprenticeship program; (2 points)
Clear explanation of how the lead applicant will directly engage with partners to ensure that a wide range of youth, including underrepresented populations and those with barriers to employment, are able to participate in the youth apprenticeship program, including the incorporation of assistance technology, and other appropriate accessibility strategies to make the program accessible for this youth population; (2 points); and
Clear description of the proposed supportive service strategy(ies) for apprentices identified in Section III.C.3. Eligible Participants, including a thorough description of the specific services. The description must provide a clear plan detailing how these services will be effectively provided, including individual needs assessments, and must convincingly demonstrate how these services will support individuals in successfully completing the RAP training. (2 points)

Increasing Academic and Career-Focused Learning Among Youth for Greater Employability (6 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on how fully the application describes how the lead applicant will directly engage required partners and, if applicable, additional partners per Section III.A Eligible Applicants to increase academic and career-focused learning among youth to increase employability in the labor force.

Clear explanation about how the project will combine academic and career and technical education classroom instruction, including stackable credentials if appropriate, with work experience, allowing youth to develop industry specific workplace competencies, skills, and knowledge.²⁰ This should including an explanation of how the project will align academic and technical standards in secondary and post-secondary education, if proposing a model to work with in-school youth; (2 points)
Clear description of how the program will sufficiently prepare individuals for entry in to a RAP, including preparatory activities such as work-based learning activities and pre-apprenticeship; and (2 points)
Clear description of how the project will design the OJL/OJT and RTI portion of the program with flexibility so it can be performed to meet the needs of youth. (2 points)

Promoting Increased Alignment Between State Education and Workforce Systems (4 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on how the lead applicant and its partners will develop and implement supporting policies that facilitate the participant’s transition from school to Registered Apprenticeship (at the regional, state, and local level). Scoring also based on how the lead applicant and its partners plan to promote increased alignment between state education and workforce systems through the development or support of policies that facilitate the transition from school to Registered Apprenticeship (at the regional, state, and local level), including alternative and non-traditional schools as well as programs that serve out-of-school youth.

A detailed description of how the lead applicant will do the following:

Work with partners to promote alignment with post-secondary education system, including the specific partners involved in the effort and their role(s);
Work with the secondary education system, including CTE programs, alternative and non-traditional schools, and out-of-school youth programs, to facilitate the transition to Registered Apprenticeship; and
Work with the State education and workforce development system to support or inform policies that will lead to increased opportunities for youth in Registered Apprenticeship.

Project Work Plan (6 points)

Scoring under this criterion is based on the application identifying and including clear and complete project goals, milestones, key activities, and key partners of the proposed apprenticeship program as described in the narrative in the work plan attachment as outlined in Appendix B. Note: Attachments do not count against page limitation.

Narrative description that clearly identifies the overall project goals and milestones for developing and/or expanding apprenticeships, which will result from the apprenticeship project. The narrative description must demonstrate that milestones are feasible based on the project design. To that end, the work plan must clearly describe short-term, mid-term, and long-term milestones that capture the results of developing and/or expanding apprenticeships. The work plan must include all of the following:

Project goals, which are the overarching achievements that will be pursued;
Milestones, which are key markers of grant progress; these are typically expressed in the form of an action or event marking a significant change or stage in development;
Key Activities, including timeframes for development and/or expansion of apprenticeship programs, deployment of apprenticeship programs, and/or enrollment in apprenticeship training; and
Key partner(s) identified for key activities.

Organizational, Administrative, Fiscal Capacity, and Sustainability (12 points)

Capacity of Lead Applicant, Partnership Structure, and Administrative Controls and Systems (4 points)

The application must include a detailed description demonstrating the lead applicant’s capacity to effectively manage each component of the program including a narrative portion and functional organizational chart as indicated below:

Detailed description demonstrating the lead applicant’s capacity to effectively manage each component of the program, including a project management plan and a communications plan for efficient and effective management of the project with all partners and staff and demonstrating its capacity to establish effective procurement processes, systems, and procedures and those of any partners who will be providing any services or conducting any activities under the grant (if applicable); and (2 points)
Detailed organizational chart that identifies the lead applicant, apprenticeship partnerships, and other proposed partners. The chart must describe the structure of the relationships of all partners involved in the project. The chart must also identify the proposed project’s staffing plan to illustrate that partners have the capacity to support the lead applicant to carry out the proposed project. The staffing plan must describe the qualifications and experience of all executive and administrative staff, as well as other personnel such as board members, advisors, and consultants, to fulfill the needs and requirements of the proposed project. Such qualifications and experience must demonstrate the ability to manage a strategic partnership, including fiscal and administrative management, outreach, and promotion. The chart should be included as an attachment to the project narrative and does not count against the 20-page limit. (2 points)

Financial, Data Collection, and Performance Reporting Systems (2 points)

i. Applicants must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements and provide individual record-level data that would be made available for evaluation and national reporting purposes. Please refer to Section VI.C. Applicants must provide a comprehensive description of the existing or planned systems and processes that the lead applicant will use to provide timely and accurate financial and participant-level performance reporting, including the process for tracking participant-level data on participant characteristics, services, activities, and employment outcomes of apprentices served through the project to report to the Department during the life of the grant. In addition, the description must detail how these systems will be used to regularly assess progress towards the identified performance goals and that rigorous performance reporting will be taken into account in staffing and budgeting plans.

Sustainability (6 points)

Applicants must provide a description of a clearly delineated sustainability strategy that includes the following elements: (6 points)
1. Convincing description of the resources the program will use to ensure institutional capacity to support the program in the long-term, demonstrating strong potential to continue program activities without future federal funding;
2. How the continuing program will incorporate the strategies used to carry out the core elements of the program;
3. To the extent possible, the application should demonstrate plans for the sustainability of partnerships that include multiple employers, service providers, educational institutions, and the workforce system; and
4. Applications must demonstrate how they plan to sustain program activities beyond the program’s period of performance and provide a detailed description of professional development plans for program staff and how they will lead to sustainability beyond the period of performance.

Past Performance – Programmatic Capability (20 points)

Organizations will receive points based on past performance data. Applicants must use the information below and provide the applicable past performance information.

Full description of the lead applicant’s prior experience and performance in the development of Registered Apprenticeships, especially for youth in Registered Apprenticeships, or capacity to expand Registered Apprenticeships to local, state, regional or national scale. This could include evidence of existing partnerships, prior experience in expanding RAPs, especially for youth, and the number of apprentices placed in prior programs; (6 points)
Demonstration that partners have experience in engaging industry and employers in the adoption of RAPs, or in the development of work-based learning programs; (6 points)
Demonstration that the lead applicant or partners have experience in developing and implementing youth workforce development programs, including pre-apprenticeship programs and RAPs for youth; and (4 points)
Demonstrated ability to integrate and work with existing workforce system and partners. (4 points)

Budget and Budget Narrative (6 points)

The SF-424A and Budget Narrative will be used to evaluate this section. Please see Section IV.B.2 for information on the requirements. The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

Budget Narrative (2 points)

Thorough explanation of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A with the associated dollar value of each cost, including a clear description of how proposed expenditures will support service, tuition-free training, and job placement for the target populations identified in Section IV.B.3.a.3.i, Populations Served.

Amount and Scope of Leveraged Resources (4 points)

Detailed description of the leveraged resources to be provided that indicates the project will have leveraged resources equal to at least 25 percent of the total requested funds to support grant activities, including a complete account of these leveraged resources, and demonstration of how these leveraged resources and grant funds will cover the cost of training and related activities. Applicants will be scored based on the extent to which they fully demonstrate that 25 percent or more in leveraged resources will be provided. Full description of how the leveraged resources described above will support grant activities and how these funds and other resources will be used to contribute to the projected outcomes for the project, including the provision of supportive services for program participants. Detailed description of which costs will be paid by the grant and which costs will be covered by leveraged resources. This includes cash or in-kind support (e.g., Pell/Title IV financial aid, federal work study, GI Bill benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program education and training funds, WIOA), state and local funding, (e.g., on-the-job training funds, state workforce dollars, funding for participating community colleges), and private sector investment funds (e.g., training investment funds, social impact bonds, industry association or labor organization funds, etc.). This also includes funds and other resources leveraged from businesses, labor organizations, education and training providers, and/or federal, state, and local government programs (i.e., staff, time, services, products, and other non-cash resources). Applicants will be scored based on the extent to which they fully demonstrate the leveraged resources provided, the type(s) of leveraged resources provided, the strength of commitment to provide these resources, the breadth and depth of the resources provided, and how well these resources support the proposed grant activities.

g) Priority Consideration – Designated Qualified Opportunity Zone (1 bonus point)

Applicants that plan to serve at least one census tract designated by the Secretary of Treasury as a qualified opportunity zone will be awarded one bonus point. Designated opportunity zone census tracts can be found at https://www.cdfifund.gov/Pages/Opportunity-Zones.aspx, using the “List of designated Qualified Opportunity Zones” link. Applicants will receive 1 bonus point priority consideration if at least one census tract in their target area is listed in the Abstract. Please be aware the IRS list provides the full 11-digit census tract number.

Applicants must identify the target service area by zip codes. The opportunity zones are identified by census tracts. To determine if the target service area includes opportunity zones, applicants can enter an address or zip code in the search box here: https://www.cims.cdfifund.gov/preparation/?config=config_nmtc.xml and zoom in on the map to see that area. Qualified opportunity zones are shaded in blue with the census tract numbers for that zone displayed. Further instructions on how to identify the opportunity zones by zip code can be found here: https://www.cdfifund.gov/Documents/Visualizing%20Designated%20QOZs+figure%20captions%20for%20508%20compliance.pdf. Applicants can use the map to verify if a designated opportunity zone is part of the target service area and then list that census tract number in their abstract.

Attachments to the Project Narrative

In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled. We will exclude only those 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 such as resumés or general letters of support. 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 fewer and use only 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 (e.g., no other attachment may have the same file name). You may use an underscore (example: My_Attached_File.pdf) to separate a file name.

Required Attachments
1. Abstract

You must submit an abstract of up to two pages summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. Omission of the abstract will not result in your application being disqualified; the lack of the required information in the abstract, however, may result in your application receiving fewer points. Information should align with information provided on the SF-424 and elsewhere in the application. See Section III.C.1. Application Screening Criteria for a list of items that will result in the disqualification of your application. Include the following in the abstract (see Appendix C for suggested template):

1. Lead applicant organization’s name;

2. Lead applicant entity type;

3. Lead applicant city/state;

4. Organization names and entity type of required partners;

5. Organization names and entity type of optional partners;

6. Proposed geographic scope (local/regional, state-wide, or national) and proposed service areas;

7. Total funding requested;

8. Total leveraged funds;

9. Project title/name;

10. Summary of program activities and list of credential(s) to be awarded;

11. Population(s) to be served;

12. Targeted industry(ies) and/or occupation(s);

13. The census tract number(s) in your target area designated as a qualified opportunity zone, if applicable; and

14. Public contact information.

The Abstract is limited to two, double-spaced, single-sided 8.5x11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font. When submitting in grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “Abstract.”

Proof of Accreditation

Where applicable: A lead applicant that is an IHE must submit documentation as an attachment verifying that it is an IHE accredited by an agency that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (see Section III.A.1. Eligible Lead Applicant Entities). If the lead applicant does not submit proof of accreditation, the application will be considered incomplete and non-responsive, and it will not move forward through the merit review process.

Documentation of Partnership Commitment

You will be scored on the quality of the documentation showing commitment of each of the required entities, as described in Section III.A.2. This may include signed and dated Letters of Commitment or Memoranda of Understanding between the applicant and all required and optional partner organizations and/or sub-recipients that propose to provide services to support the program model and lead to the identified outcomes. If applicants do not provide documentation of all requirement partnership commitments, the application will be disqualified.

When submitting in grants.gov, these documents must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “Partnership Commitments.” This attachment does impact the scoring of the application.

Requested Attachments

We request the following attachments, but their omission will not cause us to disqualify the application. Furthermore, the omission of the attachment will impact scoring unless otherwise noted.

Documentation of Commitment to Participate in Evaluation, if selected

You may be required to participate in a federal evaluation of the Youth Apprenticeship Readiness grant program. The evaluation may include an experimental impact evaluation where eligible participants will be randomly assigned to the program or to a control group that does not receive the program. You must submit a statement of commitment to participate in a national evaluation initiated by DOL, for the applicant and all partners, including employers or regional industry associations. The evaluation may involve making records on participants, employers, and funding available; providing access to program and partner personnel and participants; facilitating random assignment by increased recruitment of potential participants; and following evaluation procedures as specified by the evaluator(s) under the direction of DOL ETA and the Chief Evaluation Office, including after the period of operation. This attachment does not impact the scoring of the application. Applicants that do not submit this attachment and are selected for grant award will not receive their grant funds unless this attachment is submitted as a condition of grant award funding.

Project Work Plan

You will be scored on the completion and detail of the Project Work Plan as described in Section IV.B.3.c.7 Project Work Plan. See Suggested Template in Appendix B.

Performance Outcomes Table

You will be scored on the completion and detail of the projected performance outcomes information in a performance outcomes table. For an example, see Appendix A, Suggested Performance Outcome Measures Table Template.

Organizational Chart

You will be scored on the completion and detail of the organizational and project staffing information in an organizational chart.

Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

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

When submitting in grants.gov, this document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “NICRA.”

Financial System Assessment Information

All applicants are requested to submit Funding Opportunity Announcement Financial System Assessment Information. See Section V.B.2 for a sample template and additional instructions. This attachment does not impact the scoring of the application.

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 late receipt. 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).

Hardcopy Submission

All applications submitted in hardcopy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery), 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 submitted both by 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: Melissa Abdullah, Grant Officer

Reference FOA-ETA-20-06

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716

Washington, D.C. 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 3rd 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.

Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

Applicants submitting applications through Grants.gov must ensure successful submission no later than 11:59:59 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.

How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as long as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for timely electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application.

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 Point of Contact (POC) approval, establishes an Agency Organizational Representative (AOR). When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR who submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The E-Biz 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.

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 webforms 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 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 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;

email [email protected].

The Grants.gov Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but 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 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated. You take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit through Grants.gov.

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

INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

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

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.

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, for which you may apply at any time. (See 2 CFR 200.414(f) for more information on use of the de minimis rate.)

Intellectual Property Rights

Pursuant to 2 CFR 2900.13, to ensure that the federal investment of DOL funds has as broad 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 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0.

Instructions for marking your work with CC BY can be found at https://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 grant 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 licensing 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 federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a subaward or contract under the grant or subaward; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the recipient, subrecipient, or a contractor purchases ownership under an award (including, but not limited to, curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. The grantee may not use federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department 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 standard ETA disclaimer needs to be on all products developed in whole or in part with grant funds.

“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the 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.”

Use of Grant Funds for On-the-Job Learning

For the purposes of grants awarded under this FOA, funds may be used to subsidize the training and education costs for apprentices enrolled in programs and can include reimbursing employers for some of the extraordinary costs of On-the-Job Learning, including the coverage of workers’ compensation for youth (where applicable). For grants awarded under this FOA, the negotiated reimbursement percentage may be as high as 50 percent of the participant’s hourly wage. DOL also encourages grant recipients to negotiate lower rates or variable rates (such as starting at the maximum allowable reimbursement rate and reducing the subsidy over time), where possible, to ensure that the maximum number of apprentices will be served by the project.

Finally, grant recipients must develop OJL/OJT contracts as discussed below. The contract process sets the ground rules for OJL/OJT with an employer and assists in making the determination if an employer is eligible to provide an OJL/OJT opportunity. The contract must include the federally-required elements of an OJL/OJT agreement; however, states, counties, or municipalities may have additional OJL/OJT contract requirements. Contracts also outline the terms and conditions that the employer and OJL/OJT provider agree to provide for an OJL/OJT experience. Contracts with an employer can be set up for a specific period of time but need not necessarily specify the individual trainees to whom they apply. This allows the employer to provide training to more than one trainee. If an employer only has one position or plans to limit the training experience to one employee, then a contract must also include the individual trainee’s information. For these grants, contracts must provide that the employer is responsible for documenting skills gained by apprentices during the training period. It should also include a description of how the reimbursement level was determined.

For guidance on federally-required elements of an OJL/OJT, sample templates, and other resources, grant recipients may access ETA’s online technical assistance related to an OJL/OJT contract on WorkforceGPS.org at the following web address: https://businessengagement.workforcegps.org/announcements/2018/01/0 9/20/48/OJT-Toolkit-Available.

Grant Recipient Technical Training

Grant recipients are required to participate in all ETA training activities related to grantee orientation, financial management and reporting, performance reporting, product dissemination, and other technical assistance training as appropriate during the grant period. These sessions may occur via conference calls, virtual events such as webinars, and in-person meetings. Applicants should budget for at least two staff members to attend up to two in-person events in Washington, D.C. during the performance period of the grant.

Use of Funds for Supportive Services

Grant recipients may use up to 20 percent of grant funds to provide supportive services (as outlined in Section IV.B.3.c.4.iii Project Design) to individuals who are participating in education and training activities provided through the grant. Under this FOA, supportive services for training apprentices include services such as transportation, childcare, dependent care, housing, and needs-related payments that are necessary to enable an individual to participate in education and training activities funded through this grant. Grant recipients may provide supportive services in various ways, including, but not limited to, providing the supportive service itself (e.g., childcare); providing apprentices with a voucher for the service (e.g., public transportation cards or tokens); or providing a stipend directly to the apprentice. Where stipends for supportive services are provided, the stipend amount must be for costs of a specific supportive service (e.g., childcare), rather than simply based on an unidentified need. For the purposes of this FOA, grant recipients may use grant funds, up to the percentage specified above, to provide supportive services only to individuals who are participating in education and training activities provided through the grant, and only when: 1) they are unable to obtain such services through other programs, and 2) such services are necessary to enable individuals to participate in education and training activities under the grant. Grant recipients may establish limits on the provision of supportive services or provide their sub-recipients with the authority to establish such limits, including a maximum amount of funding and maximum length of time for supportive services to be available to apprentices. Grant recipients must ensure that their use of grant funds on supportive services is consistent with their organization’s established written policy on the provision of supportive services. Additionally, we encourage grant recipients to identify other sources of funding for supportive services, including through co-enrolling in WIOA.

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.

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.

Section IV.B.3 (Project Narrative) of this FOA has several “section headers” (e.g. IV.B.3.a), Statement of Need). Each of these “section headers” of the Project Narrative may include one or more “criterion”, and each “criterion” includes one or more “rating factors”, which provide detailed specifications for the content and quality of the response to that criterion. Each of the rating factors have specific point values assigned. These point values are the number of points possible for the application to earn for the rating factor.

Criterion	Points (maximum)
Statement of Need (See Section IV.B.3.a. Statement of Need)	12 total
Expected Outputs and Outcomes (See Section IV.B.3.b. Expected Outcomes and Outputs)	10 total
Project Design (See Section IV.B.3.c. Project Design)	40 total
Organizational, Administrative, Fiscal Capacity, and Sustainability (See Section IV.B.3.d. Organizational, Administrative, Fiscal Capacity, and Sustainability)	12 total
Past Performance–Programmatic Capability (See Section IV.B.3.e. Past Performance–Programmatic Capability)	20 total
Budget and Budget Justification (See Section IV.B.2. Project Budget)	6 total

TOTAL	100
Priority Consideration: Opportunity Zone	1

Standards for Evaluating the Applicant’s Response to each Requirement

Section IV.B.3, Project Narrative provides a detailed explanation of the information an application must include (e.g. a comprehensive work plan for the whole period of performance with feasible and realistic dates). Reviewers will rate each “rating factor” based on how fully and convincingly the applicant responds. For each “rating factor” under each “criterion,” panelists will determine whether the applicant thoroughly meets, partially meets, or fails to meet the “rating factor,” unless otherwise noted in Section IV.B.3, based on the definitions below:

Standard Rating	Definition	Standard for Calculating Points
Thoroughly Meets	The application thoroughly responds to the rating factor and fully and convincingly satisfies all of the stated specifications.	Full Points
Partially Meets	The application responds incompletely to the rating factor or the application convincingly satisfies some, but not all, of the stated specifications.	Half Points
Fails to Meet	The application does not respond to the rating factor or the application does respond to the rating factor but does not convincingly satisfy any of the stated specifications.	Zero Points

In order to receive the maximum points for each rating factor, applicants must provide a response to the requirement that fully describes the proposed program design and demonstrates the quality of approach, rather than simply re-stating a commitment to perform prescribed activities. In other words, applicants must describe why their proposal is the best strategy and how they will implement it, rather than that the strategy contains elements that conform to the requirements of this FOA.

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 (101 with the bonus point), 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, industry distribution, and scale of geographic scope (local, regional, state, national). The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to their attention.

The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussion with the applicant. Should a grant be awarded without discussion, 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.

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 at 2 CFR Part 2998 (Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension). 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:

Financial stability;
Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in the Uniform Grant Guidance;
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;
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;
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 ETA grant due to adverse monitoring findings ; or
If the applicant received a High Risk determination in accordance with Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 23-15.

Depending on the severity of the findings and whether the findings were resolved, the Grant Officer may, at their discretion, elect not to fund the applicant for a grant award regardless of the applicant’s score in the competition.

All applicants are requested to submit the following information as an attachment to their application (suggested template below) for ETA to assess the applicant’s Financial System. This information will be taken into account as one component of ETA’s Risk Review Process. Applicants may use the suggested template or answer the questions in a separate attachment. It is unlikely that an organization will be able to manage a federal grant without the following system/processes in place. Applicants are expected to have these in place before applying for a grant with ETA.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR -EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION (ETA)
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT: FINANCIAL SYSTEM ASSESSMENT

SECTION A: PURPOSE

The financial responsibility of grantees must be such that the grantee can properly discharge the public trust which accompanies the authority to expend public funds. Adequate administrative and financial systems including the accounting systems should meet the following criteria as contained in 2 CFR 200 and 2 CFR 2900.
(1) Accounting records should provide information needed to adequately identify the receipt of funds under each grant awarded and the expenditure
of funds for each grant.
(2) Entries in accounting records should refer to subsidiary records and/or documentation which support the entry and which can be readily located.
(3) The accounting system should provide accurate and current financial reporting information.
(4) The accounting system should be integrated with an adequate system of internal controls to safeguard the funds and assets covered, check the accuracy and reliability of accounting data, promote operational efficiency, and encourage adherence to prescribed management policies.

SECTION B: GENERAL

1. Complete the following items:

a. When was the organization founded/incorporated (month, day, year)

b. Principal officers

Titles

c. Employer Identification Number:

d. Number of Employees
Full Time: Part Time:

2. Is the organization or institution affiliated with any other organization: Yes No
If yes, please provide details as to the nature of the company (for profit, non-profit, LLC, etc) and if it provides services or products to the organization in relation to this grant.

3. Total Sales/Revenues in most recent accounting period. (12 months)
$

SECTION C: ACCOUNTING SYSTEM

1. Has any Government Agency rendered an official written opinion concerning the adequacy of the accounting system for the collection, identification and allocation of costs under Federal contracts/grants? Yes No

a. If yes, provide name, and address of Agency performing review:

b. Attach a copy of the latest review and any subsequent correspondence, clearance documents, etc.

Note: If review occurred within the past three years, omit questions 2-8 of this Section and Section D.

2. Which of the following best describes the accounting system:

State administered

Internally Developed

Web-based

3. Does the accounting system identify the receipt and expenditure of program funds separately for each contract/grant?

Yes

Not Sure

4. Does the accounting system provide for the recording of expenditures for each grant/contract by the component project and budget cost categories shown in the approved budget?

Yes

Not Sure

5. Are time distribution records maintained for an employee when his/her effort can be specifically identified to a particular cost objective?

Yes

Not Sure

6. If the organization proposes an overhead rate, does the accounting system provide for the segregation of direct and indirect expenses?

Yes

Not Sure

7. Does the organization have an approved indirect cost rate or cost allocation plan?

If so, who approved it (Federal Cognizant Agency or a Pass-through Entity)? What are the effective dates?

Yes

Not Sure

8. Does the accounting/financial system include budgetary controls to preclude incurring obligations in excess of:
a. Total funds available for a grant?
b. Total funds available for a budget cost category (e.g. Personnel, Travel, etc)?

Yes
Yes

No
No

Not Sure
Not Sure

9. Does the organization or institution have an internal control structure that would provide reasonable assurance that the grant funds, assets and systems are safeguarded?

Yes

Not Sure

SECTION D: FINANCIAL STABILITY

1. Is there any legal matter or an ongoing financial concern that may impact the organization's ability to manage and administer the grant? Yes No
If yes, please explain briefly.

SECTION E: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Did an independent certified public accountant (CPA) ever examine the financial statements? Yes No

2. If an independent CPA review was performed please attach a copy of their latest report and any management letters issued. Enclosed N / A

3. If an independent CPA was engaged to perform a review and no report was issued, please provide details and an explanation below:

SECTION F: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. Use this space for any additional information (indicate section and item numbers if a continuation)

AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION
1. AWARD NOTICES

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

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

ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

Administrative Program Requirements

All grantees will be subject to all applicable federal laws and 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:

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).
29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 2 CFR Part 180 (OMB Guidance to Agencies on Government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-procurement)), and, where applicable, 2 CFR Part 200 (Audit Requirements).
29 CFR Part 2, subpart D—Equal Treatment in Department of Labor Programs for Religious Organizations; Protection of Religious Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and Beneficiaries.
29 CFR Part 31—Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs of the Department of Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
29 CFR Part 32—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 35—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the Department of Labor.
29 CFR Part 36—Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
29 CFR Part 38—Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
29 C.F.R. 29, Part A, and 30—Labor Standards for the Registration of Apprenticeship Programs, and Equal Employment Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training, as applicable.
The Department of Labor will follow the procedures outlined in the Department’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations (29 CFR Part 70). If DOL receives a FOIA request for your application, the procedures in DOL’s FOIA regulations for responding to requests for commercial/business information submitted to the government will be followed, as well as all FOIA exemptions and procedures. See generally 5 U.S.C. § 552; 29 CFR Part 70.
Standard Grant Terms and Conditions of Award—See the following link: https://www.doleta.gov/grants/resources.cfm.

Other Legal Requirements
1. Religious Activities

The Department notes that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. § 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.

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).

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, and the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008), 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 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:

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);
Federal awards to entities that had a gross income, from all sources, of less than $300,000 in the entities' previous tax year; and
Federal awards if the required reporting would disclose classified information.

Safeguarding Data Including 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:

You must ensure that PII and sensitive data developed, obtained, or otherwise associated with DOL/ETA funded grants is securely transmitted.
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.
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 Federal Project Officer.
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.
You further acknowledge that all PII data obtained through your ETA grant must be stored in an area that is physically safe from access by unauthorized persons at all times and the data will be processed using recipient-issued equipment, managed information technology (IT) services, and designated locations approved by ETA. Accessing, processing, and storing of ETA grant PII data on personally owned equipment, at off-site locations, (e.g., employee’s home), and non-recipient managed IT services, (e.g., Yahoo mail), is strictly prohibited unless approved by ETA.
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.
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.
You must not extract information from data supplied by ETA for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.
Access to any PII created by the ETA grant must be restricted to only those employees of the grant recipient who need it in their official capacity to perform duties in connection with the scope of work in the grant agreement.
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 be accessed only from secure locations.
PII data obtained by the recipient through a request from ETA must not be disclosed to anyone but the individual requestor, except as permitted by the Grant Officer or by court order.
You must permit ETA to make onsite inspections during regular business hours for the purpose of conducting audits and/or conducting other investigations to assure that you are complying with the confidentiality requirements described above. In accordance with this responsibility, you must make records applicable to this Agreement available to authorized persons for the purpose of inspection, review, and/or audit.
You must retain data received from ETA only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, you agree that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.

Record Retention

You must follow federal guidelines on record retention, which require that you 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.

Use of Contracts and Subawards

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

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

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

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

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

You must follow the provisions at 2 CFR 200.330-.332 regarding subrecipient monitoring and management. Also see 2 CFR 200.308(c)(6) regarding prior approval requirements for subawards. When awarding subawards, you are required to comply with provisions on government-wide suspension and debarment found at 2 CFR Part 180 and codified at 2 CFR Part 2998.

Closeout of Grant Award

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

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 program(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).

Special Program Requirements
1. ETA Evaluation

As a condition of grant award, grant recipients are required to participate in an evaluation, if undertaken by DOL. The evaluation may include an implementation assessment across grant recipients, an impact and/or outcomes analysis of all or selected sites within or across grant recipients, and a benefit/cost analysis or assessment of return on investment. Conducting an impact analysis could involve random assignment, which involves random assignment of eligible participants into a treatment group that would receive program services or enhanced program services, or into a control group(s) that would receive no program services or program services that are not enhanced. We may require applicants to collect data elements to aid the evaluation. As a part of the evaluation, as a condition of award, grant recipients must agree to: (1) make records available to the evaluation contractor on participants, employers, and funding; (2) provide access to program operating personnel, participants, and operational and financial records, and any other relevant documents to calculate program costs and benefits; (3) in the case of an impact analysis, facilitate the assignment by lottery of participants to program services (including the possible increased recruitment of potential participants); and (4) follow evaluation procedures as specified by the evaluation contractor under the direction of DOL.

Performance Goals

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

REPORTING

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

Quarterly Financial Reports

A Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 9130) is required until such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each calendar-year quarter. On the final Financial Status Report, you must include any subaward amounts so we can calculate final indirect costs, if applicable. You must use DOL’s Online Electronic Reporting System and information and instructions will be provided to grantees. For other guidance on ETA’s financial reporting, reference Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 02-16 and our webpage at https://www.doleta.gov/grants/financial_reporting.cfm.

Quarterly Performance Reports

Grant recipients must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days after the end of each calendar-year quarter. This report includes a quarterly narrative report that details all grant activities that occurred during the quarter, as well as a quarterly performance report. In order to submit these quarterly reports, the grant recipient will be required to track and report participant-level data to ETA, including Social Security Numbers (SSNs), on all individuals who are provided grant-funded services. The SSN information allows ETA to efficiently match employment data from state unemployment insurance and other wage records. Thus, the collection of participant SSNs lessens the burden on grant recipients when tracking exit-based employment measures, while reporting consistent and reliable outcome information. Performance reporting for these grants will align with the DOL-Only Performance Accountability Information and Reporting System (OMB Control No. 1205-0521) information collection request (ICR). As part of quarterly performance reporting, DOL requires grant recipients to conduct data validation to ensure the validity of data submitted to DOL. Grant recipients are encouraged to fully implement the data validation framework published in forthcoming DOL data validation guidance.

The last quarterly performance report will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report. This report must provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant activities. It must summarize project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, related results of the project, and must thoroughly document the training or labor market information approaches that were used.

DOL will provide an online reporting system along with detailed formal guidance regarding the data and other information that is required to be collected and reported on either a regular or special request basis. Grant reporting requirements will align with the DOL-only ICR mentioned above, including the online reporting system. Grant recipients must agree to meet DOL reporting requirements.

AGENCY CONTACTS

For further information about this FOA, please contact Andrea Chism, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at (202) 693-2655. Applicants should e-mail all technical questions to [email protected] and must specifically reference FOA-ETA-20-06, and along with question(s), include a contact name, fax and phone number. This Announcement is available on the ETA website at https://www.doleta.gov/grants and at https://www.grants.gov.

OTHER INFORMATION
1. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. These include Apprenticeshp.gov, the website for all things concerning apprenticeship. This website, available at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/, includes a job finder, partner finder, and many more tools and resources for the career seeker and employer. DOL likewise maintains the Career OneStop portal, available at https://www.careeronestop.org, which provides national and state career information on occupations; O*NET OnLine, available at https://www.onetonline.org/, which provides occupational competency profiles; and America’s Service Locator, available at https://www.servicelocator.org, which provides a directory of our nation's American Job Centers (formerly known as One-Stop Career Centers).

INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development programs. To learn about the industry-validated models, visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at https://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.

WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

We encourage you to view the information on workforce resources gathered through consultations with federal agency partners, industry stakeholders, educators, and local practitioners, and made available on WorkforceGPS at https://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.

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, which were produced by grantees funded through the Department’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.

OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

OMB Information Collection No. 1225-0086, Expires July 31, 2022.

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, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be emailed to [email protected].

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR GRANT APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND ONLY 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 ____________, 2020, in Washington, D.C. by:

Brinda Ruggles

Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration

Appendix A: Required Performance Measure Outcome Table

A.	Participant Outputs and Outcomes
1	Total participants served Total number of all participants served (receiving a grant-funded service) in the program.		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
2	Total participants who enter a Registered Apprenticeship Program		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
3	Total participants who complete a Registered Apprenticeship Program		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
4	Total participants who receive a degree, or other type of credential during the period of performance		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
5	Average hourly wage of apprentice at exit		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
6	Total participants in Post-Exit Training-Related Employment in the second quarter after exit		Year 1: Year 2: Year 3: Year 4:		Total:
B.	Expanding Apprenticeship Program Outputs
1		Total number of all newly created apprenticeship programs, including newly created Registered Apprenticeship Programs.		Total:
2		Total number of existing apprenticeship programs, including Registered Apprenticeship Programs, that are expanded (e.g., new industries, occupations or service areas, or increased number of apprentices registered).		Total:
3		Total number of new employers engaged due to the grant (i.e., those employers that adopt apprenticeship programs as a result of your grant project).		Total:

Please Note:

• Applicants should provide targets in raw numbers; percentages or other types of data projections are not acceptable.

• Applicants should provide targets for each year of the grant and for the total grant period. The figure provided for the total should equal the sum of the projections for each year.

• While applicants are required to propose goals for the six outcome categories identified in Section IV.3.B. Expected Outcomes and Outputs, which are specific to this FOA, they will also be required to report outcomes in alignment with outcomes identified in WIOA, as applicable.

Appendix B: Suggested Project Work Plan Format

Applicants are encouraged to align their goals with specific activities that will meet those goals. Sample activities can include project administration and ramp-up; partnership engagement, outreach and recruitment; RAP enrollment and training; provision of supportive services; and follow-up tracking of apprentices to collect outcomes. For planning purposes, the applicant should identify key deliverables and the timeframe for achieving each deliverable, including any milestones to indicate progression of activities. The applicant should also provide the name of the lead or supporting institution engaged in each activity or producing each deliverable, including any partner organizations.

GOAL #1	Insert goal
Activity: Insert activity (Sample: Project Administration and Ramp-Up)	Insert description (if applicable)	Lead/Support Implementer (s)	Insert lead or supporting organization that will implement proposed activity
Deliverable(s): Insert deliverable(s)	Insert description (if applicable)
Milestones	Timeframe	Deliverable Dates
Insert milestone	Insert timeframe for deliverable	Start:	Insert start and end dates
		End:
		Annual Costs
		Year 1	$ Insert annual costs
		Year 2	$
		Year 3	$
		Year 4	$
		TOTAL	$
GOAL #2
Activity:		Lead/Support Implementer (s)
Deliverable(s):
Milestones	Timeframe	Deliverable Dates
		Start:
		End:
		Annual Costs
		Year 1	$
		Year 2	$
		Year 3	$
		Year 4	$
		TOTAL	$

Please Note: Applicants may replicate this chart in order to submit information on all activities and deliverables proposed during the period of performance.

Appendix C: Suggested Abstract Format

Please feel free to tailor template as needed to fit your information.

Youth Apprenticeship READINESS GRANT PROGRAM
Lead Applicant Organization’s Name:
Lead Applicant Entity Type:
Lead Applicant City/State:

Youth Apprenticeship Partnership

Required Partner/s: XX
• IF one or more national industry/trade associations
Name of the national industry/trade association(s):	Industry Sector

Optional Partner/s: XX
Organization Names of Optional Partners:	Entity Type	Industry Sector





Proposed Geographic Scope: (local/regional, state-wide, National) Service Areas: (where apprentices will served)
Total Funding Requested:
Total Leveraged Funds: (25% of funds requested)
Project Title/Name:
Summary of Youth Apprenticeship Program Activities and List of Credential(s) to be Awarded:
Targeted Population(s) to be Served:
Targeted Industry(ies) and/or occupations(s):
Public Contact Information:	Name, Title: Address: Phone Number: Email Address:

1 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b9997eeaeab45b77ad8522923a1e0567&mc=true&node=se29.1.29_12&rgn=div8.

2 Describing a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship and Related Tools and Resources Training and Employment Notice No. 13-12, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/TEN_13-12.pdf

3 Executive Order on Expanding Apprenticeships in America, available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/3245/

4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, News Release, “Job Openings and Labor Turnover – January 2020,” released on March 17, 2020, available at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/jolts_03172020.pdf.

5 Business Roundtable, Closing the Skills Gap, available at https://www.businessroundtable.org/policy-perspectives/building-americas-tomorrow-ready-workforce/closing-the-skills-gap

6 Jeffrey A. Cantor, 21^st-Century Apprenticeship: Best Practices for Building a World-Class Workforce. 2015, available at https://books.google.com/books?id=E5a9CgAAQBAJ&dq=every+%241+invested+in+an+apprentice+their+is+a+return+of+%241.47&source=gbs_navlinks_s

7 An Effectiveness Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Registered Apprenticeship in 10 States. 2012, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP_2012_10.pdf

8 U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship Toolkit Frequently Asked Questions, available at https://www.dol.gov/apprenticeship/toolkit/toolkitfaq.htm#2e

9 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; Department of Labor Only; Final Rule, available at https://www.doleta.gov/wioa/Docs/wioa-regs-labor-final-rule.pdf.

10 The “National Apprenticeship Act”; 50 Stat.664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et. seq.).” at https://www.doleta.gov/OA/fitzact.cfm

11 Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov, Data and Statistics, available at https://www.doleta.gov/oa/data_statistics.cfm

12 Education Commission, Postsecondary Workforce Development Policy, https://www.ecs.org/wp-content/uploads/Postsecondary-Workforce-Development-Policies.pdf

13 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b9997eeaeab45b77ad8522923a1e0567&mc=true&node=se29.1.29_12&rgn=div8.

14 Describing a Quality Pre-Apprenticeship and Related Tools and Resources Training and Employment Notice No. 13-12, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/TEN_13-12.pdf

15 U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 15-10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10.pdf

16 Ibid.

17 The FLSA establishes the minimum age for employment at 16 for youth to be employed for unlimited hours in any occupation other than one declared to be hazardous by the Secretary of Labor. See U.S. Department of Labor Child Labor Bulletin 101: https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor101_text.htm.

18See U.S. Department of Labor Child Labor Bulletin 101, available at https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/childlabor101.pdf

19 A local educational agency is defined as a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools. Link accessible at https://www.ed.gov/race-top/district-competition/definitions.

20 See U.S. Department of Labor Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 15-10, Increasing Credential, Degree, and Certificate Attainment by Participants of the Public Workforce System, available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL15-10.pdf

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Author	Stowers, Samantha A - ETA
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Youth Apprenticeship Readiness Grant Program

DOL Generic Solution for Funding Opportunity Announcements

Youth Apprenticeship Readiness FOA for OIRA