sga-dfa-py-10-04.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Civic Justice Corps Grants Serving Juvenile Offenders

Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 10-04 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.261

KEY DATES: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is March 15, 2011. Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Eric Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 10-04, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. For complete application and submission information, including online application instructions, please refer to section IV.

SUMMARY:

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $20 million in grant funds authorized by the Workforce Investment Act for Civic Justice Corps Grants to serve juvenile offenders ages 18 to 24 who have been involved with the juvenile justice system within 12 months before entry into the program. Civic Justice Corps projects focus on community service projects that provide young offenders the opportunity to repair the harm they may have caused to the community in which they expect to return.

Such community service projects can help rebuild severed relationships between the returning offender and members of the community. Through community service, returning offenders are offered the opportunity to reestablish community-based trust while enhancing their status in their communities. These grants will be awarded through a competitive process. The Department expects to award a minimum of 13 grants at various amounts. Applicants may submit only one proposal of up to $1.5 million to cover a 30-month period of performance that includes up to four months of planning and a minimum of 26 months of operation. The 26 months of operation includes time for follow-up services that may be on average between 3-4 months.

Some participants may be receiving follow-up services while others are still receiving direct services.

This solicitation provides background information and describes the application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible entities must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and outlines the evaluation criteria used as a basis for selecting the grantees.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

A. Overview of Funding Opportunity

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) announces the availability of approximately $20 million for Civic Justice Corps Grants to serve juvenile offenders ages 18 to 24 who have been involved with the juvenile justice system within 12 months of entry into the program. Each year, Juvenile Courts in the United States handle roughly 1.6 million delinquency cases and an estimated 144,000 youth are placed in juvenile correctional facilities. Youth in the juvenile justice system have a high probability of returning to crime. As an example, the State of Virginia reports that 75 percent of youth released from state correctional facilities and 61 percent of youth placed on probation in the state are arrested for a new crime within three years.1 Civic Justice Corps projects provide young offenders the opportunity to give something back to their communities through community service to make up for past transgressions.

Such projects hold promise for reducing the recidivism rate of juvenile offenders by improving their vocational and educational skills and long-term prospects in the labor market and by increasing their attachment to their community and their sense of community responsibility.

The Civic Justice Corps model is based on the notion that, by their criminal acts, offenders have hurt their communities and have depleted any trust that the community has in them. Civic Justice projects offer offenders a chance to demonstrate accountability for their actions and make reparations to the community. This effort at fostering a renewed sense of belonging and investment in their communities is accomplished through 1) community service projects that aid in the rebuilding of severed relationships between young offenders and community members while reestablishing trust and a positive status for the offender within the community; and 2) work experience, other vocational training, and academic interventions that enable participants to improve their skills and enhance their future educational and career opportunities.2

Civic Justice Corps programs funded under this SGA must include each of the following components: 1) meaningful community service projects and service-learning opportunities; 2) educational interventions that lead to a credential and increase placement opportunities in post-secondary education and/or vocational training that lead to long-term employability of participants; 3) community connections that result in opportunities for young offenders to rebuild trust and for the community to view them as assets rather than liabilities; 4) high staff to participant ratios, including close adult

1 See the State of Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice’s Data Resource Guide for FY 2009. For links to juvenile justice systems in other states see the State Juvenile Justice Profiles web site at http://70.89.227.250:8080/stateprofiles/, but data on recidivism is not typically available through these links.

2 For more information on the history and justification for involving offenders in civic justice projects, see Gordon Bazemore and David Carp, “A Civic Justice Corps: Community Service as a Means of Reintegration,” available at http://www.cjcj.org/files/bazemore.pdf.

http://70.89.227.250:8080/stateprofiles/ http://www.cjcj.org/files/bazemore.pdf supervision on community service projects; 5) a career development component that seeks to place each participant in a job in which skills will be learned, post-secondary education, a registered apprenticeship, and/or career technical training that leads to an industry-recognized credential; and 6) post-program support and follow-up. These six program components are discussed in more detail in the Required Program Components section, Section I.B, below.

These Civic Justice Corps grants will be awarded through a competitive process. The Department expects to award a minimum of 13 grants at various amounts. Applicants may submit only one proposal of up to $1.5 million to cover a 30-month period of performance that includes up to four months of planning and a minimum of 26 months of operation.

The Department expects that participants will be enrolled in these programs full-time, as defined by a minimum of 32-hours per week, including time spent in both the community service and educational components. Civic Justice Corps programs may enroll participants for up to one-year terms, inclusive of the follow-up period, with the understanding that participants may leave the program before completion to take other jobs or for personal- or conduct-related reasons. The Department anticipates the approximate cost per participant to be in the range of $12,000 to $16,000 for average length-of-stays of six to eight months.

The Department will set performance goals for these grants relating to the rate at which participants enter employment, post-secondary education, or training; are retained in employment and education placements; do not return to crime; and receive high school diplomas and industry-recognized credentials. Programs already serving eligible participants are expected to increase their overall enrollment with DOL funds, rather than serve existing participants through a co-enrollment process.

DOL will provide guidance, post-award to assist grantees with working with youth that commit crimes while in the program and participants who continue to have substance abuse issues. DOL will also work with grantees after the grant award to conduct risk assessments of participants based on validated risk assessment tools.

B. Required Program Components

Each local project funded under these grants must include each of the components described below.

1. Meaningful community service projects and service-learning opportunities.

Civic Justice Corps programs funded under these grants must conduct community service projects of value to the local community, state, or country. These projects should also help participants learn work skills, including soft skills required for effective and sustained employment. The Department also encourages having participants work in teams. Examples of possible community service projects include:

conservation projects such as restoration of state or federal lands, Youth working with the Fish and Wildlife Service in federally-managed fish hatcheries, urban tree planting, and park trail maintenance; graffiti removal; staffing and support for community events like fairs or community days; improving sports fields; and other appropriate community service activities at health clinics, hospitals, or food banks. Grantees must also place a high priority on public safety, as well as the safety of program participants at project worksites. Funding for these grants is appropriated under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). Under WIA Section 181(a)(4), health and safety standards established under Federal and State law otherwise applicable to working conditions of employees are equally applicable to working conditions of program participants engaged in training and other activities.

2. Educational interventions that lead to a credential and increase placement opportunities in post-secondary education and long-term employability of participants. Civic Justice Corps programs funded under these grants should provide a comprehensive set of interventions to address the varying academic levels of participants. The educational component should integrate education interventions with career and occupational development and include basic skills instruction and remedial education; language instruction for individuals with limited English proficiency;

exploration for accommodations for participants with disabilities; tutoring; study skills training; and credit retrieval; These interventions should be designed to lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma, GED, or other State-recognized equivalent (including recognized alternative standards for individuals with disabilities). Additional educational interventions could include counseling participants on acquiring financial aid to attend college, taking them on visits to local community and four-year colleges, and helping them fill out necessary application forms for college.

3. Connections between program participants and the community that result in opportunities for young offenders to rebuild community-based trust and relationships. Civic Justice Corps programs funded under these grants must emphasize rebuilding the community’s trust in the young offenders served by the program and also instilling a sense of community responsibility of the youth offenders served. Programs should coordinate with their relevant community in developing and implementing community service projects that meet a real and specific need.

Depending on the project, this could include working with civic organizations, state or national park rangers, local government leaders, employers, or clergy. The community should develop ways of giving recognition when the project is completed to the young offenders who worked on the project. The community also should help support further positive involvement by young offenders in the community. The community service projects conducted through these grants should incorporate service-learning opportunities, defined as projects integrating meaningful community service with instruction and reflection that enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and encourage lifelong civic engagement.

4. High Staff to Participant Ratio, including Close Adult Supervision on Community Projects. Civic Justice Corps programs funded under these grants must have a sufficient number of staff to run a high-quality program. In particular, grantees must have enough adult project site supervisors to ensure that work being conducted on community service projects is of high quality; that participants are being productive and demonstrating a positive attitude towards the community service project at hand;

and that participants are gaining employment skills and learning positive behaviors such as leadership, teamwork, and respect for fellow participants. Programs will also need to ensure that case management is provided either directly with grant funds or through referrals to partner agencies to address the barriers to employment of participants, including such things as a lack of transportation and childcare, substance abuse and mental health issues, and history of family instability. Programs will also need to develop strategies to prevent the increase of juvenile delinquency resulting from the opportunity of interaction among juvenile offenders in the program.

5. Career Development. Civic Justice Corps programs funded under these grants must have a strong career development component that seeks to place each participant in a job in which skills are learned through post-secondary education, a registered apprenticeship program, or vocational training leading to an industry-recognized credential. This component must include partnerships with employers, the local workforce investment system’s One-Stop Career Center(s), community colleges, and four-year colleges. This component should be integrated with educational interventions. Career development services also should be an extension of community service projects so that employment skills gained during community service projects are related to future work opportunities. Where possible, there should be an emphasis on career development for in-demand or emerging occupations such as health care. Community service projects may provide exposure to various industries and, in such cases, participants should be exposed to relevant industry data such as future job openings and educational requirements for different occupations within those industries. For example, community service projects in the area of conservation may be connected to learning about job opportunities in land management agencies such as the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Other community service projects conducted in hospitals or clinics may be connected, for example, to job or post-secondary educational opportunities such as dental hygienists, diagnostic medical sonographers, opticians, and radiologic technologists and other technicians in the allied health field.

6. Post-Program Support and Follow-Up. Civic Justice Corps projects funded under these grants must have strong post-program support and follow-up components, including continued coordination and contact with employers, the local workforce development agency, local community colleges, and four-year colleges where participants have been placed to ensure that participants retain jobs and remain in schools and in other career development opportunities in which they are placed.

Applicants will be asked to define the length of these post-placement services within the grant’s period of performance to ensure that all participants receive the appropriate length of post-placement services.

C. Partnerships with the Juvenile Justice System and Social Service Agencies

In addition to the links to employers, the local workforce investment system’s One-Stop Career Center(s), community colleges, and four-year colleges described in the Career Development and Post-Program Support and Follow-Up components, each Civic Justice Corps project funded under this SGA will be expected to develop partnerships with the following entities:

Juvenile correctional facility or facilities to receive referrals of eligible youth about to be released who plan to return to the community being served, to allow

The local juvenile justice system to receive referrals of eligible youth who are on probation, who received an alternative sentence or were diverted before adjudication as an alternative to juvenile prosecution, or who have been involved in the juvenile justice system within the past year, and to coordinate services to program participants with juvenile probation officers;

Drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers to provide referrals to program participants in need of such services; and

Social service agencies to provide referrals for supportive services that program participants may need, including transportation, health and mental health services, substance abuse and mental health services, parenting classes and services, assistance in using the Earned Income Tax Credit, assisting in accessing Food Stamps and other Federal services, and housing.

D. Allowable Uses of Grant Funds

Allowable uses of grant funds for projects funded under these grants include but are not necessarily limited to the following activities:

1) Community service, workforce and education activities, such as:

Community service projects;

Skill and interest assessment and career development planning;

Vocational skills training;

Payment of wages to participants;

Payment of stipends to participants based on their performance in the program;

Job placement;

Accommodations for participants with disabilities;

Equipment, materials, and supplies for community service projects that support the occupational training aspect of public community service projects, consistent with requirements in 2 CFR 225 and 2 CFR 230, which require prior agency approval for equipment and that materials and supplies be charged at their actual net cost;

The purchase of bonds through the federal Bonding Program;

Basic skills instruction and remedial education;

Parenting classes Credit retrieval and GED instruction;

Language instruction educational programs for individuals with limited English proficiency; and Counseling and assistance in compiling high school credits, applying for post-secondary education, and applying for financial aid.

2) Case management services and related activities, including mentoring and referrals to housing assistance, mental health counseling, parenting classes and services, and substance abuse treatment;

3) Leadership and personal development activities that seek to develop cognitive and soft skills that participants will need to succeed in future jobs and that support one or more workplace competencies, including problem-solving, oral communication skills, a strong work ethic, and ability to work as part of a team; and

4) Follow-up services that focus efforts on job retention, wage gains and career progress through regular contact with employers and other post-placement supporting agencies, including assistance in addressing work-related problems that arise;

assistance in securing better paying jobs, career development and further education;

work in peer support groups; adult mentoring; and tracking of progress made by participants in employment after training.

II. Award Information

A. Award Amount

The Department expects to award a minimum of 13 grants. Applicants may submit only one proposal of up to $1.5 million, with the amount requested depending on the number of juvenile offenders ages 18 to 24 in the geographic area to be served. Any grant application with a proposed value greater than $1.5 million will be deemed non-responsive and will not be considered. The Department anticipates the approximate cost-per-participant to be in the range of $12,000 to $16,000 (including administration and planning costs) for average length-of-stays of six to eight months. In the event additional funds become available, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this solicitation.

B. Period of Performance These grants will be funded for a 30-month period of performance that includes up to four months of planning and a minimum of 26 months of operation. In the Budget Narrative, discussed in section IV.B.I, applicants must provide separate budgets for planning and operations. Regardless of the length of the planning period, applicants must budget for a maximum of 26 months of operation. Grantees should be judicious in their use of funds during the planning period and careful to use them specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants Any non-profit organization with IRS 501 (c) (3) status, unit of state or local government, or any Indian and Native American entity eligible for grants under WIA Section 166 may apply for these grants. An organization may submit only one application for up to $1.5 million. Applicants may focus these funds on a single site or serve multiple sites, with additional funding for these sites coming from other leveraged sources if DOL funding does not cover the full cost of operating a multi-site grant.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for application.

C. Other Eligibility Criteria

An organization may submit only one application.

D. Eligible Participants

1. Participants Eligible to Receive Services Youth ages 18 to 24 who have been involved with the juvenile justice system within the past 12 months may be served by these grants. Involvement in the juvenile justice system includes youth who within the past 12 months were:

under the supervision of the juvenile justice system either in out-of-home placements or on probation or parole;

placed in an alternative sentence by the juvenile justice system; or placed in a diversion program as an alternative to juvenile prosecution by the juvenile justice system.

2. Veterans Priority for Participants

The Jobs for Veterans Act (Public Law 107-288) requires grantees to provide priority of service for 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 can be found 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 http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

This SGA contains all of the information and links to forms needed to apply for grant funding.

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

Proposals submitted in response this SGA must consist of three separate and distinct parts: (I) a cost proposal; (II) a technical proposal; and (III) attachments to the technical proposal. Applications that do not contain all of the three parts or that fail to adhere to the instructions in this section will be considered non-responsive and will not http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816 be considered. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application.

Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the following items:

SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance” (available at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). 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 shall be considered the authorized representative of the applicant. All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S®) number, and must supply their D-U-N-S® Number on the SF-424. The D-U-N-S® Number is a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business entities. If you do not have a D-U-N-S® Number, you can get one for free through the D&B website:

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

The SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at http://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp). In preparing the Budget Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative explanation to support the budget request, explained in detail below.

Budget Narrative: Applicants must provide a separate budget narrative for planning and operations. Regardless of the length of the planning period, applicants must budget for a maximum of 26 months of operation. Grantees should be judicious in their use of funds during the planning period and careful to use them specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant. In addition, the budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. It should also include a description of leveraged resources provided (as applicable) to support grant activities.

Note that the entire Federal grant amount requested (not just one year) must be included on the SF-424 and SF-424A and budget narrative. No leveraged resources should be shown on the SF-424 and SF-424A. The amount listed on the SF-424, SF-424A and budget narrative must be the same. Please note, the funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the official funding amount requested if any inconsistencies are found. Applications that fail to provide an SF-424 including D-U-N-S® Number, SF-424A, and a budget narrative will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed.

Regardless of the method of application submission, all applicants must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR) before submitting an application. Step-by-step instructions for registering with CCR can be found at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. An awardee must maintain an active CCR 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 CCR database after the initial registration, the applicant is required to review and update on an annual basis from the date of initial registration or subsequent updates its information in the CCR 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. Failure to register with the CCR before application submission will result in your application being found non-responsive and not being reviewed.

http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp

Part II. The Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal must demonstrate the applicant’s capability to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this Solicitation. The guidelines for the content of the Technical Proposal are provided in section V of this SGA. The Technical Proposal is limited to 20 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font and 1 inch margins.

Any materials beyond the specified page limit will not be read. Applicants should number the Technical Proposal beginning with page number 1. Applications that do not include Part II, the Technical Proposal, will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed.

Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit a 2-page abstract which includes a brief discussion of the geographic area to be served by the grant, the number of youthful offenders to be served, the community service projects to be conducted, the educational interventions to be provided, the partnerships that will be developed and the anticipated outcomes. Applicants may also submit letters of commitment from potential partners or memorandums of understanding with potential partners. The abstract and any letters of commitment or memorandums of understanding do not count against the 20-page limit for the Technical Proposal. The attachments must not exceed 15 pages. Any pages beyond this page limit will not be read.

Applications that do not include the required abstract will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

Only those attachments listed above will be excluded from the page limit. The attachments must be affixed as separate, clearly identified appendices to the application. Additional materials such as resumes or general letters of support or commitment will not be considered.

Applicants should not send documents separately to ETA, because documents received separately will be tracked through a different system and will not be attached to the application for review. ETA will not accept general letters of support submitted by organizations or individuals that are not partners in the proposed project and that do not directly identify the specific commitment or roles of the project partners. Support letters of this nature will not be considered in the evaluation review process.

C. Submission Date, Times, Process and Addresses

The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is March 15, 2011. Applications may be submitted electronically on http://www.grants.gov or in hard-copy by mail or hand delivery (including overnight delivery). Hard-copy applications must be received at the address below no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

Applications submitted on grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted.

Applicants submitting proposals in hard-copy must submit an original signed application (including the SF-424) and one (1) ‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, staples or protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL.

Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy are also required to provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc (CD). If discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official applicant submission for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical applications in hard copy and CD format may have an impact on the overall evaluation.

If an application is physically submitted by both hard-copy and through http://www.grants.gov, a letter must accompany the hard-copy application stating which application to review. If no letter accompanies the hard-copy, we will review the copy submitted through http://www.grants.gov. Applications that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in this notice will be granted. Further, documents submitted separately from the application, before or after the deadline, will not be accepted as part of the application.

Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention:

Eric Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 10-04, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington area may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered proposals will be received at the above address. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing date and time.

Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be successfully submitted at http://www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then subsequently validated by Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming. Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if necessary.

The Department strongly recommends that before the applicant begins to write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and complete the “Get Registered” registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should read through the registration process carefully before registering. These steps may take as much as four weeks to complete, and this time should be factored into plans for electronic submission in order to avoid unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application. The site also contains registration checklists to help you walk through the process. The Department strongly recommends that applicants download the “Organization Registration Checklist” at http://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration process.

Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for required information and save time.

As described above, applicants must have a D–U–N–S® Number and must register with the Federal Central Contractor Registry (CCR).

The next step in the registration process is creating a username and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR).

AORs will need to know the D-U-N-S® Number of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating a profile on Grants.gov visit:

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp.

After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz point of Contact (E-Biz POC) -a representative from your organization who is the contact listed for CCR – will receive an email to grant the AOR permission to submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will then log in to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more about AOR Authorization visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp, or to track AOR status visit: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp.

An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a submission as an electronically signed application. The registration and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, establishes an AOR. When you submit the application through Grants.gov, the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line of the application. Applicants must register the individual who is able to make legally binding commitments for the applicant organization as the AOR; this step is often missed and it is crucial for valid submissions.

When a registered applicant submits an application with Grants.gov, an electronic time stamp is generated within the system when the application is successfully received by Grants.gov. Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of the application’s progress through the system. The first email, sent almost immediately, will contain a tracking number and will confirm receipt of the application by Grants.gov. The second email will indicate the application has either been successfully validated or has been rejected due to errors. Only applications that have been successfully submitted by the deadline and subsequently successfully validated will be considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a timely submission. While it is not required that an application be successfully validated before the deadline for submission, it is prudent to reserve time before the deadline in case it is necessary to resubmit an application that has not been successfully validated.

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

To ensure consideration, the components of the application must be saved as

.doc, .xls or .pdf files. If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent us from considering the application. ETA will attempt to open the document but will not take any additional measures in the event of problems with opening. In such cases, the non-conforming application will not be considered for funding.

We strongly advise applicants to use the various tools and documents, including FAQs, which are available on the “Applicant Resources” page at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/resources.jsp.

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp

ETA encourages new prospective applicants to view the online tutorial, “Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants,” available through Workforce3One at: http://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

To receive updated information about critical issues, new tips for users and other time sensitive updates as information is available, applicants may subscribe to “Grants.gov Updates” at http://www.grants.gov/applicants/email_subscription_signup.jsp.

If applicants encounter a problem with Grants.gov and do not find an answer in any of the other resources, call 1-800-518-4726 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or email “support@grants.gov”. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is closed on federal holidays.

Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date and then successfully validated will be considered. Applicants take a significant risk by waiting to the last day to submit by Grants.gov.

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

D. Intergovernmental Review

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

E. Funding Restrictions

All proposal costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with Federal guidelines. Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles. Disallowed costs are those charges to a grant that the grantor agency or its representative determines not to be allowed in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles or other conditions contained in the grant.

Applicants, whether successful or not, will not be entitled to reimbursement of pre-award costs.

1. Indirect Costs

As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. An indirect cost rate (ICR) is required when an organization operates under more than one grant or other activity, whether Federally-assisted or not. Organizations must use the ICR supplied by the Federal Cognizant Agency. If an organization requires a new ICR or has a pending ICR, the Grant Officer will award a temporary billing rate for 90 days until a provisional rate can be issued. This rate is based on the fact that an organization has not established an ICR agreement. Within this 90 day period, the organization must submit an acceptable indirect cost proposal to their Federal Cognizant Agency to obtain a provisional ICR.

2. Administrative Costs

Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a project or program may not use more than 10 percent of the amount of the grant to pay administrative costs associated with the program or project. Administrative costs could be direct or indirect costs, and are defined at 20 CFR 667.220. Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form.

However, they must be tracked through the grantee’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its Federal Cognizant agency, as specified above.

3. Salary and Bonus Limitations

Under Public Law 109-234, none of the funds appropriated in Public Law 109-149 or prior Acts under the heading “Employment and Training Administration” that are available for expenditure on or after June 15, 2006, may be used by a recipient or sub-recipient of such funds to pay the salary and bonuses of an individual, either as direct costs or indirect costs, at a rate in excess of Executive Level II, except as provided for in section 101 of Public Law 109-149. Public Laws 111-8 and 111-117 contain the same limitation on funds appropriated under each of these Laws. This limitation applies to grants funded under this SGA. The salary and bonus limitation does not apply to vendors providing goods and services as defined in OMB Circular A-133 (codified at 29 CFR Parts 96 and 99). See Training and Employment Guidance Letter number 5-06 for further clarification:

http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.

4. Intellectual Property Rights

The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for Federal purposes: i) the copyright in all products developed under the grant, including a subgrant or contract under the grant or subgrant; and ii) any rights of copyright to which the grantee, subgrantee or a contractor purchases ownership under an award (including but not limited to curricula, training models, technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses include, but are not limited to, the right to http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262 modify and distribute such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise. The grantee may not use federal funds to pay any royalty or license fee for use of a copyrighted work, or the cost of acquiring by purchase a copyright in a work, where the Department has a license or rights of free use in such work. If revenues are generated through selling products developed with grant funds, including intellectual property, these revenues are program income. Program income is added to the grant and must be expended for allowable grant activities.

If applicable, the following needs to be on all products developed in whole or in part with grant funds:

“This workforce product was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S.

Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The product was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S.

Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership. This product is copyrighted by the institution that created it.

Internal use by an organization and/or personal use by an individual for non-commercial purposes is permissible. All other uses require the prior authorization of the copyright owner.”

F. Other Submission Requirements

Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by written notice to the Grant Officer at any time before an award is made.

V. Application Review Information

A. Evaluation Criteria

This section identifies and describes the criteria that will be used for each category to evaluate grant proposals. The evaluation criteria are described below:

Criterion Points

1. Need in the Area to be Served 10

2. Project Design 50

3. Partnerships with the Juvenile Justice System and Social Service Agencies

4. Organizational Experience in Involving Youth in Community Service Projects

5. Organizational Experience Serving Youth Offenders

6. Organizational Administrative and Fiscal Capacity

TOTAL 100

1. NEED IN THE AREA TO BE SERVED (10 points)

Identify in the proposal the number of youth 18 to 24 expected to be served and the geographic area that will be served by the grant. This can be a city, a county, a sub-area of a city or county, a set of contiguous counties, an Indian Reservation, a local workforce investment area, or other designated area. State in this section the total number of youth 18 to 24 in the geographic area to be served who within the past 12 months were under the supervision of the juvenile justice system, placed in an alternative sentence by the juvenile justice system, or placed in a diversion program by the juvenile justice system. This number must be greater than or equal to the number of youth that the applicant proposes to serve in the project. Applications proposing to serve a larger number of youth than the number of youth ages 18 to 24 in the geographic area to be served who were involved in the juvenile justice system within the past year will receive 0 points for this criterion.

Make the best case for why the local area needs this grant. Present the number of youth of all ages from the area placed in a juvenile correctional facility this past year:

the number of youth of all ages placed in local detention centers, alternative sentences, and diversion programs; and the number of youth of all ages who returned home from juvenile correctional facilities.

Provide the source of this data. Provide the total population of the area to put the number of youth offenders in perspective. Discuss the extent of youth gangs in the area. Discuss why the problems of juvenile crime and youth gangs exist to the extent that they do in the area, what resources are currently available for serving returning juvenile offenders, and what gaps currently exist in these services.

Proposals will be evaluated under this criterion as follows:

Up to 10 points will be awarded under this criterion based on the case the applicant makes in the proposal for the local need for the project. The strength of the case is based on:

the number of youth 18 to 24 in the geographic area to be served who were under the supervision of the juvenile justice system, which include: diversion programs, alternative sentencing programs, placed in juvenile correctional facilities or local juvenile detention centers within the past 12 months;

the number of youth of all ages from the geographic area to be served who were under the supervision of the juvenile justice system, which include:

diversion programs, alternative sentencing programs, placed in juvenile correctional facilities or local juvenile detention centers within the past 12 months;

the number of youth of all ages who returned home from juvenile correctional facilities within the past 12 months;

the number of youth 18-24 who returned home from juvenile correctional facilities within the past 12 month;

the number of youth offenders of all ages relative to the total population of the area;

the extent of youth gangs in the area;

the resources currently available for serving returning juvenile offenders in the area; and the current gaps in services to juvenile offenders in the area.

2. PROJECT DESIGN (50 points)

Fully demonstrate how the applicant will implement each of the required project components in Part I of the grant announcement and explained below.

Meaningful community service projects and service-learning opportunities. (20 points)

Describe the community service projects and service-learning opportunities that the applicant…