PKG00259001-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR:

PATHWAY HOME

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-20-02

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.270

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is April 15, 2020. 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: Melissa Abdullah, Grant Officer Reference FOA-ETA-20-02 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716 Washington, D.C. 20210

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

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

C. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

3. Eligible Participants

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

A. HOW TO OBTAIN AN APPLICATION PACKAGE

B. CONTENT AND FORM OF APPLICATION SUBMISSION

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

2. Project Budget

3. Project Narrative

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative

C. SUBMISSION DATE, TIME, PROCESS, AND ADDRESS

1. Hardcopy Submission

2. Electronic Submission through Grants.gov

D. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW

E. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

1. Indirect Costs

2. Salary and Bonus Limitations

3. Intellectual Property Rights

4. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages

F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

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V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

1. Statement of Need (Up to 5 points)

2. Performance Data Collection Strategies (Up to 10 points)

3. Project Design (Up to 30 points)

4. Partnerships (Up to 15 points)

5. Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity (Up to 5 points)

6. Past Performance–Programmatic Capability (up to 30 points)

7. Budget and Budget Narrative (Up to 5 points)

8. Priority Consideration

B. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

2. Risk Review Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. ADMINISTRATIVE AND NATIONAL POLICY REQUIREMENTS

1. Administrative Program Requirements

2. Other Legal Requirements

3. Other Administrative Standards and Provisions

4. Special Program Requirements

C. REPORTING

1. Quarterly Financial Reports

2. Quarterly Performance Reports

3. Quarterly Narrative Performance Reports

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

C. WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

D. SKILLSCOMMON RESOURCES

E. LINKING EMPLOYMENT ACTIVITIES PRE-RELEASE (LEAP)

IMPLEMENTATION STUDY

IX. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $65,000,000 in grant funds authorized by the Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 115-245), for ex-offender activities and under Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Subject to receiving sufficient applications of fundable quality, DOL intends to award approximately 50 percent of the available funds to organizations serving persons incarcerated in state correctional facilities and approximately 50 percent of available funds to organizations serving persons incarcerated in local jails.

This new grant design builds on the findings of the Linking Employment Activities Pre-Release (LEAP) implementation study. The LEAP pilots provided pre-release services through jail-based American Job Centers and linked participants to post-release services. These two-year grants, which ended in 2017, have shown potential for breaking the cycle of recidivism by linking participants to the workforce system early—while still in jail—and then immediately upon reentry into the community. The experiences of the LEAP grantees highlight important lessons learned and some areas for continued refinement or potential replication in similar contexts. The final LEAP implementation report can be found at https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/LEAP-Final-Report.pdf.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) provides the opportunity for organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status, including women’s, minority, community and faith-based organizations, and post-secondary education institutions with 501(c)(3) status; state or local governments; and any Indian or Native American entity eligible for grants under Section 166 of WIOA to provide reentry programming to eligible, incarcerated individuals prior to release from state correctional facilities or county or local jails and to continue comprehensive services after release. By providing for reentry services to begin while participants are still incarcerated and to continue post-release, these projects are designed to eliminate the time gap between release from prison and enrollment into a reentry program leading to employment.

Pre-release services will assist inmates who enter the program within 20 to 180 days from their scheduled release date to prepare for returning to their communities. Pre-release services must include job preparation, developing individual development plans (IDPs) including identifying barriers to employment, career exploration and planning, counseling, and assistance with linking inmates to the social services required to help them transition back to their communities. Post-release activities must include skill-building services, including apprenticeships and occupational training in in-demand industries that lead to industry-recognized credentials. Applicants must ensure that occupational training provided has no federal, state, or local regulations that restrict individuals with criminal records from obtaining licenses or other necessary credentials in that career. Participants will maintain the same caseworker pre- and post-release, which was suggested as a “best practice” in the LEAP Implementation Study.

https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/OASP/legacy/files/LEAP-Final-Report.pdf

ETA plans to award approximately 17 grants of up to $4 million each. Applicants may propose a lesser amount based on the number of participants they propose to serve. ETA may award more grants if funds are available. These grants will have a 6-month planning period, 24-month period of employment and training services, and 12 months of follow-up services. Future funding opportunities may take into account grantee performance on this grant. These projects will serve adults aged 18 or older who have been convicted under federal, state, or local law and are incarcerated in state correctional facilities or local jails with scheduled release dates within 20 to 180 days of enrollment in the project. Applicants may submit only one application.

Applicants must provide a detailed description of the need for services in their target communities; how they plan to accomplish outcomes; their project design; their organizational, administrative, and fiscal capacity; and their past performance and programmatic capability.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for Pathway Home projects. The purpose of this pilot program is to provide eligible, incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities or local jails with workforce services prior to release and to continue services after release by transitioning the participants into reentry programs in the communities to which they will return. These grants are job-driven and build connections to local employers that will enable transitioning offenders to secure employment.

These projects ensure that transitioning offenders are prepared to meet the needs of their local labor markets with the skills valued by employers. Applicants must ensure that occupational training provided has no federal, state, or local regulations that restrict individuals with criminal records from obtaining licenses or other necessary credentials in that career. Employer connections will inform specific program curricula and ensure relevance to the needs of local businesses and jobs. Teaching transitioning offenders foundational skills, such as job readiness, employability, and job search strategies, in addition to providing apprenticeships and occupational training leading to industry-recognized credentials, can provide access to employment and reduce the likelihood of reoffending.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

This program is authorized by the Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2019 (Pub. L. 115- 245), for ex-offender activities and under Section 169 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

We have established a ceiling amount of $65 million to fund approximately 17 grants. You may apply for up to $4 million. 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.

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance is 42 months with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2020. These grants will have a 6-month planning period, 24-month period of employment and training services, and 12 months of follow-up services.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply: Community- and faith-based organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit status, including women’s and minority organizations, and post-secondary education institutions with 501(c)(3) status; state and local governments; and any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under section 166 of WIOA.

B. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

This program does not require cost sharing or matching funds. Including such funds is not one of the application screening criteria and applications that include any form of cost sharing or match will not receive additional consideration during the review process. Instead, the agency considers any resources contributed to the project beyond the funds provided by the agency as leveraged resources. Section IV.B.2 provides more information on leveraged resources.

C. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria You should use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure that the application has met all of the screening criteria. Note that this checklist is only an aid for applicants and should not be included in the application package. We urge you to use this checklist to ensure that your application contains all required items. If your application does not meet all of the screening criteria, it will not move forward through the merit review process.

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

3. Eligible Participants

a) Participants Eligible to Receive Workforce Services

• At least 18 years old;

• Reside, at the time of enrollment in the project, in a state correctional facility or local jail for adults;

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.2

Application federal funds request does not exceed the ceiling amount of $4,000,000 Section II.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

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or Letters of Commitment from State Correctional Facility or

Local Jails as Mandatory Partner

Section

IV.B.3(d)(i)

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

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

• have a release date scheduled between 20 to 180 days of the individual’s enrollment in the program;

• are scheduled to return to reside upon release in the target area identified in the applicant’s application;

• are low-income as defined under WIOA, Section 3(36); and

• legally eligible to work in the United States.

Grantees have the discretion to enroll individuals convicted of violent offenses or sexual offenses and those assessed as high-risk of either offense. Grantees that choose to serve these populations must conduct a rigorous risk assessment of criminogenic need (i.e., causing or likely to cause criminal behavior). In all cases, the grantee must have a clear and consistent written enrollment policy that addresses program enrollment. Grantees will be required to submit their written enrollment policies if awarded a grant. More information on risk assessments can be found at:

http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/the-reentry-and-employment-project/.

NOTE: Male participants are required to register for the Selective Service before participating in services. Grantees should determine eligibility of male participants by accessing the Selective Service System at: https://www.sss.gov/. For additional guidance, including how this requirement applies to male participants incarcerated at the time of their 18th birthdays, please see Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 11-11. Change 2 clarifies the implementation of the Selective Service registration requirements of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 § 189(h) for grantees funded or authorized by Title I of WIA, located at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=8779. This guidance applies to grants funded or authorized by WIOA.

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. This guidance applies to programs funded under WIOA. For additional information on veteran’s priority of service and WIOA, please see TEGL 19-16. TEGL 19-16 is available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3851.

http://csgjusticecenter.org/reentry/the-reentry-and-employment-project/ https://www.sss.gov/ https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=8779 https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=3851

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 four separate and distinct parts:

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

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

3. Project Narrative; and

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative.

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

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

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

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

In addition, subject to the provisions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb, the applicant’s Authorized Representative’s signature in block 21 of the SF- 424 form constitutes assurance by the applicant of compliance with the following requirements in accordance with the WIOA 188 rules issued by the Department at 29 CFR 38.25, which includes the following language:

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm file://eta-940-01/home/Stowers.Samantha.A/Extra%20Projects/FOA%20Boilerplate/Formatting/Application_for#_SF-424,_ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1 https://tools.usps.com/go/ZipLookupAction!input.action https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

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

The grant applicant also assures, subject to RFRA, that as a recipient of WIOA Title I financial assistance [as defined at 29 CFR 38.4(zz)], it will comply with 29 CFR part 38 and all other regulations implementing the laws listed above. This assurance applies to the grant applicant's operation of the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity, and to all agreements the grant applicant makes to carry out the WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity. The grant applicant understands that the United States has the right to seek judicial enforcement of this assurance. Note that the RFRA applies to all federal law and its implementation. If an applicant organization is a faith-based organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious belief, it may be entitled to receive federal financial assistance under this grant solicitation and maintain that hiring practice. If a faith-based organization is awarded a grant, the organization will be provided with more information.

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

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

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

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

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

(See Appendix A to 2 CFR Part 25.)

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

b) Requirement for Registration with SAM

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

A recipient must maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active federal award or an application under consideration. To remain registered in the SAM database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update the registration at least every 12 months from the date of initial registration or subsequently update its information in the SAM database to ensure it is current, accurate, and complete. For purposes of this paragraph, the applicant is the entity that meets the eligibility criteria and has the legal authority to apply and to receive the award. If an applicant has not fully complied with these requirements by the time the Grant Officer is ready to make a federal award, the Grant Officer may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive a federal award and use that determination as a basis for making a federal award to another applicant.

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

a) Budget Narrative The Budget Narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. The Budget Narrative should also include a section describing any leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities. Leveraged resources are all resources, both cash and in-kind, in excess of this award. Valuation of leveraged resources follows the same requirements as match. Applicants are encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and broaden the impact of the project itself. The budget narrative must demonstrate the cost-per-participant.

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

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

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

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

https://www.sam.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/forms/sf-424-family.html#sortby=1

Equipment: Identify each item of equipment you expect to purchase that has an estimated acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit (or if your capitalization level is less than $5,000, use your capitalization level) and a useful lifetime of more than one year (see 2 CFR 200.33 for the definition of Equipment). List the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item.

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

Supplies: Identify categories of supplies (e.g., office supplies) in the detailed budget and list the item, quantity, and the unit cost per item. Supplies include all tangible personal property other than “equipment” (see 2 CFR 200.94 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 activities to be provided, and the estimated cost.

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

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

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

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

or

b) If you intend to claim indirect costs using the 10 percent de minimis rate, please confirm that your organization meets the requirements as described in 2 CFR 200.414(f). Clearly state that your organization has never received a Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate Agreement (NICRA), and your organization is not one described in 2 CFR 200, Appendix VII(D)(1)(b).

Applicants choosing to claim indirect costs using the de minimis rate must use Modified Total Direct Costs (see 2 CFR 200.68 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 Modified Total Direct Costs. See the definitions below 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.

The definition of MTDC in 2 CFR 200.68 no longer allows for any sub-contracts to be included in the calculation. You will also note that participant support costs are not included in modified total direct cost. Participant support costs are defined below.

• 2 CFR 200.75 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. and Section IV.E.1 for more information. Additionally, the following link contains information regarding the negotiation of Indirect Cost Rates at DOL:

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

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

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

Applicants should list the same requested federal grant amount on the SF-424, SF-424A, and Budget Narrative. If minor inconsistencies are found between the budget amounts specified on the SF-424, SF-424A, and the Budget Narrative, ETA will consider the SF-424 the official funding amount requested. However, if the amount specified on the SF-424 would render the https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/business-operations-center/cost-determination application nonresponsive, the Grant Officer will use his or her discretion to determine whether the intended funding request (and match if applicable) is within the responsive range.

3. Project Narrative The Project Narrative must demonstrate your capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Announcement. It provides a comprehensive framework and description of all aspects of the proposed project. It must be succinct, self-explanatory, and well-organized so that reviewers can understand the proposed project.

The Project Narrative is limited to 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with Times New Roman 12 point text font and 1-inch margins. You must number the Project Narrative beginning with page number 1.

We will not read or consider any materials in the Project Narrative that exceed the specified page limit in the application review process.

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

a) Statement of Need

i. Describe in both quantitative and qualitative terms the need for assistance, including the nature and scope of the problem, the consequences of not addressing the need, the poverty rate of the planned target area, and the gap in resources in the community to serve this population;

ii. Describe how you will coordinate and leverage local resources and partnerships to improve performance; and

iii. Demonstrate that there is a sufficient pool of eligible participants in the area you plan to serve.

b) Performance Strategies

Applicants must identify the outcomes they expect to accomplish by the end of the grant, and explain their strategy for meeting the outcomes below and how they will track the performance data. Applicants must include the following in the Project Narrative.

Outcomes Strategies: Grant applicants must describe their strategies for meeting their identified outcomes and striving to reach the highest level of performance for the WIOA primary indicators and achieving the Reentry Employment Opportunities (REO)-specific measure outlined below and explain how the strength of their proposed strategies will ensure that the highest level of performance would be achieved. Strategies are to be specific, quantifiable statements and clearly linked to each WIOA primary indicator of performance and REO-specific measure.

Tracking Measures: Grant applicants must fully describe the system they will use to track and report the stated outcomes pre- and post-release, including how they will co-enroll participants in WIOA if applicable.

The Department expects grantees to track and report the primary indicators of performance as listed in WIOA section 116(b)(2)(A)(i), as well as REO-specific measures. As part of their data collection, all REO grantees are directed to request participants’ social security numbers (SSNs). While REO grantees are required to request participants’ SSNs, participants cannot be denied services if they choose not to disclose.

WIOA Primary Indicators of Performance:

Grantees must report on the following five WIOA primary indicators of performance. These indicators are:

i) Employment Rate – Second Quarter After Exit

ii) Employment Rate – Fourth Quarter After Exit

iii) Median Earnings – Second Quarter After Exit

iv) Credential Attainment (Credential attainment is both a WIOA primary indicator and a

REO-specific goal. REO is setting the goal for this measure at 60 percent. The description of the goal is stated below in the REO-specific goals section.)

v) Measurable Skill Gains

Additional information on these performance indicators can be found in Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 10-16, Change 1: “Performance Accountability Guidance for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Title I, Title II, Title III and Title IV Core Programs,” found at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=3255.

The Department will use the data reported for the WIOA measures as baseline information.

Therefore, no goals will be set at this time, except for the credential attainment measure because it is also included in the REO-specific goals. The Department may, however, determine targets for the WIOA measures post-award.

REO-specific Measure

Grantees are also expected to track, report, and meet the recidivism rate: The percentage of participants who were in or returning from an adult correctional facility prior to enrolling in the program and have been convicted of a new criminal offense committed within 12 months of their release from the correctional facility. Grantees have until the end of the grant period of performance to achieve this measure. The goal for this measure is lower than the recidivism rate for the state in which the grantee is operating.

https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=3255

c) Project Design

(i) The applicant must propose methods that the project will use to address the stated outcomes.

Outline a plan of action that describes the scope and detail of how the project will accomplish the proposed work;

(ii) The applicant must account for all functions or activities identified in the application. Cite factors that might accelerate or decelerate the work and state the reason for taking the proposed approach rather than other approaches. Identify any potential barriers and describe how the project will be able to overcome those barriers;

(iii) The applicant must identify a plan for ensuring that the applicant and all partners have access to the correctional facility as needed, including a schedule for proposed partner activities;

(iv) The applicant must identify and describe the staffing plan for all core program staff positions, including the Project Director/Manager, Fiscal Director/Manager, Employer Outreach Coordinator, and other key positions. For all positions for which potential staff members have not been identified, the applicant must describe the required qualifications that will be used for hiring purposes;

(v) The applicant must describe how participants will be identified and selected for participation, including the waiting list process;

(vi) The applicant must identify the timeline, as an attachment to the Project Narrative, which includes all required services described in Section IV.B.3.(c)(vii-viii);

(vii) The applicant must identify and explain how they will provide, at a minimum, all of the following employment and career services pre-release: job preparation, comprehensive case management, developing IDPs using local Labor Market Information (LMI) including identifying barriers to employment (additional information regarding “career” services, as defined in WIOA, can be found in Section 134(c)(2) and in TEGL 19-16), needs assessment, career exploration and planning, legal assistance (e.g., modification of child support orders, expungement proceedings, securing participant licenses, child custody assistance, protective and restraining order assistance, and referrals to other legal services), counseling, and assistance with linking inmates to the social services required to help them transition back to their communities.

(viii) The applicant must identify and explain how they will provide all of the post-release skill-building services—apprenticeships and occupational training in in-demand industries that lead to industry-recognized credentials—and explain how the IDP links to employment and post-release and follow-up services to ensure a continuum of services. The applicant must identify how assessments, including an assessment of each individual’s risk of reoffending and their level of job readiness, will be incorporated into the IDP.

(ix) In the event participants will not have access to the internet while at the state correctional facility or local jail, describe the source of educational materials, including readiness assessments and the reason for choosing that source;

(x) The applicant must describe how it will coordinate with corrections, workforce, reentry professionals, employers, and other service providers to ensure that interventions and employment services are provided in a way that supports recidivism-reduction and employment goals;

(xi) The applicant must provide, as an attachment to the Project Narrative, a sample schedule of activities for a month of pre-release operations. These activities must include, at a minimum, the items listed in (vii).

The sample schedule must take into account the inmates’ opportunities for movement throughout the facility and ensure that all program participants have adequate opportunities to access the pre-release program; the applicant must identify the curriculum that will be utilized for employability skills and job readiness development activities.

(xii) The applicant must describe the following:

• A plan for directly linking participants to their program, employers, and external service providers before they exit the correctional facility;

• How the pre-release case manager will be retained post-release, and how post-release and follow-up activities will be delivered;

• A plan to continue services to participants post-release and to secure lasting partnerships with local service providers and employers and the strategies for achieving buy-in from local employers and industry associations in order to increase employment opportunities for participants post-release.

d) Partnerships

Mandatory Partnerships

Applicants must identify, and provide a written commitment from, the state correctional facility or local jail the applicant intends to partner with for this project. The written commitment must, at a minimum, address how the applicant and partner staff will access the state correctional facility or local or county jail and how partners will provide services pre-release, accommodations for services to be provided, a strategy for internet accessibility or an alternative, resources and space supplied by the correctional facility, facility requirements for inmate participation and selection, and security for applicant and partner staff.

Recommended Partnerships

Grantees are encouraged to work with additional partners (other than the partner correctional facility) to leverage resources. Applicants should identify local organizations, including employers and industry organizations, which will provide services to support program operations, such as workforce services, housing, and substance abuse and mental health treatment for participants.

• Applicants must describe the specifics of their partnership(s) and provide a

Memorandum(a) of Understanding or Letter(s) of Commitment signed by the authorizing agent of the partner organization, which describes:

o Services to be provided to the organization or participants;

o Procedures for enrollment or recruitment, if applicable;

o Any resources to be committed to the program.

• Applicants must explain how employers and industry organizations will be engaged in the program to provide curriculum development, occupational education, and employment pre-and-post release.

• Applicants must explain how partners will communicate pre- and post-release to support program operations and ensure that all required services are available to all program participants.

NOTE: Memoranda of Understanding and Letters of Commitment must be included as attachments and will not be counted against the page limit for the project narrative.

e) Organizational, Administrative, and Fiscal Capacity Provide information on:

(i) How the applicant will manage and staff the project. Describe how staff, organizational experience, and management contribute to the ability of the applicant to conduct the project and its requirements and meet program expectations.

(ii) Describe the applicant’s fiscal and administrative controls in place to manage federal funds. Include the applicant’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended.

f) Past Performance – Programmatic Capability Organizations will receive points based on past performance data. All applicants must submit information for the past performance criteria identified below. This past performance document will not be counted against the page limit.

If you have received federally and/or non-federally funded assistance agreements (federal assistance agreements include federal grants and cooperative agreements but not federal contracts) similar in size, scope, and relevance to the proposed project that have been completed within the last five years of the closing date of this Announcement, you must submit a Past Performance Chart for the most recently completed agreement. If you have completed a REO grant within the past five years, your Past Performance Chart must reflect that grant. If you have not completed a REO grant, but have completed any other ETA agreement, you must submit a chart for that agreement. A completed grant means that the period of performance has ended. Please note that current REO grantees that are still within their period of performance and have not completed any other REO grants within the past five years must include past performance data for a different grant similar in size, scope, and relevance. Examples of REO grants that may have been completed within the past five years include Training to Work, Face Forward, and Linking to Employment Activities Pre-release Specialized American Job Centers grants. If you are unsure if you have a past REO grant, please contact the grants management specialist listed in Section VII of this FOA.

The information must be provided in a Past Performance Chart as an attachment to the Project Narrative.

Performance Chart The Past Performance Chart must include the following information:

• Grantor name and contact information

• Project information/grant objectives

• Performance goals and spending rate analysis

Below is a sample format for the Past Performance Chart. For non-ETA grants only, the chart must be signed by the grantor or a letter must be provided from the grantor verifying the past performance data. This letter must be on grantor letterhead and contain contact information for the grantor.

(1) Performance Goals:

The Past Performance Chart must include the overall objectives of the grant, population served, funding amount and grantor contact information. The chart must detail two significant performance goals and the outcomes of those goals in order to demonstrate if and how the applicant successfully completed and managed the agreement.

Applicants should use the performance indicators most similar to:

• employment/education placement, and

• degree/certificate attainment

ETA views the above indicators as the most critical to demonstrating that the applicant’s past success in a similar program has prepared its organization to succeed in operating a REO project. Applicants may substitute a different indicator if the substituted indicator is applicable to the outcomes required in this FOA.

(i) In the chart, applicants must identify the total number of participants enrolled in the program and the performance outcome for each metric, displayed as both a fraction (e.g.

the numerator equal to the number of program participants who achieved the identified indicator and the denominator equal to the total program participants eligible for the identified indicator) and a percentage. For example, if using the employment placement measure, the performance metric description might be participants who were placed into unsubsidized jobs within one year of program completion divided by all participants who have this performance goal within the past year.

Applicants will receive points based on past performance demonstrated in the performance chart. The performance chart must clearly identify the indicators being used and must include a definition for how the outcome is calculated (e.g., the numerator and denominator for the outcome). DOL reserves the right to disqualify indicators that are determined not to be sufficiently similar to the indicators above and award zero points for non-qualifying indicators.

(2) Spending Rate Analysis:

Applicants must submit, as part of the chart of past performance described above, the total grant amount and the percentage of grant funds spent during the original period of performance for their most recently completed grant, as specified above. Applicants will receive points for their spending rate, as demonstrated in the chart they provide. Below is a sample format for the chart:

Name of Previous Grantor Organization:

Grantor Contact - Name, Title, Signature (if non-ETA grant), E-mail Address, and Telephone Number:

Project Title and Grant Number:

Project Period of Performance:

Number of Participants Enrolled:

Population Served:

Performance Goals

Metric Performance Indicator (Goal)

Performance Outcome

Performance Outcome /

Performance Goal

Percentage Rate of Actual Achievement

Placement into education and/or employment 60 58 58/60 97%

Certificate/degree attainment

Spending Rate Analysis

Grant Funds Received:

Grant Funds Spent by End of Period of

Performance:

Total Spent /Total Grant Funds

Percentage Rate of Spending:

Example: $1,000,000 $800,000 $800,000/ $1,000,000 89%

g) Budget and Budget Narrative The Budget and Budget Narrative will be used to evaluate this section. Please see Section IV.B.2 for information on the requirements. The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

h) Priority Consideration Applicants have the opportunity to receive a bonus point for demonstrating, in their abstract, that at least one census tract in their target area is in a qualified Opportunity Zone designated by the Secretary of Treasury.

4. Attachments to the Project Narrative In addition to the Project Narrative, you must submit attachments as described in Sections IV(B)(4)(a-b) below. All attachments must be clearly labeled. We will exclude only those attachments listed below from the page limit. The Budget and Budget Justification do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

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

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

My_Attached_File.pdf) to separate a file name.

a) Required Attachments

(1) Abstract You must submit an up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project including, but not limited to, the scope of the project and proposed outcomes. Omission of the abstract will not result in your application being disqualified; the lack of the required information in the abstract, however, may impact scoring. See III.C.1 for a list of items that will result in the disqualification of your application. The abstract must include:

• the applicant’s name;

• the project title;

• a description of the area to be served;

• the number of participants to be served;

• the funding level requested;

• the total cost-per-participant;

• the name and address of the mandatory partner and whether that partner is a state correctional facility or local jail;

• the list of the name(s) of…