[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 210 (Thursday, October 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58725-58726]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-28827]



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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.234N]


Projects With Industry; Notice Inviting Applications for New 
Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 1998

    Purpose of program: The Projects With Industry (PWI) program 
creates and expands job and career opportunities in the competitive 
labor market for individuals with disabilities by engaging the talent 
and leadership of private industry as partners in the rehabilitation 
process. PWI projects identify competitive job and career opportunities 
and the skills needed to perform those jobs, create practical settings 
for job readiness and training programs, and provide job placement and 
career advancement services.
    Eligible Applicants: Employers, profitmaking and nonprofit 
organizations, designated State units, labor unions, community 
rehabilitation program providers, trade associations, Indian tribes or 
tribal organizations, and other agencies or organizations with the 
capacity to create and expand job and career opportunities for 
individuals with disabilities.
    Only eligible applicants that propose to serve a geographic area 
that is currently unserved or underserved by the PWI program can 
receive new awards under this program.
    Deadline For Transmittal Of Applications: January 13, 1998.
    Deadline For Intergovernmental Review: March 14, 1998.
    Applications Available: October 31, 1997.
    Available Funds: $731,846.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $158,000-$238,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $198,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR 
Parts 369 and 379.

Priorities

    Competitive Priority: The competitive preference priority 
concerning Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities in the notice 
of final priorities for this program, published in the Federal Register 
on December 9, 1994 (59 FR 63860), applies to this competition.

Background

    The Empowerment Zone and Enterprise Community program is a critical 
element of the Administration's community revitalization strategy. The 
program is a first step in rebuilding communities in America's poverty-
stricken inner cities and rural heartlands. It is designed to empower 
people and communities by inspiring Americans to work together to 
create jobs and opportunity.
    The Federal Government has designated nine Empowerment Zones 
(Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, 
Michigan; New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania/Camden, New 
Jersey; Kentucky Highlands, Kentucky; Mid-Delta, Mississippi; and Rio 
Grande Valley, Texas). Two Supplemental Empowerment Zones have been 
designated--Los Angeles, California and Cleveland, Ohio. Ninety-five 
Enterprise Communities have been designated. A full list of Enterprise 
Communities and additional information are available upon request from 
the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 1-800-998-
9999.
    Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), the Secretary gives preference to 
applications that meet the following competitive priority. Ten bonus 
points will be assigned to applications determined to be approvable on 
the basis of their evaluation under the applicable program selection 
criteria. These bonus points are in addition to any points the 
application earns under the selection criteria for this program.

Competitive Preference Priority--Providing Program Services in an 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community

    Under the Projects With Industry program, competitive preference 
will be given to applications that--(1) Propose the provision of 
substantial services in Empowerment Zones or Enterprise Communities; 
and (2) Propose projects that contribute to the strategic plan of the 
Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community and that are made an integral 
component of the Empowerment Zone or Enterprise Community activities.
    A PWI project may provide services at one or more sites. A PWI 
project is considered to be providing substantial services in a zone or 
community if a minimum of 51 percent of the total number of persons 
served by the project, irrespective of the number of sites, reside in a 
zone or community and at least 1 of the project sites is located within 
the boundaries of a zone or community. If there is only one project 
site, it must be located within the boundaries of a zone or community.
    Invitational Priority: Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(1), the Secretary is 
particularly interested in applications that meet the following 
invitational priority. However, an application that meets this 
invitational priority does not receive competitive or absolute 
preference over other applications:
    Projects that establish collaborative consortia with designated 
State vocational rehabilitation units, the business community, and 
other appropriate organizations to create and expand job and career 
opportunities for individuals with disabilities including career 
advancement services that prepare these individuals for leadership and 
professional job positions in a variety of industries.

    For Further Information Contact: Martha Muskie, U.S. Department of 
Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., Room 3320 Switzer Building, 
Washington, D.C. 20202. Telephone (202) 205-3293.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.
    For Applications Contact: The Grants and Contracts Service Team 
(GCST), U.S. Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, S.W., 
Room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, D.C. 20202-2649. Telephone: 
(202) 205-8351. The preferred method for requesting applications is to 
FAX your request to (202) 205-8717. Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternate format by contacting the GCST. However, the 
Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard 
forms included in the application package.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with

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Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 795g.

    Dated: October 27, 1997.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 97-28827 Filed 10-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P