sga-dfa-py-10-10.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Reintegration of Ex-Offenders – Adult Program Grants

Announcement Type: Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-10-10 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.270

KEY DATE: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is March 17, 2011. Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.

ADDRESS: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal Assistance, Attention: Brinda Ruggles, Grants Management Specialist, Reference SGA/DFA PY-10-10, 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 (“Department”), announces the availability of $11.7 million dollars to serve adult ex-offenders returning to their communities. The Department expects to award approximately 10 grants of approximately $1,170,000 each for a 27-month period of performance. Grants will be awarded to faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) to provide pre-release and post-release services to ex-offenders returning to high-poverty, high-crime communities. These services will include job training and employment preparation, mentoring, and assistance connecting to supportive services such as housing, substance abuse programs, and mental health treatment.

Specifically, the employment component of the grant will focus on the development of employment opportunities in in-demand occupations, including emerging “green” jobs.

Applicants must describe their community’s need for reentry services and the degree to which reentry is an issue; describe their program’s design to provide services to adult ex-offenders that will result in employment in in-demand industries, including “green” jobs; and provide evidence of partnerships with the criminal justice system, local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career Centers, the local public housing authority and other providers of housing services, and mental health and substance abuse treatment service providers.

This solicitation provides background information, 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. Background on Funding Opportunity

Each year approximately 650,000 inmates are released from State and Federal prisons and return to their communities and families. Without assistance to make a successful transition, the majority of ex-offenders return to criminal activity. According to the U.S.

Department of Justice, almost three out of five returning ex-offenders will be charged with new crimes within three years of their release from prison and two out of five will be re-incarcerated.

Released prisoners face a myriad of challenges that contribute to their return to criminal activity, leading to re-arrest and re-incarceration. Joblessness among ex-prisoners has been broadly linked to recidivism rates. Statistics indicate that even before incarceration, many adult prisoners have had little to no participation in the workforce. Data from 1997 show that nearly one-third of adult prisoners were unemployed in the month before their arrest, compared to seven percent unemployment in the general population.1 Post-incarceration, employment rates only get worse—unemployment among ex-offenders has been estimated at between 25 and 40 percent. Likewise, prisoners also demonstrate low levels of educational attainment. Nineteen percent of adult State prisoners are completely illiterate and 40 percent are functionally illiterate;2 over half of State parole entrants were not high school graduates and as many as eleven percent had only an eighth grade education or less.3 Additionally, the high economic cost of incarceration and the loss of large numbers of potential workers in some cities and regions across the U.S. threaten our nation’s global competitiveness.

Research has also documented the substance abuse and mental health issues of ex-offenders—factors that are likely to contribute to poor education levels, un-employability, and a return to criminal activity. For example, a study of parolees from State prisons in 1999 found that 84 percent had been using an illegal drug or abusing alcohol at the time of their offense.

One-quarter had been alcohol dependent and one-quarter had been IV drug users. Fourteen percent had a mental illness and twelve percent were homeless at the time of their arrest. In some States, nearly one-quarter of parole revocations were related to drug-related violations.4 Estimates of mental illness among the prison population vary. One study found that sixteen percent of State prison and local jail inmates had a mental illness, as did seven percent of Federal prisoners. Among detainees with a mental disorder, 72 percent also had a substance abuse disorder.5 In a survey of prisoners, one-fourth of male adults and more than one-third of female adults reported having been treated at some time for a mental or emotional problem.6 However, only one-third of adult male detainees and one-fourth of females who needed services for severe mental disorders received treatment in jail.7 In order to successfully reintegrate into the community, it is essential that ex-offenders possess the skills and support necessary to enter and compete for jobs in the labor market.

FBCOs are uniquely positioned to provide the services needed to assist with the reintegration of these ex-offenders back into their communities because they can provide the resources and infrastructure that are necessary to intervene in the lives of ex-offenders and interrupt cycles of crime and incarceration. Since collaboration and communication with public, private and nonprofit providers and policymakers are essential to helping those in resource-poor neighborhoods, the trust that FBCOs have earned is invaluable. This grant will rely heavily on FBCOs to develop relationships and facilitate connections to rehabilitation services for program participants.8

1 Petersilia, Joan (2003). When Prisoners Come Home: Parole and Prisoner Reentry. Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

2 Rubinstein, 2001 as quoted in Petersilia, 2003.

3 Petersilia, 2003.

4 Hughes, T.A., Wilson, D.J., and Belk, A.J. (2001). Trends in State Parole, 1990-2000. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC.

5 Ditton, P.M. (1999). Mental Health and Treatment of Inmates and Probationers. U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

6 Harlow, C.W. (1998). Profile of Jail Inmates, 1996. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Washington, DC.

7 Report to Congress on the Prevention and Treatment of Co-occurring Substance Abuse Disorders and Mental Disorders. (2002). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Washington, DC.

8 Yoon, Jamie and Nickel, Jessica. (2008). Reentry Partnerships: A Guide for State and Faith-Based and Community Organizations. Council of State Governments Justice Center, New York, NY.

B. Required Program Components The Reintegration of Ex-Offenders – Adult (RExO – Adult) program is designed to strengthen the communities to which the majority of ex-offenders return through an employment-centered program that focuses on job opportunities and training in in-demand occupations such as those in “green” industries, incorporates mentoring, and facilitates the connection to supportive services such as housing, substance abuse programs and mental health treatment. FBCOs must provide comprehensive and coordinated services to ex-offenders in each of the three components described below.

1. Employment opportunities to reduce recidivism. The RExO – Adult program is an employment-centered program intended to address the needs of ex-offenders returning to communities. Employment is a critical stabilizing factor for ex-offenders and this initiative will stress job placement in in-demand industries such as “green” jobs, job retention, and increasing the earning potential of ex-offenders. FBCOs will offer job placement services in coordination with businesses, local One-Stop Career Centers, educational institutions, and other employment service providers. FBCOs will also use services available to support employment of ex-offenders, such as the Federal Bonding program and Work Opportunity Tax Credits. FBCOs should develop partnerships with various employment partners, including Employer Advisory Councils, Chambers of Commerce, Neighborhood Business Councils and individual employers to ensure a pathway to employment for participants.

2. Vocational training and educational interventions designed to improve the career pathways and earning potential of ex-offenders. Educational attainment is increasingly critical in the global economy. Many jobs will require more than a secondary degree. The Center for Economic Policy Research found that “[t]ime behind bars can lead to deterioration in a worker’s ‘human capital,’ including formal education, on-the-job experience, and even ‘soft skills’ such as punctuality or customer relations.”9 In order to improve employment opportunities for ex-offenders, opportunities for educational attainment and industry-recognized certificates are essential. FBCOs should conduct assessments and work with participants to create individual development plans to connect participants that may not be ready for immediate employment with opportunities for vocational and educational assistance. This may take the form of continuing education services (including literacy and numeracy gains toward the attainment of a high school diploma or GED, or toward the attainment of an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree), provided by partnering with adult education agencies, community colleges and other education providers. Participants must also be given opportunities for training in work readiness and soft skills. As well, FBCOs should use these partnerships to offer opportunities for advanced vocational training with the goal of industry-recognized certifications, particularly in in-demand occupations in the local economy such as in “green” industries. The Department uses a broad framework for thinking about green jobs with the understanding that knowledge, skills, and abilities are transferable across industry sectors. This understanding may also be applied to the skills required for green jobs. All of these reference points – WIA, BLS, and O*NET – provide a broad framework for defining green jobs. Applicants may use any or all of these definitions in identifying the green occupations in which they propose to provide training. Applicants may also propose their own definition of green jobs if they can support their definition with evidence.

First, WIA identifies the following seven energy efficiency and renewable energy industries in Section 171(e)(1)(B)(ii).

9 Schmitt, John and Warner, Kris. (2010). Ex-Offenders and the Labor Market. Center for Economic Policy Research, Washington, DC.

The energy-efficient building, construction, and retrofit industries;

The renewable electric power industry;

The energy efficient and advanced drive train vehicle industry;

The biofuels industry;

The deconstruction and materials use industries;

The energy efficiency assessment industry serving residential, commercial, or industrial sectors; and Manufacturers that produce sustainable products using environmentally sustainable processes and materials.

Second, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) conducted considerable research on energy efficiency and renewable energy occupations in an effort to further refine the definition of green jobs into two broad categories:

Jobs in businesses that produce goods or provide services that benefit the environment or conserve natural resources; and

Jobs in which workers' duties involve making their establishment's production processes more environmentally friendly or use fewer natural resources.

For more information on the BLS Green Jobs Definition, please visit:

http://www.bls.gov/green/#definition.

Lastly, the Department has funded O*NET research, which is published in the February

2009 O*NET report, Greening of the World of Work: Implications for O*NET-SOC and New and Emerging Occupations (http://www.onetcenter.org/dl_files/Green.pdf) that showed there are existing green occupations that are growing in demand and those that require enhanced skills, or have activities and technologies that result in a significant change to the work and worker requirements. O*NET’s list of green occupational sectors is quite comprehensive and includes:

Renewable Energy Generation (including power plant operators);

Energy Efficiency (including electrical powerline installers and repairers);

Energy Trading;

Research, Design, and Consulting;

Agriculture and Forestry;

Recycling and Waste Reduction (including solid waste and wastewater management, treatment, and reduction, and processing recycling materials);

Transportation;

Green Construction;

Energy and Carbon Capture;

Environment Protection (including Brownfield Remediation Specialists and Site

Managers);

Manufacturing; and Governmental and Regulatory.

All of these reference points – WIA, BLS, and O*NET – provide a broad framework for defining green jobs.

3. Mentoring of ex-offenders to support reintegration. Mentoring is a key element of reentry support. Previous research and programming have shown mentoring to be a promising practice http://www.bls.gov/green/#definition in reducing recidivism and supporting returning offenders.10 FBCOs must provide post-release mentoring as it is essential to reintegrating ex-offenders in coordination with the corrections, parole, and probation structure. Participating adult ex-offenders will be matched with appropriate mentors who will be primarily responsible for offering support and guidance to the ex-offender in the community and the workplace. For the purposes of the RExO – Adult program, mentoring is defined as a relationship over a prolonged period of time between two or more people where caring volunteer mentors assist ex-prisoners in successfully and permanently reentering their communities by providing consistent support as needed, guidance, and encouragement that impacts RExO - Adult participants in developing positive social relationships and achieving program outcomes such as job retention, family reunification and reduced recidivism.

C. Partnerships and Services to Support Participant Success In addition to partnering with employers, grantees are expected to partner with Local

Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs) and One-Stop Career Centers. These workforce system entities can provide training in work readiness and soft skills, as well as opportunities for education and vocational training, and access to employer partners. A small but growing number of One–Stop Career Centers, as described above, have a particular focus on the needs of ex-offenders. Examples of partnerships with LWIBs and One-Stop Career Centers include memoranda of understanding for referral to supportive services, training and other opportunities provided by these entities, and co-location of staff from the FBCO grantee at the One-Stop Career Center to serve as a liaison for RExO-Adult participants using the One-Stop Career Center.

Grantees should also seek to partner with State and local correctional agencies, including State Departments of Corrections, county and city jails, and probation/parole offices, to provide referrals of prisoners being released or recently released into the communities being served with this grant, as well as to provide access to state prisons and county or city jails to serve offenders within three months of release. These agencies will also be important partners in documenting recidivism outcomes as described in Section VI.C. Past examples of collaborative partnerships have included partnering with correctional agencies that have received Second Chance Act funding to provide a seamless process of referrals and partnerships with Reentry One-Stop Career Centers, located in communities or in jails, which focus on the employment needs of soon-to-be-released prisoners and released ex-offenders.

As well, many prisons use employment advisory councils that provide behind-the-fence apprenticeship opportunities for inmates and create pathways to post-release employment.

Partnering with state prisons around employment advisory councils can create stronger linkages to industry-recognized certification opportunities and employment connections.

The Department has determined that grant funds cannot be used to provide housing, substance abuse or mental health services; therefore, grantees must create strong partnerships with clearly defined roles and letters of commitment to provide the supportive services needed to assist ex-offenders to successfully enter the workforce or use other funding sources to provide these services in-house. FBCOs should work to develop partnerships with the following entities:

Drug and alcohol abuse treatment centers and mental health service providers to give referrals to program participants in need of such services. This may include partnering with Federal, State or locally funded substance abuse treatment programs, community-

10 Bauldry, Shawn, Djakovic, Danijela Korom, McClanahan, Wendy S., McMaken, Jennifer, and Kotloff, Laurie.

(2009). Mentoring Formerly Incarcerated Adults: Insights from the Ready4Work Reentry Initiative. Public/Private Ventures, Philadelphia, PA.

based mental health treatment centers or other health treatment providers that can serve ex-offenders.

Community homeless shelters, housing authorities or other providers of short-term and emergency shelter. Housing is a key concern of ex-offenders on release from incarceration and is integral to creating the stability necessary to succeed in employment.

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) Up to three months before release from incarceration, grantees can provide services, to include:

Orientation activities for new participants;

Assessment activities, including risk assessment, work-readiness assessments and education placement assessments;

Developing post-release plans;

Assisting prisoners to obtain documents necessary for employment upon release;

Education and vocational training;

Job training;

Mentoring and case management; and Any other activities necessary to prepare offenders for employment at release.

2) Post-release workforce development services, such as:

Education and vocational training;

Job training;

On-the-job training;

Work readiness training;

Work experience;

Job placement assistance; and Basic skills remediation.

3) Case management services, including referrals to housing assistance, mental health counseling, and substance abuse treatment, among other supportive services.

4) Mentoring, both during active participation and after program exit.

5) 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, continued mentoring, and performance tracking of participant outcomes.

6) These funds can also be used to provide monetary incentives to participants for performance or success in meeting benchmarks, and up to 1.5% of DOL grant funds may be used to provide needs-based payments to assist participants with costs related to food or other household items, such as paying a utility bill to prevent shut-off. FBCOs must have a consistent standard and policy in place on the provision of both incentive awards and needs-based payments. Further information on the 1.5% needs-based payment policy can be found under Section IV.E.

II. AWARD INFORMATION

A. Award Amount

The Department expects to award approximately 10 grants of approximately $1,170,000 each for a 27-month period of performance. Any grant application with a proposed value greater than $1,170,000 will be deemed non-responsive and not be considered. In the event additional funds become available as a result of the FY 2011 appropriation, ETA reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from applications submitted in response to this solicitation. The Department anticipates the approximate cost-per-participant to be $3,000 with each grantee serving approximately 195 participants in the first year of program services, after the pre-implementation planning period.

B. Period of Performance These grants will be funded for a 27-month period of performance, to include up to three months of pre-implementation planning and a minimum of two full years of program services. In the Budget Narrative, discussed in Section IV.B, Part I, applicants must provide separate budgets for the planning and program services periods. Grantees should be judicious in their use of funds during the planning phase and use them specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant.

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

A. Eligible Applicants

Recipients of these grants will be non-profit faith-based and community organizations (“FBCOs”) that are located in or have existing staff presence in the high-poverty, high-crime area to be served. This grant focuses on high-poverty, high-crime areas that are heavily impacted by a large proportion of ex-offenders returning each year and which experience high rates of recidivism. A single application may be submitted to serve multiple sites. However, applicants must demonstrate that they have an existing organizational presence in each of the identified geographic areas to be served. The application may not be for more than $1,170,000, with additional funding for multiple sites coming from other leveraged resources if DOL funding does not fully cover the cost of operating a multi-site grant. Previous recipients of RExO – Adult grants are eligible for this solicitation.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost sharing or matching is not required, although leveraging of resources is strongly encouraged in order to maximize the impact of the grant. Applicants should describe what resources, new and existing, may support the goals of the project. While the failure to offer leveraged resources as a part of an application will not preclude consideration of the application, it will place the applicant at a competitive disadvantage against applicants that do so to the extent that an applicant’s ability to provide required employment-related services and to arrange for supportive services is improved by access to resources beyond this grant.

C. Eligible Participants

1. Participants Eligible to Receive Training Individuals 18 years old and older who have been convicted as an adult and imprisoned under Federal or State law, and who have never been convicted of a sex-related offense other than prostitution, can be served with these grants. Eligible individuals can be referred from partnering criminal justice agencies and also recruited from within the target community. All individuals served by this program must be enrolled in the program within 180 days after their release from prison, jail, or a halfway house and must be returning to the target community.

Services may be provided to current inmates, including residents of a halfway house, with release dates within three months of the start of services. Grantees have the discretion to enroll individuals convicted of either violent or non-violent offenses. However, the grantee must have a clear and consistent enrollment policy that addresses how enrollment of program applicants with either type of conviction will be treated. Grantees may choose to have a more rigorous risk assessment for violent offenders and should note this where it will factor into enrollment eligibility.

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 to 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 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: The budget narrative must provide a description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. Applicants must provide separate budget narratives for the pre-implementation and program services periods but should only submit one http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/displayHomePage.do

SF-424A. Applicants may budget for a three-month pre-implementation period and must budget for a minimum of 24 months of program services. Grantees should be judicious in their use of funds during the pre-implementation planning period and use them specifically for planning and pre-implementation activities associated with this grant. In addition, the applicant should address precisely how the administrative costs support the project goals. 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. A grantee 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.

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 the following attachments:

a) An up to two-page abstract summarizing the proposed project, which includes a brief discussion of the geographic area to be served by the grant, the sources of recruitment for participants, the training and employment opportunities to be offered, and the partnerships that will be developed;

b) A timeline outlining project activities; and

c) Letters of commitment from expected partners, including criminal justice agencies, housing agencies, substance abuse treatment facilities, and the local Workforce Investment Board or One-Stop Career Center, as well as other letters of commitment as described in the Technical Proposal.

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp

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

Only those attachments listed above as required attachments will be excluded from the page limit. The required attachments must be affixed as separate, clearly identified appendices to the application. Additional materials such as resumes or general letters of support 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 17, 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 http://www.grants.gov must also be successfully submitted (as described below) no later than 4:00 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 hardcopy 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: Brinda Ruggles, Grants Management Specialist, Reference SGA/DFA PY-10-10, 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.

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.

DOL grant funds must not be used to provide substance abuse treatment, housing assistance, or healthcare costs for participants. We expect grantees to use existing resources in the community and refer participants to providers who can assist participants in meeting these needs. DOL grant funds also cannot be used to pay for food to participants except as a needs-based payment through which the participant can purchase food or by providing food baskets or vouchers for food and household items as a supportive service to enrollees. Where a grantee provides needs-based payments, the grantee must have a detailed policy in place documenting how need is assessed, in what situations such payments are provided to participants, and the criteria for eligibility to receive the payments. Payments must not exceed more than 1.5% of the grant program’s total operating budget.

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 http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262 limited to, the right to 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 to evaluate proposals.

Points will be awarded as follows:

Criterion Points

1. Need in the Area to Be Served 15

2. Project Design and Service Strategy 50

3. Partnerships and Services to Support

Participant Success

4. Organizational Experience and Administrative Capacity

TOTAL 100

The components listed above make up the Technical Proposal (along with the additional requirements listed in Section IV, Part B).

1. NEED IN THE AREA TO BE SERVED (15 points) Grantees must provide the following information to meet this criterion.