foa-eta-15-05.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Notice of Availability of Funds and Funding Opportunity Announcement for YouthBuild

Announcement Type: Initial

Funding Opportunity Number: FOA-ETA-15-05

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.274

Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is June 5, 2015. Applications must be received no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Addresses: Mailed applications must be addressed to:

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management Attention: Steve Rietzke, Grant Officer Reference FOA-ETA-15-05 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716 Washington, DC 20210

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or Department), announces the availability of approximately $76 million in grant funds authorized by the YouthBuild provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) (Pub. L.

113-128). It is the Department’s intention to align this Announcement with pending WIOA regulations.

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (formerly known as a Solicitation for Grant Applications), DOL will award grants through a competitive process to organizations to oversee the provision of education, occupational skills training, and employment services to disadvantaged youth in their communities while performing meaningful work and service to their communities. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, DOL hopes to serve approximately 4,950 participants during the grant period of performance, with approximately 76 projects awarded across the country. Individual grants will range from $700,000 to $1.1 million and require an exact 25 percent match from applicants, using sources other than federal funding. The grant period of performance for this FOA is 40 months, including a four-month planning period.

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I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

YouthBuild is a community-based alternative education program for youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are high school dropouts, adjudicated youth, youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, homeless youth, and other disadvantaged youth populations. The YouthBuild program simultaneously addresses several core issues important to low-income communities: affordable housing, education, employment, leadership development and energy efficiency. The YouthBuild model balances project-based learning and occupational skills training to prepare disadvantaged youth for career placement. The academic component assists youth who are often significantly behind in basic skill development to obtain a high school diploma or state high school equivalency credential. The occupational skills training component prepares at-risk youth to gain placement into career pathways and/or further education or training, and also supports the goal of increasing affordable housing within communities by teaching youth construction skills learned by building or significantly renovating homes for sale or rent to low-income families or transitional housing for homeless families or individuals. Additionally, grantees that have been previously funded by the Department may include occupational skills training in other in-demand industries in addition to construction skills training. This expansion into additional in-demand industries is the “Construction Plus” component.

In order to preserve one of the core aspects of the YouthBuild program as a construction skills training program, all YouthBuild grant programs must offer construction skills training. New applicants for DOL funding must demonstrate success with core construction skills training and are not eligible to offer other occupational training as first-time YouthBuild grantees.

Construction skills training is central to the overall philosophy of the YouthBuild program and can provide a visible transformational experience for young people who have rarely had opportunities to see tangible and positive results from their efforts.

Because one of the goals of the YouthBuild program is to provide affordable housing, all prospective applicants must demonstrate their commitment to the goal of increasing the supply of permanent housing for homeless and/or low-income individuals and families. The construction of affordable housing benefits the community where the affordable housing is built or renovated, and also provides youth with an opportunity to give back to their communities and work and learn in a team environment. YouthBuild grantees must accomplish this goal by having a sufficient number of youth enrolled in and completing the construction skills training component to enable the program to build or substantially renovate at least one unit of housing within the grant period of performance. Each program must also have access to a work site to use for on-site construction training. Only homeless and/or low-income individuals and families may use a former work site as newly built or renovated units of housing. (Please note that the requirements of the YouthBuild regulations at 20 CFR 672.615 currently require a ten-year restrictive covenant). To build or substantially renovate at least one unit of housing requires the new construction or substantial renovation of single family homes or apartment/condominium/townhouse complexes, or the construction or substantial

- 2 -renovation of a single dwelling within a complex. Substantial renovation includes those activities that will provide YouthBuild participants with significant construction experience and knowledge that will prepare them for entry-level employment in the construction industry and are tied to the construction curriculum used by the program. Painting or cleaning apartments and simple weatherization tasks do not constitute substantial renovation or a sufficiently comprehensive level of construction training to satisfy the requirement that each program build or substantially renovate a unit of housing, and thus, do not qualify as work sites. (DOL plans to release a new Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) on qualifying work sites in the near future.)

Following the Transfer Act of 2006 which established the YouthBuild Program in the Department under subtitle D of Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), the YouthBuild Final Rule regulation (20 CFR part 672) was published on February 15, 2012. This regulation clarifies the requirements of the YouthBuild Transfer Act for program providers and participants. The recently enacted Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), (PL 113- 128), replaced WIA, and the Department is currently preparing to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement WIOA. DOL expects grantees to continue to use the current WIA regulations until the WIOA regulations are finalized (unless the WIA regulations conflict with WIOA), which is not expected until early 2016. This FOA references the appropriate WIA regulations, but the references will be updated when the WIOA regulations are finalized. DOL will provide guidance to the grantees throughout this process.

The WIOA statute kept the YouthBuild program largely intact, but changed the YouthBuild program in the following ways:

• WIOA adds an additional purpose to the YouthBuild program (in section 171 (a)(5)):

“To improve the quality and energy efficiency of community and other non-profit and public facilities, including those that are used to serve homeless and low-income families.”

• WIA required that participants who had dropped out of school, but had reengaged in educational activities prior to enrollment in a YouthBuild program use a sequential service strategy. WIOA now recognizes those participants as “dropouts” for purposes of eligibility for the YouthBuild program and requires no additional steps for enrollment of youth who had previously dropped out and then reengaged in an educational program.

• In terms of eligible activities, WIOA requires an increase in the maximum percentage of funds that may be used for supervision and training of participants on the rehabilitation of community and other public use facilities from 10 percent to 15 percent [WIOA section 171(c)(2)(C)(i)]; the reduction of the allowable administrative cost ceiling from 15 percent to 10 percent [WIOA section 171(c)(2)(D)]; and the addition of allowable activities for training in other in-demand occupations, as approved by the Secretary [WIOA section 171(c)(2)(C)(ii)].

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• WIOA lists a new requirement for participant follow-up services following exit from the program. YouthBuild grantees are now required to provide follow-up services for a period not less than 12 months after completion of the program.

Additionally, the WIOA proposed regulations include an additional focus on the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s Section 3, which ensures that economic opportunities provided by HUD benefit low- and very low-income persons and organizations that provide such opportunities. This new focus means that applicants now will include past experience with HUD’s Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12 U.S.C. 1701u) in their applications.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

This program is authorized by Section 171(i) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

(PL 113-128).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant. Under this competition, ETA intends to fund approximately 76 grants, ranging from $700,000 to $1.1 million each from the FY 2015 appropriation. Funding under this Announcement will be available for four years. In the event that additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

The Department intends to use up to 30 percent of the total available funding for this competition for the award of grants to new grantees, i.e., eligible applicants that have not previously received a DOL YouthBuild grant or have not substantially completed performance on their initial DOL-funded grant award (those that have been operating DOL-funded YouthBuild grants for less than two years as of the date of this FOA’s publication, further described in Section III.A.1 below). The remainder of funds will be awarded to eligible applicants that the DOL YouthBuild program has previously funded and which have demonstrated success in the program.

The Department’s intended mix of grant awards to new and previously-funded applicants will ensure that organizations with little experience with a DOL YouthBuild grant have an opportunity to implement a new DOL YouthBuild program, while allowing for continued support to the existing, previously-funded YouthBuild grants that have demonstrated success.

Due to the complicated nature of the YouthBuild program model and the interest in expanding

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YouthBuild beyond construction skills training, this FOA is focused on ensuring that an adequate number of established YouthBuild programs are funded while newly-funded YouthBuild programs establish effective operation and delivery of services outlined in each of the required program components.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for these grant awards will be three years and four months from the effective date of the grant. This includes:

• a planning period of up to four months;

• two years of core program operations (education, occupational skills training, and youth leadership development activities) for one or more cohorts of youth; and

• an additional twelve months of follow-up support services and tracking of participant outcomes for each cohort of youth.

This grant period of performance includes time for all necessary implementation and start-up activities. Applicants are required to describe what activities they expect to undertake during the planning and implementation period in order to ensure that they may begin active program services on schedule. Grantees must fully expend grant funds during the period of performance. Therefore, applicants must carefully consider their ability to spend the level of funding requested during the allotted time while ensuring full transparency and accountability for all expenditures.

To ensure grantees are prepared to begin program operations, applicants must submit a timeline of critical activities to be completed during the planning period, as part of the required Program Calendar described in Section IV.B.4.

Attachments to the Project Narrative. Grantees must ensure the achievement of the following milestones during the planning period:

• hiring of or committing of additional core program staff (including the Project Director, Construction Trainer(s), Classroom Teacher(s), and Case Manager(s) positions);

• solidifying relationships with all necessary partners for the successful delivery of services;

• initiating recruitment and outreach efforts for enrollment of participants; and

• reconfirming work site financing and access.

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The Federal Project Officer (FPO) will review the completion of these milestones within the grant’s planning period. DOL may subject grantees who have not met these milestones to corrective action.

C. OUTCOMES

The Department expects YouthBuild grantees to track and report on performance measure indicators as listed in WIOA section 116(b)(2)(A)(ii). The Department provides standardized performance goals for each YouthBuild award competition. These goals serve as common benchmarks for all YouthBuild programs. The purpose of the aggregated national performance goals are to evaluate YouthBuild and to report to Congress, taxpayers, and other stakeholders on the progress of the program. The standardized performance goals are based on a combination of the goals set by the grantee in their application, the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) goals (http://www.doleta.gov/performance/goals/gpra.cfm ), and aggregated YouthBuild performance goals. The Department will provide a standardized list of performance goals for grantees awarded under this FOA at a future date through separate guidance. As an example of previous standardized performance goals, grantees who received funding from the FY 2014 YouthBuild competition [SGA/DFA PY 13-04] had the following performance goals:

• Placement in Education & Employment 70%

• Attainment of Degree/Certificate 75%

• Retention in Education & Employment 75%

Under WIOA, skill gains toward credential or employment, median earnings in unsubsidized employment, and effectiveness in serving employers are new primary indicators of performance. The percentage of program participants who are in education or training activities or unsubsidized employment during the second quarter and fourth quarters after exit from the program and median earnings of program participants who are in unsubsidized employment during the second quarter after exit from the program are also primary indicators of performance under WIOA. The Department expects that the annual cost per participant will be between $15,000 and $18,000, and must not exceed $18,000. The Department calculates the expected cost-per-participant by dividing the total DOL grant award by the number of participants the grantee expects to enroll.

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III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for these grants are public or private non-profit agencies or organizations including rural, urban, or Native American agencies that have previously served disadvantaged youth in a YouthBuild or other similar program. These agencies or organizations include, but are not limited to:

• a community-based organization;

• a faith-based organization;

• an entity carrying out activities under the WIOA, such as a local workforce development board;

• a community action agency;

• a state or local housing development agency;

• an Indian tribe or other agency primarily serving Native Americans, including those living on reservations;

• a community development corporation;

• a state or local youth service or conservation corps;

• any other entity eligible to provide education or employment training under a federal program; or

• an entity in an area designated as a Promise Zone or member of a Promise Zone collaboration, if applicable. For more information on about Promise Zones go to http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/economic development/programs/pz

Grantees who received funding from the FY 2014 YouthBuild competition [SGA/DFA PY 13-04] are funded through December 2017 and these grantees (based on their unique Employer Identification Numbers) are not eligible to participate in this competition.

1. Applicant Types This FOA distinguishes between new applicants for DOL YouthBuild funding (those that have never received a DOL YouthBuild award) and previously-funded applicants (those applicants that have previously received a YouthBuild grant from DOL). For the purposes of the project narrative and evaluation criteria, DOL will only consider an applicant as a

- 7 -http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/economicdevelopment/programs/pz http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/economicdevelopment/programs/pz

“previously-funded applicant” if it has completed at least two years of a YouthBuild grant award cycle, as of the date of publication of this FOA. Only applicants who were funded in FY 2007, 2008, 2009 (including American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)-funded grants), 2010, 2011, and 2012 should respond to the previously-funded applicant project narrative requirements and evaluation criteria. All other applicants, including those whose first grant award occurred in FY 2013 (SGA/DFA PY 12-02), should respond to the new applicant project narrative requirements and evaluation criteria. (As noted above, grantees funded in FY 2014 [SGA/DFA PY 13-04] are not eligible to participate in this competition.)

Grantees that were funded by DOL for the first time in FY 2013 are included with new applicants because DOL will not have sufficient information to fairly evaluate their application against previously-funded applicants. During this competition, these grantees will not have completed their grant’s active service cycle (as defined by the two-year period during which they are enrolling and serving active participants). The performance outcomes for YouthBuild are long-term in nature, and DOL will not have sufficient information on the performance of FY 2013 grantees to evaluate them based on their past performance. Ensuring that grantees have completed the active services period during which they are constructing or renovating low-income housing and providing active services to the participants before they are evaluated on past performance allows a comprehensive analysis of the program’s success in meeting the complicated requirements of this Announcement.

This FOA refers to previously-funded applicants (from FY 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012) as “Category A” applicants and new applicants (funded in FY 2013 or who have never received a DOL YouthBuild grant) as “Category B” applicants. DOL intends to award at least 70 percent of the available grant funds to applicants in Category A, and intends to award up to 30 percent of grant funds for awards to applicants in Category B.

Applicant Type: Category A Category B

Grant Classes Included:

2007, 2008, 2009, (including ARRA),2010, 2011, and 2012

2013 First-Time Grantees and Those Never Funded by

DOL YouthBuild program

Percent of Grant Funds Available: At least 70 percent Up to 30 percent

Construction Plus Eligible: YES NO

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B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

DOL requires cost sharing or matching funds as a condition for application. Applicants must provide new cash (funds committed specifically to support this grant project, not prior investments) or in-kind resources equivalent to exactly 25 percent of the grant award amount as “matching” funds. Additional cost sharing above 25 percent may be committed towards the grant as “leveraged” funds. Please note that neither prior investments nor federal resources may be counted towards the matching funds threshold, including funds that were originally provided through federal funding.

To be allowable as part of match, an expenditure must be an allowable charge for federal grant funds. DOL will make determinations of allowable costs in accordance with the applicable federal cost principles as indicated in section IV.E. If the cost would not be allowable as a grant-funded charge, then DOL cannot count it toward the applicant’s matching funds.

DOL encourages applicants to leverage additional resources beyond the required match to supplement grant activities. Applicants can use leveraged resources to cover costs or materials that might otherwise be an unallowable charge to grant funds. Applicants must count and document as leveraged funds any cash or in-kind resources committed beyond 25 percent of the grant award amount required as matching funds. More information on leveraged resources may be found in Section IV.B.2.

Both matching funds and leveraged resources can come from a variety of sources, including but not limited to: the public sector (e.g., state or local governments); the non-profit sector (e.g., community organizations, faith-based organizations, or education and training institutions); the private sector (e.g., businesses or industry associations); the investor community (e.g., angel networks or economic development entities); and the philanthropic community (e.g., foundations).

Matching Waiver for U.S. Insular Areas, Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. §1469a(d) Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. section 1469a(d), for the purposes of this FOA, DOL does not require any match for grants made to the governments of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Accordingly, DOL does not require these areas to include a match commitment in their applications and these applications will not be screened out on that basis. However, even though DOL does not require matching funds from these areas, it encourages these areas to leverage resources, including dollars from Federal sources.

C. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria Applicants 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

- 9 -checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. DOL urges applicants to use this checklist to ensure that the application contains all required items. If an application does not meet all of the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process and DOL will not consider it for funding.

Application Requirement Instructions Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met Section IV.C

If submitted through Grants.gov, the components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt. (DOL will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.)

Section IV.C.

Application does not exceed the ceiling amount of $1.1 million Section II.A

Applicant has registered with SAM and maintains an active account Section IV.B.1

Signed SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance Section IV.B.1

Signed SF-424 includes a DUNS Number Section IV.B.1

Signed SF-424 lists the cost sharing or match amount of exactly 25 percent of the requested federal funding amount on line 18b. (any additional amount mistakenly placed on line 18b will be considered leveraged resources)

Section IV.B.2

SF-424A, Budget Information Form Section IV.B.2

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

Abstract Section IV.B.4

Work Site Description (ETA-9143) with required attachments Section IV.B.4

2. Number of Applications To Be Submitted Multiple applications from a single organization are not allowed. DOL will award an organization (as identified by a unique Employer Identification Number) only one grant as a result of this competition. This requirement applies to both new applicants and previously-funded applicants that have received a DOL YouthBuild grant in a previous

- 10 -competition. If an applicant submits more than one application, DOL will only consider the last application received. If the last application is disqualified for any reason, DOL will not review any previous applications.

3. Eligible Participants

a) Participants Eligible to Receive Training An individual may participate in a YouthBuild program if the individual:

1. is between the ages of 16 and 24 on the date of enrollment; and

2. is a member of a low-income family, a youth in foster care (including youth aging out of foster care), an offender, a youth who is an individual with a disability, a child of an incarcerated parent, a homeless youth, a migrant youth; and

3. is a school dropout, or an individual who was a school dropout and has subsequently reenrolled (as cited in WIOA 171(e)(1) Eligible Participants);

Up to, but not more than, 25 percent of the participants in the program may be youth who do not meet criteria 2 or 3 above, but they must:

• be basic skills deficient, despite attainment of a high school diploma or its state-recognized equivalent; or

• have been referred by a local secondary school for participation in a YouthBuild program leading to the attainment of a high school diploma or its state-recognized equivalent.

NOTE: Male participants aged 18 or older must register for the U.S. Selective Service System (www.sss.gov) before services can be provided. If they turn 18 while participating, they must register at that time.

b) Veterans’ Priority of Service for Participants Title 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 can be found 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

- 11 -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 http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 .

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm, contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants should note that hyperlinks to portions of the FOA are included in various parts of this Announcement. Applicants are required to comply with all parts of the FOA, including those parts found at the hyperlinks.

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

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

(1) the SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance;” (2) Project Budget; (3) Project Narrative;

and (4) Attachments to the Project Narrative. It is your responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” Applicants must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html ). The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant is considered the Authorized Representative of the applicant. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, signature of the Authorized Representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html ). The SF-424B is not required to be submitted with the application.

In addition, the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of compliance with the following requirements in accordance with 29 CFR 37.20.

- 12 -http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms.html

As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I of WIOA1 , the grant applicant assures that it will comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: section 188 of the WIOA, which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship/status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States or participation in any WIOA Title I—financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color and national origin;

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs. The grant applicant also assures that it will comply with WIOA’s implementing regulations when they are promulgated and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.

Requirement for DUNS Number All applicants for federal grant funding opportunities are required to have a DUNS Number, and must supply their DUNS Number on the SF-424. The DUNS Number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If an applicant does not have a DUNS Number, a free one is available through the D&B website:

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do . As authorized under 2 CFR 25, grant recipients authorized to make subawards must be aware of the following requirements related to DUNS Numbers:

• Grant recipients must notify potential subawardees that no entity may receive a subaward from a grantee unless the entity has provided its DUNS Number to the grant recipient.

• Grant recipients may not make a subaward to an entity unless the entity has provided its DUNS Number to the grant recipient.

1 The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (“WIOA”, Public Law 113-128) was signed into law on July 22, 2014. Most provisions of WIOA become effective July 1, 2015. Grants awarded under this FOA are authorized by the WIOA, and the terms of the WIOA will apply to these grants for the life of the grants. Please note that in addition to the provisions of WIOA, grantees will also be subject to WIOA’s implementing regulations when they are finalized and promulgated. Regulations implementing section 188 of WIOA are due to be promulgated in the summer of 2015.

- 13 -http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do

Requirement for Registration with SAM Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application. Instructions for registering with SAM can be found at https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/#1 . A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award.

2. Project Budget Applicants must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15 ). In preparing the Budget Information Form, applicants must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.

The following guidance should be used for preparing the budget narrative:

Personnel – List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed). Give the annual salary of each position, the percentage of each position’s time devoted to the project, the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant, and the total personnel cost for the period of performance.

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

Travel – Specify the purpose, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and other costs for each type of travel.

Equipment – Identify each item of equipment to be purchased which has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.33 for the definition of Equipment). List the quantity and unit cost per item.

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

- 14 -https://www.sam.gov/portal/public/SAM/%231 http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/FormLinks?family=15

Supplies – Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.94 for the definition of Supplies). The detailed budget should identify categories of supplies (e.g. office supplies). List the quantity and unit cost per item.

Contractual – Identify each proposed contract and specify its purpose and estimated cost.

If applicable, identify any subrecipient agreements, including purpose and estimated costs. See Section VI.B.2.f for more information on the distinction between contractor and subrecipient.

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. DOL does not consider this as construction and the costs must be shown on other appropriate lines such as contractual.

Other – List each item in sufficient detail for us to determine whether the costs are reasonable or allowable. List any item, such as stipends or need-based payments, not covered elsewhere here.

Indirect Costs – If indirect costs are included in the budget, then include either, a) the approved indirect cost rate with a copy of the Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), a description of the base used to calculate indirect costs along with the amount of the base, and the total indirect costs requested, or b) if an applicant meet the requirements to use the 10 percent de minimis rate as described in 2 CFR 200.414(f), then include a description of the modified total direct costs base (see 2 CFR 200.68 for definition) used in the calculation along with the amount of the base, and the total indirect costs requested based on the 10 percent de minimis rate. See Section IV.B.4 and Section IV.E.1 for more information. Additionally, the following link contains DOL-specific information: http://www.dol.gov/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm .

Note that the entire federal grant amount requested (not just one year) must be included on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative. Cost sharing or match of exactly 25 percent must also be shown on the SF-424 (line 18b), SF-424A, and budget narrative.

No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. Leveraged resources should be described in the budget narrative. The requested federal grant amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative must be the same. The funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found.

- 15 -http://www.dol.gov/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm

3. Project Narrative

a) Preparing the 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 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1 inch margins. Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read or considered in the application review process.

Applicants must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Project Narrative. Applicants should carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information in your Project Narrative. The Project Narrative will be evaluated using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. Applicants must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative:

Requirements for Category A and B Applicants

(1) Statement of Need The application must identify the city(ies) or town(s) of the community the applicant proposes to serve and the number of youth ages 16 to 24, that the applicant expects to serve. For the city or town to be served, applicants must provide the information identified below. For specific instructions on how to locate the information requested in Section IV B.3.a(1)(a), (b), and (c) below, please see Section VIII. Other Information.

(a) Unemployment Rate:

The applicant must provide weighted average unemployment rate (rounded to one decimal place) of the combined cities or towns identified as part of the target community(ies) compared to the national unemployment rate as of the latest available comparable data. This data is broken into two youth age subsets: 16 – 19 and 20 – 24. Applicants will have to average the unemployment rate for these two age groups by adding the populations together and then dividing by the total population.

If applicants are serving a community that spans more than one city or town, they should add each age group’s unemployed population numbers together for each city or town and divide the total by the total population of 16-24 year olds for all the cities and towns combined to find the weighted unemployment rate for the combined cities or towns.

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EXAMPLE:

TOWN A TOWN B WEIGHTED AVERAGE

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

16-19 year-old Unemployment Rate 25.4% 7.7% N/A

20-24 year–old Unemployment Rate 14.6% 6.3% N/A

Total estimated population aged 16 -19 17,205 33,234 N/A

Total estimated population aged 20-24 22,719 43,674 N/A

Total number of youth unemployed 16-19

17,205 x 0.254 = 4,370

33,234 x 0.077 = 2,559 N/A

Total number of youth unemployed 20-24

22,719 x 0.146 = 3,317

43,674 x 0.063 = 2,751 N/A

TOTAL Unemployment Rate

4,370 + 3,317 = 7,687

17,205 + 22,719

= 39,924

2,559 + 2,751 = 5,310

33,234 + 43,674

= 76,908

7,687 + 5,310 = 12,997

39,924 + 76,908 = 116,832

12,997/116,832 =

AVERAGE: 11.1%

Applicants must use Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the national unemployment rate and for the local areas to be served. This data can be found through the U.S. Census’ Web site at:

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. The national unemployment rate for youth ages 16 – 24 against which DOL will evaluate applicants is: 22.1 percent (using 3-year American Community Survey estimates as of 2013). For specific instructions on how to locate and calculate the information requested here, please see Section VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants.

(b) Poverty Rate:

The application must provide, across all cities or towns the applicant intends to serve, the weighted average poverty rate from the poverty data available for download at http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. For specific instructions on how to locate and calculate this information, please see Section VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants.

(c) Graduation Rate:

The applicant must compare the average high school graduation rate across all of the cities or towns the applicant intends to serve with the national

- 17 -http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml graduation rate of 80 percent (based on the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from the class of 2012). District-level graduation rates can no longer be found using the Education Week Website. For suggestions on how to locate this information and alternate sources for graduation rate information, please see Section VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants.

(d) Construction Skills and Other Occupational Skills Training Focus:

As stated throughout the FOA, all applicants must provide construction skills training. Organizations that have not previously received DOL funding for YouthBuild (i.e., Category B applicants) may only provide construction skills training with YouthBuild grant funds. All applicants must guarantee that a sufficient number of students will enroll in and complete construction skills training during the grant period of performance to enable the grantee to build or renovate at least one unit of affordable or transitional housing for low-income or homeless individuals or families. It is up to the applicant to determine the threshold number of participants that it will need during the program cycle to complete at least one unit of housing. DOL provides no scoring differential for prospective applicants who offer only construction skills training or offer construction skills training and other occupational skills training in an additional industry(ies).

• Category A & B Requirements:

For all applicants, DOL requires detailed information on the specific training activities that they plan to implement to successfully meet the performance outcomes in the FOA. Applicants must provide a Construction Training Plan as an attachment to the Project Narrative.

The Construction Training Plan is intended to ensure the delivery of a comprehensive training program for YouthBuild participants.

Construction skills training is one of the most complicated aspects of the YouthBuild model and applicants must take into consideration and plan for contingencies that may prevent the proposed training from taking place. The Construction Training Plan must describe: 1) the project in summary, 2) the overall scope of the construction skills training including objectives and goals; 3) the training strategy including the type of training, the skills training curricula, the use of project-based learning, and the training schedule, including the division between classroom-based and work site-based skills training; 4) the roles and responsibilities for all of the staff involved in preparing and conducting the training, including ensuring the certification of construction trainers; 5) a contingency plan to ensure that alternate training can be quickly implemented should barriers arise, such as inclement weather, loss of work sites, or the loss of certified construction trainers or program partners; 6) information about the training materials, including the standards and guidelines that ensure the use of quality curricula; and 7)

- 18 -how the construction training component will ensure that all work sites have the required restrictive covenant clause in place (described in more detail in Section IV.B.4.b. Work Site Description).

Applicants must provide a narrative describing the condition and availability of affordable housing in the community, including a description of existing housing, such as the number and percentage of substandard and/or overcrowded units, rent burden (defined as average housing cost divided by average income), and/or the incidence of homelessness. They must also provide a description of the industry-recognized certification curriculum(a) they plan to use.

• Category A Requirements:

Category A applicants planning to offer occupational skills training in high-demand industries in addition to construction skills training (known as Construction Plus fields) must provide information on the industry(ies) focus or foci of the occupational skills training that the applicant expects to offer. The applicant must include local labor market data that supports the decision to provide occupational skills training in the additional targeted field(s). The applicant must describe all the training curricula that it will use, for both construction skills training and other occupational skills training, and the industry-recognized credential(s) that will result from the training. The applicant must describe how the additional occupational skills selected will benefit the target community(ies) and why the skills training and proposed credentials will be a good fit for YouthBuild participants. The applicant must describe how industry partners have or will be engaged in the design of the program. In particular, the applicant must demonstrate a capacity to work with employers to identify local or regional hiring needs and design training programs that are responsive to those needs. Category A applicants that are pursuing Construction Plus industries are encouraged to use the Construction Plus Field Proposal (see Attachment C of this FOA). Applicants must provide information for each additional field proposed beyond construction. If the applicant does not use the suggested Construction Plus Field Proposal, at a minimum, each proposal must address: 1) the occupational skills training proposed; 2) what industry-recognized certification(s) will result; 3) how many youth the program anticipates training in the new industry; and 4) how the program will incorporate community service, youth leadership development, and work experience opportunities into the occupational skills training

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(2) Project Design The applicant must identify and describe the various components of the proposed program, how these components integrate with each other, and how youth will progress through the program. Given the connection between education and earnings, the applicant must describe a rigorous and challenging academic component, and must provide participants with opportunities to transition to post-secondary education and/or advanced occupational skills training.

Applicants must describe the design and integration of the required program components, including education, occupational skills training, youth leadership development, career exploration and planning, post-program support, and community service learning opportunities.

The applicant must also describe the degree to which it will incorporate career and college exploration and planning activities into the overall culture of the program.

The applicant must structure the program so that the program offers education and related services designed to meet participants’ educational needs for at least 50 percent of the time during which they participate in the program.

The applicant must offer YouthBuild program participants work and skill development activities in occupational skills training for at least 40 percent of the time during which they participate in the program, which includes both time spent on the construction work sites or other hands-on work experience, as well as classroom training related to the occupational field. The 50-40 time allocation applies at the program level and not to the actual time that an individual spends in a component. Applicants can use the remaining 10 percent of the time for a distinct youth leadership development or community service learning component or it can be added to either the education or occupational skills training components. Community service and youth leadership are core aspects of the YouthBuild model. Applicants must include them as part of a cohesive program whether through education and occupational skills training or as a separate component.

The applicant must indicate how the program activities will support achievement of the performance goals established for the YouthBuild program.

The applicant must describe the partners that will assist with the implementation and operation of the YouthBuild program.

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(a) Education and Occupational Skills Training:

The applicant must describe the academic and…