FOA-ETA-25-35.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Next Level Now Technical Assistance Collaborative

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITYANNOUNCEMENT (FOA): FOA-ETA-25-35

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 17.281 (WIOA) and 17.207 (Wagner-Peyser)

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is February 4, 2025. We must receive applications no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Submit all applications in response to this solicitation through https://www.grants.gov. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to Section IV.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

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

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, PROCESS AND ADDRESS

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

C. REPORTING

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

APPENDIX A

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $1.5 million to fund the Next Level Now (NLN) Technical Assistance Collaborative (TA Collaborative) in its first year of operation. Through a cooperative agreement1 with DOL, the TA Collaborative will provide strategic, short- and long-term technical assistance (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 the purposes of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the public workforce system is considered as primarily Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service grantees and required partners of the one stop delivery system. TA may be provided to a broader range of workforce system partners to improve WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act service delivery.2

The TA Collaborative will operate over a 4-year (48-month) period of performance from an anticipated start date of March 2025. Under this FOA, ETA expects to award one or more cooperative agreements, and applicants may apply for no more than $1,500,000, which will cover their project’s first year of operation. ETA anticipates each awardee will also receive annual increments of approximately $1 million in the subsequent three years of the period of performance, for an approximate total of $4.5 million. The award of all increments will be contingent upon receipt of a complete incremental funding application package, federal funds availability, satisfactory progress of the project to date, and adequate stewardship of federal funds. Note that the term “TA Collaborative” does not refer to a physical location or center.

The goals of this funding opportunity are to support the modernization of the workforce system to: 1) improve the quality of employment and training services provided through WIOA Title I and the Wagner-Peyser Act to the nation’s job seekers and employers; 2) increase the workforce system’s efficacy, performance, and efficiency by helping grantees comply with federal requirements in managing federally-funded training and employment programs; and 3) achieve

1 The Next Level Now (NLN) Technical Assistance Collaborative (TA Collaborative) is a consortium of partners, led by ETA’s NLN Steering Committee, that delivers TA to the public workforce system.

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).

equity in service delivery and outcomes for historically underserved populations, including people of color, opportunity youth, 3and individuals with disabilities.

The TA Collaborative will plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to TA in response to the needs identified by the WIOA Title I and Wagner-Peyser Act grantees. In addition, the TA Collaborative, in coordination with DOL, will improve services by responding in real time to emergent technical assistance needs of state and local workforce development boards and state workforce agencies. The TA 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 advise 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:

non-profit organizations;

educational institutions, including research institutions that provide technical assistance;

labor organizations or trade unions;

state governments; or for-profit technical assistance providers, private institutes, or independent policy research organizations.

A successful applicant must demonstrate the capacity and established partnerships to operate the TA Collaborative, which must provide 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 during the period of performance.

To support the modernization of the public workforce system, specific evidence-based technical assistance topics should include: 1) Workforce system innovations, such as virtual and hybrid service delivery, and use of Artificial Intelligence; 2) WIOA Governance; 3) Fiscal and Administrative Management such as, but not limited to, cost allocation principles, financial reporting, internal controls, subaward administration, and cash management; 4) Sector Partnerships and Employer Engagement Strategies; and 5) Performance Management, including the focus on ensuring equitable services and outcomes for historically underserved populations, including people of color, opportunity youth, and individuals with disabilities.

If DOL awards multiple cooperative agreements from this FOA, DOL expects all grantees to work together as a singular TA Collaborative to improve services of one-stop partner programs, 3 Opportunity youth are young people who are between the ages of 16 to 24 years old and are disconnected from school and work. www.youth.gov leveraging expertise and sharing TA products across the TA Collaborative for the maximum benefit of the workforce system customers.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications to operate the Next Level Now (NLN) Technical Assistance (TA) Collaborative, funded by Dislocated Worker Technical Assistance and Training funds and by Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service Technical Assistance and Training funds.

The Department is funding this effort with a combination from both sources because the TA 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 Wagner-Peyser Act. In close coordination with DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA)’s Office of Workforce Investment and ETA’s Regional Offices, the TA Collaborative will provide a comprehensive program of technical assistance and training support for the public workforce system 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), and the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, as amended. The system is designed to both 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 WIOA core programs working in partnership to achieve these aims. The WIOA core programs are the DOL-administered Adult, Dislocated Worker, and Youth programs in WIOA Title I; the Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service program (authorized by the Wagner Peyser Act as amended by WIOA Title III); and the Department of Education-administered Adult Education and Family Literacy (WIOA Title II) and Vocational Rehabilitation (authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended by WIOA Title IV) programs.

The TA Collaborative will coordinate with ETA through the NLN Steering Committee, which is comprised of national and regional office representatives, to plan and deliver a comprehensive approach to technical assistance, with the goal of assisting the public workforce system— considered here as primarily WIOA Title I and Wager-Peyser Act Employment Service 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 TA Collaborative will also assist grantees in complying with federal requirements.

The purpose of the NLN TA Collaborative is 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 TA Collaborative is not a physical center, but rather a hub or focal point for collaboration. Jointly led by ETA’s Steering Committee 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; developing TA tools and resources; and providing subject matter expertise throughout the public workforce system. To produce strong evidence on the effectiveness of the TA delivered, the Department will require the TA Collaborative to assess the effectiveness of the TA provided on an on-going basis.

The TA Collaborative will leverage the use of DOL’s TA resources, including its technical assistance web platform www.WorkforceGPS.org, to ensure that 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) are made available on the online Community of Practice on WorkforceGPS: https://nextlevelnow.workforcegps.org/. If DOL awards multiple cooperative agreements from this FOA, all grantees must 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 TA 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 needs of the economy, responding to the need to modernize service delivery, as well as addressing ongoing implementation and program management issues among public workforce system grantees and partners. With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and Chips and Science Act, there is increased demand for skilled workers and opportunities for the workforce system to connect job seekers with quality jobs. DOL wants to ensure that all job seeker populations will be prepared for the new jobs created. Thus, the TA Collaborative will also assist the public workforce system to advance equity and improve job quality to better serve historically underserved groups, including people of color, opportunity youth, and individuals with disabilities.

Applicants must demonstrate how they will provide technical assistance on promising and evidence-based practices to increase the workforce system’s efficacy, performance, and efficiency in the following areas: 1) Workforce system innovations, such as virtual and hybrid service delivery, and use of Artificial Intelligence; 2) WIOA Governance; 3) Fiscal and Administrative Management such as, but not limited to, cost allocation principles, financial reporting, internal controls, subaward administration, and cash management; 4) Sector Partnerships and Employer Engagement Strategies; and 5) Performance Management, including the focus on ensuring equitable services and outcomes for historically underserved populations, including people of color, opportunity youth, and 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.

DOL expects delivery of relevant, high quality technical assistance to the public workforce system, and demonstration of those results via measurable or tangible improvements (i.e., increased adoption of a specific evidence-based practice, process efficiency; and improved performance outcomes). Applicants need to ensure that 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. The TA Collaborative must develop and implement methods to measure, in real time and on an ongoing basis, and with active contribution from DOL, the effectiveness of TA to the extent practicable. Such methods should allow the TA Collaborative and DOL to observe whether technical assistance is making an impact, 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. Therefore, applicants’ technical assistance approaches must include methods for measuring and assessing behavioral changes resulting from the technical assistance.

The TA Collaborative must develop annual work plans, including the proposed TA activities, that will be updated on a quarterly basis. The NLN Steering Committee will conduct an ongoing review of the TA activities throughout the period of performance and expect summary reports on TA that is provided on a quarterly basis. The TA Collaborative must also submit an interim and final report analyzing the effectiveness of the TA provided to the workforce system. Applicants must plan for time at the end of the grant to close out TA activities with grantees, finalize TA materials and resources for public dissemination, and submit a final Effectiveness of TA Evaluation Report for the ongoing sustainability of the NLN TA Collaborative. (Note that this is different from the evaluation described under the Special Program Requirements.)

1. GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE

The TA Collaborative will focus on providing technical assistance on a national scale.

The TA 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 reach and service multiple geographic locations).

2. PROGRAM GOALS AND ALLOWABLE ACTIVITIES

a. Goals. The goals of this technical assistance cooperative agreement are to support the modernization of the workforce system to 1) improve the quality of employment and training services provided through WIOA Title I and the Wagner-Peyser Act to the nation’s job seekers and employers; 2) increase the workforce system’s efficacy, performance, and efficiency by helping grantees comply with federal requirements in managing federally-funded training and employment programs; and 3) achieve equity in service delivery and outcomes for people of color and historically underserved populations, including opportunity youth and individuals with disabilities.

b. General Technical Assistance (TA) Activities. The TA Collaborative funded under this cooperative agreement must develop a comprehensive, system-wide TA plan, featuring strategies intended to increase the workforce system’s efficacy, performance, and efficiency. The TA plan will be developed in consultation with the NLN Steering Committee and submitted as an annual document that is updated on a quarterly basis for each calendar year. At a minimum, the TA Collaborative must do the following:

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

Provide customized TA for specific states and local workforce development areas, utilizing methods and proven subject matter expertise to address and resolve their greatest needs.

Establish and facilitate peer-to-peer and small group learning opportunities between entities of similar size, geographic characteristics, and governance structure to exchange promising practices or identify solutions that resolve similar challenges and improve the service delivery of these entities.

Deploy subject matter expertise and deliver TA in the following areas identified by ETA as a priority 1) Workforce system innovations, such as virtual and hybrid service delivery, and use of Artificial Intelligence; 2) WIOA Governance; 3) Fiscal and Administrative Management such as, but not limited to cost allocation principles, financial reporting, internal controls, subaward administration, and cash management; 4) Sector Partnerships and Employer Engagement Strategies; and 5) Performance Management, including the focus on ensuring equitable services and outcomes for historically underserved populations, including people of color, opportunity youth, and individuals with disabilities.

Build public workforce system’s capacity to conduct participant and employer outreach, implement training and employment programs, and build and strengthen partnerships.

Identify additional topic areas, based on an assessment of needs, to deploy subject matter experts and deliver TA.

Develop TA resources and materials on best practices, grantee profiles, QuickSheets, or toolkits detailing how grantees can implement evidence-based practices and disseminate these resources to assist and improve the public workforce system.

Coordinate with ETA to leverage, align, and build on existing TA efforts already in place to maximize the use of resources and minimize the duplication of efforts.

Ensure, at ETA’s direction, engagement with ETA-, DOL-, and other relevant federally funded TA providers, , including all TA Collaboratives, if ETA awards more than one cooperative agreement to serve the public workforce system.

Use ETA’s platforms to engage an online community that supports key stakeholders and customers, which will be used to sustain the activities of the NLN TA Collaborative.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

The Dislocated Worker Technical Assistance and Training funds, as authorized under the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, P.L. 118-47, Div. D, Title I, Training and Employment Services section (2)(A) and the Employment Service Technical Assistance and Training funds, as available in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, Div. D, Title I in the State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations section (4), authorize this program.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Under this FOA, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) expects to award one or more cooperative agreements, and applicants may apply for no more than $1.5 million, which will cover their project’s first year of operation. ETA anticipates each awardee will also receive annual increments of approximately $1 million in the subsequent three years of the period of performance, for an approximate total of $4.5 million. The award of all increments will be contingent upon receipt of a complete incremental funding application package, federal funds availability, satisfactory progress of the project to date, and adequate stewardship of federal funds.

Please see Section IV for instructions on the submission of budgets and plans for both the initial award and the collective four-year period of performance.

ETA will make funding available for the TA Collaborative through a cooperative agreement(s).

The primary purpose of the agreement is to assist the TA 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, development, and implementation of TA under the agreement. Through the NLN Steering Committee, ETA will provide input and approval to the TA Collaborative on proposed strategies, products, and events.

ETA’s involvement in the NLN 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 the selected cooperative agreement recipient(s) 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.

Participating 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 the selected grant recipient with technical and programmatic support, including guidance on ETA grant administration and monitoring systems.

Providing 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, and similar materials).

Reviewing summary reports on TA that is provided, which includes specific action items for both the TA Collaborative and the cooperative agreement recipient.

Providing guidance on ETA’s standard procedures for managing cooperative agreements and reviewing documents pertaining to the award, such as, but not limited to, status and technical progress reports, performance metrics, and quarterly financial reports. ETA will provide the format for the technical progress reports.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is forty-eight (48) months with an anticipated start date of March 2025. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. While the period of performance is 48 months, applicants may have a short period of time for start-up and planning activities; however, applicants should plan to deliver technical assistance within the first three months after the cooperative agreement is awarded.

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;

educational institutions, including research institutions that provide technical assistance;

labor organizations or trade unions;

state governments; or for-profit technical assistance providers, private institutes, or independent policy research organizations.

Among eligible applicants listed above, the applicant agency or organization must also have the expertise (particularly within the publicly funded workforce system), resources, and capacity (number of personnel, subject matter experts) to deliver comprehensive TA at a nationwide scale. 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 provide documentation of the roles and contributions through either

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.

Importantly, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has published revised guidance on administering and managing Federal awards in Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Formerly referred to as the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles and Audit Requirements (“Uniform Guidance”), it is now the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance. This guidance at 2 CFR 200, as well 2 CFR 2900 (DOL’s Supplement to 2 CFR 200) applies 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. The latest revisions to 2 CFR 200 became effective October 1, 2024. Please refer to TEGL 05-24 | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov) for more information.

Under the cooperative agreement, award recipients become part of the Next Level Now TA Collaborative and participate in a partnership with DOL’s Next Level Now Steering Committee.

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 ETA 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 coordinate with DOL in a partnership. 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 and describing the partnership.

As noted in the Executive Summary, 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.

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; thus, 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 it meets 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, ETA will consider it non-responsive and exclude it from the merit review process.

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

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance, with a federal funds request not exceeding the ceiling amount of $1,500,000.

Sections II.A and IV.B.1

Active SAM Registration Section IV.B.1

SF-424 includes a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Section IV.B.1

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

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

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

3. Other Award Specifications

Allowable Use of Funds: 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.

Profit Earnings: Recipients, including for-profit entities, are prohibited from earning a profit resulting from the implementation of this award. As directed in 2 CFR 200.400(g), recipients may not earn or keep any profit resulting from Federal financial assistance unless explicitly authorized in the Federal award.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities 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/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family).

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

The organization’s legal name on the SF-424 should match its name registered in the System for Award Management (SAM) at www.sam.gov. If unsure of the legal name of your organization, visit www.sam.gov to confirm.

The organization’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) and Unique Entity Identification (UEI) Number should match its information in www.sam.gov. If unsure of the EIN or UEI of your organization, visit www.sam.gov to confirm.

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

The federal funds requested in field 18a must not exceed the ceiling of $1,500,000.

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 WIOA sec. 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 this FOA, 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 and its implementing regulations at 29 CFR Part 38, which prohibits 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 or 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 (which includes employment in the administration of or in connection with any FOA 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 as a recipient of funds under this FOA, 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 activities and any employment practices conducted under this FOA, 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.

a. Requirement for Unique Entity Identifier

All applicants for federal grant funding must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and must supply their UEI on the SF-424. The UEI is a 12-character (alpha-numeric) code that uniquely identifies all entities. Any entity registering to do business with the government is required to have one. UEIs are issued by SAM.gov and are a part of an entity's record in the Entity Information section of SAM.gov. If you do not have a UEI, you can get one for free at https://sam.gov.

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

Grant recipients must notify potential sub awardees that no entity may receive a subaward unless the entity has provided its UEI.

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

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

b. 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.

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 may use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

2. Project Budget

You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family). In preparing the Budget Information Form, you must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Each category should include the total estimated cost for the period of performance (first year of operation). Use the following guidance for preparing the Budget Narrative.

Personnel: List all staff positions by title (including individuals hired by an employment contract) 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, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (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 estimated costs for each type of travel.

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $10,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $10,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2

CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

Items with a unit cost of less than $10,000 are supplies, not “equipment.” In general, we do not permit the purchase of equipment during the last funded year of the grant.

Supplies: Identify the cost of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chairs, laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget per category. Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR Part 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 recipient or subrecipient conducts procurement transactions under a federal award. A subaward, defined by 2 CFR 200.1, means an award provided by a pass-through entity to a subrecipient for the subrecipient to contribute to the goals and objectives of the project by carrying out part of a federal award received by the pass-through entity. It does not include payments to a contractor, beneficiary, or participant. A subaward may be provided through any form of legal agreement consistent with criteria within §200.331, including an agreement the pass-through entity considers a contract. For each proposed contract and subaward, specify the purpose and activities to be provided, and the estimated cost.

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 15 percent de minimis rate, please confirm that your organization meets the requirements as described in 2 CFR Part 200.414(f). Clearly state that your organization does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, and is not one described in 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix VII(D)(1)(b).

Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (defined by DOL below) as their cost allocation base. Provide an explanation of which portion of each line item, along with the associated costs, are included in your cost allocation base. Note that there are various items not included in the calculation of Modified Total Direct Costs. See the definitions below to assist you in your calculation.

Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) Definition: To avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, DOL defines MTDC as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $50,000 of each subaward (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 $50,000.

You will also note that participant support costs are not included in modified total direct costs. Participant support costs are defined below.

2 CFR Part 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/office-of-the-senior-procurement-executive/cost-price-determination-division.

Indirect-type costs (such as top management salaries, financial oversight, human resources, payroll, personnel, auditing costs, accounting and legal, etc. used for the general oversight and administration of the organization) must not be classified as direct costs; these types of costs are recovered as part of charging the de minimis or NICRA rate. 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.

The SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative must reflect the federal funding request for the first year of the cooperative agreement, which may not exceed $1,500,000. 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 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 30 double-spaced, single-sided, 8.5 x 11-inch pages with Calibri 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 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 applicant eligibility evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. You must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative.

a. Project Design: Proposed Approach and TA Activities (Up to 30 Points)

With the goal of assisting the public workforce system to provide 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 identifies and addresses current and evolving technical assistance needs and challenges of the public workforce system, at a minimum addressing the five technical assistance topics identified in section I.A. Such proposals must reflect current trends in service delivery and participant engagement with the public workforce system and how the TA Collaborative plans to help the WIOA title I and Wagner- Peyser Act Employment Service grantees: 1) modernize their service delivery models and offerings to meet the needs of jobseeker and business customers; and 2) address longer-term strategic implementation issues, including governance and fiscal management.

Scoring of project design section will be based on the extent to which an applicant’s discussion is clear, logical, and complete and describes a feasible approach for developing and providing effective technical assistance and disseminating such assistance.

Specifically, the project design will be scored on the following factors.

1. Project Management and Coordination (Up to 10 points)

Applicants may receive up to 10 points based on the extent to which their project narrative reflects a coherent and feasible approach to:

i. Collaborate with ETA points of contact who are serving as the NLN Steering

Committee, as well as ETA-funded TA contractors, and other TA Collaborative members (if applicable), throughout all stages of the period of performance. (2 points)

ii. Coordinate activities of subject matter experts and, if applicable, partner organizations, on approaches for each stage of execution, including assessment of TA needs, TA prioritization, successful TA 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. (4 points)

iii. Describe the communication plan for the TA Collaborative to share the results of TA to the NLN Steering Committee, which may include, but is not limited to, a summary report of TA activities provided and specific action items for the TA Collaborative and the recipients of TA. (2 points)

iv. Detail a feasible and effective approach for prioritizing of TA needs once the needs are identified, addressing the following factors, at a minimum: risk, estimated return on investment, level of effort, and budget…