oppFOA-ETA-18-05-cfda17.265-cidFOA-ETA-18-05-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR:

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Indian and Native American Program - Employment and Training Grants.

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-18-05

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.265

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is May 18, 2018. We must receive applications no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Address mailed applications to:

The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration, Office of Grants Management Attention: Jimmie Curtis, Grant Officer Reference FOA-ETA-18-05 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716 Washington, DC 20210

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

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $62 million in grant funds authorized by Section 166 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

As a statutory program with regulatory requirements, the Department must follow the grant application requirements at 20 CFR part 684 subpart B which can be found at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-19/pdf/2016-15975.pdf

This program is intended to support employment and training activities for Indians and Native Americans throughout the United States. These activities are provided at the local level through grant awards to eligible entities detailed at 20 CFR 684.200, which can be found at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-19/pdf/2016-15975.pdf Funds are used to help all eligible participants (including but not limited to) Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians with employment, financial assistance for education and training, and other supportive services necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-19/pdf/2016-15975.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2016-08-19/pdf/2016-15975.pdf

Department has been providing employment and training grants to the eligible entities referenced above for over 40 years under various laws including the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA), Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA), Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The list of program year 2017 Section 166 grantees and their funding allocations can be found at:

https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_23- 16_Change_1_Attachment_I_Acc.pdf In order for current PY 2017 grant recipients to continue to receive funding, they must submit an application under this FOA.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for the Indian and Native American Employment and Training Program authorized under Section 166 of WIOA. The purpose of this program is to “support employment and training activities for Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian individuals in order to: (A) develop more fully the academic, occupational, and literacy skills of such individuals; (B) make such individuals more competitive in the workforce and equip them with the entrepreneurial skills necessary for successful self-employment; and (C) promote the economic and social development of Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities in accordance with the goals and values of such communities.”

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

Section 166 of WIOA (Pub. L. 113 -128) authorizes this program.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

We expect availability of approximately $62,000,000 to fund approximately 176 total grants. We anticipate approximately $49,000,000 of the $62,000,000 will be for Comprehensive Service Program (adult) activities, and the remaining $13,000,000 will be for Supplemental Youth Services that will be awarded to those grant recipients that serve Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian youth living on or near Indian reservations and in Oklahoma, Alaska, and Hawaii. Funding amounts will be based on a funding formula provided in the WIOA regulations at 20 CFR 684.270 and 684.440. 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. This program is intended to serve the entire United States, and, therefore, applicants must specify the geographic areas they are applying for (e.g., state, counties, reservation, etc.) in https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_23-16_Change_1_Attachment_I_Acc.pdf https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL_23-16_Change_1_Attachment_I_Acc.pdf block 14 “Areas Affected by Project (Cities, Counties, States, etc.)” of the SF-424. Incumbent grantees should indicate “existing service area” in item no. 14 of the SF-424 if they are applying for their existing services area. Otherwise, existing grantees that are applying for new geographic areas in addition to their existing service area should indicate “existing service area” and also indicate the new geographic areas (counties, reservation areas etc.)

they are applying for.

This program currently funds 176 grants with funding amounts ranging from $14,803 to $5,525,686 for the Comprehensive Services Program (CSP) and $1,006 to $2,885,909 for the Supplemental Youth Services Program (SYSP). The funding amounts vary depending on the number of Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who are unemployed and/or living in poverty in a geographic service area. To get an understanding of how geographic areas relate to funding, applicants can compare the funding amounts in the link provided in the Executive Summary with the grantees’ geographic service areas located at:

https://www.doleta.gov/dinap/cfml/CensusData.cfm For example, under the “2000 Adult Census” link, the Inter-Tribal Council of Alabama serves 63 counties in Alabama with 760 unemployed and 3,273 low-income Indians, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiians residing in these counties combined. For this geographic service area, the Inter-Tribal Council of Alabama received $261,106 in PY 2017 adult funding.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

INA grant competitions are held every four years. Grantees that receive an award as a result of this competition will receive one grant award annually for four consecutive years, subject to appropriated funding, starting in PY 2018. Each annual grant award will have a 36-month period of performance. Grantees will receive a new grant with a new grant number in each of those four years contingent on the availability of funds and satisfactory progress towards achieving the goals and objectives of the grant. The anticipated start date for awardees that receive both youth and adult funding is April 1, 2018, while the anticipated start date for awardees that receive only adult funding is July 1, 2018. The period of performance detailed above includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

To be eligible to apply for a WIOA Sec. 166 grant, an entity must have legal status as a government or as an agency of a government, private non-profit corporation, or a consortium whose members all qualify as one of these entities. Per 20 CFR 684.200(f), these entities include:

• Federally recognized Indian tribes;

• Tribal organizations, as defined in 25 U.S.C. 450b;

• Alaska Native-controlled organizations;

• Native Hawaiian-controlled organizations;

https://www.doleta.gov/dinap/cfml/CensusData.cfm

• Indian-controlled organizations serving INAs;

• A consortium of eligible entities which meets the legal requirements for a consortium as described at 20 CFR 684.200(e);

• State-recognized tribal organizations as defined in 20 CFR 684.200(g).

In addition and in accordance with 20 CFR 684.200(b):

“A new entity (which is not an incumbent grantee) must have a population within the designated geographic service area, which would receive at least $100,000 under the funding formula found at § 684.270(b), including any amounts received for supplemental youth services under the funding formula at § 684.440(a).” Notwithstanding this requirement, applications that do not meet the funding threshold may still be considered if the Grant Officer offers -- and the applicant accepts -- additional geographic areas to its application.

And in accordance with 20 CFR 684.200(c) and (d):

“Incumbent grantees which do not meet this dollar threshold and were receiving INA funding of less than $100,000 as of October 18, 2016, will be grandfathered into the program and are eligible to be awarded less than $100,000, so long as the grantees have continuously received less than $100,000 since October 18, 2016. The Department will make an exception to the $100,000 minimum for applicants that apply for WIOA funding through Public Law 102–477 as amended by Public Law 115-93, the Indian, Employment, Training, and Related Services demonstration program, if all resources to be consolidated under the Public Law 102– 477 plan total at least $100,000, with at least $20,000 derived from Sec. 166 funds. However, incumbent Public Law 102–477 grantees that were receiving INA funding of less than $20,000 as of October 18, 2016, will be grandfathered into the program and are eligible to be awarded less than $20,000, so long as the grantees have continuously received less than $20,000 since October 18, 2016.”

B. FUNDING PRIORITY

As discussed in 20 CFR 684.210, Federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaska Native entities, or a consortium of such entities will have priority to receive grants under this part for those geographic service areas in which they have legal jurisdiction, such as an Indian reservation, Oklahoma Tribal Service Area (OTSA), or Alaska Native Village Service Area (ANVSA). If the Department decides not to make an award to an Indian tribe or Alaska Native entity that has legal jurisdiction over a service area, it will consult with such tribe or Alaska Native entity that has jurisdiction before selecting another entity to provide services for such areas. These priorities do not apply to service areas outside the legal jurisdiction of an Indian tribe or Alaska Native entity.

C. 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.

D. 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 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 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

If submitted through Grants.gov, 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.

Application for Federal funds request meets the minimum request amount specified in section

III.A

Section III.A

SAM Registration Section IV.B.1

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

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

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

Project Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Signed MOU(s) or Documentation of Good Faith Effort Section IV.B.4.a

4-Year Strategic Plan

Section V.A

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

We will consider only one application for adult funding and one application for youth funding from each organization. Applicants must submit separate SF-424s, project budgets (SF-424As and budget narratives) for the CSP and SYSP funding awards if applying for both. As explained above, grantees that receive an award as a result of this competition will receive one grant award annually for four consecutive years starting in PY 2018. Each SF-424 and budget narrative must reflect amounts commensurate with one-year’s worth of grant funding. Applicants that apply for youth funding need to include a Supplemental Youth Services (SYS) narrative (as detailed later in this FOA) in their youth application submission. Youth funding is a “supplement” to the adult funding and is only awarded to applications that propose to provide supplemental employment and training and related services to low-income INA youth on or near Indian Reservations and in Oklahoma, Alaska, or Hawaii. Applicants that include these geographic areas in their application must include a narrative in their four-year strategic plan on how they intend to serve Native American youth living on or near the geographic areas indicated above. If the Department receives multiple adult funding or youth funding applications from the same organization, it will only consider the most recently received adult and the most recent youth funding application that meet the deadline. If the most recent adult or youth funding application is disqualified for any reason, the Department will not replace it with an earlier adult or youth application.

3. Eligible Participants

Participant eligibility is described in the WIOA Final Rule at 20 CFR 684.300. An individual is eligible to participate and receive services under this grant if the individual is:

(1) An Indian, as determined by a policy of the INA program grantee. The grantee’s definition must at least include anyone who is a member of a Federally recognized tribe; or

(2) An Alaska Native, as defined in WIOA sec. 166(b)(1); or

(3) A Native Hawaiian, as defined in WIOA sec. 166(b)(3).

The individual must also meet any one of the following:

(1) Unemployed;

(2) Underemployed, as defined in 20 CFR 684.130;

(3) A low-income individual, as defined in sec. 3(36) of WIOA;

(4) The recipient of a bona fide layoff notice which has taken effect in the last six months or will take effect in the following six-month period, who is unlikely to return to a previous industry or occupation, and who is in need of retraining for either employment with another employer or for job retention with the current employer;

(5) An individual who is employed, but is determined by the grantee to be in need of employment and training services to obtain or retain employment that allows for self-sufficiency.

If applicable, male applicants also must register or be registered for the Selective Service.

4. 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

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

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

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of the four items listed below.

Note: Entities funded under Public Law 102-477 only need to submit One SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance” For both the adult and youth program.

(1) The SF-424 “Application for Federal Assistance”

(2) Project Budget (SF-424A and Budget Narrative)”

(3) 4-Year Strategic Plan

(4) Attachments to the 4-Year Strategic Plan

Also, eligible applicants that are applying for supplemental youth services must submit a separate application for youth funding, which must include a SF-424, project budget (SF- 424A and Budget Narrative) for the supplemental youth funding and the Supplemental Youth Services (SYS) narrative described in IV(B)(3) and V(B) below. These separate forms must be included as attachments within the same youth application on grants.gov.

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

http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm

(1) SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

• You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

(available at: https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_2_1- V2.1.pdf

• 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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf) 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 requirements at 29 CFR 37.20(a)(1) located at: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a3cb4311f9e4feaaf19fee28be40a280&mc=true&node=se29.1.37_120&rgn=div8

- Requirement for DUNS Number

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

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

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

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

(See, Appendix A to 2 CFR section 25 located at:

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part25-appA.pdf) https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_2_1-V2.1.pdf https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424_2_1-V2.1.pdf https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424B-V1.1.pdf https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a3cb4311f9e4feaaf19fee28be40a280&mc=true&node=se29.1.37_120&rgn=div8 https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a3cb4311f9e4feaaf19fee28be40a280&mc=true&node=se29.1.37_120&rgn=div8 https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part25-appA.pdf https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2014-title2-vol1/pdf/CFR-2014-title2-vol1-part25-appA.pdf

- 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://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf) In preparing the Budget Information Form, you must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.

Use the following guidance for preparing the budget narrative:

Personnel: List all staff positions by title (both current and proposed). Give the annual salary of each position, the percentage of each position’s time devoted to the project, the amount of each position’s salary funded by the grant, and the total personnel cost for the period of performance.

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

https://www.sam.gov/ http://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/sample/SF424A-V1.0.pdf

Travel: Specify the purpose, 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 which 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 200.33 for the definition of Equipment). List the quantity and 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 quantity and unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.94 for the definition of Supplies).

Contractual: Under the Contractual line item, delineate contracts and subawards separately. Contracts are defined according to 2 CFR

200.22 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 200.92, 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 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 the Department is able to determine whether the costs are necessary, reasonable and allocable. List any item, such as subsidized wages (i.e. work experience wages), stipends, or incentives, not covered elsewhere here.

Indirect Costs: If you include indirect costs in the budget, 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 has never received a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), and your organization is not one described in Appendix VII of 2 CFR 200, paragraph (D)(1)(b).

Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) (see 2 CFR 200.68 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 MTDCs (see 2 CFR 200.68 and 2 CFR 200.75) Modified Total Direct Costs. See below the definitions to assist you in your calculation.

2 CFR 200.68 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.

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

2 CFR 200.75 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.a. 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/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm

Request for Administrative Cost Rate Above 15 Percent:

Applicants requesting an increase in the administrative costs rate above 15% but not greater than 20% of the total grant award must provide a brief written justification showing the percentage of grant funds that the grantee requires for covering all its necessary administrative costs and indicating the conditions that will exist during the program year which contribute to administrative costs in excess of 15%. For further information on administrative costs and requesting an increase see IV.E.1 below.

This is a four-year grant application; however the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narratives for both the youth and adult submissions must only include the Federal grant amounts for year one. Do not show leveraged resources on the SF-424 and SF-424A. Applicants must show only the amount being requested, and the amounts on the SF-424, SF-424A, and budget narrative must be the same. 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 is within the responsive range.

(3) 4-Year Strategic Plan

A. Preparing the Four-Year Strategic Plan

The Four-Year strategic plan must demonstrate your capability to implement a Native American employment and training program. In addition, it must describe the employment and training activities and services that you will provide in your community or geographic service area. It must address all the information in sections V.A.1 through V.A.7 of this FOA, and be succinct, self-explanatory, and well organized so that reviewers can understand the plan.

The Four-Year plan is limited to 20 double-spaced, single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and one inch margins. You must number the pages in the plan beginning with page number one.

http://www.dol.gov/oasam/boc/dcd/index.htm

Below are the sections of the Four-Year Strategic Plan that applicants must address. This is a competitive funding announcement and applications will be rated based on the information provided in the Four-Year Strategic Plan. Section V.A provides specific information for each item listed below and assigns a maximum rating score to each item. Applicants should carefully read Section V.A and address each section thoroughly in the Four-Year Strategic Plan narrative.

(1) Overall Service Strategy

(2) Participants Served

(3) Array of Services

(4) Labor Market Demand

(5) Employer Engagement

(6) Partnering

(7) Workforce System Relationships

Supplemental Youth Services (as applicable)

(1) Participants Served

(2) Array of Services

(3) Cultural Identity

(4) Partnering

(4) Attachments to the Four-Year Strategic Plan

In addition to the Four-Year Strategic Plan, you must submit required attachments listed below. All such attachments must be clearly labeled as Attachments. We exclude such attachments from the page limit. (Attachments are the only documents excluded from the page limit.)

You must not include additional materials such as resumes 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 less and only use 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 (i.e., no other attachment may have the same file name). You may use an underscore (example: my_Attached_File.pdf) to separate a file name.

Required Attachments

a. Signed Copies of Memoranda:

20 CFR 684.330 requires that grant recipients execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Local Workforce

Development Boards (LWDBs) over the operation of the one-stop center(s) in the Local area. Accordingly, applicants must provide documentation of MOUs with LWDBs in their geographic area or State Workforce Development Boards (SWDBs) in single-area states. Applicants that have several MOU’s with several different LWDB’s only need to submit an MOU with the LWDB service area where the largest number of Native Americans will receive services. If a good faith effort was made to enter into an MOU with the LWDB but is either still ongoing or was unsuccessful, you must provide documentation or explain such efforts. New applicants that have not had an opportunity to develop MOU’s with LWDBs must describe how they plan to work with the local one-stops including providing any services through the local one-stops.

Requested Attachments

We request the following attachments, but their omission will not cause us to screen out the application. Furthermore, if the omission of the attachment will impact scoring, the description of the attachment will note such an impact.

a. Indirect Cost Rate Agreement:

If you are requesting indirect costs based on a NICRA 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 attachment does not impact scoring of the application.

b. Abstract:

Please submit an up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project, including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. The abstract should include the applicant’s name, project title, a description of the area to be served, the funding level requested, and the estimated number of participants to be served. When estimating the number of participants to be served, the average cost per participant shall not exceed $5,000. This is calculated by dividing the amount indicated on item 18.g of the SF-424 by the estimated number of participants. The abstract must also include the estimated number of participants who will be employed in the fourth quarter after exit and the total median earnings of participants in the second quarter after exit.

c. Waiver Requests

WIOA sec. 166(i)(3) permits waivers of any statutory or regulatory requirement of Title I of WIOA that are inconsistent with the specific needs of the INA program grantee (except for the areas cited in § 684.920). While a waiver may be requested at any time during a four-year grant award cycle, the Department encourages grantees to request waivers of the performance indicators at the beginning of a four-year grant award cycle, in the Four-Year Strategic Plan, and approved waivers will apply for the duration of the Four-Year Plan.

If you wish to request a waiver of performance indicators, then please submit it with the four-year strategic plan. (However, as noted above, a waiver may be requested at any time during a four-year grant award cycle.) The Department plans to provide additional information about waiver requests for the WIOA Sec.

166 program.

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIMES, PROCESS AND ADDRESSES

We will accept applications under this Announcement until May 18, 2018. We must receive your application either electronically on https://www.grants.gov or in hard copy by mail or in hard copy by hand delivery (including overnight delivery) no later than 4:00:00 p.m.

Eastern Time on the closing date.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application before the closing date to ensure that the risk of late receipt of the application is minimized. We will not review applications received after 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.

Applicants submitting applications in hard copy by mail or overnight delivery must submit a ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the application by DOL. Applicants submitting applications in hard copy must also include in the hard copy submission an identical electronic copy of the application on compact disc (CD) or flash drive. If we identify discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD/flash drive copy, we will consider the application on the CD/flash drive as the official submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hardcopy and CD/flash drive format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.

If an application is physically submitted by both hard copy and through https://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard-copy application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the hard copy, we will review the copy submitted through https://www.grants.gov

We will grant no exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice. Further, we will not accept documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, as part of the application.

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

Address mailed applications to the

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Office of Grants Management Attention: Jimmie Curtis, Grant Officer Reference FOA-ETA-18-05 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716 Washington, DC 20210

Please note that mail decontamination procedures may delay mail delivery in the Washington DC area. We will receive hand-delivered applications at the above address at the 3rd Street Visitor Entrance. All overnight delivery submissions will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.

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

We describe the submission and validation process in more detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming therefore 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. Rather, grants.gov only verifies the submission of certain parts of an application.

a. How to Register to Apply through Grants.gov

Read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as much 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 POC approval, establishes an Agency Organizational Representative (AOR). When an application is submitted through Grants.gov, the name of the AOR that submitted the application is inserted into the signature line of the application, serving as the electronic signature. The EBiz POC must authorize the individual who is able to make legally binding https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html 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 an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Grants.gov will send the applicant AOR an email acknowledgement of receipt and a tracking number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) with the successful transmission of the application, serving as proof of their timely submission. The applicant will receive two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system.

- The first email will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov.

- The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors.

Grants.gov will reject applications if the applicant’s registration in SAM is expired.

Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and later successfully validated will be considered. It is your sole responsibility to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated.

Therefore, enough time should be allotted for submission (24-48 hours) and, if applicable, additional time to address errors and receive validation upon resubmission (an additional two business days for each ensuing submission). It is important to note that if enough time is not allotted and a rejection notice is received after the due date and time, DOL will not consider the application.

To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .rtf or .pdf files. If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent DOL from considering the application. We will attempt to open the document, but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening.

We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html

We encourage new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through WorkforceGPS at: https://strategies.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/08/11/16/32/applying-for-eta-competitive-grants-a-web-based-toolkit-for-prospective-applicants-438?p=1

To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, you may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html

If you encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources,

- call 1-800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or

- email support@grants.gov

The Grants.gov Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, it is closed on Federal holidays. If you are experiencing difficulties with your submission, it is best to call the Grants.gov Support Center and get a ticket number.

Late Applications

For applications submitted on Grants.gov, we will consider only applications successfully submitted no later than 4:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated. You take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit through Grants.gov.

We will not consider any hard copy application received after the exact date and time specified for receipt at the office designated in this notice, unless we receive it before awards are made, it was properly addressed, and it was: (a) sent by U.S. Postal Service mail, postmarked not later than the fifth calendar day before the date specified for receipt of applications (e.g., an application required to be received by the 20th of the month must be postmarked by the 15th of that month); or (b) sent by professional overnight delivery service to the addressee not later than one working day before the date specified for receipt of applications. ‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, stamped or otherwise placed impression (exclusive of a postage meter machine impression) that is readily identifiable, without further action, as having been supplied or affixed on the date of mailing by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. Therefore, you should request the postal clerk to place a legible hand cancellation ‘‘bull’s eye’’ postmark on both the receipt and the package.

Failure to adhere to these instructions will be a basis for a determination that the application was not filed timely and will not be considered. Evidence of timely submission by a professional overnight delivery service must be demonstrated by equally reliable evidence created by the delivery service provider indicating the time and place of receipt.

https://strategies.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/08/11/16/32/applying-for-eta-competitive-grants-a-web-based-toolkit-for-prospective-applicants-438?p=1 https://strategies.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/08/11/16/32/applying-for-eta-competitive-grants-a-web-based-toolkit-for-prospective-applicants-438?p=1 http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html mailto:support@grants.gov?subject=DOL%20Grant%20Application

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the Cost Principles, now found in the Office of Management and Budget’s Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance), codified at 2 CFR Part 200 and at 2 CFR Part 2900 (Uniform Guidance- DOL specific). Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the Cost Principles or other conditions contained in the grant. Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.

1. Indirect Costs As specified in the Uniform Guidance Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. You have two options to claim reimbursement of indirect costs.

Option 1: You may use a NICRA or Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If you do not have a NICRA/CAP or have a pending NICRA/CAP, and in either case choose to include estimated indirect costs in your budget, at the time of award the Grant Officer will release funds in the amount of 10% of salaries and wages to support indirect costs. Within 90 days of award, you are required to submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal or CAP to your Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional indirect cost rate. (See Section IV.B.2 for more information on NICRA submission requirements.)

Option 2: Any organization that has never received a negotiated indirect cost rate, with the exceptions noted at 2 CFR 200.414(f) in the Cost Principles, may elect to charge a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct costs (see 2 CFR

200.68 for definition) which may be used indefinitely. If you choose this option, this methodology must be used consistently for all Federal awards until such time as you choose to negotiate for an indirect cost rate, which you may apply to do at any time. (See 2 CFR 200.414(f) for more information on use of the de minimis rate.) For WIOA grants, all costs charged as a result of the de minimis rate will be counted towards the administrative cost limitation specified below.

2. Administrative Costs

Limits on administrative costs for Sec. 166 grants will be negotiated with the grantee and identified in the grant award document. Awardees will automatically be allowed to charge 15 percent for administrative costs; however, applicants seeking an administrative cost limit above 15 percent must include a request for a higher rate along with justification as part of the four-year strategic plan. The maximum rate that will be approved is 20 percent.

Administrative costs under this award follow the definition in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act at 20 CFR 683.215 (see also 20 CFR 684.820).

Administrative costs are for the performance of administrative functions in carrying out activities under Title I of WIOA that are not related to the direct provision of workforce investment services (including services to participants and employers). Such costs include both personnel and non-personnel costs and both direct and indirect costs. Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form.

However, they must be tracked through the recipient’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant Agency or be eligible to use the 10 percent de minimis rate, as specified above.

3. Salary and Bonus Limitations

None of the funds appropriated under the heading “Employment and Training” in the appropriation statute(s) may be used by a recipient or subrecipient of such funds to pay…