YA Request for Applications DETA-19514-P.docx

Request for Applications

YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Wisconsin SAE 2020 Grant US Dept of Labor Grant: AP-35130-20-60-A-55

ILA0030A

Issued: June 8, 2022 (Updated: August 26, 2022) Applications Close: June 1, 2023, by 11:59pm (CST)

Issued by:

STATE OF WISCONSIN

DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Division of Employment and Training

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED

There will not be a public opening for this RFA.

For further information regarding this RFA, contact the YA Incentive mailbox.

E-Mail: DETYASAE2020@dwd.wisconsin.gov

This project is funded in whole by the Department of Labor, SAE 2020 Grant, AP-35130-20-60-A-55 (ILA0030A), receiving Federal funding at $9 million which reflects 100% of the project’s total budget.

DETA-19514-P (N. 08/2022)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Contents

Document 01: ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Description General Information A landing page for this Request for Applications (RFA) is available at the link below. All related documents and forms are provided at the landing page.

https://vendornet.wi.gov/Bid.aspx?Id=e57dd9cf-409a-ec11-813a-0050568c7f0f&name=

1.1 Introduction and Background

The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has received funding from federal grants and is using those funds to expand Wisconsin Apprenticeship through various initiatives. On September 11, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor ("DOL") awarded the DWD with a $9 million grant for the period of performance extending from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2023. The federal award identification number of the grant is AP-35130-20-60-A-55. The name of the grant is Building State Capacity to Expand Apprenticeship SAE 2020; the DWD commonly refers to this grant and its implementation of the grant program as "SAE 2020."

The DWD's goals for this grant include the following:

Increasing the number of registered apprentices in Wisconsin;

Supporting and encouraging the diversification of registered apprenticeship (RA) by increasing the diversity of apprentices as well as growing apprenticeship programs across industry sectors; and Increasing the bridge rate between youth apprenticeship (YA) and RA participants.

1.2 Project Overview

The ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes initiative ("Initiative") provides grant-funded payments to YA consortia that have bridged their YA completers into RA opportunities resulting in active RA contracts. Only WI YA consortia are invited to participate in the Initiative.

The purpose of the Initiative is to expand pathways into RA from YA by encouraging YA consortia to develop and refine effective bridging strategies, resulting in more YA completers continuing to RA.

Payments under this Request for Applications (RFA) are based on the registered apprentice ("Apprentice") having successfully completed a WI YA program; the YA Consortium having performed the bridging work as described in its approved Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Local Grant Application, the executed Education/Training Agreement, and the signed ILA0030A Blanket Agreement; the work resulting in an active RA contract; and all other requirements under the RFA having been met.

1.3 Eligibility Overview

There will be a two-step process for receiving payment under this RFA.

In the first step, the DWD will determine whether the Consortium is eligible to request payments by reviewing the Consortium's Application (Attachment A). Successful Applications will become Blanket Agreements that allow the Consortium to submit Requests for Payment (Attachment B) for the duration of the Initiative, provided that they remain in good standing.

In the second step, the Consortium may submit a Request for Payment for successfully bridged youth apprentices, in accordance with RFA requirements, accompanied by an Attestation form (Attachment C). The DWD staff will evaluate both documents to determine the Consortium's eligibility to receive payment.

1.4 Required Documents

All documents related to the Initiative are available at the landing page link given above.

Step 1 (Applicants must submit this document only once.)

Attachment A ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Blanket Agreement Application

Step 2 (Applicants must submit both of these documents each time they request payment.)

Attachment B ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Request for Payment Attachment C ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Attestation

1.5 Funding Limits, Agreement Term, and Calendar of Events

The DWD is making available $200,000 for the Initiative. The payment amount available for each successfully bridged Apprentice is $1,000.00. To receive payment, the Consortium must meet all RFA requirements and the DWD must approve the payment requests.

Successful Step 1 applications will become Blanket Agreements between the Consortium and the DWD. After a Consortium has an executed Blanket Agreement, it may submit Requests for Payment and Attestation forms that the DWD will process according to the requirements of this RFA. Blanket Agreements will extend through the end of the grant's period of performance unless otherwise stated on the RFA landing page.

Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The DWD will process applications and requests for payments until the earliest of the following.

· The application deadline of 6/1/2023 has passed.

· The allocated funds are exhausted.

· The funds are no longer made available due to new guidance from the grantor or needs of the grant.

Listed below are dates and times of actions related to the Initiative. If the DWD finds it necessary to change any of the dates and times, it will do so by issuing an amendment and posting it on the RFA web page, accessed by the link provided at the beginning of this document. It is the prospective applicant's and Consortium's responsibility to check the RFA landing page regularly for notifications of changes to Initiative documents and updated forms.

The DWD reserves the right to change the allocation amount, the payment amounts, the RFA timeline dates, and / or make other changes to these terms based on the needs of the grant, clarifications or changes from the grantor, availability of funds, etc.

1.6 Definitions

· Applicant means a YA consortium submitting an application in response to the Initiative

· Apprentice means a Wisconsin registered apprentice, not a youth apprentice or pre-apprentice

· BAS means Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards

· Blanket Agreement means an application that has been signed by both the Consortium and the DWD

· Consortium means a YA consortium that has submitted an application successfully and has a Blanket Agreement with the DWD for the Initiative

· DWD means the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development

· Initiative means ILA0030A, this funding opportunity

· OSI means Office of Special Initiatives

· RA means Registered Apprenticeship

· RFA means this Request for Applications

· YA means the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship program

1.7 Accessing Documents and Changes to Published Documents

All documents related to the Initiative will be available at the link at the beginning of Section 1. Each document's "last updated" date will be posted on the landing page beside it. Consortia are responsible for periodically reviewing the RFA page to be informed on changes, ensuring that they have the most recent information, and using the most recent version of forms before submitting them.

1.8 Order of Precedence and Agreement Acceptance

Successful applications that become a Blanket Agreement incorporate the terms and conditions of the Initiative, including all terms and conditions included in the RFA or its forms, attachments, and amendments, and any additional terms agreed to in writing by the parties. By signing the Blanket Agreement Application, the Consortium thereby accepts all terms and conditions of the Initiative and its related documents.

In the event of conflict with the terms and conditions of the Initiative, RFA, Blanket Agreement, or other documents, the following order of precedence will prevail.

1. Laws, regulations, and policies of the Federal government, the State, and the DWD;

2. Requirements and guidance of the US Department of Labor for the SAE 2020 grant, including but not limited to the terms and conditions, modifications, and other guidance;

3. The executed Blanket Agreement and supporting documents;

4. Approved requests for payment and supporting documents;

5. Document 01: ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Description, including all guidance, clarifications, and revisions.

1.9 Reasonable Accommodations

The DWD will provide reasonable accommodations in the RFA process, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format upon request for qualified individuals with disabilities. Any applicant in need of reasonable accommodations should contact Barb Hoffhein at barbara.hoffhein@dwd.wisconsin.gov .

Eligibility and Requirements

2.1 Consortium Eligibility Determination

YA consortia that are active and in good standing with Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship are eligible to respond to this RFA. To be approved for the Initiative, the YA consortium:

· must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) registered on www.sam.gov; registration must be active and show no exclusions.

· must be able to produce records of the work it conducted which directly resulted in the YA completer bridging to an RA contract.

· must apply under Step 1 on or before the deadline for applications.

Applications are timestamped according to the date and time received in the submission mailbox and placed on a list for evaluation. They are processed in the order in which they are received. Incomplete applications are not evaluated. An unsuccessful Applicant may request technical assistance then submit a new application.

Consortium eligibility determinations are made by the DWD staff on a case-by-case basis, are only for this specific RFA, and are conducted upon receipt of a completed application from a YA consortium during the application window. All Applicants will be notified of the results of the eligibility determination.

2.2 Payment Eligibility

Payments reimburse the Consortium for the work it has done to bridge youth apprentices to RA opportunities. To receive payment, the Consortium must have an executed Blanket Agreement and submit a Request for Payment and an Attestation form for the bridged apprentices. Additionally, there are requirements of the Consortium, the Apprentice, and the RA contract.

The Consortium:

· must have executed an Education/Training Agreement to declare the YA student to be a bridge student.

· must have conducted the work with the YA student, as described in the Blanket Agreement.

The Apprentice:

· must have completed a Wisconsin YA program and been included in a high school class of 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023.

The Apprentice's RA contract:

· must be the Apprentice's first RA contract after completing the YA program.

· must have entered active status on or after July 1, 2020.

· must have entered active status within 12 months of the apprentice's high school graduation. The DWD may make rare exceptions on a case-by-case basis when early graduation, early completion of high school requirements, or other anomalies have occurred.

· may include an RA employer/sponsor that is different than the YA employer.

Application and Request for Payment Processes

3.1 Step I – the Application Process

The Step 1 application process is to confirm the consortium's eligibility for the Initiative and provide a document reference number to the Blanket Agreement. The DWD staff reviews the application in accordance with a standardized procedure and recommend applications for approval that meet RFA requirements. All Applicants are notified of their eligibility status.

Recommended applications are routed through an internal approval and signature process. Approved applications are assigned the reference number, signed by the DWD, and become a Blanket Agreement. Consortia that have entered into a Blanket Agreement are approved to submit requests for payment under Step 2.

The DWD will notify consortia that are not approved. Those consortia may request technical assistance and then submit new application materials before the deadline. Each approved Consortium is sent an email notifying them of the approval, which will also include the Blanket Agreement. The reference code on the Blanket Agreement is unique to the Consortium and must be included on each request for payment submitted under the Blanket Agreement.

3.2 Step 2 – the Payment Request Process

The Step 2 payment request process is to confirm that each Request for Payment meets the RFA requirements for payment.

After entering into a Blanket Agreement under Step 1, the Consortium may submit a Request for Payment when one of its YA completers that had previously been declared as a bridge student by executing an Education/Training Agreement has become a Wisconsin registered apprentice. The Apprentice must have activated an RA contract within the SAE 2020 grant performance period of 07/01/20 – 06/30/23. The Consortium must submit a Request for Payment (Attachment B) that allows for up to five bridged YA completers to be claimed for reimbursement at a time. The Request for Payment will undergo additional evaluation to confirm that the Apprentice and RA contract meet program requirements for payment.

Along with each Request for Payment form, Consortia must include an Attachment C: Attestation form for the apprentices being claimed.

DWD staff review payment requests in the order they have been received. Using a strict evaluation protocol, requests are reviewed, and DWD staff confirms that each YA completer meets the RFA requirements. Note that for payment, the UEI must continue to show an active registration on www.sam.gov and have no exclusions.

In all cases, the Consortium will be notified of payment eligibility status. Non-conforming requests will not be paid but may be resubmitted if the reasons for denial are able to be corrected.

Approved payment requests will result in the following actions.

1. The DWD will complete the "For Internal Use Only" portions of the Attachment B Request for Payment and submit it to the DWD Finance for payment.

2. The DWD will notify the Consortium's point of contact by email that the request for payment was approved. The email will contain a copy of the invoice. It is the Consortium's responsibility to advise its own finance department of the expected payment.

3. Payment should be processed within 30 days of submission to the DWD's Finance unit.

3.3 Importance of Timely Responses

If additional information is needed for the DWD to process an application or request for payment, the DWD staff may reach out to the Consortium. It is the Consortium's responsibility to respond in a timely manner and follow through on requested action or to provide additional information. The DWD may process other applications and requests for payment while the Consortium and the DWD resolve the questions about an application or request for payment.

Submitting Applications and Requests for Payment If an Applicant misses required information on a form, the DWD may consider the form incomplete. If an Applicant or Consortium has technical issues with submitting the application or a request for payment, it should notify the YA Consortium Initiative mailbox in advance of the deadline.

E-Mail: DETYASAE2020@dwd.wisconsin.gov

4.1 Submitting Applications

· Complete Attachment A: ILA0030A YA Consortium Bridging Outcomes Application.

· Email your application to the following email address and with this subject line.

E-Mail: DETYASAE2020@dwd.wisconsin.gov SUBJECT: YA ILA0030A Application

4.2 Submitting Requests for Payment

· Submit a payment request for up to five bridged apprentices.

· Refer to the executed Blanket Agreement when completing the required forms.

· Complete both required documents for each request for payment (Attachment B: Request for Payment and Attachment C: Bridging Outcomes Attestation.) Be sure to use the most recent versions of the forms from the RFA page.

· Email both documents in a single email to the following email address and with this subject line.

E-Mail: DETYASAE2020@dwd.wisconsin.gov SUBJECT: YA ILA0030A Request for Payment

How to Get More Information

The DWD is committed to providing high quality technical assistance to ensure that all YA consortia receive the information that they need in order to participate in this RFA. Consortia are strongly encouraged to read through all available guidance on the RFA page but can also ask for technical assistance when needed.

For technical assistance, send your inquiry to the following mailbox and use the suggested subject line.

E-Mail: DETYASAE2020@dwd.wisconsin.gov SUBJECT: YA ILA0030A Technical Assistance image1.png