1. Workforce Innovation Fund Grants Solicitation for Grant Application
(SGA/DFA PY 11-05)
Prospective Applicant Webinar

2. Access to Webinar Materials
Webinar Resources:
Recordings available within 2 business days after the event.
All resources are posted under the…

3. Gina King Wells, Manpower Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment
Presenters
Presenters:
Gina King Wells, Manpower Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment
Ariam Ferro, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management

4. Tips and Resources for Viewing this Webinar
Have a copy of the SGA when viewing the Webinar
View Applying for ETA Competitive Grants: A Web-Based Toolkit for Prospective Applicants

5. I. Funding Opportunity Description

6. Examples of Innovation (Section I.B)
Better coordination among programs and partners
Improving linkages between employment/ training services and labor market needs
New procurement strategies
New uses of technology

7. Partnerships (Section I.C.)
Regional partnerships with economic development entities and other critical stakeholders
Business community partnerships, including business associations, and educational institutions 
Partnerships with other federally-funded programs
Community-based organization partnerships
Workforce intermediary partnerships
Partnering with local educational institutions, including community colleges.
Local educational institutions, including community colleges.

8. Three Project Types (Section I.D)
Integrating Evaluation into Grant Activities: Three Project Types
Project Type A: New and Untested Ideas
Project Type B: Promising Ideas
Project Type C: Adapting Proven Ideas

9. Three Project Types cont’d.
Project Type A –
New and Untested Ideas
Conduct a strong logic model demonstrating cost savings/cost effectiveness
Describe any prior implementation of the idea if the idea has been carried out in any manner
Collect/analyze process, output, and outcome data
Create a rigorous method to evaluate impact
Proposals must range from $1-3 million; evaluation costs must be no more than 20% of total

10. Three Project Types cont’d.
Project Type B – Promising Ideas
Include positive evidence of past success
Evaluation strategy should be of a higher level of rigor than evidence cited in the proposal
Proposals must range from $3-6 million; evaluation costs must be no more than 20% of total
Project Type B awardees may compete for follow-on grants for additional cohorts and longer participant follow-up plans

11. Three Project Types cont’d.
Project Type C –
Adapting Proven Ideas
Provide compelling arguments for the need and potential for success in expanding the scale of the proposed service, product, and/or system change
Must include a minimum 12-month follow-up
Proposals must range from $6-12 million; evaluation costs must be no more than 20% of total
Project Type C awardees may compete for follow-on grants for additional cohorts and longer participant follow-up plans

12. II. Award Information

13. Award Amount & Performance Period Sections II.A and II.B
Approximately $98 million in grant funds, with awards ranging from $1 - $12 million to grantees
Period of Performance:
Awards expected in Spring 2012
Project A performance period 36 months
Project B-C performance period 40 months from the effective day of grant with an additional 12 months available for evaluation

14. III. Eligibility Information

15. Eligible Applicants Section III.A.1
State Workforce Agencies
Local Workforce Investment Boards
Entities eligible for WIA Section 166 Grants
Consortia of State Workforce Agencies
Consortia of Local Workforce Investment Boards
Consortia of entities eligible WIA Section 166 Grants

16. Eligible Applicants - Consortiums Section III.A.2
Special Requirements for
Consortium Applicants
Each consortium must identify a lead applicant to serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative responsibility for the grant
Consortium agreements must be signed by each member
Only eligible entities may be members of the consortium
If a consortium member drops out, the grantee must conduct a competition to award the remaining funds
ETA reserves the right to re-evaluate a consortium award if consortium membership changes and may terminate the award if deemed appropriate

17. Other Eligibility Criteria Section III.B and III.C
Cost Sharing or Matching
Applicants strongly encouraged to coordinate/leverage WIA and other federal, state, local and private funds
Other Eligibility Criteria
Applicants are required to submit a budget, design, and implementation plan to an independent party
Only one application per lead applicant; no limit on number of applications submitted as non-lead consortium member
Applicant who submit more that one application as the lead applicant will be deemed non-responsive

18. Other Eligibility Criteria Section III.D and III.E
Eligible Participants
Participants must meet the eligibility criteria of WIA Adult, Dislocated Worker, Youth, or Wagner-Peyser Act Employment Service programs
Veterans Priority for Participants
Veterans priority of service provisions require grant recipients give veterans or eligible spouses priority of service
For additional information, see at

19. Other Eligibility Criteria Section III.F.1
Other Grant Specifications
DOL is committed to a transparent grant award process
Posting grant applications on public websites is a means of promoting and sharing innovative ideas
Abstracts from Section IV, Part III.A, as well as a version of the Technical Proposal in Section IV, Part II, will be published on the Department’s website or similar location.
Applicants are encouraged to maximize the disclosed grant application information and to exercise restraint and redact only when necessary.

20. IV. Application and Submission Information

21. Content and Form of Submission Section IV.B
Proposals submitted in response to this SGA must include the following:
Cost Proposal
Technical Proposal
Attachments to the Technical Proposal
Applications that do not contain all three parts will be considered non-responsive and will not be reviewed.

22. Part I – Cost Proposal SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
Application and Submission Information Cost Proposal, Section IV.B.Part I
Part I – Cost Proposal
SF-424 (Application for Federal Assistance)
D-U-N-S® Number
CCR Registration
SF-424A (Budget Information Form)
Two Budget Narratives (one for technical activities, one for evaluation activities)
Applications that fail to provide a signed SF 424 including a D–U–N–S® Number, CCR registration, SF 424A, and the two budget narratives will be considered non-responsive and not reviewed

23. Part II – Technical Proposal
Application and Submission Information Technical Proposal, Section IV.B.Part II
Part II – Technical Proposal
Project narrative that demonstrates the applicant’s capabilities to implement the grant project in accordance with the provisions of this solicitation
Proposal is limited to 25 double-spaced single- sided 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point text font and 1 inch margins for all grantees except consortia applicants, who are limited to 27 pages with the same requirements.
Applications that do not include the Technical Proposal will be considered non-responsive and not be reviewed

24. Part III – Attachments to the Technical Proposal
Application and Submission Information Attachments, Section IV.B.Part III
Part III – Attachments to the Technical Proposal
Abstract, not to exceed three pages
A one-page graphic of the project’s logic model (
Evaluation budget narrative and program evaluation plan for an independent third party evaluation
The Project/Performance Site Location(s) form ( )
Non-form letters, Memoranda of Understanding, and other documentation from key leaders and partners to demonstrate their support as described in Section V.1., Criterion 4 – “Strategic Leadership.”
A letter from the local WIB (if applicable)
A consortium agreement (if applicable)
A waiver request (if applicable)

25. Proposal Submission Section VI.C
Proposals must be received
by 4:00:00 PM (ET) on the
closing date of the SGA.
Methods of Submission
Regular mail
Overnight mail
Hand delivery
Online at
Reference Donna Kelly, Grant Officer, SGA/DFA PY 11-05

26. Proposal Submission (con’t)
Applicants submitting in hard copy
Submit an original signed application (including SF-424) and 1
“copy-ready” version free of bindings, staples, or protruding tabs
Include identical electronic copy of proposal on compact disc (CD)
Using Grants.gov -- Get started now!
Significant registration process the first time - takes days or weeks to complete
Highly recommended that online submission be completed 2 working days prior to the date specified for receipt of applications
Components of the application must be saved as either
.doc, .xls, .rtf, or .pdf files
If submitted in any other format, the applicant bears the risk that compatibility or other issues will prevent us from considering the application. 
Note: This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

27. Funding Restrictions Section IV.E
Administrative Costs
Not to exceed 10 percent of the grant award
Intellectual Property Rights
Grantee is required to license all work created with support of the grant
For more information on licensing, please visit
DOL reserves a nonexclusive and irrevocable license to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use, and to authorize others to use for Federal purposes, the copyright in all products developed under the grant

28. V. Application Review Information

29. Evaluation Criteria Section V.A.
Criterion
Points
1. Description of Problem or Issue 10
2. Strategic Approach and Logic Model 45
3. Work Plan and Project Management 20
4. Strategic Leadership
5. Performance Accountability Framework 15
6. Bonus Points for Consortium Applications 5
Total:
105

30. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.1
Description of Problem/Issue
(10 points)
Clearly and convincingly articulate the problem (5 points)
Demonstrate the extent of the problem in qualitative and quantitative terms (5 points)

31. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.2
Strategic Approach and Logic Model
(45 points)
Goals and Outcomes (10 points)
Better results for jobseekers and employers
Greater efficiency in the delivery of quality services
Stronger cooperation across programs and funding streams
Strategy and Logic Model (25 points)
Visit
Evidence Base for Strategy (10 points)

32. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.3
Work Plan and Project Management
(20 points)
Work Plan (12 points)
Milestones
Implementer(s)
Timeline
Project Management (8 points)
Professional qualifications
Organizational chart
Third party evaluator
Past experience working with Tech Assistance & Evaluation
Past experience using data to manage grants
Past performance

33. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.4
Strategic Leadership (10 points)
Strategic Relationships and Leadership Buy-In (5 points)
Strategic Communication (2 points)
Integration into Formula-Funded Activities (3 points)

34. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.5
Performance Accountability Framework
(15 points)
Data Collecting and Reporting
Provision of a comprehensive data collection approach
Ability to distinguish between existing data that is already collected by the workforce system and any new data needed
Demonstration that the data collected will be detailed
Articulation of data that will inform indicators of success
A Management Information System (MIS) to accommodate data
A feasible method of measuring costs and/or efficiency
Data system to manage and monitor grant activities

35. Evaluation Criteria, con’t Section V.A.6
Consortium Bonus Points (5 points)
Bonus points will awarded to consortium project applications.

36. Review Criteria for Program Evaluation Component Section V.B
Program Evaluation Plan
Appropriate level of rigor for the proposed project type
Detailed plan for rigorously evaluating the plan
Explanation of how this plan can be used to enhance the broader workforce system
Clear description for procuring the services of a third-party evaluator
Project Evaluation Budget Narrative

37. Review and Selection Process Section V.C.
Technical review panels will meet after closing date to review applications
Two-Tier Process
Scoring is based on how applicants respond to the evaluation criteria in the SGA in sections V.A. and V.B.

38. Selection Process Section V.C.
Panel scores for the technical proposals will be primary basis for selection of applications
Other mitigating factors include:
Project Type (A, B, C) representation
Variety of strategies
Evaluation materials review
Geographic balance
Availability of funds
Advantageous nature of the proposal to the government
Panel scores are advisory in nature to the Grant Officer

39. Award Administration Information Section VI
All award notifications will be posted on the ETA homepage (
Applicants selected for award will be contacted directly before the grant’s execution.
Applicants not selected for award will be notified by mail or .
45 days to finalize the grant agreement.

40. Other Program Requirements Section VI.B
Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Program requirements
Other legal requirements
Other administrative standards and provisions
Special program requirements

41. Reporting Section VI.C Grantees must provide these reports/documents:
Quarterly Financial Reports
Quarterly Progress and Annual Performance
Records Retention

42. Agency Contacts Section VII
Questions should be submitted to Ariam Ferro at: and reference SGA/DFA PY in the subject line
ETA will review questions submitted regarding the SGA and provide a timely response

43. Additional Resources Section VIII
Workforce3 One:
Communities of practice
Live web-based events
Register for updates!
For more information about the
workforce innovation fund:

44. Thank You!