FOA-WB-21-02_FINAL.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR:

FARE

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-WB-21-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.700

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is July 15, 2021. We must receive applications no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration is responsible for the Women’s Bureau grant award process.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

The Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), partnering with the Employment and Training Administration (ETA), announces an opportunity for states and territories to participate in the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grant initiative. This program will allow award recipients to undertake projects to assist underserved and marginalized low-income women workers in understanding and accessing their employment rights, public services, and benefits. The grants will build on the successes of recent promising initiatives to enlist trusted messengers and community groups to reach working women, including but not limited to women of color, women with disabilities, and justice-involved women.

1. Background

The pandemic has underscored the extent to which the current system of employment rights and benefits does not adequately protect or serve many essential women workers, especially low-income women and women of color.1 The pandemic put many essential women workers on the front lines, often without adequate pay, access to paid leave, or other necessary support.2 Many women are struggling to hold onto jobs, while others are working reduced hours or have been laid off. As a result, it is now harder than ever for many women to identify and fully access their employment rights and benefits at a time when it is vitally important that women avail themselves of all possible supports. One survey conducted in fall 2020, for instance, found that nearly a third of Black women workers expressed concern about speaking up about unsafe working conditions as a result of the pandemic and women of color were also substantially more likely to have their requests for paid sick and family leave denied compared to other workers.3

Even before the pandemic, many women workers were unable to assert their employment rights or access all available benefits, a number of which were changing in real time as Congress passed multiple rounds of pandemic-related legislation.4 Marginalized workers cannot risk retaliation or losing their jobs and are reluctant to file a complaint. A recent study found that women, noncitizens, Hispanic, and Black workers were much more likely to experience minimum wage violations during the 2008 – 2010 recession.5 As a result of past precedent, it may be harder than ever now for many women to identify and fully access their employment rights and benefits.

1 https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/QF-Women-Jobs-and-the-COVID-19-Feb-to-Dec-2020.pdf.

2 https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/04/23/483846/frontlines-work-home/.

3 https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Foundations-for-Just-Inclusive-Recovery-Report.pdf.

4 Consider, for instance, knowledge of access to sick and family leave:

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug20 20.pdf, as well as broader worker knowledge of workplace rights, which is heavily stratified by race, income, and education:

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/FINAL_REPORT_workers_rights_access_assertion_kno wledge_study.pdf and https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/american-workers-experiences-with-power-information-and-rights-on-the-job-a-roadmap-for-reform/.

5 https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/working-papers/2021/wp-21-09.pdf .

https://iwpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/QF-Women-Jobs-and-the-COVID-19-Feb-to-Dec-2020.pdf https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/04/23/483846/frontlines-work-home/ https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Foundations-for-Just-Inclusive-Recovery-Report.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/FINAL_REPORT_workers_rights_access_assertion_knowledge_study.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/FINAL_REPORT_workers_rights_access_assertion_knowledge_study.pdf https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/american-workers-experiences-with-power-information-and-rights-on-the-job-a-roadmap-for-reform/ https://rooseveltinstitute.org/publications/american-workers-experiences-with-power-information-and-rights-on-the-job-a-roadmap-for-reform/ https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/working-papers/2021/wp-21-09.pdf

Research has shown that targeted education and outreach can greatly improve women workers’ benefit take-up rates.6 Education and outreach are especially important in a pandemic economy, where many workers are struggling economically. These grants will build on the success of the DOL’s Susan Harwood Training Grant Program, which provides funding to nonprofit organizations to deliver training to eligible workers and employers on a single targeted occupational safety and health topic.7 The Harwood grants help workers recognize, avoid, and prevent safety and health hazards on the job, especially those in high-hazard industries or in small businesses, by partnering with organizations that have existing connections to targeted populations.8

New strategies that create partnerships between state or territory agencies and community-based organizations can help. The states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are uniquely positioned to design place-based strategies that still can be scaled to address the needs of large populations of low-income women workers. Such efforts have shown success.

For example, the Center for Law and Social Policy worked with the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement and multiple key community-based organizations to investigate access to sick leave among non-English speaking restaurant workers and other workers.9

Outside of the labor context, experience with other federal programs indicates the effectiveness of community partnerships for boosting participation in social programs. The Affordable Care Act created new publicly-funded navigators to assist individuals—especially vulnerable and low-income populations—to learn about, and access, health coverage. Subsequent research has indicated that navigators increased health insurance enrollment and also helped to build trust in the health reform program.10 U.S. Department of Agriculture-supported outreach for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, particularly through community-based organizations, has also increased take-up of benefits and expedites review and approval as applications arrive to state agencies in a more complete manner.11 Finally, labor organizations and other worker advocacy organizations facilitate access to unemployment insurance, and research indicates that union assistance to jobless workers helps to close racial and educational gaps in access to benefits—by making workers aware of their eligibility for unemployment insurance, helping workers to apply for benefits, and assisting workers with ongoing recertification requirements.12

6 https://www.epi.org/publication/state-and-local-labor-standards-enforcement-during-covid-19/; consider also the experience of navigators in the Affordable Care Act legislation, which have boosted health plan enrollment for low-income Americans: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0215.

7 https://www.osha.gov/harwoodgrants.

8 https://www.lhsfna.org/index.cfm/lifelines/may-2017/safety-training-grants-at-risk-in-proposed-budget/.

9 https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/2017_paidsickleaveinvestigations.pdf.

10 https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0215; and https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616300120.

11 https://www.russellsage.org/publications/administrative-burden, chapter 6.

12 https://equitablegrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/100920-ui-workerpower-ib.pdf.

https://www.epi.org/publication/state-and-local-labor-standards-enforcement-during-covid-19/ https://www.osha.gov/harwoodgrants https://www.lhsfna.org/index.cfm/lifelines/may-2017/safety-training-grants-at-risk-in-proposed-budget/ https://www.clasp.org/sites/default/files/2017_paidsickleaveinvestigations.pdf https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0215 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616300120 https://www.russellsage.org/publications/administrative-burden https://equitablegrowth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/100920-ui-workerpower-ib.pdf

2. FARE Grants

The Women’s Bureau invites each Governor to designate one state or territory agency to submit one application under the FARE grant initiative, proposing a project to assist underserved and marginalized low-income women workers in understanding and accessing their employment rights, public services, and benefits. The state or territory agencies must partner with community-based organizations, worker groups, unions, and other non-profit organizations with deep ties to women-dominated, low-paid sectors of the workforce to provide women workers with knowledge and improved access to workplace and safety net benefits. The resulting partnerships of state or territory government agencies and community-based and non-profit organizations will work to help marginalized women workers understand and access workplace rights and benefits.

Strong relationships between the state or territory government agencies and grassroots organizations will enable them to reach vulnerable workers, improve benefits take up and enrollment, deter violations, and improve compliance with worker protections in state and Federal law. Working together, the partners will serve as trusted intermediaries to disseminate information, educate workers, and help workers access benefits. The experience of health insurance navigation provides support for this model, and navigation has been most successful where community-based navigators have close and ongoing contact with state marketplaces and insurance agencies.

Through the partnerships, they will conduct outreach to women workers, disseminate information, and help them access their rights and benefits. The grant funds will be used to conduct outreach that focuses on women workers, including but not limited to women of color, women with disabilities, justice-involved women, and marginalized workers in female-dominated sectors hard-hit by the pandemic, e.g. care workers, health workers, restaurant, hospitality, retail and service workers, and “gig” industries.

The applicant’s proposed project must address one of the following areas of focus:

• Paid Family and Medical Leave/Sick Leave – Nine states plus the District of Columbia have state laws for paid family and medical leave. Sixteen states plus the District of Columbia and 37 cities have enacted laws requiring paid sick days.13 Women workers are not always aware of the laws providing paid sick and family leave or how to access the leave.14 The grantee can provide additional outreach and education, plus facilitate benefit access.

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) – Awareness of the FMLA’s benefits has increased over time since its passage in 1993, but there is still work to be done. A recent study found that while 76 percent of workers surveyed have heard of it, many misunderstood their eligibility for leave.15 Women workers often are more likely to bear

13 https://familyvaluesatwork.org/media-center/timeline-of-wins/.

14https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2 020.pdf; see also https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/implementing-paid-family-and-medical-leave/ and https://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/paid-leave-2019-02.pdf.

15https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2 020.pdf.

https://familyvaluesatwork.org/media-center/timeline-of-wins/ https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf https://www.newamerica.org/better-life-lab/reports/implementing-paid-family-and-medical-leave/ https://cepr.net/images/stories/reports/paid-leave-2019-02.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/evaluation/pdf/WHD_FMLA2018SurveyResults_FinalReport_Aug2020.pdf the burden of caring for children and other family members and could benefit from greater understanding and access to FMLA leave.

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) – Women don’t always know that they qualify for the earned income tax credit or the child tax credit benefits.

Recent changes to the CTC, which currently last for one year and may be a monthly rather than annual payment, rely on a 2020 tax filing, which may be challenging and confusing for some workers. In addition, because the rules are complicated and claimants are frequently audited by the IRS, free tax help is vitally important.16

Harassment – On-the-job harassment is widespread and studies have estimated it affects a large number of women in the workplace. As a result, women often experience physical and mental health problems, career interruptions, and lower earnings, among other negative consequences. Women face an even higher risk of harassment in certain industries, including the restaurant and hospitality industries, and nontraditional industries such as construction and the trades.17 Women workers could benefit from learning more about workplace harassment and the available avenues for addressing and remedying harassment.

Wage payment/Overtime/Classification – Low-income women often are fearful about raising issues about proper payment of wages for fear of retaliation or losing their jobs, and could benefit from information and assistance from trusted intermediaries. Research shows that minimum wage violations and failing to pay workers for all hours worked (i.e.

overtime, paid breaks, legislatively required leave, etc.), increases in times of economic downturns. Low-income workers, in particular women of color, are especially vulnerable because they fear an inability to find new employment if they lose their jobs after raising issues.18 Moreover, the pandemic has caused a rise in the “platform based” economy as more people are ordering in or using shopping apps. However, this sector has a track record of treating these workers as independent contractors, depriving them of many workers’ rights.19 Women workers could benefit from learning more about their workplace rights and the available avenues for addressing and remedying violations.

Pay Equity and Pay Transparency – Women continue to earn less than men and pay transparency is a vital tool to help close the gap.20 Although federal law and many state laws protect the right to discuss salaries, many employers discourage the practice, preventing workers from being paid fairly. Women workers could benefit from outreach, education, and assistance on these issues.

16 https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-now-audits-poor-americans-at-about-the-same-rate-as-the-top-1-percent.

17 https://iwpr.org/iwpr-publications/briefing-paper/sexual-harassment-and-assault-at-work-understanding-the-costs/; and https://hbr.org/2018/01/sexual-harassment-is-pervasive-in-the-restaurant-industry-heres-what-needs-to-change.

18 https://www.nelp.org/publication/policies-worker-power-well-covid-19-era-beyond/.

19 https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Rights-at-Risk-4-2-19.pdf.

20 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/equal-pay-protections and https://blog.dol.gov/2021/03/19/5-facts-about-the-state-of-the-gender-pay-gap.

https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-now-audits-poor-americans-at-about-the-same-rate-as-the-top-1-percent https://iwpr.org/iwpr-publications/briefing-paper/sexual-harassment-and-assault-at-work-understanding-the-costs/ https://iwpr.org/iwpr-publications/briefing-paper/sexual-harassment-and-assault-at-work-understanding-the-costs/ https://hbr.org/2018/01/sexual-harassment-is-pervasive-in-the-restaurant-industry-heres-what-needs-to-change https://hbr.org/2018/01/sexual-harassment-is-pervasive-in-the-restaurant-industry-heres-what-needs-to-change https://s27147.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Rights-at-Risk-4-2-19.pdf https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/equal-pay-protections https://blog.dol.gov/2021/03/19/5-facts-about-the-state-of-the-gender-pay-gap https://blog.dol.gov/2021/03/19/5-facts-about-the-state-of-the-gender-pay-gap

Unemployment Insurance – Many low-income women workers have seen their unemployment benefits held up or are uncertain if they are eligible. In some cases, they may also need help finding legal representation.

Health Care – Community health workers, including Promotores (community health workers who work in Spanish-speaking communities21), help vulnerable communities get access to needed services. Most recently, community health workers have assisted with COVID-19 information and access to testing and vaccines in rural and urban areas for undocumented and marginalized communities.

Eligible Benefits under the American Rescue Plan – Cash assistance and worker protection policies passed under last year’s COVID response packages went woefully under-utilized. This will unfortunately continue under the prospective American Rescue Plan and anticipated recovery package unless government officials, employers and other intermediaries work proactively to educate workers and other eligible populations about their availability and application processes. For example, the $15 billion in the American Rescue Plan for the Child Care Development Block Grant, which can be accessed over the next three years, represents a critical benefit for working parents if they know about it and can access it.

The FARE initiative, which provides funding to state or territory agencies partnering with community-based organizations serving low-wage women workers, will allow these partnerships to undertake key program activities. The primary purpose of these grants is to provide crucial outreach, education, and improved benefits access and must be used for:

Outreach to vulnerable, low-income, and marginalized women workers.

Dissemination of educational materials through varied platforms, including social media, in-person or virtual events, brochures and leaflets, one-on-one consultations, and other outreach.

Benefits navigator and benefits calculator services.

Connecting and referring women workers to additional services, benefits, and/or legal assistance as needed, reasonable, and/or available.

Helping women to become focal points for rights, benefits, and assistance in their own communities (i.e., a train-the-trainer model for navigation).

The Women’s Bureau will award funds to qualifying organizations whose application demonstrates capabilities to achieve the program’s objectives and performance expectations, including relevant experience in recruiting women who have been severely impacted by the pandemic and who will benefit from the proposed activities; delivering and administering adult training programs; managing grants; and employing subject matter experts. Applicants are

21 https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/promotores/index.html.

https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/promotores/index.html required to submit proposals outlining project design and cost; existing organizational capacity;

the capability to reach the target population; and the ability to execute quickly and produce results in the near term.

Through the grant reporting process, the Women’s Bureau will gather information about promising practices, as well as challenges faced by the grantees, which will inform future rounds of agency grant-making and other activities at DOL. In particular, the grant program will create a “feedback loop,” in which grantees will report on the ground-level barriers faced by workers in accessing rights and benefits. In turn, that information, shared systematically with DOL and state or territory governments, can help inform changes to program administration and management to further broaden access.

Fair and equal employment and access to benefits are a core pre-requisite to women’s economic security, and are cornerstones of the Women’s Bureau’s mission, which was created in 1920 by Public Law 66-259. Our mission is to develop policies and standards and conduct inquiries to safeguard the interests of working women, advocate for their equality and economic security for themselves and their families, and promote quality work environments.

The FARE grant program will support the Women’s Bureau’s and the Department of Labor’s mandate to implement the provisions of Executive Order 13985, which charges the Department with identifying and addressing barriers to more equitable access to public benefits, services, and protections. Not only will the navigation and assistance services help to directly connect workers with needed assistance, but the process will help inform a more complete picture of the burdens faced by disadvantaged populations and the approaches that hold promise for improving outcomes on each of these domains. More generally, evidence gathered in this initial round of grants could be applied to future grant programs at DOL aimed at other community partnerships.

PROGRAM AUTHORITY

This program is authorized by 29 U.S.C. § 13 and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, FY2021, Pub. L. 116-20.

II. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

B. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.700

The Women’s Bureau expects availability of approximately $1.5 million to fund between four to six grants, with a minimum value of $250,000. Applicants may apply for a ceiling amount of $350,000. 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.

C. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 18 months, with an anticipated start date of September 30, 2021.

This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Only State Governments, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to apply for these grants.

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.

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 Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met.

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.)

SAM Registration

SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

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.

Governors may recommend only one state agency to submit one application for their state. If more than one agency from a state submits an application, each containing the Governor’s recommendation, neither application will be considered for funding.

3. Eligible Participants

a) Participants Eligible to Receive Grant Services The intent of this grant is to fund projects that will benefit and assist working women, with a particular focus on low-paid, underserved, and marginalized women workers in female-dominated sectors hard-hit by the pandemic.

b) Veterans’ Priority for Participants

38 U.S.C. 4215 requires grantees to provide priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service are at 20 CFR Part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible spouse, the veterans’ priority of service provisions require that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program’s eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans’ priority.

ETA’s Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. TEGL No.

10-09 is available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.

SF-424 includes a DUNS Number

SF-424A, Budget Information Form

Budget Narrative

Project Narrative

Governor’s Letter of Recommendation

Letters of Commitment from Partners https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

This FOA, also found at www.Grants.gov, 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:

• SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”;

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

• Project Narrative; and

• Attachments to the Project Narrative.

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

1. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

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

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

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

a) Requirement for DUNS Number

All applicants for federal grant and funding opportunities must have a DUNS number, and must supply their DUNS Number on the SF-424. The DUNS Number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not have a http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

DUNS Number, you can get one for free through the D&B website:

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

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

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

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

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

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

a) Budget Narrative

The Budget Narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. The Budget Narrative should also include a section describing any leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities. Leveraged resources are all resources, both cash and in-kind, in excess of this award. Valuation of leveraged resources follows the same requirements as match. Applicants are encouraged https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself.

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

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

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

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

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.1 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

or

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

See Section IV.B.4. and Section IV.E.1 for more information. Additionally, the following link contains information regarding the negotiation of Indirect Cost Rates at DOL: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination.

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

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

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

3. Project Narrative

The Project Narrative must demonstrate your capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Announcement. It provides a comprehensive 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 6 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1-inch margins. You must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

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

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

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

a) Statement of Need

i. Identify one area of focus from the list in Section I.A.2 and clearly define the proposed geographic service area.

ii. Explain clearly in both qualitative and quantitative terms the need to address the chosen area of focus by documenting the needs of working women impacted by the pandemic in a proposed geographic service area, as well as the challenges and barriers they faced before the pandemic.

iii. Explain clearly how the proposed grant activities will make a difference in the lives of marginalized women, as well as those of their families.

b) Organizational Capacity

i. Demonstrate the organizational capacity to reach the target population, execute quickly, produce results in the near term, and achieve the program’s objectives and performance goals.

ii. Demonstrate grant management capabilities or comparable project management experience.

iii. List partner organizations and fully describes their roles and capabilities, including subject matter experts, strategies to overcome barriers, experience reaching and providing training and/or assistance to marginalized workers who will benefit from the proposed activities, and the organizational capability to achieve the described goals.

c) Project Design

i. Describe a coherent and feasible approach for successfully addressing the identified need/area of focus. The design must clearly reflect the FARE initiative’s goals and provide a timeline reflecting the ability for a quick start-up,

ii. Describe the activities to take place in each of the following categories, including for each the proposed deliverables, milestones, how participant counts will be tallied, and timelines indicating a robust project that support the objectives of the grant initiative:

• Outreach activities: Demonstrates that the applicant and its partner organizations have deep ties to women-dominated, low-paid sectors of the workforce and that it can effectively connect with the target populations using various methods.

• Dissemination activities: Demonstrates that the applicant and its partners have a comprehensive knowledge of the issues, plus the demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and serve as a trusted intermediary to the targeted participants. Explains clearly the use of varied dissemination methods across multiple platforms, such as social media, in-person or virtual events, brochures and leaflets, one-on-one consultations, etc.

• Rights and benefits activities: Describes clearly that the applicant has the ability to help women access their rights and benefits, with a clear, viable plan to improve benefits take-up and enrollment, deter violations, improve compliance, and connect/refer women to additional services, benefits, and assistance.

Includes with the proposed project a plan to train women to become benefits navigators or provide assistance in their own communities to ensure women access their rights and benefits.

d) Expected Outputs and Outcomes

Identify the anticipated outcome(s) and output(s) that will result from the project. Outputs are the tangible products or services that result from the project. Outcomes are the positive benefits or measurable results of the project. Be sure to address the following measures, with a focus on underserved and marginalized low-income women workers, including but not limited to women of color, women with disabilities, and justice-involved women:

• Number of women who will be reached through outreach activities;

• Number of women and/or size and type of the audience to whom educational information will be disseminated;

• Number of women who will be connected to navigation services and benefit calculator services;

• Number of women who will benefit from rights and benefits activities as described above;

• Number of women whose lives will be positively impacted by grant activities;

• Whether and to what extent best practices or services developed under this grant can or will be sustained beyond the grant period;

• Any systemic change anticipated to result from the grant activities.

e) Project Sustainability

i. Demonstrate fully the applicant’s commitment to building a knowledge base of promising practices and challenges faced by the grantees, inform future grants, and inform a feedback loop of barriers.

ii. Include a clear explanation of a viable plan for staying in touch with participants after they exit the program in order to measure impact.

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative

In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments. All attachments must be clearly labeled. We will exclude only those attachments listed below from the page limit. The Budget and Budget Justification do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

You must not include additional materials such as resumés or general letters of support. You must submit your application in one package because documents received separately will be tracked separately and will not be attached to the application for review.

Save all files with descriptive file names of 50 characters or fewer and use only standard characters in file names: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and underscore (_). File names may not include special characters (e.g., &,–,*,%,/,#), periods (.), blank spaces or accent marks, and must be unique (e.g., no other attachment may have the same file name). You may use an underscore (example:

My_Attached_File.pdf) to separate a file name.

a) Required Attachments

In addition to a complete application package (SF-424, SF-424A, Budget Narrative, and Project Narrative, the applicant must submit the following two attachments. The details for the attachments are referenced below. The omission of these attachments or the omission of any components of the aforementioned application package will disqualify the application and it will not be considered for funding.

i. Governor’s Letter of Recommendation Eligible state agency applicants must have a letter of recommendation from the governor of their state. Governors may recommend only one state agency to submit one application for their state.

If more than one agency from a state submits an application, each containing the Governor’s recommendation, neither application will be considered for funding.

ii. Letter of Commitment

Applicants must provide letters of commitment from entities with which they propose to partner. These letters must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and labeled “Letter of Commitment.”

b) Requested Attachments

We request the following attachments, but their omission will not cause us to disqualify the application. The attachments below do not impact scoring of the application.

i. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

If you are requesting indirect costs based on a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement approved by your federal Cognizant Agency, then attach the most recently approved Agreement. (For more information, see Section IV.B.2. and Section IV.E.1.)

This document must be uploaded as an attachment to the application package and specifically labeled “NICRA.”

ii. Financial System Risk Assessment Information All applicants are requested to submit Funding Opportunity Announcement Financial System Risk Assessment Information. See Section V.B.2 for a sample template and additional instructions.

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, PROCESS, AND ADDRESS

We must receive your application by July 15, 2021. You must submit your application electronically on https://www.grants.gov no later than 4:00:00 pm Eastern Time on the closing date.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application before the closing date to minimize the risk of late receipt. We will not review applications received after 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We will not accept applications sent by hardcopy, e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX).

1. Hardcopy Submission

No applications submitted in hardcopy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery) will be accepted for this funding opportunity.

2. Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

Applicants submitting applications must ensure successful submission no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Grants.gov will subsequently validate the application.

The process can be complicated and time-consuming. You are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems. Note that validation does not mean that your application has been accepted as complete or has been accepted for review by the agency. Rather, grants.gov only verifies the submission of certain parts of an application.

a) How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/

Read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as long as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for timely electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application.

Applicants must follow the online instructions for registration at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html. We recommend that you prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process.

Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last-minute searches for required information and save time.

An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz Point of Contact (POC) approval, establishes an Agency Organizational Representative (AOR). When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR who submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The E-Biz POC must authorize the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments on behalf of your organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.

b) How to Submit an Application to DOL via Grants.gov

Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared online environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different webforms within an application. For a complete workspace overview, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html.

For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html.

When a registered applicant submits…