Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) for YouthBuild Grants, 61180-61197 [2010-24825]

Agencies

• Employment and Training Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 191 (Monday, October 4, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61180-61197]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-24825]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant 
Applications (SGA) for YouthBuild Grants

AGENCY: Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor.
    Announcement Type: Notice of Solicitation for Grant Applications.
    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA PY 10-02.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.274.
    Key Dates: The closing date for receipt of applications under this 
announcement is December 3, 2010. Applications must be received no 
later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A Virtual Prospective Applicant 
Conference (Webinar) will be held for this grant competition. The date 
and access information for this Virtual Prospective Applicant 
Conference will be posted on ETA's Web site at https://www.doleta.gov/youth%5Fservices/youthbuildgrantee.cfm. While a review of this Webinar 
is encouraged, it is not mandatory that applicants view this recording.

SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. 
Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the 
availability of up to approximately $130 million in grant funds for 
YouthBuild Grants (the final amount available depends upon the amount 
of funds appropriated for YouthBuild in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 
Department of Labor Appropriations Act). These funds are from separate 
appropriations and will be awarded separately. Thirty million dollars 
in FY 2010 funds are available for immediate award and will be reserved 
for awards to organizations that did not receive funding in the FY 2009 
YouthBuild competition [SGA/DFA PY 08-07]. Awards from the FY 2011 
appropriation will be selected after April 1, 2011, pending 
availability of funds.
    YouthBuild Grants will be awarded through a competitive process. 
Grant funds will be used to provide disadvantaged youth with: The 
education and employment skills necessary to achieve economic self-
sufficiency in occupations in high demand and postsecondary education 
and training opportunities; opportunities for meaningful work and 
service to their communities; and opportunities to develop employment 
and leadership skills and a commitment to community development among 
youth in low-income communities. As part of their program, YouthBuild 
grantees will tap the energies and talents of disadvantaged youth to 
increase the supply of permanent affordable housing for homeless 
individuals and low-income families and to help youth develop the 
leadership, learning, and high-demand occupational skills needed to 
succeed in today's global economy.
    Based on the amount of FY 2010 funds available and our projections 
for FY 2011 funding, DOL hopes to serve approximately 8,500 youth 
participants during the grant period of performance, with projects 
operating in approximately 128 communities across the country. Under 
this solicitation, DOL will be awarding grants to organizations to 
oversee the provision of education and employment services to 
disadvantaged youth in their communities. Each applicant should 
indicate the proposed number of participants to be served based on an 
average cost per participant of between $15,000 and $18,000.
    This solicitation provides background information and describes the 
application submission requirements, outlines the process that eligible 
entities must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and 
details the evaluation criteria used as a basis for selecting grantees. 
Applicants should read the entire SGA and note specific sections that 
contain required information, such as in Section III.D, Section IV.B, 
and Section V.A, where failure to comply will be considered non-
responsive and those applicants will then not be considered for 
funding.
    The Department is committed to providing the public with an open 
and transparent grant selection process and to providing useful 
information to assist prospective applicants with developing quality 
proposals. One way to achieve these goals is through public access to 
selected and non-selected grant applications. Applicants are advised 
that the information they submit in response to this solicitation may 
be posted on a publicly accessible Web site or may otherwise be made 
available to the public.

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department 
of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: Donna Kelly, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 
10-02, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. 
For complete ``Application and Submission Information,'' please refer 
to section IV.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This solicitation consists of nine sections:
     Section I provides background information on YouthBuild, 
YouthBuild program objectives, and additional information on the key 
components of YouthBuild to consider when preparing an application.
     Section II describes the size and nature of the 
anticipated awards.
     Section III describes eligibility information.
     Section IV provides information on the application and 
submission process.
     Section V describes the criteria against which 
applications will be reviewed and explains the proposal review process.
     Section VI provides award administration information.
     Section VII contains ETA agency contact information.
     Section VIII lists additional resources of interest to 
applicants.
     Section IX lists other pertinent information.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    YouthBuild is a youth and community development program that 
simultaneously addresses several core issues facing low-income 
communities: housing, education, employment, crime prevention, and 
leadership development. Part A of this section provides a background of 
the YouthBuild program. Part B describes the core objectives of the 
YouthBuild program, with Part C providing additional information on key 
components of YouthBuild to consider when preparing a grant 
application.

A. Background

    The YouthBuild model balances in-school learning that leads to the 
achievement of a high school diploma or passing the General Education 
Development (GED) test, and construction skills training that prepares 
youth for career placement. The in-school component is an alternative 
education program that assists youth

[[Page 61181]]

who are often significantly behind in basic skills to obtain a high 
school diploma or GED credential. The primary target populations for 
YouthBuild are high school dropouts who may also be adjudicated youth, 
youth aging out of foster care, youth with disabilities, and other at-
risk youth populations. The YouthBuild model enables these youth to 
access the education they need to move on to post-secondary education 
and/or high-growth, high-demand jobs which will enable them to prosper 
in the 21st century economy. There are currently over 200 YouthBuild 
programs operating in the United States, funded through various 
sources.
    YouthBuild was started in East Harlem, New York in 1978 to provide 
education services for youth and teach construction skills while 
renovating and building homes for low-income families. It was 
replicated in five locations in New York City during the 1980s. In 
1993, the YouthBuild program was established by Federal statute and the 
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was designated 
as the agency responsible for administering the program.
    The YouthBuild Transfer Act (Pub. L. 109-281), enacted in September 
2006, transferred the statutory authority for the program, with needed 
modifications and improvements, to subtitle D of Title I of the 
Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (29 U.S.C. 2918a).
    Since its inception, the primary purpose of the YouthBuild program 
has been to provide job training and employment opportunities for 
disadvantaged youth. ETA will leverage its significant expertise and 
resources in the area of workforce investment under WIA to strengthen 
YouthBuild grantees' connections to One-Stop Career Centers and the 
Department's registered apprenticeship programs; leverage investments 
such as the Community-Based Job Training grants (https://www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm); improve access to the 
post-secondary and community college system; and broker connections to 
the workforce system's business partners.

B. YouthBuild Program Objectives

    Funds made available through the YouthBuild grants will be used to 
carry out a YouthBuild program with the following core objectives:
     To enable disadvantaged youth to obtain the education and 
employment skills necessary to achieve economic self-sufficiency in 
occupations in demand and post-secondary education and training 
opportunities;
     To provide disadvantaged youth with opportunities for 
meaningful work and service to their communities;
     To foster the development of employment and leadership 
skills and commitment to community development among youth in low-
income communities; and
     To expand the supply of permanent affordable housing for 
homeless individuals and low-income families by utilizing the energies 
and talents of disadvantaged youth.

C. Key Components and Additional Information About the YouthBuild Grant 
Application Process

    Although there is no way to address every question in this 
solicitation, the following questions are frequently asked and are 
included for your information.
What type of information should be addressed in the design of the 
program?
    Section IV Part II of the application contains information about 
the Technical Proposal, which should address specific grant 
requirements identified in Section A of Part V of this SGA. Applicants 
applying for these grants are asked to describe their community, the 
youth to be served, the need for this Federal support, and their plan 
for providing education, skills training, and leadership development 
services to youth. They must also demonstrate that they have 
established partnerships with--or made a good faith effort to establish 
partnerships with--Local Workforce Investment Boards, the public school 
system, local community colleges, the juvenile justice system, 
registered apprenticeship programs, disability and mental health 
organizations, local faith-based and community organizations that serve 
at-risk and disadvantaged youth, and/or the local housing authority. 
Applicants are expected to identify their plan to leverage other 
Federal, State, or local funding, as well as private funding sources, 
to provide other ``wraparound'' supportive services as well as to 
support the costs associated with their defined construction project. 
Applicants are asked to describe their previous experience operating 
YouthBuild or youth workforce development programs of similar 
complexity that provide at-risk youth with educational and skill 
training in housing rehabilitation and construction activities. They 
are also asked to describe their organization's ability to manage this 
grant. In addition, applicants are asked to describe how occupational 
safety is addressed at their worksite. Applicants must provide a 
description of the worksite, using ETA Form 9143, that will be used to 
train YouthBuild participants and must provide the necessary paperwork 
that indicates access to this property has been granted for the program 
and participants. Finally, applicants are asked to discuss any training 
that is being provided in ``green'' construction.
What size grants are available?
    Applicants can apply for three-year grants (two years of program 
operations with a nine- to twelve-month follow-up period) that will 
range from $700,000 to $1.1 million. These awards will support two 
years of core program operations (education, occupational skills 
training, and youth leadership development activities) plus an 
additional nine to twelve months of follow-up support services and 
tracking of participant outcomes for each cohort of youth. A minimum of 
five percent of total funds should be reserved for the nine- to twelve-
month follow-up period.
If an organization was selected to receive a new award in FY 2009 
(awarded July 2009), are they eligible to apply in this YouthBuild 
competition?
    Yes; however, grantees who received funding from the FY 2009 
YouthBuild competition [SGA/DFA PY 08-07], (including any affiliates or 
members or affiliates of a grantee's leadership team) will not receive 
funding from the $30 million remaining in FY 2010 funds. Projects 
funded from the $30 million in FY 2010 funds will be limited to 
applications submitted by organizations that did not receive funding 
from the FY 2009 YouthBuild competition [SGA/DFA PY 08-07]. If grantees 
who received funding from the FY 2009 YouthBuild [SGA/DFA PY 08-07] 
competition are selected for award in this competition, they will be 
funded from the FY 2011 appropriation, pending availability of funds. 
If an applicant that did not receive funding in the FY 2009 YouthBuild 
competition [SGA/DFA PY 08-07] does not receive an award from the 
approximately $30 million remaining in FY 2010 funds, their application 
will automatically be considered for an award from the FY 2011 
appropriation.
 What roles must partners play in partnerships?
    Because disadvantaged youth possess a wide range of challenges that 
must be addressed through multiple strategies, prospective applicants 
must identify resources and services provided by faith-based and 
community organizations, government entities, and other youth-serving 
organizations. Collaboration across youth-serving agencies/
organizations is critical to the

[[Page 61182]]

success of any youth initiative or program. A single organization does 
not typically have the resources to respond to the myriad of issues 
that impact youth most in need.
    Partnerships and their roles will vary depending on the applicant's 
strategy and participant needs. However, DOL expects that the applicant 
will make a good-faith effort to attract the following partners and 
that each collaborative partner will, at a minimum, contribute as 
described below.
    Education and training providers (Kindergarten through 12, adult 
education, community and technical colleges, 4-year colleges and 
universities, and other training entities) are important foundational 
partners to ensure the project's activities are tied to the broader 
continuum of education providers in the community. YouthBuild programs 
should have explicit, well-defined pathways to post-secondary 
educational opportunities such as community and 4-year colleges, 
registered apprenticeship programs, and other occupational training 
programs whenever possible to ensure the smooth transition of 
YouthBuild participants.
    Employers (including professional organizations and trade 
associations) should be actively engaged in the project and should 
participate fully in grant activities including: Defining the program 
strategy and goals; identifying needed skills and competencies; 
designing training approaches and curricula; contributing financial 
support; sponsoring apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship placements 
and activities; and, where appropriate, hiring qualified YouthBuild 
graduates.
    The workforce investment system (which may include State and Local 
Workforce Investment Boards, State Workforce Agencies, and One-Stop 
Career Centers and their partners, as such terms are defined under the 
WIA) may play a number of roles, including: Identifying and assessing 
potential candidates for YouthBuild; working collaboratively to 
leverage WIA investments through co-enrollment with the Youth formula 
program; referring qualified candidates to the YouthBuild program for 
enrollment; providing access to ``wraparound'' supportive services, 
when appropriate; providing local labor market information to 
YouthBuild staff and participants; and connecting qualified YouthBuild 
graduates to employers that have existing job openings. Examples of 
YouthBuild programs working with the workforce system can be found in 
Training and Employment Notice No. 44-07, ``Providing Strategies to the 
One-Stop Career Center System on Collaborating with YouthBuild 
Programs'' at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2646.
    The juvenile justice system is an important partner in referring 
potential participants to the YouthBuild program, providing support and 
guidance for YouthBuild participants with court involvement, and 
assisting in the reporting of recidivism rates among YouthBuild 
participants. Some YouthBuild participants may be placed in the program 
as a form of alternative sentencing or for re-entry services. In these 
instances, police, parole and probation officers, detention and 
juvenile correction facilities, judges, and social workers will be 
critically important partners for creating a safety net to prevent 
recidivism and ensure attachment to the community.
    Faith-based and community organizations are valuable partners in 
the YouthBuild program. These organizations can serve as avenues of 
outreach to eligible youth and may provide a variety of grant services, 
such as case management, mentoring, and English as a Second Language 
(ESL) courses, as well as other comprehensive supportive services, when 
appropriate, for YouthBuild participants.
    Each collaborative partner must have a clearly defined role. These 
roles must be verified through a letter of commitment (not just a 
letter of support) submitted by each partner. The letter of commitment 
must detail the role the partner will play in the project, including 
specific responsibilities and resources committed, if appropriate. 
These letters must clearly indicate the partnering organization's 
unique contribution and commitment to the project.
    In situations where the applicant is unable to develop a 
partnership with one of the required types of organizations because the 
organization refuses to do so, the applicants should, at a minimum, 
demonstrate that the potential partner was contacted and provided a 
sufficient opportunity for response. It is suggested that applicants 
use registered mail to demonstrate such efforts.
What if two or more organizations submit separate applications to serve 
the same urban or rural community?
    If more than one proposal to serve the same urban or rural 
community is rated highly, DOL will consider whether the urban or rural 
community is large enough to support more than one project.
Can I apply for multiple towns in one application?
    If a town is large enough to reasonably support a YouthBuild 
program, the grant activities should generally be focused on one town. 
If the applicant determines that the town is not large enough to 
support a YouthBuild program, it may include additional towns and 
provide justification for one larger service area. If multiple towns 
are included together in the application, applicants may not request 
more than the maximum grant amount, $1.1 million.
What is the definition of ``low-income'' family for the purposes of 
program eligibility?
    The definition of ``low-income family'' is taken directly from the 
United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(2)) which states:
    ``The term `low-income families' means those families whose incomes 
do not exceed 80 per centum of the median income for the area, as 
determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger 
families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings 
higher or lower than 80 per centum of the median for the area on the 
basis of the Secretary's findings that such variations are necessary 
because of prevailing levels of construction costs or unusually high or 
low family incomes.''
    The median income for each applicant's proposed area of service can 
be found at HUD's Web site: https://www.huduser.org/datasets/il.html.
What are allowable uses of grant funds?
    Allowable uses of grant funds may include:
    (1) Education and Workforce Activities, such as:
     Basic skills instruction and remedial education;
     Language instruction educational programs for individuals 
with limited English proficiency;
     Secondary education services and activities, including 
tutoring, study skills training, and dropout prevention activities, 
designed to lead to the attainment of a secondary school diploma, GED 
credential, or other State-recognized equivalent (including recognized 
alternative standards for individuals with disabilities);
     Counseling and assistance in obtaining post-secondary 
education and required financial aid;
     Alternative secondary school services;
     Work experience and skills training (coordinated, to the 
maximum extent feasible, with the YouthBuild Trainee

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Apprenticeship Preparation program (YB-TAP),\1\ pre-apprenticeship and 
registered apprenticeship programs) in housing rehabilitation and 
construction activities;
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    \1\ The YouthBuild Trainee Apprenticeship Preparation (YB-TAP) 
program is a set of construction standards recognized by the U.S. 
Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship that are aligned with 
curricula from the Home Builders Institute's HPACT program, the 
National Center for Construction Education and Research, and the 
Building Trades Multi-Craft Core Curriculum. These standards are 
included as Appendix A of this solicitation.
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     Occupational skills training; and
     Other paid and unpaid work experiences, including 
internships and job shadowing.
    (2) Case management, counseling services and related activities, 
such as comprehensive guidance and counseling on drug and alcohol abuse 
and referral.
    (3) Youth development activities, such as:
     Community service and peer-centered activities encouraging 
responsibility and other positive social behaviors, and
     Leadership development activities including youth policy 
committees that allow YouthBuild participants to engage in local policy 
and decision-making related to the program.
    (4) Supportive services and provision of needs-based payments 
necessary to enable individuals to participate in the program.
    (5) Supportive services to assist individuals, for a period not to 
exceed 12 months after the completion of training, in obtaining or 
retaining employment, or applying for and transitioning to post-
secondary education.
    (6) Supervision and training for participants in the rehabilitation 
or construction of housing, including residential housing for homeless 
individuals or low-income families, or transitional housing for 
homeless individuals.
    (7) Supervision and training for participants in the rehabilitation 
or construction of community and other public facilities.
    (8) Payment of a portion of the administrative costs of the 
grantee.
    (9) Mentoring (one-on-one, group or team) of participants by adults 
who have been appropriately screened and matched to work with youth.
    (10) Provision of wages, stipends, or other benefits and incentives 
to participants in the program.
    (11) Ongoing training and technical assistance for staff that are 
related to developing and carrying out the program.
    (12) Activities related to follow-up and tracking of participant 
performance.
    (13) Equipment and/or supplies related to the YouthBuild activities 
funded through this grant. The purchase of construction materials to be 
used as part of the direct training for YouthBuild participants would 
be an allowable use of grant funds.
What costs are allowable for orientation/mental toughness?
    For guidance on orientation/mental toughness allowable costs, 
please go to: Mental Toughness/Orientation Allowable Costs in a 
YouthBuild Program https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL14-09acc.pdf.
Can training be provided in industries other than construction?
    No, DOL YouthBuild funds provided under this solicitation cannot be 
used to support occupational skills training other than construction. 
Programs may offer training in other industries; however, other funding 
sources must be used to support these career pathways.
Can training be provided in green construction and the use of 
sustainable building materials?
    Yes, DOL encourages YouthBuild funds provided under this 
solicitation to be used to train youth in green construction skills 
that will prepare them for employment in green jobs and encourages the 
use of sustainable building materials in the construction and 
rehabilitation of affordable housing. However, this green construction 
skills training must be part of a construction curriculum that leads to 
an industry-recognized credential. That is, if youth complete a green 
construction module that is either a stand-alone module or is part of a 
general construction curriculum, it cannot be counted as a credential 
for purposes of the credential attainment performance measure. It is 
similar to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or 
Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training; both are important parts 
of an overall construction training program but do not represent an 
industry-recognized credential.
Will Youthbuild projects be required to follow OSHA guidelines?
    Yes, YouthBuild projects will be required to follow OSHA guidelines 
in the operation of their construction projects and to submit incident 
reports to DOL of injuries occurring on worksites. DOL will require 
that YouthBuild grantees:
     Provide comprehensive documented training on construction 
safety for youth working on YouthBuild projects, including requirements 
for youth to demonstrate knowledge of and proficiency in hazard 
identification, abatement, and safe work practices;
     Demonstrate compliance with Federal and State child labor 
laws and occupational safety and health regulations;
     Provide written worksite-specific safety plans overseen by 
an on-site supervisor with the knowledge, skills, and authority to 
correct safety and health hazards and enforce the site-specific safety 
plan;
     Provide necessary personal protective equipment to youth 
working on YouthBuild projects; and
     Report to DOL all worksite injuries and illnesses to youth 
working on YouthBuild projects, along with documentation on remedial 
measures to prevent future similar injuries and help ensure that 
YouthBuild is a model program that takes active steps for participant 
safety and health.
Can DOL funds be used for paid work experiences, needs-based stipends, 
wages, and other supportive services?
    Payments to participants for classroom training, paid work 
experiences, and occupational skills training, as well as other needs-
based supportive services, are allowable expenses. If the applicant 
plans to use grant funds for these purposes, sufficient information 
must be provided in the budget narrative to clearly justify the 
proposed amounts to be provided. Grantees are responsible for 
consulting with an accountant or other experts to ascertain if their 
payment structure complies with IRS standards.
Is the purchase of food an allowable use of funds?
    DOL considers food to be an allowable cost for YouthBuild when used 
as a supportive service. To qualify, the provision of food must be 
needs-based and must be necessary to enable the recipient to 
participate in the program. The purchase of food is an unallowable cost 
for grant funds if expended for any reason other than needs-based 
supportive services. To provide food as a supportive service, grantees 
must create and consistently apply a written policy for determining 
needs-based services for participants. Grantees can provide food to 
enrollees as part of an on-site training class or work-site experience 
where access to food services and vendors is unavailable or unreliable, 
but must document in the grant files that providing such food

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directly is reasonable and necessary in order to ensure continuity of 
training services.
Should prospective applicants include travel costs associated with 
technical assistance and training in their budget?
    Prospective applicants should include travel funds in their budget 
to cover travel for several key staff to attend at least one national 
meeting per year and at least two regional trainings per year.
How will success be measured under these grants?
    The three outcome measures are:
     Literacy and numeracy gains;
     High School diploma/GED/degree or certificate attainment 
rate; and
     Placement in employment/post-secondary education/
occupational skills training program/military.
    In addition, grantees must report on a number of interim indicators 
that may serve as predictors of success. Interim indicators include:
     Enrollment rate;
     Participation in education/training activities;
     Workforce preparation;
     Mentoring;
     Community service/leadership activities;
     Placement retention rate; and
     Recidivism.
    In applying for these grants, applicants agree to submit updated 
Management Information System (MIS) data on enrollee characteristics, 
services provided, placements, outcomes, and follow-up status. 
YouthBuild grantees are required to use the ETA Web-based Case 
Management and Performance System, which is provided to grantees at no 
cost.
What is the expected average cost per participant?
    DOL expects the cost to be between $15,000 and $18,000 per 
participant.
When is the Youthbuild program expected to begin enrolling youth under 
this SGA?
    Grantees must begin program operations, including the enrollment of 
youth, within six months from the date of the award.
    The following questions involve allowable construction costs:
Can funds be used for rehabilitation or construction of buildings other 
than low-income housing?
    Yes. In training participants, up to 10 percent of grant funds may 
be used in the rehabilitation or construction of community and other 
public facilities. The term ``community and other public facilities'' 
means those facilities which are publicly owned and publicly used for 
the benefit of the community. Examples include public-use buildings 
such as recreation centers, libraries, public park shelters, or public 
schools. This term may also encompass facilities used by the program 
but only if the facility is publicly owned and available for public 
entry and use. YouthBuild participants may not repair or renovate 
buildings used solely by the grantee, such as offices or classrooms. 
The remaining 90 percent of funds must be used to train participants in 
the rehabilitation or construction of low-income housing.
Would construction of a kitchen or shower facility be an allowable cost 
in a public facility?
    If it is a public facility that needs to have a kitchen or shower 
facility installed and it is done under the 10 percent limitation and 
it is used for training purposes, then it is allowable.
Does a federally-qualified health care facility qualify as an allowable 
construction site?
    The rehabilitation of a community health facility is permissible. 
The 10 percent limitation would apply to such costs.
Are architectural fees an allowable use of grant funds?
    Yes, architectural fees, or a proportionate share thereof, are 
allowable when such fees can be related to items such as architectural 
plans or blueprints on which participants will be trained.
Are brokerage fees an allowable use of grant funds?
    No, brokerage fees and other fees associated with the acquisition 
of property are not directly related to participant training and are 
not an allowable use of grant funds. We consider these fees to be too 
attenuated from the costs of participant training to be allowable.
Are subcontractor costs and supplies, (e.g., roofing, landscaping, 
etc.), allowable uses of grant funds?
    Non-training services and deliverables that are not directly 
related to participant training are not an allowable use of grant funds 
unless they are used in the provision of training. Property 
enhancements, such as landscaping, are not allowable grant costs, if 
not performed by youth as part of their training activities.
Can unallowable costs be used to fulfill the 25 percent match 
requirement?
    If the cost is not allowed to be paid with grant funds, it would 
also not be acceptable in fulfilling the 25 percent match requirement.
Can funds be used to purchase land?
    Grant funds may not be used to purchase land.
Can grant funds be used to purchase a home to rehabilitate for the 
project?
    Grantees may only charge a proportion of the purchase cost, 
exclusive of land, which is reflective of the portion of the property 
that will be used for participant training.
Should prospective applicants provide more than 25 percent match?
    No. Any amounts over 25 percent match will not be considered in 
evaluating proposals. Grantees with additional resources should 
allocate them as leveraged funds for the purposes of planning and 
budgeting.
How will ETA evaluate the Youthbuild program?
    ETA has contracted with an independent organization to conduct a 
rigorous, national evaluation of the YouthBuild program. A subset of 
grantees will be selected to participate in the evaluation and those 
that are selected will be required to participate.
    The evaluation will use a random assignment design, which includes 
a computerized process that will randomly select which of the youth 
that grantees deem eligible and appropriate for the program will 
receive YouthBuild services. This process, similar to drawing names 
from a hat, is fair and ensures that everyone has the same chance of 
getting YouthBuild services. Those who are not admitted will form a 
control group and may be referred to other non-similar youth services. 
The grantees will be responsible for obtaining the consent of 
applicants to be randomly selected to be in the control group, and for 
informing the applicants that they have been selected. The evaluation 
contractor will work with each grantee to develop study procedures that 
minimize any disruption of the grantee's intake procedures and program 
operations. It is expected that the evaluation will not reduce the 
total number of youth who are served by the YouthBuild program. 
Grantees selected to participate in this study will be required to 
cooperate fully with ETA and the evaluation team in the conduct of the 
study. Grantee staff will be required to participate in one

[[Page 61185]]

survey and host site visits by the research team.
    The Following Questions Involve the Random Assignment Evaluation:
    Participation in the YouthBuild evaluation will provide important 
input into the national debate about policies and practices designed to 
improve the well-being of disadvantaged youth. Although DOL and the 
evaluation team are continuing to work out the details of the study 
design, below are answers to some questions grantees may have about the 
evaluation.
How will grantees be selected for the evaluation and how many will be 
selected?
    Approximately 60 grantees will be selected to participate in the 
evaluation. Grantees will be selected randomly, but some types of 
grantees (for example, those that have never operated a YouthBuild 
program before) may be excluded from consideration. Larger programs may 
have a greater chance of being selected in order to ensure that the 
evaluation includes a sufficient number of young people.
YouthBuild has been evaluated before; why is this evaluation necessary?
    Previous evaluations of YouthBuild have provided very useful 
information, but none of them was designed to determine what difference 
YouthBuild makes for the young people it serves compared to what would 
have happened if they did not participate. The new evaluation is the 
first one to use a random assignment design, which is considered to 
provide the most reliable evidence about the effectiveness of a social 
program. Other national youth programs such as the Job Corps, Service 
and Conservation Corps, and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program 
have already been part of random assignment evaluations. These 
evaluations are critical to ensuring that young people are receiving 
services that will improve their life opportunities and demonstrating 
to policy-makers that their investment is paying off.
Will the evaluation mean that programs serve fewer youth than before?
    Most YouthBuild programs are only able to serve a very small 
fraction of the youth in their communities who might benefit and who 
apply. Programs participating in the evaluation will assess and screen 
youth to identify those who are eligible for YouthBuild and then use 
random assignment (like picking names from a hat) to select which of 
the eligible youth will be admitted. The youth who are selected will 
form the ``program group'' for the study. The youth who are not 
selected will form the ``control group'' and will not be permitted to 
enroll in YouthBuild during the study period, though the grantees may 
be able to refer them to other youth programs in the community. 
Ideally, the evaluation should not cause YouthBuild programs to serve 
fewer youth than they otherwise would. If the programs selected for the 
study do not currently have more qualified applicants than they can 
accept, additional recruiting may be necessary.
Is it unethical to use random assignment to decide which youth to 
accept?
    No, it is not unethical to use random assignment to determine who 
receives services. Random assignment is a fair way to allocate scarce 
program slots when there are more qualified applicants than a program 
can serve. In fact, some youth not selected for the program may be more 
willing to accept that this was due to the ``flip of a coin'' rather 
than to their personal characteristics. Before it is finalized, the 
study design will be reviewed by an Institutional Review Board to 
ensure that youth in the study will be treated fairly.
What data will grantees be required to provide to the evaluators?
    The grantees will not have to do anything more than they usually do 
to stay in touch with the young people who participate in their 
program. The evaluators will obtain most data for the study from the 
DOL YouthBuild MIS, from government records, and from surveys of youth 
in the program and control groups. Grantee staff will be required to 
participate in one survey and host site visits by the research team. 
Also, grantees will be required to collect and enter some information 
into the MIS for all youth entering the study, some of whom will be 
assigned to the control group.
Who will be doing the evaluation?
    ETA selected a team of three organizations to conduct the 
evaluation: MDRC (the lead), Mathematica Policy Research, and Social 
Policy Research Associates (SPRA). MDRC and SPRA are very familiar with 
YouthBuild programs through past evaluations and assessments.

II. Award Information

A. Award Amount

    Under this competition, ETA intends to fund approximately 28 grants 
ranging from $700,000 to $1.1 million from the $30 million in FY 2010 
funds and approximately 100 grants in the same range of amounts from 
the FY 2011 appropriation (pending availability of funding); however, 
this does not preclude DOL from funding grants at either a lower or 
higher amount, or funding a smaller or larger number of projects, based 
on the type and the number of quality submissions. Applicants are 
encouraged to submit budgets for quality projects at whatever funding 
level within this range is appropriate to their project. Applications 
requesting more than $1.1 million will be considered nonresponsive. The 
average annual cost per participant should be between $15,000 and 
$18,000. In the event that additional funds become available, ETA 
reserves the right to use such funds to select additional grantees from 
applications submitted in response to this solicitation.

B. Period of Performance

    Grants will be awarded for a 3-year period of performance. This 
includes two years of core program operations (education, occupational 
skills training, and youth leadership development activities) for one 
or more cohorts of youth, plus an additional nine to twelve months of 
follow-up support services and tracking of participant outcomes for 
each cohort of youth. Further, applicants should plan to fully expend 
grant funds during the period of performance, while ensuring full 
transparency and accountability for all expenditures. Therefore, 
applicants are encouraged to carefully consider their ability to spend 
the level of funding requested.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants for these grants are public or private non-
profit agencies or organizations (including a consortium of such 
agencies or organizations with a designated lead applicant), including, 
but not limited to:
     Faith-based and community organizations;
     An entity carrying out activities under WIA, such as a 
local workforce investment board, One-Stop Career Center, or local 
school board;
     A community action agency;
     A State or local housing development agency;
     An Indian tribe or other agency primarily serving Indians;
     A community development corporation;
     A State or local youth service conservation corps; or
     Any other public or private non-profit entity that is 
eligible to provide education or employment training

[[Page 61186]]

under a Federal program and can meet the required elements of the 
grant.
    Grantees who received funding in the FY 2009 YouthBuild competition 
[SGA/DFA PY 08-07] (including any affiliates or members or affiliates 
of a grantee's leadership team) will not receive funding from the 
remaining approximately $30 million in FY 2010 funds. Projects funded 
from the FY 2010 funds will be limited to applications submitted by 
organizations that did not receive funding from the FY 2009 YouthBuild 
competition [SGA/DFA PY 08-07]. If FY 2009 YouthBuild competition [SGA/
DFA PY 08-07] grantees are selected for funding in this competition, 
they will be funded from the FY 2011 appropriation, pending 
availability of funds.

B. Eligible Enrollees

    An individual may participate in a YouthBuild program only if the 
individual:
    1. Is between the ages of 16 and 24 on the date of enrollment; and
    2. Is a member of a low-income family, and/or a youth in foster 
care (including youth aging out of foster care), and/or a youth 
offender, and/or a youth who is an individual with a disability, and/or 
a child of an incarcerated parent, and/or a migrant youth; and
    3. Is a school dropout or an individual who has dropped out of high 
school and re-enrolled in an alternative school, if that re-enrollment 
is part of a sequential service strategy.
    Organizations are not required to serve the entire age group 
population between 16 and 24, but all participants must fall within 
this range.
    Up to (but not more than) 25 percent of the participants in the 
program may be youth who do not meet criteria B.2 or B.3 above, but:
     Are basic skills deficient, despite attainment of a 
secondary school diploma, GED credential, or other state-recognized 
equivalent (including recognized alternative standards for individuals 
with disabilities); or
     Have been referred by a local secondary school for 
participation in a YouthBuild program leading to the attainment of a 
secondary school diploma. Referrals from secondary schools to 
YouthBuild programs that provide only a GED degree are not allowed.

C. Veterans Priority

    The Jobs for Veterans Act (Pub. L. 107-288) requires priority of 
service for veterans and spouses of certain veterans for the receipt of 
employment, training, and placement services in any job training 
program directly funded, in whole or in part, by DOL. The regulations 
implementing this priority of service can be found at 20 CFR part 1010. 
In circumstances where a grant recipient must choose between two 
qualified candidates for a service, one of whom is a veteran or 
eligible spouse, the veterans priority of service provisions require 
that the grant recipient give the veteran or eligible spouse priority 
of service by first providing him or her that service. To obtain 
priority of service, a veteran or spouse must meet the program's 
eligibility requirements. Grantees must comply with DOL guidance on 
veterans' priority. ETA's Training and Employment Guidance Letter 
(TEGL) No. 10-09 (issued November 10, 2009) provides guidance on 
implementing priority of service for veterans and eligible spouses in 
all qualified job training programs funded in whole or in part by DOL. 
TEGL No. 10-09 is available at https://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2816.

D. Matching Funds and Leveraged Resources

    Aligning resources and leveraging funding are key components of 
success under the YouthBuild grant program. Therefore, applicants must 
provide cash or in-kind resources equivalent to 25 percent of the grant 
award amount as matching funds. Please note that neither prior 
investments nor Federal resources may be counted towards the matching 
funds threshold. Construction materials that are acquired without grant 
funds and are used for approved projects as part of the training for 
YouthBuild participants may be used in fulfilling the 25 percent match 
requirement.
    To be allowable as part of match, a cost must be an allowable 
charge for Federal grant funds. Determinations of allowable costs will 
be made in accordance with the applicable Federal cost principles as 
indicated in Part IV.E. If the cost would not be allowable as a grant-
funded charge, then it also cannot be counted toward matching funds.
    Please note that in addition to the Federal amount you are 
requesting, the matching funds must be shown on the SF-424 application 
and SF-424A budget form. The SF-424A form is required even though the 
form states that it should only be used for non-construction. If there 
is a discrepancy in the amount of funds specified on the SF-424, SF-
424A, or Budget Narrative, DOL will consider the amount of funds 
specified on the SF-424 as the applicant's match.
    Applicants are expected to fulfill the match amount specified 
during the grant period of performance. If the match amount specified 
by the applicant is not met or if a portion of the matching funds are 
found to be an unallowable cost, the amount of DOL grant funds may be 
decreased on a dollar for dollar basis. If this occurs the grantee may 
be required to repay funds to DOL. Applicants who fail to provide a 25 
percent match will be considered non-responsive.
    Applicants are encouraged to leverage additional resources beyond 
the match amount to supplement the project as a whole. Any cash or in-
kind resources committed beyond the 25 percent of the grant award 
amount required as matching funds should be counted as leveraged funds. 
Applicants must clearly make the distinction between what will be 
considered matching funds and what will be considered ``additional'' 
leveraged resources, and explain leveraged resources in the budget 
narrative separately from the explanation of match. Do not include the 
leveraged funds on the SF-424 or SF-424A.
    Both matching funds and leveraged resources could come from a 
variety of sources, including: public sector (e.g., State or local 
governments); non-profit sector (e.g., community organizations, faith-
based organizations, or education and training institutions); private 
sector (e.g., businesses or industry associations); investor community 
(e.g., angel networks or economic development entities); and the 
philanthropic community (e.g., foundations).
    Applications will be evaluated on how the match and leveraged funds 
are fully integrated in support of program outcomes. Grantees must 
track and report both match and other non-Federal leveraged resources 
quarterly on Form ETA 9130. Instructions and the form may be found at 
https://www.doleta.gov/grants/financial_reporting.cfm.

IV. Application and Submission Information

A. How To Obtain an Application Package

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

B. Content and Form of Application Submission

    The proposal will consist of three separate and distinct parts--(I) 
a cost proposal; (II) a technical proposal (with attachments); and 
(III) a description of and information on the work site. Applications 
that do not contain all

[[Page 61187]]

three parts (including the required attachments) or that fail to adhere 
to the instructions in this section will be considered non-responsive 
and will not be considered. It is the applicant's responsibility to 
ensure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts 
and sub-parts of the application.
    Part I. The Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal must include the 
following four items:
     SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance'' (available 
at https://www.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp. 
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 
of the applicant will be considered the authorized representative of 
the applicant.
     All applicants for Federal grant and funding opportunities 
are required to have a Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S[supreg] 
number). See Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Notice of Final 
Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402, June 27, 2003. Applicants must supply 
their D-U-N-S[supreg] number on the SF-424. The D-U-N-S[supreg] number 
is a non-indicative, nine-digit number that uniquely identifies 
business entities. Obtaining a D-U-N-S[supreg] number is easy and there 
is no charge. To obtain a D-U-N-S[supreg] number, call 1-866-705-5711 
or access this Web site: www.dunandbradstreet.com.
     The SF-424A Budget Information Form (available at https://www.grants.gov/agencies/forms_repository_information.jsp) In 
preparing the Budget Information Form, the applicant must provide a 
concise narrative explanation to support the request, explained in 
detail below.
    The amount of Federal funding requested for the entire period of 
performance (i.e., three years) must be included on both the SF-424 and 
SF-424A Budget Information Form. Only an applicant's match amount (not 
other leveraged resources) should be listed on the SF-424 (Block 18) 
and SF-424A Budget Information Form (Sections A & C). Please note that 
the funding amount included on the SF-424 will be considered the 
official funding amount requested.
     Budget Narrative: The budget narrative must provide a 
description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-424A. 
Additionally, the budget narrative should break down the budget, match, 
and leveraged resources by project activity, must discuss cost-per-
participant, and must discuss precisely how the administrative costs 
support the project goals. If the applicant plans to use grant funds 
for paid work experiences, needs-based payments, and other supportive 
services for the participants, sufficient information must be provided 
in the budget narrative to clearly justify the proposed amounts to be 
provided.
    Please note that applicants that fail to provide a SF-424, SF-424A, 
a D-U-N-S[supreg] number, and a budget narrative will be considered 
non-responsive, and removed from consideration before the technical 
review process. Applicants are also encouraged, but not required, to 
submit OMB Survey No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity 
for Applicants, which can be found at https://www07.grants.gov/applicants/tips_resources_from_grantors.jsp#13.
    Part II. The Technical Proposal. The Technical Proposal must 
demonstrate the applicant's capability to implement the YouthBuild 
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 20 
double-spaced, single-sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font 
and 1 inch margins. Applicants should number the Technical Proposal 
beginning with page number 1. Any materials beyond the 20-page limit 
will not be read.
    Part IIA. Attachments to the Technical Proposal. In addition to the 
20 page Technical Proposal, the applicant must submit the following 
required attachments:
    (a) An organizational chart that reflects how the YouthBuild 
program will be staffed. In instances where the YouthBuild program is 
part of a larger organization (e.g., a Housing Authority), include a 
diagram that indicates how the YouthBuild program fits within the 
larger organization;
    (b) A timeline outlining project activities;
    (c) Letters of commitment from partners; and
    (d) A two-page Abstract summarizing the proposed project, including 
applicant name, project title, a description of the area to be served, 
and the funding level requested. The Abstract must note whether the 
application is being submitted as an urban, rural, or Native American 
application.
    These additional required materials do not count against the 20 
page limit for the Technical Proposal, but may not exceed 20 pages. Any 
additional materials beyond the 20 page attachment limit will not be 
read. Any additional materials other than those listed in Part II A a), 
b), c), or d) should not be included in the Technical Proposal 
Attachment and will not be read. ETA does not permit general letters of 
support submitted by organizations or individuals that are not partners 
in the proposed project and that do not directly identify the specific 
commitment or roles of the project partners. Therefore, additional 
materials, such as r[eacute]sum[eacute]s or general letters of support 
or commitment, will not be read.
    The required attachments must be affixed as separate, clearly 
identified appendices to the application. Commitment letters must 
accompany the application electronically, not be mailed separately. 
Please note that applicants should not send letters of commitment 
separately to ETA because letters received separately are tracked 
through a different system and will not be attached to the application 
for review. Applications that do not include the required attachments 
will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed.
    An audited financial statement and accompanying management letter 
(if applicable) is requested in Section V.A.2.i, but neither counts 
towards the page limitations for either the Technical Proposal or the 
Technical Proposal Attachment and should be included as an appendix. 
This appendix has no page limits.
    Part III. The Worksite Description. The applicant must submit the 
Worksite Description Form (ETA-9143) including all requested 
attachments, which describes the planned worksite that will be used for 
on-site housing rehabilitation and construction training for youth 
participants. These forms can be found at https://www.doleta.gov/youth%5Fservices/pdf/Work_Site_DescriptionAugus%202010.xls. 
Information on property for use in year two of your grant may be 
required. These forms do not count towards the 20 page limitation for 
either the Technical Proposal or the Technical Proposal Attachment; 
this is a separate part of the proposal. Please note that before 
finalizing the grant award document, prospective award winners must be 
able to re-verify information on the worksite and access to the 
property before grant funds are released.
    Section 10 of ETA 9143 requests information from the property owner 
or property management company or companies allowing access to the 
housing site(s) for on-site construction training. DOL will deem non-
responsive any application that fails to specifically identify the 
location of the on-site

[[Page 61188]]

construction, including evidence of site access. Guidance on evidence 
of site access is as follows:
     If the applicant has a contract or option to purchase the 
property, include a copy of the contract or option; or
     If a third party owns the property or has a contract or 
option to purchase, that third party must provide a letter stating the 
nature of the ownership and specifically providing access to the 
property for the purposes of the program and the time frame in which 
the property will be available. In the case of a contract or option, 
include a copy of the document. These should be included as part of 
Part III of your application and do not count against page limitations.

C. Submission Process, Date, Times, and Addresses

    Applications may be submitted electronically on Grants.gov or in 
hard copy by mail or hand delivery. Applicants submitting proposals in 
hard copy must submit an original signed application (including the SF-
424) and one ``copy-ready'' version free of bindings, staples, or 
protruding tabs to ease in the reproduction of the proposal by DOL. 
Applicants submitting proposals in hard copy also must provide an 
identical electronic copy of the proposal on compact disc (CD). If 
discrepancies between the hard copy submission and CD copy are 
identified, the application on the CD will be considered the official 
application for evaluation purposes. Failure to provide identical 
applications in hard copy and CD format may have an impact on the 
overall evaluation.
    The closing date for receipt of applications of this announcement 
is December 3, 2010. 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. If an application is 
submitted by both hard copy and through https://www.grants.gov, a letter 
must accompany the hard copy application stating why two applications 
were submitted and the differences between the two submissions. If no 
letter accompanies the hard copy, we will review the copy submitted 
through https://www.grants.gov. Applications that do not meet the 
conditions set forth in this notice will be considered non-responsive. 
No exceptions to the mailing and delivery requirements set forth in 
this notice will be granted. Further, documents submitted separately 
from the application, before or after the deadline, will not be 
accepted as part of the application.
    Mailed applications must be addressed to the U.S. Department of 
Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of Federal 
Assistance, Attention: Donna Kelly, Grant Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 
10-02, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. 
Applicants are advised that mail delivery in the Washington, DC area 
may be delayed due to mail decontamination procedures. Hand-delivered 
proposals will be received at the above address at the 3rd and C Street 
entrance. All overnight mail will be considered to be hand-delivered 
and must be received at the designated place by the specified closing 
date and time.
    Applications that are submitted through Grants.gov must be 
successfully submitted at https://www.grants.gov no later than 4 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the closing date, and then subsequently validated by 
Grants.gov. The submission and validation process is described in more 
detail below. The process can be complicated and time-consuming. 
Applicants are strongly advised to initiate the process as soon as 
possible and to plan for time to resolve technical problems if 
necessary.
    The Department strongly recommends that before the applicant begins 
to write the proposal, applicants should immediately initiate and 
complete the ``Get Registered'' registration steps at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp. Applicants should read 
through the registration process carefully before registering. These 
steps may take as much as four weeks to complete and this time should 
be factored into plans for electronic submission in order to avoid 
unexpected delays that could result in the rejection of an application. 
The site also contains registration checklists to help walk you through 
the process. The Department strongly recommends that applicants 
download the ``Organization Registration Checklist'' at https://www.grants.gov/assets/Organization_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf 
and prepare the information requested before beginning the registration 
process. Reviewing and assembling required information before beginning 
the registration process will alleviate last minute searches for 
required information and save time.
    To register with Grants.gov, applicants applying electronically 
must have a D-U-N-S[supreg] Number and must register with the Federal 
Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Step-by-step instructions for 
registering with CCR can be found at https://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step2.jsp. All applicants must register with CCR in order to apply 
online. Failure to register with the CCR will result in your 
application being rejected by Grants.gov during the submission process.
    The next step in the registration process is creating a username 
and password with Grants.gov to become an Authorized Organizational 
Representative (AOR). AORs will need to know the D-U-N-S[supreg] Number 
of the organization for which they will be submitting applications to 
complete this process. To read more detailed instructions for creating 
a profile on Grants.gov visit: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step3.jsp.
    After creating a profile on Grants.gov, the E-Biz Point of Contact 
(E-Biz POC), a representative from your organization who is the contact 
listed for CCR, will receive an e-mail to grant the AOR permission to 
submit applications on behalf of their organization. The E-Biz POC will 
then log in to Grants.gov and approve an applicant as the AOR, thereby 
giving him or her permission to submit applications. To learn more 
about AOR Authorization visit: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step5.jsp or to track AOR status visit: https://www.grants.gov/applicants/org_step6.jsp.
    An application submitted through Grants.gov constitutes a 
submission as an electronically signed application. The registration 
and account creation with Grants.gov, with E-Biz POC approval, 
establishes an AOR. When you submit the application through Grants.gov, 
the name of your AOR on file will be inserted into the signature line 
of the application. Applicants must register the individual