PKG00261332-instructions.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR:

Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) National Grants for Program Year (PY) 2020

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-20-09

CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE (CFDA) NUMBER: 17.235

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this Announcement is

June 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: Donna Kelly, Grant Officer

Reference FOA-ETA-20-09

200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4673

Washington, D.C. 20210

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

A prospective applicant webinar will be available online. Please visit https://olderworkers.workforcegps.org/ and look under "Announcements" for more information.

While review of the webinar is not mandatory, we strongly encourage prospective applicants to view the webinar.

https://olderworkers.workforcegps.org/ ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

1. General Applicants

2. Set-Aside Applicants

3. Equitable Distribution

4. Location of Authorized Positions

5. Fund Calculation Formula

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

B. APPLICATION CATEGORIES

1. General National Grant Funds

2. Indian/Native American Set-Aside Grant Funds

3. Asian and Pacific Islander, Set-Aside Grant Funds

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

D. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

E. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

3. Eligible Participants

4. Maintenance of Effort Requirements

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 iii

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. Administrative Cost Limitation

3. Salary and Bonus Limitations

4. Intellectual Property Rights

5. WIOA Infrastructure

6. Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages

F. OTHER SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. CRITERIA

B. STANDARDS FOR EVALUATING THE APPLICANT’S RESPONSE TO EACH

REQUIREMENT

C. REVIEW AND SELECTION PROCESS

1. Merit Review and Selection Process

2. Risk Review Process

VI. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

A. AWARD NOTICES

B. ADMISTRATIVE 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

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS

VIII. OTHER INFORMATION

A. WEB-BASED RESOURCES

B. INDUSTRY COMPETENCY MODELS AND CAREER CLUSTERS

iv

C. WORKFORCEGPS RESOURCES

D. SKILLSCOMMONS RESOURCES

E. NOTICE TO INCUMBENT NATIONAL GRANTEES AND STATE GRANTEES

F. TRANSITION OF PARTICIPANTS

G. TRANSITION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPANTS

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 $312 million in grant funds authorized by Title V of the Older Americans Act (OAA), as amended (42 USC §3056 et seq.)

for the Senior Community Service Employment for Older Americans program commonly referred to as the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), for National

Grants for Program Year (PY) 2020.

This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is being issued for eligible SCSEP PY 2020

National applicants to compete for SCSEP National funding. SCSEP is the only Federally-sponsored employment and training program targeted specifically to low-income older individuals who seek to enter or re-enter the workforce. Program participants receive paid work experience at local public or non-profit agencies and are paid the higher of the Federal, State, or local minimum wage; or the most nearly comparable wage for similar employment; for approximately 20 hours per week while in community service assignments and other job training

(OAA Amendments § 502(b)(1)(J); 20 CFR 641.565(a)). The dual goals of the program are to promote useful opportunities through work experience training in community service activities and to move SCSEP participants into unsubsidized employment.

To be eligible for funds under this grant program, an applicant must be a non-profit organization, Federal public agency, or Tribal organization that has the ability to administer a multi-State program.

We anticipate awarding approximately 10-22 grants ranging from $2 million to $50 million each under this FOA. Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of Federal funds.

This grant is renewable annually for a total of four years based on annual Departmental application requirements and subject to the availability of funds. The grant may be extended for a fifth year at the Department’s discretion, contingent upon the grantee meeting or exceeding the minimum negotiated performance measures, as required by section 514(a) of the OAA

Amendments and 20 CFR 641.700.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

A. PROGRAM PURPOSE

This Announcement solicits applications for the Senior Community Service Employment

Program for Program Year (PY) 2020. The purpose of this program is to move SCSEP participants into unsubsidized employment in both the public and private sectors, promote part-time work experiences in community service assignments for unemployed low-income individuals who are 55 years of age or older, and foster self-sufficiency among such individuals.

Applicants must have a clear service delivery model that will enable eligible individuals to successfully participate in the program and achieve these program goals, as identified in the participant’s Individual Employment Plan (IEP), which must include an appropriate employment goal for each participant, taking into consideration each participant’s skills, barriers, and location.

A core feature of SCSEP is the placement of participants with significant barriers to employment in a Community Service Assignment (CSA), which is part-time, temporary employment paid with grant funds in projects at host agencies. Through these placements, participants are engaged in community service activities and receive work experience and job skills training that should lead to unsubsidized employment. Participants are able to gain valuable skills, increase their confidence to re-enter the workforce, and earn income while assisting local organizations to provide needed services within the community.

In conjunction with the CSA, grantees provide or arrange for additional training and supportive services that will facilitate a participant’s ability to reach the program and employment goals identified in the IEP. The type of training and supportive services that grantees provide vary based on the needs and goals of individual participants, but in general, SCSEP grantees must have service delivery strategies that are designed to effectively prepare participants for placement into unsubsidized employment. In devising such strategies, SCSEP grantees must take into account the job requirements of in-demand occupations in their communities, identify skill gaps and other barriers to employment among the SCSEP-eligible population, design training curriculum that addresses the identified skill gaps, and design supportive services that enable participants to participate in the program and sustain unsubsidized employment.

SCSEP grantees also must have sound strategies for placing participants into unsubsidized employment. Such strategies must include effective methods for developing and maintaining strong relationships with employers, conducting job development activities, and carrying out job search assistance activities. In addition to strategies to address the participant’s employment goals, the IEP should reflect, as appropriate, other approaches to help the participant achieve self-sufficiency, including referrals to other services or programs.

The Department strives for as many participants as possible to achieve unsubsidized employment, recognizing that SCSEP participants have a broad range of skill sets, interests, and barriers to employment. Under this FOA, to enable a higher portion of SCSEP participants to achieve their goal of unsubsidized employment, the Department is particularly interested in applicants that propose innovative, holistic solutions to address the needs of those SCSEP participants who have significant barriers to employment. The Department expects applicants to propose effective strategies to:

1) assess the participant pool and identify those participants whose IEPs contain a goal of unsubsidized employment and who can achieve that goal with additional support and training;

2) address barriers to employment such as disability, limited English proficiency, or low literacy skills; and

3) actively assist those participants with obtaining unsubsidized employment.

The Department specifically encourages applicants to propose strategies for providing practical, short-term training opportunities for in-demand occupations that utilize on-the-job experience

(OJE) or skill-specific training as a way for participants to transition from a CSA to unsubsidized employment. At the same time, the Department also expects applicants to propose effective strategies and services to help participants achieve other aspects of self-sufficiency, as identified in their IEPs.

Program success is measured by the extent to which grantees meet or exceed the seven core performance measures outlined in Section 513 of the 2016 OAA (42 USC §3056k) and 20 CFR

§641.710 of the SCSEP regulations. Section VI of this FOA explains how ETA will establish the performance goals for national grantees under this FOA. Grantees that fail to achieve 80 percent of their aggregate goals for a given year are required to complete a corrective action plan. In addition, a grantee that fails to make satisfactory progress in meeting its performance goals may receive additional conditions of award for the subsequent grant year that specify the necessary improvements required for the grantee to comply with its grant.

For more information about the SCSEP program, please visit the following link:

https://doleta.gov/seniors/ and review 20 CFR Part 641.

B. PROGRAM AUTHORITY

Title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C. §3056, et seq.)

authorizes this program.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. AWARD TYPE AND AMOUNT

Funding will be provided in the form of a grant.

We expect availability of approximately $312 million to fund approximately 10–22 grants, including statutory set-asides for at least one award to an Indian/Native American organization and at least one award to an Asian and Pacific Islander organization, as required by section

506(a)(3) of the OAA, as amended, (42 USC §3056d). Applicants for these statutory set-asides will hereafter be referred to as “set-aside applicants” and applicants for other national grant funding will be referred to as “general applicants”. 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.

https://doleta.gov/seniors/

1. General Applicants

a) Maximum Request for Funding

General applicants may apply for up to $50 million and must apply to provide services in more than one state.

b) Minimum Request for Funding

In order to deliver services more efficiently, we have instituted a minimum funding level for this FOA, consistent with the prior SCSEP competitions.1

Applicants must apply for at least 10 percent of a state’s authorized positions or

$1,600,170 (which equates to a minimum of 165 positions), whichever is larger;

If a state has fewer than 165 positions (such as Idaho, Nevada, New Hampshire, New

Mexico, and Wyoming), the applicant must apply for the entire state.

o Example 1: Organization A submits an application to provide services in a State with

165 or fewer available positions. Organization A must apply for all of the available positions in the State.

o Example 2: Organization B submits an application to provide services in a larger

State with 4,080 available positions but only wants to operate in one particular county that has 158 positions. Organization B must meet the minimum funding requirement, which in this case is 10 percent of the state’s authorized positions, or 408 positions

($3,956,784). In order to apply for the 158 positions in the desired county, Organization B must also apply for another 250 positions in any contiguous counties to meet the minimum State funding requirement of 408 positions In this example, the only other contiguously-located counties are entitled to 81, 131, and 62 positions respectively. Therefore, Organization B would also apply to serve all 81, 131, and 62 positions in those contiguous counties, in addition to the 158 positions in the desired county, to meet (or, in this case, exceed) the minimum State funding requirements.

We encourage applicants to apply for at least 20-25 percent of a state’s allocation for maximum operational efficiency, but grantees will not be penalized for failing to do so.

c) Additional Bidding Requirements

In conjunction with the minimum request for funding, applicants must adhere to the following requirements when bidding for authorized positions:

1 These requirements are based on the national grantees’ share of the total SCSEP appropriation of $405,000,000.

By statute national grantees receive 78 percent of the total SCSEP appropriations while the remaining 22 percent is reserved for State formula funded programs, which are not included in this FOA.

Applicants must apply for all of the authorized positions in a county, (see item 5 of this section for instructions on calculating funds based on positions).2

Applicants may request positions in multiple counties in a state, but the counties requested must be contiguous.

An applicant may apply for more than one group of contiguous counties in a state, such as in larger states, but each group of contiguous counties must meet the minimum State funding requirements.

Applicants must list their requests for locations and number of positions by county and

State through an online application. The online application and instructions are located at www.SCSEPapply.org. The online application shows all national-grantee authorized positions by county and provides a mechanism for grantees to bid electronically on those authorized positions. DOL will review each applicant’s final bid in

SCSEPapply.org when making final determinations about the allocation of authorized positions among grantees.

2. Set-Aside Applicants

a) Maximum Request for Funding

Set-aside applicants may apply for up to $5,498,766 or 567 authorized positions.3

b) Minimum Request for Funding

There is no minimum funding request by state or county, and set-aside applicants may indicate the number of positions they propose to serve in each county, without regard to contiguity.

Although set-aside applicants are exempt from these requirements, they should consider program management and effectiveness when selecting states and counties to bid on. A set-aside applicant that chooses to serve a small number of authorized positions in counties that are not contiguous may have challenges running an effective program.

3. Equitable Distribution

The Department ensures that SCSEP services are provided equitably within each State through an Equitable Distribution (ED) plan, in accordance with Section 507 of the OAA. We use census data by county and annual program appropriations to calculate the number of authorized positions that are allocated to each county in each State. The number of authorized positions for

State grantees and national grantees combined is proportional to the number of eligible people

(age 55 and over, and at or under 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Level) in the county compared to the eligible State population. For every authorized position, one or more individuals can receive services during the program year. Grantees may only enroll participants who reside in a county in which they have authorized positions.

2 We may award two or more grants in a large county that has more than 165 positions. For those large counties, the applicant may apply for a portion of the county, but if that portion does not meet the 10 percent or 165 position State minimum, the applicant must also apply for surrounding contiguous counties.

3 Equivalent to the total amount of funding available for Indian/Native American or Asian and Pacific Islander set-aside organizations.

4. Location of Authorized Positions

The number of authorized positions by county and state is listed at www.SCSEPapply.org. We determine the allocation of authorized positions among the States and the proportion within each

State allocated to national grantees by the process described in section 506 of the OAA as amended, (42 USC §3056d).4 Because all counties in each state must receive an equitable share of SCSEP services through a combination of services provided by national grantees and State grantees, we suggest you consult with the State grantees regarding which specific geographic areas you wish to serve.

We may require you to serve one or more counties that you did not identify in your application, or to accept fewer or more positions in a county than you requested. We reserve the right to make final decisions on the grantees in an area and may take into consideration special local conditions and otherwise unforeseen circumstances, including combining metropolitan areas across State borders to ensure effective and efficient service delivery and to ensure that all counties are equitably served.

5. Fund Calculation Formula

Applicants can calculate the estimated amount of funds allocated to a State by county using the

“cost per authorized position” formula in section 506(g)(1) of the OAA, as amended [42 USC

§3056d(g)(1)]. Calculations must be based on the number of authorized positions for PY 2020 as a result of equitable distribution, rather than the number of enrolled participants that currently exists in the county. The unit cost is approximately $9,698 per authorized position per 12-month period, based on the Federal minimum wage.5

Example: A county has 61 available authorized positions. Therefore, the amount of funding for a 12-month period would be $9,698 x 61 = $591,578. (Please note again that the cost per position is an estimate. However, it is a useful tool for applicants to determine their funding request under this proposal).

B. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

This grant is renewable annually for a total of 4 years based on annual Departmental application requirements and subject to the availability of funds, with an anticipated award date of July 1, 2020. The grant may be extended for a fifth year at the Department’s discretion, contingent upon the grantee meeting or exceeding the minimum negotiated performance measures, as required by section 514(a) of the OAA Amendments and 20 CFR 641.700. This performance period

4 Please note that national grant funds are not allocated for the States of Alaska, Delaware, and Hawaii, and for the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

5 This amount represents the total funding allocated for each authorized position (exclusive of the 10% grantee match), including administrative costs. Applicants should multiply this amount by the number of authorized positions in the county as listed in the SCSEPED.org Authorized Positions by State tables. A higher State minimum wage does not impact the position funding calculation, but we do take this into account in performance measure calculations. The reduced position count used in the performance measures is shown in the modified position tables in SCSEPED.org.

includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. We anticipate having a 4-month transition phase from approximately July 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020, in which SCSEP participants will be transitioned from previous grantees to the new awardees, as necessary.

Successful applicants would thus begin direct service to participants in their awarded counties on

November 1, 2020. The dates of this transition period are subject to change based on the actual date of award.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

The following organizations are eligible to apply:

Nonprofit Organization6

Federal Public Agencies7

Tribal Organizations8

The eligible applicant agency or organization must demonstrate its ability to administer a multi-

State program, as specified in Section IV.B.4.a (5). We reserve the right to award a grant to only one applicant per State, and to award an applicant funds to serve only one State. This does not, however, permit an applicant to apply to provide services in only one State.

For the purpose of this FOA:

New applicants are those entities that do not, at the time of application, currently operate an ETA-funded SCSEP program as a grantee. Current SCSEP sub-grantees that do not also currently have a direct award from DOL as a National grantee may only submit their applications as new applicants.

Current grantees are those entities that, at the time of application, currently operate a direct, ETA-funded SCSEP program as a grantee.

6 “Nonprofit organization” is an agency, institution, or organization which is, or is owned and operated by, one or more corporations or associations no part of the net earnings of which inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual (42 U.S.C. § 3002(39)).

7 Federal agencies must demonstrate that they have the statutory authority to receive other Federal grant funds (also known as gift authority) – see Section IV.B.4.a(4).

8 “Tribal organizations” are the recognized governing body of any Indian tribe, or any legally established organization of Indians which is controlled, sanctioned, or chartered by such governing body[42 USC 3002 (54) and

20 CFR 641.140]. “Indian tribe” means any tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians

(including Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act) which (A) is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians; or (B) is located on, or in proximity to, a

Federal or State reservation (P.L. 89-73 § 102(27) and 20 CFR 641.140).

B. APPLICATION CATEGORIES

There are three categories for which an applicant may apply to receive a grant under this FOA.

Applicants applying for more than one category must submit separate applications for each.

Please note that regardless of the category selected, all successful applicants are required to serve any eligible individual within the awarded counties and States. Applicants may apply to receive a grant under one or more of the following three categories:

1. General National Grant Funds

The Department will accept applications for general SCSEP national grant funds from Federal public agencies, nonprofit organizations and tribal organizations.

Applicants must start the descriptive title of application project in block 15 of the SF-424 form with the word “General” and explicitly state in the application that they are applying for general SCSEP national grant funds.

2. Indian9/Native American Set-Aside Grant Funds

We will accept applications for “national grants to public or nonprofit national Indian/ Native

American aging organizations with the ability to provide community service work-based training for eligible individuals who are Indians,” as required by 42 USC §3056d. The regulations interpret the word “national” in the previous sentence to mean that these set-aside grants are a sub-set of general national SCSEP grants. See 20 CFR §641.400(a), 20 CFR §641.410(b), and 20

CFR §641.140, definition of “National grantee.” Therefore, as with general national SCSEP grant applicants, applicants for these set-aside grants must show that they are capable of administering a multi-State program. However, there is no need to show that they are capable of administering a program that serves in every part of the nation. 20 CFR §641.400(a).

form with the words “Indian/Native American” and explicitly state in the application that they are applying for Indian/Native American SCSEP national grant funds.

3. Asian and Pacific Islander10, Set-Aside Grant Funds

We will accept applications for Asian and Pacific Islander national grant funds from public or nonprofit Asian and Pacific Islander aging organizations with the ability to provide community service work-based training to older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as required by 42

USC §3056d. As with the Indian/ Native American set-aside discussed above, please note that the regulations interpret the word “national” in the previous sentence to mean that these set-aside grants are a sub-set of the general national SCSEP grants. See 20 CFR §641.400(a), 20 CFR

9 “Indian” is a person who is a member of an Indian tribe [42 USC 3002(26) and 20 CFR 641.140)].

10 “Asian American and Pacific Islander” means individuals having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far

East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands [42 USC 3056p(6)].

§641.410(b), 20 CFR §641.140, definition of “National grantee.” Therefore, as with general national SCSEP grant applicants, applicants for these set-aside grants must show that they are capable of administering a multi-State program. However, there is no need to show that they are capable of administering a program that serves in every part of the nation. 20 CFR §641.400(a).

form with the words “Asian and Pacific Islander” and explicitly state in the application that they are applying for Asian American and Pacific Islander SCSEP national grant funds.

C. OTHER ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All applicants must also meet the eligibility and responsibility requirements detailed in 20 CFR

641.

D. COST SHARING OR MATCHING

This program requires cost sharing (20 CFR §641.809). Such funds may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions or a combination of the two and must be, at a minimum, equal to ten percent of the total cost of activities carried out under a SCSEP grant. Any resources contributed to the project in addition to cost share funds will be considered leveraged resources. Section

IV.B.2 provides more information on leveraged resources. Applicants must identify intended sources of this non-Federal share in the Budget Narrative. Grantees will be financially responsible if they fail to meet the cost-share requirement and compliance with that requirement will be determined by examining expenditures of SCSEP funds in accordance with 20 CFR

641.876. The cost share requirement must be met at the time that all SCSEP funds have been expended by the grantee or by the period of performance end date. Some applicants may qualify for an exemption from the non-Federal share requirements. Please see Section IV.B.4.a)(6) for more information.

E. OTHER INFORMATION

1. Application Screening Criteria

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

Application Requirement Instructions Complete?

The deadline submission requirements are met Section IV.C

Eligibility Section III.A

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 $50 million 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 and lists the cost share amount on line 18b.

Section IV.B.1

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

Budget Narrative Section IV.B.2

Project Narrative Section IV.B.3

General applicants have submitted their plans to the Governors of all States in which they intend to operate SCSEP and have attached a copy of the certified mail receipts to the application.

Section IV.B.4.a).(1)

Bids for authorized positions submitted on

SCSEPapply.org by the application closing deadline

Section II.A.

Copy of statutory provision (Federal agencies only) Section IV.B.4.a).(2)

Non-Federal Share Exemptions (if applicable) Section IV.B.4.a).(3)

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

Applicants may submit applications in the set-aside (Indian/Native American, or Asian and

Pacific Islander) and general categories; thus, applicants may submit up to three separate applications to DOL, but they may only submit one application in each category. If multiple applications in one category are received, the most recent application submitted will be accepted.

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 Training

The intent of this FOA is to fund projects that provide services to eligible participants who have poor employment prospects, would benefit from unsubsidized employment in the public or private sector, and are not job-ready.11 SCSEP-eligible individuals must:

be age 55 or older;

have an income of no more than 125 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines; and be unemployed at the time of enrollment.

When selecting eligible individuals for participation in the SCSEP, grantees and sub-recipients must give priority to individuals who have one or more of the following characteristics, as provided in 20 CFR 641.520:

are 65 years of age or older;

have a disability;

have limited English proficiency have low literacy skills;

reside in a rural area;

are veterans (or eligible spouses of veterans) for purposes of the Jobs for Veterans Act, Pub. L. No. 107-288 (38 USC 4215(a));

have low employment prospects;

have failed to find employment after using services provided under the Workforce

Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 (Pub. L. No. 113-128); or are homeless or at risk for homelessness.

b) Veterans’ Priority for Participants

38 U.S.C. 4215 requires grantees to provide priority of service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations implementing this priority of service are at 20 CFR Part 1010. In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or eligible

11 “Job-ready” refers to individuals who only require job search assistance or job referral services, and “do not require further education or training to perform work that is available in their labor market”. 20 CFR §641.140.

Job-ready applicants must be referred to the American Job Centers for service.

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. You can also find more information regarding the SCSEP program and Veterans’ Priority of Service at:

https://olderworkers.workforcegps.org/resources/2014/06/28/01/42/veterans_priort y_of_service.

4. Maintenance of Effort Requirements

A community service assignment for a SCSEP participant is permissible only when specific maintenance of effort requirements are met. Each project funded must not: (1) reduce the number of employment opportunities or vacancies that would otherwise be available to individuals not participating in the program; (2) displace currently employed workers (including partial displacement, such as a reduction in the hours of non-overtime work, wages, or employment benefits); (3) impair existing contracts or result in the substitution of Federal funds for other funds in connection with work that would otherwise be performed; or (4) employ or continue to employ any eligible individual to perform the same work or substantially the same work as that performed by any other individual who is on layoff (OAA § 502(b)(1)(G); 42 USC

§3056(b)(1)(G)).

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. 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.

https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Folderworkers.workforcegps.org%2Fresources%2F2014%2F06%2F28%2F01%2F42%2Fveterans_priorty_of_service&data=02%7C01%7CChapman.Lamia%40dol.gov%7Ce87b95e814fb47eb7eea08d7ab297f7c%7C75a6305472044e0c9126adab971d4aca%7C0%7C0%7C637166067022741245&sdata=NIgsJqn%2FCjFJa%2FpKzhk2OREBulY1B9nWmM8OCc80Y44%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Folderworkers.workforcegps.org%2Fresources%2F2014%2F06%2F28%2F01%2F42%2Fveterans_priorty_of_service&data=02%7C01%7CChapman.Lamia%40dol.gov%7Ce87b95e814fb47eb7eea08d7ab297f7c%7C75a6305472044e0c9126adab971d4aca%7C0%7C0%7C637166067022741245&sdata=NIgsJqn%2FCjFJa%2FpKzhk2OREBulY1B9nWmM8OCc80Y44%3D&reserved=0 http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm https://usdol-my.sharepoint.com/personal/luetkenhaus_eric_dol_gov/Documents/All%20FOAs%202020/Application_for#_SF-424,_

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. The signature of the Authorized

Representative on the SF-424 also certifies that the organization agrees to adhere to the programmatic assurances listed in Appendix B.

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.)

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 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 https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do https://www.sam.gov/ 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.

c) Requirement to Bid on Authorized Positions

All applicants must enter their requested authorized positions (bids) into an online tool available at www.SCSEPapply.org (See Section II.A. for more information). Hard-copy requests for authorized positions will not be accepted .12

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. It must also include a section on the required match with a complete description of projected match, the source and how it will be spent on the project. 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 and associated match. 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.

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.

12 The online tool shows all national grantee authorized positions by county, along with the current enrollment in those counties, and provides a mechanism for grantees to bid electronically on those authorized positions.

http://www.scsepapply.org/ 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.

See Section IV.E.6. for information regarding participant wages and fringe benefits minimum requirements. Please note that participant wages and fringe benefits should be allocated to the

“Other” line item of the Budget Narrative.

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 only include the federal grant amount requested for the first year of the grant. Applicants must also show cost sharing or match on the SF-424 (line 18b), SF-424A, and Budget Narrative.

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

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

Applicants should list the same requested federal grant amount on the SF-424, SF-424A, and

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

3. Project Narrative

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

The Project Narrative is limited to 28 pages for current grantees and 32 pages for new applicants

(28 or 32 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.

Please see Section III.A. for the definitions of “current grantee” and “new applicant”.

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

The following instructions provide all of the information needed to complete the Project

Narrative. Carefully read and consider each section, and include all required information in your

Project Narrative. The agency will evaluate the Project Narrative using the evaluation criteria identified in Section V.A. You must use the same section headers identified below for each section of the Project Narrative.

Project Narrative Data (New for this FOA)

Under this FOA, you are required to incorporate and explain quantitative data as part of the written narrative responses for a number of rating factors, as indicated below. Incorporating such data will provide additional insight into how you propose to administer a SCSEP project awarded under this FOA. Your explanation of the quantitative data should indicate the extent to which your narrative is grounded in actual experience, which is relevant to the review panelists’ assessment of your likelihood of success in a particular project area.

Unlike in the “Past Performance” section of this FOA, you will not be rated specifically on your performance on these measures or on your variation from the aggregate program or nationwide performance. However, your score on the relevant rating factors will consider the extent to which you support your narrative responses utilizing the data, as explained in the specifications for “Supporting Data” in each relevant rating factor.

Please note that, similar to the “Past Performance” section of this FOA, current grantees and new applicants will take a different approach to submitting project narrative data. The Department has extracted current grantees’ data from the SCSEP Performance and Results Quarterly

Reporting (SPARQ) system and included it in Appendix A to this…