PIM Application Instructions FY 2023 CCHS - 508 FINAL.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

DIVISION OF ACADEMIC AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202

Fiscal Year 2023 Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Grant Program for Career-Connected High Schools

(Assistance Listing Number 84.051F)

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR

FY 2023 PIM GRANT AWARDS

http//cte.ed.gov/

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: October 13, 2023

FORM APPROVED: OMB Number 1830-0583

EXPIRATION DATE: 07/31/2026

http://cte.ed.gov/

I. TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Table of Contents II. Background Information

Program Overview Available Funding Eligibility Notice Inviting Applications Addressing Your Questions Intent to Apply Applicant Guide Application Narrative

III. Application Submission Information Application Submission Deadline Common Instructions Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

IV. Submission Problems – What should you do?

V. Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov VI. Slow Internet Connections

Grants.gov System Maintenance

VII. Application Component Checklist Part 1: Preliminary Forms

Required Forms

Part 2: Budget Information ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

Part 3: ED Abstract Form Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Priorities Absolute Priorities Competitive Preference Priorities Application Requirements Program Requirements Selection Criteria for Project Narrative Suggested Point Ranges for Rating Applicant Responses to the Selection Criteria Selection Criteria Review and Selection Process Risk Assessment and Special Conditions Integrity and Performance System

Part 5: Budget Narrative Suggested Instructions for the Budget Narrative

Part 6: Other Attachment Form Instructions for Appendix

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications Part 8: Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372) Optional Application Package Attachments

Optional Checklist for Documenting Rural Eligibility and Locale Codes

VIII. Reporting and Accountability Performance Measures Project-Specific Performance Measures

IX. Notice Inviting Applications X. Authorizing Legislation

PAPERWORK BURDEN STATEMENT

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1830-0583. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 40 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering, and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact the PIM grant program team in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) at PIMGrants@ed.gov directly.

mailto:PIMGrants@ed.gov

Dear Applicant:

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, thank you for your interest in the Perkins Innovation and Modernization (PIM) Grant Program for Career-Connected High Schools (CCHS), which is authorized by section 114(e) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V).

Through this competition, the Department seeks to award just over $24 million in grant funds in FY 2023 for projects that will build capacity among secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce development systems to expand access to career-connected high school programs for more students. As described in the NIA, career-connected high schools are those that offer systematic postsecondary counseling and career advising, dual or concurrent enrollment, work-based learning, and programs that offer opportunities to earn an industry-recognized credential. Applications for FY 2023 PIM grant funds must be submitted through Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) no later than October 13, 2023.

In this document, we provide detailed instructions for the submission of applications that fully meet the requirements of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the PIM grant program that was published in the Federal Register on Monday, August 14, 2023. As noted in the NIA, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of its intent to submit an application by sending a short email message with the applicant organization’s name and address to PIMGrants@ed.gov with “Intent to Apply” in the email subject line. Applicants who do not provide this email notification may still apply for funding.

Finally, if you have other questions regarding the competition process, please send an email to PIMgrants@ed.gov. Again, thank you for your interest in this competition and your commitment to improving the quality of student learning in schools across this country.

Sincerely, Sharon Lee Miller

Director, Division of Academic and Technical Education Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education

U. S. Department of Education

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF CAREER, TECHNICAL, AND ADULT EDUCATION

http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:PIMgrants@ed.gov

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Program Overview

The purpose of the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program is to identify, support, and evaluate evidence-based and innovative strategies and activities to improve and modernize Career and Technical Education (CTE) and align workforce skills with labor market needs in CTE programs funded under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, as amended by the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V or the Act). With this FY 2023 competition, the Department seeks to support applicants that will build capacity among secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce development systems to expand access to career-connected high school programs for more students.

Available Funding

• Estimated Available Funds: $24,250,000.

• Estimated Range of Awards: $1,100,000 - $1,475,000 for each 12-month project period (i.e., a total of approximately $3,425,000 - $4,425,000 over the full potential 36-month project period).

• Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,300,000 for each 12-month project period.

• Estimated Number of Awards: 10-20.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates and does not set a maximum award in this notice.

Project Period: Up to 36 months, with potential for renewal of up to an additional 24 months.

Extensions: Under section 114(e)(6)(b) of Perkins V, the Secretary may extend a grant awarded under this section for up to 2 additional years if the grantee demonstrates to the Secretary that the project is achieving the grantee's program objectives and has improved education outcomes for CTE students, including special populations.

Note: Applicants must submit annual budgets for a 60-month project period. During the third year of the project period for grants awarded under this competition, if the Department exercises the option to offer an opportunity for extensions, the Department will provide grantees with information on the extension process. In making decisions on whether to award a 2-year extension award, we intend to review performance data submitted in regularly required reporting, as well as potentially request other information about the grantee’s progress in implementing its project.

Eligibility

The following entities are eligible to apply under this competition. Definitions for these entities are included in the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program NIA:

(a) An Eligible Entity.

(b) An Eligible Institution.

(c) An Eligible Recipient.

Note: An Eligible Entity must comply with the regulations in 34 CFR 75.127 through 75.129, which address group applications.

Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c), a grantee under this competition may award subgrants to directly carry out project activities described in its application to the following types of entities: IHEs, LEAs, non-profit organizations, qualified intermediaries, or SEAs. The grantee may only award subgrants to entities it has identified in an approved application.

Rural Applicants: Section 114(e)(5) of Perkins V directs the Department to award no less than 25 percent of PIM grant funds to projects proposing to fund CTE activities that serve students in rural communities, contingent on receipt of a sufficient number of applications of sufficient quality. To confirm that a proposed project will serve students from rural communities, Absolute Priority 3 requires an applicant to identify, by name, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) local educational agency (LEA), identification number, and NCES locale code, the rural LEA(s) that it proposes to serve in its grant application. Applicants from rural communities, including Tribal applicants, that wish to be considered for these focused funds, must meet Absolute Priorities 1, 2, and 3.

To qualify as a rural applicant under section 114(e)(5)(A), an applicant must meet at least one of the following requirements:

(a) The applicant is--

(1) An LEA with an urban-centric district locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary;

(2) An IHE primarily serving one or more areas served by an LEA with an urban-centric district locale code of 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43, as determined by the Secretary;

(3) A consortium of such LEAs or such IHEs described in clause (1) or (2), above;

(4) An educational service agency or a nonprofit organization in partnership with such an LEA or such an IHE, in clause (1) or (2), above; or

(5) An applicant described in clause (1) or (2) in partnership with an SEA.

Note: For the purposes of meeting the statutory rural set aside, an applicant must meet the requirements as listed above and provide the necessary locale codes in its grant application. Applicants are encouraged to retrieve locale codes from the National Center for Education Statistics School District search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where districts can be looked up individually to retrieve locale codes.

Notice Inviting Applications

The full text of the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the FY 2023 Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program competition can be found on the Federal Register Web site at: https://www.federalregister.gov and on page 43.

Addressing Your Questions

The Department provides multiple avenues for interested applicants to ask questions to clarify their understanding of the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program competition and process. In addition to accessing any pre-application webinar that may be posted on https://cte.ed.gov/of this application package, interested applicants may send their questions to PIMGrants@ed.gov. Applicants should keep in mind that the Department cannot provide guidance on specific applications. Current information on this program, including any potential Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that we may publish, can be found at https://cte.ed.gov/.

Intent to Apply https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/ https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/18/2014-19426/applications-for-new-awards-preschool-development-grants-development-grants https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/08/14/2023-17226/applications-for-new-awards-perkins-innovation-and-modernization-grant-program https://cte.ed.gov/ https://cte.ed.gov/

We will be able to develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if we can anticipate the number of applicants that intend to apply for funding under this competition. Therefore, we strongly encourage each potential applicant to notify us of the applicant’s intent to submit an application for funding by sending a short email message with the applicant organization’s name and address to PIMGrants@ed.gov with “Intent to Apply” in the email subject line. Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still apply for funding.

Applicant Guide

Please note that the Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grant Program Application Package is for applicants to download and use as a guide only. The electronic application on Grants.gov consists of multiple mandatory forms that must be completed as well as narrative attachment forms that should be used to upload any file attachments.

Follow the guidance provided on Grants.gov as well as the Submission Tips document located in this application instruction document for specific information on file sizes, file naming requirements, etc.

Application Narrative

The PIM grant application will use the following Grants.gov Narrative Forms:

ED Abstract Narrative Form

The ED Abstract Narrative Form is where you will attach your project abstract. Specific instructions on what to include in the abstract are on page 17 of this application package.

Project Narrative Form

The Project Narrative Form is where you will attach your responses to the Program Requirements, Application Requirements (d) through (f), and the selection criteria. Applicants should include a Table of Contents. Specific instructions are included starting on page 18 of this application package.

Budget Narrative Form

The Budget Narrative Form is where you will attach a line-item budget (ED 524) and budget narratives for the proposed project, including your responses to application requirements (b) and (c). The budget narratives should project all costs of the proposed project. The budget should reflect an annual budget for all 5 years of the proposed project. Specific instructions are included on pages 31-36.

NOTE: If you have multiple documents to be attached to one of the above narrative sections, it is recommended that you merge them into one .PDF file and upload them to the appropriate narrative.

Other Attachments Form (upload appendices here)

Applicants should attach all appendices to the Other Attachments Form. For each appendix, applicants are asked to save files as a .PDF, label each file with the Appendix name and upload the file to the Other Attachments Form. The Other Attachments Form can support up to ten attachments.

Ensure that you only attach the U.S. Department of Education approved file types detailed in the NIA (read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files). Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

http://www.grants.gov/

III. APPLICATION SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Application Submission Deadline

The deadline for submission of applications for the FY 2023 Career-Connect High School competition as through Grants.gov is 11:59:59 PM EST on October 13, 2023.

Common Instructions

The Department’s Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022 (87 FR 75045), and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRST (updated February 2022)

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

Browser Support

The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience issues. Grants.gov no longer provides support for Microsoft Internet Explorer 9 or below.

For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the Applicant FAQs:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser

ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files

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 web forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create individual instances of a workspace.

Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it through your organization for review before submitting.

2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access context-sensitive help.

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/18/2014-19426/applications-for-new-awards-preschool-development-grants-development-grants https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/08/18/2014-19426/applications-for-new-awards-preschool-development-grants-development-grants https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed through Adobe Reader.

NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the appropriate version of the software at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be completed to successfully submit your application.

c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required fields across other forms, such as the applicant’s name, address, and Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number. Once it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.

3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab. Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may disrupt the application submission.

4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a Grants.gov Tracking

Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.

For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.

Helpful Reminders

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov), which usually takes approximately 7 to 10 business days, but can take longer depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete.

Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html. Please note that your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually.

To register in SAM.gov, click on the “Get Started” link under the “Register Your Entity…” heading in SAM.gov.

Grantees, and other entities wanting to do business with the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., entities applying for a grant), that are not already registered in SAM.gov must complete the “Register Entity” registration option and NOT the “Get a Unique Entity ID” option. The “Get a Unique Entity ID” option, which is not a full registration, is only available to entities for reporting purposes. Failing to complete the “Register Entity” option may result in loss of funding, loss of applicant eligibility, and/or delays in receiving a grant award. Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov.

To further assist you with registering in SAM or updating your existing SAM registration, see the Quick Start Guide for Grant Registrations and the Entity Registration Video at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=f51d017e1bab7c105465eaccac4bcb9f%20 https://www.fsd.gov/sys_attachment.do?sys_id=f51d017e1bab7c105465eaccac4bcb9f%20 https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/

You must provide the UEI on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This UEI is assigned to your organization in SAM at the time your organization registers in SAM. If you do not enter the UEI assigned by SAM on your application, Grants.gov will reject your application.

3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

IV. Submission Problems – What should you do?

If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800- 518-4726 or email at: mailto:support@grants.gov or access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at:

https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

We discourage paper applications, but if electronic submission is not possible (e.g., you do not have access to the internet),

(1) you must provide a prior written notification that you intend to submit a paper application and (2) your paper application must be postmarked by the application deadline date. If you submit your prior written notification by email, it must be received by the Department no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. If you mail your notification to the Department, it must be postmarked no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date (See the 2022 Common Instructions for detailed instructions regarding this procedure).

V. Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant FAQs found at this Grants.gov link:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.

VI. Slow Internet Connections When using a slow internet connection, such as a dial-up connection, to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g., cable modem/DSL/T1.

While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. Failure to fully upload an application by the deadline date and time will result in your application being marked late in the G5 system. If you do not have access to a high-speed internet connection, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than 14 calendar days before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions and the 2022 Common Instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional Tips Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:

https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html mailto:support@grants.gov https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/12/07/2022-26554/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs

• When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.

Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to their application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as read-only flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

• Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

• When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters. However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis, curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

• Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package with all attachments is less than 5 MB.

Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

Grants.gov System Maintenance

Please keep in mind that the Grants.gov system will not be available for use during the times listed below.

Date Details

September 16-18, Scheduled Maintenance Outage:

Production System will go Offline Saturday September 16, 2023, at 12:01 AM ET.

Production System will go Online Monday September 18, 2023, at 6:00 AM ET.

VII. APPLICATION COMPONENT CHECKLIST

Applicants should review this optional checklist once they believe they have completed their applications. The checklist contains all mandatory parts of the application. The Application Checklist is optional; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to fill in the checklist or something similar, to ensure that all requirements have been addressed and to ensure that program staff and peer reviewers can find the information in your application that addresses each applicable element from the NIA.

Reminder that all forms are available on Grants.gov. You may also find forms at: Grant Application and Other Forms (ed.gov).

Part 1: Preliminary Documents

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

ED Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures Information

Part 2: Budget Information

Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524)

Part 3: ED Abstract Form

ED Abstract Narrative

Part 4: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Project Narrative

Part 5: Budget Narrative Attachment Form

Budget Narrative

Part 6: Other Attachments Form (Recommended Labels for Appendices)

Appendix A: Signed consortium agreement, if applicable

Appendix B: Individual Resumes for Project Director and Key Personnel

Appendix C: Letters of Commitment from project partners, if applicable

Appendix D: Documentation of rural eligibility and list of rural locale codes, if applicable

Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the rural eligibility checklist on page 40. Applicants applying as rural are encouraged to retrieve locale codes from the National Center for Education Statistics School District search tool (https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/), where districts can be looked up individually to retrieve locale codes.

Appendix E: Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement

Appendix F: List of proprietary information found in the application, if applicable

Appendix G: Demonstration of match or a request for a waiver to reduce the match

Appendix H: For Application Requirement (a)(7), applicants must submit a signed letter of assurance that the applicant will:

(i) provide information to the Secretary, as requested, for evaluations that the Secretary may carry out;

and https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/

(ii) make data available to third parties for validation, in accordance with applicable data privacy laws, including section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g, commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974).

Appendix I: Assurances

Part 7: Assurances and Certifications

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427 (ED GEPA 427)

Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (Standard Form LLL) [optional form]

Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)

Part 8: Intergovernmental Review (Executive Order 12372)

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) List

PART 1: PRELIMINARY FORMS

Required Forms

Electronic copies and instructions for the required forms can be downloaded at the following address:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html and can be found in the Grants.gov submission package.

Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424) https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/sf-424-core-form.pdf

Applicants may consider attaching their documentation for eligibility requirements to the SF 424 Form. The entity name as listed on the SF-424 (Box 8a) must be the legal name of an entity eligible for a PIM grant.

ED Supplemental Information for SF 424 https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/sf424edsuppl.pdf

These forms require basic identifying information about the applicant and the application. Please provide all requested applicant information (including name, address, e-mail address and Unique Entity ID (UEI)). When applying electronically via Grants.gov, you will need to ensure that the UEI enter on your application is the same as the UEI your organization used when it registered with the System for Award Management.

Applicants are advised to complete the Application for Federal Assistance (Form SF 424) first. Grants.gov will automatically insert the correct CFDA and program name automatically wherever needed on other forms. Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached in accordance with the instructions provided within this application.

Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures

Please download the fillable Grant Application Form for Project Objectives and Performance Measures Information at: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/1897-0017.pdf

Note: Instructions for all of the standard forms (SF-424, ED-524, and SF-424 Supplemental, etc.), will follow the forms included elsewhere in the application package.

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/sf-424-core-form.pdf https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/sf424edsuppl.pdf https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/1897-0017.pdf

PART 2: BUDGET INFORMATION

ED Budget Information Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524)

This part of your application contains information about the Federal funding you are requesting.

Remember that you must provide all requested budget information for each year of the project and the total column in order to be considered for Federal funding. Specific instructions for completing the budget forms are provided within this application package.

Instructions for completing ED Form 524 Section A: (Refer to the following link for additional information:

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/ed524.pdf):

Name of Institution/Organization: Enter the name of the applicant in the space provided.

Personnel (line 1): Enter project personnel salaries and wages only. Include fees and expenses for consultants on line 6.

Fringe Benefits (line 2): The institution’s normal fringe benefits contribution may be charged to the program.

Leave this line blank if fringe benefits applicable to direct salaries and wages are treated as part of the indirect cost.

Travel (line 3): Indicate the travel costs of employees and participants only. Provide a breakdown of the costs associated with each trip and justification for the costs. In addition, applicants should include costs for four project staff persons (project director, evaluator, and two partners) to attend a three-day meeting in Washington, DC in Year 1 and an annual 2-day project directors meeting in Washington, DC in Years 2-5. Include travel of persons such as consultants on line 6.

Equipment (line 4): Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a usefulness greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article. Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s policy. Indicate the amount of equipment that is being purchased, the cost per unit, and the justification of purchases that links to the project narrative.

Supplies (line 5): Show all tangible, expendable personal property. Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable, expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the grant project and be necessary for achieving the goals of the project.

Contractual (line 6): The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system. Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract. Identify who is being contracted with, the amount of the contract (this should include a breakdown of the major service components of the contract and the costs of each portion) and an explanation of what the services are being provided by the contractor.

Construction (line 7): Not applicable

Other (line 8): Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. For example, include costs such as space rental, required fees, honoraria, and travel (where a contract is not in place for services), training, and communication and printing costs. Do not include costs that are included in the indirect cost rate.

If considering costs related to meals, please first refer to the Department’s guidance:

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/faqs-grantee-conferences.doc.

Total Direct Costs (line 9): The sum of lines 1-8.

https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/ed524.pdf https://www2.ed.gov/policy/fund/guid/uniform-guidance/faqs-grantee-conferences.doc

Indirect Costs (line 10): Indicate the applicant’s approved indirect cost rate, per sections 75.560 – 75.564 of EDGAR. If an applicant does not have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with a cognizant Federal agency, the applicant may, if permitted by the Department use a temporary indirect cost rate if it wishes to charge indirect costs to the grant. For more information, go to the Department's website at:

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html. In addition, a grantee, if it is eligible, may also use De Minimis rate as provided for under 2 CFR 200.414(f).

Training Stipends (line 11): Indicate the amount of stipend, the number of grant participants receiving the stipends and the justification for the stipend. Please make sure that training stipends are placed under this line item and not under “Personnel” or “Other.”

Total Cost (line 12): This should equal to sum of lines 9-11 (total direct costs + indirect + stipends). The sum for column one, labeled Project Year 1 (a), should also be equal to item 15a on the application cover sheet (SF Form 424).

http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/fipao/icgindex.html

PART 3: ED ABSTRACT FORM

Eligible applicants must submit an abstract. The abstract should be attached as a single document to the ED Abstract Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. The abstract should be no more than 1-2 paragraphs, [limited to 2000 characters], and should include the following items:

• The primary goal of the project;

• A succinct description of key project objectives and activities;

• A brief description of the key uses of grant funds;

• The number of students to be served;

• Location of the proposed project;

• A list of all participating partners in the project, if applicable; and,

• Project Director and Key Personnel

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application. Please note that Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

PART 4: PROJECT NARRATIVE ATTACHMENT FORM

This section should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should be organized in the following manner and include the following parts in order to expedite the review process.

Ensure that you only attach the Education approved file types detailed in the common instructions. Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application.

When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend your file names be less than 50 characters.

Table of Contents

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page.

Application Narrative

The application narrative responds to the selection criteria, the priorities, and requirements, as specified in the NIA. The Project Narrative should follow the order of the Selection Criteria. It should contain clear headings to help the Department staff and peer reviewers match the narrative with the selection criteria because the application will be evaluated and scored against these criteria. Also, when addressing the criteria, applicants are encouraged to make explicit connections to the absolute priority, competitive preference priorities and invitational priority, if applicable, and requirements.

A strong evaluation plan should be included in the application narrative and should be used, as appropriate, to shape the development of the project from the beginning of the grant period. The plan should include benchmarks to monitor progress toward specific project objectives and also outcome measures to assess the impact on teaching and learning or other important outcomes for project participants. More specifically, the plan should identify the individual and/or organization that have agreed to serve as evaluator for the project and describe the qualifications of that evaluator. The plan should describe the evaluation design, indicating: (1) what types of data will be collected; (2) when various types of data will be collected; (3) what methods will be used; (4) what instruments will be developed and when; (5) how the data will be analyzed; (6) when reports of results and outcomes will be available; and (7) how the applicant will use the information collected through the evaluation to monitor progress of the funded project and to provide accountability information both about success at the initial site and effective strategies for replication in other settings. Applicants are encouraged to devote an appropriate level of resources to project evaluation.

• We encourage applicants to limit this section of the application to the equivalent of no more than 35 pages and adhere to the following guidelines:

• A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1" margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

• Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in charts, tables, figures, and graphs.

• Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch).

• Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New, or Arial. The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the project abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to the Project Narrative.

Priorities

This notice contains three absolute priorities and two competitive preference priorities. Absolute Priorities 1 and 3 and Competitive Preference Priorities 1(a) and 2 are from the notice of final priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for the PIM grant program published in the Federal Register on August 14, 2023 (88 FR 55019) (NFP). Absolute Priority 2 and Competitive Preference Priority 1(b) are from the Supplemental Priorities.

While the Priorities information is provided below for applicants’ convenience, applicants should be sure to review the full NIA for this competition in the Federal Register. The priorities are explained in detail in the NIA.

Absolute Priorities

For FY 2024 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet Absolute Priority 1 and Absolute Priority 2; or Absolute Priority 1, Absolute Priority 2, and Absolute Priority 3.

Absolute Priority 3 constitutes its own funding category under Absolute Priorities 1 and 2. Under section 114(e)(5) of Perkins V, the Department must use at least 25 percent of PIM program grant funds per fiscal year to make awards to applicants serving rural communities, contingent on receipt of a sufficient number of applications of sufficient quality. For purposes of this competition, we will consider an applicant, including Tribal applicants, as rural if the applicant meets the qualifications for rural applicants established in section 114(e)(5)(A) of Perkins V, and the applicant addresses Absolute Priority 3. Consequently, there will be separate funding slates for each of the following categories of applications:

•Absolute Priorities 1 and 2;

•Absolute Priorities 1 and 2 and 3.

Note: As a result of the statutory requirement that the Department award no less than 25 percent of PIM grant funds to projects proposing to fund CTE activities that serve students in rural communities, the Department may fund applicants out of the overall rank order, provided applications of sufficient quality are submitted, but the Department is not bound to do so.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1--Career-Connected High Schools.

To meet this priority, an applicant must submit a detailed 5-year implementation plan to increase the alignment and integration of high school and the first 2 years of postsecondary education in one or more high schools that describes the extent to which the applicant is currently implementing career-connected learning, with supporting data if available; and describes how the applicant will substantially increase the proportion of students who graduate from high school with the following four keys for career connected learning:

(a) Education and career goals documented in a personalized postsecondary education and career plan that was updated at least once in each year of high school through a system of career guidance and academic counseling (as defined by this notice) and postsecondary education navigation supports that offers college and career coaching from trained advisors that is culturally responsive and informed by accurate and current labor market information;

(b) Postsecondary credits earned from dual or concurrent enrollment programs that are part of a program of…