1. Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity
Request for Proposals
Bidders Webinar

2. Important Dates IMPORTANT DATES RFP Release: Monday, December 14, 2015
Bidder’s Webinar:
Friday, December 18, 2015; 1:00pm – 2:00pm
Web conference:
Call in number:  (US) Conference Code:
Proposals Due:
Due no later than 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Accepted in one PDF document (not scanned) sent to:
Review and Selection Period:
Wednesday, January 20, 2016 – Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Notification to Applicants:
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Contract Start Date:
March 1, 2016
Contract End Date:
June 30, 2017

3. P2P Funding $2.5M Funds Available
Funds allocated for this RFP have been allocated via the MN General Fund, Workforce Development Fund and the MN Department of Human Services TANF Innovation Fund
Funds available for Career Pathway programming via the Pathways to Prosperity model.

4. Career Pathway Definition
Career Pathway (as per WIOA legislation, 2014) – The term “career pathway” means a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training and other services that:
(A) Aligns with the skill needs of industries in the economy of the state or regional economy involved;
(B) Prepares an individual to be successful in a full range of secondary or postsecondary education options, including apprenticeships;
(C) Includes counseling to support an individual in achieving the individual’s education and career goals;
(D) Includes, as appropriate, education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster;
(E) Organizes education, training and other services to meet the particular needs of an individual in a manner that accelerates the educational and career advancement of the individual to the extent practicable;
(F) Enables an individual to attain a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, and at least one recognized postsecondary credential; and
(G) Helps an individual enter or advance within a specific occupation or occupational cluster.
(H) In addition to the elements of a career pathway per WIOA legislation (A-G listed above), P2P emphasizes participant placement into a related career field with the potential for family sustaining wage growth.

5. Proposal Tiers
Tiers of Proposals accepted (cannot select both Emerging and Enhanced)
Emerging Proposal ($200,000 limit) – for organizations not currently awarded with a MN FastTRAC Adult Career Pathways or Pathways to Prosperity grant who are looking to expand or create a career pathways program for adults. All applicants must use the Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity model of career pathways on page seven of this document.
Enhanced Proposal ($250,000 limit) – for organizations currently awarded with a DEED competitive Adult Career Pathways grant applying to enhance existing programming. Such enhancements could include addressing equity and disparities gaps, for example programs could target SNAP eligible participants, individuals facing housing instability, individuals with disabilities, with special focus on low-income and addressing racial disparities in the community, etc. Past project outcomes will be used to determine award. All applicants must use the Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity model of adult career pathways on page seven of this document. Enhanced proposals must demonstrate how the program will be sustained.
Outreach Proposal ($50,000 limit) – to identify new ways to strengthen targeted outreach to individuals facing barriers to employment and training by working within disparate communities. Outreach could target SNAP eligible participants, individuals facing housing instability, individuals with disabilities, with special focus on low-income and addressing racial disparities within the community. Outreach must be combined with another P2P Career Pathway program that will serve individuals as part of the grant. These funds can be requested individually (as part of a previous Pathways to Prosperity award) or in conjunction with an Emerging or Enhanced Proposal request.

6. Project Goal
P2P funding will support increased participation of enrollees in career pathway programming to strengthen development of increased career awareness, acquisition of basic skills education, participation in skills-training programs, and placement into positions in high growth, high demand industries capable of long-term employment at wages permitting family self-sufficiency.
Grantees will use their award to support job-driven approaches in programs within career pathway systems and programs to equip individuals with the skills, competencies, and credentials necessary to help them obtain in-demand jobs, increase earnings, and advance in their careers.

7. P2P Model

8. Participant Eligibility
Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity projects are designed for adults who traditionally face multiple barriers to employment, and who are in need of enhanced educational and supportive services to be successful in securing long-term family sustaining wages.
All participants enrolled must be 18 years old or older (exception with DEED waiver for individual cases), authorized to work in the United States, and meet at least one of the targeted populations listed below.

9. Target Populations These populations include people:
of color;
experiencing housing insecurity;
with a criminal record;
lacking a high school diploma or equivalent;
with disabilities;
unemployed for 26 or more consecutive weeks; and
possessing inadequate language or math skills.
In addition, special consideration should be provided to veterans, those returning to work after receiving public assistance, low-income, and older workers.
Note: Local programs may apply additional eligibility requirements depending on the specific skill standards of the program to meet industry sector needs. Minnesota Pathways to Prosperity eligibility criteria may be subject to change.

10. Program Outcomes
Workforce One will be used to analyze data, data will be included in the DEED Uniform Report Card; online tool demonstrating program performance.
Outcomes for programming include:
Basic skill acquisition
Retention in program
Credential attainment
Credit attainment
Job placement
Employment retention
Wage progression
Continuation of career pathway training

11. Partnership Commitment
A partner is defined as one who preforms specific service functions and is responsible for the delivery of outcomes.
Partners are required, they perform key roles based on the four components of the MN P2P model.
Priority consideration of funds will be allocated to partnerships providing a full range of services aligned with client needs, including employer driven partnerships.

12. Proposal Evaluation Executive Summary: required 1 page summary
Project Design(25 points): need statement, LMI, target population, cost per participant, recruitment plan, enrollment and orientation
Structure and Participant Retention (25 points): participant retention strategy and career pathway structure program design/structure
Organizational Capacity & Relevant Experience (20 points): describe past and current initiatives with similar target populations, outcomes and performance of those initiatives and detailed staffing plan
Partnerships and Project Sustainability (18 points): identify key partners, roles and responsibilities, partner contribution, additional funders, co-enrollment of participants with other programming, sustainability plan and employer engagement
Assessment & Evaluation (5 points): evaluation plan, how well did proposal address the outcomes and who is responsible for data collection and reporting
Budget (5 points): the budget may not exceed total amount of tier
Letters of Commitment (2 points): letters of commitment are required from each partner and must clearly state what the partner is committing to the program and overall partnership

13. Required Forms
In addition to the required Executive Summary, the following forms will be required:
Form 1 (Application Cover Sheet): each section of this cover sheet is required, may apply for the outreach tier independently or in addition to the Emerging or Enhanced tier
Form 2 (Performance Calculator): there are formulas calculated into this form to account for consistent calculation of projected outcomes
Form 3 (Program Service Capacity): describes capacity of organization to provide intended services
Form 4 (Participant Plan): cumulative participant activities by quarter

14. Required Forms (continued)
Form 5 (Partnership Chart): identify each partner and their involvement in this effort, a letter of commitment must be included by each partner
Form 6 (Budget Information Summary): total administration must not exceed 10%, direct customer training must exceed 50% of costs for enhanced and emerging proposals, a maximum of 40% can be allocated for service related costs, support services cannot exceed 15%. These funds are available throughout the biennium, therefore will be allocated in 2 separate equal amounts. This means your budget should have the first 3 quarters equal the total sum of the second 3 quarters. *budget modifications can be requested throughout the grant
Form 7 (Concise Budget Backup): this is a detailed budget narrative aligned with form 6
Form 8 (Fiscal Capacity Checklist): this form identifies the fiscal capacity of an organization to carry out proposed activities

15. Resources Glossary in P2P RFP Recently released Shifting Gears Report:
FastTRAC Implementation Study and related materials:
Career Pathway professional development materials (FastTRAC)
Adult Basic Education Career Pathway PPT