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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 8 (Tuesday, January 14, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3188-3194]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-00533]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; Independent Living Services for 
Older Individuals Who Are Blind--Independent Living Services for Older 
Individuals Who Are Blind Training and Technical Assistance

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education is issuing a notice inviting 
applications for fiscal year (FY) 2025 for the Independent Living 
Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program--Independent 
Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (OIB) Training and 
Technical Assistance.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: March 17, 2025.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 14, 2025.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at 
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Williams, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, room 4A220, Washington, DC 20202-
2600. Telephone: (202) 245-6263. Email: [email protected].
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to

[[Page 3189]]

access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The purpose of this program is to provide 
training and technical assistance to designated State agencies (DSAs)--
the State agencies that provide vocational rehabilitation services to 
individuals who are blind--that receive grant funding under the OIB 
program and to other service providers that receive OIB program funding 
from DSAs to provide services to consumers. The training and technical 
assistance are designed to improve the operation and performance of 
programs and services for older individuals who are blind resulting in 
their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
    Assistance Listing Number: 84.177Z.
    OMB Control Number: 1894-0006.
    Priorities: This notice includes one absolute priority and one 
competitive preference priority. These priorities are from the notice 
of final priorities and definitions (NFP) for this program published in 
the Federal Register on August 6, 2020, 85 FR 47652.
    Absolute Priority: For FY 2025 and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, this priority is an absolute priority Under 34 CFR 
75.105(c)(3). We consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind 
(OIB) Training and Technical Assistance.
    This priority supports a cooperative agreement to establish an OIB 
Training and Technical Assistance Center (Center) to provide universal, 
targeted, and intensive training and technical assistance to DSAs 
funded under the OIB program and to any service providers that DSAs 
fund to provide services directly to consumers. The Center will develop 
and provide training and technical assistance in the following general 
topic areas:
    (a) Community outreach methods and strategies to identify potential 
recipients of services.
    (b) Promising practices, based on ``promising evidence'' as defined 
in 34 CFR 77.1(c), including the development and dissemination of 
relevant materials to facilitate the delivery of high-quality services.
    (c) Program performance, including data reporting and analysis.
    (d) Financial and management practices, including practices to 
ensure compliance with grant administration requirements.
    To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a 
minimum, conduct the following activities:
    (a) Annually provide intensive training and technical assistance to 
a minimum of three DSAs or other service providers on the four general 
topic areas in this priority. Intensive training and technical 
assistance may be provided through remote delivery as appropriate. The 
technical assistance must be--
    (1) Consistent with the project activities and tailored to the 
specific needs and challenges of the DSA or other service provider 
receiving intensive training and technical assistance;
    (2) Provided under an agreement with each DSA or other service 
provider that, at a minimum, details the purpose, intended outcomes, 
and requirements for subsequent evaluation of the training and 
technical assistance; and
    (3) Assessed 90 days after completion to ensure that the DSAs and 
other service providers receiving intensive training and technical 
assistance are applying it effectively, and to address any issues or 
challenges in its implementation.
    (b) Provide a range of targeted training and technical assistance 
and universal training and technical assistance products and services 
on the four general topic areas in this priority. The training and 
technical assistance must include, at a minimum, the following 
activities:
    (1) In each year of the project, provide a minimum of 10 webinars, 
podcasts, video conferences, teleconferences, or other virtual methods 
of dissemination of information and training and technical assistance 
on the four general topic areas in this priority to describe and 
disseminate information about emerging promising practices.
    (2) Develop new information technology (IT) platforms or systems, 
or modify existing platforms and systems, as follows:
    (i) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art IT platform 
sufficient to support webinars, podcasts, video conferences, 
teleconferences, and other virtual methods of dissemination of 
information and training and technical assistance; and
    (ii) Develop or modify, and maintain, a state-of-the-art archiving 
and dissemination system that is open and available to the public, at 
no cost, and that provides a central location for later use of training 
and technical assistance products, including course curricula, 
audiovisual materials, webinars, examples of emerging and promising 
practices related to the four general topic areas in this priority, and 
any other training and technical assistance products developed by the 
grantee and others.
    Note: All products produced by the Center must meet government and 
industry-recognized standards for accessibility.
    (c) Conduct outreach to DSAs so that they are aware of, and can 
participate in, training and technical assistance activities.
    (d) Establish a community of practice \1\ that will act as a 
vehicle for communication, an exchange of information among DSAs and 
other service providers, and a forum for sharing the results of 
training and technical assistance activities that are in progress or 
that have been completed.
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    \1\ See: www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/dis104.html.
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    (e) Facilitate annually a minimum of one in-person conference, or, 
if health and safety reasons make an in-person conference infeasible, a 
virtual conference, for the purpose of dissemination of information 
related to emerging promising practices and ongoing technical 
assistance needs and activities.
    (f) Communicate and coordinate, on an ongoing basis, with other 
federally funded training and technical assistance projects, 
particularly Department-funded projects, to ensure that training and 
technical assistance activities are complementary and non-duplicative.
    (g) Conduct an evaluation to determine the impact of the Center's 
training and technical assistance on the DSAs and other service 
providers that received the Center's services.
    Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2025 and any subsequent 
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications 
from this competition, this priority is a competitive preference 
priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an additional 5 
points to an application, depending on how well the application meets 
the competitive preference priority.
    This priority is:
    Identify and Demonstrate how Specific Technical Assistance 
Strategies Provided to OIB Grantees will Facilitate Collaboration and 
Leveraging of Resources at the State and Local Level.
    To meet the requirements of this priority, the Center must, at a 
minimum, develop technical assistance focused on partnerships to 
facilitate the sharing of information and leveraging of resources from 
other systems that work with aging individuals and individuals with 
disabilities.
    These technical assistance strategies must be designed to improve 
the

[[Page 3190]]

capacity of OIB grantee staff, and staff from other service providers 
that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide services to the 
OIB population, to acquire and develop the skills and tools they need 
to help the OIB population sustain and increase their ability to live 
independently in their homes and communities.
    Definitions:
    For FY 2025, the following definitions from the NFP apply to this 
competition:
    Intensive training and technical assistance means training and 
technical assistance provided to a DSA, or other service provider that 
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, primarily 
on-site or through remote delivery, as needed and appropriate, over an 
extended period. Intensive training and technical assistance is based 
on an ongoing relationship between the training and technical 
assistance center staff and a DSA, or other service provider that 
receives OIB program funding from a DSA to provide services, under the 
terms of a signed intensive training and technical assistance 
agreement.
    Targeted training and technical assistance means training and 
technical assistance based on needs common to one or more DSAs, or 
other service providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to 
provide services, on a time-limited basis and with a limited commitment 
of training and technical assistance center resources. Targeted 
training and technical assistance are delivered through virtual or in-
person methods tailored to the identified needs of the participating 
DSAs, or other service providers that receive OIB program funding from 
DSAs to provide services.
    Universal training and technical assistance means training and 
technical assistance broadly available to DSAs, or other service 
providers that receive OIB program funding from DSAs to provide 
services, and other interested parties resulting in minimal interaction 
with training and technical assistance center staff. Universal training 
and technical assistance includes generalized presentations, products, 
and related activities available through a website or through brief 
contact with the training and technical assistance center staff.
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 796j-1.
    Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner 
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal 
civil rights laws.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86, 
97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 
(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as 
regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200 (Uniform Guidance), as adopted and 
amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The 
regulations for this program in 34 CFR part 367. (e) The NFP.
    Note: As of October 1, 2024, grant applicants must follow the 
provisions stated in the OMB Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance 
(89 FR 30046, April 22, 2024) when preparing an application. For more 
information about these regulations please visit: https://www.cfo.gov/resources-coffa/uniform-guidance/.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian Tribes.
    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Cooperative agreement.
    Estimated Available Funds: $599,706.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $599,706 for a 
single budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 1.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    Eligible Applicants: State and public or non-profit agencies and 
organizations and institutions of higher education that have the 
capacity to provide training and technical assistance in the provision 
of independent living services for older individuals who are blind and 
have demonstrated through their application a capacity to provide the 
level of training and technical assistance as indicated in the priority 
section of this notice.
    Note: If you are a nonprofit organization, under 34 CFR 75.51, you 
may demonstrate your nonprofit status by providing: (1) proof that the 
Internal Revenue Service currently recognizes the applicant as an 
organization to which contributions are tax deductible under section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; (2) a statement from a State 
taxing body or the State attorney general certifying that the 
organization is a nonprofit organization operating within the State and 
that no part of its net earnings may lawfully benefit any private 
shareholder or individual; (3) a certified copy of the applicant's 
certificate of incorporation or similar document if it clearly 
establishes the nonprofit status of the applicant; or (4) any item 
described above if that item applies to a State or national parent 
organization, together with a statement by the State or parent 
organization that the applicant is a local nonprofit affiliate.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This competition does not require 
cost sharing or matching.
    b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an 
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding 
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please 
see https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ofo#Indirect-Cost-Division.
    c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program does not include 
any program-specific limitation on administrative expenses. All 
administrative expenses must be reasonable and necessary and conform to 
Cost Principles described in 2 CFR part 200 subpart E of the Guidance 
for Federal Financial Assistance.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application. Under 34 CFR 75.708(e), a grantee may 
contract for supplies, equipment, and other services in accordance with 
2 CFR part 200.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/23/2024-30488/common-instructions-for-applicants-to-department-of-education-discretionary-grant-programs, which contain requirements and information on how to 
submit an application.
    2. Submission of Proprietary Information: Given the types of 
projects that may be proposed in applications for the OIB Training and 
Technical Assistance competition, your application may include business 
information that you consider proprietary. In 34 CFR 5.11, we define 
``business information'' and describe the process we use in determining 
whether any of that information is proprietary and, thus, protected 
from disclosure

[[Page 3191]]

under Exemption 4 of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as 
amended).
    Because we plan to make successful applications available to the 
public, you may wish to request confidentiality of business 
information.
    Consistent with Executive Order 12600 (Predisclosure Notification 
Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information), please designate 
in your application any information that you believe is exempt from 
disclosure under Exemption 4. In the appropriate Appendix section of 
your application, under ``Other Attachments Form,'' please list the 
page number or numbers on which we can find this information. For 
additional information please see 34 CFR 5.11(c).
    3. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to 
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. 
Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under 
Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this 
competition.
    4. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    5. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative (Part III of 
the application) is where you, the applicant, address the selection 
criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We recommend 
that you (1) limit the application narrative to no more than 45 pages 
and (2) use the following standards:
     A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1'' 
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
     Double-space (no more than three lines per vertical inch) 
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings, 
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in 
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
     Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller 
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
     Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, 
Courier New, or Arial.
    The recommended page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover 
sheet; Part II, the budget section, including the narrative budget 
justification; Part IV, the assurances and certifications; or the one-
page abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of 
support. However, the recommended page limit does apply to all of the 
application narrative.
    6. Notice of Intent to Apply: The Department will be able to review 
grant
    applications more efficiently if we know the approximate number of 
applicants that intend to apply. Therefore, we strongly encourage each 
potential applicant to notify us of their intent to submit an 
application. To do so, please email the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT with the subject line ``Intent to 
Apply,'' and include the applicant's name and a contact person's name 
and email address. Applicants that do not submit a notice of intent to 
apply may still apply for funding; applicants that do submit a notice 
of intent to apply are not bound to apply or bound by the information 
provided.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this competition 
are from 34 CFR 75.210 and are as follows:
    (a) Significance (15 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed 
project.
    (2) In determining the significance of the proposed project, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The likelihood that the proposed project will result in 
systemic change that supports continuous, sustainable, and measurable 
improvement.
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local, State, regional, or national capacity to provide, improve, 
sustain, or expand training or services that address the needs of 
underserved populations; and
    (iii) The importance or magnitude of the results or outcomes likely 
to be attained by the proposed project, especially improvements in 
independent living services.
    (b) Quality of the project design (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be 
achieved by the proposed project are clearly specified, measurable, and 
ambitious yet achievable within the project period, and aligned with 
the purposes of the grant program;
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project demonstrates that it 
is designed to build capacity and yield sustainable results that will 
extend beyond the project period;
    (iii) The extent to which the proposed project will include 
coordination with other Federal investments, as well as appropriate 
agencies and organizations providing similar services to the target 
population; and
    (iv) The quality of the logic model or other conceptual framework 
underlying the proposed project, including how inputs are related to 
outcomes.
    (c) Quality of project services (25 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be 
provided by the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and 
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equitable and adequate access 
and participation for project participants who experience barriers 
based on one or more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender; 
race; ethnicity; color; national origin; disability; age; language; 
migration; living in a rural location; experiencing homelessness or 
housing insecurity; involvement with the justice system; pregnancy, 
parenting, or caregiver status; and sexual orientation. This 
determination includes the steps developed and described in the form 
Equity For Students, Teachers, And Other Program Beneficiaries (OMB 
Control No. 1894-0005) (section 427 of the General Education Provisions 
Act (20 U.S.C. 1228a)).
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project reflect up-to-date knowledge and an evidence-based project 
component;
    (ii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project were determined with input from the community to be 
served to ensure that they are appropriate and responsive to the needs 
of the intended recipients or beneficiaries, including underserved 
populations, of those services;
    (iii) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the collaboration of appropriate partners, 
including those from underserved populations, to maximize the 
effectiveness of project services; and
    (iv) The extent to which the services to be provided by the 
proposed project involve the use of efficient strategies, including the 
use of technology, as appropriate, and the leveraging of non-project 
resources.
    (d) Quality of the project evaluation or other evidence-building. 
(15 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation or other 
evidence-building of the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the evaluation or other evidence-
building,

[[Page 3192]]

the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building are thorough, feasible, relevant, and appropriate to 
the goals, objectives, and outcomes of the proposed project;
    (ii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building are appropriate to the context within which the 
project operates and the target population of the proposed project;
    (iii) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building will provide performance feedback and provide 
formative, diagnostic, or interim data that is a periodic assessment of 
progress toward achieving intended outcomes; and
    (iv) The extent to which the methods of evaluation or other 
evidence-building include the use of objective performance measures 
that are clearly related to the intended outcomes of the project and 
will produce quality data that are quantitative and qualitative.
    (e) Adequacy of resources (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the 
proposed project.
    (2) In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The adequacy of support for the project, including facilities, 
equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant or the 
lead applicant organization;
    (ii) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the 
proposed project and the costs are reasonable in relation to the 
objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.
    (iii) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in 
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
    (f) Quality of the project personnel (10 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will 
carry out the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of project personnel, the Secretary 
considers the extent to which the applicant demonstrates that it has 
project personnel or a plan for hiring of personnel who are members of 
groups that have historically encountered barriers, or who have 
professional or personal experiences with barriers, based on one or 
more of the following: economic disadvantage; gender; race; ethnicity; 
color; national origin; disability; age; language; migration; living in 
a rural location; experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity; 
involvement with the justice system; pregnancy, parenting, or caregiver 
status; and sexual orientation.
    (3) In addition, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the key personnel in the project, when 
hired, have the qualifications required for the project, including 
formal training or work experience in fields related to the objectives 
of the project and experience in designing, managing, or implementing 
similar projects for the target population, and represent or have lived 
experiences of the target population;
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors; and
    (g) Quality of the management plan (15 points).
    (1) The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project.
    (2) In determining the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The feasibility of the management plan to achieve project 
objectives and goals on time and within budget, including clearly 
defined responsibilities, timelines, and milestones for accomplishing 
project tasks;
    (ii) The extent to which the time commitments of the project 
director and principal investigator and other key project personnel are 
appropriate and adequate to meet the objectives of the proposed 
project;
    (iii) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality and 
accessible products and services from the proposed project for the 
target population; and
    (iv) How the applicant will ensure that a diversity of 
perspectives, including those from underserved populations, are brought 
to bear in the design, implementation, operation, evaluation, and 
improvement of the proposed project, including those of parents, 
educators, community-based organizations, civil rights organizations, 
the business community, a variety of disciplinary and professional 
fields, recipients or beneficiaries of services, or others, as 
appropriate.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    In the event there are two or more applications with the same final 
score, and there are insufficient funds to fully support each of these 
applications, the scores under selection criterion (b) Quality of 
project services will be used as a tiebreaker. If the scores remain 
tied, then the scores under selection criterion (e) Quality of the 
management plan will be used to break the tie.
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.206, before awarding grants under this competition the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR 
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant 
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds

[[Page 3193]]

$10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 200, appendix 
XII, require you to report certain integrity information to FAPIIS 
semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 CFR part 200, 
appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds you 
receive exceed $10,000,000.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN), or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We also may notify you 
informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. See the standards in 
2 CFR 170.105 to determine whether you are covered by 2 CFR part 170.
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: The goal of this grant is to provide 
training and technical assistance designed to improve the operation and 
performance of programs and services for older individuals who are 
blind resulting in their enhanced independence and self-sufficiency.
    The cooperative agreement will specify the measures that will be 
used to assess the grantee's performance against the goals and 
objectives of the project, including outcome measures and measures that 
reflect the quality, relevance, and usefulness of the training and 
technical assistance products developed by the Center. Such measures 
will include, at a minimum, (1) the improved administration, operation, 
and performance of the DSAs or other service providers as measured 
through the attainment of goals established in the intensive training 
and technical assistance agreements; and (2) the number and percentage 
of DSAs or other service providers receiving intensive training and 
technical assistance that report that the training and technical 
assistance they received was of high quality, relevant, and useful.
    Other specific measures related to the priority areas for training 
and technical assistance will be determined on an annual basis and 
specified in the cooperative agreement.
    In its annual and final performance reports to the Department, the 
grantee will be expected to report the data outlined in the cooperative 
agreement that is needed to assess its performance. The annual 
performance reports must include both quantitative and qualitative 
information necessary to assess the Center's performance on the outcome 
measures established in the cooperative agreement. The data used must 
be valid and verifiable.
    The annual performance reports must provide, at a minimum, specific 
information on the number of training and technical assistance 
activities, the topics of such activities, the type of training and 
technical assistance provided (i.e., intensive, targeted, universal), 
the number and types of participants served (i.e., DSAs or other 
providers of services under the OIB program), and summary data from 
participant evaluations.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things, whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, whether 
the grantee has made substantial progress in achieving the performance 
targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an 
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an 
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text 
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, braille, large print, 
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the 
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access Department documents published in the Federal 
Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit

[[Page 3194]]

your search to documents published by the Department.

Glenna Wright-Gallo,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2025-00533 Filed 1-13-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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