YouthBuild 2025 FOA-ETA-26-38.pdf

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITY

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR: YouthBuild 2025

ANNOUNCEMENT TYPE: Initial

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: FOA-ETA-26-38

ASSISTANCE LISTING NUMBER: 17.274

Submit all applications in response to this announcement through https://www.grants.gov.

FUNDING DETAIL:

Expected Total Available Funding $98,000,000 Expected Number of Awards 57 Funding Range Per Award $1,000,000 - $2,000,000

Awards made under this Announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds. In the event that additional funds become available, we reserve the right to use these funds to select more grantees from the applications submitted in response to this Announcement.

KEY DATES:

Application Deadline 03/02/2026 We must receive applications no later than 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

Expected Period of Performance Start Date 07/01/2026 Period of Performance Length 40

Table of Contents

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants

B. Cost Sharing

C. Period of Performance

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Purpose

B. Program Goals and Objectives

C. Expected Performance Outcomes

D. Funding Type

E. Eligible Participants

F. Program Authority

G. Definitions

H. Funding Restrictions, Policies and Limitations

I. Required Partnerships

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

A. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance

B. Project Budget, Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative

C. Project Narrative

D. Attachments to the Project Narrative

V. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS AND DEADLINES

A. How to Obtain an Application Package

B. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

C. Submission Instructions

D. Intergovernmental Review

E. Other Submission Requirements

VI. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

A. Responsiveness Review

B. Review Criteria

C. Review and Selection Process

D. Risk Review

VII. AWARD NOTICES

A. Award Document

B. Award Timing and Notification to Applicants

VIII. POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS AND ADMINISTRATION

A. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

B. Reporting

IX. RESOURCES

X. OMB INFORMATION COLLECTION

APPENDIX A - Instructions for Finding Labor Force Participation Data Using the United States Census Bureau Data

APPENDIX B - Instructions for Finding Poverty Data Using the United States Census Bureau Data

APPENDIX C - Instructions for Finding Poverty Data Using the United States Census Bureau Data for Indian reservations, Oklahoma Tribal Statistical Areas, Native Alaskan Villages, or Native Hawaiian Homelands

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of grant funds for YouthBuild 2025.

Under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), the DOL will award grants through a competitive process to eligible public or private non-profit organizations or Tribal entities to provide pre-apprenticeship occupational skills training, education, and job placement services to disadvantaged and low-income youth. YouthBuild is a pre-apprenticeship program that prepares participants for quality jobs in various industry sectors and aligns with Executive Order 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” specifically by preparing participants to enter and succeed in Registered Apprenticeships. YouthBuild also includes wrap-around supportive services such as assistance in transportation, childcare, and housing. YouthBuild programs must offer participants construction training and hands-on experiences building affordable housing for their community. Programs may also include a Construction Plus component, providing vocational training in additional high-demand industries.

For further information or technical questions about this FOA, please contact Khanh Tran, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at YB_FOA-ETA-26- 38@dol.gov and specifically reference FOA-ETA-26-38. This Announcement is available on the ETA website at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants and at https://www.grants.gov.

II. ELIGIBILITY

A. Eligible Applicants

1. The following organizations are eligible to apply:

• State governments

• County governments

• City or township governments

• Special district governments

• Independent school districts

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• Private non-profit institutions of higher education

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, (including charter schools) other than institutions of higher education

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Subject to the number of quality applications, DOL intends to award at least 50 percent of the total available grant competition funding to eligible applicants previously funded by the DOL YouthBuild program that have demonstrated success in the program, referred to as Category A.

DOL will award the remainder of funds to other qualifying organizations, referred to as Category B. Category A applicants can request funding between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000; Category B applicants can request funding between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000.

Entities that received funding from the FY 2024 YouthBuild competition [FOA-ETA-24-53] are ineligible to apply to this FOA. DOL assesses the eligibility of funding recipients based on an entity’s unique Employer Identification Number (EIN). Additionally, DOL will award only one grant to an organization, which must have a unique EIN, and must not administer its program services at the same location as any other YouthBuild grantee. For governmental or public sector entities that share an EIN but have multiple locations, DOL will consider these entities as different entities provided they have separate Unique Entity Identifiers (UEI) and an active SAM.gov registration. Please see Section IV.A for more information about UEI and SAM registration.

Among eligible applicants listed above, the applicant agency or organization must also maintain a physical local presence in any identified target communities the applicant proposes to serve.

Faith-based organizations are encouraged to apply, as are all organizations. Those that meet the eligibility requirements may receive awards under this funding opportunity. DOL will not, in the selection of recipients and administration of the grant, discriminate on the basis of an organization’s religious character, affiliation, exercise, or lack thereof, or on the basis of conduct that would not be considered grounds to favor or disfavor a similarly situated secular organization.

2. Number of Applications Applicants May Submit

We will consider only one application from each organization. If an organization submits multiple applications, only the most recently received application that meets the deadline will be considered. If the most recent application is disqualified for any reason, we will not replace it with an earlier application.

B. Cost Sharing This program requires cost sharing (including matching) funds. These cost sharing funds may be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions and equal to 25 percent of the total federal share of costs. Any resources contributed to the project in addition to cost sharing funds will be considered leveraged resources. Section IV.B provides more information on leveraged resources.

In accordance with 2 CFR 200.306, match amounts must be verifiable from the recipient's or sub-recipient's records, not included as contributions for any other federal award, necessary and reasonable for achieving the objectives of the federal award, and not provided by the Federal Government under another federal award.

Applicants should pay special attention to the requirements regarding match sources listed in TEGL 05-10, Change 1, “Updated Guidance on Match and Allowable Construction and Other Capital Asset Costs for the YouthBuild Program,” as well as the YouthBuild Selected Cost Items attachment.

Some examples of allowable match include commitments from non-federal public sources (e.g., states, municipalities, public school boards), charter schools, local trade or technical schools, and through the commitment of internal resources.

Matching Waiver for U.S. Insular Areas, Pursuant to 48 U.S.C. §1469a(d): For the purposes of this FOA, DOL does not require any match for grants made to the governments of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Accordingly, DOL does not require these areas to include a match commitment in their applications, and DOL will not screen out these applications on that basis. However, even though DOL does not require matching funds from these areas, it encourages these areas to leverage resources, including dollars from federal sources.

Matching Waiver for Tribal Entities: In addition to the above waiver, DOL does not require any match for YouthBuild grants made to: Indian and Native American entities eligible for grants under Sec. 166 of WIOA, including federally and other than federally recognized Tribes, Native American non-profit organizations, and Native Hawaiian and Alaska Native organizations. Accordingly, DOL does not require these entities to include a match commitment in their applications, and DOL will not screen out these applications on that basis. However, even though DOL does not require matching funds from these areas, these entities are required to commit additional resources to the grant project. These additional resources may be leveraged resources, including dollars from federal sources, or other types of contributions.

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section II.B Cost Sharing.

C. Period of Performance The performance period on the front page of this FOA includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities.

The 40-month period of performance includes three phases:

Months (Duration)

Phase Activities https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-05-10-change-1 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/resources

1 through 4* (up to 4)

Planning (optional, no participants enrolled)

Hiring staff, finalizing partnerships, revising budget, initiating participant recruitment plans, reconfirming work site financing and access, and reconfirming match funding

5* through (at least 24)

Active Program (required, participants enrolled)

Education, occupational skills training, and youth leadership development activities through (12)

Follow-up (required, no participants enrolled)

Supportive services and tracking of participant outcomes for each cohort of youth

* Grantees may opt to reduce the optional planning phase and extend active program time, though follow-up must be 12 months and the grant period of performance must not exceed 40 months.

Examples of a 40-month program planner can be found here:

https://youthbuild.workforcegps.org/resources/2019/08/07/12/21/Program_Planner_Map .

1. Planning While this phase is optional, as grantees may instead choose to extend their active program, grantees must ensure the achievement of the following before enrolling participants:

• Hiring or committing of core program staff (including the three required core positions of Project Manager/Director, Case Manager, and Job Developer/Placement Specialist and Construction Trainer(s), Classroom Teacher(s), etc.), if not already hired;

• Contacting the local Workforce Development Board or American Job Center (AJC) to finalize Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) requirements, establish an infrastructure funding agreement, and make plans for collaborating with other required partners, including employers;

• Revising the program budget to reflect updates as necessary, e.g., contributions to AJC infrastructure costs;

• Solidifying relationships with all necessary partners for the successful delivery of services;

• Initiating recruitment and outreach efforts for enrollment of participants;

• Reconfirming work site financing and access (; and

• Reconfirming match sources and amounts.

Grantees should document any challenges (e.g., lack of response from a required partner) and share them with their Federal Project Officer (FPO) as early as possible.

2. Active Program During this phase, grantees enroll and provide services for one or more cohorts of participants.

As specified in 20 CFR 688.340, an eligible individual selected for participation in the program must be offered full-time participation in the program for not less than 6 months and not more than 24 months.

Grantees must structure their program to provide YouthBuild program participants education services and activities for at least 50 percent of the active program time. They must provide work https://youthbuild.workforcegps.org/resources/2019/08/07/12/21/Program_Planner_Map and skill development activities in occupational skills training for at least 40 percent of the active program time, which includes both time spent on the construction work sites or other hands-on work experience, as well as classroom training related to the occupational field. The 50-40 percent time allocation applies to the grant program as a whole and not to how one participant spends time in a component. Grantees can use the remaining 10 percent to further strengthen the vocational training component or the education services, or they can use this time for a distinct youth leadership development or community service-learning component.

3. Follow-Up As each cohort of participants exits the program, grantee staff must track and report on individual participant outcomes and must make follow-up services available to all participants for 12 months. All participants must exit before the final 12 months of the overall period of performance, which is reserved for follow-up. Grantees may structure their program such that cohorts of participants exit before the final 12 months; in that case, some cohorts’ follow-up phases may finish before the end of the overall period of performance.

Participants may decline to receive follow-up services, but grantees must attempt contact with each exited participant more than once for securing documentation to report a performance outcome. Under YouthBuild, as defined in 20 CFR 688.120 and 688.560, allowable follow-up services may include:

• Leadership development and supportive service activities;

• Regular contact with a participant's employer;

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

• Work-related peer support groups;

• Adult mentoring;

• Services necessary to ensure the success of youth participants in employment and/or postsecondary education;

• Tuition assistance for obtaining college education credits or enrolling in a technical education; and

• Scholarships to pay for Registered Apprenticeship related technical instruction or necessary supportive services.

Grantees must reserve a minimum of five percent of grant funds for the twelve-month follow-up phase. Grantees must fully expend grant and match funds during the period of performance.

III. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A. Purpose YouthBuild is a workforce development program that provides education, occupational training, and leadership development activities for disadvantaged and low income youth: individuals between the ages of 16 and 24, most who did not complete high school and face other barriers to employment. Eligibility requirements, including exceptions, are discussed below.

Pre-apprenticeship

The WIOA regulations at 20 CFR 688.120 recognize YouthBuild programs funded by DOL as pre-apprenticeship programs. Pre-apprenticeship, as defined in 20 CFR 681.480, means a program designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) and includes the following elements:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-V/part-681/subpart-C/section-681.480

1. Training and curriculum that aligns with the skill needs of employers in the economy of the state or region involved;

2. Access to educational and career counseling and other supportive services, directly or indirectly;

3. Hands-on, meaningful learning activities that are connected to education and training activities, such as exploring career options, and understanding how the skills acquired through coursework can be applied toward a future career;

4. Opportunities to attain at least one industry-recognized credential; and

5. A partnership with one or more RAPs that assists in placing individuals who complete the pre-apprenticeship program in a RAP.

YouthBuild applicants must include construction skills training and may include occupational skills training in other in-demand industries. This expansion into additional in-demand industries is the Construction Plus component. For more information on Construction Plus please see Section III.G. Definitions.

Construction Skills Training and Work Sites

Applicants must describe their plans to provide construction skills training while participants build or substantially renovate at least one unit of housing during the grant period of performance. Housing built and/or renovated by YouthBuild participants must be available only for homeless and/or low-income individuals and families, with this requirement stated in a restrictive covenant lasting at least five years. For more details about the requirements for housing constructed by YouthBuild participants, see 20 CFR 688.730.

Substantial renovation includes activities that will provide YouthBuild participants with significant construction experience and knowledge which prepares them for employment in the construction industry. Applicants should use their selected construction curriculum as a planning resource to ensure alignment with the skills participants can learn in hands-on work site experiences. Painting, cleaning, and changing fixtures, for example, do not constitute a comprehensive level of construction training. For guidance on construction credentials, refer to TEGL 35-12. For guidance on qualifying work sites, refer to TEGL 06-15.

Applicants must propose at least one construction work site and may propose no more than three with their grant application. Grantees may propose additional work sites during the grant period of performance.

Applicants must provide a separate, completed, and signed work site form (ETA-9143), with attachments, for each proposed work site. Applicants must include all ETA-9143 forms as attachments to the Project Narrative. These attachments do not count against page limitations.

Attachment E of this FOA provides a link to download ETA-9143, as well as instructions for completion.

Consistent with 2 CFR 200.112, DOL requires grantees and subrecipients to have a written policy in place on conflicts of interest, including organizational conflicts of interest. The policy must include the process the recipient or subrecipient will take to identify, avoid, remove, and remedy conflicts of interest. Applicants must ensure that no employee, officer, or agent, any member of their immediate family, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the individuals listed here, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from the YouthBuild construction project proposed in this application.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-V/part-688/subpart-F/section-688.730 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-35-12 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-06-15 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-II/part-200/subpart-B/section-200.112

Section 171(c)(2) permits YouthBuild grantees to use grant funds or other sources to pay for stipends or subsidized wages during the required construction component.

Applicants should also note that construction work sites that use funding from specific U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs may trigger Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) requirements. DBRA prevailing wage rates generally equate to journeyman-level wages. For more information on DBRA generally, see Davis-Bacon and Related Acts, and for YouthBuild compliance with DBRA, refer to TEGL 11-16.

To ensure that grantees are meeting the minimum construction requirement, and to aid in collecting data on the impact of the YouthBuild program on local communities, grantees must complete and submit at least four Annual Housing Census forms, one for each reporting period that overlaps with the grant period of performance.

B. Program Goals and Objectives The goals of the YouthBuild program are to:

• Develop partnerships and pathways that lead directly to high-wage employment and placements in Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs);

• Provide youth with workforce readiness skills to achieve economic self-sufficiency through the pursuit of post-secondary education, training, RAPs, and employment in in-demand occupations;

• Expand the supply of permanent affordable housing for low-income or homeless individuals and families;

• Encourage the alignment of the pre-apprenticeship model with training for construction industries, as well as in-demand industries through Construction Plus for participants who may not have an interest in a construction career or in local areas where construction may present less of a growth industry than other fields;

• Offer an educational alternative for young people interested in hands-on, meaningful learning activities, aligning with Executive Order 14191, “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families”

• Prepare participants to enter and succeed in RAPs, aligning with Executive Order 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future”; and

• Expand access to high-quality AI coursework and certifications, aligning with Executive Order 14277, “Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for Youth”.

C. Expected Performance Outcomes

DOL expects YouthBuild grantees awarded under this FOA to track and report on the primary indicators of performance as listed in WIOA Section 116(b)(2)(A)(ii). The YouthBuild program is held to the six WIOA primary indicators of performance for youth, as well as an additional indicator established by DOL. These indicators are:

1. Education and Employment Rate - Second Quarter After Exit;

2. Education and Employment Rate - Fourth Quarter After Exit;

3. Median Earnings - Second Quarter After Exit;

4. Credential Attainment;

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/government-contracts/construction https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-11-16

5. Measurable Skill Gains;

6. Effectiveness in Serving Employers; and

7. Percentage of participants that enter a Registered Apprenticeship within one year of exit.

Additional information on WIOA performance indicators (the first six above) can be found at Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 10-16: “Performance Accountability Guidance for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Core Programs.” DOL has added the seventh indicator for grantees funded under this competition in alignment with Executive Order 14278, “Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future,” and its stated goal of reaching and surpassing 1 million active apprentices.

This FOA evaluates the Category A applicants based on the performance indicators above.

Applicants should be prepared to demonstrate success with the seven performance indicators above, which will be used to evaluate applicants in future grant competitions.

The outcome goals for the successful applicants under this FOA are as follows:

Performance Indicator Outcome Goal Education and Employment Rate – Second Quarter After Exit 75% Education and Employment Rate – Fourth Quarter After Exit 70% Median Earnings – Second Quarter After Exit $6,000* Credential Attainment 80% Measurable Skill Gains 70% Effectiveness in Serving Employers 50% Percentage of participants that enter a Registered Apprenticeship within one year of exit 10%

*ETA is reviewing data to determine ways to measure earnings for exiters in employment, and may require organizations awarded under this FOA to update employment data collection to assist with differentiating goals for exiters working part or full time.

D. Funding Type Funding will be provided in the form of a Grant. Throughout this FOA, all references to grants are applicable to cooperative agreements.

E. Eligible Participants Per 20 CFR 688.300, an individual is eligible to participate in a YouthBuild program if the individual:

1. Is 16-24 years old on the date of enrollment;

2. Left high school without a diploma, including an individual who left high school without a diploma and subsequently reenrolled; and

3. Is one or more of the following:

o A member of a low-income family;

o In foster care (including youth who have aged out of foster care);

o An offender;

o An individual with a disability;

o The child of an incarcerated parent; or https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/tegl-10-16-change-3 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/section-688.300 o A migrant youth.

Not more than 25 percent of the participants in a YouthBuild program may be individuals who do not meet requirements 2 or 3 above, if such individuals:

1. Are basic skills deficient, as defined in § 688.120; or

2. Have been referred by a local secondary school for participation in a YouthBuild program.

Veterans' Priority for Participants

38 U.S.C. 4215 requires DOL grantees to provide priority to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for employment, training, and placement services in any job training program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL.

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section III.E Veterans’ Priority for Participants.

F. Program Authority Section 171 of WIOA (Pub. L. 113-128) authorizes this program.

G. Definitions

1. Construction Plus

Construction Plus (C+) is optional expansion into additional occupational skills training.

Grantees approved for C+ must still train participants in construction and fulfill the requirement to build or substantially renovate at least one unit of housing during the grant period of performance. Grantees may require all participants to complete construction training before beginning C+ training, or they may give participants the option to choose between construction and C+. Category A applicants may propose one or more C+ fields. Category B applicants may propose only one C+ field.

C+ applicants must:

• Initiate relevant plans and partnerships at the time of grant application;

o Grantees may not propose additional training fields after award

• Provide training either directly or through a contract;

o Referring YouthBuild participants to training partners does not qualify as C+

• Include as an attachment separate Construction Plus Proposals for each additional industry proposed. You can find the Construction Plus Field Proposal under FORMS:

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild.

Each C+ Proposal must include:

• The field/industry proposed (e.g., advanced manufacturing, information technology including AI);

o Specialized training within residential construction (e.g., weatherization) does not qualify as C+

• The projected labor market outlook demonstrating local need for proposed occupation;

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/section-688.120 https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title38-section4215&num=0&edition=prelim https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild

• Which industry-recognized credential(s) will result;

o Single-skill certificates (e.g., cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), SERV Safe, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety Cards) do not qualify as C+

• How local Registered Apprenticeship Programs, employers, labor organizations, or unions will participate in training and hiring;

• The curriculum or training plan;

• How many participants the program anticipates training in the specific C+ industry;

• How the program will incorporate community service, youth leadership development, and work experience opportunities into the occupational skills training; and

• Letters of commitment for any partners supporting the C+ pathway, including at a minimum the work experience employer partner.

Per Executive Order 14269, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” DOL encourages C+ proposals that support training for skills relevant to the shipbuilding industry, such as pipefitting, shipfitting, and welding.

DOL encourages YouthBuild funds or other sources to also pay for stipends or subsidized wages during the C+ work experience.

DOL recommends that applicants review the following resources:

• Construction Plus Field Proposal

• TEN 25-19 provides information on qualifying credentials.

• TEGL 07-14, Change 1 shares a synopsis of what C+ entails.

• WorkforceGPS - Construction Plus Framework provides more information about C+ programming and how it can support successful YouthBuild program outcomes.

2. Service Area

DOL evaluates applications on the need for program services and the need for affordable housing in the proposed service area, as determined by poverty and youth labor force participation rates across identified zip codes.

DOL expects grantees to recruit and enroll participants who reside within the service area, but up to 20 percent of enrolled participants may reside elsewhere. Work sites should be within the service area and must be within a reasonable commuting distance of the service area.

3. Staffing

Grantees must have three core positions on staff for at least three years, i.e., 24 months of active programming and 12 months of follow-up. These positions may be part-time for some portion of that period, but the budget narrative should make their allocation to the program clear, e.g., the job developer may be 0.5 FTE during follow-up:

• The Project Manager/Director oversees all aspects of the grant, including staff supervision, program design, and required reporting.

• The Case Manager is responsible for participant files, including documentation of eligibility and services, and planning and documenting follow-up services.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-notice-no-25-19 https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/training-and-employment-guidance-letter-no-07-14-change-1 https://www.workforcegps.org/events/2018/05/01/12/18/YouthBuild-Series-Construction-Plus-Framework-Overview-and-Strategies-for-Program-Alignment

• The Job Developer/Placement Specialist engages potential employers and ensures that youth that get employment placements are meeting employer expectations.

The core program staff described above must be in place before the enrollment of any program participant, not at the time of application. Each core position must be held by different individuals. DOL strongly encourages grantees to hire individuals with backgrounds relevant to the program purpose, such as individuals who have experienced housing instability or resided in low-income neighborhoods.

4. Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 (12. U.S.C. 1701u)

Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968 requires that certain public construction projects provide job training, employment, and/or contracting opportunities for certain populations, including YouthBuild participants.

More information: WorkforceGPS - HUD Section 3 Partnership

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section VIII.G Definitions.

H. Funding Restrictions, Policies and Limitations All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with federal guidelines.

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section III.H Funding Restrictions, Policies and Limitations.

Administrative Cost Limitation

Grantees are limited to 10 percent of the grant to pay administrative costs that are associated with the program or project. Under 20 CFR 683.215, administrative costs include both personnel and non-personnel costs, as well as direct and indirect costs, in carrying out activities under Title I of WIOA that are not related to the direct provision of workforce investment services (including services to participants and employers). Administrative costs do not need to be identified separately from program costs on the SF-424A Budget Information Form, but they must be tracked through the recipient’s accounting system. To claim any administrative costs that are also indirect costs, the applicant must get an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement from its federal Cognizant Agency or be eligible to use the 15 percent de minimis rate (see the 2025 Application Guide, Section III.H Funding Restrictions, Policies and Limitations). For WIOA grants, all costs charged as a result of the de minimis rate will be counted towards the administrative cost limitation specified above.

Evaluation and Data-Related Costs

Labor and other costs related to data and evaluation are allowable, as defined in 2 CFR Part

200.455. Data and evaluation activities may include staff participating in interviews, focus groups, and surveys; staff working to execute data sharing agreements; staff preparing datasets required for an evaluation; staff participating in evaluation meetings; and other costs related to DOL’s evaluations and data-related activities.

Use of Grant Funds for Participant Wages https://youthbuild.workforcegps.org/resources/2022/12/20/13/02/Housing-and-Urban-Development-40-HUD-41-Section-3-Partnerships https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/resources https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/resources https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/chapter-V/part-683/subpart-B/section-683.215

Section 171(c)(2) of WIOA permits YouthBuild grantees to use funds to provide needs-based payments, stipends, wages, including subsidized wages, or benefits to help enable program participants to participate in the program. Needs-based payments, stipends, wages, and benefits provided under YouthBuild grants must accord with the policies and procedures of the grantee organization. Wages can compensate youth at the same rates (including periodic increases) as similar trainees or employees in the construction fields, and rates must accord with all applicable laws. Stipends can provide a weekly living allowance to those participating in the program, designed to help with transportation, living expenses, day care, etc. Per Section 181(a)(2) of WIOA, payments to participants in the YouthBuild program do not count as income for the purposes of determining eligibility for and the amount of income transfer and in-kind aid provided to participants through any federal or federally-assisted program, except as provided under the Social Security Act.

Needs-based payments refer to additional payments (beyond regular stipends for program participation) that are based on defined needs that enable youth to participate in the program.

Under 20 CFR 688.320(a)(7)(ii), to provide needs-based payments, the grantee must have a written policy in place which defines (1) eligibility; (2) the amounts; and (3) the required documentation and criteria for payments. This policy must be applied consistently to all program participants.

Please note that there are legal and financial obligations activated by paying participants wages or stipends. DOL encourages applicants to seek legal and/or accounting advice before setting up or changing the funding system to ensure compliance with IRS and DOL requirements, and to help participants determine their income tax liability.

Salary and Bonus Limitations

By law, no “Employment and Training Administration” appropriated funds may be used by a recipient or subrecipient 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. The Executive Level II salary may change yearly and is located on the OPM.gov website. This limitation does not apply to contractors (vendors) providing goods and services as defined in 2 CFR 200.331. Where states are recipients of such funds, states may establish a lower limit for salaries and bonuses paid by subrecipients. To establish these limits, states may consider the relative cost of living in the state, the salary levels for comparable state or local government employees, and the size of the organizations that administer Federal programs involved, including ETA programs. See the Section I.B and the Program Authority found in TEGL 10-24 for additional information.

I. Required Partnerships American Job Centers

As described in 20 CFR 688.380, a grantee funded under this announcement is a required partner of the local American Job Center (AJC, also known as one-stop career center) and is subject to the provisions relating to such partners described in 20 CFR part 678. As a required partner, the grantee must:

• Provide access to its programs or activities at the AJC and any other appropriate locations;

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/ https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/tegl-10-24

• Use a portion of funds to provide applicable career services, work collaboratively with Workforce Development Boards (WDBs), and jointly fund the one-stop infrastructure;

• Enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Local WDB;

• Participate in the operation of the one-stop delivery system; and

• Provide representation on the WDBs as required and participate in Board committees as needed.

Applicants should initiate the partnership conversation with their Local WDB prior to submitting their grant application to ensure that their proposed budget reflects likely infrastructure sharing costs, shared staffing (such as the job developer, if applicable), etc.

This partnership is a shared responsibility between the AJC and the YouthBuild grantee.

Grantees must document efforts to establish this partnership and any challenges (e.g., lack of response from American Job Center staff) and share them with their Federal Project Officer (FPO) as early as possible.

IV. APPLICATION CONTENT AND FORMAT

Applications submitted in response to this FOA must consist of four separate and distinct parts:

A. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”;

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

C. Project Narrative; and D. Attachments to the Project Narrative.

You must make sure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts and sub-parts of the application. You must submit your application in one package. Documents received separately will be tracked separately and will not be attached to your application for review.

A. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance”

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section IV.A SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance.

B. Project Budget, Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative You must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form and a Budget Narrative. The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the Project Narrative.

The Budget Narrative must have a cost-per-participant at or under $23,000.

Participant Enrollment

Applicants must propose the number of participants that they will enroll and serve if funded under this announcement. DOL will divide the amount of funds requested (not including match funds) by this enrollment goal to estimate the cost per participant, which may not exceed $23,000 at the time of application. For example, a grantee that receives $1,500,000 must enroll no fewer than 66 participants but may enroll more than 66 participants. The cost per participant creates a minimum goal for participant enrollment during the period of performance; it is not a limit on enrollment or the kinds of supports a grantee can offer any individual participant.

For a complete understanding of this application requirement, see the 2025 Application Guide, Section IV.B Project Budget, Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative.

C. Project Narrative You must include a Project Narrative with your application. The Project Narrative shows that the applicant can implement the grant project explained in this Announcement. Applicants must describe how they will meet the requirements listed below. Applicants must show that their planned activities will meet the project goals. As appropriate, applicants should see Section IX.

Resources, E. DOL’s Clearinghouse for Evaluation and Research (CLEAR) and DOL’s Chief Evaluation Office as well as F. Data and Other Evidence Resources for starting places to find research that could provide evidence of a sound approach.

The Project Narrative is limited to 25 double-spaced single-sided 8.5 x 11-inch pages with Times New Roman 12-point text font and 1-inch margins. It must include the section headers listed below. The agency will evaluate the Project Narrative using the evaluation criteria identified in Section VI.B. We will not read or consider any materials beyond the specified page limit (except for attachments listed in Section IV.D that impact the scoring of the application).

a. Service Area (Up to 12 Points)

1. Youth Labor Force Participation Rate (Maximum 6 Points)

The applicant must provide, across all zip codes that make up the proposed service area, the weighted average labor force participation (LFP) rate (rounded to one decimal place) from the American Community Survey (ACS) LFP data available at http://www.census.gov. The national LFP rate for youth ages 16–24 against which DOL will evaluate applicants is 59.2 percent (using 5-year ACS weighted average estimates as of 2023).

These data are broken into two youth age subsets: 16–19 and 20–24. Applicants must provide, as an attachment, a print-out or screenshot of the ACS data source information used that shows a link to the specific data source. Applicants that fail to provide an attachment showing the ACS data source information used will receive 0 points for the LFP Rate rating factor.

For specific instructions on how to locate and calculate the information requested here, see Appendix A. Additionally, to assist with the weighted average calculations, applicants are encouraged to use the “Weighted Average Worksheet”, a formatted Excel spreadsheet available for download at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild/ under the “Forms” section.

DOL will score applicants based on the weighted average youth LFP rate across the zip codes that the applicant proposes to serve. If the weighted average LFP rate for youth ages 16 to 24 years for the proposed zip code is:

• less than 59.2 percent: 6 Points.

• between 59.2 and 62.2 percent: 4 Points.

• between 62.2 and 65.2 percent: 2 Points.

• greater than 65.2 percent: 0 Points.

2. Poverty Rate (Maximum 6 Points)

The applicant must provide, across all zip codes that make up the proposed service area, the weighted average poverty rate from the ACS poverty data available at http://www.census.gov.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants/resources https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild/ http://www.census.gov

The national poverty rate against which DOL will evaluate applicants is 12.8 percent (using 5-year ACS estimates as of 2023).

Applicants must provide, as an attachment, the print-out or screenshot of the ACS data source information used. Applicants that fail to provide as an attachment, containing the ACS data source information used will receive 0 points for the Poverty Rate rating factor.

For specific instructions on how to locate and calculate the information requested here, see Appendix B and C. Additionally, to assist with the weighted average calculations, applicants are encouraged to use the “Weighted Average Worksheet”, a formatted Excel spreadsheet available for download at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/youth/youthbuild/ under the “Forms” section.

DOL will score applicants based on the weighted average poverty rate across all zip codes that the applicant proposes to serve. If the weighted average poverty rate is:

• 12.8 percent or more across all zip codes to be served: 6 Points.

• between 9.8 percent and 12.7 percent across all zip codes to be served: 4 Points.

• between 6.8 percent and 9.7 percent across all zip codes to be served: 2 Points.

• less than 6.7 percent across all zip codes to be served: 0 Points

b. Education (Up to 14 Points)

As described in Section II.B.2 grantees must offer education services and related activities to participants during at least 50 percent of their active program time.

To receive full points for this section, applicants must fully address each of the following:

• The applicant must describe the academic services that it will offer to YouthBuild participants, including how it will provide participants with opportunities to develop AI literacy skills.

• The applicant must describe how it will provide participants with opportunities to transition to post-secondary education and/or advanced occupational skills training.

• The applicant must describe the qualifications and experience of education staff and the use of partner organizations, where appropriate, for the education component; and how it will determine whether a student has mastered a skill.

• The applicant must describe how the education services align with the hands-on skill training for the construction component of the program and, if applicable, the Construction Plus component. They must include the training strategy, the training schedule and explain the integration between classroom based and hands-on skills training.

c. Construction and Other Occupational Skills Training (Up to 10 Points)

As described in Section II.B.2, grantees must offer at least 40 percent of their active program time on providing work and skills development activities in occupational skills training.

1. Hands-on Meaningful Learning Activities (Maximum 6 Points)

To receive full points for this section, applicants must fully address each of the following:

• Applicants must describe their plan to ensure that sufficient youth will participate in the construction skills training to build or renovate at least one unit of housing over the grant period of performance. The applicant must also describe the primary construction training curriculum that will be offered and the credential the youth will be receiving.

• The applicant must describe the use of work site safety training as outlined by OSHA to ensure youth safety and responsibility on work sites. Applicants may refer to OSHA's Youth Safety page available at https://www.osha.gov/young-workers. Applicants must describe how it will provide participants with information on their rights under labor and employment laws, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

• The roles and responsibilities for all the staff involved in preparing and conducting the trainings, including ensuring the certification of trainers.

2. Connecting Education and Training (Maximum 4 Points)

To receive full points for this section, applicants must fully address each of the following:

• The applicant must describe the curriculum and training plan for each industry training offered (construction and Construction Plus, if applicable), including shadowing employees in their specialized areas, the plan for ensuring sufficient class and hands-on training hours, and the testing and certification process to achieve the credentials to all participants.

• Applicants must describe how they will ensure program activities are directly connected to and lead to high-quality post-program placements that include: Registered Apprenticeship, employment that has high growth potential, and/or career pathways.

• The applicant must describe the industry-recognized credentialing opportunities that it will offer to participants, how these credentials align with the industry training's provided, and the accrediting agency that supports the recognition of the credential, as described in section 7.D of TEGL 10-16, Change 3 (https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/tegl-10-16-change-3)

d. Leadership Development and Community Service (Up to 4 Points)

One of the goals of the YouthBuild program is to foster the development of employment and leadership skills and commitment to community development among youth in low-income communities. As described in Section II.B.2, applicants may allocate up to 10% of their program time on community service and youth leadership opportunities alongside the education and occupational skills training components of the program.

To receive full points for this section, applicants must fully address each of the following:

• The applicant must describe the community service learning and/or leadership development opportunities it will offer participants.

• The applicant must describe how it will train staff to incorporate principles of youth leadership development, and how to encourage youth participant input in program activities.

e. Program Planning (Up to 8 Points)

1. Staffing Strategy (Maximum 4 Points) https://www.osha.gov/young-workers https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/advisories/tegl-10-16-change-3

To receive full points for this section, applicants must fully address each of the following:

• Describe the staffing strategy during all three program phases (start-up, active program services, and follow-up), how the applicant will retain staff, and address staff turnover if the need arises.

• Where staff are shared among multiple programs of an organization, applicants must indicate in the staffing plan how the organization will track staff time and ensure sufficient resources for the effort.

•…