American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009; Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Green Capacity Building Grants, 30165-30174 [E9-14920]
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices
E. Promising Training Approaches
ETA encourages applicants to
research promising training approaches
in order to inform their proposals. The
following list of Web sites provides a
starting place for this research, but by
no means should be considered a
complete list:
• ETA’s home site (https://
www.doleta.gov) and the ETA Research
Publication Database (wdr.doleta.gov/
research/keyword.cfm).
• ETA’s knowledge sharing site
(https://www.workforce3one.org),
including the ‘‘workforce solutions’’
section that contains over 6,000
additional resources applicants may
find valuable in developing workforce
strategies and solutions.
• The National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices (https://
www.nga.org).
• The National Association of State
Workforce Agencies (https://
www.workforceatm.org).
• The National Association of
Workforce Boards (https://
www.nawb.org).
IX. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No.
1225–0086
Expires September 30, 2009
According to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of
information unless such collection
displays a valid OMB control number.
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
average 20 hours per response,
including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding the burden
estimated or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to
the OMB Desk Officer for ETA,
Department of Labor, in the Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
Washington, DC 20503. Please do not
return the completed application to the
OMB. Send it to the sponsoring agency
as specified in this solicitation.
This information is being collected for
the purpose of awarding a grant. The
information collected through this SGA
will be used by DOL to ensure that
grants are awarded to the applicant best
suited to perform the functions of the
grant. Submission of this information is
required in order for the applicant to be
considered for award of this grant.
Unless otherwise specifically noted in
this announcement, information
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submitted in the respondent’s
application is not considered to be
confidential.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of
June, 2009.
Donna Kelly,
Grant Officer, Employment and Training
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–14924 Filed 6–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training
Administration
Announcement Type: Notice of
Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/
DFA PY–08–21.
Catalog of Federal Domestic
Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.275.
DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for
receipt of applications under this
announcement is August 5, 2009.
Applications must be received no later
than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A prerecorded Webinar will be made
available online at https://
www.workforce3one.org to prospective
applicants for this grant competition on
July 10, 2009 by 3 p.m. Eastern Time,
and will be available for viewing
anytime after that date as well. While a
review of this webinar is encouraged, it
is not mandatory. Access information
for the Webinar will be posted on the
Employment and Training
Administration (ETA) Web site listed
above.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be
addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment & Training
Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson,
Grants Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY
08–21, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW.,
Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210.
For complete ‘‘Application and
Submission Information,’’ please refer to
Section IV.
SUMMARY: Under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the
Recovery Act), the Department of Labor
(DOL or the Department) announces the
availability of approximately $5 million
in grant funds for projects that build the
capacity of DOL-funded training
programs to ensure that targeted groups
are prepared to meet the needs of our
country’s expanding green industries.
Only active DOL-funded grantees
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specified in Part III of this SGA are
eligible to apply. Specifically, this SGA
supports capacity building for
organizations to provide training for
entry-level positions leading to career
pathways and/or additional training in
the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries described in Section
171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The
Department expects to award between
50 and 100 grants under this
competition, providing awards ranging
from $50,000 to $100,000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
American Reinvestment and Recovery
Act of 2009; Notice of Availability of
Funds and Solicitation for Grant
Applications for Green Capacity
Building Grants
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A. Recovery Act: Competitive Grants
for Green Job Training
This section of the SGA provides
general background on the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Recovery Act), the competitive grants
funded through the Recovery Act to
prepare workers for careers in the
energy efficiency and renewable energy,
and the occupations and industries on
which these grants should focus. On
February 17, 2009, President Barack
Obama signed into law the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(Recovery Act) through which Congress
intended to preserve and create jobs,
promote the nation’s economic
recovery, and assist those most
impacted by the recession. Among other
funding directed toward the Department
of Labor, the Recovery Act provides
$750 million for a program of
competitive grants for worker training
and placement in high growth and
emerging industries. Of the $750 million
allotted for competitive grants, the
Recovery Act designates $500 million
for projects that prepare workers for
careers in the energy efficiency and
renewable energy industries described
in Section 171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce
Investment Act (WIA). DOL intends to
use a portion of the $500 million for
providing technical assistance for this
program of grants.
The purpose of these green job
training grants is to teach workers the
skills required in emerging energy
efficiency and renewable energy
industries. These efforts will lead
program participants to job placement
while leveraging other Recovery Act
investments intended to create jobs and
promote economic growth. For
additional information about the series
of competitive grants for green job
training, please refer to Training and
Employment Notice (TEN) 44–08
available at https://www.doleta.gov/
Recovery/legislation.cfm.
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B. Green Industries and Occupations
The Department will award grants to
workforce development projects that
focus on connecting target populations,
including auto and auto-related industry
workers affected by significant
automotive-related restructurings, to
career pathways in green industries.
Training programs will prepare
individuals for careers in any of the
seven energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries defined in Section
171(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the WIA, which
include:
• 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 industries;
and
• Manufacturers that produce
sustainable products using
environmentally sustainable processes
and materials.
Additionally, the Department is
interested in applicants contributing to
our understanding of green industries
and jobs that clean and enhance our
environment. Initial research supported
by the Department shows that there are
‘‘growth, enhanced and emerging’’ green
occupations across a number of
industries. Applicants may propose
strategies that train for those
occupations from among the following
industries: Transportation; green
construction; environmental protection;
sustainable agriculture including
healthy food production; forestry; and
recycling and waste reduction (see
O*NET report at https://
www.onetcenter.org/reports/
Green.html). The Department will
consider proposals that focus on these
occupations within these industries if
applicants can offer supporting data
demonstrating these are emerging
industries which are producing jobs in
their communities.
For the purpose of the SGAs, the
Department defines energy efficiency
and renewable energy as follows.
Section 203(b)(2) of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58, 119
Stat. 595, defines ‘‘renewable energy’’ as
‘‘electric energy generated from solar,
wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean
(including tidal, wave, current, and
thermal), geothermal, municipal solid
waste, or new hydroelectric generation
capacity achieved from increased
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efficiency or additions of new capacity
at an existing hydroelectric project.’’
‘‘Energy efficiency’’ can be broadly
defined as programs aimed at mitigating
the use of energy, reducing harmful
emissions, and decreasing overall
energy consumption.
The Department of Labor’s Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) is working to
develop a definition for green industries
and jobs, which will be used to ensure
that workforce development efforts
identify and target these green jobs and
their training needs. The Department
has also supported occupational
research that begins to define green jobs,
review industries impacted by green
investments and understand how new
green technology and materials will
affect occupational requirements. The
Occupational Information Network
(O*NET) project has drafted a research
paper titled, Greening of the World of
Work: Implications for O*NET–SOC and
New and Emerging Occupations. This
study reflects three general categories of
occupations, based on different
consequences of green economy
activities and technologies: (1) Existing
occupations expected to experience
primarily an increase in employment
demand; (2) existing occupations with
significant change to the work and
worker requirements; and (3) new and
emerging green occupations. This
research may be used as a starting point
for identifying green industries and
occupations and informing the
development of training and job
placement programs. For a copy of the
O*NET report and a listing of the
identified occupations go to https://
www.onetcenter.org/reports/Green.html.
C. Working With Other Recovery Act
Programs
The Recovery Act made funds
available to a number of other Federal
programs that will impact the creation
and expansion of green jobs. DOL is
partnering with other Federal agencies
to support the creation of jobs by
developing a pipeline of skilled workers
in the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries. Where possible, ETA
encourages applicants to connect their
workforce development strategies to
other Recovery Act funded projects that
create jobs or impact the skill
requirements of existing jobs. ETA
recommends that applicants review
other parts of the Recovery Act, with a
focus on the activities funded through
the Department of Energy (Energy), the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA), the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD), the
Department of Transportation (DOT),
the Department of Education
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(Education) and others. For additional
resources and information about our
Federal partners, please see Section VIII,
‘‘Additional Resources of Interest to
Applicants.’’
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Through this SGA, ETA will help
individuals acquire the skills needed to
enter and advance in green industries
and occupations by building the
capacity of active DOL-funded training
programs to provide education and
training in the key skills and
competencies that are needed in these
green industries and occupations.
Specifically, this SGA supports
capacity building for organizations to
provide training for entry-level
positions leading to career pathways
and/or additional training in the energy
efficiency and renewable energy
industries, as well as other green
occupations within the detailed list of
industries specified in Supplementary
Information: Part B of this SGA.
Grantees may bolster the capacity of
their training programs through the
purchase of equipment, staff
professional development, curriculum
development and/or adaptation,
partnership development, and where
necessary, the hiring of additional staff.
Organizations that have already begun
the integration of energy efficiency and
renewable energy industries and other
green job-related skill training into their
programs may apply for funds to
enhance their current efforts. These
awards do not require an increase in
enrollment in the existing DOL-funded
training program. These funds will help
organizations in building the
infrastructure necessary to provide ongoing training and job placement into
green jobs after the grant funds have
been expended.
It is critical that grantees consult with
key industry and other stakeholders
about current and future workforce
needs. Further, grantees should work
with key partners (described in Section
V.A.1) to determine the specific
enhancements they should make to their
training programs.
Applicants are not limited in the
strategies and approaches they may use
to implement projects in this SGA,
provided that the strategy is well
developed, includes a strong
partnership, and focuses on training to
prepare workers for employment in the
occupations and industries identified in
Supplementary Information: Part B of
this SGA, subject to funding restrictions
described in this SGA and the grant
agreement. Increasing the capacity of
DOL grantees will enable them to
provide training for green industries and
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occupations through their existing DOL
grants, and support green jobs-related
projects funded through the Recovery
Act and from other sources.
B. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing or matching funds are
not required as a condition for
application.
II. Award Information
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
A. Award Amount
1. Participants Eligible to Receive
Training
Grantees must use these grants to
enhance their capacity to serve
individuals who meet the eligibility
requirements of their programs who
need training in green industries and
occupations. Given the participants that
they serve through their existing grants,
grantees should give priority for training
and other services provided through
these grants to individuals in the
following categories:
• Workers impacted by national
energy and environmental policy;
• Individuals in need of updated
training related to the energy efficiency
and renewable energy industries;
• Veterans;
• Unemployed individuals;
• Individuals, including at-risk youth,
seeking employment pathways out of
poverty and into economic selfsufficiency; and
• Individuals with a criminal record.
Other individuals, such as untapped
labor pools and entry-level and
incumbent workers that do not fit into
the categories above, may also be served
through these projects subject to the
priority considerations given to the
populations above and consistent with
the populations to be served through the
grantee’s statements of work for their
existing grant(s). For specific definitions
for these target populations, applicants
must refer to Section VI.B.
Approximately $5 million is available
to fund Green Capacity Building grants.
The Department expects to award
between 50 and 100 grants under this
competition, providing awards ranging
from $50,000 to $100,000. This does not
preclude funding a smaller or larger
number of projects, based on the type
and the number of quality submissions.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance will
be up to 12 months from the date of
execution of the grant documents. This
performance period includes all
necessary implementation and start-up
activities. The Department intends for
all grantees funded under this SGA to
implement projects as soon as possible.
Further, applicants should plan to fully
expend grant funds during the period of
performance, while ensuring full
transparency and accountability for all
expenditures.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
DOL intends to build the green
training capacity of our current grantees,
therefore, eligible applicants are limited
to the following DOL grantees who
received funding through the SGA
number indicated in the parentheses:
Indian and Native American Program
(SGA/DFA PY 07–04), National
Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) (SGA/
DFA PY 06–04), Prisoner Re-Entry
Initiative (PRI) (SGA/DFA PY 08–03 &
SGA/DFA PY 07–05), Senior
Community Service Employment
Program (SCSEP) (SGA/DFA PY 07–02
& SGA/DFA PY 05–06), Women in
Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional
Occupations (WANTO) (SGA/DFA PY
07–08 & SGA/DFA PY 06–01),
Advancing Registered Apprenticeship
into the 21st Century: Collaborating for
Success (SGA/DFA PY 08–11),
YouthBuild (SGA/DFA PY 08–07 &
SGA/DFA PY 06–08), and Young
Offender Grants (SGA/DFA PY 08–09,
SGA/DFA PY 06–10, & SGA/DFA PY
06–14).
Organizations with multiple DOLfunded training programs may only
submit one application. That
application should indicate which DOLfunded program(s) will be enhanced
through capacity building activities
supported by this Solicitation.
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2. Veterans Priority
The Jobs for Veterans Act (Pub. L.
107–288) provides priority of service to
veterans and spouses of certain veterans
for the receipt of employment, training,
and placement services in any job
training program directly funded, in
whole or in part, by DOL. Grantees are
required to provide priority of services
for veterans and eligible spouses
pursuant to 20 CFR part 1010, the
regulations implementing priority of
service for veterans and eligible spouses
in Department of Labor job training
programs under the Jobs for Veterans
Act published at 73 FR 78132 on
December 19, 2008. In circumstances
where a grant recipient must choose
between two equally qualified
candidates for training, one of whom is
a veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act
requires that grant recipients give the
veteran priority of service by admitting
him or her into the program. Please note
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30167
that to obtain priority of service a
veteran must meet the program’s
eligibility requirements. Grantees must
comply with DOL guidance on veterans’
priority. Currently, ETA Training and
Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL)
No. 5–03 (September 16, 2003) provides
general guidance on the scope of the Job
for Veterans Act and its effect on current
employment and training programs.
TEGL No. 5–03, along with additional
guidance, is available at the ‘‘Jobs for
Veterans Priority of Service’’ Web site:
https://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets.
3. Grantee Training
Grantees are required to participate in
all ETA training activities related to
orientation, financial management and
reporting, performance reporting,
product dissemination, and other
technical assistance training as
appropriate during the life of the grant.
These trainings may occur via
conference call, webinar, and in-person
meetings. For budgeting purposes, grant
recipients should allocate adequate staff
time and travel resources to ensure
participation at a two-day in-person
event.
IV. Application and Submission
Information
A. How to Obtain an Application
Package
This SGA contains all the information
and links to forms needed to apply for
this funding opportunity.
B. Content and Form of Application
Submission
The proposal will consist of three
separate and distinct parts—(I) a cost
proposal, (II) a technical proposal, and
(III) attachments to the technical
proposal. Applications that fail to
adhere to the instructions in this section
will be considered non-responsive and
will not be reviewed. Please note that it
is the applicant’s responsibility to
ensure that the amount of funds
requested is consistent across all parts
and sub-parts of the application.
Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost
Proposal must include the following
four items:
• The Standard Form (SF) 424,
‘‘Application for Federal Assistance’’
(available at https://www07.grants.gov/
agencies/forms_
repository_information.jsp and https://
www.doleta.gov/grants/
find_grants.cfm). The SF 424 must
clearly identify the applicant and 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
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of the applicant shall be considered the
authorized representative of the
applicant.
• Applicants must supply their
D–U–N–S® Number on the SF 424. All
applicants for Federal grant and funding
opportunities are required to have a
D–U–N–S® Number (Data Universal
Numbering System). See Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) Notice
of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402,
Jun. 27, 2003. The
D–U–N–S® Number is a non-indicative,
nine-digit number assigned to each
business location in the D&B database
having a unique, separate, and distinct
operation, and is maintained solely by
D&B. The D–U–N–S® Number is used
by industries and organizations around
the world as a global standard for
business identification and tracking. If
you do not have a D–U–N–S® Number,
you can get one for free through the SBS
site: https://smallbusiness.dnb.com/
webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/
Glossary?fLink=glossary&footerflag=y&
storeId=10001&indicator=7.
• The SF 424A Budget Information
Form (available at https://
www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_
repository_information.jsp and https://
www.doleta.gov/grants/
find_grants.cfm). In preparing the
Budget Information Form, the applicant
must provide a concise narrative
explanation to support the 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. In addition, the applicant
should address precisely how the
administrative costs support the project
goals. The entire Federal grant amount
requested should be included on both
the SF 424 and SF 424A. Please note
that applicants that fail to provide a SF
424, a SF 424A, a D–U–N–S® Number,
and a budget narrative will be removed
from consideration prior to the technical
review process.
• Applicants are also encouraged, but
not required, to submit OMB Survey N.
1890–0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal
Opportunity for Applicants, which can
be found under the Grants.gov, Tips and
Resources From Grantors, Department of
Labor section at https://
www07.grants.gov/applicants/tips_
resources_from_grantors.jsp#13 (also
referred to as Faith Based EEO Survey
PDF Form).
Part II. The Technical Proposal. The
Technical Proposal will 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 Part
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V.A of this SGA. The Technical
Proposal is limited to 12 double-spaced
single-sided pages with 12 point text
font and 1 inch margins. Any materials
beyond the 12-page limit will not be
reviewed. Applicants should number
the Technical Proposal beginning with
page number 1. Applicants that do not
provide Part II, the Technical Proposal
of the application will be removed from
consideration prior to the technical
review process. Applications that do not
meet these requirements will not be
considered.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical
Proposal. In addition to the 12-page
Technical Proposal, the applicant must
submit an Abstract, not to exceed one
page, summarizing the proposed project
including the applicant name, project
title, a description of the area to be
served, and the funding level requested.
The one-page abstract does not count
against the 12-page limit for the
Technical Proposal. Additional
materials such as resumes or general
letters of support or commitment will
not be read.
Applications may be submitted
electronically on Grants.gov or in
hardcopy via mail or hand delivery.
These processes are described in further
detail in Section IV.C. Applicants
submitting proposals in hardcopy 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
hardcopy are also required to provide an
identical electronic copy of the proposal
on compact disc (CD).
C. Submission Process, Date, Times, and
Addresses
The closing date for receipt of
applications under this announcement
is August 5, 2009. Applications must be
received at the address below no later
than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications
sent by e-mail, telegram, or facsimile
(FAX) will not be accepted.
Applications that do not meet the
conditions set forth in this notice will
not be honored. No exceptions to the
mailing and delivery requirements set
forth in this notice will be granted.
Mailed applications must be
addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training
Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson,
Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA, PY
08–21, 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
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procedures. Hand-delivered proposals
will be received at the above address.
All applications through professional
overnight delivery service will be
considered to be hand-delivered and
must be received at the designated place
by the specified closing date and time.
Applicants may apply online through
Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov);
however, due to the expected increase
in system activity resulting from the
American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009, applicants are encouraged
to use an alternate method to submit
grant applications during this
heightened period of demand. While not
mandatory, DOL encourages the
submission of applications through
professional overnight delivery service.
Applications that are submitted
through Grants.gov must be successfully
submitted at https://www.grants.gov no
later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time on
August 5, 2009, 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.
It is strongly recommended that
before the applicant begins to write the
proposal, applicants should
immediately initiate and complete the
‘‘Get Registered’’ registration steps at
https://www.grants.gov/applicants/
get_registered.jsp. These steps may take
multiple days or 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.
It is strongly recommended that
applicants use the ‘‘Organization
Registration Checklist’’ at https://
www.grants.gov/assets/
Organization_Steps_Complete_
Registration.pdf to ensure the
registration process is complete.
Within two business days of
application submission, Grants.gov will
send the applicant two email messages
to provide the status of application
progress through the system. The first
email, almost immediate, 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 and successfully
validated will be considered. It is the
sole responsibility of the applicant to
ensure a timely submission; therefore
sufficient time should be allotted for
submission (two business days) and, if
applicable, subsequent time to address
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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 either .doc, .xls or .pdf files. If
submitted in any other format, the
applicant bears the risk that
compatibility or other issues will
prevent our ability to consider the
application. ETA will attempt to open
the document but will not take any
additional measures in the event of
issues with opening. In such cases, the
non-conforming application will not be
considered for funding.
Applicants are strongly advised to
utilize the tools and documents,
including FAQs, that are available on
the ‘‘Applicant Resources’’ page at
https://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_
help_reso.jsp#faqs. 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 https://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.
Late Applications: For applications
submitted on Grants.gov, only
applications that have been successfully
submitted no later than 4 p.m. Eastern
Time on the closing date and
successfully validated will be
considered.
Any 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 prior to 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
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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 the above
instructions will be a basis for a
determination of non-responsiveness.
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
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.
Successful and unsuccessful applicants
will not be entitled to reimbursement of
pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs
As specified in OMB Circular Cost
Principles, indirect costs are those that
have been incurred for common or joint
objectives and cannot be readily
identified with a particular final cost
objective. In order to utilize grant funds
for indirect costs incurred, the applicant
must obtain an Indirect Cost Rate
Agreement with its Federal cognizant
agency either before or shortly after
grant award.
2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that
receives a grant to carry out a project or
program may not use more than 5
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. They should be discussed in the
budget narrative and 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.
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3. Use of Funds for Supportive Services
Grant funds may not be used for
supportive services.
4. Salary and Bonus Limitations
Under Public Law 109–234 and
Public Law 111–8, Section 111, none of
the funds appropriated in Public Law
111–5 or prior Acts under the heading
‘‘Employment and Training’’ that are
available for expenditure on or after
June 15, 2006, shall 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. These limitations
also apply 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. See Training and
Employment Guidance Letter number
5–06 for further clarification: https://
wdr.doleta.gov/directives/
corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
The Federal Government reserves a
paid-up, nonexclusive and irrevocable
license to reproduce, publish or
otherwise use, and to authorize others to
use for Federal purposes: (i) The
copyright in all products developed
under the grant, including a subgrant or
contract under the grant or subgrant;
and (ii) any rights of copyright to which
the grantee, subgrantee or a contractor
purchases ownership under an award
(including but not limited to curricula,
training models, technical assistance
products, and any related materials).
Such uses include, but are not limited
to, the right to modify and distribute
such products worldwide by any means,
electronically or otherwise. Federal
funds may not be used to pay any
royalty or licensing fee associated with
such copyrighted material, although
they may be used to pay costs for
obtaining a copy which are limited to
the developer/seller costs of copying
and shipping. 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 solution was funded by a
grant awarded by the U.S. Department of
Labor’s Employment and Training
Administration. The solution 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
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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 solution 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.’’
and industry-related organizations (e.g.,
trade associations, labor organizations,
labor-management organizations),
educational institutions, regional, State,
or local consortiums or organizations
that focus on green industries and
occupations, foundations, research
laboratories, and other key stakeholders
in green initiatives have informed the
proposed capacity building activities.
Please describe which entities have and
will be involved in all aspects of the
project and how they have informed and
F. Use of Funds for Wage Subsidies
enriched the process. Please describe
Grant funds awarded through this
how they are part of your region, State,
SGA shall not be used to subsidize the
and/or local strategy for energy
wages of program participants.
efficiency and/or renewable energy job
creation, green job training, and green
G. Other Submission Requirements
economic development. Proposals will
Withdrawal of Applications:
be evaluated using the following
Applications may be withdrawn by
criteria:
written notice at any time before an
i. Applicants must fully describe the
award is made.
specific industries and occupations on
which their training will focus,
V. Application Review Information
including the specific knowledge, skills,
A. Evaluation Criteria
and/or abilities required by the
occupation.
RITERION
ii. Applicants must demonstrate
evidence of region, State, and/or local
Criterion
Points
green industry need for training and, if
applicable, how the proposed project is
1. Capacity Building Rationale .......
20
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan
65 linked to green economic development
efforts; and,
i. Organizational capacity—10
iii. Applicants must detail the role
ii. Proposed strategies—55
3. Outcomes and Deliverables .......
15 that key organizations have played or
will play in determining the proposed
Total Points .............................
100 enhancements and capacity building
activities in your existing job training
Applicants will be evaluated on the
and placement programs.
completeness and quality of their
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan (65
submission. A total of 100 points may
Points)
be achieved in accordance with the
criteria articulated below. This section
In this section the applicant must
identifies and describes the criteria that fully describe the activities that it will
will be used to evaluate the grant
undertake to build or enhance the
proposals. These criteria and point
capacity of its organization to provide
values are:
skills training for the target industries
and occupations through its existing job
1. Capacity Building Rationale (20
training and placement programs, and
Points)
their capacity for implementing these
The applicant must fully demonstrate activities. This will ensure that targeted
that the proposed activities build
groups are prepared to meet the needs
capacity to deliver training and/or
of our country’s expanding green jobsrelated services that are responsive to
related industries.
local or State green industry needs, and,
Project activities leading to degrees
if applicable are linked to overall green
and certificates must identify the
industry economic development efforts
degrees and certificates that participants
under way in the region, State, or
will earn as a result of the proposed
community. Applicants should provide
training, and the employer-, industry-,
a complete description of the industries or State-defined standards associated
and occupations within those industries with the degrees and certificates (See
that the training will target, as well as
Section VI.B.3.ii for the definition of
the rationale for targeting industries and certificate).
occupations, and outline the
i. Organizational Capacity (10 Points)
involvement of key organizations in
Applicant should fully demonstrate
informing capacity building activities.
Applicants should also fully describe
that they have the ability to implement
how key organizations such as the State and manage the capacity building
and local workforce system, employers
activities described in this proposal.
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This includes providing a complete
description of the applicant
organization and its qualifications for
running a job training and placement
program. Applicants should describe
the relevant experience of key staff and
continuity of leadership, their ability to
comply with the grant’s fiscal and
administrative requirements, and their
capacity to track and report on the
grant’s programmatic performance.
Applicants must indicate the duration
of the job training and placement
activities that will be offered once the
capacity building activities/strategies
described in this application are
completed. Proposals will be evaluated
using the following criteria:
• The demonstration by the applicant
that they have the capacity to
accomplish the goals and outcomes of
the project as demonstrated by the
experience of the key staff and
continuity of leadership;
• The demonstration by the applicant
that they have the capacity to comply
with the grant’s fiscal and
administrative requirements, and to
track and report on the grant’s
programmatic performance.
ii. Proposed Capacity Building
Strategies (55 Points)
In this section, the applicant should
provide a complete description of how
it will modify all or a portion of its
existing job training and placement
programs to support skills training for
the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries or within other green
industries. ETA is interested in
applicants describing any evidencebased research that they considered in
designing the strategy. Some potential
activities include but are not limited to:
• Professional development
opportunities in the energy efficiency
and renewable energy industries for
staff;
• Modifications to existing
curriculum and/or teaching
methodologies;
• The purchase of equipment that
will contribute to continued training
after the funding under this award is
expended;
• Training provided for industryrecognized entry-level credentials for
program participants;
• Strategies that support the
development of clear pathway options
and job placement for program
participants into the energy efficiency
and renewable energy industries or
within other green industries; and
• Specific skills and competencies
that will be integrated into the jobtraining program and how these support
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growth in green energy career pathways
for project participants.
Proposals will be evaluated using the
following criteria:
• Applicants should provide a
complete description of their capacity
building activities including (1)
professional development opportunities
in the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries or within other green
industries provided to key staff; (2) key
equipment that will build the capacity
of the organization to provide training
in the key industries and occupations;
and (3) curriculum and/or teaching
methodology modifications based on
input from partners identified in
Section V.A.1;
• Applicant shall provide a
description of the industry recognized
credentials (if applicable) to be awarded
and how training for these credentials
will be provided to program
participants;
• Applicant shall demonstrate that
the skills and competencies integrated
into existing training programs are
related to the proposed industry or
occupation targeted.
• Applicants should provide a
complete description of their strategy to
sustain the core training and placement
activities in their project after grant
funds are expended.
• Applicants should provide a
timeline that outlines a schedule for the
key capacity building activities that will
take place during the period of
performance.
3. Outcomes and Deliverables (15
Points)
Applicants must demonstrate a
results-oriented approach to managing
and operating their project by fully
describing the proposed outcome data
measures that impact the success of the
project, as well as the products and
deliverables that will be produced as a
result of the grant activities. In this
section, applicants should identify
specific outcomes that will occur as a
direct result of grant-funded activities
and how appropriate outcomes will be
tracked. Points will be awarded based
on the criteria below.
The applicant should list outcomes
for capacity building activities, and the
projected date the product(s) will be
completed. Outcomes for capacity
building activities include, but are not
limited, to:
• Curriculum, course materials or
competency models and career ladders
developed or updated with grant funds;
• The number of instructors projected
to participate in capacity building
activities;
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• The number of individuals
projected to be trained by these
instructors; and
• The estimated number of other
individuals (besides these students and
instructors) projected to participate and/
or benefit from capacity building
activities. For example, the number of
individuals who will use equipment
purchased through this grant.
If applicable, applicants must provide
a list of expected deliverables that will
be developed with grant funds during
the grant’s period of performance that is
consistent with the project activities
that includes a brief description of the
deliverable (such as updated curriculum
and outreach materials), the anticipated
completion date, and an estimated
timeframe and method for electronic
delivery to ETA. Electronic delivery
may include email for smaller
documents, DVDs or other electronic
media for transmission of larger files.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this
solicitation will be accepted after the
publication of this announcement until
the closing date. A technical review
panel will make careful evaluation of
applications against the criteria. These
criteria are based on the policy goals,
priorities, and emphases set forth in this
SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded
to an application, based on the required
information described in Section V.A.
The ranked scores will serve as the
primary basis for selection of
applications for funding, in conjunction
with other factors such as urban, rural,
and geographic balance; representation
across eligible grant programs; and
which proposals are most advantageous
to the government. The panel results are
advisory in nature and not binding on
the Grant Officer, and the Grant Officer
may consider any information that
comes to his/her attention. The
government may elect to award the
grant(s) with or without discussions
with the applicants. Should a grant be
awarded without discussions, the award
will be based on the applicant’s
signature on the SF 424, which
constitutes a binding offer by the
applicant including electronic signature
via E-Authentication on https://
www.grants.gov.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted
on the ETA Homepage (https://
www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected
for award will be contacted directly
before the grant’s execution and nonselected applicants will be notified by
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mail. Selection of an organization as a
grantee does not constitute approval of
the grant application as submitted.
Before the actual grant is awarded, ETA
may enter into negotiations about such
items as program components, staffing
and funding levels, and administrative
systems in place to support grant
implementation. If the negotiations do
not result in a mutually acceptable
submission, the Grant Officer reserves
the right to terminate the negotiation
and decline to fund the application.
B. Administrative and National Policy
Requirements
1. Administrative Program
Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all
applicable Federal laws, regulations,
and the applicable OMB Circulars. The
grant(s) awarded under this SGA will be
subject to the following administrative
standards and provisions:
i. Non-Profit Organizations—OMB
Circulars A–122 (Cost Principles) and
29 CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
ii. Educational Institutions—OMB
Circulars A–21 (Cost Principles) and 29
CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
iii. State and Local Governments—
OMB Circulars A–87 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 97 (Administrative
Requirements).
iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms—
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)—
48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29
CFR part 95 (Administrative
Requirements).
v. All entities must comply with 29
CFR parts 93 and 98, and, where
applicable, 29 CFR parts 96 and 99.
vi. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D—Equal
Treatment in Department of Labor
Programs for Religious Organizations,
Protection of Religious Liberty of
Department of Labor Social Service
Providers and Beneficiaries.
vii. 29 CFR part 31—
Nondiscrimination in Federally
Assisted Programs of the Department of
Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
viii. 29 CFR part 32—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Handicap in Programs and Activities
Receiving or Benefiting from Federal
Financial Assistance.
ix. 29 CFR part 33—Enforcement of
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of
Handicap in Programs or Activities
Conducted by the Department of Labor.
x. 29 CFR part 35—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age
in Programs or Activities Receiving
Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor.
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xi. 29 CFR part 36—
Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex
in Education Programs or Activities
Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
The following administrative
standards and provisions may be
applicable
i. The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law
111–5, 123 Stat. 115, Division A, Title
VIII (February 17, 2009).
ii. The Green Jobs Act of 2007, Public
Law 110–140, 121 Stat. 1748 (codified at
29 U.S.C. 2916).
iii. The Workforce Investment Act of
1998, Public Law 105–220, 112 Stat. 939
(codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801
et seq.) and 20 CFR part 667 (General
Fiscal and Administrative Rules;
iv. 29 CFR part 29 & 30—
Apprenticeship & Equal Employment
Opportunity in Apprenticeship and
Training;
v. 29 CFR part 37—Implementation of
the Nondiscrimination and Equal
Opportunity Provisions of the
Workforce Investment Act of 1998:
• The Department notes that the
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
(RFRA), 42 U.S.C. sec. 2000bb, applies
to all Federal law and its
implementation. If your organization is
a faith-based organization that makes
hiring decisions on the basis of religious
belief, it may be entitled to receive
Federal financial assistance under Title
I of the Workforce Investment Act and
maintain that hiring practice even
though Section 188 of the Workforce
Investment Act contains a general ban
on religious discrimination in
employment. If you are awarded a grant,
you will be provided with information
on how to request such an exemption.
vi. Ensuring the Health and Safety of
Participants Under WIA Section
181(a)(4)—Health and safety standards
established under Federal and State law
otherwise applicable to working
conditions of employees are equally
applicable to working conditions of
participants engaged in training and
other activities. Applicants that are
awarded grants through this SGA are
reminded that these health and safety
standards apply to participants in these
grants.
In accordance with Section 18 of the
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Pub.
L. 104–65) (2 U.S.C. 1611) non-profit
entities incorporated under Internal
Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4)
that engage in lobbying activities are not
eligible to receive Federal funds and
grants.
Except as specifically provided in this
SGA, ETA’s acceptance of a proposal
and an award of Federal funds to
sponsor any program(s) does not
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provide a waiver of any grant
requirements and/or procedures. For
example, the OMB Circulars require that
an entity’s procurement procedures
must ensure that all procurement
transactions are conducted, as much as
practical, to provide open and free
competition. If a proposal identifies a
specific entity to provide services, the
ETA’s award does not provide the
justification or basis to sole source the
procurement, i.e., avoid competition,
unless the activity is regarded as the
primary work of an official partner to
the application.
2. Special Program Requirements
i. Evaluation: To measure the impact
of grants funded under the SGA, ETA
intends to fund one or more
independent evaluations. By accepting
funding, grantees must agree to
participate in such an evaluation,
should they be selected to participate.
Grantees must agree to make records on
participants, employers, and funding
available and to provide access to
program personnel and participants, as
specified by the evaluator(s) under the
direction of ETA, including after the
expiration date of the grant.
ii. Definition of Certificate: A
certificate is awarded in recognition of
an individual’s attainment of
measurable technical or occupational
skills necessary to gain employment or
advance within an occupation. These
technical or occupational skills are
based on standards developed or
endorsed by employers. Certificates
awarded by workforce investment
boards are not included in this
definition. Work readiness certificates
are also not included in this definition.
A certificate is awarded in recognition
of an individual’s attainment of
technical or occupational skills by:
• A State educational agency or a
State agency responsible for
administering vocational and technical
education within a State.
• An institution of higher education
described in Section 102 of the Higher
Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1002) that is
qualified to participate in the student
financial assistance programs
authorized by Title IV of that Act. This
includes community colleges,
proprietary schools, and all other
institutions of higher education that are
eligible to participate in Federal student
financial aid programs.
• A professional, industry, or
employer organization (e.g., National
Institute for Automotive Service
Excellence certification, National
Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc.,
Machining Level I credential) or a
product manufacturer or developer (e.g.,
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Microsoft Certified Database
Administrator, Certified Novell
Engineer, Sun Certified Java
Programmer) using a valid and reliable
assessment of an individual’s
knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• A registered apprenticeship
program.
• A public regulatory agency, upon
an individual’s fulfillment of
educational, work experience, or skill
requirements that are legally necessary
for an individual to use an occupational
or professional title or to practice an
occupation or profession (e.g., FAA
aviation mechanic certification, State
certified asbestos inspector).
• A program that has been approved
by the Department of Veterans Affairs to
offer education benefits to veterans and
other eligible persons.
• Job Corps centers that issue
certificates.
• Institutions of higher education
which is formally controlled, or has
been formally sanctioned, or chartered,
by the governing body of an Indian tribe
or tribes.
iii. Definitions of Populations and
Other Key Terms
Organizations submitting an
application in response to this SGA
should use the following definitions for
any of the following populations and/or
other key terms that are specifically
identified in this SGA:
• High school drop-outs: For the
purposes of this SGA, ETA defines
‘‘high school drop-out’’ as an individual
who is no longer attending any
secondary school and who has not
received a secondary school diploma or
its recognized equivalent.
• Individuals in need of updated
training related to the energy efficiency
and renewable energy industries: For
the purposes of this SGA, this term
refers to individuals who are currently
employed; or were terminated or laid-off
or have received a notice of termination
or lay-off from employment; or were
self-employed but are now unemployed;
and can benefit from training that will
help them enter or advance in the
energy efficiency and renewable energy
industries identified in WIA section
171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or will enable them
to acquire or enhance skills needed to
enter occupations within one or more of
the ‘‘growth, enhanced, and emerging’’
green industries referenced in
Supplementary Information: Part B of
this SGA.
• Individuals, including at-risk youth,
seeking employment pathways out of
poverty and into economic selfsufficiency: For the purposes of this
SGA, ETA defines this term as
individuals who reside in high poverty
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areas (which are areas where the
poverty rate is 15% or greater), have no
or low incomes, and who can benefit
from skill training that will help them
enter or advance in the energy efficiency
and renewable energy industries
identified in WIA section
171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or will enable them
to acquire or enhance skills needed to
enter occupations within one or more of
the ‘‘growth, enhanced, and emerging’’
green industries referenced in
Supplementary Information: Part B of
this SGA.
• Individuals with a criminal record:
For the purposes of this SGA, ETA
defines this term as an individual who
is or has been subject to any stage of the
juvenile or criminal justice process, for
whom services under this Act may be
beneficial; or who requires assistance in
overcoming artificial barriers to
employment resulting from a record of
arrest or conviction. ETA includes
individuals with a juvenile or criminal
record in the definition for this term.
• Unemployed individuals: For the
purposes of this SGA, ETA defines
‘‘unemployed individual’’ as an
individual who is without a job and
who wants and is available to work.
• Veterans: For the purposes of this
solicitation, ETA follows the WIA
definition of veteran under 29 U.S.C.
2801(49)(A), which defines the term
‘‘veteran’’ as ‘‘an individual who served
in the active military, naval, or air
service, and who was discharged or
released from such service under
conditions other than dishonorable.’’
Active military service includes fulltime duty (other than full-time duty for
training purposes) in Reserve
components ordered to active duty, or
in National Guard units called to
Federal Service by the President.
• Workers impacted by national
energy and environmental policy: For
the purposes of this SGA, ETA defines
this term as individuals who: (1) Are
currently employed in an occupation in
the utilities; transportation and
warehousing; manufacturing;
construction; mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction; or other sectors that
have been adversely affected by national
energy and environmental policies; and
have received a notice of termination or
lay-off from employment; or (2) were
employed in an occupation in the
utilities; transportation and
warehousing; manufacturing;
construction; mining, quarrying, and oil
and gas extraction; or other sectors that
have been adversely affected by national
energy and environmental policies; and
are now unemployed.
• National labor-management
organization: A national labor-
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management organization is a nonprofit
entity, such as a training fund, training
trust fund, or an education trust fund,
with joint participation of employers
and labor organizations on its executive
board or comparable governing body.
This entity must have a formalized
agreement between the employer(s) and
labor organization(s) to operate a joint
labor management training program(s)
in multiple sites across the country
through the state, local, or regional
networks affiliated with the nonprofit
entity.
3. American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111–5) Provisions
Prospective applicants are advised
that, if they receive an award, they must
comply with all requirements of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 [Pub. L. 111–5]. Applicants
are advised to review the Act and
implementing OMB guidance in the
development of their proposals.
Requirements include, but are not
limited to:
• Adherence to all grant clauses and
conditions as they relate to Recovery
Act activity.
• Prohibition on expenditure of funds
for activities at any casino or other
gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo,
golf course or swimming pool.
• Compliance with the requirements
to obtain a D–U–N–S® Number and
register with the Central Contractor
Registry (CCR). ETA will issue
additional guidance related to this
requirement shortly.
• Submission of required reports in
accordance with Section 1512 of the
Recovery Act. These reports will be due
quarterly within 10 days of the end of
the reporting period and are in addition
to the ETA required reports addressed
in Section VI of this SGA. ETA will
issue additional guidance related to
these reports and their submission
requirements shortly.
Implementing OMB guidance may be
found at https://www.recovery.gov.
C. Reporting
The grantee is required to provide the
reports and documents listed below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report
(SF 9130) is required until such time as
all funds have been expended or the
grant period has expired. Quarterly
reports are due 45 days after the end of
each calendar year quarter, including
the last calendar quarter of the grant
period. Grantees must use ETA’s OnLine Electronic Reporting System. A
Closeout Financial Status Report is due
90 days after the end of the grant period.
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2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly
progress report within 45 days after the
end of each calendar year quarter. In
order to submit these quarterly reports,
grantees will be expected to track
participant-level data regarding the
individuals that are involved in training
and other services provided through the
grant and report on participant status in
a variety of fields and outcome
categories, as well as provide narrative
information on the status of the grant.
The last quarterly progress report that
grantees submit will serve as the grant’s
Final Performance Report. This report
should provide both quarterly and
cumulative information on the grant’s
activities. It must summarize project
activities, employment outcomes and
other deliverables, and related results of
the project, and should thoroughly
document the training or labor market
information approaches utilized by the
grantee. DOL will provide grantees with
formal guidance regarding data and
other information that is required to be
collected and reported on either a
regular basis or special request basis.
Grantees must agree to meet DOL
reporting requirements.
3. Record Retention
Applicants should be aware of
Federal guidelines on record retention,
which require grantees to maintain all
records pertaining to grant activities for
a period of not less than three years
from the time of final grant close-out.
VII. Agency Contacts
For further information regarding this
SGA, please contact Denise Roach,
Grants Management Specialist, Division
of Federal Assistance, at (202) 693–3820
(This is not a toll-free number).
Applicants should e-mail all technical
questions to roach.denise@dol.gov and
must specifically reference SGA/DFA
PY 08–21, and along with question(s),
include a contact name, fax and phone
number.
This announcement is being made
available on the ETA Web site at https://
www.doleta.gov/grants and at https://
www.grants.gov.
VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to
Applicants
A. Other Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of Webbased resources that may be of
assistance to applicants. America’s
Service Locator (https://
www.servicelocator.org) provides a
directory of our nation’s One Stop
Career Centers.
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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices
B. Industry Competency Models
ETA supports an Industry
Competency Model Initiative to promote
an understanding of the skill sets and
competencies that are essential to an
educated and skilled workforce. A
competency model is a collection of
competencies that taken together define
successful performance in a particular
work setting. Competency models serve
as a starting point for the design and
implementation of workforce and talent
development programs. To learn about
the industry-validated models visit the
Competency Model Clearinghouse
(CMC) at https://www.careeronestop.org/
CompetencyModel. The CMC site also
provides tools to build or customize
industry models, as well as tools to
build career ladders and/or career
lattices.
C. Federal Collaboration
DOL encourages other Federal
partners to recommend or require,
where appropriate, that organizations
receiving Recovery Act funding list jobs
created with their State public labor
exchange. The Department is
developing specific strategies to link job
listings, training opportunities and
placement among programs funded by
Departments of Housing and Urban
Development, Energy, and Education.
Where the grantee is not the public
workforce system, they are strongly
encouraged to work with the local One
Stop Career Centers to make these
connections.
D. Links to Federal Recovery Sites
For specific information on a range of
Federal agency Recovery Act activities
and funding opportunities, please
access the following Web sites:
• Department of Education: https://
www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/
index.html.
• Department of Energy: https://
www.doe.gov/recovery.
• Department of Housing and Urban
Development: https://www.hud.gov/
recovery.
• Department of Transportation:
https://www.dot.gov/recovery/.
• Environmental Protection Agency:
https://www.epa.gov/recovery.
E. Promising Training Approaches
ETA encourages applicants to
research promising training approaches
in order to inform their proposals. The
following list of Web sites provides a
starting place for this research, but by
no means should be considered a
complete list:
• ETA’s home site (https://
www.doleta.gov) and the ETA Research
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:46 Jun 23, 2009
Jkt 217001
Publication Database (wdr.doleta.gov/
research/keyword.cfm)
• ETA’s knowledge sharing site
(https://www.workforce3one.org),
including the ‘‘workforce solutions’’
section that contains over 6,000
additional resources applicants may
find valuable in developing workforce
strategies and solutions
• The National Governors Association
Center for Best Practices (https://
www.nga.org)
• The National Association of State
Workforce Agencies (https://
www.workforceatm.org)
• The National Association of
Workforce Boards (https://
www.nawb.org)
IX. Other Information
OMB Information Collection No.
1225–0086.
Expires September 30, 2009.
According to the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are
required to respond to a collection of
information unless such collection
displays a valid OMB control number.
Public reporting burden for this
collection of information is estimated to
average 20 hours per response,
including time for reviewing
instructions, searching existing data
sources, gathering and maintaining the
data needed, and completing and
reviewing the collection of information.
Send comments regarding the burden
estimated or any other aspect of this
collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, to
the OMB Desk Officer for ETA,
Department of Labor, in the Office of
Management and Budget, Room 10235,
Washington, DC 20503. Please do not
return the completed application to the
OMB. Send it to the sponsoring agency
as specified in this solicitation.
This information is being collected for
the purpose of awarding a grant. The
information collected through this SGA
will be used by DOL to ensure that
grants are awarded to the applicant best
suited to perform the functions of the
grant. Submission of this information is
required in order for the applicant to be
considered for award of this grant.
Unless otherwise specifically noted in
this announcement, information
submitted in the respondent’s
application is not considered to be
confidential.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of
June, 2009.
B. Jai Johnson,
Grant Officer, Employment and Training
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9–14920 Filed 6–23–09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P
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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
National Science Board; Committee on
Strategy and Budget; Sunshine Act
Meetings; Notice
The National Science Board’s
Committee on Strategy and Budget,
pursuant to NSF regulations (45 CFR
Part 614), the National Science
Foundation Act, as amended (42 U.S.C.
1862n-5), and the Government in the
Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b), hereby
gives notice in regard to the scheduling
of meetings for the transaction of
National Science Board business and
other matters specified, as follows:
DATE AND TIME: Friday, June 26, 2009 at
2 p.m.
SUBJECT MATTER: Discussion of future
NSF budgets.
STATUS: Closed.
This meeting will be held by
teleconference originating at the
National Science Board Office, National
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22230. Please refer to the
National Science Board Web site
(https://www.nsf.gov/nsb) for
information or schedule updates, or
contact: Jennie Moehlmann, National
Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd.,
Arlington, VA 22230. Telephone: (703)
292–7000.
Ann Ferrante,
Writer-Editor.
[FR Doc. E9–14962 Filed 6–22–09; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 7555–01–P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
Advisory Committee on Reactor
Safeguards; Revision to July 8–10,
2009 ACRS Meeting Federal Register
Notice
The Federal Register Notice for the
ACRS meeting scheduled to be held on
July 8–10, 2009, is being revised to
make the following changes:
The discussion of Draft Final
Regulatory Guide 1.215, ‘‘Guidance for
ITAAC Closure under 10 CFR Part 52,’’
scheduled between 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.
on Wednesday, July 8, 2009, is now
scheduled between 10:45 a.m. and 12:15
p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2009. The
discussion of Draft Final Revision 3 to
Regulatory Guide 1.100, ‘‘Seismic
Qualification of Electric and Mechanical
Equipment for Nuclear Power Plants,’’
scheduled between 10:45 a.m. and 12:15
p.m. on Thursday, July 9, 2009, is now
scheduled between 10:15 and 11:45 a.m.
on Wednesday, July 8, 2009.
In addition, the topic on Applicability
of TRACE Code to Analyze ESBWR
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 120 (Wednesday, June 24, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30165-30174]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14920]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employment and Training Administration
American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009; Notice of
Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Green
Capacity Building Grants
Announcement Type: Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications.
Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY-08-21.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.275.
DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under
this announcement is August 5, 2009. Applications must be received no
later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A pre-recorded Webinar will be made
available online at https://www.workforce3one.org to prospective
applicants for this grant competition on July 10, 2009 by 3 p.m.
Eastern Time, and will be available for viewing anytime after that date
as well. While a review of this webinar is encouraged, it is not
mandatory. Access information for the Webinar will be posted on the
Employment and Training Administration (ETA) Web site listed above.
ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department
of Labor, Employment & Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson, Grants Officer, Reference SGA/
DFA PY 08-21, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N4716, Washington, DC
20210. For complete ``Application and Submission Information,'' please
refer to Section IV.
SUMMARY: Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the
Recovery Act), the Department of Labor (DOL or the Department)
announces the availability of approximately $5 million in grant funds
for projects that build the capacity of DOL-funded training programs to
ensure that targeted groups are prepared to meet the needs of our
country's expanding green industries. Only active DOL-funded grantees
specified in Part III of this SGA are eligible to apply. Specifically,
this SGA supports capacity building for organizations to provide
training for entry-level positions leading to career pathways and/or
additional training in the energy efficiency and renewable energy
industries described in Section 171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce
Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The Department expects to award between
50 and 100 grants under this competition, providing awards ranging from
$50,000 to $100,000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Recovery Act: Competitive Grants for Green Job Training
This section of the SGA provides general background on the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), the competitive
grants funded through the Recovery Act to prepare workers for careers
in the energy efficiency and renewable energy, and the occupations and
industries on which these grants should focus. On February 17, 2009,
President Barack Obama signed into law the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) through which Congress intended
to preserve and create jobs, promote the nation's economic recovery,
and assist those most impacted by the recession. Among other funding
directed toward the Department of Labor, the Recovery Act provides $750
million for a program of competitive grants for worker training and
placement in high growth and emerging industries. Of the $750 million
allotted for competitive grants, the Recovery Act designates $500
million for projects that prepare workers for careers in the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries described in Section
171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). DOL intends to use
a portion of the $500 million for providing technical assistance for
this program of grants.
The purpose of these green job training grants is to teach workers
the skills required in emerging energy efficiency and renewable energy
industries. These efforts will lead program participants to job
placement while leveraging other Recovery Act investments intended to
create jobs and promote economic growth. For additional information
about the series of competitive grants for green job training, please
refer to Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 44-08 available at https://www.doleta.gov/Recovery/legislation.cfm.
[[Page 30166]]
B. Green Industries and Occupations
The Department will award grants to workforce development projects
that focus on connecting target populations, including auto and auto-
related industry workers affected by significant automotive-related
restructurings, to career pathways in green industries. Training
programs will prepare individuals for careers in any of the seven
energy efficiency and renewable energy industries defined in Section
171(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the WIA, which include:
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 industries; and
Manufacturers that produce sustainable products using
environmentally sustainable processes and materials.
Additionally, the Department is interested in applicants
contributing to our understanding of green industries and jobs that
clean and enhance our environment. Initial research supported by the
Department shows that there are ``growth, enhanced and emerging'' green
occupations across a number of industries. Applicants may propose
strategies that train for those occupations from among the following
industries: Transportation; green construction; environmental
protection; sustainable agriculture including healthy food production;
forestry; and recycling and waste reduction (see O*NET report at https://www.onetcenter.org/reports/Green.html). The Department will consider
proposals that focus on these occupations within these industries if
applicants can offer supporting data demonstrating these are emerging
industries which are producing jobs in their communities.
For the purpose of the SGAs, the Department defines energy
efficiency and renewable energy as follows. Section 203(b)(2) of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, 119 Stat. 595, defines
``renewable energy'' as ``electric energy generated from solar, wind,
biomass, landfill gas, ocean (including tidal, wave, current, and
thermal), geothermal, municipal solid waste, or new hydroelectric
generation capacity achieved from increased efficiency or additions of
new capacity at an existing hydroelectric project.'' ``Energy
efficiency'' can be broadly defined as programs aimed at mitigating the
use of energy, reducing harmful emissions, and decreasing overall
energy consumption.
The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is
working to develop a definition for green industries and jobs, which
will be used to ensure that workforce development efforts identify and
target these green jobs and their training needs. The Department has
also supported occupational research that begins to define green jobs,
review industries impacted by green investments and understand how new
green technology and materials will affect occupational requirements.
The Occupational Information Network (O*NET) project has drafted a
research paper titled, Greening of the World of Work: Implications for
O*NET-SOC and New and Emerging Occupations. This study reflects three
general categories of occupations, based on different consequences of
green economy activities and technologies: (1) Existing occupations
expected to experience primarily an increase in employment demand; (2)
existing occupations with significant change to the work and worker
requirements; and (3) new and emerging green occupations. This research
may be used as a starting point for identifying green industries and
occupations and informing the development of training and job placement
programs. For a copy of the O*NET report and a listing of the
identified occupations go to https://www.onetcenter.org/reports/Green.html.
C. Working With Other Recovery Act Programs
The Recovery Act made funds available to a number of other Federal
programs that will impact the creation and expansion of green jobs. DOL
is partnering with other Federal agencies to support the creation of
jobs by developing a pipeline of skilled workers in the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries. Where possible, ETA
encourages applicants to connect their workforce development strategies
to other Recovery Act funded projects that create jobs or impact the
skill requirements of existing jobs. ETA recommends that applicants
review other parts of the Recovery Act, with a focus on the activities
funded through the Department of Energy (Energy), the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the
Department of Education (Education) and others. For additional
resources and information about our Federal partners, please see
Section VIII, ``Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants.''
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Through this SGA, ETA will help individuals acquire the skills
needed to enter and advance in green industries and occupations by
building the capacity of active DOL-funded training programs to provide
education and training in the key skills and competencies that are
needed in these green industries and occupations.
Specifically, this SGA supports capacity building for organizations
to provide training for entry-level positions leading to career
pathways and/or additional training in the energy efficiency and
renewable energy industries, as well as other green occupations within
the detailed list of industries specified in Supplementary Information:
Part B of this SGA. Grantees may bolster the capacity of their training
programs through the purchase of equipment, staff professional
development, curriculum development and/or adaptation, partnership
development, and where necessary, the hiring of additional staff.
Organizations that have already begun the integration of energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries and other green job-related
skill training into their programs may apply for funds to enhance their
current efforts. These awards do not require an increase in enrollment
in the existing DOL-funded training program. These funds will help
organizations in building the infrastructure necessary to provide on-
going training and job placement into green jobs after the grant funds
have been expended.
It is critical that grantees consult with key industry and other
stakeholders about current and future workforce needs. Further,
grantees should work with key partners (described in Section V.A.1) to
determine the specific enhancements they should make to their training
programs.
Applicants are not limited in the strategies and approaches they
may use to implement projects in this SGA, provided that the strategy
is well developed, includes a strong partnership, and focuses on
training to prepare workers for employment in the occupations and
industries identified in Supplementary Information: Part B of this SGA,
subject to funding restrictions described in this SGA and the grant
agreement. Increasing the capacity of DOL grantees will enable them to
provide training for green industries and
[[Page 30167]]
occupations through their existing DOL grants, and support green jobs-
related projects funded through the Recovery Act and from other
sources.
II. Award Information
A. Award Amount
Approximately $5 million is available to fund Green Capacity
Building grants. The Department expects to award between 50 and 100
grants under this competition, providing awards ranging from $50,000 to
$100,000. This does not preclude funding a smaller or larger number of
projects, based on the type and the number of quality submissions.
B. Period of Performance
The period of grant performance will be up to 12 months from the
date of execution of the grant documents. This performance period
includes all necessary implementation and start-up activities. The
Department intends for all grantees funded under this SGA to implement
projects as soon as possible. Further, applicants should plan to fully
expend grant funds during the period of performance, while ensuring
full transparency and accountability for all expenditures.
III. Eligibility Information
A. Eligible Applicants
DOL intends to build the green training capacity of our current
grantees, therefore, eligible applicants are limited to the following
DOL grantees who received funding through the SGA number indicated in
the parentheses: Indian and Native American Program (SGA/DFA PY 07-04),
National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) (SGA/DFA PY 06-04), Prisoner
Re-Entry Initiative (PRI) (SGA/DFA PY 08-03 & SGA/DFA PY 07-05), Senior
Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) (SGA/DFA PY 07-02 & SGA/
DFA PY 05-06), Women in Apprenticeship and Non-Traditional Occupations
(WANTO) (SGA/DFA PY 07-08 & SGA/DFA PY 06-01), Advancing Registered
Apprenticeship into the 21st Century: Collaborating for Success (SGA/
DFA PY 08-11), YouthBuild (SGA/DFA PY 08-07 & SGA/DFA PY 06-08), and
Young Offender Grants (SGA/DFA PY 08-09, SGA/DFA PY 06-10, & SGA/DFA PY
06-14).
Organizations with multiple DOL-funded training programs may only
submit one application. That application should indicate which DOL-
funded program(s) will be enhanced through capacity building activities
supported by this Solicitation.
B. Cost Sharing
Cost sharing or matching funds are not required as a condition for
application.
C. Other Eligibility Requirements
1. Participants Eligible to Receive Training
Grantees must use these grants to enhance their capacity to serve
individuals who meet the eligibility requirements of their programs who
need training in green industries and occupations. Given the
participants that they serve through their existing grants, grantees
should give priority for training and other services provided through
these grants to individuals in the following categories:
Workers impacted by national energy and environmental
policy;
Individuals in need of updated training related to the
energy efficiency and renewable energy industries;
Veterans;
Unemployed individuals;
Individuals, including at-risk youth, seeking employment
pathways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency; and
Individuals with a criminal record.
Other individuals, such as untapped labor pools and entry-level and
incumbent workers that do not fit into the categories above, may also
be served through these projects subject to the priority considerations
given to the populations above and consistent with the populations to
be served through the grantee's statements of work for their existing
grant(s). For specific definitions for these target populations,
applicants must refer to Section VI.B.
2. Veterans Priority
The Jobs for Veterans Act (Pub. L. 107-288) provides priority of
service to veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of
employment, training, and placement services in any job training
program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. Grantees are
required to provide priority of services for veterans and eligible
spouses pursuant to 20 CFR part 1010, the regulations implementing
priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in Department of
Labor job training programs under the Jobs for Veterans Act published
at 73 FR 78132 on December 19, 2008. In circumstances where a grant
recipient must choose between two equally qualified candidates for
training, one of whom is a veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act requires
that grant recipients give the veteran priority of service by admitting
him or her into the program. Please note that to obtain priority of
service a veteran must meet the program's eligibility requirements.
Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on veterans' priority.
Currently, ETA Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03
(September 16, 2003) provides general guidance on the scope of the Job
for Veterans Act and its effect on current employment and training
programs. TEGL No. 5-03, along with additional guidance, is available
at the ``Jobs for Veterans Priority of Service'' Web site: https://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets.
3. Grantee Training
Grantees are required to participate in all ETA training activities
related to orientation, financial management and reporting, performance
reporting, product dissemination, and other technical assistance
training as appropriate during the life of the grant. These trainings
may occur via conference call, webinar, and in-person meetings. For
budgeting purposes, grant recipients should allocate adequate staff
time and travel resources to ensure participation at a two-day in-
person event.
IV. Application and Submission Information
A. How to Obtain an Application Package
This SGA contains all the information and links to forms needed to
apply for this funding opportunity.
B. Content and Form of Application Submission
The proposal will consist of three separate and distinct parts--(I)
a cost proposal, (II) a technical proposal, and (III) attachments to
the technical proposal. Applications that fail to adhere to the
instructions in this section will be considered non-responsive and will
not be reviewed. Please note that it is the applicant's responsibility
to ensure that the amount of funds requested is consistent across all
parts and sub-parts of the application.
Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the
following four items:
The Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal
Assistance'' (available at https://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp and https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm). The SF 424 must clearly identify the applicant and 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
[[Page 30168]]
of the applicant shall be considered the authorized representative of
the applicant.
Applicants must supply their D-U-N-S[supreg] Number on the
SF 424. All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities are
required to have a D-U-N-S[supreg] Number (Data Universal Numbering
System). See Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Notice of Final
Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402, Jun. 27, 2003. The D-U-N-S[supreg] Number
is a non-indicative, nine-digit number assigned to each business
location in the D&B database having a unique, separate, and distinct
operation, and is maintained solely by D&B. The D-U-N-S[supreg] Number
is used by industries and organizations around the world as a global
standard for business identification and tracking. If you do not have a
D-U-N-S[supreg] Number, you can get one for free through the SBS site:
https://smallbusiness.dnb.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Glossary?fLink=glossary&footerflag=y&storeId=10001&indicator=7.
The SF 424A Budget Information Form (available at https://www07.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp and https://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm). In preparing the Budget
Information Form, the applicant must provide a concise narrative
explanation to support the 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. In
addition, the applicant should address precisely how the administrative
costs support the project goals. The entire Federal grant amount
requested should be included on both the SF 424 and SF 424A. Please
note that applicants that fail to provide a SF 424, a SF 424A, a D-U-N-
S[supreg] Number, and a budget narrative will be removed from
consideration prior to the technical review process.
Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to
submit OMB Survey N. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity
for Applicants, which can be found under the Grants.gov, Tips and
Resources From Grantors, Department of Labor section at https://www07.grants.gov/applicants/tips_resources_from_grantors.jsp#13
(also referred to as Faith Based EEO Survey PDF Form).
Part II. The Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal will
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 Part V.A of
this SGA. The Technical Proposal is limited to 12 double-spaced single-
sided pages with 12 point text font and 1 inch margins. Any materials
beyond the 12-page limit will not be reviewed. Applicants should number
the Technical Proposal beginning with page number 1. Applicants that do
not provide Part II, the Technical Proposal of the application will be
removed from consideration prior to the technical review process.
Applications that do not meet these requirements will not be
considered.
Part III. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the
12-page Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit an Abstract, not
to exceed one page, summarizing the proposed project including the
applicant name, project title, a description of the area to be served,
and the funding level requested. The one-page abstract does not count
against the 12-page limit for the Technical Proposal. Additional
materials such as resumes or general letters of support or commitment
will not be read.
Applications may be submitted electronically on Grants.gov or in
hardcopy via mail or hand delivery. These processes are described in
further detail in Section IV.C. Applicants submitting proposals in
hardcopy 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 hardcopy are also required to
provide an identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc
(CD).
C. Submission Process, Date, Times, and Addresses
The closing date for receipt of applications under this
announcement is August 5, 2009. Applications must be received at the
address below no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Applications sent by
e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will not be accepted. Applications
that do not meet the conditions set forth in this notice will not be
honored. No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set
forth in this notice will be granted.
Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal
Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/
DFA, PY 08-21, 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 applications
through professional overnight delivery service will be considered to
be hand-delivered and must be received at the designated place by the
specified closing date and time.
Applicants may apply online through Grants.gov (https://www.grants.gov); however, due to the expected increase in system
activity resulting from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009, applicants are encouraged to use an alternate method to submit
grant applications during this heightened period of demand. While not
mandatory, DOL encourages the submission of applications through
professional overnight delivery service.
Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be
successfully submitted at https://www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m.
Eastern Time on August 5, 2009, 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.
It is strongly recommended that before the applicant begins to
write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and complete
the ``Get Registered'' registration steps at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. These steps may take multiple days or
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. It is strongly recommended
that applicants use the ``Organization Registration Checklist'' at
https://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf to ensure the registration process is complete.
Within two business days of application submission, Grants.gov will
send the applicant two email messages to provide the status of
application progress through the system. The first email, almost
immediate, 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 and successfully validated will be
considered. It is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure a
timely submission; therefore sufficient time should be allotted for
submission (two business days) and, if applicable, subsequent time to
address
[[Page 30169]]
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 either .doc, .xls or .pdf files. If submitted in any other
format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues
will prevent our ability to consider the application. ETA will attempt
to open the document but will not take any additional measures in the
event of issues with opening. In such cases, the non-conforming
application will not be considered for funding.
Applicants are strongly advised to utilize the tools and documents,
including FAQs, that are available on the ``Applicant Resources'' page
at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/app_help_reso.jsp#faqs. 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 https://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 e-mail support@grants.gov.
Late Applications: For applications submitted on Grants.gov, only
applications that have been successfully submitted no later than 4 p.m.
Eastern Time on the closing date and successfully validated will be
considered.
Any 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 prior to 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 the above instructions will be a basis for a determination of non-
responsiveness. 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
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. Successful
and unsuccessful applicants will not be entitled to reimbursement of
pre-award costs.
1. Indirect Costs
As specified in OMB Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs are
those that have been incurred for common or joint objectives and cannot
be readily identified with a particular final cost objective. In order
to utilize grant funds for indirect costs incurred, the applicant must
obtain an Indirect Cost Rate Agreement with its Federal cognizant
agency either before or shortly after grant award.
2. Administrative Costs
Under this SGA, an entity that receives a grant to carry out a
project or program may not use more than 5 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. They should be discussed in the budget narrative and
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.
3. Use of Funds for Supportive Services
Grant funds may not be used for supportive services.
4. Salary and Bonus Limitations
Under Public Law 109-234 and Public Law 111-8, Section 111, none of
the funds appropriated in Public Law 111-5 or prior Acts under the
heading ``Employment and Training'' that are available for expenditure
on or after June 15, 2006, shall 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. These limitations also apply 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. See
Training and Employment Guidance Letter number 5-06 for further
clarification: https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262.
5. Intellectual Property Rights
The Federal Government reserves a paid-up, nonexclusive and
irrevocable license to reproduce, publish or otherwise use, and to
authorize others to use for Federal purposes: (i) The copyright in all
products developed under the grant, including a subgrant or contract
under the grant or subgrant; and (ii) any rights of copyright to which
the grantee, subgrantee or a contractor purchases ownership under an
award (including but not limited to curricula, training models,
technical assistance products, and any related materials). Such uses
include, but are not limited to, the right to modify and distribute
such products worldwide by any means, electronically or otherwise.
Federal funds may not be used to pay any royalty or licensing fee
associated with such copyrighted material, although they may be used to
pay costs for obtaining a copy which are limited to the developer/
seller costs of copying and shipping. 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 solution was funded by a grant awarded by the
U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration.
The solution 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
[[Page 30170]]
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 solution 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. Use of Funds for Wage Subsidies
Grant funds awarded through this SGA shall not be used to subsidize
the wages of program participants.
G. Other Submission Requirements
Withdrawal of Applications: Applications may be withdrawn by
written notice at any time before an award is made.
V. Application Review Information
A. Evaluation Criteria
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Criterion Points
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Capacity Building Rationale................................ 20
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan............................. 65
i. Organizational capacity--10
ii. Proposed strategies--55
3. Outcomes and Deliverables.................................. 15
---------
Total Points.............................................. 100
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Applicants will be evaluated on the completeness and quality of
their submission. A total of 100 points may be achieved in accordance
with the criteria articulated below. This section identifies and
describes the criteria that will be used to evaluate the grant
proposals. These criteria and point values are:
1. Capacity Building Rationale (20 Points)
The applicant must fully demonstrate that the proposed activities
build capacity to deliver training and/or related services that are
responsive to local or State green industry needs, and, if applicable
are linked to overall green industry economic development efforts under
way in the region, State, or community. Applicants should provide a
complete description of the industries and occupations within those
industries that the training will target, as well as the rationale for
targeting industries and occupations, and outline the involvement of
key organizations in informing capacity building activities.
Applicants should also fully describe how key organizations such as
the State and local workforce system, employers and industry-related
organizations (e.g., trade associations, labor organizations, labor-
management organizations), educational institutions, regional, State,
or local consortiums or organizations that focus on green industries
and occupations, foundations, research laboratories, and other key
stakeholders in green initiatives have informed the proposed capacity
building activities. Please describe which entities have and will be
involved in all aspects of the project and how they have informed and
enriched the process. Please describe how they are part of your region,
State, and/or local strategy for energy efficiency and/or renewable
energy job creation, green job training, and green economic
development. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
i. Applicants must fully describe the specific industries and
occupations on which their training will focus, including the specific
knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required by the occupation.
ii. Applicants must demonstrate evidence of region, State, and/or
local green industry need for training and, if applicable, how the
proposed project is linked to green economic development efforts; and,
iii. Applicants must detail the role that key organizations have
played or will play in determining the proposed enhancements and
capacity building activities in your existing job training and
placement programs.
2. Strategy and Project Work Plan (65 Points)
In this section the applicant must fully describe the activities
that it will undertake to build or enhance the capacity of its
organization to provide skills training for the target industries and
occupations through its existing job training and placement programs,
and their capacity for implementing these activities. This will ensure
that targeted groups are prepared to meet the needs of our country's
expanding green jobs-related industries.
Project activities leading to degrees and certificates must
identify the degrees and certificates that participants will earn as a
result of the proposed training, and the employer-, industry-, or
State-defined standards associated with the degrees and certificates
(See Section VI.B.3.ii for the definition of certificate).
i. Organizational Capacity (10 Points)
Applicant should fully demonstrate that they have the ability to
implement and manage the capacity building activities described in this
proposal. This includes providing a complete description of the
applicant organization and its qualifications for running a job
training and placement program. Applicants should describe the relevant
experience of key staff and continuity of leadership, their ability to
comply with the grant's fiscal and administrative requirements, and
their capacity to track and report on the grant's programmatic
performance. Applicants must indicate the duration of the job training
and placement activities that will be offered once the capacity
building activities/strategies described in this application are
completed. Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
The demonstration by the applicant that they have the
capacity to accomplish the goals and outcomes of the project as
demonstrated by the experience of the key staff and continuity of
leadership;
The demonstration by the applicant that they have the
capacity to comply with the grant's fiscal and administrative
requirements, and to track and report on the grant's programmatic
performance.
ii. Proposed Capacity Building Strategies (55 Points)
In this section, the applicant should provide a complete
description of how it will modify all or a portion of its existing job
training and placement programs to support skills training for the
energy efficiency and renewable energy industries or within other green
industries. ETA is interested in applicants describing any evidence-
based research that they considered in designing the strategy. Some
potential activities include but are not limited to:
Professional development opportunities in the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries for staff;
Modifications to existing curriculum and/or teaching
methodologies;
The purchase of equipment that will contribute to
continued training after the funding under this award is expended;
Training provided for industry-recognized entry-level
credentials for program participants;
Strategies that support the development of clear pathway
options and job placement for program participants into the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries or within other green
industries; and
Specific skills and competencies that will be integrated
into the job-training program and how these support
[[Page 30171]]
growth in green energy career pathways for project participants.
Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Applicants should provide a complete description of their
capacity building activities including (1) professional development
opportunities in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries
or within other green industries provided to key staff; (2) key
equipment that will build the capacity of the organization to provide
training in the key industries and occupations; and (3) curriculum and/
or teaching methodology modifications based on input from partners
identified in Section V.A.1;
Applicant shall provide a description of the industry
recognized credentials (if applicable) to be awarded and how training
for these credentials will be provided to program participants;
Applicant shall demonstrate that the skills and
competencies integrated into existing training programs are related to
the proposed industry or occupation targeted.
Applicants should provide a complete description of their
strategy to sustain the core training and placement activities in their
project after grant funds are expended.
Applicants should provide a timeline that outlines a
schedule for the key capacity building activities that will take place
during the period of performance.
3. Outcomes and Deliverables (15 Points)
Applicants must demonstrate a results-oriented approach to managing
and operating their project by fully describing the proposed outcome
data measures that impact the success of the project, as well as the
products and deliverables that will be produced as a result of the
grant activities. In this section, applicants should identify specific
outcomes that will occur as a direct result of grant-funded activities
and how appropriate outcomes will be tracked. Points will be awarded
based on the criteria below.
The applicant should list outcomes for capacity building
activities, and the projected date the product(s) will be completed.
Outcomes for capacity building activities include, but are not limited,
to:
Curriculum, course materials or competency models and
career ladders developed or updated with grant funds;
The number of instructors projected to participate in
capacity building activities;
The number of individuals projected to be trained by these
instructors; and
The estimated number of other individuals (besides these
students and instructors) projected to participate and/or benefit from
capacity building activities. For example, the number of individuals
who will use equipment purchased through this grant.
If applicable, applicants must provide a list of expected
deliverables that will be developed with grant funds during the grant's
period of performance that is consistent with the project activities
that includes a brief description of the deliverable (such as updated
curriculum and outreach materials), the anticipated completion date,
and an estimated timeframe and method for electronic delivery to ETA.
Electronic delivery may include email for smaller documents, DVDs or
other electronic media for transmission of larger files.
B. Review and Selection Process
Applications for grants under this solicitation will be accepted
after the publication of this announcement until the closing date. A
technical review panel will make careful evaluation of applications
against the criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals,
priorities, and emphases set forth in this SGA. Up to 100 points may be
awarded to an application, based on the required information described
in Section V.A. The ranked scores will serve as the primary basis for
selection of applications for funding, in conjunction with other
factors such as urban, rural, and geographic balance; representation
across eligible grant programs; and which proposals are most
advantageous to the government. The panel results are advisory in
nature and not binding on the Grant Officer, and the Grant Officer may
consider any information that comes to his/her attention. The
government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussions
with the applicants. Should a grant be awarded without discussions, the
award will be based on the applicant's signature on the SF 424, which
constitutes a binding offer by the applicant including electronic
signature via E-Authentication on https://www.grants.gov.
VI. Award Administration Information
A. Award Notices
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage (https://www.doleta.gov). Applicants selected for award will be contacted
directly before the grant's execution and non-selected applicants will
be notified by mail. Selection of an organization as a grantee does not
constitute approval of the grant application as submitted. Before the
actual grant is awarded, ETA may enter into negotiations about such
items as program components, staffing and funding levels, and
administrative systems in place to support grant implementation. If the
negotiations do not result in a mutually acceptable submission, the
Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate the negotiation and
decline to fund the application.
B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
1. Administrative Program Requirements
All grantees will be subject to all applicable Federal laws,
regulations, and the applicable OMB Circulars. The grant(s) awarded
under this SGA will be subject to the following administrative
standards and provisions:
i. Non-Profit Organizations--OMB Circulars A-122 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
ii. Educational Institutions--OMB Circulars A-21 (Cost Principles)
and 29 CFR part 95 (Administrative Requirements).
iii. State and Local Governments--OMB Circulars A-87 (Cost
Principles) and 29 CFR part 97 (Administrative Requirements).
iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms--Federal Acquisition Regulation
(FAR)--48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 CFR part 95
(Administrative Requirements).
v. All entities must comply with 29 CFR parts 93 and 98, and, where
applicable, 29 CFR parts 96 and 99.
vi. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D--Equal Treatment in Department of
Labor Programs for Religious Organizations, Protection of Religious
Liberty of Department of Labor Social Service Providers and
Beneficiaries.
vii. 29 CFR part 31--Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted
Programs of the Department of Labor--Effectuation of Title VI of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
viii. 29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap in
Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal Financial
Assistance.
ix. 29 CFR part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the Basis
of Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of
Labor.
x. 29 CFR part 35-- Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the
Department of Labor.
[[Page 30172]]
xi. 29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial
Assistance.
The following administrative standards and provisions may be
applicable
i. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law
111-5, 123 Stat. 115, Division A, Title VIII (February 17, 2009).
ii. The Green Jobs Act of 2007, Public Law 110-140, 121 Stat. 1748
(codified at 29 U.S.C. 2916).
iii. The Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law 105-220, 112
Stat. 939 (codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.) and 20 CFR
part 667 (General Fiscal and Administrative Rules;
iv. 29 CFR part 29 & 30--Apprenticeship & Equal Employment
Opportunity in Apprenticeship and Training;
v. 29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the Nondiscrimination and
Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998:
The Department notes that the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act (RFRA), 42 U.S.C. sec. 2000bb, applies to all Federal
law and its implementation. If your organization is a faith-based
organization that makes hiring decisions on the basis of religious
belief, it may be entitled to receive Federal financial assistance
under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act and maintain that hiring
practice even though Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act
contains a general ban on religious discrimination in employment. If
you are awarded a grant, you will be provided with information on how
to request such an exemption.
vi. Ensuring the Health and Safety of Participants Under WIA
Section 181(a)(4)--Health and safety standards established under
Federal and State law otherwise applicable to working conditions of
employees are equally applicable to working conditions of participants
engaged in training and other activities. Applicants that are awarded
grants through this SGA are reminded that these health and safety
standards apply to participants in these grants.
In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of
1995 (Pub. L. 104-65) (2 U.S.C. 1611) non-profit entities incorporated
under Internal Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4) that engage in
lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and
grants.
Except as specifically provided in this SGA, ETA's acceptance of a
proposal and an award of Federal funds to sponsor any program(s) does
not provide a waiver of any grant requirements and/or procedures. For
example, the OMB Circulars require that an entity's procurement
procedures must ensure that all procurement transactions are conducted,
as much as practical, to provide open and free competition. If a
proposal identifies a specific entity to provide services, the ETA's
award does not provide the justification or basis to sole source the
procurement, i.e., avoid competition, unless the activity is regarded
as the primary work of an official partner to the application.
2. Special Program Requirements
i. Evaluation: To measure the impact of grants funded under the
SGA, ETA intends to fund one or more independent evaluations. By
accepting funding, grantees must agree to participate in such an
evaluation, should they be selected to participate. Grantees must agree
to make records on participants, employers, and funding available and
to provide access to program personnel and participants, as specified
by the evaluator(s) under the direction of ETA, including after the
expiration date of the grant.
ii. Definition of Certificate: A certificate is awarded in
recognition of an individual's attainment of measurable technical or
occupational skills necessary to gain employment or advance within an
occupation. These technical or occupational skills are based on
standards developed or endorsed by employers. Certificates awarded by
workforce investment boards are not included in this definition. Work
readiness certificates are also not included in this definition. A
certificate is awarded in recognition of an individual's attainment of
technical or occupational skills by:
A State educational agency or a State agency responsible
for administering vocational and technical education within a State.
An institution of higher education described in Section
102 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1002) that is qualified to
participate in the student financial assistance programs authorized by
Title IV of that Act. This includes community colleges, proprietary
schools, and all other institutions of higher education that are
eligible to participate in Federal student financial aid programs.
A professional, industry, or employer organization (e.g.,
National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence certification,
National Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc., Machining Level I
credential) or a product manufacturer or developer (e.g., Microsoft
Certified Database Administrator, Certified Novell Engineer, Sun
Certified Java Programmer) using a valid and reliable assessment of an
individual's knowledge, skills, and abilities.
A registered apprenticeship program.
A public regulatory agency, upon an individual's
fulfillment of educational, work experience, or skill requirements that
are legally necessary for an individual to use an occupational or
professional title or to practice an occupation or profession (e.g.,
FAA aviation mechanic certification, State certified asbestos
inspector).
A program that has been approved by the Department of
Veterans Affairs to offer education benefits to veterans and other
eligible persons.
Job Corps centers that issue certificates.
Institutions of higher education which is formally
controlled, or has been formally sanctioned, or chartered, by the
governing body of an Indian tribe or tribes.
iii. Definitions of Populations and Other Key Terms
Organizations submitting an application in response to this SGA
should use the following definitions for any of the following
populations and/or other key terms that are specifically identified in
this SGA:
High school drop-outs: For the purposes of this SGA, ETA
defines ``high school drop-out'' as an individual who is no longer
attending any secondary school and who has not received a secondary
school diploma or its recognized equivalent.
Individuals in need of updated training related to the
energy efficiency and renewable energy industries: For the purposes of
this SGA, this term refers to individuals who are currently employed;
or were terminated or laid-off or have received a notice of termination
or lay-off from employment; or were self-employed but are now
unemployed; and can benefit from training that will help them enter or
advance in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries
identified in WIA section 171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or will enable them to
acquire or enhance skills needed to enter occupations within one or
more of the ``growth, enhanced, and emerging'' green industries
referenced in Supplementary Information: Part B of this SGA.
Individuals, including at-risk youth, seeking employment
pathways out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency: For the
purposes of this SGA, ETA defines this term as individuals who reside
in high poverty
[[Page 30173]]
areas (which are areas where the poverty rate is 15% or greater), have
no or low incomes, and who can benefit from skill training that will
help them enter or advance in the energy efficiency and renewable
energy industries identified in WIA section 171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or
will enable them to acquire or enhance skills needed to enter
occupations within one or more of the ``growth, enhanced, and
emerging'' green industries referenced in Supplementary Information:
Part B of this SGA.
Individuals with a criminal record: For the purposes of
this SGA, ETA defines this term as an individual who is or has been
subject to any stage of the juvenile or criminal justice process, for
whom services under this Act may be beneficial; or who requires
assistance in overcoming artificial barriers to employment resulting
from a record of arrest or conviction. ETA includes individuals with a
juvenile or criminal record in the definition for this term.
Unemployed individuals: For the purposes of this SGA, ETA
defines ``unemployed individual'' as an individual who is without a job
and who wants and is available to work.
Veterans: For the purposes of this solicitation, ETA
follows the WIA definition of veteran under 29 U.S.C. 2801(49)(A),
which defines the term ``veteran'' as ``an individual who served in the
active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or
released from such service under conditions other than dishonorable.''
Active military service includes full-time duty (other than full-time
duty for training purposes) in Reserve components ordered to active
duty, or in National Guard units called to Federal Service by the
President.
Workers impacted by national energy and environmental
policy: For the purposes of this SGA, ETA defines this term as
individuals who: (1) Are currently employed in an occupation in the
utilities; transportation and warehousing; manufacturing; construction;
mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; or other sectors that
have been adversely affected by national energy and environmental
policies; and have received a notice of termination or lay-off from
employment; or (2) were employed in an occupation in the utilities;
transportation and warehousing; manufacturing; construction; mining,
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; or other sectors that have been
adversely affected by national energy and environmental policies; and
are now unemployed.
National labor-management organization: A national labor-
management organization is a nonprofit entity, such as a training fund,
training trust fund, or an education trust fund, with joint
participation of employers and labor organizations on its executive
board or comparable governing body. This entity must have a formalized
agreement between the employer(s) and labor organization(s) to operate
a joint labor management training program(s) in multiple sites across
the country through the state, local, or regional networks affiliated
with the nonprofit entity.
3. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-5)
Provisions
Prospective applicants are advised that, if they receive an award,
they must comply with all requirements of the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009 [Pub. L. 111-5]. Applicants are advised to
review the Act and implementing OMB guidance in the development of
their proposals. Requirements include, but are not limited to:
Adherence to all grant clauses and conditions as they
relate to Recovery Act activity.
Prohibition on expenditure of funds for activities at any
casino or other gambling establishment, aquarium, zoo, golf course or
swimming pool.
Compliance with the requirements to obtain a D-U-N-
S[supreg] Number and register with the Central Contractor Registry
(CCR). ETA will issue additional guidance related to this requirement
shortly.
Submission of required reports in accordance with Section
1512 of the Recovery Act. These reports will be due quarterly within 10
days of the end of the reporting period and are in addition to the ETA
required reports addressed in Section VI of this SGA. ETA will issue
additional guidance related to these reports and their submission
requirements shortly.
Implementing OMB guidance may be found at https://www.recovery.gov.
C. Reporting
The grantee is required to provide the reports and documents listed
below:
1. Quarterly Financial Reports
A Quarterly Financial Status Report (SF 9130) is required until
such time as all funds have been expended or the grant period has
expired. Quarterly reports are due 45 days after the end of each
calendar year quarter, including the last calendar quarter of the grant
period. Grantees must use ETA's On-Line Electronic Reporting System. A
Closeout Financial Status Report is due 90 days after the end of the
grant period.
2. Quarterly Performance Reports
The grantee must submit a quarterly progress report within 45 days
after the end of each calendar year quarter. In order to submit these
quarterly reports, grantees will be expected to track participant-level
data regarding the individuals that are involved in training and other
services provided through the grant and report on participant status in
a variety of fields and outcome categories, as well as provide
narrative information on the status of the grant. The last quarterly
progress report that grantees submit will serve as the grant's Final
Performance Report. This report should provide both quarterly and
cumulative information on the grant's activities. It must summarize
project activities, employment outcomes and other deliverables, and
related results of the project, and should thoroughly document the
training or labor market information approaches utilized by the
grantee. DOL will provide grantees with formal guidance regarding data
and other information that is required to be collected and reported on
either a regular basis or special request basis. Grantees must agree to
meet DOL reporting requirements.
3. Record Retention
Applicants should be aware of Federal guidelines on record
retention, which require grantees to maintain all records pertaining to
grant activities for a period of not less than three years from the
time of final grant close-out.
VII. Agency Contacts
For further information regarding this SGA, please contact Denise
Roach, Grants Management Specialist, Division of Federal Assistance, at
(202) 693-3820 (This is not a toll-free number). Applicants should e-
mail all technical questions to roach.denise@dol.gov and must
specifically reference SGA/DFA PY 08-21, and along with question(s),
include a contact name, fax and phone number.
This announcement is being made available on the ETA Web site at
https://www.doleta.gov/grants and at https://www.grants.gov.
VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to Applicants
A. Other Web-Based Resources
DOL maintains a number of Web-based resources that may be of
assistance to applicants. America's Service Locator (https://www.servicelocator.org) provides a directory of our nation's One Stop
Career Centers.
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B. Industry Competency Models
ETA supports an Industry Competency Model Initiative to promote an
understanding of the skill sets and competencies that are essential to
an educated and skilled workforce. A competency model is a collection
of competencies that taken together define successful performance in a
particular work setting. Competency models serve as a starting point
for the design and implementation of workforce and talent development
programs. To learn about the industry