FOA-ODEP-23-12 Initial and Amend 1.pdf

FOA-ODEP-23-12, Amendment One

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

Action:

Amendment #1 to Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Equitable Transition Models Demonstration Grants (ETM) Project

FOA Number:

FOA-ODEP-23-12

Summary:

ODEP published the FOA on August 10, 2023, announcing the availability of funds through a competitive application process. The closing date for receipt of applications is October 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. This amendment clarifies language in Section III.A, Eligibility Information/Eligible Applicants.

Section III.A, Eligible Applicants, is hereby amended as follows (new text in red font):

Please read Section III.A. in its entirety for all eligibility requirements.

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

00 (State governments) 07 (Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized))

Additional detail regarding the eligible Lead Applicant categories identified above are as follows:

• State governments include state departments of labor, state workforce development agencies, or an equivalent state agency with responsibility for labor, employment, education, health and human services, vocational rehabilitation services, and/or workforce development; and

• Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments include entities described in section 166(c) of WIOA relating to Indian and Native American programs. These entities include Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Alaska Native entities, Indian-controlled organizations serving Indians, or Native Hawaiian organizations.

For the purpose of this FOA, ODEP defines “State” as any of the 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States. This entity must have the capacity to administer the grant, will have sole responsibility for administering the project, and will serve as the grant’s fiscal agent. Each lead applicant is limited to one individual application for consideration under this opportunity.

Responsibilities of the Lead Applicant

The Lead Applicant selected as the awardee must have overall programmatic, fiscal, and administrative responsibility for the cooperative agreement. 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. The primary point of contact with DOL that receives and responds to all inquiries or communications under this FOA and with any sub-grantees;

2. The entity with authority to draw down funds;

3. The entity responsible for submitting to DOL all work products under the cooperative agreement, including all related technical and financial reports, regardless of which partnership member performed the work;

4. The entity that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the cooperative agreement;

5. The entity with overall responsibility for carrying out programmatic functions, including collecting required project data, of the cooperative agreement, as well as the stewardship of all expenditures under the cooperative agreement;

6. The entity responsible for coordinating and fully cooperating with the independent evaluator and ETM TA Provider; and

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

Required State and Local Partnerships

State Partners:

The lead applicant must partner with a number of other state-level partners (referred to below as the “ETM Leadership Team”) to establish a consortium, which will provide project leadership to meet demonstration model program objectives and drive better integration of services at the local level (see Section IV.B.3). In addition to the lead applicant, there are seven required partners on the ETM Leadership Team. The lead applicant must represent one of the state agency or tribal government partners listed below and develop a consortium with the seven other required partners of the ETM Leadership Team.

Required Partners of the ETM Leadership Team

1. A State or Tribal Workforce Agency, or a Consortium of Local Workforce Agencies, or equivalent entity generally responsible for managing, regulating, or influencing the provision of workforce development services;

2. The State or Tribal Workforce Development Board, or a Consortium of Local Workforce Agencies;

3. Non-profit organizations with expertise in serving the youth target population(s);

4. Business membership or business intermediary organizations;

5. State or Tribal VR agencies;

6. State or Tribal HHS agency;

7. State or Tribal Department of Education; and

8. Non-profit or Community-based organizations with expertise in the transition activities for

Y&YAD representing underserved communities.

DOL anticipates that the state Workforce Development Board will be a crucial partner in engaging employers and shaping policies regarding how services such as those provided through ETM demonstration projects are carried out during and after the cooperative agreement. Lead applicants applying for the ETM funding should have MOUs with each of their partners in their ETM leadership group within 60 days after the award of an ETM cooperative agreement.

Beyond these required partners, applicants can choose other types of entities to serve on the ETM Leadership Team that are relevant to their proposed target population and project scope. In general, we anticipate this team could include representatives of state-level agencies involved in WIOA core programs; health, mental health, and substance abuse services; and/or state and privately funded universities, to the extent that such entities demonstrate experience providing pre-service training and professional credentialing.

Local Partners:

The lead applicant must also collaborate with at least one local area policy entity and programmatic service provider such as a Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB), a local Vocational Rehabilitation office, and/or a WIOA Title I service provider. These entities will primarily provide provision services to participants at the local level. For states with only one local area workforce programmatic provider, the commitment of its sole entity fulfills this requirement. Applicants must show the commitment of at least one or more local area workforce entities and/or programmatic providers through a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), submitted in the application for funding. In addition, relevant partnerships must be established at the local level to support the implementation plan activities. Such additional local entities may include, but are not limited to:

• Youth agencies and service providers;

• Disability agencies and service providers;

• Local health and mental health agencies and providers;

• Parent advocacy organizations and service providers;

• K-12 local education agency;

• American Job Centers (sometimes known as One-Stop Career Centers);

• One or more community college(s), technical institution(s), four-year colleges/universities, or other education partners that can provide education and training activities; and

• One or more business or industry partners (such as business membership associations or

Chambers of Commerce) that will participate in defining the program strategies and goals and be actively involved in participating in funded project activities.

End of amended text. All other information in this funding vehicle remains the same.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Andrea Hill, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at Hill.Andrea@DOL.gov.

Signed September 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. by:

Carla Wills Grant Officer, Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2022/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2022/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Office of Disability Employment Policy

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: EQUITABLE TRANSITION MODELS DEMONSTRATION

GRANTS (ETM) PROJECT

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ODEP-23-12

ASSISTANCE LISTING: 17.720

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is 10/31/2023. 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.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is responsible for the grant award process for the Office of Disability Employment Policy.

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, AND PROCESS

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

IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

APPENDIX A: DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX B: PERFORMANCE METRICS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), expects to award approximately four demonstration grants under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), and applicants may apply for no more than $3,246,250, which will cover their project’s first year of operation. The Department anticipates each selected awardee will receive a total award of no more than $17,412,500 during the five-year period of performance. Each awardee will receive no more than $3,246,250 in the first year, annual increments of no more than $4,500,000 in the following three years, and up to $666,250 in the fifth year of funding. 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.

The primary goals of the ETM Demonstration Grants are to improve the employment outcomes of multiply marginalized people with disabilities, specifically youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD), as well as to increase states’ capacity to develop innovative employment strategies for underserved Y&YAD and their families. The ETM grants will support up to four grantees in developing scalable strategies to enable multiply marginalized Y&YAD ages 14 to 24 to successfully transition into the workforce. ETM Demonstration Grant applicants will identify specific target population(s) based on data analysis and needs assessments. For example, applicants may focus on low-income Y&YAD as well as those experiencing homelessness, leaving foster care, or involved in the justice system. Applicants may also focus on underserved Y&YAD populations identified in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), such as youth receiving Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits, youth potentially eligible for SSI, or youth whose low earnings may lead them to apply for SSI benefits as adults.

The ETM Demonstration Grants will focus on multiply marginalized youth population(s) by building upon the lessons learned from the SSI PROMISE demonstrations and the SSI Youth Solutions research projects. The grants will also build upon the principles forming the Guideposts for Success framework. Selected awardees will provide services through a consortium of partners collaborating closely with state and/or local workforce development entities, employers and/or community-based organizations, and other partners, as appropriate.

The first 12 months of the ETM Demonstration Grants will consist of planning and start-up activities, including the launch of small-scale pilot demonstrations. During the remaining four years of the project, grantees will expand the pilot demonstrations to full scale. At full scale, grantees will either implement the model in the new regions identified in the applicant's geographic scope or expand the model to additional target populations.

DOL will host a prospective applicant webinar for this competition. The date, time, and other logistical information will be posted on ODEP’s website.

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is committed to investing its funds to promote better working conditions for all workers. In 2022, the Departments of Labor and Commerce published The Good Jobs Principles, which strike a common vision for the shared elements of Good Jobs.

Good Jobs Principles include adopting a competitive wage scale; establishing more predictable work schedules; examining how benefits may be offered; and creating opportunities for https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/promise.htm https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/individuals/youth/ssi-youth https://www.dol.gov/agencies/odep/program-areas/individuals/youth/ssi-youth https://capeyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2021/02/Guideposts-2.0-Research-Base-Paper-Final.pdf https://www.dol.gov/odep inclusion, accessibility and career advancement. Selected awardees should ensure that any employers in its consortium are advised on how to adhere to nondiscrimination laws, adopt practices that ensure workers know their rights, and work continuously to remove discriminatory barriers within their organization.

Applicants must be mindful of these Principles in designing their projects. This funding opportunity also seeks specific information or plans for addressing all of the Good Jobs Principles through staffing, personnel and support for employer engagement.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. Program Purpose This Announcement solicits applications under the funding opportunity announcement Equitable Transition Models Demonstration Grants (ETM) Project.

The ETM Demonstration Grants will provide comprehensive, coordinated services to enable low-income youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD), ages 14 to 24, to successfully transition to employment.

Successful applicants will provide services through a consortium of partners, including state and/or local workforce development entities, State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies, employers, community-based provider networks, and other partners, as appropriate.

Successful applicants will use the first year of funding to conduct planning, develop partnerships, and design policies and programs necessary to prepare for full-scale implementation of the project. In the first year, applicants will launch a small-scale pilot demonstration to begin testing the proposed model. Full scale project implementation will occur during the remaining four years of the project. Selected awardees will also use that time to prepare for the related independent evaluation.

To meet the primary goals of the ETM—to improve Y&YAD employment outcomes and enhance state capacity for creating innovative strategies—grantees will need to set performance goals for the following outcomes, which are based on WIOA performance indicators:

1. Number of underserved Y&YAD exiting secondary and postsecondary education and obtaining competitive integrated employment (CIE) in quarter two or quarter four after program exit;

2. Number of underserved Y&YAD maintaining CIE for one year after program exit; and

3. Number of underserved Y&YAD attaining a postsecondary credential during the program or within one year after exit.

This FOA solicits innovative proposals to validate and scale evidence-based strategies to accomplish these goals. Each successful applicant will develop and implement a model demonstration project promoting postsecondary and employment outcomes for youth with disabilities, including those from underserved communities and their families. Each cooperative agreement will have a five-year period of performance. The minimum number of participants https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles enrolled in the project will be determined with the independent evaluation contractor. See the required program services and optional program elements in the section below.

Background ETM Demonstration Grant applications must build upon lessons learned in past federal transition projects and may also gain insight from other residential and job sector training initiatives with or without a disability focus that have provided comprehensive supports and services that have been implemented or tested in prior federal initiatives.

Earlier federal transition efforts, such as the Structured Training and Employment Transition Services project, and the Transition Employment Training Demonstration, established the efficacy of transition interventions to increase employment, earnings, and income. These initiatives were followed by the Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) and most recently, Promoting the Readiness of Minors in Supplemental Security Income (PROMISE). A core finding of YTD was that interventions with well-designed services (including employment services) to youth with disabilities can improve key transition outcomes in the short and medium term. PROMISE found that providing services to families, in addition to youth, has the potential to improve youth employment outcomes. Evaluations of the long-term impacts of PROMISE are ongoing.

ETM Demonstration Grant applicants must demonstrate in their applications an understanding of how other federal youth workforce development efforts such as Job Corps, Youth Build, Vocational Rehabilitation Programs, WIOA title one programs, and nonfederal youth disability employment efforts, can be leveraged to expand opportunity for work-based learning and other core practices essential for long term employment success for Y&YAD from underserved communities.

Mathematica’s analysis of intervention research shows that without intervention and programmatic efforts for improvement, youth with disabilities and their families are more likely to continue to experience significant challenges in navigating a fragmented system of supports.

Grant Requirements Successful applicants will develop and implement partnerships and strategies that enhance services for underserved Y&YAD. Applicants must consider current regional and state employment and labor market trends in their state and propose strategies to engage Y&YAD with well-coordinated, culturally responsive employment-related services.

In general, applicants will:

• Identify one or more underserved Y&YAD populations who experience barriers to obtaining employment or workforce development training in their state;

• Develop a coordinated, comprehensive strategy to maximize the extent to which state, local, and nonprofit youth-serving system partners that serve the target population(s) in the project’s geographic boundaries participate in the ETM Demonstration Grants;

• Design a comprehensive, coordinated system of program service delivery to Y&YAD, which helps them successfully transition to employment and post-secondary settings; and https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/demonstrations/documents/Lessons-From-SSA-Demonstrations_Chapter6.pdf https://www.mathematica.org/publications/the-transitional-employment-training-demonstration-analysis-of-program-impacts https://mathematica.org/publications/final-report-on-the-youth-transition-demonstration-evaluation https://mathematica.org/publications/final-report-on-the-youth-transition-demonstration-evaluation https://www.ssa.gov/disabilityresearch/documents/PROMISE_Family_Services_Report.pdf https://www.mathematica.org/publications/youth-transition

• Collaborate with the DOL-sponsored evaluator to develop a plan for participating in a rigorous evaluation that will test approaches to serving target populations and document the impacts of the demonstration projects.

Program Design General Requirements Successful applicants will develop a comprehensive program design, grounded in evidence-based practices, that includes the following requirements:

• Commitment to equity: The federal government is focused on reducing barriers to services and improving access for underserved populations and individuals that are multiply marginalized. The ETM Demonstration program will support postsecondary success for Y&YAD, focusing on ensuring quality interventions that promote equity in underserved communities. Appendix A defines “equity” according to the White House Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Undeserved Communities Through the Federal Government.

• Data collection and reporting: The ETM Demonstration Grants must include integrated data collection and reporting strategies that enable schools, the workforce, and other states and local agencies to systemically communicate, coordinate, and track the planning and delivery of transition services. Data collection, sharing, and analysis at key transition points for Y&YAD may include work-related services received, connections to post-school services, and post-school employment outcomes. The program design should describe data sharing across workforce system partners, such as vocational rehabilitation (VR) and labor agencies, to promote service integration, collaboration in service delivery, and access to evidence-based programs.

• Systems coordination: The program design must describe formal collaboration among Workforce Development System partners, employers, and other youth-serving systems, such as VR. Cross-system coordination includes identifying critical state and local systems that serve the target population and establishing formal agreements that increase access to coordinated service delivery. Formal agreements and consistent collaboration between the grantee's partners are required program components that must be reflected in the program design.

• Sustainability: Planning for sustainability needs to begin long before the program faces the end of its initial funding cycle. Programs should work to better ensure sustainability by creating more efficient mechanisms for funding, such as the repurposing of existing resources through improved alignment, and coordination of complementary activities and resources. The ETM Demonstration Grantees must include plans to continue formal collaborations and the delivery of coordinated programs and services.

• Guideposts for Success: ETM Demonstration Grant applications must include a program design that reflects ODEP's Guideposts for Success Framework, which supports a seamless youth system that promotes collaboration and integration for improved outcomes. The Guideposts include School Preparedness, Career Exploration and Work Based Learning, Youth Leadership, Connecting Activities, and Family Engagement outlining supportive wraparound services and partnerships to support the success of vulnerable youth.

Required Program Services and Optional Program Elements ETM Demonstration Grant proposals must provide innovative and evidence-based strategies to https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/01/20/executive-order-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/ https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ODEP/pdf/SSI_Youth_Gingerich_Final_Proposal.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ODEP/pdf/SSI_Youth_Gingerich_Final_Proposal.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ODEP/pdf/SSI_Youth_Karhan_Final_Proposal.pdf https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/HHPGM_FINAL_CH7.PDF#:%7E:text=Program%20sustainability%20has%20traditionally%20been%20viewed%20narrowly%20as,is%20a%20much%20more%20complex%20and%20dynamic%20process.

https://capeyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2022/04/2022_CAPE_Framework_APR-Update.pdf increase labor force participation and economic success among underserved Y&YAD populations. To that end, applicants for the ETM Demonstration Grants must incorporate into their program design the required services listed below. These services are based on the findings of the SSI Youth Solutions project. ODEP initiated the SSI Youth Solutions effort to identify solutions that improve employment outcomes for young adults ages 14 to 24 who apply for or receive SSI. Applicants may also incorporate the referenced optional program elements.

Required Program Services:

The program design must include, at a minimum, the following required services:

1. Family engagement and integrated case management for youth and their families that includes benefits counseling, financial literacy, and service referrals that help youth and families navigate fragmented services and address a breadth of education, income, housing, and social service needs.

2. Mental health services for youth, that include screening for trauma, identifying unmet mental health needs, and providing services and supports to address these needs.

3. School preparedness and vocational training that includes rigorous, relevant, and inclusive academic curricular and program options aligned with local labor market needs and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts; a safe supportive learning climate and environment; and access to effective educators.

4. Career pathways models and work-based learning that include access to experiences such as job shadowing, internships, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and summer work experiences. This should include career pathways designed for occupations in high demand and high growth industries identified through employer engagement.

5. Youth leadership and development activities that allow youth to develop and practice self-determination, self-advocacy, social interaction, and leadership techniques.

6. Transition/community-based activities that promote awareness of programs, and opportunities that provide supportive services. These services can include, for instance, general health care, mental health, benefits counseling, financial literacy, recreational activities, and life skills education to promote a future of independence.

7. Culturally competent personnel and services that ensure all program services included in the project are designed to be culturally responsive, compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and accessible. The proposal should include how the required and optional services support the cultural values of youth and their families and how youth-serving staff will be trained to support those needs.

Optional Program Elements:

The program design may also include the following optional program elements, as appropriate to the proposed project:

1. Financial subsidies that provide financial support through ABLE/529 Accounts for education, employment, and disability-related expenses.

2. Residential models that provide intensive services and develop independent living and employment skills for Y&YAD. Examples of such models include the Postsecondary Education Rehabilitation Transition (PERT) and Job Corps programs.

3. Training Curriculum that integrates a broad spectrum of themes grounded in problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and experiential learning. A training curriculum that connects youth, families, and providers to improve their focus on disability and employment issues or navigate connections to postsecondary education. Examples of such curricula include the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT), Progressive Education and general Employment Empowerment, and Career Technical Education for Students with Emotional Disturbance. More information about these options can be found on Mathematica's SSI Youth Solutions Page.

4. Intensive immersion model training that provides training in specific job sectors.

Examples of these models include the Year Up program and Youth Conservation Corps.

B. Program Authority Title 29 U.S.C. § 557(b) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) authorize this program.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of Cooperative Agreements (CAs).

We expect available funding of approximately $12,985,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to fund approximately 4 grant(s) at no more than $3,246,250 each. Each applicant’s funding request under this Announcement may not exceed $3,246,250. 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 grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

The Department anticipates each selected awardee will receive a total award of approximately $17,412,500 during the five-year period of performance, with FY 2024 funding limited to $3,246,250, and annual increments of no more than $4,500,000 in the following three years, and up to $666,250 in the fifth year of funding. Incremental awards made under this Announcement are also subject to the discretion of DOL and contingent upon the availability of funds, satisfactory progress of a project, and adequate stewardship of federal funds.

Number of Awards Fiscal Year Annual Increment

Year One 2023 $3,246,250 Year Two 2024 $4,500,000

Year Three 2025 $4,500,000 Year Four 2026 $4,500,000 Year Five 2027 $666,250

Total Funding per Award $17,412,500 Total Funding Available for Four Successful Applicants $69,650,000

In the first year of the cooperative agreement, the recipients will conduct planning and pilot activities. In the second through fifth years, the recipients will conduct activities to implement, replicate, and sustain the program. Applicants must apply for not more than the ceiling amount https://www.mathematica.org/projects/ssi-youth-solutions of $3,246,250, which will cover the first year of the project. The SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative of the application package must reflect the federal funding request for the first year of the cooperative agreement, which may not exceed the $3,246,250. Applications with budgets exceeding the ceiling will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be considered.

DOL will provide funding for the demonstration projects in the form of cooperative agreements that require close cooperation and coordination between DOL and the selected awardees. DOL will have substantial involvement in the administration of the cooperative agreement. Grantees must obtain input and approval prior to conducting most activities. DOL’s involvement in cooperative agreement administration during the ETM Demonstration Grants will consist of:

• Monthly conference calls with awardees throughout the period of performance;

• Prior approval of any ETM Demonstration Grant-related sub-grants arising after demonstration grants are awarded;

• Prior approval of all key personnel appointments and changes;

• Participation in site visits to project areas;

• Advice and consultation to project development and management;

• Technical and programmatic support to grantees, including training in DOL grant administration monitoring systems and standard procedures regarding DOL management of demonstration grants;

• Review, at reasonable times, of all 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 work products, including but not limited to fact sheets, training materials, press releases, and publicity-related materials regarding the project;

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

• Assistance refining project evaluation design in collaboration with awardees, DOL Chief Evaluation Office (CEO), SSA, and the independent evaluator. (The evaluator will choose the evaluation designs based on the project’s overall research questions and on what each awardee identifies as their program design, target population, available data, and expected sample size.)

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 60 months with an anticipated start date of 11/17/2023. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

The initial award of up to $3,246,250 in FY 2024 will have a 12-month period of performance for planning and pilot activities. A second award with a four-year period of performance is anticipated to be awarded in FY 2025, for full scale project implementation. Anticipated incremental funding will be provided in FYs 2026, 2027, and 2028.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

00 (State governments)

07 (Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized))

Additional detail regarding the eligible Lead Applicant categories identified above are as follows:

• State governments include state departments of labor, state workforce development agencies, or an equivalent state agency with responsibility for labor, employment, education, health and human services, vocational rehabilitation services, and/or workforce development; and

• Federally recognized Native American Tribal governments include entities described in section 166(c) of WIOA relating to Indian and Native American programs. These entities include Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, Alaska Native entities, Indian-controlled organizations serving Indians, or Native Hawaiian organizations.

For the purpose of this FOA, ODEP defines “State” as any of the 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States. This entity must have the capacity to administer the grant, will have sole responsibility for administering the project, and will serve as the grant’s fiscal agent. Each lead applicant is limited to one individual application for consideration under this opportunity.

Responsibilities of the Lead Applicant The Lead Applicant selected as the awardee must have overall programmatic, fiscal, and administrative responsibility for the cooperative agreement. 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. The primary point of contact with DOL that receives and responds to all inquiries or communications under this FOA and with any sub-grantees;

2. The entity with authority to draw down funds;

3. The entity responsible for submitting to DOL all work products under the cooperative agreement, including all related technical and financial reports, regardless of which partnership member performed the work;

4. The entity that may request or agree to a revision or amendment of the cooperative agreement;

5. The entity with overall responsibility for carrying out programmatic functions, including collecting required project data, of the cooperative agreement, as well as the stewardship of all expenditures under the cooperative agreement;

6. The entity responsible for coordinating and fully cooperating with the independent evaluator and ETM TA Provider; and

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

Required State and Local Partnerships

State Partners:

The lead applicant must partner with a number of state-level partners (referred to below as the “ETM Leadership Team”) to establish a consortium, which will provide project leadership to meet demonstration model program objectives and drive better integration of services at the local level (see Section IV.B.3). In addition to the lead applicant, there are seven required partners on the ETM Leadership Team. The lead applicant must represent one of the eight required partners of the ETM leadership team:

1. A State or Tribal Workforce Agency, or a Consortium of Local Workforce Agencies, or equivalent entity generally responsible for managing, regulating, or influencing the provision of workforce development services;

2. The State or Tribal Workforce Development Board, or a Consortium of Local Workforce Agencies;

3. Non-profit organizations with expertise in serving the youth target population(s);

4. Business membership or business intermediary organizations;

5. State or Tribal VR agencies;

6. State or Tribal HHS agency;

7. State or Tribal Department of Education; and

8. Non-profit or Community-based organizations with expertise in the transition activities for Y&YAD representing underserved communities.

DOL anticipates that the state Workforce Development Board will be a crucial partner in engaging employers and shaping policies regarding how services such as those provided through ETM demonstration projects are carried out during and after the cooperative agreement. Lead applicants applying for the ETM funding should have MOUs with each of their partners in their ETM leadership group within 60 days after the award of an ETM cooperative agreement.

Beyond these required partners, applicants can choose other types of entities to serve on the ETM Leadership Team that are relevant to their proposed target population and project scope. In general, we anticipate this team could include representatives of state-level agencies involved in WIOA core programs; health, mental health, and substance abuse services; and/or state and privately funded universities, to the extent that such entities demonstrate experience providing pre-service training and professional credentialing.

Local Partners:

The lead applicant must also collaborate with at least one local area policy entity and programmatic service provider such as a Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB), a local Vocational Rehabilitation office, and/or a WIOA Title I service provider. These entities will primarily provide provision services to participants at the local level. For states with only one local area workforce programmatic provider, the commitment of its sole entity fulfills this requirement. Applicants must show the commitment of at least one or more local area workforce entities and/or programmatic providers through a signed memorandum of understanding (MOU), submitted in the application for funding. In addition, relevant partnerships must be established at the local level to support the implementation plan activities. Such additional local entities may include, but are not limited to:

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2022/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202/TEGL%2010-16%20Change%202.pdf

• Youth agencies and service providers;

• Disability agencies and service providers;

• Local health and mental health agencies and providers;

• Parent advocacy organizations and service providers;

• K-12 local education agency;

• American Job Centers (sometimes known as One-Stop Career Centers);

• One or more community college(s), technical institution(s), four-year colleges/universities, or other education partners that can provide education and training activities; and

• One or more business or industry partners (such as business membership associations or Chambers of Commerce) that will participate in defining the program strategies and goals and be actively involved in participating in funded project activities.

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.

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 for federal funds request (SF-424, SF- 424A, and Budget Narrative) does not exceed the ceiling amount of $3,246,250

Section II.A

An active registration with the System for Award Management SAM Section IV.B.1

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. Eligible Participants The ETM Demonstration Grants are intended to provide underserved youth with disabilities, ages 14 to 24 with comprehensive employment services designed to meet their holistic needs. The proposed target populations for this grant are Y&YAD who are:

• Youth participating in, eligible for, or potentially eligible for WIOA Title I Youth programs,

• Youth participating in, eligible for, or potentially eligible for DOL youth services and programs,

• Youth participating in, eligible for, or potentially eligible for VR services, or

• Youth participating in, eligible for, or potentially eligible for federal disability benefits.

4. Allowable Use of Funds This funding will provide demonstration grants to recipients working collaboratively with associated partners to identify youth target populations, develop partnerships, hire and train staff, and implement a program service delivery model using required program services and optional program elements that will successfully transition Y&YAD to employment and post-secondary and workforce training settings. The recipients will work collaboratively with DOL and participate in evaluation and technical assistance activities, as specified in this funding opportunity announcement.

Allowable Use of Funding During Year One (Planning & Pilot) and Years Two to Five (Implementation, Replication, & Sustainability) Funding may be used to supplement services that are not currently available inside the workforce system and are evidence-based and promising Y&YAD transition practices in such areas as the coordination of state and local youth-serving entities; communication and outreach; and training to employers, policymakers, parents, youth-serving administrators, and direct care professionals on culturally responsive disability employment transition best practices.

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

SF-424 includes a Unique Entity Identifier 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

Abstract Section IV.B.4

Year one allowable costs under the ETM Demonstration Grants include reasonable and necessarily expenses to successfully plan and pilot the ETM Demonstration effort. See Section IV.B.3.a for a list of required activities during year one, including:

• Establish framework for effective grant program implementation;

• Develop project management and work plan for year one;

• Engage grant stakeholders in collaboration including the development of partnership agreements;

• Plan for evaluation including the development of data-sharing agreements;

• Initiate employer engagement strategy;

• Hire personnel and determine training needs;

• Design and implement small-scale pilot; and

• Prepare for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) data collection and performance management.

During years two to five, as part of the cooperative agreement, allowable costs include reasonable and necessary expenses the lead applicants will use for the continued implementation, replication, and sustainability of the ETM Demonstration Grant. The lead applicant will carry out required program services and planning project logistics and may carry out optional program elements, as stated in section I.A; including:

• Develop and implement work plans for years two to five;

• Develop new and existing partnerships with employers, community-based providers, and other relevant stakeholders;

• Establish personnel and professional development training;

• Expand pilot enrolling a sufficient number of youth participants for a valid evaluation of impacts;

• Implement strategies to recruit and outreach to youth target populations;

• Implement strategies to identify and deliver additional services that participants need;

• Engage employers in high demand industries to develop work-based learning opportunities;

• Implement strategies for data collection, management, and CQI plans;

• Develop a plan for providing financial and non-financial incentives for youth participants, direct care professionals, and employers that further grant related activities;

and

• Plan for sustainability so that ETM activities continue after the grant cycle ends.

5. Program Technical Assistance

DOL will contract with a technical assistance provider (the “ETM Project TA Provider” or “Project TA Provider”) to support planning and pilot activities in year one and implementation activities in years two through five of the ETM Demonstration Grants cooperative agreement. While supporting awardees in such activities, the Project TA Provider will coordinate with the independent evaluator. Awardees must use the Project TA Provider to support their project’s particular needs, such as barriers they may encounter in establishing necessary partnerships, effective coordination among partners, and successful recruitment of Y&YAD participants. Some technical assistance will be state-specific, and other technical assistance will be offered to all awardees in a group setting, such as in a webinar.

In year one, the ETM Project TA Provider will provide general assistance to awardees as they develop plans for year two Implementation, Replication, and Sustainability of services in future years of the grants. Assistance may include but is not limited to providing access to subject matter experts (SMEs) with knowledge or experience in the required activities, including research on the current evidence base on transition; creating inclusive workplace environments;

creating disability employment related interventions;, creating federal disability programs;

providing guidance on partnership development; effective public-private collaboration, and coordination; and creating effective MOUs. In addition, the ETM Project TA Provider will support the grantee in documenting implementation activities. This includes developing guides and fidelity measures for the program services of the project and supporting any other data collection needs related to the independent evaluation.

6. Evaluation Information

The grantee will work with an evaluation contractor (referred to here as the “independent evaluator” or “evaluator”) to conduct an independent evaluation of the ETM Demonstration projects. All ETM awardees are required to participate in this evaluation. The goals of the evaluation are to develop rigorous evidence on the approaches that work for serving target populations and the impacts of the demonstration projects. ODEP will provide awardees the contract solicitation for the evaluation. Awardees must read the contract solicitation for the evaluation to learn more about the expected scope and design of the evaluation.

a. Scope of the Independent Evaluation and Role of the Evaluation Contractor

The evaluation will include process, participation, impact, fidelity, and cost-benefit analyses. Conducting an impact analysis may involve random assignment of eligible participants into a treatment group (which would receive program services or enhanced program services) and a control group(s) (which would receive no program services or un-enhanced program services). This type of experimental design provides the most rigorous and widely accepted evidence of interventions’ effectiveness. Please find more information on experimental design and random selection and assignment here.

The awardees must provide program data in a timely manner (according to the schedule the evaluator determines). The independent evaluator will use program data, administrative data from SSA, and one or more potential participant survey(s) to conduct the evaluation. Based on the evaluation design, awardees may be required to collect individual-level baseline data from the comparison group to facilitate the independent evaluation. The evaluator may suggest different evaluation models with guidance from SSA and DOL and based on the capacity of the grantee.

b. Data Collection Activities…