30152 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

B. Other Web-Based Resources 

DOL maintains a number of Webbased resources that may be of 

assistance to applicants. America’s 

Service Locator (http://www.service

locator.org) provides a directory of our 

nation’s One Stop Career Centers. 

C. Industry Competency Models 

ETA supports an Industry 

Competency Model Initiative to promote 

an understanding of the skill sets and 

competencies that are essential to an 

educated and skilled workforce. A 

competency model is a collection of 

competencies that taken together define 

successful performance in a particular 

work setting. Competency models serve 

as a starting point for the design and 

implementation of workforce and talent 

development programs. To learn about 

the industry-validated models visit the 

Competency Model Clearinghouse 

(CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/ 

CompetencyModel. The CMC site also 

provides tools to build or customize 

industry models, as well as tools to 

build career ladders and career lattices. 

D. Federal Collaboration 

DOL encourages other Federal 

partners to recommend or require, 

where appropriate, that organizations 

receiving Recovery Act funding list jobs 

created with their state public labor 

exchange. The Department is 

developing specific strategies to link job 

listings, training opportunities and 

placement among programs funded by 

Departments of Housing and Urban 

Development, Energy, Education, and 

the Environmental Protection Agency. 

Where the grantee is not the public 

workforce system, they are strongly 

encouraged to work with the local One 

Stop Career Center to make these 

connections. 

E. Links to Federal Recovery Sites 

For specific information on a range of 

Federal agency Recovery Act activities 

and funding opportunities: 

• Department of Education: http:// 

www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/ 

index.html. 

• Department of Energy: http:// 

www.doe.gov/recovery. 

• Department of Housing and Urban 

Development: http://www.hud.gov/ 

recovery. 

• Department of Transportation: 

http://www.dot.gov/recovery/. 

• Environmental Protection Agency: 

http://www.epa.gov/recovery. 

F. Promising Training Approaches 

ETA encourages applicants to 

research promising training approaches 

in order to inform their proposals. The 

following list of Web sites provides a 

starting place for this research, but by 

no means should be considered a 

complete list: 

• ETA’s home site (http:// 

www.doleta.gov) and the ETA Research 

Publication Database (http:// 

wdr.doleta.gov/research/keyword.cfm). 

• ETA’s knowledge sharing site 

(http://www.workforce3one.org), 

including the ‘‘workforce solutions’’ 

section that contains over 6,000 

additional resources applicants may 

find valuable in developing workforce 

strategies and solutions. 

• The National Governors Association 

Center for Best Practices (http:// 

www.nga.org). 

• The National Association of State 

Workforce Agencies (http:// 

www.workforceatm.org). 

• The National Association of 

Workforce Boards (http:// 

www.nawb.org). 

IX. Other Information 

OMB Information Collection No. 1225– 

0086 

Expires September 30, 2009 

According to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 

required to respond to a collection of 

information unless such collection 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to 

average 20 hours per response, 

including time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. 

Send comments regarding the burden 

estimated or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including 

suggestions for reducing this burden, to 

the OMB Desk Officer for ETA, 

Department of Labor, in the Office of 

Management and Budget, Room 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503. Please do not 

return the completed application to the 

OMB. Send it to the sponsoring agency 

as specified in this solicitation. 

This information is being collected for 

the purpose of awarding a grant. The 

information collected through this SGA 

will be used by DOL to ensure that 

grants are awarded to the applicant best 

suited to perform the functions of the 

grant. Submission of this information is 

required in order for the applicant to be 

considered for award of this grant. 

Unless otherwise specifically noted in 

this announcement, information 

submitted in the respondent’s 

application is not considered to be 

confidential. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of 

June, 2009. 

Donna Kelly, 

Grant Officer, Employment and Training 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–14928 Filed 6–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009; Notice of Availability of 

Funds and Solicitation for Grant 

Applications for Energy Training 

Partnership Grants 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation for Grant Applications. 

Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/ 

DFA PY 08–18. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.275. 

DATES: The closing date for receipt of 

applications under this announcement 

is September 4, 2009. Applications must 

be received no later than 4 p.m. (Eastern 

Time), or submitted electronically by 

the deadline and in accordance with the 

instructions in Section IV.C of this 

Solicitation. A Webinar for prospective 

applicants will be held for this grant 

competition on July 13 from 2–3:30 p.m. 

ET. Access information for the Webinar 

will be posted on the U.S. Department 

of Labor’s (DOL), Employment and 

Training Administration (ETA) Web site 

at: http://www.workforce3one.org. 

Potential applicants are encouraged to 

participate in this webinar, but 

attendance is not mandatory. A 

recording of the webinar will be 

available on http:// 

www.workforce3one.org by 3 p.m. ET, 

July 17. 

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– 

08–18, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. 

For complete ‘‘Application and 

Submission Information’’ please refer to 

Section IV. 

SUMMARY: Under the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the 

Recovery Act), DOL announces the 

availability of approximately $100 

million in grant funds to 20–30 projects 

ranging from approximately $2 to $5 

million each. Projects will provide 

training and placement services in the 

energy efficiency and renewable energy 

industries for workers impacted by 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30153 

national energy and environmental 

policy, individuals in need of updated 

training related to the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries, and 

unemployed workers. Proposed projects 

must be developed and implemented 

through strategic partnerships. 

National, nonprofit labor management 

organizations and Statewide or local 

nonprofit entities are eligible to apply 

for grant funds under this SGA. Detailed 

eligibility information can be found in 

Section III.A. 

A portion of the funds under this SGA 

will be reserved for projects serving 

communities undergoing auto industry 

related restructurings. Approximately 

$25 million of the total funds available 

through this Solicitation will be 

awarded for projects serving 

communities impacted by auto industry 

restructuring, though the Department 

reserves the right to change this amount 

depending on the quantity and quality 

of applications submitted under this 

SGA. See Attachment I for a list of autoimpacted communities. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Recovery Act: Competitive Grants 

for Green Job Training 

This section of the SGA provides 

general background on the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

(Recovery Act), the competitive grants 

funded through the Recovery Act to 

prepare workers for careers in the 

energy efficiency and renewable energy 

industries, and the occupations and 

industries on which these grants should 

focus. 

On February 17, 2009, President 

Barack Obama signed into law the 

Recovery Act through which Congress 

intended to preserve and create jobs, 

promote the nation’s economic 

recovery, and assist those most 

impacted by the recession. Among other 

funding directed toward the Department 

of Labor (DOL), the Recovery Act 

provides $750 million for a program of 

competitive grants for worker training 

and placement in high growth and 

emerging industries. Of the $750 million 

allotted for competitive grants, the 

Recovery Act designates $500 million 

for projects that prepare workers for 

careers in the energy efficiency and 

renewable energy sectors described in 

Section 171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce 

Investment Act (WIA). DOL intends to 

use a portion of the $500 million for 

providing technical assistance for this 

program of grants. 

The purpose of these green job 

training grants is to train and teach 

workers the skills required in these 

emerging energy efficiency and 

renewable energy sectors. These efforts 

will lead program participants to job 

placement while leveraging other 

Recovery Act investments intended to 

create jobs and promote economic 

growth. For additional information 

about the series of competitive grants for 

green job training, please refer to 

Training and Employment Notice (TEN) 

44–08 available at http:// 

www.doleta.gov/Recovery/ 

legislation.cfm. 

B. Green Industries and Occupations 

The Department will award grants to 

workforce development projects that 

focus on connecting target populations, 

including auto and auto-related industry 

workers affected by significant 

automotive-related restructurings, to 

career pathways in green industries. 

Training programs will prepare 

individuals for careers in any of the 

seven energy efficiency and renewable 

energy industries defined in Section 

171(e)(1)(B)(ii) of the WIA, which 

include: 

• The energy-efficient building, 

construction, and retrofit industries; 

• The renewable electric power 

industry; 

• The energy efficient and advanced 

drive train vehicle industry; 

• The biofuels industry; 

• The deconstruction and materials 

use industries; 

• The energy efficiency assessment 

industry serving residential, 

commercial, or industrial sectors; and 

• Manufacturers that produce 

sustainable products using 

environmentally sustainable processes 

and materials. 

Additionally, the Department is 

interested in applicants contributing to 

our understanding of green industries 

and jobs that clean and enhance our 

environment. Initial research supported 

by the Department of Labor shows that 

there are ‘‘growth, enhanced and 

emerging’’ green occupations across a 

number of industries. Applicants may 

propose strategies that train for those 

occupations from among the following 

industries: Transportation; green 

construction; environmental protection; 

sustainable agriculture including 

healthy food production; forestry; and 

recycling and waste reduction (see 

O*NET report at http:// 

www.onetcenter.org/reports/ 

Green.html). The Department will 

consider proposals that focus on these 

occupations within these industries if 

applicants can offer supporting data 

demonstrating these are emerging 

industries which are producing jobs in 

their communities. 

For the purpose of these SGAs, the 

Department defines energy efficiency 

and renewable energy as follows. 

Section 203(b)(2) of the Energy Policy 

Act of 2005, Public Law 109–58, 119 

Stat. 595, defines ‘‘renewable energy’’ as 

‘‘electric energy generated from solar, 

wind, biomass, landfill gas, ocean 

(including tidal, wave, current, and 

thermal), geothermal, municipal solid 

waste, or new hydroelectric generation 

capacity achieved from increased 

efficiency or additions of new capacity 

at an existing hydroelectric project.’’ 

‘‘Energy efficiency’’ can be broadly 

defined as programs aimed at mitigating 

the use of energy, reducing harmful 

emissions, and decreasing overall 

energy consumption. 

The Department of Labor’s Bureau of 

Labor Statistics (BLS) is working to 

develop a definition for green sectors 

and jobs, which will be used to ensure 

that workforce development efforts 

identify and target these green jobs and 

their training needs. The Department 

has also supported occupational 

research that begins to define green jobs, 

review sectors impacted by green 

investments and understand how new 

green technology and materials will 

affect occupational requirements. The 

Occupational Information Network 

(O*NET) project has drafted a research 

paper titled, Greening of the World of 

Work: Implications for O*NET–SOC and 

New and Emerging Occupations. This 

study reflects three general categories of 

occupations, based on different 

consequences of green economy 

activities and technologies: (1) Existing 

occupations expected to experience 

primarily an increase in employment 

demand; (2) existing occupations with 

significant change to the work and 

worker requirements; and (3) new and 

emerging green occupations. This 

research may be used as a starting point 

for identifying green industries and 

occupations and informing the 

development of training and job 

placement programs. For a copy of the 

O*NET report and a listing of the 

identified occupations go to http:// 

www.onetcenter.org/reports/Green.html. 

C. Working With Other Recovery Act 

Programs 

The Recovery Act made funds 

available to a number of other Federal 

programs that will impact the creation 

and expansion of green jobs. DOL is 

partnering with other Federal agencies 

to support the creation of jobs by 

developing a pipeline of skilled workers 

in the energy efficiency and renewable 

energy industries. Where possible, ETA 

encourages applicants to connect their 

workforce development strategies to 

other Recovery Act funded projects that 

create jobs or impact the skill 

30154 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

requirements of existing jobs. ETA 

recommends that applicants review 

other parts of the Recovery Act, with a 

focus on the activities funded through 

the Department of Energy (Energy), the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA), the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development (HUD), the 

Department of Transportation (DOT), 

the Department of Education 

(Education) and others. For additional 

resources and information about our 

Federal partners, please see Section VIII, 

Additional Resources of Interest to 

Applicants. 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

Energy Training Partnership funds are 

intended to provide training for workers 

that prepares them to enter the energy 

efficiency and renewable energy 

industries, as well as green occupations 

within other industries, as described in 

the Supplementary Information: Part B 

of this SGA. Individuals eligible for 

training include workers impacted by 

national energy and environmental 

policy, individuals in need of updated 

training related to the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries, and 

unemployed workers. A portion of the 

funds under this SGA will be reserved 

(as described in Section II, Award 

Information) for projects serving 

communities impacted by automotiverelated restructuring. 

Projects funded through this SGA will 

be implemented by partnerships made 

up of a diverse set of stakeholders 

including labor organizations, public or 

private employers in the energy 

efficiency and renewable energy 

industries, and the workforce system. 

Bringing to bear the workforce expertise 

of these groups will allow successful 

applicants to develop programs that are 

responsive to the needs of both workers 

and employers, and that provide 

participants with the support needed to 

successfully complete training. 

The current economic downturn has 

had widespread effects on individuals 

in communities across the United 

States, and has left many workers 

seeking new careers. Workers impacted 

by national energy and environmental 

policy, individuals in need of updated 

training related to the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries, and 

unemployed workers face unique 

obstacles to gaining new employment. 

Many need to upgrade existing skills or 

learn new ones to transition into careers 

in high growth industries, but also need 

immediate employment to continue 

earning wages and supporting their 

families. This is particularly true of 

workers in communities adversely 

impacted by automotive industry 

restructuring. 

All training and placement activities 

funded through this grant will be 

conducted at the local level. Successful 

applicants under category 1 (as 

described in Section III.A of this SGA) 

will be required to fund at least two (2) 

but no more than five (5) sub-grants or 

sub-contracts to State or local affiliates 

that will deliver grant-funded training 

and supportive services (where 

appropriate) to participants. Grant 

funded activities will be undertaken in 

collaboration with required partners 

detailed in Section III.C.1. This 

approach will help to ensure that 

workers at multiple sites will benefit 

from grant-funded training, and that 

sub-grantees or sub-contractors have 

adequate funding to implement effective 

projects. It will also enhance the 

coordination and efficiency of national 

organization-approved training 

programs being delivered at the local 

level. 

To ensure quality training within a 

limited timeframe, applicants may 

develop and/or modify existing 

curricula and strategies to deliver 

training. Keeping in mind the long-term 

needs of workers, it is strongly 

recommended that training lead to 

portable industry degrees or certificates 

that assist participants to seek 

employment in multiple job markets. 

II. Award Information 

A. Award Amount: Under this SGA, 

ETA intends to fund approximately 20– 

30 grants ranging from $2 to $5 million. 

In an effort to fund the greatest number 

of high-quality projects, grant awards 

through this SGA will be limited to $5 

million, and applicants requesting more 

than $5 million will be considered nonresponsive. Within the funding ranges 

specified above, applicants are 

encouraged to submit proposals for 

quality projects at whatever funding 

level is appropriate to the project. 

Approximately $25 million of the total 

funds available through this Solicitation 

will be reserved for projects in 

communities impacted by automotiverelated restructuring, though the 

Department reserves the right to change 

this amount depending on the quantity 

and quality of applications submitted 

under this SGA. See Attachment I for a 

list of counties impacted by automotiverelated restructuring. The Center for 

Automotive Research identified the 

attached list of 281 U.S. counties that 

either have an automotive assembly 

plant or parts manufacturer employing 

regional residents. 

B. Period of Performance: The period 

of grant performance will be up to 24 

months from the date of execution of the 

grant documents. This performance 

period shall include all necessary 

implementation and start-up activities 

as well as participant follow-up. 

Applicants should plan to fully 

expend grant funds during the period of 

performance while ensuring full 

transparency and accountability for all 

expenditures. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Eligible Applicants: Under this 

announcement, eligible applicants are 

private nonprofit organizations that 

must apply under one of two categories: 

(1) National labor-management 

organizations with local networks; or (2) 

Statewide or local nonprofit 

partnerships. All applicants are 

expected to work in conjunction with 

partnerships consisting of labor 

organizations, employers, Workforce 

Investment Boards (WIBs), and other 

organizations as defined in section 

171(e)(2)(B)(ii) of WIA. These categories 

create two applicant pools, which will 

compete separately for funding under 

this SGA. 

1. National Labor-Management 

Organizations: A national labormanagement organization is a nonprofit 

entity, such as a training fund, training 

trust fund, or an education trust fund, 

with joint participation of employers 

and labor organizations on its executive 

board or comparable governing body. 

This entity must have a formalized 

agreement between the employer(s) and 

labor organization(s) to operate a joint 

labor management training program(s) 

in multiple sites across the country 

through the State, local, or regional 

networks affiliated with the nonprofit 

entity. The national labor-management 

organization is the lead applicant. 

However, if the national labormanagement organization is not a 

separate legal entity, the labor 

organization is the eligible applicant. 

All grant-funded worker training 

activities will be delivered in the 

communities where project participants 

live and work. Therefore, national labormanagement organizations are required 

to fund sub-grants or sub-contracts to 

local affiliates that will deliver the 

training as part of a strategic partnership 

as defined in Section III.C.1. 

2. Statewide and Local Entities: 

Applicants for the State and local 

category are local or Statewide nonprofit entities with a joint partnership of 

labor organizations, employers or 

industry organizations, Workforce 

Investment Boards and One Stop Career 

Centers. A Statewide or local entity that 

receives an award under category 2 of 

this SGA may not receive sub-grant or 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30155 

sub-contract funding from a national 

organization that receives an award 

under category 1. For the purposes of 

this SGA, the term ‘‘State’’ means each 

of the 50 States of the United States, the 

District of Columbia, and U.S. territories 

as defined in Section VI.B. 

ETA expects to publish two SGAs 

during the summer of 2009: Energy 

Training Partnerships SGA [SGA/DFA 

PY 08–18] and the Pathways Out of 

Poverty SGA [SGA/DFA PY 08–19]. 

ETA will not fund any one organization 

as a grantee more than once through 

these two SGAs. An applicant may 

choose to submit an application for the 

Energy Training Partnerships SGA 

[SGA/DFA PY 08–18] and the Pathways 

Out of Poverty SGA [SGA/DFA PY 08– 

19]; however, DOL does not encourage 

applicants to submit applications to 

both competitions. An organization that 

submits an application for one SGA is 

not precluded from participating as a 

suggested or required partner in 

applications submitted in response to 

the other SGA. Finally, an organization 

may not submit multiple applications in 

response to any one SGA. 

B. Cost Sharing: Cost sharing or 

matching funds are not required as a 

condition for application, but leveraged 

resources are strongly encouraged and 

may affect the applicant’s score in 

section V.A.3 of the evaluation criteria. 

D. Other Eligibility Requirements 

1. Strategic Partnerships: Through 

strong and diverse partnerships, projects 

can maximize participants’ 

opportunities for training that 

ultimately results in family-supporting 

employment. Therefore, successful 

applicants must propose partnerships 

that include representatives from: Labor 

organizations; Local Workforce 

Investment Boards and One Stop Career 

Centers; and employers or industry 

organizations. 

i. Labor Organizations: Labor 

organizations may contribute to many 

aspects of grant activities, including 

identifying skills and competencies; 

developing new or modifying existing 

curricula; conducting occupation and 

skills training; and issuing industryrecognized degrees or certificates. 

ii. Employers, Industry Organizations: 

In addition to providing contributions 

similar to those of labor organizations, 

employers and industry organizations 

can provide on-the-job work 

experiences, and may ultimately employ 

qualified program participants. 

iii. Local Workforce Investment 

Boards and One Stop Career Centers: 

Local Workforce Investment Boards and 

One Stop Career Centers must be 

included as partners in all applications, 

but are not eligible applicants under this 

SGA. Local Workforce Investment 

Boards and One Stop Career Centers 

may provide a range of services 

including: Identifying, assessing, and 

referring candidates for training; 

connecting workers with employers; 

and providing support services for 

qualified individuals, where 

appropriate. 

iv. Other suggested partners: In 

addition to the required partners above, 

applicants are strongly encouraged to 

include: 

• The education and training 

community which includes the 

continuum of education from secondary 

schools to community and technical 

colleges, four year colleges and 

universities, registered apprenticeship 

training providers, technical and 

vocational training institutions, and 

other training entities; 

• Federal partners such as DOL/ 

ETA’s Office of Apprenticeship or the 

appropriate State Apprenticeship 

Agency can assist in developing new or 

modifying existing training curricula 

and apprenticeship program standards. 

• State partners including State 

energy offices, weatherization offices, 

State Environmental Protection 

Agencies (or equivalent), State Utility 

Boards and other State entities with 

experience in the renewable energy and 

energy efficiency industries. 

• Faith-based and community-based 

organizations, which may provide 

supportive services to assist 

participants’ successful completion of 

training and ultimately their 

employment in green jobs. 

• Organizations implementing 

projects funded by the Recovery Act to 

create jobs in the energy efficiency or 

renewable energy industries that are in 

skilled workers to fill these positions. 

D. Proposed Strategies: The purpose 

of this SGA is to fund projects that 

provide training and supportive 

services, as appropriate, that lead to 

employment in the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries. 

Projects using registered apprenticeship 

may provide workers with a source of 

income while they gain new skills and 

competencies. Therefore, applications 

funding registered apprenticeship and/ 

or pre-apprenticeship strategies are 

strongly encouraged. 

While this funding opportunity is 

available through the Recovery Act, the 

long term objective is to ensure that the 

workforce system continues to prepare 

workers for emerging careers in the 

green economy. 

1. All proposed projects must 

incorporate training activities that: 

i. Address skills and competencies 

demanded by the targeted industries; 

ii. Support participants’ advancement 

along a defined career pathway such as 

an articulated career ladder and/or 

lattice, if such a path exists in the 

targeted industry or industries; 

iii. Take place at times and locations 

that are convenient and easily accessible 

for the targeted populations. This 

training can be accomplished through 

Distance Learning or Technology Based 

Learning in cases where these strategies 

benefit participants and allow the 

grantee to accomplish the objectives of 

this SGA. 

iv. As appropriate, include paid work 

experience activities that allow 

participants to learn occupational skills 

on the job while earning wages, and 

which will lead to permanent 

employment in the targeted industry or 

industries; 

v. Integrate training activities with 

supportive services to ensure that 

participants have the necessary support 

to overcome barriers to employment; 

and as appropriate, result in a preexisting industry-recognized degree or 

certificate that indicates a level of 

mastery and competence in a given field 

or function. 

2. In implementing projects that meet 

the requirements outlined above, 

applicants may propose a wide range of 

activities. When designing the proposed 

activities, DOL encourages applicants to 

look at program models with previous 

success in serving the priority 

populations targeted through this SGA, 

especially those with strong program 

evaluations showing positive impacts 

on participants. Allowable activities 

include: 

i. Occupational training in energy 

efficiency and renewable energy 

industries; 

ii. On-the-job and customized training 

in energy efficiency and renewable 

energy industries; 

iii. Developing Registered 

Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship 

programs in energy efficiency and 

renewable energy industries; 

iv. Supportive services that will allow 

individuals to participate in the direct 

training provided through the grant. 

3. Applicants may propose projects 

that will use a small and reasonable 

portion of grant funds on the following 

activities which must support worker 

training and placement: 

i. Instructor education and/or training 

for staff that will deliver and administer 

registered apprenticeship programs or 

other training and education programs 

that lead to employment; 

ii. Where no appropriate curricula 

exist, develop or modify existing 

30156 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

curricula to deliver training. Curricula 

developed with grant funds must be 

used during the period of performance 

as part of training strategies for 

participants served through grantfunded activities; and 

iii. Where no appropriate 

apprenticeship guideline standards 

exist, develop or modify national 

guideline apprenticeship standards for 

programs in the energy efficiency and 

renewable energy industries. 

iv. Where no appropriate industryrecognized degrees or certificates exist, 

develop processes for defining and 

issuing such degrees or certificates. 

E. Other Grant Specifications 

1. Participants Eligible to Receive 

Training: Projects funded through this 

SGA must give priority for training and 

other services to workers impacted by 

national energy and environmental 

policy, individuals in need of updated 

training related to the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries, 

unemployed workers, and veterans or 

past and present members of reserve 

components of the Armed Forces. 

Projects may also serve individuals with 

a criminal record; and populations that 

have not traditionally been employed in 

construction and skilled trades 

occupations, such as women and 

minorities. For specific definitions for 

these target populations, applicants 

must refer to Section VI.B. As part of the 

overall strategy for delivering green jobs 

training through the Recovery Act, ETA 

has issued the Pathways out of Poverty 

SGA, which directly targets projects that 

serve key participant populations 

within poverty areas such as 

disadvantaged workers. 

2. Veterans Priority: The Jobs for 

Veterans Act (Pub. L. 107–288) provides 

priority of service to 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. Grantees are required to 

provide priority of services for veterans 

and eligible spouses pursuant to 20 CFR 

part 1010, the regulations implementing 

priority of service for veterans and 

eligible spouses in Department of Labor 

job training programs under the Jobs for 

Veterans Act published at 73 FR 78132 

on December 19, 2008. In circumstances 

where a grant recipient must choose 

between two equally qualified 

candidates for training, one of whom is 

a veteran, the Jobs for Veterans Act 

requires that grant recipients give the 

veteran priority of service by admitting 

him or her into the program. Please note 

that to obtain priority of service a 

veteran must meet the program’s 

eligibility requirements. Grantees must 

comply with DOL guidance on veterans’ 

priority. Currently, ETA Training and 

Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 

No. 5–03 (September 16, 2003) provides 

general guidance on the scope of the Job 

for Veterans Act and its effect on current 

employment and training programs. 

TEGL No. 5–03, along with additional 

guidance, is available at the ‘‘Jobs for 

Veterans Priority of Service’’ Web site: 

http://www.doleta.gov/programs/vets. 

3. Grantee Training: Grantees are 

required to participate in all DOL/ETA 

training activities related to orientation, 

financial management and reporting, 

performance reporting, product 

dissemination, and other technical 

assistance training as appropriate during 

the life of the grant. These trainings may 

occur via conference call, webinar, and 

in-person meetings. For budgeting 

purposes, applicants should include 

costs for three staff members to attend 

trainings that are each two full days in 

Washington DC during the grant’s 

period of performance. 

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—a (I) 

cost proposal, a (II) technical proposal, 

and (III) attachments to the technical 

proposal. Applications that fail to 

adhere to the instructions in this section 

will be considered non-responsive and 

will not be considered. Please note that 

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: 

• The Standard Form (SF) 424, 

‘‘Application for Federal Assistance’’ 

(available at http://www07.grants.gov/ 

agencies/ 

forms_repository_information.jsp and 

http://www.doleta.gov/grants/ 

find_grants.cfm). 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 shall be considered the 

authorized representative of the 

applicant. 

• Applicants must supply their D–U– 

N–S® number on the SF 424. All 

applicants for Federal grant and funding 

opportunities are required to have a 

Data Universal Numbering System (D– 

U–N–S®) number. See Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) Notice 

of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402, 

June 27, 2003. The D–U–N–S® number 

is a nine-digit identification number 

that uniquely identifies business 

entities. Obtaining a D–U–N–S® number 

is easy and there is no charge. To obtain 

a D–U–N–S® number, access this Web 

site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com 

or call 1–866–705–5711. 

• The SF 424A Budget Information 

Form (available at http:// 

www07.grants.gov/agencies/ 

forms_repository_information.jsp and 

http://www.doleta.gov/grants/ 

find_grants.cfm). In preparing the 

Budget Information Form, the applicant 

must provide a concise narrative 

explanation to support the request, 

explained in detail below. 

• Budget Narrative: The budget 

narrative must provide a description of 

costs associated with each line item on 

the SF–424A. It should also include 

leveraged resources provided to support 

grant activities. In addition, the 

applicant should address precisely how 

the administrative costs support the 

project goals. The entire Federal grant 

amount requested should be included 

on both the SF 424 and SF 424A (not 

just one year). No leveraged resources 

should be shown on the SF 424 and SF 

424A. Please note that applicants that 

fail to provide a SF 424, SF 424A, a 

D–U–N–S® number, and a budget 

narrative will be removed from 

consideration prior to the technical 

review process. 

• Applicants are also encouraged, but 

not required, to submit OMB Survey N. 

1890–0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal 

Opportunity for Applicants, which can 

be found under the Gramts.gov, Tips 

and Resources From Grantors, 

Department of Labor section at http:// 

www07.grants.gov/applicants/ 

tips_resources_from_grantors.jsp#13 

(also referred to as Faith Based EEO 

Survey PDF Form). 

Part II. The Technical Proposal. The 

Technical Proposal will demonstrate the 

applicant’s capability to implement the 

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 pages with 12 point text 

font and 1 inch margins. Any materials 

beyond the 20-page limit will not be 

read. Applicants should number the 

Technical Proposal beginning with page 

number 1. Applicants that do not 

provide Part 2, the Technical Proposal 

of the application will be removed from 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30157 

consideration prior to the technical 

review process. 

Part III. Attachments to the Technical 

Proposal. In addition to the 20-page 

Technical Proposal, the applicant must 

submit attachments to the technical 

proposal, which include a two-page 

abstract and a single letter of 

commitment for each local area or 

community where grant-funded training 

activities will occur that describes the 

roles and responsibilities of, and is 

signed by, each required partner. The 

commitment letters and abstract must 

accompany the application. Please note 

that applicants should not send letters 

of commitment separately to ETA 

because letters are tracked through a 

different system and will not be 

attached to the application for review. 

No support letters are permitted. 

National labor-management 

organization applicants must provide 

documentation clearly demonstrating 

participation of employers and labor 

organizations in the joint administration 

and governance of training programs to 

be funded through this SGA. The 

applicant must also provide an Abstract, 

not to exceed two pages, summarizing 

the proposed project including 

applicant name, project title, a 

description of the area to be served, 

including whether this is an urban, 

suburban, or rural area, the funding 

level requested, and the category of 

applicant: National labor-management 

organization or Statewide or local 

nonprofit entity. The abstract must also 

indicate whether one or more of the 

counties served by the proposed project 

appear on the attached list of counties 

impacted by automotive-related 

restructuring, which is included as 

Attachment I of this SGA. The applicant 

should indicate the total amount of 

grant funds that will be used for 

activities in those impacted counties. 

These additional materials, 

(commitment letters and abstract) do not 

count against the 20-page limit for the 

Technical Proposal, but may not exceed 

15 pages. Any additional materials 

(commitment letters and two-page 

abstract) beyond the 15-page limit will 

not be read. 

Applications may be submitted 

electronically on Grants.gov or in 

hardcopy via mail or hand delivery. 

These processes are described in further 

detail in Section IV.C. Applicants 

submitting proposals in hardcopy must 

submit an original signed application 

(including the SF 424) and one (1) 

‘‘copy-ready’’ version free of bindings, 

staples or protruding tabs to ease in the 

reproduction of the proposal by DOL. 

Applicants submitting proposals in 

hardcopy are also required to provide an 

identical electronic copy of the proposal 

on compact disc (CD). 

C. Submission Process, Date, Times, 

and Addresses: The closing date for 

receipt of applications under this 

announcement is September 4, 2009. 

Applications must be received at the 

address below no later than 4 p.m. 

(Eastern Time). Applications sent by email, telegram, or facsimile (FAX) will 

not be accepted. 

Applications that do not meet the 

conditions set forth in this notice will 

not be honored. No exceptions to the 

mailing and delivery requirements set 

forth in this notice will be granted. 

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 

08–18, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. 

Applicants are advised that mail 

delivery in the Washington area may be 

delayed due to mail decontamination 

procedures. Hand-delivered proposals 

will be received at the above address. 

All professional overnight delivery 

service will be considered to be handdelivered and must be received at the 

designated place by the specified 

closing date and time. 

Applicants may apply online through 

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), 

however, due to the expected increase 

in system activity resulting from the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009, applicants are encouraged 

to use an alternate method to submit 

grant applications during this 

heightened period of demand. While not 

mandatory, DOL encourages the 

submission of applications thru 

professional overnight delivery service. 

Applications that are submitted 

through Grants.gov must be successfully 

submitted at http://www.grants.gov no 

later than 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) on 

September 4, 2009, and then 

subsequently validated by Grants.gov. 

The submission and validation process 

is described in more detail below. The 

process can be complicated and timeconsuming. Applicants are strongly 

advised to initiate the process as soon 

as possible and to plan for time to 

resolve technical problems if necessary. 

It is strongly recommended that 

before the applicant begins to write the 

proposal, applicants should 

immediately initiate and complete the 

‘‘Get Registered’’ registration steps at 

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get

_registered.jsp. These steps may take 

multiple days or 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. 

It is strongly recommended that 

applicants use the ‘‘Organization 

Registration Checklist’’ at http:// 

www.grants.gov/assets/Organization

_Steps_Complete_Registration.pdf to 

ensure the registration process is 

complete. 

Within two business days of 

application submission, Grants.gov will 

send the applicant two e-mail messages 

to provide the status of application 

progress through the system. The first email, almost immediate, will confirm 

receipt of the application by Grants.gov. 

The second e-mail will indicate the 

application has either been successfully 

validated or has been rejected due to 

errors. Only applications that have been 

successfully submitted and successfully 

validated will be considered. It is the 

sole responsibility of the applicant to 

ensure a timely submission, therefore 

sufficient time should be allotted for 

submission (two business days), and if 

applicable, subsequent time to address 

errors and receive validation upon 

resubmission (an additional two 

business days for each ensuing 

submission). It is important to note that 

if sufficient time is not allotted and a 

rejection notice is received after the due 

date and time, the application will not 

be considered. 

To ensure consideration, the 

components of the application must be 

saved as either .doc, .xls or .pdf files. If 

submitted in any other format, the 

applicant bears the risk that 

compatibility or other issues will 

prevent our ability to consider the 

application. ETA will attempt to open 

the document but will not take any 

additional measures in the event of 

issues with opening. In such cases, the 

non-conforming application will not be 

considered for funding. 

Applicants are strongly advised to use 

the plethora of tools and documents, 

including FAQs, that are available on 

the ‘‘Applicant Resources’’ page at 

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/

app_help_reso.jsp#faqs. To receive 

updated information about critical 

issues, new tips for users and other time 

sensitive updates as information is 

available, applicants may subscribe to 

‘‘Grants.gov Updates’’ at http:// 

www.grants.gov/applicants/e-mail_

subscription_signup.jsp. 

If applicants encounter a problem 

with Grants.gov and do not find an 

answer in any of the other resources, 

call 1–800–518–4726 to speak to a 

Customer Support Representative or email ‘‘support@grants.gov’’. 

Late Applications: For applications 

submitted on Grants.gov, only 

30158 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

applications that have been successfully 

submitted no later 4 p.m. (Eastern Time) 

on the closing date and successfully 

validated will be considered. 

Any application received after the 

exact date and time specified for receipt 

at the office designated in this notice 

will not be considered, unless it is 

received before awards are made, it was 

properly addressed, and it was: (a) Sent 

by U.S. Postal Service mail, postmarked 

not later than the fifth calendar day 

before the date specified for receipt of 

applications (e.g., an application 

required to be received by the 20th of 

the month must be postmarked by the 

15th of that month); or (b) sent by 

professional overnight delivery service 

to the addressee not later than one 

working day prior to the date specified 

for receipt of applications. Applicants 

take a significant risk by waiting to the 

last day to submit by grants.gov. 

‘‘Postmarked’’ means a printed, stamped 

or otherwise placed impression 

(exclusive of a postage meter machine 

impression) that is readily identifiable, 

without further action, as having been 

supplied or affixed on the date of 

mailing by an employee of the U.S. 

Postal Service. Therefore, applicants 

should request the postal clerk to place 

a legible hand cancellation ‘‘bull’s eye’’ 

postmark on both the receipt and the 

package. Failure to adhere to the above 

instructions will be a basis for a 

determination of non-responsiveness. 

Evidence of timely submission by a 

professional overnight delivery service 

must be demonstrated by equally 

reliable evidence created by the delivery 

service provider indicating the time and 

place of receipt. 

D. Intergovernmental Review: This 

funding opportunity is not subject to 

Executive Order 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs.’’ 

E. Funding Restrictions: 

Determinations of allowable costs will 

be made in accordance with the 

applicable Federal cost principles. 

Disallowed costs are those charges to a 

grant that the grantor agency or its 

representative determines not to be 

allowed in accordance with the 

applicable Federal cost principles or 

other conditions contained in the grant. 

Successful and unsuccessful applicants 

will not be entitled to reimbursement of 

pre-award costs. 

1. Indirect Costs: As specified in OMB 

Circular Cost Principles, indirect costs 

are those that have been incurred for 

common or joint objectives and cannot 

be readily identified with a particular 

final cost objective. In order to use grant 

funds for indirect costs incurred the 

applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost 

Rate Agreement with its Federal 

cognizant agency either before or shortly 

after grant award. 

2. Administrative Costs: Under this 

SGA, an entity that receives a grant to 

carry out a project or program may not 

use more than 10 percent of the amount 

of the grant to pay administrative costs 

associated with the program or project. 

Administrative costs could be direct or 

indirect costs, and are defined at 20 CFR 

667.220. Administrative costs do not 

need to be identified separately from 

program costs on the SF 424A Budget 

Information Form. They should be 

discussed in the budget narrative and 

tracked through the grantee’s accounting 

system. To claim any administrative 

costs that are also indirect costs, the 

applicant must obtain an Indirect Cost 

Rate Agreement from its Federal 

cognizant agency. 

3. Use of Funds for Supportive 

Services: Supportive services for adults 

and workers impacted by national 

energy and environmental policy are 

defined at WIA sections 101(46) and 

134(e)(2) and (3). They include services 

such as transportation, child care, 

dependent care, housing, and needsrelated payments that are necessary to 

enable an individual to participate in 

training activities funded through this 

grant. Grantees may only use grant 

funds to provide these services to 

individuals who are participating in 

training services provided through the 

grant, that are unable to obtain services 

through other programs providing such 

services, and when such services are 

necessary to enable individuals to 

participate in these training activities. 

Grantees should ensure that their use of 

grant funds on supportive services is 

consistent with their established written 

policy regarding the provision of 

supportive services. Grantees may use 

no more than 5 percent of their grant 

funds on these services. 

Applicants should be aware that 

certain WIA formula funds provided 

through the Recovery Act can be used 

for supportive services and successful 

applicants should seek to serve eligible 

participants through these sources. 

4. Salary and Bonus Limitations: 

Under Public Law 109–234 and Public 

Law 111–8, Section 111, none of the 

funds appropriated in Public Law 111– 

5 or prior Acts under the heading 

‘‘Employment and Training’’ that are 

available for expenditure on or after 

June 15, 2006, shall be used by a 

recipient or sub-recipient of such funds 

to pay the salary and bonuses of an 

individual, either as direct costs or 

indirect costs, at a rate in excess of 

Executive Level II. These limitations 

also apply to grants funded under this 

SGA. The salary and bonus limitation 

does not apply to vendors providing 

goods and services as defined in OMB 

Circular A–133. See Training and 

Employment Guidance Letter number 

5–06 for further clarification: http:// 

wdr.doleta.gov/directives/ 

corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2262. 

5. Intellectual Property Rights: The 

Federal Government reserves a paid-up, 

nonexclusive and irrevocable license to 

reproduce, publish or otherwise use, 

and to authorize others to use for 

Federal purposes: (i) The copyright in 

all products developed under the grant, 

including a subgrant or contract under 

the grant or subgrant; and (ii) any rights 

of copyright to which the grantee, 

subgrantee or a contractor purchases 

ownership under an award (including 

but not limited to curricula, training 

models, technical assistance products, 

and any related materials). Such uses 

include, but are not limited to, the right 

to modify and distribute such products 

worldwide by any means, electronically 

or otherwise. Federal funds may not be 

used to pay any royalty or licensing fee 

associated with such copyrighted 

material, although they may be used to 

pay costs for obtaining a copy which are 

limited to the developer/seller costs of 

copying and shipping. If revenues are 

generated through selling products 

developed with grant funds, including 

intellectual property, these revenues are 

program income. Program income is 

added to the grant and must be 

expended for allowable grant activities. 

If applicable, the following needs to 

be on all products developed in whole 

or in part with grant funds: 

‘‘This workforce solution was funded 

by a grant awarded by the U.S. 

Department of Labor’s Employment and 

Training Administration. The solution 

was created by the grantee and does not 

necessarily reflect the official position 

of the U.S. Department of Labor. The 

Department of Labor makes no 

guarantees, warranties, or assurances of 

any kind, express or implied, with 

respect to such information, including 

any information on linked sites and 

including, but not limited to, accuracy 

of the information or its completeness, 

timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, 

continued availability, or ownership. 

This solution is copyrighted by the 

institution that created it. Internal use 

by an organization and/or personal use 

by an individual for non-commercial 

purposes is permissible. All other uses 

require the prior authorization of the 

copyright owner.’’ 

F. Use of funds for wage subsidies: 

Grant funds awarded through this SGA 

shall not be used to subsidize the wages 

of program participants. 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30159 

G. Other Submission Requirements: 

Withdrawal of Applications. 

Applications may be withdrawn by 

written notice at any time before an 

award is made. 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Evaluation Criteria: This section 

identifies and describes the criteria that 

will be used to evaluate the grant 

proposals. These criteria and point 

values are: 

Criterion Points 

Statement of Need ................... 15 

Project Management and Organizational Capacity ................ 15 

Strategy and Project Work Plan 50 

Outcomes and Deliverables ..... 15 

Suitability for Evaluation ........... 5 

1. Statement of Need (15 points): 

Applicants must fully demonstrate a 

clear and specific need for the Federal 

investment in the proposed activities. 

Given the rapidly changing economic 

conditions, applicants should use the 

most current and relevant sources of 

data available. 

Applicants must submit data and 

provide evidence for proposed projects 

in the local areas or communities where 

participants will be trained and 

employed. If applicable, Projects 

proposed to serve communities or train 

workers in the communities included 

on Attachment I that are undergoing 

auto industry related restructurings 

must make note of this in this section. 

Points for this section will be awarded 

based on a comprehensive 

demonstration of each of the following 

factors: 

i. The applicant provides a complete 

description of the specific industries as 

defined in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION: Part B. of this SGA, and 

occupations within those industries on 

which their proposed training program 

will focus, including: 

• The specific energy efficiency and/ 

or renewable energy industry or 

industries; 

• The specific occupation in that 

industry or industries for which 

participants will be trained, including 

the work performed and its major tasks; 

and 

• The specific knowledge, skills, and/ 

or abilities required by the occupation. 

ii. The applicant presents a strong 

need for Federal funding of the 

proposed project by citing specific data 

sources and describing the analysis that 

has been conducted to clearly 

demonstrate the need for workforce 

training and the projected employment 

opportunities in the specific local areas 

or where grant-funded activities will 

take place, including: 

• Current and projected employment 

in the targeted industries and 

occupations in the local area where 

grant-funded activities will actually be 

trained and placed; Identification of 

specific employers targeted to employ 

participants trained through grantfunded activities; and the current and 

projected hiring needs of these specific 

employers. 

• Identification of the target 

population to be trained and placed in 

employment through grant-funded 

activities; in general, the educational 

attainment and skills possessed by the 

targeted populations; specific education, 

training and any other skill 

requirements of the occupations that 

will be targeted through this SGA, and 

an estimate of the skills gap between the 

two. 

Applicants may draw from a variety 

of resources for supporting data, 

including: Traditional labor market 

information, such as projections; 

industry data from trade or industry 

associations, labor organizations, or 

direct information from the local 

employers or industry; information on 

the local and regional economy from 

economic development agencies; and 

other transactional data, such as job 

vacancies. As discussed at the beginning 

of this section, applications must 

include strong supporting evidence and 

data that are current, relevant, and 

specific to the local areas or 

communities where grant-funded 

training and placement activities will be 

conducted. 

2. Project Management and 

Organizational Capacity (15 points): 

Applicants must fully describe the 

capacity of the applicant, its required 

partners and, if applicable, its local 

affiliates, coalition members, or other 

established partners, to effectively staff 

the proposed initiative. The application 

must also fully describe the applicant’s 

fiscal, administrative, and performance 

management capacity to implement the 

key components of this project, and the 

track record of the applicant, its 

required partners, and, if applicable, its 

local affiliates, coalition members, or 

other established partners, in 

implementing projects of similar focus, 

size, and scope. 

Scoring under this criterion will be 

based on the extent to which applicants 

provide evidence of the following: 

i. Staff Capacity (5 points): Applicants 

should provide strong evidence that the 

applicant, its required partners, and, if 

applicable, its local affiliates, coalition 

members, or other established partners, 

will have the staff capacity to 

implement the proposed initiative, 

including the capacity in each 

designated community. Discussion 

should include: 

• The proposed staffing pattern for 

the project, including program 

management and administrative staff, 

and program staff involved in each local 

project, which demonstrates that the 

role(s) and time commitment of the 

proposed staff are sufficient to ensure 

proper direction, management, 

implementation, and timely completion 

of each project. 

ii. Fiscal, Administrative, and 

Performance Management Capacity (5 

points): Strong evidence that the 

applicant, its required partners, and, if 

applicable, its local affiliates, coalition 

members, or other established partners, 

have the fiscal, administrative, and 

performance management capacity to 

effectively administer this grant. 

Discussion should include: 

• A full description of the applicant’s 

capacity, including its systems, 

processes, and administrative controls 

that will enable it to comply with 

Federal rules and regulations related to 

the grant’s fiscal and administrative 

requirements. 

• A full description of the applicants 

capacity, including its systems and 

processes that will support the grant’s 

performance management requirements 

through effective tracking of 

performance outcomes. This should 

include an explanation of the 

applicant’s processes to collect and 

manage data in a way that allows for 

accurate and timely reporting of 

performance outcomes. Applicants may 

partner with the public workforce 

system, as appropriate, to assist with 

performance reporting, and should 

describe access to specific data 

management software and/or resources 

for performance reporting. 

iii. Experience of Applicant (5 points): 

The applicant’s demonstrated 

experience leading or participating 

significantly in a comprehensive 

partnership, and the demonstrated 

experience of the applicant, its required 

partners, and, if applicable, its local 

affiliates, coalition members, or other 

established partners, in implementing 

and operating training, education, and 

job placement initiatives of similar 

focus, size and scope. Discussion should 

include: 

• Specific examples of the applicant 

leading or participating significantly in 

a partnership that included a wide range 

of stakeholders, including a description 

of the programmatic goals of the project, 

and a demonstration of the results 

achieved by that project. 

30160 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

• Specific examples of the applicant’s 

track record administering Federal, 

State, and/or local grants, including the 

programmatic goals and results from 

these projects; and 

• A description of the experience of 

the applicant, its required partners, and, 

if applicable, its local affiliates, 

coalition members, or other established 

partners, in Federal, State, and/or local 

projects providing education, training, 

and placement services to the specific 

populations noted in Section III.E.1. 

(unemployed individuals, high school 

dropouts, individuals with criminal 

records, and disadvantaged workers 

within areas of high poverty), including 

the programmatic goals and results of 

the projects. 

3. Strategy and Project Work Plan (50 

points): This criterion is the heart of the 

proposal, and a successful score in this 

section will require the applicant to 

provide a very clear explanation of what 

their proposed strategy is and how they 

plan to implement it. The applicant 

must present a comprehensive work 

plan for the project, following the 

format provided later in this section. 

Points for this criterion will be awarded 

for the following factors: 

i. Strategy (35 points): Up to 35 points 

may be awarded based on compelling 

evidence that the applicant has 

developed an effective project that fully 

addresses the needs of the workers and 

employers in the industries described in 

the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Part B. 

of this SGA. Factors considered in 

evaluating the proposed strategies will 

include: (1) Comprehensiveness of the 

proposed workforce development 

strategies, (2) demonstrated feasibility 

for aligning partners to achieve the 

proposed training and employment 

outcomes, (3) demonstration of how the 

proposed project builds on existing 

work in order to expeditiously begin or 

expand training activities, and (4) a 

demonstration of how partnerships and 

training will be sustained beyond the 

life of the grant. In this section, 

applicants must: 

• Summarize the proposed strategies 

and demonstrate how strategies address 

the needs and challenges of one or more 

of the energy efficiency and renewable 

energy industries and occupations 

discussed in the Statement of Need (10 

points). 

• Fully describe the specific roles of 

the project partners at all levels, 

including services, expertise, and 

activities that partners will contribute to 

successfully train and place workers in 

employment. Applicants should 

provide, for each local area served, a 

letter of commitment that describes the 

roles and responsibilities of, and is 

signed by each required partner (10 

points). 

• Fully describe proposed 

recruitment, training, placement, and 

retention strategies (10 points). 

Recruitment: The applicant must 

provide a comprehensive outreach and 

recruitment strategy that defines a clear 

process for finding and referring 

workers to the training programs. 

Projects serving communities 

undergoing auto industry related 

restructurings must explain specifically 

how incumbent workers, individuals in 

need of updated training related to the 

energy efficiency and renewable energy 

industries, and unemployed auto 

workers will be referred to training. 

Training: DOL encourages applicants 

to base their training strategies on 

program models that have shown 

promising outcomes for serving targeted 

populations. The applicant must 

provide a full and detailed explanation 

of the proposed training activities, 

including integration of supportive 

services, how the training will address 

skills and competencies demanded by 

the selected industries and occupations, 

and may lead to an appropriate 

industry-recognized degree or certificate 

(see definition in Section VI.B.2, Award 

Administration Information). 

Applicants must clearly identify the 

types of training to be provided (e.g. onthe-job training, customized training, 

pre-apprenticeship, registered 

apprenticeship), and the entities that 

will provide training for each specific 

local area where grant-funded activities 

will be conducted. Keeping in mind the 

requirement that training activities 

begin expeditiously, the applicant must 

fully explain how the project will 

replicate, adapt, or use components of 

existing curricula, or training models, 

including registered apprenticeship 

standards, that lead to industryrecognized degrees or certificates. 

Where industry-recognized degrees or 

certificates are not available for the 

proposed training activities, applicants 

should demonstrate how the project will 

provide participants with evidence of 

the skills and experience acquired 

through the grant-funded activities. 

Applicants proposing to develop new 

training curricula and strategies, 

registered apprenticeship standards, or 

other training models must fully 

articulate the need to engage in these 

activities as opposed to using or 

adapting existing curricula, registered 

apprenticeship standards, or training 

strategies or models, and must explain 

how these products will be used during 

the period of performance as part of 

training strategies for participants 

served through grant-funded activities. 

Placement: The applicant must 

provide a clear strategy for placing 

participants into employment. The 

applicant should fully describe the 

approaches for engaging employers, 

identifying specific job needs, and 

referring participants to employers. 

Wherever possible, the applicant should 

identify specific employers that have 

made commitments to hire project 

participants that complete training. 

Applicants are encouraged to discuss 

linkages with regional projects funded 

by other Federal agencies through the 

Recovery Act that will generate 

employment opportunities and lead to 

placement for workers served through 

grant-funded activities. 

Retention: The applicant must 

provide a clear retention strategy for 

participants that are placed into jobs. 

This should include strategies for 

engaging employers, as well as for 

identifying the barriers to employment 

that participants face after placement 

and for providing them with supportive 

services to address these barriers. 

• Leveraged Resources (5 points): 

Applicants should clearly and fully 

describe any funds and other resources 

that will be leveraged to support grant 

activities and how these funds and other 

resources will be used to contribute to 

the proposed outcomes for the project, 

including any leveraged resources 

related to the provision of supportive 

services for program participants. This 

includes funds and other resources 

leveraged from businesses, labor 

organizations, education and training 

providers, and/or Federal, state, and 

local government programs. Applicants 

will be scored based on the extent to 

which they fully demonstrate the 

amount of leveraged resources provided, 

the type(s) of leveraged resources 

provided, the strength of commitment to 

provide these resources, the breadth and 

depth of the resources provided, and 

how well these resources support the 

proposed grant activities. 

ii. Project Work Plan (15 points). 

Applicants can earn up to 15 points 

based on the presentation of a 

comprehensive project work plan based 

on reasonable performance estimates. 

Factors considered in evaluating the 

project work plan will include: (1) The 

presentation of a full and coherent plan 

that demonstrates the applicant’s 

complete understanding of all the 

activities, responsibilities, and costs 

required to implement each phase of the 

project and achieve projected outcomes; 

(2) the demonstrated feasibility and 

reasonableness of accomplishing all 

necessary implementation activities, 

including the ability to begin or expand 

training expeditiously; and (3) the 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30161 

extent to which the budget aligns with 

the proposed work plan and is justified 

with respect to the adequacy and 

reasonableness of resources requested. 

Applicants must present the work plan 

in a table that includes the following 

information: 

• Project Phases: Lay out the project 

in four phases: Startup (including 

development or modification of 

curriculum or apprenticeship standards, 

if appropriate), Recruitment, Training, 

Placement, and Retention. 

• Activities: Fully identify the major 

activities required to implement each 

phase of the project. For each activity, 

include the following information: Start 

Date; End Date; and Partner 

Organization Responsibility. List the 

project partner(s) that will be primarily 

responsible for performing each activity. 

• Milestones: List the target dates and 

associated training outcomes projected 

for recruitment, training, and placement 

activities. 

• Budget Allocations: As accurately 

as possible, list the total amounts for 

each of the four project phases, 

including the sub-total budget dollar 

amount associated with each activity. 

4. Outcomes and Deliverables (15 

points): Applicants must clearly 

demonstrate a results-oriented approach 

to managing and operating their project 

by fully describing the proposed project 

goals. Applicants may earn up to 15 

points for fully and comprehensively 

addressing each of the following areas. 

i. Projected Performance Outcomes 

Applicants must provide projections 

and track outcomes for each of the 

following outcome categories for all 

participants served with grant funds: 

• Total participants served; 

• Total number of participants 

beginning education/training activities; 

• Total number of participants 

completing education/training 

activities; 

• Total number of participants that 

complete education/training activities 

that receive a degree or certificate; 

• Total number of participants that 

complete education/training activities 

that are placed into unsubsidized 

employment; 

• Total number of participants that 

complete education/training activities 

that are placed into training-related 

unsubsidized employment; and 

• Total number of participants placed 

in unsubsidized employment who retain 

an employed status at the first and 

second quarters following initial 

placement. 

Please note that applicants will need 

to be prepared to collect participantlevel data on individuals who receive 

training and other services provided 

through the grant. These data should be 

the basis for reporting against the 

outcomes listed above, and may be 

required for reporting on other 

employment-related outcomes in the 

future. ETA will provide appropriate 

technical assistance to the grantees in 

collecting these data, including the 

development of a participant tracking 

system for the grantees. Please note that 

in some cases, the data requested below 

may require appropriate partnerships 

with state and local workforce 

investment system entities. 

Applicants will be required to collect 

participants’ social security numbers as 

part of individual level data collection. 

Social security numbers will be used for 

the calculation of employment history 

and program outcomes. It is anticipated 

that by collecting social security 

numbers of participants, ETA will be 

able to calculate most employment 

outcomes administratively through the 

use of Unemployment Insurance wage 

record information. Applicants must 

ensure that social security numbers will 

be maintained in a secure and 

confidential manner. 

Applicants should be prepared to 

collect and report participant-level data 

from the following categories: 

• Demographic and socioeconomic 

characteristics 

• Employment history 

• Services provided 

• Outcomes achieved 

Applicants should describe their 

capacity to collect both participant level 

data and aggregate outcomes. 

ii. Degrees or Certificates: Project 

activities leading to a degree or 

certificate must clearly identify the 

degree or certificate that participants 

will earn as a result of the proposed 

training, and the employer-, industry- or 

State-defined standards associated with 

the degree or certificate. If the degree or 

certificate targeted by the training 

project is performance-based, applicants 

should either (a) demonstrate employer 

engagement in the curriculum 

development process; or (b) demonstrate 

that the degree or certificate will 

translate into concrete job opportunities 

with an employer. 

iii. Appropriateness and Feasibility. 

The appropriateness and feasibility of 

project outcomes will be assessed based 

on three factors: (1) The extent to which 

the expected project outcomes are 

clearly identified and measurable, 

realistic and consistent with the 

objectives of the project; (2) the ability 

and likelihood of the applicant to 

achieve the Stated outcomes and report 

results within the timeframe of the 

grant; and (3) the appropriateness of the 

outcomes with respect to the requested 

level of funding. 

iv. Deliverables. If applicable, 

applicants must provide a 

comprehensive list of expected 

deliverables consistent with the project 

work plan that includes a brief 

description of the deliverable (such as 

new or updated curriculum or 

apprenticeship standards), the 

anticipated completion date, and an 

estimated timeframe and method for 

electronic delivery to ETA. Electronic 

delivery may include e-mail for smaller 

documents, DVDs or other electronic 

media for transmission of larger files. 

5. Suitability for Evaluation (5 points). 

Under this Solicitation, the 

Department of Labor seeks to support 

programs that will provide training that 

improves participants’ employment 

outcomes. The Department is committed 

to evaluating program results to assess 

whether programs meet this goal and 

which models are most effective, 

providing a basis for future program 

improvements and funding decisions. 

The Department intends to select some 

portion of grantees to participate in a 

rigorous evaluation. This section asks 

for evidence that applicants will be able 

to participate productively in an 

evaluation. To receive points under this 

section, applicants must describe their 

plans for meeting the following criteria. 

Specifically, the project must: 

• Explain a recruitment plan that 

could yield a large number of qualified 

applicants for the program, and 

potentially more applicants than the 

number of positions available; 

• Be able to collect participant-level 

information on individuals who apply 

to participate in the program; 

• Have project retention strategies to 

minimize client attrition and help 

researchers track those who leave the 

program before completion; 

• Work collaboratively with an 

outside evaluator selected by the 

Department of Labor; 

• Be willing to work with academics 

who are independent researchers 

qualified to conduct rigorous research; 

and, 

• Provide additional information 

about why funding this proposal will 

enhance knowledge about effective 

programs in a way that has the potential 

to benefit individuals and communities 

not directly served by the program. 

B. Review and Selection Process 

Applications for grants under this 

solicitation will be accepted after the 

publication of this announcement until 

the closing date. A technical review 

panel will make careful evaluation of 

applications against the criteria. These 

30162 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

criteria are based on the policy goals, 

priorities, and emphases set forth in this 

SGA. Up to 100 points may be awarded 

to an application, based on the required 

information described in Section V.A. 

The ranked scores will serve as the 

primary basis for selection of 

applications for funding, in conjunction 

with other factors such as geographic 

balance (including urban and rural 

balance); balance across the energy 

efficiency and renewable energy 

industries; representation across the two 

applicant pools; representation among 

communities impacted by automotive 

industry restructuring; and the 

availability of funds and which 

proposals are most advantageous to the 

government. The panel results are 

advisory in nature and not binding on 

the Grant Officer, and the Grant Officer 

may consider any information that 

comes to his/her attention. The 

government may elect to award the 

grant(s) with or without discussions 

with the applicants. Should a grant be 

awarded without discussions, the award 

will be based on the applicant’s 

signature on the SF 424, which 

constitutes a binding offer by the 

applicant including electronic signature 

via E–Authentication on http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices: All award 

notifications will be posted on the ETA 

Homepage (http://www.doleta.gov). 

Applicants selected for award will be 

contacted directly before the grant’s 

execution and non-selected applicants 

will be notified by mail. 

Selection of an organization as a 

grantee does not constitute approval of 

the grant application as submitted. 

Before the actual grant is awarded, DOL/ 

ETA may enter into negotiations about 

such items as program components, 

staffing and funding levels, and 

administrative systems in place to 

support grant implementation. If the 

negotiations do not result in a mutually 

acceptable submission, the Grant Officer 

reserves the right to terminate the 

negotiation and decline to fund the 

application. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

1. Administrative Program 

Requirements: All grantees will be 

subject to all applicable Federal laws, 

regulations, and the applicable OMB 

Circulars. The grant(s) awarded under 

this SGA will be subject to the following 

administrative standards and 

provisions: 

i. Non-Profit Organizations—OMB 

Circulars A–122 (Cost Principles) and 

29 CFR part 95 (Administrative 

Requirements). 

ii. Educational Institutions—OMB 

Circulars A–21 (Cost Principles) and 29 

CFR part 95 (Administrative 

Requirements). 

iii. State and Local Governments— 

OMB Circulars A–87 (Cost Principles) 

and 29 CFR part 97 (Administrative 

Requirements). 

iv. Profit Making Commercial Firms— 

Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)— 

48 CFR part 31 (Cost Principles), and 29 

CFR part 95 (Administrative 

Requirements). 

v. All entities must comply with 29 

CFR parts 93 and 98, and, where 

applicable, 29 CFR parts 96 and 99. 

vi. 29 CFR part 2, subpart D—Equal 

Treatment in Department of Labor 

Programs for Religious Organizations, 

Protection of Religious Liberty of 

Department of Labor Social Service 

Providers and Beneficiaries. 

vii. 29 CFR part 31— 

Nondiscrimination in Federally 

Assisted Programs of the Department of 

Labor—Effectuation of Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

viii. 29 CFR part 32— 

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of 

Handicap in Programs and Activities 

Receiving or Benefiting from Federal 

Financial Assistance. 

ix. 29 CFR part 33—Enforcement of 

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of 

Handicap in Programs or Activities 

Conducted by the Department of Labor. 

x. 29 CFR part 35— 

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age 

in Programs or Activities Receiving 

Federal Financial Assistance from the 

Department of Labor. 

xi. 29 CFR part 36— 

Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex 

in Education Programs or Activities 

Receiving Federal Financial Assistance. 

The following administrative 

standards and provisions may be 

applicable: 

i. The American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009, Public Law 

111–5, 123 Stat. 115, Division A, Title 

VIII (February 17, 2009). 

ii. The Green Jobs Act of 2007, Public 

Law 110–140, 121 Stat. 1748 (codified at 

29 U.S.C. 2916). 

iii. The Workforce Investment Act of 

1998, Public Law 105–220, 112 Stat. 939 

(codified as amended at 29 U.S.C. 2801 

et seq.) and 20 CFR part 667 (General 

Fiscal and Administrative Rules). 

iv. 29 CFR part 29 & 30— 

Apprenticeship Equal Employment 

Opportunity in Apprenticeship and 

Training; and 

v. 29 CFR part 37—Implementation of 

the Nondiscrimination and Equal 

Opportunity Provisions of the 

Workforce Investment Act of 1998. 

• The Department notes that the 

Religious Freedom Restoration Act 

(RFRA), 42 U.S.C. 2000bb, applies to all 

Federal law and its implementation. If 

your organization is a faith-based 

organization that makes hiring decisions 

on the basis of religious belief, it may be 

entitled to receive Federal financial 

assistance under Title I of the Workforce 

Investment Act and maintain that hiring 

practice even though Section 188 of the 

Workforce Investment Act contains a 

general ban on religious discrimination 

in employment. If you are awarded a 

grant, you will be provided with 

information on how to request such an 

exemption. 

vi. Ensuring the Health and Safety of 

Participants Under WIA Section 

181(a)(4)—Health and safety standards 

established under Federal and State law 

otherwise applicable to working 

conditions of employees are equally 

applicable to working conditions of 

participants engaged in training and 

other activities. Applicants that are 

awarded grants through this SGA are 

reminded that these health and safety 

standards apply to participants in these 

grants. 

In accordance with Section 18 of the 

Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Pub. 

L. 104–65) (2 U.S.C. 1611) non-profit 

entities incorporated under Internal 

Revenue Service Code section 501(c) (4) 

that engage in lobbying activities are not 

eligible to receive Federal funds and 

grants. Except as specifically provided 

in this SGA, DOL/ETA’s acceptance of 

a proposal and an award of Federal 

funds to sponsor any program(s) does 

not provide a waiver of any grant 

requirements and/or procedures. For 

example, the OMB Circulars require that 

an entity’s procurement procedures 

must ensure that all procurement 

transactions are conducted, as much as 

practical, to provide open and free 

competition. If a proposal identifies a 

specific entity to provide services, the 

DOL/ETA’s award does not provide the 

justification or basis to sole source the 

procurement, i.e., avoid competition, 

unless the activity is regarded as the 

primary work of an official partner to 

the application. 

2. Special Program Requirements. 

i. Evaluation: To measure the impact 

of grants funded under the SGA, ETA 

intends to fund one or more 

independent evaluations, which could 

include a random-assignment impact 

evaluation. By accepting funding, 

grantees must agree to participate in 

such an evaluation, should their site(s) 

be selected to participate. Grantees must 

agree to make records on participants, 

employers, and funding available and to 

provide access to program personnel 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30163 

and participants, as specified by the 

evaluator(s) under the direction of ETA, 

including after the expiration date of the 

grant. 

ii. Sustainability: Grantees must allow 

adequate time during the period of 

performance to conduct sustainability 

planning that involves the public 

workforce system and other key 

partners, where appropriate, to help 

ensure that their strategic partnership(s) 

and core training, placement, and 

retention activities, or labor market 

information and exchange activities, are 

sustained after the grant ends. Grantees 

will be required to submit a written 

sustainability plan to ETA prior to the 

end of the grant. Grantees are reminded 

that the expenditure of any grant funds 

on activities related to sustainability 

and sustainability planning must be 

consistent with the grantees’ statement 

of work, and in accordance with all 

relevant rules and regulations that apply 

to their grants. When expending grant 

funds on activities related to 

sustainability and sustainability 

planning, grantees are reminded that 

they must adhere to Federal rules and 

regulations on outreach, fundraising, 

lobbying, and all other relevant and 

applicable rules and regulations. 

iii. Definition of Certificate:—A 

certificate is awarded in recognition of 

an individual’s attainment of 

measurable technical or occupational 

skills necessary to gain employment or 

advance within an occupation. These 

technical or occupational skills are 

based on standards developed or 

endorsed by employers. Certificates 

awarded by workforce investment 

boards are not included in this 

definition. Work readiness certificates 

are also not included in this definition. 

A certificate is awarded in recognition 

of an individual’s attainment of 

technical or occupational skills by: 

• A State educational agency or a 

State agency responsible for 

administering vocational and technical 

education within a State. 

• An institution of higher education 

described in Section 102 of the Higher 

Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1002) that is 

qualified to participate in the student 

financial assistance programs 

authorized by Title IV of that Act. This 

includes community colleges, 

proprietary schools, and all other 

institutions of higher education that are 

eligible to participate in Federal student 

financial aid programs. 

• A professional, industry, or 

employer organization (e.g., National 

Institute for Automotive Service 

Excellence certification, National 

Institute for Metalworking Skills, Inc., 

Machining Level I credential) or a 

product manufacturer or developer (e.g., 

Microsoft Certified Database 

Administrator, Certified Novell 

Engineer, Sun Certified Java 

Programmer) using a valid and reliable 

assessment of an individual’s 

knowledge, skills, and abilities. 

• A registered apprenticeship 

program. 

• A public regulatory agency, upon 

an individual’s fulfillment of 

educational, work experience, or skill 

requirements that are legally necessary 

for an individual to use an occupational 

or professional title or to practice an 

occupation or profession (e.g., FAA 

aviation mechanic certification, State 

certified asbestos inspector). 

• A program that has been approved 

by the Department of Veterans Affairs to 

offer education benefits to veterans and 

other eligible persons. 

• Job Corps centers that issue 

certificates. 

• Institutions of higher education 

which are formally controlled, or have 

been formally sanctioned, or chartered, 

by the governing body of an Indian tribe 

or tribes. 

iv. Definitions of Populations and 

Other Key Terms: Organizations 

submitting an application in response to 

this SGA should use the following 

definitions for any of the following 

populations and/or other key terms that 

are specifically identified in this SGA. 

• High school drop-outs: For the 

purposes of this SGA, ETA defines 

‘‘high school drop-out’’ as an individual 

who is no longer attending any 

secondary school and who has not 

received a secondary school diploma or 

its recognized equivalent. 

• Individuals in need of updated 

training related to the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries: For 

the purposes of this SGA, this term 

refers to individuals who are currently 

employed; or were terminated or laid-off 

or have received a notice of termination 

or lay-off from employment; or were 

self-employed but are now unemployed; 

and can benefit from training that will 

help them enter or advance in the 

energy efficiency and renewable energy 

industries identified in WIA section 

171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or will enable them 

to acquire or enhance skills needed to 

enter occupations within one or more of 

the ‘‘growth, enhanced, and emerging’’ 

green industries referenced in 

Supplementary Information: Part B of 

this SGA. 

• Individuals, including at-risk youth, 

seeking employment pathways out of 

poverty and into economic selfsufficiency: For the purposes of this 

SGA, ETA defines this term as 

individuals who reside in high poverty 

areas (which are areas where the 

poverty rate is 15% or greater), have no 

or low incomes, and who can benefit 

from skill training that will help them 

enter or advance in the energy efficiency 

and renewable energy industries 

identified in WIA section 

171(e)(1)(B)(ii), and/or will enable them 

to acquire or enhance skills needed to 

enter occupations within one or more of 

the ‘‘growth, enhanced, and emerging’’ 

green industries referenced in 

Supplementary Information: Part B of 

this SGA. 

• Individuals with a criminal record: 

For the purposes of this SGA, ETA 

defines this term as an individual who 

is or has been subject to any stage of the 

juvenile or criminal justice process, for 

whom services under this Act may be 

beneficial; or who requires assistance in 

overcoming artificial barriers to 

employment resulting from a record of 

arrest or conviction. ETA includes 

individuals with a juvenile or criminal 

record in the definition for this term. 

• Unemployed individuals: For the 

purposes of this SGA, ETA defines 

‘‘unemployed individual’’ as an 

individual who is without a job and 

who wants and is available to work. 

• Veterans: For the purposes of this 

solicitation, ETA follows the WIA 

definition of veteran under 29 U.S.C. 

2801(49)(A), which defines the term 

‘‘veteran’’ as ‘‘an individual who served 

in the active military, naval, or air 

service, and who was discharged or 

released from such service under 

conditions other than dishonorable.’’ 

Active military service includes fulltime duty (other than full-time duty for 

training purposes) in Reserve 

components ordered to active duty, or 

in National Guard units called to 

Federal Service by the President. 

• Workers impacted by national 

energy and environmental policy: For 

the purposes of this SGA, ETA defines 

this term as individuals who: (1) Are 

currently employed in an occupation in 

the utilities; transportation and 

warehousing; manufacturing; 

construction; mining, quarrying, and oil 

and gas extraction; or other sectors that 

have been adversely affected by national 

energy and environmental policies; and 

have received a notice of termination or 

lay-off from employment; or (2) were 

employed in an occupation in the 

utilities; transportation and 

warehousing; manufacturing; 

construction; mining, quarrying, and oil 

and gas extraction; or other sectors that 

have been adversely affected by national 

energy and environmental policies; and 

are now unemployed. 

• National labor-management 

organization: A national laborVerDate Nov<24>2008 16:46 Jun 23, 2009 Jkt 217001 PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM 24JNN1
30164 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 

management organization is a nonprofit 

entity, such as a training fund, training 

trust fund, or an education trust fund, 

with joint participation of employers 

and labor organizations on its executive 

board or comparable governing body. 

This entity must have a formalized 

agreement between the employer(s) and 

labor organization(s) to operate a joint 

labor management training program(s) 

in multiple sites across the country 

through the state, local, or regional 

networks affiliated with the nonprofit 

entity. 

• U.S. territories: For the purposes of 

this SGA, the term ‘‘U.S. territories’’ 

includes the Commonwealth of Puerto 

Rico, as well as the following outlying 

areas: the United States Virgin Islands, 

Guam, American Samoa, the 

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands, the Republic of the Marshall 

Islands, the Federated States of 

Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau. 

3. American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111– 

5) Provisions. 

Prospective applicants are advised 

that, if they receive an award, they must 

comply with all requirements of the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment 

Act of 2009 [Pub. L. 111–5]. Applicants 

are advised to review the Act and 

implementing OMB guidance in the 

development of their proposals. 

Requirements include, but are not 

limited to: 

i. Adherence to all grant clauses and 

conditions as they relate to Recovery 

Act activity. 

ii. Prohibition on expenditure of 

funds for activities at any casino or 

other gambling establishment, 

aquarium, zoo, golf course or swimming 

pool. 

iii. Compliance with the requirements 

to obtain a D–U–N–S® number and 

register with the Central Contractor 

Registry (CCR). ETA will issue 

additional guidance related to this 

requirement shortly. 

iv. Submission of required reports in 

accordance with Section 1512 of the 

Recovery Act. These reports will be due 

quarterly within 10 days of the end of 

the reporting period and are in addition 

to the ETA required reports addressed 

in Section VI.C of this SGA. ETA will 

issue additional guidance related to 

these reports and their submission 

requirements shortly. 

Implementing OMB guidance may be 

found at http://www.recovery.gov. 

C. Reporting: Quarterly financial 

reports, quarterly progress reports, and 

MIS data will be submitted by the 

grantee electronically. The grantee is 

required to provide the reports and 

documents listed below: 

• Quarterly Financial Reports. A 

Quarterly Financial Status Report (ETA 

9130) is required until such time as all 

funds have been expended or the grant 

period has expired. Quarterly reports 

are due 45 days after the end of each 

calendar year quarter. Grantees must use 

DOL’s On-Line Electronic Reporting 

System and information and 

instructions will be provided to 

grantees. 

• Quarterly Performance Reports. The 

grantee must submit a quarterly progress 

report within 45 days after the end of 

each calendar year quarter. In order to 

submit these quarterly reports, grantees 

will be expected to track participantlevel data regarding the individuals that 

are involved in training and other 

services provided through the grant and 

report on participant status in a variety 

of fields and outcome categories, as well 

as provide narrative information on the 

status of the grant. The last quarterly 

progress report that grantees submit will 

serve as the grant’s Final Performance 

Report. This report should provide both 

quarterly and cumulative information 

on the grant’s activities. It must 

summarize project activities, 

employment outcomes and other 

deliverables, and related results of the 

project, and should thoroughly 

document the training or labor market 

information approaches used by the 

grantee. DOL will provide grantees with 

formal guidance regarding data and 

other information that is required to be 

collected and reported on either a 

regular basis or special request basis. 

Grantees must agree to meet DOL 

reporting requirements. 

• Record Retention. Applicants 

should be aware of Federal guidelines 

on record retention, which require 

grantees to maintain all records 

pertaining to grant activities for a period 

of not less than three years from the 

time of final grant close-out. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

For further information regarding this 

SGA, please contact Janice Sheelor, 

Grants Management Specialist, Division 

of Federal Assistance, at (202)–693– 

3538 (This is not a toll-free number). 

Applicants should e-mail all technical 

questions to Sheelor.Janice@dol.gov and 

must specifically reference SGA/DFA 

PY 08–18, and along with question(s), 

include a contact name, fax and phone 

number. This announcement is being 

made available on the ETA Web site at 

http://www.doleta.gov/grants and at 

http://www.grants.gov. 

VIII. Additional Resources of Interest to 

Applicants 

A. Other Web-Based Resources 

DOL maintains a number of Webbased resources that may be of 

assistance to applicants. America’s 

Service Locator (http:// 

www.servicelocator.org) provides a 

directory of our nation’s One Stop 

Career Centers. 

B. Industry Competency Models 

ETA supports an Industry 

Competency Model Initiative to promote 

an understanding of the skill sets and 

competencies that are essential to an 

educated and skilled workforce. A 

competency model is a collection of 

competencies that taken together define 

successful performance in a particular 

work setting. Competency models serve 

as a starting point for the design and 

implementation of workforce and talent 

development programs. To learn about 

the industry-validated models visit the 

Competency Model Clearinghouse 

(CMC) at http://www.careeronestop.org/ 

CompetencyModel/. The CMC site also 

provides tools to build or customize 

industry models, as well as tools to 

build career ladders and/or lattices 

leading to career pathways. 

C. Federal Collaboration 

DOL encourages other Federal 

partners to recommend or require, 

where appropriate, that organizations 

receiving Recovery Act funding list jobs 

created with their State public labor 

exchange. The Department is 

developing specific strategies to link job 

listings, training opportunities and 

placement among programs funded by 

the Departments of Housing and Urban 

Development, Energy, and Education. 

Where the grantee is not the public 

workforce system, they are strongly 

encouraged to work with local One Stop 

Career Centers to make these 

connections. 

D. Links to Federal Recovery Sites 

For specific information on a range of 

Federal agency Recovery Act activities 

and funding opportunities, please 

access the following Web sites: 

• Department of Education: http:// 

www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/ 

index.html 

• Department of Energy: http:// 

www.doe.gov/recovery 

• Department of Housing and Urban 

Development: http://www.hud.gov/ 

recovery 

• Department of Transportation: 

http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ 

• Environmental Protection Agency: 

http://www.epa.gov/recovery 

Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 120 / Wednesday, June 24, 2009 / Notices 30165 

E. Promising Training Approaches 

ETA encourages applicants to 

research promising training approaches 

in order to inform their proposals. The 

following list of Web sites provides a 

starting place for this research, but by 

no means should be considered a 

complete list: 

• ETA’s home site (http:// 

www.doleta.gov) and the ETA Research 

Publication Database (wdr.doleta.gov/ 

research/keyword.cfm). 

• ETA’s knowledge sharing site 

(http://www.workforce3one.org), 

including the ‘‘workforce solutions’’ 

section that contains over 6,000 

additional resources applicants may 

find valuable in developing workforce 

strategies and solutions. 

• The National Governors Association 

Center for Best Practices (http:// 

www.nga.org). 

• The National Association of State 

Workforce Agencies (http:// 

www.workforceatm.org). 

• The National Association of 

Workforce Boards (http:// 

www.nawb.org). 

IX. Other Information 

OMB Information Collection No. 

1225–0086 

Expires September 30, 2009 

According to the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are 

required to respond to a collection of 

information unless such collection 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Public reporting burden for this 

collection of information is estimated to 

average 20 hours per response, 

including time for reviewing 

instructions, searching existing data 

sources, gathering and maintaining the 

data needed, and completing and 

reviewing the collection of information. 

Send comments regarding the burden 

estimated or any other aspect of this 

collection of information, including 

suggestions for reducing this burden, to 

the OMB Desk Officer for ETA, 

Department of Labor, in the Office of 

Management and Budget, Room 10235, 

Washington, DC 20503. Please do not 

return the completed application to the 

OMB. Send it to the sponsoring agency 

as specified in this solicitation. 

This information is being collected for 

the purpose of awarding a grant. The 

information collected through this SGA 

will be used by DOL to ensure that 

grants are awarded to the applicant best 

suited to perform the functions of the 

grant. Submission of this information is 

required in order for the applicant to be 

considered for award of this grant. 

Unless otherwise specifically noted in 

this announcement, information 

submitted in the respondent’s 

application is not considered to be 

confidential. 

Signed at Washington, DC, this 19th day of 

June, 2009. 

Donna Kelly, 

Grant Officer, Employment and Training 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–14924 Filed 6–23–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4510–FN–P 

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR 

Employment and Training 

Administration 

American Reinvestment and Recovery 

Act of 2009; Notice of Availability of 

Funds and Solicitation for Grant 

Applications for Green Capacity 

Building Grants 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation for Grant Applications. 

Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/ 

DFA PY–08–21. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.275. 

DATES: Key Dates: The closing date for 

receipt of applications under this 

announcement is August 5, 2009. 

Applications must be received no later 

than 4 p.m. Eastern Time. A prerecorded Webinar will be made 

available online at http:// 

www.workforce3one.org to prospective 

applicants for this grant competition on 

July 10, 2009 by 3 p.m. Eastern Time, 

and will be available for viewing 

anytime after that date as well. While a 

review of this webinar is encouraged, it 

is not mandatory. Access information 

for the Webinar will be posted on the 

Employment and Training 

Administration (ETA) Web site listed 

above. 

ADDRESSES: Mailed applications must be 

addressed to the U.S. Department of 

Labor, Employment & Training 

Administration, Division of Federal 

Assistance, Attention: B. Jai Johnson, 

Grants Officer, Reference SGA/DFA PY 

08–21, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., 

Room N4716, Washington, DC 20210. 

For complete ‘‘Application and 

Submission Information,’’ please refer to 

Section IV. 

SUMMARY: Under the American Recovery 

and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the 

Recovery Act), the Department of Labor 

(DOL or the Department) announces the 

availability of approximately $5 million 

in grant funds for projects that build the 

capacity of DOL-funded training 

programs to ensure that targeted groups 

are prepared to meet the needs of our 

country’s expanding green industries. 

Only active DOL-funded grantees 

specified in Part III of this SGA are 

eligible to apply. Specifically, this SGA 

supports capacity building for 

organizations to provide training for 

entry-level positions leading to career 

pathways and/or additional training in 

the energy efficiency and renewable 

energy industries described in Section 

171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce 

Investment Act of 1998 (WIA). The 

Department expects to award between 

50 and 100 grants under this 

competition, providing awards ranging 

from $50,000 to $100,000. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

A. Recovery Act: Competitive Grants 

for Green Job Training 

This section of the SGA provides 

general background on the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

(Recovery Act), the competitive grants 

funded through the Recovery Act to 

prepare workers for careers in the 

energy efficiency and renewable energy, 

and the occupations and industries on 

which these grants should focus. On 

February 17, 2009, President Barack 

Obama signed into law the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 

(Recovery Act) through which Congress 

intended to preserve and create jobs, 

promote the nation’s economic 

recovery, and assist those most 

impacted by the recession. Among other 

funding directed toward the Department 

of Labor, the Recovery Act provides 

$750 million for a program of 

competitive grants for worker training 

and placement in high growth and 

emerging industries. Of the $750 million 

allotted for competitive grants, the 

Recovery Act designates $500 million 

for projects that prepare workers for 

careers in the energy efficiency and 

renewable energy industries described 

in Section 171(e)(1)(B) of the Workforce 

Investment Act (WIA). DOL intends to 

use a portion of the $500 million for 

providing technical assistance for this 

program of grants. 

The purpose of these green job 

training grants is to teach workers the 

skills required in emerging energy 

efficiency and renewable energy 

industries. These efforts will lead 

program participants to job placement 

while leveraging other Recovery Act 

investments intended to create jobs and 

promote economic growth. For 

additional information about the series 

of competitive grants for green job 

training, please refer to Training and 

Employment Notice (TEN) 44–08 

available at http://www.doleta.gov/ 

Recovery/legislation.cfm.