FOA-ETA-20-08-B NFJP Limited Competition - Grants.gov (FINAL_05212021).pdf

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20210

May 21, 2021

Dear National Farmworker Jobs Program Grantee:

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (Department) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is excited to announce the limited competition for the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) in Maine. ETA has identified your organization as an entity with proven success in meeting the goal of NFJP, which is to connect migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents to career services and training that will help them acquire the skills they need to retain jobs and advance in the agricultural industry or start new careers. This limited competition is based on the previous funding opportunity (FOA-ETA-20-08-A), under which a responsive application to service Maine was not received. ETA is inviting a subset of current high-performing NFJP grantees, such as your organization, to submit an application to undertake and administer an NFJP Career Services and Training grant in Maine beginning in Program Year (PY) 2020 through PY 2023. NFJP grantees identified for this limited grant competition achieved at least 100 percent of their PY 2019 targets (as aggregated across multiple state service areas, if applicable) for three key Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) performance indicators: employment in the second quarter after exit, employment in the fourth quarter after exit, and median earnings.

The initial award for this grant opportunity will consist of a portion of the PY 2020 Maine allotment, along with the PY 2021 allotment. The PY 2020 allotment for Maine is $328,886, based on the program’s administrative formula, developed for the purpose of distributing funds geographically by state service area, and on the basis of each state service area’s relative share of persons eligible for the program. However, given that the incumbent grantee for Maine currently received a partial award of $219,257 at the beginning of PY 2020 to provide for the continuation of services, the initial award under this limited competition will consist of the remaining balance of $109,629. The estimated PY 2021 allotment for Maine is $408,044, bringing the total estimated award to $517,673. ETA plans to issue a Training and Employment Guidance Letter with the final PY 2021 NFJP allotments by June of 2021. If the allotment amount is not finalized by the final week of June 2021, ETA will award the PY 2020 amount only and then execute a subsequent modification to award the Maine PY 2021 funds when finalized.

The period of performance for this award will be June 2021 through September 30, 2022, with funding renewable annually for PY 2022 and PY 2023 (subject to future appropriations and an annual application process). The funds must be used to carry out career services, training services, housing assistance services, youth services, and related assistance services to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents, as defined by 20 CFR 685.110.

Applications must be received via Grants.gov. The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 21, 2021.

Application requirements are outlined in the pages to follow.

Eligible applicants are encouraged to notify the Department of their intent to submit an application for this NFJP Limited Competition by emailing NFJP@dol.gov. The subject line should read, “Intent to Apply,” and the email should identify the entity planning to submit the application for funding. These non-binding notifications will help inform the Department planning to review and panel applications, as well as issue the awards. The sender will receive a response acknowledging receipt. No further communication will occur from this email account.

ETA thanks you for your hard work in support of migrant and seasonal farmworkers and congratulates you on your success in the effective provision of NFJP services. We sincerely hope you will consider this latest opportunity to provide these important services in the State of Maine.

Sincerely, Charles L. Cox Grant Officer

Enclosure mailto:NFJP@dol.gov

NATIONAL FARMWORKER JOBS PROGRAM

LIMITED COMPETITION FOR MAINE SERVICE AREA

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On April 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), published the initial Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA-ETA-20- 08), announcing the availability of approximately $91,351,000 in grant funds authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-94, along with Section 167 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), for National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Career Services and Training Grants and Housing Grants. Of the approximately $91,351,000 available, DOL awarded 47 Career Services and Training Grants totaling $74,562,142 and nine Housing Grants totaling another $6,122,000. However, DOL did not receive competitive applications for certain essential NFJP service areas. To ensure continuity of services, DOL awarded $7,111,238 in “bridge” funding to six incumbents serving those service areas.

On December 14, 2020, DOL published The National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) Career Services and Training Grants Reopening for Select Service Areas FOA (FOA-ETA-20-08-A). This FOA announced the availability of approximately $3,555,619 for an estimated six to eight NFJP Career Services and Training Grants in Connecticut and Rhode Island (a combined service area), Hawaii, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and key counties in the Central Coast, South Coast, and desert agricultural regions of California. On April 29, 2021, DOL awarded seven grants totaling $3,445,990 to service the remaining uncovered service areas, with the exception of Maine, for which a responsive application was again not received.

ETA is now announcing a current limited competition, seeking eligible entities to provide NFJP services to the Maine service area. ETA is inviting a subset of high-performing NFJP grantees to submit a grant proposal for undertaking and administering an NFJP Career Services and Training grant in Maine beginning in Program Year (PY) 2020 through PY 2023. To select the subset of NFJP grantees deemed eligible to submit an application, ETA identified grant recipients which have achieved at least 100 percent of their PY 2019 targets (as aggregated across multiple state service areas, if applicable) for three key WIOA performance indicators: employment in the second quarter after exit, employment in the fourth quarter after exit, and median earnings.

This limited competition is based on the previous funding opportunity (FOA-ETA-20-08-A), under which a responsive application to service Maine was not received. The primary requirements of the limited competition are outlined below; however, applicable statutes and policies have been incorporated by referencing the associated text as provided in

FOA-ETA-20-08-A.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

The goal of NFJP, which is to connect migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents to career services and training that will help them acquire the skills they need to retain jobs and advance in the agricultural industry or start new careers. The funds must be used to carry out career services, training services, housing assistance services, youth services, and related assistance services to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents as defined by 20 CFR part 685. The NFJP appropriation (P.L. 116-94) specifies that, of the funds provided for Career Services and Training Grants, “not less than 70 percent shall be for employment and training services.” To ensure compliance with this provision, NFJP grantees must spend not less than 70 percent of their awarded funds on “employment and training services,” as defined below. This requirement will ensure that NFJP program primarily addresses the employment and training needs of the target population while also allowing grantees to provide related services that are often critical to the stabilization and availability of the farm labor workforce.

The term “employment and training services” means all allowable career services, training services, housing services, and youth services as explained, respectively, in 20 CFR 685.340, 350, 360, and 370, including supportive services (as defined in 20 CFR 685.110). Employment and training services does not include related assistance (as defined in 20 CFR 685.110 and further explained in 20 CFR 685.380) or administrative costs (as defined in 20 CFR 683.215).

Accordingly, grantees may spend up to 30 percent of their awarded funds on a combination of related assistance and administrative costs, further subject to the administrative cost limitation of 15 percent.

Note: The Department recognizes that the NFJP appropriation further specifies that “…notwithstanding any other provision of law or related regulation, the Department of Labor shall take no action limiting the number or proportion of eligible participants receiving related assistance services or discouraging grantees from providing such services.” This funding opportunity incorporates the funding restriction specified above in order to comply with the appropriations provision cited in the first paragraph of this section; however, the Department places no further restrictions on the provision of related assistance.

Additional information about services provided under NFJP are available at https://www.doleta.gov/Farmworker/. Additional information about program eligibility and enrollment consideration is available in ETA-FOA-20-08-A.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Section 167 authorizes this program.

https://www.doleta.gov/Farmworker/

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. SERVICE AREA

For the purpose of this competition, Career Services and Training grant applications are being solicited only for Maine. The smallest units of service for this program are counties; for example, an applicant may elect to serve a set of counties within a state, but not specific cities or townships. Grantees will be required to provide services to all counties that they identify in their project narrative.

B. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant, for the provision of the NFJP program services in Maine.

The initial award for this grant opportunity will consist of a portion of the PY 2020 Maine allotment, along with the PY 2021 allotment. The PY 2020 allotment for Maine is $328,886, based on the program’s administrative formula developed for the purpose of distributing funds geographically by state service area, and on the basis of each state service area’s relative share of persons eligible for the program. However, given that the incumbent grantee received a partial award of $219,257 at the beginning of PY 2020 to provide for the continuation of services, the initial award under this limited competition will consist of the remaining balance of $109,629.

The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020, Public Law 116-94, appropriated PY 2021 funding for this program, and the estimated PY 2021 allotment for Maine is $408,044, bringing the total estimated award to $517,673. ETA plans to issue a Training and Employment Guidance Letter with the final PY 2021 NFJP allotments by June of 2021. If the allotments are not available by the final week of June, ETA will execute a subsequent modification to award the Maine PY 2021 funds.

C. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this award will be June 2021 through September 30, 2022, with funding renewable annually for PY 2022 and PY 2023 (subject to future appropriations and an annual application process). These funds must be used to carry out career services, training services, housing assistance services, youth services, and related assistance services to eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their dependents as defined by 20 CFR part 685.

III. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. SCREENING CRITERIA

Application Requirement Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met.

B. NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS APPLICANTS MAY SUBMIT

We will consider only one application from an organization. If we receive multiple applications from the same organization, we will consider only the most recently received application that met the deadline. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, we will not replace it with an earlier application.

C. APPLICATION COMPONENTS AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of the four separate and distinct parts listed below. You must ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application:

• Project Narrative;

• SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

• SF-424A, Budget Information Form, found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1; and

• Budget Narrative, providing a description of costs associated with each line item on the

SF-424A.

1. Project Narrative (up to 30 total points)

The Project Narrative is limited to 10 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1-inch margins. Letters of Commitment or

Applicant is Identified as High-performing NFJP Grant Recipient.

Application Requirement, continued Complete?

The components of the application are saved in any of the specified formats and are not corrupt. (We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.)

Application for federal funds request does not exceed the ceiling amount of $517,673.

SAM Registration

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

SF-424 includes a DUNS Number

SF-424A, Budget Information Form

Budget Narrative

Project Narrative https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

Memoranda of Understanding between the applicant and partner organizations and/or sub-grantees are not required to be submitted with your application. The Project Narrative must explain the project design, proposing approaches and methods for effectively serving participants, and outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the project will achieve the proposed project outputs and outcomes and include timelines for completion of key milestones. Specifically, it must address the following topics, providing a narrative under each separate heading:

• Evidence-Informed Approaches and Methods (up to 10 points)

• Planning Phase (up to 6 points)

• Outreach and Enrollment (up to 6 points)

• Case Management (up to 8 points)

Note that the NFJP performance measures and associated reporting requirements are specified in the Performance Goals section under the Special Program Requirements included in ETA-FOA-20-08-A. While applicants are not required to specify numerical outcome targets as part of the application, the successful applicant will negotiate final performance outcome goals with the Department within the first 90 days of the period of performance.

The requirements under each of the requested topics are listed below.

Evidence-Informed Approaches and Methods (up to 10 points)

To receive full points on this rating factor, your narrative must fully and convincingly satisfy the specifications below:

• Outline the customer-centered design approaches and methods that you will use for basic career services, individualized career services, and training services, and convincingly demonstrate how selected activities will lead to new or upgraded employment for participants by meeting the demands of the local area’s business needs, or lead to further education (as appropriate for the targeted population). Applicants must describe evidence to support the choice of approaches.

• Propose methods to provide training opportunities for participants that lead to the following outputs and outcomes:

o Prepare the participant to work in in-demand industries for the communities being served;

o Meet the hiring needs of local employers;

o Provide the participant with an industry-recognized, stackable and portable credential, occupational or state license, apprenticeship, secondary school diploma, or associate degree; and/or o Lead to an agricultural employment upgrade.

• Provide evidence to show the identified approaches and methods are evidence-informed interventions.

• Describe an effective plan to provide related assistance services, which is a short-term form of direct assistance designed to assist eligible migrant and seasonal farmworkers to retain or stabilize their agricultural employment. Grantees may not include individuals who receive only related assistance services in their WIOA performance measures as these individuals are not participants. However, consistent with the guidance in section 8 of TEGL 18-16, individuals receiving related assistance services and certain other services are participants and can be included in the grantee’s WIOA performance measures (see TEGL 18-16, Section 8 for more information on NFJP enrollment, https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_18-16_acc.pdf).

• Thoroughly describe your organization’s experience in developing career services and training activities, including apprenticeships and work-based learning, and how you will transfer that experience to this grant (if awarded).

Planning Phase (up to 6 points)

To receive full points on this rating factor, your narrative must fully and convincingly satisfy the specifications below:

• Clearly describe a plan to meet the preliminary steps: hiring key staff; securing training partners; finalizing sub-grant agreements; meeting with additional partners identified in the application.

• Provide a detailed project timeline and narrative description of the proposed plan for accomplishing the work (the work plan) describing how the project will operate throughout the next three program years and provide a thorough explanation for how your organization will successfully achieve project outputs and outcomes. Include any potential barriers with a description of how you will overcome these barriers.

Outreach and Enrollment (up to 6 points)

To receive full points on this rating factor, your organization’s narrative must fully and convincingly satisfy the specifications below:

• Provide an effective and feasible participant outreach plan to cover the proposed state service area and describe how you will efficiently refer individuals who are deemed ineligible to other one-stop partners or other partners. The outreach plan needs to include quarterly and annual target number of contacts for PYs 2021, 2022, and 2023.

• As a result of your organization’s established partnerships and outreach efforts, the outreach plan needs to communicate the total number of new participants, including adult and youth, your organization plans to enroll over the next three program years, and annual enrollment goals for PYs 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Case Management (up to 8 points)

To receive full points on this rating factor, your organization’s narrative must fully and convincingly satisfy the specifications below:

• Case management must begin at the time of enrollment and continue throughout the participants’ participation in the program, including through the follow-up period.

Identify an effective strategy for tracking participants from enrollment to placement in a job or further education.

• Identify and provide justification for the ratio of case managers to participants, including the frequency of their interactions.

• Identify, justify, and describe the evidence-informed types of case management services and/or activities that will be provided.

2. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

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

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

• The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a grant agreement. Upon confirmation of an award, the individual signing the SF-424 on behalf of the applicant is considered the Authorized Representative of the applicant. As stated in block 21 of the SF-424 form, the signature of the Authorized Representative on the SF-424 certifies that the organization is in compliance with the Assurances and Certifications form SF-424B (available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1). You do not need to submit the SF-424B with the application.

• In addition, subject to the provisions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of compliance with the WIOA 188 rules issued by the Department at 29 CFR 38.25. Please reference FOA-20-08-A to review associated language.

https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action

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

https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do.

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

o Grant recipients must notify potential subawardees that no entity may receive a subaward unless the entity has provided its DUNS number.

o Grant recipients may not make a subaward to an entity unless the entity has provided its DUNS number.

• Applicants must register with the System for Award Management (SAM) before submitting an application. Find instructions for registering with SAM at https://www.sam.gov. Additional information on SAM registration may be found in

ETA-FOA-20-08-A.

3. SF-424A Budget Information Form and Budget Narrative (up to 10 points)

• You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form, found at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1. The budget must total $517,673, which is equal to the portion of available PY 2020 funding for Maine, combined with the estimated PY 2021 funding amount.

• The Budget Narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. Each category should include the total cost for the period of performance. The Budget Narrative should also include a section describing any leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities. Leveraged resources are all resources, both cash and in-kind, in excess of this award. Applicants are encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself. The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

• To receive full points on this rating factor, your narrative must fully and convincingly satisfy the specifications below:

o Demonstrate, through your Budget Narrative, that the proposed expenditures align with your application’s proposed project activities, key outcomes, deliverables, and performance.

o Describe, in the Budget Narrative, costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. The Budget Narrative must contain the level of detail outlined in https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.sam.gov/

Section IV.B.2 of FOA-ETA-20-08-A, and must align with the totals on the

SF-424A.

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

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

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the Cost Principles, now found in the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), codified at 2 CFR Part 200 and at 2 CFR Part 2900 (Uniform Guidance-DOL specific). Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.

1. Indirect Costs As specified in the Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that are incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether federally-assisted or not. You have two options to claim reimbursement of indirect costs.

Option 1: You may use a NICRA or Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) supplied by the federal Cognizant Agency. If you do not have a NICRA/CAP or have a pending NICRA/CAP, and in either case choose to include estimated indirect costs in your budget, at the time of award the Grant Officer will release funds in the amount of 10 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs to support indirect costs. Within 90 days of award, you are required to submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal or CAP to your federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional indirect cost rate. (See Section IV.B.4. for more information on NICRA submission requirements.)

Option 2: Any organization that does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, with the exceptions noted at 2 CFR 200.414(f) in the Cost Principles, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10 percent of modified total direct costs (see 2 CFR 200.1 for definition), which may be used indefinitely. If chosen, this methodology once elected must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as the non-Federal entity chooses to negotiate for a rate, which the non-Federal entity may apply to do at any time.

(See 2 CFR 200.414(f) for more information on use of the de minimis rate.)

2. Administrative Cost Limitation

Under this FOA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program is limited to 15 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or project. Such costs include both personnel and non-personnel costs and both direct and indirect costs. Administrative costs as defined in 20 CFR 683.215 are for the performance of administrative functions in carrying out activities under Title I of WIOA that are not related to the direct provision of workforce investment services (including services to participants and employers). Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form. However, they must be tracked through the recipient’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its federal Cognizant Agency or be eligible to use the 10 percent de minimis rate, as specified above. For WIOA grants, all costs charged as a result of the de minimis rate will be counted towards the administrative cost limitation specified below.

Please reference FOA-ETA-20-08-A for additional funding restrictions under the following headings:

• Salary and Bonus Limitations

• Intellectual Property Rights

• Credential Transparency

• WIOA Infrastructure

IV. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

We have instituted procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications to provide for an objective review of applications and to assist your organization in understanding the standards against which your application will be judged. The evaluation criteria are based on the information required in the application as described in the section entitled Application and Submission Information. Reviewers will award points based on the evaluation criteria described below.

A. SCORING CRITERIA

We have instituted procedures for assessing the technical merit of applications to provide for an objective review of applications and to assist you in understanding the standards against which your application will be judged. Reviewers will award points based on the evaluation criteria described in the following table.

Criterion Points (maximum)

Project Narrative

30 total

1) Evidence-informed Approaches and Methods 10

2) Planning Phase 6

3) Outreach and Enrollment 6

4) Case Management 8

Budget and Budget Narrative

10 total

TOTAL 40

B. STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING THE APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO EACH

REQUIREMENT

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

Standard Rating Definition 10 Points

Total 8 Points

Total 6 Points

Total

Thoroughly Meets

The application thoroughly responds to the rating factor and fully and convincingly satisfies all of the stated specifications. 10 Points 8 Points 6 Points

Partially

The application responds incompletely to the rating factor or the application convincingly satisfies some, but not all, of the stated specifications.

7-9 Points

5-7 Points

4-5 Points

Minimally

The application responds to the rating factor but does not convincingly satisfy any of the stated specifications.

4-6 Points

2-4 Points

1-3 Points

Fails to Meet

The application does not respond to the rating factor or specifications.

0 Points 0 Points 0 Points

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

C. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

A technical merit review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria to determine the merit of applications. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in this FOA. Up to 40 points may be awarded to an applicant, depending on the quality of the responses provided. The final scores (which may include the mathematical normalization of review panels) will serve as the primary basis for selection of applications for funding. The panel results are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer. The Grant Officer reserves the right to make selections based solely on the final scores or to take into consideration other relevant factors when applicable. Such factors may include the geographic distribution of funds, and other relevant factors. The Grant Officer may consider any information that comes to their attention.

The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussion with the applicant.

Should a grant be awarded without discussion, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on https://www.grants.gov, which constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.

2. Risk Review Process

Prior to making an award, ETA will review information available through various sources, including its own records and any OMB-designated repository of government-wide eligibility qualification or financial integrity information, such as Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System (FAPIIS), Dun and Bradstreet, and “Do Not Pay.” Additionally, ETA will comply with the requirements of 2 CFR Part 180 codified at 2 CFR Part 2998 (Non-procurement Debarment and Suspension). This risk evaluation may incorporate results of the evaluation of the applicant’s eligibility (application screening) or the quality of its application (merit review). If ETA determines that an award will be made, special conditions that correspond to the degree of risk assessed may be applied to the award. Criteria to be evaluated include the following:

a. Financial stability;

b. Quality of management systems and ability to meet the management standards prescribed in the Uniform Grant Guidance;

c. History of performance. The applicant’s record in managing awards, cooperative agreements, or procurement awards, if it is a prior recipient of such federal awards, including timeliness of compliance with applicable reporting requirements and, if https://www.grants.gov/ applicable, the extent to which any previously awarded amounts will be expended prior to future awards;

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

e. The applicant’s ability to effectively implement statutory, regulatory, and other requirements imposed on recipients.

NOTE: As part of ETA’s Risk Review process, the Grant Officer will determine the following:

f. If the applicant had any restriction on spending for any ETA grant due to adverse monitoring findings; or

g. If the applicant received a High Risk determination in accordance with TEGL 23-15.

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

V. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

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

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

B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

All grantees will be subject to all applicable federal laws and regulations, including the OMB Uniform Guidance, and the terms and conditions of the award. Please review the full list of requirements in Section VI.B of FOA-ETA-20-08-A.

VI. AGENCY CONTACTS

For further information about this FOA, please email Jeanette Flowers, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at Flowers.Jeannette@dol.gov.

https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=6330 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/

VII. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

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

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

Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW, Room N1301, Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be emailed to: DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov.

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR GRANT APPLICATION TO THIS ADDRESS.

SEND ONLY COMMENTS ABOUT THE BURDEN CAUSED BY THE COLLECTION OF

INFORMATION TO THIS ADDRESS. SEND YOUR GRANT APPLICATION TO THE

SPONSORING AGENCY AS SPECIFIED EARLIER IN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

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

Signed May 21, 2021, in Washington, D.C. by:

Charles L. Cox Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration mailto:DOL_PRA_PUBLIC@dol.gov