Content Centers - Comprehensive Centers Program_FY26 Application Notice and Instructions_2026 0508.pdf

U.S. Department of Education

Comprehensive Centers Program: Content Centers Assistance Listing Number: 84.283B

FY 2026 Grant Competition Posted May 8, 2026

Contents Comprehensive Centers Program: Content Centers

Program Information

Award Details

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

Costs

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Program Description

Priorities Overview

Priorities: Emerging Needs Content Centers

Priorities: Field-Initiated Content Centers

Selection Criteria

Performance Measures

Requirements

Program Requirements

Application Requirements

Application Submission Information

Application Review Information

Definitions

Award Requirements

Application Checklist

Program Information The purpose of the Comprehensive Centers (CC) program is to provide capacity-building services to state educational agencies (SEAs), regional educational agencies (REAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools that improve educational opportunities and student outcomes, close achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction for all students, particularly for groups of students with the greatest need.

On May 8, 2026, the Department published a Notice of Final Priorities, Requirements, and Definitions (NFP) (91 FR 25452) establishing a redesigned CC program that aims to better support SEAs, LEAs, REAs, TEAs, and schools and advance the Administration’s priorities to return education to the States and promote meaningful learning opportunities to improve academic outcomes for all students.

Through this notice, the Department intends to fund three Content Centers, including Content Centers based on field-

1 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 80 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and initiated priorities, and a Content Center focused on Emerging Needs. The Department may choose to make awards in this or subsequent fiscal years.

Assistance Listing Number: 84.283B.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.

OMB Control Number: 1894–00061.

For Further Information: Dr. Michelle Daley. Telephone: (202) 987-1057. Email:

OESE.ComprehensiveCenters@ed.gov.

Type of Award: Cooperative Agreements.

Estimated Available Funds: $3,450,000.

Maximum Annual Award: See Award Details section below.

Estimated Range of Awards: See Award Details section below.

Estimated Number of Awards: 3-4.

Project Period: Up to 60 months.

Application Deadline: June 30, 2026

Note: This application notice and instructions is the official document governing the grant competition. ED is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit and voluntary. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number 1894-0006. Note: Please do not return completed applications to this address.

https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/9601 mailto:OESE.ComprehensiveCenters@ed.gov mailto:ICDocketMgr@ed.gov

Award Details The Department anticipates making at least 3 awards to Content Centers as specified below. The Department will not make an award exceeding the maximum amounts specified below for a single budget period of 12 months.

Content Center Priority Estimated Number of

Awards Estimated Range of

Awards Maximum Annual

Award Field-Initiated Content Centers

At least 2 $750,000-1,150,000 $1,150,000

Emerging Needs Content Centers

1 $750,000-1,150,000 $1,150,000

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants Research organizations, institutions, agencies, institutions of higher education (IHEs), or partnerships among such entities, or individuals, with the demonstrated ability or capacity to carry out the activities described in this notice, including regional entities that carried out activities under the Educational Research, Development, Dissemination, and Improvement Act of 1994 (as such Act existed on the day before November 5, 2002) and title XIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (as such title existed on the day before January 8, 2002). A group of eligible entities may apply as a consortium, in accordance with the requirements in 34 CFR 75.127-129.

Costs Cost Sharing

This competition does not require cost sharing or matching.

Indirect Cost Rate Information:

This program uses an unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please see this webpage.

Administrative Cost Limitation https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.127-129 http://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo%22%20/l%20%22Indirect-Cost-Division%22%20/t%20%22_blank

This program does not include any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses.

All administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Uniform Guidance.

Subgrantees

Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) a grantee under this competition may award subgrants—to directly carry out project activities described in its application—to the following types of entities: Research organizations, institutions, agencies, IHEs, or partnerships among such entities, or individuals, with the demonstrated ability or capacity to carry out the activities described in this notice. The grantee may award subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

Applications Available May 8, 2026 Application Deadline June 30, 2026 Deadline for Intergovernmental Review September 8, 2026

Applicants are required to follow the 2025 Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on August 29, 2025 (90 FR 42234) and available at ED 2025 Common Instructions.

Note: For new potential grantees unfamiliar with grantmaking at ED, please consult our “Getting Started with Discretionary Grant Applications” webpage.

Program Description

Priorities Overview This notice includes three absolute priorities and four competitive preference priorities.

Absolute Priorities 1 and 3 are from the NFP. Absolute Priority 2 and Competitive Preference Priority 4 are from the Secretary's Supplemental Priority and Definitions on Meaningful Learning Opportunities (Meaningful Learning Opportunities Supplemental Priority), published in the Federal Register on February 12, 2026 (91 FR 6625). Competitive Preference Priorities 1-3 are from the 2025 Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for Discretionary Grants Programs (2025 SSPs), published in the Federal Register on September 9, 2025 (90 FR 43514).

An applicant must identify in the abstract form and the project narrative section of the application any priority that it addresses.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/part-200/subpart-E https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/29/2025-16571/common-instructions-and-information-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant http://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/apply-grant/getting-started-discretionary-grant-applications https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/02/12/2026-02854/final-priority-and-definitions-secretarys-supplemental-priority-and-definitions-on-meaningful https://www.federalregister.gov/citation/90-FR-43514

For FY 2026, and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications for this competition, these absolute and competitive preference priorities are as reflected in this document.

Note: The Department is concurrently accepting applications for the National Comprehensive Center, Regional Centers, and for the National Comprehensive Center on Improving Literacy for Students with Disabilities (NCIL) under separate competitions and priorities, in addition to applications for Emerging Needs and Field-Initiated Content Centers through this competition. Please visit Grants.gov for information on those competitions. If an applicant wishes to apply to operate more than one Comprehensive Center, the applicant must submit a separate application for each Center it wishes to serve. The Department intends to create multiple separate funding slates: one for awards under the Field-Initiated Content Center priority, one for awards under the Emerging Needs Content Center priority, one for NCIL, one for each Regional Center, and one for the National Center.

Priorities: Emerging Needs Content Centers Absolute Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet the absolute priorities. Absolute Priority 1 establishes an Emerging Needs Content Center.

Absolute Priority 2 (Meaningful Learning Opportunities: Strategic Staffing) establishes the focus area of this Emerging Needs Content Center. Applicants must respond to both Absolute Priority 1 and Absolute Priority 2.

Competitive Preference Priority: Applicants applying to establish Emerging Needs Centers under Absolute Priorities 1 and 2 may also apply under Competitive Preference Priority 1 (Returning Education to the States). An application may receive a maximum of 10 additional points under Competitive Preference Priority 1. ED will not review or award points for the competitive preference priority if an applicant fails to clearly identify it as a competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to consider.

Emerging Needs Centers Priority Summary Table

Priority Type Priority Title Required Points Priority Language

Absolute Priority 1

Content Centers:

Emerging Needs Centers

Yes N/A See below.

Priority Type Priority Title Required Points Priority Language

Absolute Priority 2

Meaningful Learning Opportunities (Strategic Staffing)

Yes N/A

Projects or proposals that are designed to strengthen core instruction through creating and supporting principals and other school leaders in implementing strategic staffing models, instructional leadership roles, or developing models for teacher and paraprofessional advancement that incentivize high-performing educators with opportunities and leverage their time, resources, and talent in innovative ways to better support student learning and achievement.

Competitive Preference Priority 1

Returning Education to the States

No 0 or 10 points

Projects or proposals that will be carried out by one or more of the following:

(a) State educational agencies (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49)),

(b) Entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal,

(c) A Tribal educational agency (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(3)), or

(d) Consortia of the entities identified under this priority.

Absolute Priority 1 Language

Content Centers: Emerging Needs Centers

Projects that propose to establish and implement a Content Center to provide technical assistance on a specific topic of national or regional importance reflected across State and local needs and priorities. Content Centers must provide high-quality, useful, and relevant https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/7801 https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/7452 client-driven, targeted and universal capacity-building services to SEA, REA, TEA, LEA, and, for the NCIL, family clients designed to build State and local capacity and improve educational opportunities, educator practice, and student outcomes (as described in section 203(f) of the Education Technical Assistance Act of 2002 (ETAA)) related to their specified topic area. Content Centers must support Regional Centers, as needed, with subject matter expertise to enhance the intensive capacity-building services provided by the Regional Centers or to design universal or targeted capacity-building services to meet identified client needs.

The project must be aligned to the following focus area:

Emerging Need Centers: To meet this focus area, an applicant must propose to establish and operate a Content Center to provide technical assistance to CC clients on an education topic of significant national or regional need. For FY 2026 or any year in which this priority is used, the Department will identify specific topics of emerging national or regional need for the Center; topics will be aligned to the Secretary's Supplemental Priorities, areas of need identified in the Regional Advisory Committee reports, the technical assistance topics identified in the ETAA, or other critical aspects of need related to quality implementation of programs under the ESEA. Applicants will be required to address the identified topic areas in order to be considered for funding under this focus area.

Proposals for Emerging Need Centers must clearly demonstrate how the Center will address the established topic, provide data and evidence to illustrate the technical assistance needs of CC clients related to the topic and propose an approach to capacity-building services that meet these technical assistance needs in the established topic area.

Emerging Need Centers must provide high-quality, useful, and relevant targeted and universal capacity-building services in the designated content area of expertise to SEA, REA, TEA, and LEA clients. Services must be designed to improve educational opportunities, educator practice, and student outcomes as described in section 203(f) of the ETAA. Content Centers must identify, synthesize, and disseminate evidence-based practices to build the capacity of practitioners, education system leaders, schools, LEAs, and SEAs to use evidence in the designated content area.

Priorities: Field-Initiated Content Centers Absolute Priorities: Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet the absolute priority. Absolute Priority 3 establishes Field-Initiated Content Centers.

Competitive Preference Priorities: Applicants under Absolute Priority 3 may also apply for competitive preference points under Competitive Preference Priority 2 (Returning Education to the States) and either Competitive Preference Priority 3 (Evidence-Based Literacy) or Competitive Preference Priority 4 (Meaningful Learning Opportunities:

Mathematics). Applicants are not required to address Competitive Preference Priorities.

An application may receive a maximum of 10 additional points under Competitive Preference Priority 2 and a maximum of 5 additional points for either Competitive Preference Priority 3 or Competitive Preference Priority 4. ED will not review or award points for the competitive preference priority if an applicant fails to clearly identify it as a competitive preference priority that it wishes ED to consider.

Note: The Secretary intends to fund no more than one Field-Initiated Center under either the Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy Competitive Preference Priority, the Meaningful Learning Opportunities (Mathematics) Competitive Preference Priority, or any other field-initiated topic proposed by applicants. Thus, the Secretary may fund applications out of rank order to ensure distinct focus areas of Field-Initiated Centers.

Field-Initiated Centers Priority Summary Table

Priority Type Priority Title Required Points Priority Language

Absolute Priority 3

Content Centers:

Field-Initiated

Yes N/A See below.

Competitive Preference Priority 2

Returning Education to the States

No 0 or 10 points

Projects or proposals that will be carried out by one or more of the following:

(a) State educational agencies (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49)),

(b) Entities identified, designated, or endorsed by a Governor or chief State education official for purposes of implementing the project or proposal,

(c) A Tribal educational agency (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7452(b)(3)), or

(d) Consortia of the entities identified under this priority.

https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/7452

Priority Type Priority Title Required Points Priority Language

Competitive Preference Priority 3

Promoting Evidence-Based Literacy

No 0 or 5 points

Projects or proposals to do one or more of the following:

(a) Advance, increase, or expand evidence-based literacy instruction (as defined in this notice), or

(b) Focus on evidence-based literacy instruction (as defined in this notice).

Competitive Preference Priority 4

Meaningful Learning Opportunities (Mathematics)

No 0 or 5 points

Projects or proposals that are designed to strengthen core instruction through improving mathematics instruction to promote student achievement through assisting states in developing comprehensive statewide plans to raise mathematics achievement that align with mathematics instruction based on strong, moderate, or promising evidence (as defined in 34

CFR 77.1).

Absolute Priority 3 Language

Content Centers: Field Initiated

Projects that propose to establish and implement a Content Center to provide technical assistance on a specific topic of national or regional importance reflected across State and local needs and priorities. Content Centers must provide high-quality, useful, and relevant client-driven, targeted and universal capacity-building services to SEA, REA, TEA, LEA, and, for the NCIL, family clients designed to build State and local capacity and improve educational opportunities, educator practice, and student outcomes (as described in section 203(f) of the ETAA) related to their specified topic area. Content Centers must support Regional Centers, as needed, with subject matter expertise to enhance the intensive capacity-building services provided by the Regional Centers or to design universal or targeted capacity-building services to meet identified client needs.

The project must be aligned to the following focus area:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.1 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-77.1

Field-Initiated: To meet this focus area, an applicant must propose to establish and operate a Content Center to provide technical assistance to CC clients on an education topic of significant national or regional need, as identified by States and other CC clients.

Proposals for Field-Initiated Centers must clearly identify the topic to be addressed and utilize applicable regional, State, and local educational data and needs analyses to provide evidence to demonstrate the national need for the proposed Center. Field-initiated topics must be aligned to authorized purposes described in section 203(f) of the ETAA and may include, but are not limited to, proposals that focus on specific educational needs, such as improving math and literacy achievement, college and career readiness, closing achievement gaps, or encouraging and sustaining school improvement. Applicants must propose priority topics based on national or cross-regional needs expressed in State Learning Agendas or another similar identification of needs and priorities set forth by SEAs, REAs, TEAs or LEAs from more than one region2.

Field-Initiated Centers must provide high-quality, useful, and relevant targeted and universal capacity-building services in the designated content area of expertise to SEA, REA, TEA, and LEA clients. Services must be designed to improve educational opportunities, educator practice, and student outcomes as described in section 203(f) of the ETAA. Content Centers must identify, synthesize, and disseminate evidence-based practices to build the capacity of practitioners, education system leaders, schools, LEAs, and SEAs to use evidence in the designated content area.

Selection Criteria Selection criteria outline how the application will be scored. The maximum possible total score an application can receive for addressing the criteria is 100 points. The maximum possible score for addressing each criterion is indicated in parentheses following the criterion. The selection criteria for this competition are from 34 CFR 75.210.

(a) Significance (up to 30 points): The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

2 In accordance with ETAA section 203, the Secretary established 10 Regional Advisory Committees (RACs) in 2023 to conduct an education needs assessment and identify each region's most critical educational needs and develop recommendations for technical assistance to meet those needs. Final RAC reports were published in December 2023 on the Department's website at https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/ regional-advisory-committees.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.210 https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/regional-advisory-committees https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/regional-advisory-committees

(1) The data presented (including a comparison to local, State, regional, national, or international data) that demonstrates the issue, challenge, or opportunity to be addressed by the proposed project (up to 15 points).

(2) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build local, State, regional, or national capacity to provide, improve, sustain, or expand training or services that address the needs of underserved populations (up to 15 points).

(b) Quality of the Project Design (up to 40 points): The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with the purposes of the grant program (up to 15 points).

(2) The adequacy of plans for ensuring the use of quantitative and qualitative data, including meaningful community member and partner input, to inform continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project (up to 5 points).

(3) The extent to which the training or professional development services to be provided by the proposed project are of sufficient quality, intensity, and duration to build recipient and project capacity in ways that lead to improvements in practice among the recipients of those services (up to 10 points).

(4) The extent to which the proposed project will include coordination with other Federal investments, as well as appropriate agencies and organizations providing similar services to the target population (up to 5 points).

(5) The extent to which the proposed project is supported by the target population that it is intended to serve (up to 5 points).

(c) Quality of the Management Plan (up to 30 points): The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for the proposed project, the Secretary considers:

(1) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks (up to 10 points).

(2) The extent to which the key personnel in the project, when hired, have the qualifications required for the proposed project, including formal training or work experience in fields related to the objectives of the project, and represent or have lived experiences of the target population (up to 10 points).

(3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of project consultants or subcontractors (up to 5 points).

(4) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project and the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project (up to 5 points).

Note: In responding to the selection criteria factor (a)(1) under Significance, applicants are encouraged to define “underserved population” in the context of students identified for prioritization under the ETAA, namely those from low-income families and students attending schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement or targeted or additional targeted support and improvement activities under ESEA section 1111(d)). In responding to the selection criteria factor (c)(3) under Quality of the Management Plan, applicants are encouraged to define “target population” in the context of the universe of CC clients (i.e., SEAs, REAs, LEAs, and schools identified for support under the ETAA) to be served by the applicant. In both cases, applicants should ensure these terms are defined in a manner that is consistent with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding Unlawful Discrimination released on July 29, 2025.

Performance Measures ED has developed the following performance measures for the purpose of reporting to ED under 34 CFR 75.110:

Program Performance Measures. The Department has established the following set of performance measures that are designed to evaluate the effectiveness of each Center, as well as the Comprehensive Centers Program as a whole.

Program Measure Description Program Performance Measure 1 The extent to which Comprehensive Center clients are satisfied with the quality, usefulness, and relevance of services provided.

Program Performance Measure 2 The extent to which Comprehensive Centers provide services and products to a wide range of recipients.

https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1409486/dl https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1409486/dl https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.110

Program Measure Description Program Performance Measure 3 The extent to which Comprehensive Centers demonstrate that capacity-building services were implemented as intended.

Program Performance Measure 4 The extent to which Comprehensive Centers demonstrate recipient outcomes were met.

In accordance with 34 CFR 75.110(b), applications must describe:

1. The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data.

2. The applicant’s capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other projects or research.

Requirements

Program Requirements Content Center grantees under this program must:

1) Create client driven service plans annually for carrying out the technical assistance and capacity-building services to be delivered by the Center in response to identified educational challenges facing students, practitioners, and education system leaders. In developing the annual service plan, the Center must demonstrate that services reflect State-identified needs and leadership priorities for assistance, such as through documentation of State approval of services and alignment to State Learning Agendas. Plans must include: High-leverage problems to be addressed, including identified client needs, capacity-building services to be delivered3, time-based outcomes (i.e., short-term, mid-term, long-term), responsible personnel, key technical assistance partners, milestones, outputs, dissemination plans, fidelity measures, if appropriate, and any other elements specified by the Department. Additionally, plans must demonstrate how services

3 Services may include universal, targeted, and intensive capacity-building services in any of the four dimensions of capacity building services as defined by this program: human capacity, organizational capacity, policy capacity, and resource capacity.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.110#p-75.110(b) will prioritize support for students and communities with the highest needs, as described in section 203(e) of the ETAA.4

2) Design and implement streamlined client-driven capacity-building services in partnership with State and local beneficiaries to reflect and address specific client needs and desired outcomes.

3) Demonstrate to the Department that it has engaged clients in defining proposed service projects and that it has secured client and partner commitments to carry out proposed annual service plans.

4) Develop and implement an effective performance management and evaluation system that integrates continuous improvement to promote effective achievement of client outcomes. The system must include methods to measure and monitor progress towards agreed upon outcomes, outputs, and milestones and to measure the reach, use, and impact of the services being delivered to ensure capacity-building services are implemented as intended, reaching intended clients and recipients, and achieving desired results. Progress monitoring must include periodic assessment of client satisfaction and timely identification of changes in State contexts that may impact the project's success. The performance management system must include strategies to report on defined program performance measures.

5) Participate in a national evaluation of the CC Program.

6) Consult and integrate feedback from States, CC clients (including, for the NCIL, families), the Department, National and Regional Centers, and other stakeholders and Department technical assistance Centers, as relevant to the Center’s content area in developing the annual service plan to inform high-quality tools, resources, and overall technical assistance in priority areas.

7) Partner with the National Center and Regional Centers as needed to directly support their States in the development and implementation of State Learning Agendas; to address requests for assistance from States within the regions; and to strengthen Regional Center staff knowledge and expertise on the evidence base and effective practices as appropriate based on the Content Center's specific focus area.

8) Establish and provide copies to the Department of partnership agreements with the National Center, Regional Centers, as needed, and Department-funded technical

4 Section 203(e) of the ETAA requires each CC to prioritize school serving high percentages or number of students from low-income families, including such schools in rural and urban areas and those receiving assistance under Title I of the ESEA; LEAs with high percentages or numbers of school-age children from low-income families, including such LEAs in rural and urban areas; and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 6311(d)].

assistance providers with expertise relevant to the Center’s area. Partnership agreements must define processes to meet relevant CC program requirements.

9) The Project Director must be capable of managing all aspects of the Center and be either at a minimum of 0.5 FTE or there must be two Co-Project Directors at a minimum of 0.75 FTE collectively.

Application Requirements Applicants for Content Center grants under this program must:

1) Describe its proposed approach to capacity-building services. This must include a logic model, as well as a description of the evidence base and strategies that support its approach to capacity building services; evidence of the applicant’s ability to provide effective capacity building services, such as relevant expertise and demonstrated results from similar projects and demonstrated expertise of key personnel; the impact the Center plans to achieve and how they will measure that impact; and the proposed approach to providing capacity-building services to students with the greatest need as described in Sec. 203(e) of the ETAA, to address the needs of all SEAs, REAs, TEAs, LEAs, and, as appropriate, schools served.

2) Describe the proposed process to identify, in partnership with CC clients, the most urgent educational challenges to be addressed, including how the Center will ensure that the challenges to be addressed are supported by data and evidence and reflected by State and local needs and priorities.

3) Describe the proposed approach to measure and monitor client progress or success in overcoming the challenges to be addressed, including how the Center will use data and evidence to demonstrate outcomes of universal, targeted, and intensive capacity building services, as applicable.

4) Demonstrate expertise in providing highly relevant and highly effective technical assistance, including by demonstrating expertise in the current research on adult learning principles, coaching, and implementation science.

5) Include in the budget narrative explanation of and estimated costs for intensive, targeted, and universal capacity-building services. Describe how the Center will promote cost-effectiveness of services, including ensuring that the estimated costs are aligned to market expectations for similar services.

6) Describe the proposed leadership structure for the Center and how the organizational leadership will effectively manage the project according to the needs of the program, including how the leadership structure provides organizational capacity to assess, manage, and strategically utilize program resources.

7) Include in the budget a line item for an annual set-aside of five percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are consistent with the proposed project’s intended outcomes.

8) Propose an approach to carry out capacity-building services that address client needs and priorities (to include those of families, for applicants to NCIL) that amplify the use of evidence-based practices, products or tools amongst practitioners, education system leaders, elementary schools and secondary schools, LEAs, REAs and TEAs, and SEAs.

9) Propose an approach to providing universal capacity-building services, including how the Center will develop and widely disseminate evidence-based products or tools; outreach to practitioners, education system leaders, and policymakers in formats that are high quality, easily accessible, and understandable; identify intended beneficiaries; and ensure that proposed capacity-building services are driven by client needs and co-developed with client input.

10) Describe the educational challenges to be addressed by the project, including how the challenges to be addressed are aligned to Section 203(f)(1) of the ETAA and supported by data and evidence and reflected by cross-regional State and local needs and priorities. The description must utilize applicable national, regional, State, and local educational data to demonstrate the identified needs that could be addressed through the proposed capacity-building approach to implement and scale up evidence-based programs, practices, and interventions.

Application Submission Information Competition Resources

Pre-application webinars and other resources specific to this competition will be available at the program website.

Registration

To apply, you must first be registered in two systems: SAM.gov and Grants.gov. If you are already registered, make sure your registration is active and up to date.

Grants.gov registration involves several steps, including registration on SAM.gov. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot apply until all registration steps are complete. Once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to become available in Grants.gov. For detailed information on the registration steps, please go to: Grants.gov Applicant Registration.

Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-birth-grade-12/school-and-community-improvement-grants/comprehensive-centers-program-national-regional-and-content-centers-84283b#applicant-info-and-eligibility http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration

ED strongly recommends that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application.

Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. If Grants.gov rejects your application, you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

You must provide the Unique-Entity ID (UEI) on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment in Grants.gov where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. The Grants.gov website contains further instructions on how to apply.

Intergovernmental Review

This is subject to Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of Executive Order 12372 is to strengthen federalism – or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government – by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have developed to coordinate, and

SAM.gov

You must have an active account with SAM.gov. This includes having a Unique Entity Identifier. SAM.gov registration can take several weeks. Begin that process early.

To register, go to SAM.gov and click on "Get Started."

Click on the Entity Registration Checklist for the information you will need to register in SAM.gov.

If you need help, you can call 866-606-8220 or live chat with the Federal Service Desk.

Grants.gov

You must also have an active account with Grants.gov.

To register, go to Grants.gov and click “Register.” When ready, click on “Get Registered Now” and complete the required fields.

For more information or assistance, click on “Applicant Registration Page.”

https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://www.grants.gov/applicants/grant-applications/how-to-apply-for-grants https://sam.gov/ https://sam.gov/entity-registration https://sam.gov/sites/default/files/2024-11/entity-checklist.pdf https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp https://grants.gov/ https://grants.gov/register https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces?INITIAL_LOAD=true https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/register.faces?INITIAL_LOAD=true https://grants.gov/applicants/applicant-registration review proposed Federal financial grant applications. Grant applicants need to contact State Single Points of Contact (SPOC) for information on their State’s procedures. Multi- State applicants should follow procedures specific to each state. Further information about the SPOC List and the official list of entities can be found online.

Verify Submission

Verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, log in to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once ED receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received,” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Encountering Error Messages page at Grants.gov.

For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to the Grants.gov Support Center for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs as well as additional information on Workspace.

Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or via email at: support@grants.gov. You may also access the Grants.gov Self- Service Knowledge Base web portal.

https://www.ojp.gov/IntergovernmentalReviewSPOCList.pdf https://www.grants.gov/applicants/encountering-error-messages https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://www.grants.gov/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility https://www.grants.gov/support https://www.grants.gov/applicants/applicant-faqs https://www.grants.gov/applicants/workspace-overview mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

Application Review Information Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217, information outside the rank order of applications, including: the information in each application; and any other information—

(1) Relevant to a criterion, priority, or other requirement that applies to the selection of applications for new grants;

(2) Concerning the applicant’s performance and use of funds under a previous award under any ED program; and

(3) Concerning the applicant’s failure under any ED program to submit a performance report or its submission of a performance report of unacceptable quality.

Before making awards, ED staff will screen applications submitted in accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine whether applications have met eligibility and other requirements, including whether an application may fail to meet the “General Terms and Conditions” applicable to awarded funds referenced elsewhere within this notice. This screening process may occur at various stages of the review and selection process.

Applicants that are determined to be ineligible will not receive a grant, regardless of whether the application was included in the peer review process. Applications not selected for funding will be informed of the Secretary’s decision in accordance with 34 CFR 75.218.

Peer reviewers will read, prepare a written evaluation of, and score the assigned applications, using the selection criteria provided in this notice.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance from ED (34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

Tiebreaker: If two or more applicants for any one Center under the same Absolute Priority (e.g., two applications for Field-Initiated Centers) receive the same total scores, the Secretary will select for funding among the tied applications, as appropriate, according to the following factors:

1. The applicant that has the lower effective indirect cost rate, as indicated in the ED Form 524 Section A submitted with the application.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.217#p-75.217(d)(3) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.217#p-75.217(d)(3) https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.218 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-75.218 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-100.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-100.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-104.5 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-106.4 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-108.8 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-34/section-110.23

2. If still tied after implementing the first tiebreaker, an applicant that has not received the highest overall score in this competition for any other Comprehensive Center will be ranked higher than an applicant that has received the highest overall score in this competition for any other Comprehensive Center.

3. If still tied after implementing the second tiebreaker, an application that scores higher on a selection criterion following this order will be ranked higher than an application with the same overall score: Quality of Project Design; Quality of the Management Plan; and Significance.

Page Limit Recommendation: ED encourages applicants to limit the Project Narrative section of the application to the equivalent of no more than 75 pages. While applicants may exceed this limit, ED will instruct peer reviewers to read and score only the first 75 pages of this section of the application.

Definitions The definitions are from the NFP; the ESEA; and CFR 77.1; the 2025 SSPs; and the Meaningful Learning Opportunities Supplemental Priority. The source of each definition is indicated below.

Beneficiary means organizations including, but not limited to, SEAs, LEAs, REAs, TEAs, and schools that have received “intensive” and “targeted” capacity-building services and products from Regional Centers, or that received “targeted” or “universal” capacity-building services and products from the National Center or Content Centers. (NFP)

Capacity-building services means assistance that strengthens an individual’s or organization's ability to engage in continuous improvement and achieve expected outcomes. (NFP)

Client means the organization with which the Center enters into agreement for negotiated capacity-building services. The client is engaged in defining the high-leverage problems, capacity-building services, and time-based outcomes for each project noted in the Center's annual service plan. Representatives of clients include but are not limited to Chief State School Officers or their designees, LEA leaders, and other system leaders.

(NFP)

Collaboration means exchanging information, altering activities, and sharing in the creation of ideas and resources to enhance the capacity of one another for mutual benefit to accomplish a common goal. (NFP)

Coordination means exchanging information, altering activities, and synchronizing efforts to make unique contributions to shared goals. (NFP)

Educator means an individual who is a teacher (including an early education teacher), principal or other school leader, administrator, specialized instructional support personnel (e.g., school psychologist, counselor, school social worker, librarian, early intervention service personnel), paraprofessional, faculty, and others. (NFP)

Evidence-based has the meaning ascribed in section 7801(21) of the ESEA.

Evidence-based literacy instruction means literacy instruction that relates to explicit, systematic and intentional instruction in phonological awareness, phonic decoding, oral and sign language, vocabulary, language structure, reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing; promotes knowledge-rich materials; and is backed by one or more of the following, as supported by an evidence framework (as defined in this notice):

(a) strong evidence, meaning an activity, strategy, or intervention that demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on at least one well-designed and well-implemented experimental study (strong evidence as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i)(I)) or

(b) moderate evidence, meaning an activity, strategy, or intervention that demonstrates a statistically significant effect on improving student outcomes or other relevant outcomes based on at least one well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental study (moderate evidence as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i)(II)). (2025 SSPs)

Evidence framework means an approach to providing a determination about whether an activity, strategy, or intervention meets each aspect of the definition of strong evidence or moderate evidence (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)(i)(I-II)), as applicable.

(a) An evidence framework must include each of the following:

(i) Whether or not a study is an experimental study or quasi-experimental design study;

(ii) Whether or not a study shows a positive, statistically significant effect on student outcomes or other relevant outcomes;

(iii) Whether or not a study uses outcome measures that demonstrate validity and reliability, that do not give an unfair advantage to participants in one condition over https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/20/7801 another, and that are measured consistently for the groups or participants that are being compared;

(iv) Whether or not a study design is otherwise of high quality, including whether it minimizes factors outside the intervention that could affect student or other relevant outcomes (confounds) and whether random assignment (if used) was done with integrity;

and

(v) Whether or not study implementation and analysis is appropriate, including whether groups or participants being compared demonstrate baseline equivalence on key individual and other relevant characteristics, whether differences in baseline equivalence are statistically controlled, and by considering the impact on the validity of the study of any changes to the sample over time.

(b) An evidence framework may be implemented or verified by an organization with relevant expertise that has demonstrated to the Department that it has a rigorous, transparent (i.e., publicly accessible) process for determining each aspect identified in (a). (2025 SSPs)

Experimental study means a study that is designed to compare outcomes between two groups…