FOA-ETA-21-09.pdf

ETA FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Workforce System Technical Assistance Collaborative

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-21-09

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.281 WIOA

and 17.207 Wagner-Peyser.

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is Monday, November 8, 2021. We must receive applications no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Submit all applications in response to this solicitation through https://www.grants.gov.

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

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

C. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

D. PROGRAM GOALS AND ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

C. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

3. Other Award Specifications

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

2. Project Budget

3. Project Narrative

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, PROCESS, AND ADDRESS

1. Hardcopy Submission

2. Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

1. Indirect Costs

2. Salary and Bonus Limitations

3. Intellectual Property Rights

4. Credential Transparency

5. Cost Restrictions

F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

1. Project Design (Up to 30 points)

2. Outcomes, Outputs, and Evaluation of TA effectiveness (Up to 20 points)

3. Project Work Plan (Up to 10 points)

4. Organizational, Administrative and Fiscal Capacity (Up to 20 points)

5. Past Performance–Programmatic Capability (Up to 15 points)

6. Budget and Budget Narrative (Up to 5 points)

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

2. Risk Review Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. ADMISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

1. Administrative Program Requirements

2. Other Legal Requirements

3. Special Program Requirements

C. REPORTING

1. Quarterly Financial Reports

2. Quarterly Performance Reports

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

C. WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

D. SKILLSCOMMONS RESOURCES

IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $3 to 3.5 million in funds authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Dislocated Worker National Reserve funding for technical assistance (TA) and Title I of the Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2021. This cooperative agreement1 will establish and operate a Workforce System Technical Assistance (TA) Collaborative over a 3-year (36-month) period of performance from an anticipated start date of February 2022. DOL may modify this grant during the period of performance with additional funds, or may award a second award if additional funds are available. DOL reserves the option to make more than one award under this FOA, particularly if additional funding becomes available.

The Workforce System TA Collaborative is an entity or consortium of partners that, in close coordination with DOL, will plan, develop and deliver TA to the public workforce system, considered here as primarily WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service grantees and required partners of the one stop delivery system, where TA to a broader range of partners improves WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act service delivery.2 The Collaborative will respond to the needs identified by the WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act grantees and plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to TA, in consultation with DOL, aimed at improving the quality of employment and training services provided to the nation’s job seekers and employers. To further the goal of improving public workforce services, the Collaborative will assist grantees in complying with federal requirements and in achieving equity in service delivery and outcomes for people of color and historically marginalized populations, including individuals with disabilities. Note that the term “Collaborative” does not refer to a physical location or center.

Through a cooperative agreement with DOL, the new Collaborative will provide strategic, short-and long-term TA to help public workforce system entities at the state and local levels improve service quality and outcomes for job seekers and employers who use the public workforce system for identified common needs of the system. In addition to proactive TA, the Collaborative will respond in real-time to emergent technical assistance needs of state and local workforce development boards, state workforce agencies, and one-stop partner programs in

1 2 CFR2CFR 200.24 – a cooperative agreement is an agreement in which the Federal Government provides funding or a thing of value authorized by public statute and the government plays a substantial role. A cooperative agreement is a form of assistance.

2 Section 121(b)(1)(B) of WIOA identifies the entities that are required partners in the local one-stop delivery systems. The required partners are the entities responsible for administering the following programs and activities in the local area: (1) Programs authorized under title I of WIOA, including: Adults; Dislocated Workers; Youth; Job Corps; YouthBuild; Native American programs; and Migrant and Seasonal farmworker programs; (2) The Wagner- Peyser Act Employment Service program; (3)The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) program;

(4)The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program; (5) The Senior Community Service Employment Program; (6) Career and technical education programs at the postsecondary level; (7) Trade Adjustment Assistance activities; (8) Jobs for Veterans State Grants programs; (9) Employment and training activities carried out under the Community Services Block Grant (42 U.S.C. 9901 et seq.); (10) Employment and training activities carried out by the Department of Housing and Urban Development; (11) Programs authorized under State unemployment compensation laws (in accordance with applicable Federal law); and (13) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

(TANF).

coordination with DOL in order to improve services. The Collaborative will also facilitate peer learning and information sharing, provide access to subject matter expertise intended to increase the workforce system’s efficacy and performance, and offer assistance on how to apply evidence-based practices to improve system effectiveness.

Eligible applicants must be organizations that possess the internal capacity, external relationships, and expertise in workforce development that will enable them to deliver TA services on a national, system-wide scale to the public workforce system. The following entities are eligible to apply:

• a) non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses;

• b) educational institutions, including community colleges, universities, and research institutions;

• c) labor organizations or trade unions; or

• c) state governments and state workforce development boards, or private institutes or independent policy research organizations.

A successful applicant must demonstrate the capacity and established partnerships to operate a project providing a broad range of TA and subject matter expertise in key topics that DOL and the TA Collaborative identify as priorities, both within this FOA and based on assessed needs of the public workforce system. Broadly, these topics will include assisting the public workforce system to respond to the evolving service-delivery environment of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic disruptions, ensuring that we help our communities build back better and stronger than before the pandemic by focusing on racial equity, as well as helping it address ongoing WIOA implementation and program management issues. DOL expects the TA Collaborative established via this or any other DOL funding vehicle to work collaboratively, leveraging expertise and sharing TA products across Collaborative for the maximum benefit of the workforce system customers. Where necessary and with DOL input, the Collaborative will also work collaboratively with TA centers or collaboratives funded by other federal agencies that are dedicated to improving services of one-stop partner programs.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications to establish a Workforce System Technical Assistance Collaborative, funded by Dislocated Worker Technical Assistance and Training funds and by Employment Service Technical Assistance and Training funds. The Department is funding this effort with a combination of the WIOA Dislocated Worker and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service technical assistance funds because the Collaborative will reflect a comprehensive approach to improving services for job seekers and employers in the public workforce system, which provides integrated services under WIOA and the Employment Service. In close coordination with DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA)’s Office of Workforce Investment and ETA’s Regional Offices, the Collaborative will provide a comprehensive program of technical assistance and training support for the public workforce system in order to promote the continuous improvement of services and outcomes provided to job seekers and employers.

The public workforce system is funded, in part, through formula grants administered by ETA to states and state agencies authorized by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014, and the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, as amended. The system is designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services to succeed in the labor market and match employers with skilled workers. A major component of WIOA is the strategic coordination of the core Federal programs working in partnership to achieve these aims, including WIOA title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service programs and Adult Education and Family Literacy programs and Vocational Rehabilitation programs, administered by the Department of Education.

The Collaborative will coordinate with ETA to plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to technical assistance, with the goal of assisting the public workforce system—considered here as primarily WIOA grantees and required partners of the one stop delivery system,—to provide quality services to the nation’s job seekers and employers. To further the goal of improving public services, the Collaborative will also assist grantees in complying with federal requirements.

This solicitation seeks to establish one (or possibly more based on an applicant’s program design) TA Collaborative to provide effective, efficient delivery of TA services, with the desired result of establishing a comprehensive and coordinated approach to improving services and outcomes of the public workforce system. This Collaborative is not a physical center, but rather a hub or focal point for collaboration. Jointly led by DOL and the selected applicant(s), this approach will include assessing TA needs, developing and delivering TA events and materials to share information on evidence-based practices, and developing TA tools, resources, and subject matter expertise throughout the public workforce system. To produce strong evidence on the effectiveness of the TA delivered, the Department will require the Collaborative to assess the effectiveness of the TA provided on an on-going basis. Refer to Section D.1 for more details on the expectations for the operation of the Collaborative.

The Collaborative will leverage the use of DOL’s TA resources, including its technical assistance web platform www.WorkforceGPS.org, to ensure the technical assistance materials developed or adapted pursuant to this cooperative agreement are broadly disseminated and easily accessible to public workforce system stakeholders. All award recipient(s) must ensure that all TA deliverables and resources developed, as well as existing materials shared or adapted, under their cooperative agreement(s) must be made available on WorkforceGPS. If DOL awards multiple cooperative agreements from this FOA, DOL expects all awardees of the Collaborative to coordinate, leveraging expertise and sharing TA products across organizations, for the maximum benefit of the workforce system customers.

Successful applicant(s) must demonstrate the capacity to provide a broad range of technical assistance and subject matter expertise in key topics that DOL and the TA Collaborative identify as priorities, both within this FOA as well as based on assessed needs of the public workforce system throughout the course of the period of performance. At a minimum, such topics include responding to the evolving service-delivery environment of the COVID-19 pandemic and related http://www.workforcegps.gov/ economic disruptions, as well as address ongoing implementation and program management issues among public workforce system grantees and partners. While the economic outlook is brightening in 2021, DOL acknowledges that people of color and women have been disproportionately affected by the current economic crisis. Thus, the TA will need to help the public workforce system advance equity and improve job quality to better serve marginalized groups and promote an equitable recovery.

Applicants must demonstrate how they will provide technical assistance on promising and evidence-based practices in the following areas: 1) Pandemic Response (virtual service delivery and topics related to reemployment and economic recovery); 2) WIOA Implementation (i.e., governance, aligned and integrated service delivery, strategic planning, career pathways); 3) Fiscal, Administrative, Programmatic, and Operational Strategies; 4) Sector Partnerships and Employer Engagement Strategies, including Registered Apprenticeship sponsors; and 5) Performance and Results. Among multiple topics, TA shall include a focus on ensuring equitable services and positive outcomes for communities of color and other underserved populations, including individuals with disabilities. These foci may evolve during the subsequent years of the cooperative agreement based on the overall workforce environment and the areas of greatest TA need.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

The cooperative agreement will be funded with Dislocated Worker Technical Assistance and Training funds, as authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260, Div. H. Title I, Training and Employment Services section (2)(A), and with Employment Service Technical Assistance and Training funds, as available in the Consolidated Appropriations Act at State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations section (4).

C. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

The TA Collaborative will focus on providing technical assistance on a national scale. The Collaborative will primarily engage the workforce system and its partners through a virtual platform/online presence.

Applicants must develop comprehensive strategies that will provide technical assistance across the public workforce system (i.e. capacity to service and reach multiple geographic locations, as applicable, per Collaborative).

D. PROGRAM GOALS AND ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

General Technical Assistance (TA)

The TA Collaborative funded under a cooperative agreement must, at a minimum:

• Develop comprehensive TA strategies system-wide, intended to increase the workforce system’s efficacy, performance, and efficiency, as well as customized strategies for specific states and localities;

• Provide technical assistance to individual WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service grantees experiencing an acute challenge, identifying such grantees needs in consultation with ETA;

• Use ETA’s platforms to create an online community to support key stakeholders and customers during the life of the project, which can be sustained by the Department after the project ends;

• Facilitate peer-to-peer learning;

• Develop summaries of best practices, profiles or toolkits of how grantees can implement evidence-based practices, and written resources to provide assistance;

• Assist the public workforce system in conducting participant and employer outreach, program implementation, and partnership building.

• Coordinate with ETA through a TA steering committee to leverage, align, and build on existing TA efforts already in place to maximize the use of resources and minimize the duplication of efforts. The Collaborative must ensure, at ETA’s direction, engagement with ETA-funded TA contractors to support these efforts; and

• Coordinate across all TA Collaboratives to serve the public workforce system, provided ETA awards more than one cooperative agreement.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

DOL will make funding available for the Collaborative through a cooperative agreement(s). The primary purpose of the agreement is to assist the Collaborative in developing TA to improve the services that the public workforce system offers to the nation’s job seekers and employers, and DOL expects to be substantially involved in the oversight, governance, and development of TA under the agreement. Through the establishment of a steering committee, DOL will provide input and approval to the Collaborative on proposed strategies, products, and events.

DOL’s involvement in the steering committee may include the following activities:

• Direction on which WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service grantees need targeted assistance.

• Monthly conference calls with awardees throughout the period of performance to collaborate on TA strategies and plans.

• Prior approval of any related sub-contracts.

• Prior approval of all key personnel appointments and changes.

• Participation in site visits to project areas, as needed.

• Providing advice and consultation, in addition to requiring concurrence on matters of, project development and management.

• Providing awardees with technical and programmatic support, including training in DOL grant administration monitoring systems and standard procedures regarding DOL management of cooperative agreements.

• Reviewing, at reasonable times, cooperative agreement documents pertaining to the project, including required metrics, status and technical progress reports, and quarterly financial reports. DOL will provide the format for the technical progress reports.

• Oversight and approval of all content for print and online resources developed through project activities, including clearing topics for material production and final document production (e.g., fact sheets, outreach flyers, training materials, information about the project on the applicant’s website).

We expect availability of approximately $3 to 3.5 million to fund one or more cooperative agreement(s). You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $3.5 million. Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use such funds to select additional awardees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is thirty-six (36) months with an anticipated start date of February 2022. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

While the period of performance is 36 months, applicants should plan to expend most of the funding within the first 24 to 30 months of the period of performance. Applicants may allow a few months for start-up and planning, at least 24 to 30 months of activities, with the remainder of the period of performance for TA evaluation and other reflection activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants must be organizations that possess the internal capacity, external relationships, and expertise in workforce development that will enable them to deliver TA services on a national, system-wide scale to the public workforce system. The following entities are eligible to apply:

• non-profit organizations and for-profit businesses;

• educational institutions, including community colleges, universities, and research institutions;

• labor organizations or trade unions; or

• state governments and state workforce development boards, or private institutes or independent policy research organizations.

An applicant must have the expertise (particularly within the publicly-funded workforce development arena), resources, and capacity (number of personnel, subject matter experts) to deliver comprehensive workforce system TA on a nationwide basis. DOL anticipates that most eligible entities will not singularly possess the expertise or capacity to operate the project unassisted and will need to engage partners. As such, the lead applicant’s implementation plan must include a description of the associated partners, if engaged, to supplement program activities to fully address and execute all of the required grant funded activities and deliverables.

Those applicants proposing partnerships must describe the roles and expected contributions of the partners and documentation that include Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Letters of Commitment.

Applicants must identify their institution type in Section 9 of the SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance. Please note that all elements of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards) and 2 CFR Part 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR Part 200) apply to any entity that carries out a federal award as a recipient or subrecipient, including for-profit organizations. This includes the monitoring and the examination of their records.

Award recipients will serve as DOL’s counterpart in the cooperative agreement. The recipient must be the organization specified in Section 8 of the SF-424 Application Form. Additionally, the recipient must be: (1) DOL’s point of contact to receive and respond to all inquiries or communications under this FOA and any subsequent cooperative agreement; (2) the entity with authority to withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human Services - Payment Management System (HHS-PMS); (3) the entity responsible for coordinating with DOL on all deliverables, including all technical and financial reports related to the project, regardless of which partnership member performed the work; (4) the entity that may request or agree to a revision of the cooperative agreement; (5) the entity with overall responsibility for carrying out the programmatic functions of the cooperative agreement, as well as for the stewardship of all expenditures under the cooperative agreement; (6) the entity responsible for coordinating with any evaluator, including participating in an evaluation and other studies; and

(7) the entity responsible for working with DOL to close out the cooperative agreement.

If DOL awards multiple cooperative agreements under this FOA, it expects that awardees will develop a partnership structure. In such structure, awardees will work collaboratively to fulfill the requirements of the cooperative agreement without duplication of effort, services, or materials (e.g., coordinating which entity/organization would be responsible for specific activities, work packages, and work products). As a condition of award, the awardees must provide DOL, within 30 days, an agreement signed by all awardees establishing the partnership structure.

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Including such funds is not one of the application screening criteria and applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Instead, the agency considers any resources contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency as leveraged resources. Section IV.B.2 provides more information on leveraged resources.

C. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria

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

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

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

3. Other Award Specifications

Allowable Use of Funds:

As noted above, the TA Collaborative is not a physical center; rather, it is one or more cooperative agreement recipients working collaboratively with associated partners to collaborate, plan, assess and deliver TA to the public workforce system.

Each recipient of a cooperative agreement may use awarded funding to cover their organization’s reasonable, necessary, and allocable expenses required for the effective implementation of program requirements associated with establishing the TA Collaborative. Recipients may use funding to pay project staff to perform work associated with the program requirements of the cooperative agreement. Recipients may also use funds to conduct routine, internal program management activities.

Application Requirement Instructions Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met Section IV.C

Eligibility Section III.A

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

Section IV.C.2

Application federal funds request does not exceed the ceiling amount of $3,500,000 Section II.A

SAM Registration Section IV.B.1

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

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

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

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

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

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

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

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

2. Project Budget, composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative;

3. Project Narrative; and

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative.

You must ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

1. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at https://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 (RFRA), 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, which includes the following language:

As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I WIOA, the grant applicant assures that it has the ability to comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the WIOA, which, as interpreted through Departmental regulations, prohibits http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm https://usdol-my.sharepoint.com/personal/luetkenhaus_eric_dol_gov/Documents/All%20FOAs%202020/Application_for#_SF-424,_ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship status 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, subject to RFRA, that as a recipient of WIOA Title I financial assistance [as defined at 29 CFR 38.4(zz)], it will comply with 29 CFR part 38 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. Note that the RFRA applies to all federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive federal financial assistance under this grant solicitation and maintain that hiring practice. If a faith-based organization is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with more information.

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

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

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

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

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

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

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

https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.sam.gov/

A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration.

To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award. If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the Grant Officer is ready to make a federal award, the Grant Officer may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

2. Project Budget

SF-424A

You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1). In preparing the Budget Information Form, you must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. Valuation of leveraged resources follows the same requirements as match. Applicants are encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself.

Each category should include the total cost for the period of performance. Use the following guidance for preparing the Budget Narrative.

Personnel: List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed) including the roles and responsibilities. For each position, give the annual salary, the percentage of time devoted to the project, and the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant.

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

Travel: For grantee staff only, specify the purpose, number of staff traveling, mileage, per diem, estimated number of in-state and out-of-state trips, and other costs for each type of travel.

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.11 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

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

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

Supplies: Identify categories of supplies (e.g., office supplies) in the detailed budget and list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of Supplies).

Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR 200.1 as a legal instrument by which a non-federal entity purchases property or services needed to carry out the project or program under a federal award. A subaward, defined by 2 CFR 200.11 means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to carry out part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor or payments to an individual that is a beneficiary of a federal program.

For each proposed contract and subaward, specify the purpose and activities to be provided, and the estimated cost.

Construction: Construction costs are not allowed and this line must be left as zero.

Minor alterations to adjust an existing space for grant activities (such as a classroom alteration) may be allowable. We do not consider this as construction and you must show the costs on other appropriate lines such as Contractual.

Other: Provide clear and specific detail, including costs, for each item so that we are able to determine whether the costs are necessary, reasonable, and allocable. List items, such as stipends or incentives, not covered elsewhere.

Indirect Costs: If you include an amount for indirect costs (through a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or De Minimis) on the SF-424A budget form, then include one of the following:

a) If you have a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), provide an explanation of how the indirect costs are calculated. This explanation should include which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Also, provide a current version of the NICRA.

or

b) If you intend to claim indirect costs using the 10 percent de minimis rate, please confirm that your organization meets the requirements as described in 2 CFR 200.414(f).

Clearly state that your organization does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, and is not one described in 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII(D)(1)(b).

Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 CFR 200.1 below for definition) as their cost allocation base.

Provide an explanation of which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Note that there are various items not included in the calculation of Modified Total Direct Costs. See the definitions below to assist you in your calculation.

• 2 CFR 200.1 Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) means all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards under the award). MTDC excludes equipment, capital expenditures, charges for patient care, rental costs, tuition remission, scholarships and fellowships, participant support costs and the portion of each subaward in excess of $25,000. Other items may be excluded only when necessary to avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, and with the approval of the cognizant agency for indirect costs.

The definition of MTDC in 2 CFR 200.1 no longer allows any sub-contracts to be included in the calculation. You will also note that participant support costs are not included in modified total direct cost. Participant support costs are defined below.

• 2 CFR 200.1 Participant Support Cost means direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with conferences or training projects.

See Section IV.B.4. and Section IV.E.1 for more information. Additionally, the following link contains information regarding the negotiation of Indirect Cost Rates at DOL:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination.

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

Do not show leveraged resources on the SF-424 and SF-424A. You should describe leveraged resources in the Budget Narrative.

Applicants should list the same requested federal grant amount on the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative. If minor inconsistencies are found between the budget amounts specified on the SF-424, SF-424A, and the Budget Narrative, ETA will consider the SF- 424 the official funding amount requested. However, if the amount specified on the SF- 424 would render the application nonresponsive, the Grant Officer will use his or her discretion to determine whether the intended funding request (and match if applicable) is within the responsive range.

3. Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must demonstrate your capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Announcement. It provides a comprehensive https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It must be succinct, self-explanatory, and well-organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

The Project Narrative is limited to 20 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12-point text font and 1-inch margins. You must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

We will not read or consider any materials beyond the specified page limit in the application review process.

The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Project Narrative. Carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information in your Project Narrative. The agency will evaluate the Project Narrative using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. You must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative.

Project Design: Proposed Approach and TA Activities (Up to 30 points)

With the goal of assisting the public workforce system in providing quality services to the nation’s job seekers and employers, applicants must describe in their proposals how they will coordinate with ETA to plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to technical assistance. Applicants must reflect in their proposals an approach that addresses current and evolving technical assistance needs and challenges of the public workforce system, at minimum for the topics identified in Section I.A. Such proposals must reflect the impact of the pandemic and how the Collaborative plans to help the WIOA title I and Wagner- Peyser Act Employment Service grantees and partners: 1) maintain sufficient operations and provide effective customer service, in the short-term; and 2) address longer term strategic implementation issues.

Proposals must also specifically address:

1. Coordination: Applicants must describe in detail collaborative methods for how they will work throughout all stages of the period of performance with ETA points of contact who are serving as a steering committee, as well as ETA-funded TA contractors, and other TA Collaborative members, if applicable. Coordination shall include assessment, prioritization, successful deployment, and dissemination of comprehensive training and TA to address needs of the public workforce system nationally, as well as customized TA for grantee or state-specific issues. The approach to coordination must include a focus on reducing duplicative TA efforts and ensuring consistency in TA products and deployment.

2. Assessment: Applicants must describe their approach for assessing the technical assistance needs of the public workforce system. This includes an explanation of the reliable tools and methods applicants will use to conduct comprehensive assessments of the technical assistance needs of the public workforce development system.

3. Prioritization: Applicants must describe their approach for prioritizing TA needs as they are identified, explaining how they will address factors such as risk, estimated return on investment, level of effort, and budget constraints.

4. Execution: Describe in detail the strategies you will pursue under the cooperative agreement to develop and provide technical assistance on implementing evidence-based practices, where available, and promising practices where there is less evidence, in the following areas, specified in Section IA:

• Pandemic response (virtual service delivery and economic recovery);

• WIOA implementation;

• Fiscal, administrative and operational strategies;

• Sector partnerships and employer engagement strategies that support job quality; and

• Performance management including measuring inclusion in, impact of, and continuous improvement of services for communities of color, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized communities and underrepresented populations.

Note: topical areas will evolve as TA needs and priorities are identified and emerge throughout the period of performance.

Describe the delivery approaches that you may deploy for the prioritized technical assistance projects selected for implementation. In providing this description, applicants must include at a minimum the following approaches:

• Aligning subject matter experts with areas of needed technical assistance

• Identifying evidenced-based and/or successful practices to highlight and conveying how best to apply them

• Facilitating peer-to-peer learning exchanges

• Conducting virtual technical assistance webinars

• Researching and developing TA materials

Applicants should also consider including the following additional approaches:

• Providing customized one-on-one assistance or coaching

• Conducting in-person and virtual training, and meetings or conferences (i.e., agenda and content development; engaging and securing subject matter experts and speakers; designing, delivering, and facilitating workshops; logistics and onsite support services).

5. Dissemination-Reaching a national audience:

• Describe how the Collaborative will ensure that any TA products, tools, and promising practices developed to assist individual grantees will be shared on a national scale with the public workforce system. (Note that this requires more than uploading materials to www.workforcegps.org.)

• Describe strategies or approaches for dissemination of technical assistance tools and services.

http://www.workforcegps.org/

Outcomes, Outputs, and Evaluation of TA effectiveness (Up to 20 points)

DOL expects delivery of relevant, high quality technical assistance to the public workforce development system, and demonstration of that result via measurable or tangible improvements (i.e., increased adoption of a compliant behavior, increased adoption of a specific evidence-based practice, process efficiency; increased performance outcomes). Therefore, applicants’ technical assistance approaches must include methods for measuring and assessing behavioral changes resulting from the technical assistance.

Applicants need to connect how their approach for assessing and addressing TA needs reflects proven or evidence-based activities that will deliver sustainable results for those receiving the technical assistance.

1. Logic Model: To deploy a results-based design, applicants must demonstrate how a

TA logic model will be used for their overall approach to technical assistance and measurement of outcomes. Using at least one potential TA need as an example for purposes of the proposal, the Applicant must describe the TA logic model it will use to develop and refine technical assistance strategies throughout the period of the performance. For example, say a local workforce development board is experiencing challenges with its employer engagement. After receiving technical assistance, the local board becomes more actively engaged with industry partners through a sector partnership and increases employment opportunities.

The proposed logic model description must include the following:

• Drivers –What challenges/problem(s) will the TA address/solve?

• Activities – What types of development and delivery activities will be involved in the TA plan and approach?

• Inputs – What are the resources that will be used to support the activities in the task?

• Outputs – How will the applicant quantify TA activities performed? Examples of outputs include the number of training events or peer-to-peer consultations conducted, the number of participants in events, the number of downloads, etc.

• Outcomes/success factors – Identify the key outcomes or success factors for those audiences receiving the TA that will be the markers of successful TA provision.

• Impacts – What impacts will the TA make for customers of the public workforce system?

2. Effectiveness of TA: The Collaborative must develop and implement methods to measure, on an ongoing basis and with active contribution from DOL, the effectiveness of TA to the extent practicable. Such methods should allow the Collaborative and DOL to observe whether technical assistance is making an impact and in a timeframe that allows for adjustments in TA delivery. For instance, methods could maximize use of administrative data or actions that DOL can easily observe, and minimize using time-consuming methods such as surveys that require Paperwork Reduction Act approval.

Applicants must provide a thorough and comprehensive description of the measures, methods, techniques, and tools that they will use to evaluate technical assistance effectiveness and effectively determine whether the activities achieved their anticipated outcomes. This measurement is not intended to be a formal evaluation. Effectiveness should be measured using the Kirkpatrick model (reaction, knowledge gain, application of knowledge, and impact of and results achieved by TA) or a similar established approach.