GO 4 and 5 FOA-ETA-24-06.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: Growth Opportunities - Rounds 4 and 5

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-24-06

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.270

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is 04/02/2024. We must receive applications no later than 11:59 pm 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.

This FOA has two closing dates. We must receive your application by 4/2/2024 to be considered for Round 4. Pending the availability of funding, on 7/1/2024, this FOA will be re-posted on grants.gov and will be open until 10/15/2024 for Round 5. To be considered for Round 5, we must receive your application between 7/1/2024 and 10/15/2024.

A pre-recorded Prospective Applicant Webinar will be available by February 16, 2024 at:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities. Although not required, applicants are encouraged to watch the pre-recorded webinar.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

C. OTHER INFORMATION

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, PROCESS AND ADDRESS

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

C. REPORTING

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

C. WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

D. SKILLSCOMMONS RESOURCES

E. DIRECTIONS FOR USING CENSUS (ACS) DATA TO IDENTIFY POVERTY RATES

IN TARGET AREAS

F. PAST DOL EVALUATIONS AND EVIDENCE

IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $40,000,000 in grant funds authorized by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, P.L. 117-328 for Program Year 2023 (July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024)..

Additionally, we expect to use this funding opportunity announcement when we announce the availability of Round 5 grants, pending the availability of future funding.

This program prepares justice-involved youth and young adults for employment through education and training, paid work experiences, mentorship, and leadership development, and contributes to community violence intervention among youth and young adults. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, local and regional government entities, federally recognized Indian and Tribal governments, and independent school districts. The funding range for grant awards is approximately $2-5.1 million.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for the Growth Opportunities program.

The purpose of this program is to introduce and prepare justice-involved youth and young adults for the world of work, and on a path to equitable career opportunities, through placement into paid work experiences. In addition to paid work experiences, the program encompasses occupational education and training in in-demand industries, leadership development, a mentorship component, and post-work experience placement into unsubsidized employment and/or education. These grants focus on youth and young adults most impacted by community violence to advance equity, particularly in areas of concentrated crime and poverty as well as communities that have recently experienced significant unrest. This program contributes to the Department’s Youth Employment Works strategy that sets a clear vision to support youth and young adult employment and workforce development. This program also aligns to the Biden- Harris Administration’s comprehensive strategy to combat gun violence and other violent crime, in part, with preventative measures that are proven to reduce violent crime and support public safety and community well-being. The goals of the grant are to:

• Help youth and young adults to increase their conflict resolution skills and develop strategies to prevent and avoid violence.

• Introduce and prepare youth for the world of work.

• Help youth identify career interests, attain relevant skills and gain work experience.

• Provide income to youth, to start them on the path of earning living wages and obtaining high quality jobs and careers.

Grants will be awarded to organizations that can serve as the lead applicant for a group of service providers, and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility of a resultant grant. Eligibility information, including required partnerships, is further outlined in Section III.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

This Growth Opportunities FOA is authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, P.L. 117-328, which appropriates funds for Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO) grants under Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The Round 5 competition for funding under this program is tentative pending availability of FY 2024 appropriations.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

Across both rounds of funding, we expect availability of approximately $85,000,000 to fund approximately 28 grants. Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Direct applicants may apply for up to $2,000,000 in funding, and intermediary applicants may apply for up to $5,100,000. Section III.A Eligible Applicants defines these two applicant types.

Pending availability of funds, we intend to use this same FOA to make grant awards for the Growth Opportunities program in two competitive rounds, Rounds 4 and 5.

Anticipated Funding Available

Anticipated Number of Awards

Award Ceiling & Eligible Applicant Types

Round 4

$40,000,000

• $2,000,000 – Direct

Applicants

• $5,100,000 – Intermediary

Applicants

Round 5

$45,000,000

• $2,000,000 – Direct

Applicants

• $5,100,000 – Intermediary

Applicants

Applications for each round should be prepared and submitted following the requirements and processes outlined in this FOA. Subject to receiving applications of sufficient quality, ETA intends for approximately 20 percent of Rounds 4 and 5 funds to be awarded to applicants that have not received a previous Reentry Employment Opportunities grant.

Applications from Direct Applicants or Intermediary Applicants that apply in Round 4 but do not receive funding may also choose to submit an application for Round 5. These are two separate competitions and to be considered for Round 5, all applicants must submit an application specifically for Round 5 between 7/1/2024 and 10/15/2024.

DOL intends to award at least 75 percent of Round 4 and 66 percent of Round 5 available grant funds to intermediary applicants.

All 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 in each round to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

Pending availability of funds, satisfactory progress, and Administration priorities, ETA may consider holding a limited competition among awarded GO grantees for additional funds to provide continued follow-up services (up to 24-months), including mentorship and conflict resolution, and supportive services to participants enrolled during the original period of performance; to enroll and provide services to new participants; and to continue performance measurement.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 42 months with an anticipated start date of 07/01/2024. This performance period includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

The period of performance and start date mentioned above is for the Round 4. Round 5 will also have a 42-month period of performance with an estimated start date of 02/01/2025. For both rounds, the period of performance includes a planning period and implementation activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• County governments

• City or township governments

• Special district governments

• Independent school districts

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Among eligible applicants listed above, the applicant agency or organization must also choose to submit its application in just one of two FOA applicant categories, direct or intermediary, and meet the eligibility requirements below.

(1) Applicant Types

This FOA distinguishes between two applicant types—direct and intermediary. Carefully consider the requirements below and apply under the appropriate category; and make certain to respond to the application instructions (project narrative, evaluation criteria, and attachments) that correspond to your category.

i. Direct applicants must be an eligible organization listed above and deliver direct services to all enrolled participants. Direct applicants must have partnerships with other organizations. See below for details on required partnerships.

ii. Intermediary applicants (intermediaries) must be an eligible organization listed above with a national or regional scope, and they must support the delivery of direct services by their sub-grantees. Intermediary applicants must facilitate the replication of best practices across multiple sub-grantees, and provide sub-grantees with administrative and fiscal support or management to ensure compliance with DOL requirements.

Intermediaries must, in their proposal, identify sub-grantees (which may be affiliates or local offices) across three or more non-contiguous metropolitan areas or rural regions, which must be spread across at least two states. Additionally, intermediaries or their sub-grantees must have a distinct justice system partner in each of the three metropolitan areas (see below for more details).

(2) Partnerships

Mandatory Partnerships

Direct and intermediary applicants must demonstrate active involvement of the mandatory partners by providing signed documentation of commitments from the mandatory partners, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Letter of Commitment (LOC) signed by an authorizing agent of the partner organization that describes the roles of the partners toward achieving grant objectives. If there is not a MOU or LOC from each of the required partners, the application will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed. Additionally, if an intermediary applicant’s partnerships are between its subgrantees and the partners (as described in Section III.A.2.ii), and the required written commitment for any of the Mandatory Partnerships (Violence Prevention, Justice System, Employer) does not name the appropriate sub-grantee as a party to the agreement, the application will be considered non-responsive and will not move on to the merit review process. Applicants must identify, and provide a written commitment from the following mandatory partners for this project:

i. Violence Prevention or Intervention partner is defined as an individual or organization with significant experience in delivering culturally competent outreach to individuals with a high risk of committing violence (and/or becoming a victim) to interrupt the cycle of violence. The Violence Prevention partner must be familiar with and respected by individuals at a high risk of violence, and work in partnership with a justice system office. Examples include: violence interrupters; hospital intervention programs; local clergy or faith-based organizations; and individuals or organizations with established violence-prevention programs.

ii. Justice System partner is defined as a regional or local government partner that agrees to collaborate with the Violence Prevention partner; for example, to assist with referral of high-risk individuals to the program, share documents or data, including risk assessments, with participant consent where appropriate. Examples include: Police, Sheriffs, District Attorneys, Community Corrections, Courts and Public Defenders.

iii. Employer/Industry partners are defined as businesses, industry partners, labor unions, or other organizations (public, private or nonprofit) that commit to serve as work experience sites or facilitate participant placement at their affiliates’ worksites. At minimum, applicants must engage these partners on how they will work to ensure the work experiences provided are consistent with The Good Jobs Principles, a shared vision of job quality published by the Departments of Labor and Commerce.

iv. Sub-grantees (applicable to intermediary applicants only) are defined as the organizations (which may be affiliates or local offices of the intermediary organization) that will deliver direct career services to participants on behalf of the intermediary applicant. Sub-grantees can serve multiple regions and may also serve as a required partner.

For intermediary applicants, the required MOUs or LOCs for Mandatory Partnerships i-iii may be between sub-grantees and partners. MOUs or LOCs between intermediary applicants and mandatory partners must name a sub-grantee as party to the agreement, and explain the sub-grantee’s responsibilities, if any.

Recommended Partnerships

Grantees are encouraged to collaborate with agencies and businesses besides the mandatory partners to leverage resources and deliver holistic and wrap-around services, such as a local Workforce Development Board. Applicants should identify organizations who will support program goals with job placement opportunities, workforce services, social services, childcare, transportation, housing, mentorship, addiction treatment, and mental health treatment for participants. Applicants are encouraged to provide written commitments from recommended partners.

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 https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles

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

Section IV.C.2

Application federal funds request does not exceed the applicable ceiling amount, $2,000,000 for direct applicants and $5,100,000 for intermediary applicants Section II.A

SAM Registration Section IV.B.1

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

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

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

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

Documentation of Commitment from All Mandatory Partners

Sections III.A.2 and

IV.B.3

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

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

While we will consider only one application from each organization, organizations (including applicants) may be included as partners on other applications.

3. Eligible Participants

a. Participants Eligible to Receive Training The intent of this FOA is to fund projects that provide education and workforce services to justice-involved youth and young adults, particularly the youth and young adults most impacted by community violence, so they may pursue or advance in an educational or career pathway within the grant period of performance.

Eligible participants must:

i. Be at least 15 years old and not older than 24 years of age on the date of enrollment; and

ii. Reside in the targeted service area, or plan to return to the area upon release from custody, or upon the conclusion of an out-of-home placement; and

iii. Have been expelled from a school OR had juvenile or adult justice system contact, defined as one or more of the following situations:

• Current or previous incarceration; or arrest;

• Probation; parole; or out-of-home placement;

• Alternative sentence by the juvenile or adult justice system;

• Diversionary program of the juvenile or adult justice system; and

iv. Have one or more of the following risk-factors associated with delinquent or criminal activity:

• Juvenile or criminal record of a violent offense/infraction or crimes against persons, as defined by state law enforcement (Examples include assault, homicide, intimidation, kidnapping/abduction, manslaughter, sex offenses, and robbery.);

• Attend or attended an alternative high school for disciplinary reasons;

• Left high school before completion;

• Gang membership (current or prior);

• Parent who is currently or formerly incarcerated;

• Diagnosed by clinician or told by a school official of attention deficit disorder or attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADD or ADHD) or other learning disabilities; or has or had an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) in school;

• Assessed as having anti-social attitudes/beliefs (by a clinician or the justice system or the mandatory violence prevention partner);

• Substance misuse before age 12.

There are multiple forms of acceptable source documentation for the risk-factors above, including but not limited to: school records, or signed statements or emails from current or former school officials, teachers, or other school staff. Self-attestation may be used for a number of eligibility criteria, including but not limited to parents' incarceration, ADD or ADHD diagnosis, school IEP, and early substance abuse. However, self-attestation should only be used if other documentation is unavailable. Participants contact with juvenile or criminal justice system must be verified with documentation from a justice system agency.

NOTE: Up to 35% of participants may be documented direct referrals from a justice system or mandatory violence prevention partner without prior involvement in the juvenile or adult criminal justice system or school expulsion. Up to 10% of participants may be individuals who left high school before completion without prior involvement in the juvenile or adult criminal justice system or school expulsion. Additionally, up to 10% of participants may reside outside the targeted area.

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://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-10-09.

4. Target Area

Please note that DOL evaluates applications on the need of the target area (also referred to as “service area”). For the GO grant program, DOL considers not only the need for the services to participants in the target area, but also the area’s level of poverty and crime. Applicants must use American Community Survey data to define counties, Indian Reservations or Native Lands, or contiguous Census Tracts as target areas for their grants. Direct applicants proposing to serve multiple service areas that are not contiguous or closely located must provide the address of a local organizational presence (office, affiliate, sub-grantee or partner organization) in a physical space sufficient to provide program services within each service area proposed.

5. Target Age Group

This FOA requires applicants to choose a participant age group to serve, either youth (15-18 years old) or young adults (18-24 years old). Carefully consider the unique safety, development, education, training, and social needs of each age group, and make certain to address those unique needs in your project narrative. Serving both age groups is not an option.

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

This FOA, found at www.Grants.gov and https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

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

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

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

3. Project Narrative; and

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative.

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

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

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

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-10-09 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-10-09 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/apply/find-opportunities https://www.grants.gov/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family

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

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

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

• The SF-424 must clearly identify the applicant and must be signed by an individual with authority to enter into a 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/forms/forms-repository/sf-424-family). You do not need to submit the SF-424B with the application.

In addition, the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s signature in block 21 of the SF-424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of compliance with the WIOA 188 rules issued by the Department at 29 CFR 38.25, which includes the following language:

As a condition to the award of financial assistance from the Department of Labor under Title I WIOA, the grant applicant assures that it has the ability to comply fully with the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of the following laws: Section 188 of the WIOA and its implementing regulations at 29 CFR Part 38, which prohibits discrimination against all individuals in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and against beneficiaries on the basis of either citizenship or status as a lawfully admitted immigrant authorized to work in the United States, or participation in any WIOA Title I— financially assisted program or activity; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the bases of race, color, and national origin; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of age; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in educational programs.

The grant applicant also assures, that as a recipient of WIOA Title I financial assistance [as defined at 29 CFR 38.4(zz)], it will comply with 29 CFR part 38 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance.

a. Requirement for Unique Entity Identifier https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/

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

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

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

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

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

b. Requirement for Registration with SAM

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

A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award.

If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the Grant Officer is ready to make a federal award, the Grant Officer may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

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

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 to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself.

The Budget Narrative must demonstrate that the cost-per-participant for Direct Applicants is at or under $13,000. The cost-per-participant for Intermediary Applicants must be at or under $12,000.

https://sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/

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

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

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

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

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $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 Part

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

Items with a unit cost of less than $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 the cost of supplies (e.g., general office supplies, desk/chairs, laptops/printers, other specialty items) in the detailed budget per category. Except for general office supplies, list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR Part 200.1 for the definition of Supplies).

Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and subawards separately.

Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR Part 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 Part 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 Part 200.414(f). Clearly state that your organization does not have a current negotiated (including provisional) rate, and is not one described in 2 CFR Part 200, Appendix VII(D)(1)(b).

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

• Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) Definition: To avoid a serious inequity in the distribution of indirect costs, DOL defines MTDC as all direct salaries and wages, applicable fringe benefits, materials and supplies, services, travel, and up to the first $25,000 of each subaward or subcontract (regardless of the period of performance of the subawards and subcontracts 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 or subcontract in excess of $25,000.

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

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

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

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/office-of-the-senior-procurement-executive/cost-price-determination-division.

Indirect-type costs (such as top management salaries, financial oversight, human resources, payroll, personnel, auditing costs, accounting and legal, etc. used for the general oversight and administration of the organization) must not be classified as direct costs; these types of costs are recovered as part of charging the de minimis or NICRA rate. Note that the SF-424, SF- 424A, and Budget Narrative must include the entire federal grant amount requested (not just one year).

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

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/office-of-the-senior-procurement-executive/cost-price-determination-division https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/office-of-the-senior-procurement-executive/cost-price-determination-division

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 25 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.

a. Statement of Need (Up to 12 Points)

The GO program focuses on areas with high rates of crime and poverty.

(1) Poverty Rate (Up to 6 points)

The application must provide American Community Survey (ACS) data to show the poverty rate of counties, Indian Reservation or Native Land, or contiguous Census Tracts proposed to be the target areas of the grant. See Section VIII below for instructions on using ACS data. If the proposed target area is an entire county or Indian Reservation or Native Land, the applicant only needs to state in the application the poverty rate of the county or Indian Reservation or Native Land that the Census website provides.

If the target area spans more than one county and is not Indian Reservation or Native land, the application must include as an attachment a table that lists the total population and number of persons below poverty level in each of the proposed Census Tracts in the target area. (This table attachment will not count towards the application page limit.) Applicants will need to identify contiguous Census Tracts rather than entire cities as target areas.

The total number of persons in poverty in all the combined Census Tracts divided by the combined population of all the proposed Census Tracts is the required weighted poverty rate of the proposed target area. Also, a map must be provided in the attachment showing that the

Census Tracts are contiguous. This map can be a screenshot of the Census website the applicant used in accessing the ACS Census Tract data.

Applicants proposing to serve more than one target area must provide for each of the target areas a table that lists the total population and number of persons in poverty in each of the Census Tracts in the target area, and a map showing that the Census Tracts are contiguous.

Applicants serving more than one target area must also provide a summary table that lists the total population and population in poverty of each of the proposed target areas. The total number in poverty of the combined target areas divided by the total population of the combined target areas is the required weighted poverty rate for the applicant.

DOL will score applicants based on the weighted average poverty rate across all counties, Indian Reservations or Native Land, or contiguous Census Tracts proposed to be the target areas of the grant, as follows:

• If the weighted average poverty rate in the proposed target area(s) is 25% or higher: 6 Points.

• If the weighted average poverty rate in the proposed target area(s) is between 20% and 24.99%: 4 Points.

• If the weighted average poverty rate in the proposed target area(s) is between 17% and 19.99%: 2 Points.

• Applicants proposing a target area with a weighted average poverty rate less than 17% will get 0 points for this criterion.

• Applicants not providing the ACS data attachment for all target areas will receive 0 points.

(2) Violent Crime Rate (Up to 6 points)

The application must provide data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report, Crime in the United States, if available for the target areas, to show the violent crime rate per 100,000 residents. This FBI violent crime data is available at the FBI website https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/tables/table-6.

Table 6 from Crime in the United States, 2019 lists Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in alphabetical order and includes violent crime data for principal cities within the MSAs. The third column in the table shows the population and the fourth column provides the violent crime data for the respective MSA and city.

If the target area is in an MSA and comprised of Census tracts within one principal city, then use the data provided for that principal city. Divide the number of violent crimes by the population, and then multiply the result by 100,000 to determine the required violent crime rate. If the target area is in an MSA and comprised of Census tracts not confined to one principal city listed, then the "Rate per 100,000 inhabitants" for that MSA provided in the table is the required violent crime rate.

If the target area is not in an MSA listed in Table 6, applicants may use the violent crime rate of their county, Indian Reservation, or Native Land. Only these applicants may use data from other sources. Permissible data sources are limited to the following: official reports, briefs, or documents disseminated by federal, state, local, or Tribal law enforcement, public safety, or public health agencies during or after 2018.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/tables/table-6

In all cases, the applicant must provide documentation of its data source. Applicants not providing data documentation for all target areas will receive 0 points.

Applicants serving more than one target area must provide a summary table that lists the population and number of violent crimes for each of the proposed target areas. The total number of violent crimes of the combined target areas, divided by the total population of the combined target areas, multiplied by 100,000, is the average violent crime rate per 100,000 residents required for the applicant.

DOL will score applicants based on the average violent crime rate across all MSAs, principal cities, counties, Indian Reservations, and/or Native Lands that the applicant proposes to serve.

• If the average violent crime rate is 500 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants or higher: 6 Points.

• If the average violent crime rate is between 370 and 499.99 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants: 4 Points.

• Applicants proposing a target area with a violent crime rate less than 370 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants will get 0 points for this criterion.

• Applicants not providing data documentation for all target areas and documentation of data sources (if other than FBI 2019 crime data) will receive 0 points.

b. Performance Measurement, Outcomes, and Outputs (Up to 12 Points)

The applicant must describe its process to monitor, track, measure, and manage grant performance to ensure all planned goals and deliverables are achieved.

(1) Performance Measurement (Up to 6 points)

Applicants will be scored based on whether the application provides a complete and convincing description of how the applicant’s proposed methods and tools to track and report the required outputs and outcomes will adequately and accurately reflect the levels of success achieved according to each of the required performance indicators. This must include the roles of software, staff, and partners.

• Explain how staff typically use computer software, if at all, to record program services and participant outcomes efficiently and accurately. Include details showing that their experience will support accurate and efficient data collection related to the performance indicators outlined in this subsection. Discuss what reports are generated from the data, and how those reports facilitate data-driven programming and decision-making (with staff and management).

• Describe how non-digital methods or tools are used, such as paper forms or office wall charts, if any, to accurately and effectively record program services and participant outcomes. Include details showing those tools will support accurate and efficient data collection related to the performance indicators outlined in this subsection. Discuss how those reports facilitate data-driven programming and decision-making (with staff and management).

• Explain how program outcomes are shared externally (with program funders and/or the public) and how those practices have sufficiently prepared your organization to meet the Department’s rigorous performance measurement standards.

• Include details about who is responsible for data entry, their qualifications and experience with workforce program performance measurement, and whether your organization has staff dedicated to data management. Show that data is recorded frequently and comprehensively enough to accurately reflect participants’ results. Explain a strong plan for oversight of program data including how frequently data is reviewed by managers.

• Explain what role, if any, program partners typically play in tracking and reporting program services and participant outcomes, and how this has improved data accuracy, efficiency, and data-driven program services. Note whether your organization has a clear, workable data-sharing agreement in place with one or more partners, which is preferred to ensure participant privacy and data quality. Include any such agreements in the section Attachments to the Project Narrative.

• Applicants must describe a clear and realistic plan to track and report arrests, recidivism, and returns-to-incarceration based on the definitions and parameters provided in this FOA. Plans should specify the intended source(s) of criminal justice data, and staff and/or partner roles in tracking and reporting. DOL prefers that applicants establish or update data-sharing agreements with justice system partners to track justice outcomes rather than relying on unofficial commitments, word-of-mouth, or public databases maintained by courts, corrections facilities and other justice agencies.

WIOA Primary Indicators of Performance:

The Department expects grantees to track and report the following WIOA performance indicators as specified in WIOA section 116(b)(2)(A)(i). If awarded, applicants are expected to meet the specified performance goals.

i. Education & Employment Rate - Second Quarter after Exit. 70%

ii. Education & Employment Rate - Fourth Quarter after Exit. 60%

iii. Median Earnings - Second Quarter after Exit. $5,750

iv. Credential Attainment. 50%

v. Measurable Skills Gains. 70%

Additional information on these performance indicators can be found in Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 10-16, Change 1: Performance Accountability Guidance for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV Core Programs, found at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=3255. The Department will calculate the median earnings outcome on behalf of grantee. The Department may determine additional targets or revise targets for the WIOA measures post-award.

REO-specific Indicators

In addition to the WIOA performance indicators, grantees must track and report the following REO-specific indicators of performance:

i. Arrests for violent crimes that are committed after program enrollment. The goal is less than 5%.

ii. Recidivism is defined as the percentage of participants convicted of a new crime committed within 12 months of release from a correctional facility or placement on probation. The conviction may occur after or at any time during the performance period https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=3255 of the grant. For each participant, recidivism shall be measured from their most recent release prior to enrollment or, if incarcerated at the time of enrollment, from their first release post-enrollment. The goal for this measure is less than 10%.

NOTE: As part of data collection, all REO grantees are directed to request participant's social security numbers (SSNs).