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U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Women’s
Bureau
Notice
of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement FOR:
FY25
Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO)
Technical Assistance Grant Program
ANNOUNCEMENT
TYPE: Initial
FUNDING
OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-WB-25-01
ASSISTANCE
LISTING NUMBER: 17.701
KEY
DATES: The
closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement
is
08/07/2025.
We must receive applications no
later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern
Time.
Submit all applications
in response to this solicitation through https://www.grants.gov.
For complete application and submission information, including
online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.
The U.S.
Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration is
responsible for the Women’s Bureau grant award process.
I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION 4
III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 6
IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 8
A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE 9
B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION 9
C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, AND PROCESS 19
D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW 21
F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 25
V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 25
B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS 25
VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 30
B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS 30
IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION 39
APPENDIX A: Past and Current WANTO Grantees 39
The Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $5,000,000 in grant funds authorized by the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Act of 1992, Pub. L. 102-530, 29 U.S.C. § 2501 et seq.; 29 U.S.C. § 13; and the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 for the WANTO Technical Assistance Grant Program.
This program aims to provide technical assistance (TA) to employers and labor unions in the United States and its territories to encourage employment of women in both apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations (A/NTO), specifically in the following ways:
Developing (establishing, expanding, and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship (as defined in Appendix B “Acronyms and Definitions”), or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO;
Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and/or
Setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services (as defined in section IV.E.3) for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.
Applicants may
propose to provide TA to support women’s full and effective
participation in apprenticeable and non-traditional occupations.
To be eligible for funds under this grant program, an
applicant must be a community-based organization (CBO) as defined in
Appendix B. In awarding grants, the Department will give priority to
applications that meet the following criteria per the WANTO Act
legislation (the application requirements for this grant can be found
in Section IV.B):
Demonstrate experience preparing women to gain employment in A/NTO;
Demonstrate experience working with the business community to prepare them to place women in A/NTO;
Have tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as active members of the organization, as either employees or board members; and
Have experience delivering TA specifically as defined above, including developing (establishing, expanding and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, registered apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO; providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.
Applicants must submit a letter as an attachment to their application, detailing how their organization meets the definition of a CBO. Omission of this letter will result in the disqualification of an application. The Project Narrative section of this FOA is also designed to elicit information from the applicants to demonstrate the eligibility requirements.
Funding in the amount of
approximately $5,000,000 will be available to fund approximately 6 to
14 projects ranging from $350,000 to $750,000, with a 24-month period
of performance. Each grant award may allow no more than 15 percent
of funds to be used for supportive services, as defined in section
IV.E.3, to ensure participation in trainings, focus groups, and other
technical assistance activities aimed at increasing and retaining
women enrolled in Registered Apprenticeship Programs or employed in
NTOs. While the primary purpose of these grants is to provide
technical assistance to encourage employment and retention of women
in apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations, all grant-funded
programs must provide for equal opportunity without regard to race,
color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in accordance with 29
C.F.R. Parts 31-32; 35-36.
The Department is committed
to producing strong evidence on the effectiveness of its grant
programs, and full participation (by grantee and any subgrantees or
subcontractors) in any evaluation the Department initiates will be a
condition of all grant awards.
This Announcement solicits applications for the FY25 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance Grant Program.
The purpose of this program is to
provide technical assistance (TA) to employers and labor unions in
the United States and its territories to encourage employment of
women in Registered Apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations
(A/NTO).
Apprenticeship is a proven “earn-and-learn”
training model that offers workers a pathway to the middle class and
helps companies recruit, develop, and retain a highly skilled
workforce. Registered Apprenticeship Programs have a long history in
skilled trades such as construction. They are also increasingly found
in emerging and high-growth industries like advanced manufacturing,
energy, health care, and information technology. Many of these
opportunities lead to careers or career ladders that provide high,
family-sustaining wages and quality fringe benefits. Currently, more
than 97,000 women are enrolled in Registered Apprenticeship
Programs nationwide, pursuing earn-and-learn experiences across a
diverse spectrum of occupations and industries. The average starting
wage for a fully proficient worker who completes a Registered
Apprenticeship is about $80,000
per year. A DOL
study tracking apprentices a year before enrolling to 2.5 years
after entering a registered apprenticeship found that average
quarterly earnings for apprentices rose by 43% compared to only 16%
for comparable workers during the same period. Moreover, research
indicates that employers’ median return on investments in
apprenticeship training is $144 for every $100 invested, with
benefits ranging from reduced turnover to increased productivity.
Despite the promising research
available, women face barriers to entering and staying in Registered
Apprenticeship Programs and in high-growth, high-wage occupations
generally. While women make up about half
of the United States labor force, they compose only approximately
15 percent of Registered Apprenticeship Program participants.
This statistic underscores both academic research and anecdotal
evidence indicating that women face significant barriers to their
full and effective participation in A/NTO.
Quality
pre-apprenticeship programs can play a valuable role in removing some
of those barriers. Pre-apprenticeship programs are designed to
prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered
Apprenticeship Program. They have a documented partnership with at
least one Registered Apprenticeship Program and employ a variety of
approaches and strategies to meet the specific needs of the
populations being trained, the various employers and sponsors they
serve, and the local labor market. As such, they are an important
starting point toward a successful career in A/NTO, particularly for
job seekers who may not be aware of these options for obtaining good
jobs with opportunity for advancement. Pre-apprenticeship programs
allow a community to have a steady pipeline of highly trained
apprentices in a variety of sectors. Furthermore, a DOL
study also indicates that pre-apprentices’ earnings nearly
double between the year prior to starting the program and the year
after it ends. Youth participating in pre-apprenticeship programs
can participate in on-the-job learning opportunities beginning at age
16, and these experiences can count towards entry into a Registered
Apprenticeship Program. These opportunities
provide the foundation for young people to choose from multiple
career pathways.
CBOs are well positioned to develop
quality pre-apprenticeship programs that help women prepare for and
succeed in A/NTO. CBOs may be well known in their local area and
frequently serve as the entry point for individuals seeking to
establish a solid career path. Many workforce-oriented CBOs already
provide services such as career counseling, access to supportive
services, remedial math and language education, job readiness skills
such as critical thinking, and referral to and placement in training
programs and jobs. Many also offer certificates and credentialing in
conjunction with community colleges. These are the elements
necessary for quality pre-apprenticeship programs as well.
Applicants should familiarize
themselves with current Department
guidance regarding quality pre-apprenticeship programs. TA
provided through this grant program should reinforce DOL guidance.
Consistent with the Department’s emphasis on funding projects
that reflect a broad strategy that incorporates all available
resources, applicants are strongly encouraged, but are not required,
to include leveraged resources in their program design (see section
IV.B.2 for additional information). These may include, but are not
limited to, public sources including the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act (WIOA) or other Department funding, such as
apprenticeship grants and contracts, as well as private funding
through foundations, CBOs, or other funding streams. More generally,
the Department emphasizes the importance of aligning and integrating
WANTO grant activities into broader apprenticeship system expansion.
The TA provided through this grant program will prepare employers and labor unions to successfully recruit, mentor, train, and retain women in A/NTO and expand women’s employment opportunities and labor force participation. As such, this grant program will help employers meet their workforce needs while bolstering women’s economic security for themselves and their families and the overall strength of the nation’s economy.
The Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Act of 1992, Pub. L.102-530, 29 U.S.C. § 2501 et seq.; 29 U.S.C. § 13 authorizes this program; and the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Pub. L. 119-4 provides funding for fiscal year 2025.
Funding will be provided in the form of a G (Grant).
We expect availability of approximately $5,000,000 to fund approximately 6 to 14 grants. Awards made under this Announcement are conditional on final congressional appropriation action and 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.
Applications for funding must be a minimum of $350,000 and maximum of $750,000. Each project may use no more than 15 percent of the grant award for supportive services to ensure participation in trainings, focus groups, and other technical assistance activities aimed at increasing and retaining women enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships or employed in NTOs.
The period of performance is 24 months with an anticipated start date of September 30, 2025. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
12 (Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education)
13 (Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education)
Please see additional eligibility requirements below:
Eligible
Entities:
Only
CBOs as defined in Appendix B are eligible to apply for these grants.
A consortium of CBOs may apply as a single applicant; in such
instances, the applicant should provide a copy of the consortium
agreement that specifies which entity will administer the grant.
Current
and Former Grantees:
Recipients
of WANTO Act grant program funds awarded under the FY 2024 FOA are
NOT eligible to apply for a FY 2025 WANTO grant. FY 2024 grantees
will be eligible to apply again in FY 2026, contingent upon the
availability of funds. Recipients of funds awarded under previous
WANTO Act grant programs outside of those who were awarded funds
under the FY 2024 FOA are eligible to apply for this funding
opportunity. Although scaling a previous WANTO-funded program is
acceptable, former WANTO Act grantees must explain, in their
“Statement of Need” (see Section IV.B.3), how their
proposed TA activities are materially different and improved from
those already performed using funds awarded through a previous WANTO
Act grant program. All past and current WANTO grantees after 2006
are listed in Appendix A for reference.
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. Section IV.B.2 provides more information on leveraged resources.
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.
Requirement |
Instructions |
Complete? |
The deadline submission requirements are met |
Section IV.C |
|
Eligibility as a non-profit organization |
Section III.A |
|
Inclusion of a letter in PDF format meeting the following requirements:
|
Section IV.B.4.a.2 |
|
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 does not exceed the ceiling amount of $750,000 and is above the floor of $350,000 |
Section II.A |
|
Applicant has registered with the System for Award Management (SAM) and maintains an active account |
Section IV.B.1 |
|
SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance |
Section IV.B.1 |
|
SF-424 includes a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) 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 |
|
2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit
We will consider only one application from each organization. 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.
3. Eligible Participants
a. Participants Eligible to Receive Training
The intent of this FOA is to fund projects that provide TA to employers and/or labor unions to recruit, mentor, train, and employ women in A/NTO, specifically through the development of pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or nontraditional skills training programs.
Applicants must propose a project that focuses on developing (establishing, expanding, or enhancing) a pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or nontraditional skills training program designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO, and that will assist employers and/or labor unions in the recruitment, training, and employment of women in A/NTO.
b. 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.
This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.
Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of four separate and distinct parts:
1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance;”
2. Project Budget, composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative;
3. Project Narrative; and
4. Attachments to the Project Narrative.
You must ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.
1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”
You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/readonly/SF424_2_1-V2.1.pdf).
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 organization’s legal name on the SF-424 must match the name registered in the System for Award Management at https://www.sam.gov.
The organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) and UEI Number should match its information in SAM.gov. If unsure of the EIN or UEI of your organization, visit SAM.gov to confirm.
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/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family). You do not need to submit the SF-424B with the application.
a. Requirement for Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number
All applicants for federal grant and funding opportunities must have a UEI and must supply their UEI on the SF-424. The UEI is a 12-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies all entities. Any entity registering to do business with the government is required to have one. UEIs are issued by SAM.gov and are a part of an entity’s record in the Entity Information section of SAM.gov. If your organization does not have a UEI, one can be obtained for free at https://sam.gov.
Grant recipients authorized to make subawards must meet these requirements related to UEIs:
Grant recipients must notify potential subawardees that no entity may receive a subaward unless the entity has provided its UEI.
Grant recipients may not make a subaward to an entity unless the entity has provided its UEI.
(See Appendix A to 2 Code of Federal Regulations (C.F.R.) Part 25.)
b. Requirement for Registration with SAM
Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before applying. 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. If you do not renew your SAM registration, it will expire. An expired registration can delay or prevent application submission in Grants.gov. Registration and renewal can take up to 10 to 15 business days to 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 approve the 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 approving a federal award to another applicant.
2.
Project Budget
You
must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at
https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family).
In preparing the Budget Information Form, you must provide a concise
narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in
detail below.
a. Budget Narrative
The Budget Narrative must provide a description of estimated costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. Applicants must use whole dollar amounts. 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. Valuation of leveraged resources follows the same requirements as match. 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. See 2 CFR §200.430 for more information on allowable compensation for personnel costs.
Fringe Benefits: Provide a breakdown of the amounts and percentages that comprise fringe benefit costs such as health insurance, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA), retirement, etc. For more information on fringe benefits, please refer to 2 CFR §200.431.
Travel: For grant recipient 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. Full day per diem rates should not be claimed for the first and last day of travel. Lodging and per diem expenditures must not exceed the rates established by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for the location of your trip. Mileage reimbursements must not exceed the current federal mileage reimbursement rate and can be verified at GSA privately owned vehicle mileage reimbursement rate page. For additional information, please refer to 2 CFR §200.475.
Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $10,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $10,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR §200.1 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.
Items with a unit cost of less than $10,000 are supplies, not “equipment.” In general, we do not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the grant.
Supplies: Supplies means all tangible personal property other than those described in the definition of Equipment. A computing device (laptop) is a supply if the acquisition cost is below the lesser of the capitalization level established by the recipient (or subrecipient for financial statement purposes) or $10,000, regardless of the length of its useful life. Identify the cost categories of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chairs, laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget, per category. Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR §200.1 for the definition of Supplies). Cost allocations for supplies that are not broken down by individual item in the narrative must document the methodology used in determining the amount allocated for this line item, per 2 C.F.R. § 200.405(d).
Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR §200.1 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 §200.1, means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to contribute to the goals and objectives of the project by carrying out part of the 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. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement consistent with criteria in with 2 CFR §200.331, including an agreement the pass-through entity considers a contract. For each proposed contract and subaward, specify the purpose and activities to be provided and the estimated cost. Phone and copier contracts, agreements, or leases should not be included in this section.
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 construction, and you must show the costs on other appropriate lines such as Contractual.
Other: Provide clear and specific detail, including cost methodology, for each item so that we are able to determine whether the costs are necessary, reasonable, and allocable. List items, such as stipends, incentives, or language assistance services, 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:
If you have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), provide an explanation of how the indirect costs are calculated. This explanation should include which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Also, provide a current version of the NICRA.
or
If you intend to claim indirect costs using the 15 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 does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, and is not one described in 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix VII(D)(1)(b).
Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (defined by DOL below) 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.
Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) definition: To avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, DOL defines MTDC as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward or subcontract (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards and subcontracts 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 or subcontract in excess of $50,000.
Note that participant support costs are not included in MTDC. Participant support costs are defined below.
Participant Support Cost, defined at 2 CFR §200.1, means direct costs that support participants and their involvement in a federal award, such as stipends or subsistence allowances, registration fees, temporary dependent care, and per diem paid to or on behalf of participants.
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, DOL 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.
3.
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 15 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.
a. Statement of Need (up to 10 points)
Describe in both quantitative and qualitative terms the need for technical assistance, including the nature and scope of the problem, and the consequences of not addressing the need. Incorporate demographic data and participant/beneficiary information whenever possible. This section of the Project Narrative must include:
A clear description of the geographic region where the TA will be provided and a clear description of the workforce needs of the local economy (particularly with respect to A/NTO), using both quantitative and qualitative terms (3 points);
Demonstration of a comprehensive understanding of the need for TA to help employers and/or labor unions prepare women to enter and succeed in A/NTO (3 points);
A clear description of how the proposed TA will assist employers and/or labor unions in preparing women to enter and succeed in A/NTO. Incorporate demographic data and participant/beneficiary information whenever possible (2 points); and
A clear description of the consequences of not addressing this need, based on the quantitative and qualitative information provided (2 points).
b. Geographic Diversity (3 points)
The Geographic Diversity section of the Project Narrative must clearly identify the geographic area the project will serve. Applicants proposing a project to serve a state not served in the last two years by prior WB WANTO grant recipients will receive the full three points for this section. Applicants proposing a project to serve a state that has been previously served in either of the last two years will result in zero points. A list of WB recipients and the states served can be found in Appendix A (3 points).
c. Expected Outcomes and Outputs (up to 15 points)
Clearly identify outputs and outcomes that will result from the project. Outputs are tangible products or services that result from the project. Outcomes are the positive benefits or measurable results that occur as the result of project activities or outputs.1 This section must:
Demonstrate that the identified outputs and outcomes are realistic, clear, and consistent with the expressed TA need (5 points).
Propose targets for each of the outcomes below, in addition to other proposed outcomes/outputs of the applicant’s choosing, and how the applicant will track these outcomes/outputs:
The number of women expected to enroll in pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs by the end of the grant period as a result of the TA you propose to provide (2 points);
The number and percentage of enrollees expected to complete pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs by the end of the grant period as a result of the TA you propose to provide (2 points);
Number and percentage of women seeking full-time employment who secure full-time employment as a result of TA you provide (2 points);
Number and percentage of women seeking full-time employment who secure a job with a higher wage as a result of TA you provide (2 points); and
Whether, to what extent, and how products or services developed with TA provided under this grant can or will be sustained beyond the grant period (2 points).
d. Project Design (up to 22 points)
The Project Design section must include the following:
A description of feasible and coherent methods the project will use to facilitate the outputs and outcomes identified by the applicant in response to section IV.B.3.c “Expected Outputs and Outcomes” and section VI.C.2 “Quarterly Reporting” along with how the applicant will track results (5 points);
A plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the project will accomplish the proposed work and reasonable timelines for completion of work. The plan must account for all functions and activities identified in the application (5 points);
A description of the factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and the reason for taking the proposed approach rather than other approaches (2 points);
A clear and convincing assessment identifying any potential barriers that may impact the project’s success and a description of how the project can overcome those barriers (3 points);
A description of how you will collaborate with the appropriate or applicable federal and state agencies to ensure your TA is provided in accordance with federal and state law, policy, guidance, and regulations (1 point);
A clear logic model that outlines how your TA delivery will lead to the employment and/or retention of women in Registered Apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations (2 points); and
Identification of the employers and/or labor unions to which you intend to provide TA, and a description of the extent of their engagement in and commitment to your project, as well as key partners to promote sustainability of the TA after the project concludes. Note: Applicants should provide letters of commitment from employers and/or labor unions to which they propose to provide TA. Omission of these letters will not cause disqualification of the application; however, the omission may impact scoring (4 points).
e. Performance Evaluation (up to 10 points)
The Performance Evaluation section must:
Describe clearly and fully the measures, methods, techniques, and tools that will be used to evaluate the project to determine whether (1) the project achieved its anticipated outcomes and (2) to what extent those outcomes can be attributed to the project (4 points);
Provide details on how project participants will participate in evaluation activities (1 point);
Clearly explain how the data will be used to inform program delivery and how “lessons learned,” both positive and negative, will be documented (2 points);
Applicants should provide a clear and comprehensive plan on tracking the progress of reaching the proposed outcome and output indicators listed in the IV.B.3.c (Expected Outcomes and Outputs) and VI.C.2 (Quarterly Performance Reports) sections (3 points).
f. Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (up to 22 points)
This section must include the following information pertaining to the applicant organization:
A clear description of the applicant organization’s current mission, structure, staffing, and relevant experience. Describe how these factors contribute to the ability of the organization to conduct the program requirements and meet program expectations. Include information about any organization(s) under contract with the applicant that will have a significant role in implementing the project. Include the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after Federal financial assistance has ended (5 points);
A description of the fiscal and administrative controls in place to properly manage federal funds, and include the current operating expenses and revenues in this description (3 points);
A description of the applicant’s experience and capability in developing training programs designed to prepare women to gain employment in apprenticeable or other nontraditional occupations (4 points);
A description of the applicant’s experience and capability working with the business community to provide resources on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO (4 points);
A description of the applicant’s experience and capability with setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services for women in A/NTO to improve their retention (3 points); and
An explanation of whether or not the applicant organization has tradeswomen or women in nontraditional occupations as active members of the organization, as either employees or board members (3 points).
g. Past Performance – Programmatic Capability (up to 12 points)
Applicants will be assessed on programmatic capabilities to implement the WANTO grant program, as demonstrated through past performance in comparable programs of similar size and scope. Applicants must choose only one of the two categories listed below to demonstrate their capabilities, each of which are worth 12 total points. Applicants that neglect to clearly specify the scoring category will receive zero points.
Category 1: Applicants who have received at least three grants or cooperative agreements.
Applicants must:
Submit a list of three such grants/cooperative agreements that are similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project. All grants/cooperative agreements must have been completed by June 27, 2020. Applicants must include a grantor contact name and telephone number for each grant/cooperative agreement listed. Do not submit more than three grants/cooperative agreements to demonstrate past performance. If more than three are included, only the three most recent will be considered.
For each grant/cooperative agreement, provide two significant performance goals and the outcomes of those goals to demonstrate if and how the applicant successfully completed and managed the project. The outcomes must clearly demonstrate if the goals were met or exceeded.
Points will be assigned for each goal (up to two goals per agreement requested) that was met or exceeded (2 points per goal).
Category 2: Applicants who have NOT received at least three grants or cooperative agreements.
Applicants must:
Describe in detail and document past accomplishments achieved operating a comparable program(s), grant(s), or cooperative agreement(s). Description of a comparable program or projects should include:
Whether the program(s) or project(s) developed a pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to specifically prepare women for careers in A/NTO (up to 2 points).
Whether the program(s) or project(s) included delivering TA to employers, labor unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; in addition to setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services for women in A/NTO to improve their retention (up to 2 points).
How many women were served, or the typical number served in each cohort, and whether proposed program(s) or project(s) will be of a similar scale (1 point).
How long the program(s)/project(s) have been operational (1 point).
Clear and convincing explanation as to how your experience operating a comparable program(s) or project(s) prepared you to undertake the complexities of operating the proposed project (6 points).
h. Budget and Budget Narrative (up to 6 points)
The Budget and Budget Narrative will be used to evaluate this section. Please see Section IV.B.2 for information on the requirements. The SF-424A Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative. The Budget Narrative must:
Demonstrate realistic and reasonable costs that are both in alignment with the activities outlined in the project narrative, and necessary to implement the project (2 points);
Provide a clear description of costs associated with each SF-424A line item, and includes the required level of detail as outlined in section IV.B.2 (2 points); and
Explain and estimate proposed participant supportive service costs, which must not exceed 15 percent of the requested funding (2 points).
4.
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
Narrative 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.
a. Required Attachments
1. Abstract
You must submit an up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project. This attachment does not impact the scoring of the application; however, if your organization is selected for an award, the information you include in the abstract will be published on USASpending.gov, a public-facing website that acts as the official open data source for Federal spending information.
The abstract must include the following:
the applicant’s name;
purpose of the project;
activities to be funded by the grant;
expected outcomes of the project;
intended beneficiaries of the project; and
subrecipient activities, if applicable.
2. Letter demonstrating CBO eligibility
Per the WANTO Act, “the term ‘community-based organization’ means a community-based organization…that has demonstrated experience administering programs that train women for apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations.” More can be read about the definition in Appendix B. Only applicants that meet this definition of CBO will be eligible for a grant under this Funding Opportunity Announcement. To confirm that applicants meet the definition of CBO, applicants must submit a letter from the applying organization detailing how the applicant meets the criteria of a CBO. For applicants applying on behalf of a CBO consortium, the applying organization must be the one to provide the letter detailing how they meet the criteria of a CBO. Letters must be on organizational letterhead, and be digitally signed by the applicant organization’s authorized representative (must include PDF time and date stamp) or an original signature not electronically produced. Omission of this letter will cause disqualification. Letters must include:
How long the applicant has been in operation and during that time, how many years of experience the applicant has administering programs that train women for apprenticeable or nontraditional occupations. Please also provide details on this experience, i.e., the specific work done in this area and how many women have been served each year as well as how many cohorts of women-centered training the applicant has taught or how many women are typically in each training cohort.
How many years of experience the applicant has working with the business community to create successful environments for women in apprenticeships or nontraditional occupations. Please also provide details on this experience.
How many years of experience the applicant has in setting up support groups, facilitating networks, and/or providing supportive services (as defined in section IV.E.3) for women to improve their retention in job related training for apprenticeable or nontraditional occupations.
b. Requested Attachments
We request the following attachments, but their omission will not cause us to disqualify the application. The omission of the attachment will, however, impact scoring unless otherwise noted.
1. Memorandum of Understanding / Letter of Commitment
Applicants should provide letters of commitment from entities to which they propose to provide TA. These letters should be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and labeled “Letters of Commitment.” Omission of these letters will not cause disqualification of the application; however, the omission may impact scoring.
2.
Indirect Cost Agreement
If
you are requesting indirect costs based on a Negotiated Indirect Cost
Rate Agreement approved by your federal Cognizant Agency, then attach
the most recently approved Agreement. (For more information, see
Section IV.B.2. and Section IV.E.1.) This attachment does not impact
scoring of the application.
When submitting in grants.gov, this
document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package
and labeled, “Indirect Cost Rate Agreement.”
3.
Financial System Risk Assessment Information
All
applicants are requested to submit Funding Opportunity Announcement
Financial System Risk Assessment Information. See Section V.B.2 for
a sample template and additional instructions. This attachment does
not impact the scoring of the application.
Due Date for Applications: August 7, 2025
You must submit your application electronically on https://www.grants.gov no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Applicants should submit their application before the closing date to minimize the risk of late receipt. We will not review applications received after 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We will not accept applications sent by hard-copy, e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX).
1.
Hardcopy Submission
No
applications submitted in hardcopy by mail or hand delivery
(including overnight delivery) will be accepted for this funding
opportunity.
2. Electronic Submission through Grants.gov
Applicants submitting applications must ensure successful submission no later than 11:59 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 verifies only 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/applicants/applicant-registration. 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/applicants/workspace-overview.
For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants.
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 acknowledgment 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 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs.
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/connect/manage-subscriptions/.
If you encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, contact one of the following:
call 1-800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or
email [email protected].
The Grants.gov Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, 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
We will consider only applications successfully submitted through Grants.gov no later than 11:59 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.
This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
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, found in
the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards (Uniform Guidance), codified at 2 CFR Part 200 and at 2 CFR
Part 2900 (Uniform Guidance-DOL specific). Disallowed costs are
those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its
representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the
Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant.
Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to
reimbursement of pre-award costs.
1.
Indirect Costs
As specified in the Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, indirect costs are those costs incurred for common or joint purpose benefiting more than one cost objective and not readily assignable to the cost objectives specifically benefited, without effort disproportionate to the results achieved. It may be necessary to establish multiple pools of indirect costs to facilitate equitable distribution of indirect expenses to the cost objectives served. Indirect cost pools must be distributed to benefited cost objectives on a basis that will produce an equitable result in consideration of relative benefits derived. 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 15 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs 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 does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, with the exceptions noted at 2 CFR 200.414(f) in the Cost Principles, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 15 percent of modified total direct costs (see DOL's definition below), which may be used indefinitely. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as the non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time. (2 CFR 200.414(f) for more information on use of the de minimis rate.)
Modified Total Direct Cost definition: To avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, DOL defines MTDC as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward or subcontract (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards and subcontracts 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 or subcontract in excess of $50,000. See 2 CFR §200.1.
2. Salary and Bonus Limitations
None of the funds appropriated in the appropriation statute(s) may be used by a recipient or subrecipient of such funds to pay the salary and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II. The Executive Level II salary may change yearly and is located on the OPM.gov website. This limitation does not apply to contractors (vendors) providing goods and services as defined in 2 C.F.R. § 200.331. Where states are recipients of such funds, states may establish a lower limit for salaries and bonuses of those receiving salaries and bonuses from subrecipients of such funds, taking into account factors including the relative cost of living in the state, the compensation levels for comparable State or local government employees, and the size of the organizations that administer Federal programs involved, including Women’s Bureau programs. See the Program Authority found in Section I.B, and TEGL 05-06 for additional information : https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-05-06.
3. 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 recipient will be required to license to the public all work
created with the support of the grant under open licensing. Work that
must be licensed under open licensing includes both new content
created with the grant funds and modifications made to pre-existing,
recipient-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 recipient. Notice of the license shall be
affixed to the work.
Questions about open
licensing as it applies to this specific funding opportunity should
be submitted to the email address referenced 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 open licensing.
Pre-existing copyrighted materials licensed to or purchased by the
recipient from third parties, including modifications of such
materials, remain subject to the intellectual property rights the
recipient receives under the terms of the particular license or
purchase. In addition, works created by the recipient without grant
funds do not fall under the open licensing requirement.
The
purpose of the open 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 recipient 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 open
licensing 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 recipient may not use federal
funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted
work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work,
where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such
work. If revenues are generated through selling products developed
with grant funds, including intellectual property, 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 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 Women’s Bureau. 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.”
4. Supportive Services
Grantees may spend no more than 15 percent of funds awarded for supportive services to ensure women’s participation in technical assistance activities (e.g., outreach sessions, orientation sessions, focus groups, support groups, and apprenticeable/nontraditional occupations skills training) intended to assist labor unions and employers with increasing and retaining women in Registered Apprenticeships and NTOs. Examples of supportive services may include allowances for childcare, housing, transportation, and/or language assistance services to ensure participation at technical assistance activities; job-related equipment and gear to the extent it is provided as a consequence of a technical assistance activity (e.g., a training session on work-related equipment that improves women workers’ ability to be employed or retained in a A/NTO); or job-related training tuition costs to the extent the training is provided as technical assistance to an employer or labor union. Please note that while supportive services dollars may be used towards ensuring women’s participation at apprenticeable/nontraditional occupations skills training, these funds may not be used to support women’s continued enrollment in apprenticeship programs. In offering supportive services, grantees should also provide counseling and resource referral so that participants are aware of services and funding sources that could provide the supports needed for women to be successful in apprenticeship and NTOs in the long term. These include programs such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Head Start and Early Head Start, as well as sources of funding potentially available under WIOA and other statutes the Department administers.
5. Credential Transparency
The Department wishes to ensure that individuals, employers, educators and training providers have access to the most complete, current and beneficial information about providers, programs, credentials, and competencies supported with these public, federal funds. To this end, the Department requires that information about all credentials (including but not limited to diplomas, badges, certificates, certifications, apprenticeships, licenses, and degrees of all levels and types) and competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) developed or delivered through the use of these public federal funds be made publicly accessible through the use of linked open data formats that support full transparency and interoperability, such as through the use of credential transparency description language specifications. ETA will provide specific guidance and technical assistance on data elements to include in the published open data, such as information about the credential provider, the credential and its associated competencies, delivery mode, geographic coverage, the industry sector(s) and occupation(s) for which the credential was developed, related assessments, related accreditations or other quality assurances where appropriate, costs, and available outcomes.
Withdrawal of Applications: You may withdraw an application by written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.
We
have instituted procedures for assessing the technical merit of
applications to provide for an objective review of applications and
to assist you in understanding the standards against which your
application will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the
information required in the application as described in Sections
IV.B.2. (Project Budget) and IV.B.3(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 |
Maximum Points |
|
10 |
|
3 |
|
15 |
|
22 |
|
10 |
|
22 |
|
12 |
|
6 |
TOTAL |
100 |
1.
Merit Review and Selection Process
A
technical merit review panel will carefully evaluate applications
against the selection criteria to determine the merit of
applications. These criteria are based on the policy goals,
priorities, and emphases set forth in this FOA. Up to 100
points may be awarded to an applicant, depending on the quality of
the responses provided. The final scores (which may include the
mathematical normalization of review panels) will serve as the
primary basis for selection of applications for funding. The panel
results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer.
The Grant Officer reserves the right to make selections based solely
on the final scores or to take into consideration other relevant
factors when applicable. Such factors may include the geographic
distribution of funds, demonstrated experience as a CBO as defined
under the WANTO Act and in this FOA, and other relevant factors. 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.
2.
Risk Review Process
Prior
to making an award, DOL 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, DOL will comply with the requirements
of 2 CFR Part 180 and 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 DOL
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 the following:
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, and other requirements imposed on recipients.
NOTE: As part of DOL’s Risk Review process, the Grant Officer will determine the following:
If the applicant had any restriction on spending for any DOL grant due to adverse monitoring findings; or
If the applicant received a High-Risk determination in accordance with TEGL 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 DOL to
assess the applicant’s Financial System. DOL will take this
information into account as one component of DOL’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 DOL. See next page
for suggested template.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION (ETA) FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT FINANCIAL SYSTEM RISK ASSESSMENT |
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SECTION A: PURPOSE
|
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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 Part 200 and 2 CFR Part 2900.
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SECTION B: GENERAL
|
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1. Applicant Legal Name (as it appears in SAM.gov): |
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• President/Chair Board of Directors • Chief Executive Officer • Chief Financial Officer • Accounting/Budget Officer |
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If yes, please provide details as to the nature of the company (for profit, nonprofit, LLC, etc.) and if it provides services or products to the organization in relation to this grant: |
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|
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SECTION C: ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
|
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NOTE: Provide a detailed response (on a separate page on your organization’s letterhead and signed/dated by a Principal Officer) for any items 2-10 of Section C that have “No” or “Not Sure” answer(s), providing enough information to clearly reflect the expertise of the organization in these areas. |
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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 or No: |
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a. If yes, provide name, and address of Agency performing review: |
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b. Attach a copy of the latest review and any subsequent correspondence, clearance documents, etc. If the review occurred withing the past three years, omit questions 2 through 8 of this section, as well as Section D. |
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2. Which of the following best describes the accounting system: a.) State administered; b. Internally developed; or c.) Web-based: |
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3. Does the accounting system identify the receipt and expenditure of program funds separately for each contract/grant? |
Yes |
No |
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 |
No |
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 |
No |
Not Sure |
6. If the organization proposes an overhead rate, does the accounting system provide for the segregation of direct and indirect expenses? |
Yes |
No |
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 |
No |
Not Sure |
8. Does the accounting/financial system include budgetary controls to preclude incurring obligations in excess of total funds available for a grant? |
Yes |
No |
Not Sure |
9. Does the accounting/financial system include budgetary controls to preclude incurring obligations in excess of total funds available for a budget cost category (e.g. Personnel, Travel, etc.)? |
Yes |
No |
Not Sure |
10. 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 |
No |
Not Sure
|
SECTION D: FINANCIAL STABILITY
|
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11. Is there any legal matter or an ongoing financial concern that may impact the organization’s ability to manage and administer the grant? Yes or No: If yes, please explain briefly. |
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SECTION E: FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
|
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12. Did an independent certified public accountant (CPA) ever examine the financial statements? Yes or No: |
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13. If an independent CPA review was performed, please attach a copy of their latest report and any management letters issued. Enclosed or N/A: |
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14. If an independent CPA was engaged to perform a review and no report was issued, please provide details and an explanation below: |
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SECTION F: PAYMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ACCOUNT
|
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15. ETA uses the Department of Health and Human Services Payment Management System (PMS). If your organization has an ETA PMS account, provide the PMS EIN and the PMS account (e.g., 89X7X) where grant funding should be placed if selected for award: |
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SECTION G: ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
|
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16. Use this space for any additional information. (Indicate section and item numbers if a continuation.) |
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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.
1. 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 Part 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR Part 200).
All entities must comply with 29 CFR Part 93 (New Restrictions on Lobbying), 29 CFR Part 94 (Governmentwide Requirements for Drug-Free Workplace (Financial Assistance)), 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 CFR Parts 29 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.
2. Other Legal Requirements
a. 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. As stated in 29 CFR § 2.32(a), religious
organizations are eligible on the same basis as any other
organization, to seek DOL support or participate in DOL programs for
which they are otherwise eligible. Guidance from DOL is found at
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/grants/religious-freedom-restoration-act/guidance.
b.
Lobbying or Fundraising the U.S. Government with Federal Funds
In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-65) (2 U.S.C. § 1611), non-profit entities incorporated under Internal Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive federal funds and grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. federal, state, or local governments (see 2 CFR § 200.450 for more information).
c. Transparency Act Requirements
You must ensure that you have the necessary processes and systems in place to comply with the reporting requirements of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (Pub. Law 109-282, as amended by the Government Funding Transparency Act of 2008, Pub. Law 110-252, Title VI, Chap. 2, Sec. 6202), 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 you 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 they may own or operate in their 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.
d. Safeguarding Data Including Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Applicants submitting applications in response to this FOA must recognize that confidentiality of PII and other sensitive data is of paramount importance to the Department of Labor and must be observed except where disclosure is allowed by the prior written approval of the Grant Officer or by court order. By submitting an application, you are assuring that all data exchanges conducted through or during the course of performance of this grant will be conducted in a manner consistent with applicable federal law and TEGL 39-11 (issued June 28, 2012). All such activity conducted by DOL 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 the 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 DOL 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 DOL 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 DOL 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 DOL. Accessing, processing, and storing of DOL 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 DOL.
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 DOL for any purpose not stated in the grant agreement.
Access to any PII created by the DOL 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 DOL 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 DOL only for the period of time required to use it for assessment and other purposes, or to satisfy applicable federal records retention requirements, if any. Thereafter, you agree that all data will be destroyed, including the degaussing of magnetic tape files and deletion of electronic data.
e. Record Retention
You must 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.
f. Use of Contracts and Subawards
You must abide by the following definitions of contract, contractor, subaward, and subrecipient.
Contract: Contract means a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity (defined as a state or local government, Indian tribe, institution of higher education (IHE), non-profit 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 § 200.331-.333 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 at 2 CFR Part 2998.
g. Closeout of Grant Award
Any entity that receives an award under this Announcement must close its grant with ODEP at the end of the final year of the grant. Closeout information will be included in the grant agreement.
h. Appeal Rights
2 CFR § 200.342 Opportunities to object, hearings, and appeals
Upon taking any remedy for non-compliance, the Federal awarding agency must provide the non-Federal entity an opportunity to object and provide information and documentation challenging the suspension or termination action, in accordance with written processes and procedures published by the Federal awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity must comply with any requirements for hearings, appeals or other administrative proceedings to which the non-Federal entity is entitled under any statute or regulation applicable to the action involved.
2 CFR § 200.346 Collection of amounts due
(a) Any funds paid to the non-Federal entity in excess of the amount to which the non-Federal entity is finally determined to be entitled under the terms of the Federal award constitute a debt to the Federal Government. If not paid within 90 calendar days after demand, the Federal awarding agency may reduce the debt by:
(1) Making an administrative offset against other requests for reimbursements;
(2) Withholding advance payments otherwise due to the non-Federal entity; or
(3) Other action permitted by Federal statute.
(b) Except where otherwise provided by statutes or regulations, the Federal awarding agency will charge interest on an overdue debt in accordance with the Federal Claims Collection Standards (31 CFR Parts 900 through 999). The date from which interest is computed is not extended by litigation or the filing of any form of appeal.
Please refer to the DOL-specific Uniform Guidance regulations, 2 CFR § 2900.22(b), which outlines appeals, as well as 2 § CFR 2900.20, Federal Agency Audit Responsibilities.
3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions
Except as specifically provided in this FOA, our acceptance of an application and an award of federal funds to sponsor any programs(s) does not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For example, the OMB Uniform Guidance requires that an entity’s procurement procedures ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted, as much as practical, to provide full and open competition. If an application identifies a specific entity to provide goods or services, the award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the procurement (i.e., avoid competition).
4. Special Program Requirements
DOL Evaluation
As a condition of grant award, grantees are required to participate in an evaluation, if undertaken by DOL. The evaluation may include an implementation assessment across grantees, an impact and/or outcomes analysis of all or selected sites within or across grantees, 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 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, grantees 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; and (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.
b. Performance Goals
Please note that applicants will be held to outcomes provided, and failure to meet those outcomes may result in technical assistance or other intervention by DOL, and may also have a significant impact on decisions about future grants with DOL.
You must meet DOL reporting requirements. Specifically, you must submit the reports and documents listed below to DOL electronically.
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
Grant recipients are required to report quarterly financial data on the SF-425 Federal Financial Report (FFR), which is due no later than 30 calendar days after the end of each specified reporting quarter. Reporting quarter end dates are March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. A final FFR for the last quarter of the period of performance must be submitted no later than 120 calendar days after the quarter ends. See 2 CFR § 200.344. On the final FFR, grant recipients must be sure to include any subaward amounts so we can calculate final indirect costs, if applicable.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly performance report within 30 days after the end of each calendar-year quarter. The report must include quarterly information on interim indicators and performance goals. The last quarterly progress report will serve as the grant’s Final Performance Report. This report must provide both quarterly and cumulative information on the grant performance. Submission requirements will be provided to grantees upon award. We will also provide you with guidance about the data and other information that is required to be collected and reported on either a regular basis or special request basis.
Where
applicable to project goals and objectives, grantees will be asked to
report on the following indicators in addition to any other outputs
and outcomes discussed in their proposal:
The number of women who enroll in and the number and percentage of women who complete pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs by the end of the grant period of performance as a result of the TA you provide;
The number and percentage of women who achieve measurable skill gains by the end of the grant period of performance as a result of job skills training you provide;
The number and percentage of women who earn credentials, such as certificates or industry licenses, by the end of the grant period of performance as a result of job skills training you provide;
The number of women who receive and benefit from job retention activities, such as support groups and mentoring, by the end of the grant period of performance.
Number of women who accessed supportive services, if offered, as a result of WANTO funding. Also include the types and amount of supportive services offered as well as the cost of providing these services;
Number and percentage of women who secure a job with a higher wage by the end of the grant period of performance as a result of TA you provide. If possible, list the starting and ending wages;
Number of employers and/or labor unions that receive TA (including number of employers and/or labor unions that create new pre-apprenticeship program) that assists them in recruiting, training, and employing women in apprenticeable and/or nontraditional occupations;
Promising practices or innovative approaches to increasing women’s participation and retention in pre-apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, and nontraditional occupations that are developed using WANTO funding;
Promising innovations to employer hiring practices or work environment (which increase women’s participation and retention in youth apprenticeship, Registered Apprenticeship, or nontraditional occupations) that are developed using WANTO funding.
Additional information as requested.
The final quarterly report must contain an update on whether the grantee met the Expected Outputs and Outcomes discussed in IV.B.3.c and a detailed explanation if they did not meet these goals.
For further information about this FOA, please email [email protected]. Applicants must specifically reference FOA-WB-25-01, and along with question(s), include a contact name and phone number. This Announcement is available at https://www.grants.gov.
A. WEB-BASED RESOURCES
DOL maintains a number of web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. These include the CareerOneStop portal (https://www.careeronestop.org), which provides national and state career information on occupations; the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) Online (https://online.onetcenter.org), which provides occupational competency profiles; and America's Service Locator (https://www.servicelocator.org), which provides a directory of our nation’s American Job Centers (formerly known as One-Stop Career Centers). Additional resources on how to apply for grants can be found at www.dol.gov/grants.
B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS
DOL supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection of competencies that, taken together, define successful performance in a particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development programs. To learn about the industry-validated models, visit the Competency Model Clearinghouse (CMC) at 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.
C. 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 new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Application 101: How to Apply for a Grant,” available through WorkforceGPS at https://grantsapplicationandmanagement.workforcegps.org/resources/2022/05/10/15/23/How-to-Apply-for-a-Grant.
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 that contains online training and resources for fiscal and administrative issues. Online trainings available include, but are not limited to, Introduction to Grant Applications and Forms, Indirect Costs, Cost Principles, and Accrual Accounting.
D. SKILLSCOMMONS RESOURCES
SkillsCommons (https://www.skillscommons.org) offers an online library of curriculum and related training resources to obtain industry-recognized credentials in manufacturing, IT, healthcare, energy, and other industries. The website contains thousands of Open Educational Resources (OER) for job-driven workforce development, which were produced by grantees funded through DOL’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 No 1225-0086, Expires June 30, 2028.
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
June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C. by:
Carla
Wills
Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration
Past Grantees
2007
-
Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Employment for Women
-
Hard-Hatted Women
- Playa Vista Job Opportunities and Business
Services
2008
- Action for Boston Community
Development, Inc.
- Wider Opportunities for Women
- Women
in Non Traditional Employment Roles
2010
- Chicago
Women in Trades
- Nontraditional Employment for Women
-
Pennsylvania Women Work
- State Emergency Response Systems
Inc.
- United Communities Against Poverty Inc.
- YWCA of
Greater Cincinnati
2012
- Action for Boston Community
Development, Inc.
- Chicago Women in the Trades
- Goodwill
of North Georgia, Inc.
- Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
- West
Virginia Women Work, Inc.
- Women in Non Traditional Employment
Roles
2014
- Chicago Women in the Trades
-
Nontraditional Employment for Women
- Oregon Tradeswomen,
Inc.
2016
- Chicago Women in the Trades
-
Nontraditional Employment for Women
- Oregon Tradeswomen,
Inc.
2017
- Aroostook County Action Program, Inc.
-
Career Training Institute
- Full Employment Council, Inc.
-
West Virginia Women Work, Inc.
2018
- Aroostook
County Action Program, Inc.
- Community Services Agency Metro
Washington AFL-CIO
- Chicago Women in Trades
- Vermont
Works for Women
2019
- Chicago Women in Trades
-
Hampton Roads Workforce Council
- Wisconsin Regional Training
Partnership Inc.
2020
-Apprenticeship
and Nontraditional Employment for Women
-Center for Employment
Training
-Chicago Women in Trades
-Gang Alternatives
Inc.
-Goodwill Industries of East Texas Inc.
-Workforce
Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties
Inc.
2021
-Moore Community House, Inc.
-Per
Scholas, Inc.
-SER Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast,
Inc.
-Tradeswomen Inc.
-Wisconsin Regional Training
Partnership, Inc.
2022
-Apprenticeship
and Nontraditional Employment for Women
-Chicago Women in
Trades
-Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
-Hampton Roads
Workforce Council
-Nontraditional Employment for Women
Current Grantees and States Served in the Past Two Years
Grantee |
State(s) Served |
2023 |
|
Ada Developers Academy |
Washington |
AFL-CIO Working for America Institute |
Alabama |
Hope Renovations |
North Carolina |
Moore Community House |
Mississippi |
Rhode Island Women in the Trades |
Rhode Island |
SER-Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast, Inc. |
Texas |
Vincentian Ohio Action Network Accompany Returning Citizens with Hope (ARCH) |
Ohio |
2024 |
|
Arkansas Center for Data Sciences (Apprenticely) |
Arkansas |
Catalyst Connection |
Pennsylvania |
Chicago Women in Trades |
Pennsylvania, Texas, and Ohio |
Dev/Mission |
California |
Fresh Start Women’s Foundation |
Arizona |
Maryland Apprenticeship Connector |
Maryland |
Southern Nevada Building Trades Union |
Nevada |
Vermont Works for Women |
Vermont |
Veterans Enterprise Training & Services Group, Inc. |
Washington, DC |
For
the purposes of this FOA, the following terms are defined for the
convenience of prospective applicants:
Apprentice: A worker at least 16 years of age, except where a higher minimum age standard is otherwise fixed by law, who is employed to learn an apprenticeable occupation as provided in 29 C.F.R § 29.4 under standards of apprenticeship fulfilling the requirements of 29 C.F.R § 29.5.
Apprenticeable Occupations: Occupations that are specified by industry and which must meet the following criteria:
Involve skills that are customarily learned in a practical way through a structured, systematic program of on-the-job supervised learning;
Be clearly identified and commonly recognized throughout an industry;
Involve the progressive attainment of manual, mechanical, or technical skills and knowledge which, in accordance with the industry standard for the occupation, would require the completion of at least 2,000 hours of on-the-job learning to attain; and
Require related instruction to supplement the on-the-job learning.
Apprenticeship Agreement: A written agreement, complying with 29 C.F.R § 29.7, between an apprentice and either the apprentice’s program sponsor, or an apprenticeship committee acting as agent for the program sponsor(s), which contains the terms and conditions of the employment and training of the apprentice.
Community-Based Organization: As defined in the WANTO Act, a private non-profit organization (which may include a faith-based organization) that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community, that has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in the field of workforce development, and that has demonstrated experience administering programs that train women for apprenticeable occupations or other nontraditional occupations.
National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards (NGS): A template of high-quality apprenticeship program standards submitted by a labor union, trade or industry association, employer, workforce intermediary, education provider, or other organizations with national scope; these apprenticeship standards may be certified by the Office of Apprenticeship (OA) in instances where they are (1) found suitable for adoption or adaptation by State or local affiliates of the submitting organization, and (2) fully satisfy the regulatory requirements set forth at 29 CFR Parts 29 and 30 and any sub-regulatory guidance issued thereunder. NGS that receive certification by OA may be registered subsequently on a local basis by the applicable Registration Agency (either by an OA State Office or by a State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA)) within a particular State or jurisdiction where a program adopting the NGS standards is situated.
National Program Standards (NPS): Programs that are registered by OA on a national basis and that consist of occupational standards which: (1) are developed and sponsored by an employer, national trade or industry organization, labor organization, educational institution, or consortium; (2) are demonstrably national or multi-State in their design, suitability, and scope based on consideration of the National Program Standards criteria; and (3) comply with the regulatory requirements contained in 29 CFR Part 29 and 29 CFR Part 30.
Non-Traditional Occupations (NTO): Those occupations where women account for less than 25 percent of all persons employed in a single occupational group.
Office of Apprenticeship (OA): The office designated by the Employment and Training Administration to administer the National Apprenticeship System or its successor organization.
Pre-Apprenticeship Program: A program or set of strategies designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship program and has a documented partnership with at least one, if not more, Registered Apprenticeship program(s). See also Department of Labor Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 23-23.
Registered Apprenticeship (RA): A proven model of job preparation that combines paid on-the-job learning with related instruction to progressively increase worker’s skill levels and wages. For additional information, see https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
Registered Apprenticeship Program: A plan containing all terms and conditions for the qualification, recruitment, selection, employment, and training of apprentices, as required under 29 CFR part 29 and part 30, including such matters as the requirement for a written apprenticeship agreement.
Sponsor: Any person, association, committee, or organization operating an apprenticeship program and in whose name the program is (or is to be) registered or approved.
Registration Agency: OA or a recognized State Apprenticeship Agency that has responsibility for registering apprenticeship programs and apprentices, providing TA, conducting reviews for compliance with 29 CFR part 29 and part 30, and quality assurance assessments.
State Apprenticeship Agency: An agency of a state government that has responsibility and accountability for apprenticeship within the state. Only a State Apprenticeship Agency may seek recognition by OA as an agency that has been properly constituted under an acceptable law or Executive Order, and authorized by OA to register and oversee apprenticeship programs and agreements for federal purposes.
Women’s Bureau: The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau.
Youth Apprenticeship: Registered apprenticeship programs for youth between the ages of 16-24 that combine academic and technical classroom instruction with work experience through an apprenticeship program. It provides the foundation for youth to choose among multiple pathways – to enroll in college, begin full-time employment, or a combination.
For example, if a community college receives a grant to address a need for more workers in all health-related fields, an output of the project is the creation of three additional courses in health-related fields whereas an outcome of the project is a five percent increase in graduates in health-related fields.
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| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Seegers, Robin F - SOL |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2025-07-08 |