[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 110 (Tuesday, June 8, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32052-32068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-12896]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


Senior Community Service Employment Program--Division of Older 
Worker Programs; Solicitation for Grant Applications, Section 502(e)--
Procedures for Program Year PY 2004

    Announcement Type: New. Notice of Solicitation for Grant 
Applications.
    Funding Opportunity Number: SGA/DFA-04-102.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 17.235.
    Key Dates: Deadline for submission of proposals, July 21, 2004.

Executive Summary

    The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), authorized 
under title V of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended by 
the Older Americans Act Amendments of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-501), provides 
subsidized, part-time, community service employment for low-income 
persons age 55 and older who have poor employment prospects, 42 U.S.C. 
3056 et seq. Through this program, older workers have access to a wide 
range of SCSEP services as well as other employment assistance services 
available through the One-Stop Centers of the workforce investment 
system. Seniors enrolled in SCSEP can work up to 20 hours per week, and 
are employed in a wide variety of community service positions at non-
profit and public facilities, including day-care centers, senior 
centers, schools, hospitals, faith-based and community organizations. 
These community service experiences are intended to lead to other 
employment positions within the private sector.
    This solicitation announces the availability of approximately $2 
million in PY2004 funds for the Section 502(e) program. The Department 
plans to award 4 to 10 grants with a minimum amount of $25,000 for 
current SCSEP grantees and a minimum amount of $150,000 for non-current 
SCSEP grantees.
    The purpose of Section 502(e) of the OAA is to provide eligible 
older workers with second career training and placement opportunities 
with private business concerns, thus demonstrating their capabilities 
and new skills. Section 502(e) provides opportunities to initiate or 
enhance seniors' relationships with the private sector, promotes 
collaboration with the One-Stop Delivery System, and encourages the use 
of innovative strategies, including new work modes such as flex-time, 
flex-place, job sharing, and other arrangements relating to reduced 
physical exertion (OAA Sec.  502(e)(2)). In addition, the Section 
502(e) program is one of the best vehicles for obtaining job placements 
in the private for-profit sector, where wages and fringe benefits often 
exceed those in the public or non-profit sector.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    This SGA seeks to fund projects that will provide eligible older 
workers with second career training and placement opportunities with 
private business concerns. Proposed projects must be for specific 
geographic areas and must identify employers that will participate in 
the project, or methods that will be used to attract employer 
involvement. Proposed projects must also include innovative strategies, 
including new work modes such as flex-time, flex-place, job sharing, 
and other arrangements relating to reduced physical exertion.
    The purpose of this section is to provide potential applicants with 
the information needed to make an informed decision about whether to 
apply for funds and to give a better sense of how the Section 502(e) 
program operates, and what functions and responsibilities are important 
to the program. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive description 
and does not reflect all the requirements of the program. Applicants 
who wish to learn more about the SCSEP are encouraged to review the law 
at 42 U.S.C. 3056 et seq. An applicant's failure to demonstrate that 
its proposed program meets the criteria in this section will make the 
application non-responsive. Applicants should also review the current 
regulations at 20 CFR Part 641, which were published on April 9, 2004 
(69 FR 19014) and are effective on May 9, 2004, and the Older Worker 
(OW) Bulletins, which may be found on ETA's Division of Older Worker 
Program's homepage at http://www.doleta.gov/seniors. This additional 
information will serve as background on the SCSEP program. Applicants 
may use this information when drafting their responses to the Rating 
Criteria in Section V of this SGA. Applicants may review ETA's homepage 
at http://www.doleta.gov/sga/pdf/ApplyingGrants.pdf for information on 
applying for ETA grants and http://www.doleta.gov/sga/ for forms and 
information relating to competition for ETA grants. Program 
requirements include the following:
    Seniors Served. Grantees must make sure that this project will 
promote useful part-time or full-time employment opportunities for 
unemployed low-income persons who are 55 years or older, and whose 
incomes are no higher than 125 percent of poverty level (OAA Sec.  
516(2)).
    Priorities. There is a priority for service in all Department of 
Labor (DOL or Department) funded workforce development programs for 
veterans and certain eligible spouses under the Jobs for Veterans Act, 
Pub. L. 107-288 (2002). Section 516(2) of the OAA also sets a priority 
for workers over 60. The Department interprets the Jobs for Veterans 
Act to harmonize the two priority provisions. Under this 
interpretation, both priorities apply. That is, within the group of 
eligible individuals age 60 and over, who receive a priority over 
eligible individuals aged 55-59, the veteran or qualified spouse would 
receive SCSEP services before non-veterans. Within the group of 
individuals who are 55 to 59, veterans and qualified spouses would 
again receive a priority over other eligible individuals.
    Recruiting. All grantees must recruit participants from the local 
SCSEP program. In doing so, Section 502(e) grantees that are not 
current SCSEP grantees may be exempt from conducting some of the 
program requirements, such as income certifications, assessments and 
IEPs and providing worker's compensation.
    Individual Employment Plans (IEP). Each SCSEP Section 502(e) 
participant must have been assessed by the original

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grantee as required under the general SCSEP program. A participant's 
IEP must indicate a goal of unsubsidized employment for the participant 
to be co-enrolled in the Section 502(e) program.
    Training. Training is an important tool to make the most effective 
use of the skills and talents of participants, to facilitate placement 
of participants in unsubsidized employment and to help them succeed in 
that employment. How much and what type of training a grantee should 
provide is based on each individual participant's IEP. Training should 
also be related to high growth industries.
    Other Training Resources. Grantees should seek training assistance 
from all available resources, and particularly from programs operated 
under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) or the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational and Technical Education Act. Where possible, co-enrollment 
in Section 502(e) training and WIA activities is strongly encouraged to 
leverage program funds. In addition, grantees may use the on-the-job-
experience option described in Older Worker Bulletin 04-4 to provide 
private sector training opportunities using Wages and Fringe Benefits. 
See Part II, section 5 for a discussion on Wages and Fringe Benefits 
requirements.
    Services for Individuals with Multiple Barriers to Employment. One 
emphasis of this program is addressing the needs of minority, limited 
English-speaking, and, where applicable, Indian eligible individuals as 
well as eligible individuals who have the greatest economic need to 
remove their barriers to obtaining employment. (OAA Sec.  
502(b)(1)(M)). ``Greatest economic need'' is defined as need resulting 
from an income level at or below the poverty. (OAA Sec.  101(27)).
    Coordination with the Workforce Investment Act, One-Stop Career 
Centers and SCSEP grantees, such as the states Area Agencies on Aging. 
Section 502(e) projects must be coordinated with One-Stop centers 
operated under WIA (29 U.S.C. 2801 et seq.).
    The Department also encourages the coordination of Section 502(e) 
activities with the State aging network. In addition, under OAA Section 
502(b)(4), participant assessments of eligibility, needs, and 
competence under SCSEP will satisfy any condition for an assessment 
under WIA and vice versa.
    Geographic Locations. Another major emphasis of the program is for 
participants located nationwide to have an equitable opportunity to 
participate. The Department encourages applicants to offer the program 
in different localities.

Other Program Considerations

    New Work Modes. Grantees are required to utilize new work modes for 
the participants in the program, such as flex-place, flex-time, job 
sharing and reduced physical activity (OAA Sec.  502(e)(2)(A)).
    Part-time or Full-time Training. Training may be part-time or full-
time. Participants may also work at regular SCSEP assignments during 
the non-training hours.

Regulations

    Grantees must abide by the requirements that are in place at the 
time the grants are awarded, and will be responsible for adhering to 
any revised requirements that go into effect during the grant period. 
The applicable regulations may be found on the SCSEP Web site at: 
http://www.doleta.gov/seniors.

II. Award Information

    Under this solicitation, DOL anticipates that approximately $2 
million will be available for grant awards in Program Year (PY) 2004 
(July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005). The minimum grant that may be 
awarded will be $25,000 for current SCSEP grantees, and $150,000 for 
non-current SCSEP grantees. Proposals for less than $25,000 or 
$150,000, respectively, will not be reviewed. The Department plans to 
award between 4 and 10 grants. The Department reserves the right to 
negotiate the amounts to be awarded under this competition. The 
expected period of performance is from October 1, 2004, through June 
30, 2005, although the Program Year is from July 1, 2004, through June 
30, 2005.
    DOL retains the right not to fund any or all ``eligible, responsive 
and responsible'' applicants.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

    Eligible applicants are: (1) States; (2) public agencies; (3) 
private non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community 
organizations; and (4) private business concerns. An organization that 
is a private business concern may be a for-profit public service 
organization such as a hospital, a day-care facility, etc., as well as 
a private, for-profit company. All of these are examples of workplaces 
that have profit-generating capability.
    Applicants may apply as a consortium, but each member of the 
consortium must meet all eligibility and responsibility tests 
established in Section 515 of the OAA. Entities applying as a 
consortium are also jointly and severally liable for meeting all 
requirements for administering this Federally-funded program, and for 
performing any resulting grant. As a part of its applications, a 
consortium applicant must submit a copy of its consortium agreement 
which clearly demonstrates joint and several liability.
    Under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, section 18 (29 U.S.C. 
1611), an organization described in section 501(c)(4) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 that engages in lobbying activities shall not be 
eligible for the receipt of federal funds constituting an award, grant, 
or loan.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Cost sharing is not required to be eligible to receive Section 
502(e) funds. In-kind or cash contributions are, however, encouraged. 
If private sector or other appropriate non-Federal contributions are 
involved, these funds may be included as a non-Federal contribution. 
DOL may consider matching funds in rating cost reasonableness.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

    Applicants must meet the applicable eligibility criteria and 
responsibility tests established in Section 514 of the OAA. Any 
applicant that fails to meet either of these tests will not be funded. 
Except as specifically provided, 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 requirement and/or procedure. For example, the OMB 
circulars stipulate that an entity's entire procurement procedures and 
transactions, including subcontracts, must provide for free and open 
competition. If a proposal identifies a specific entity to provide the 
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. The official partner must therefore identify the work 
it intends to do within the grant application and attach a letter of 
agreement to this effect.

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address To Request Application Package

    This Solicitation for Grant Applications (SGA) includes all of the 
information needed to apply for Section 502(e) funds.

[[Page 32054]]

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

    A cover letter, an original plus two (2) copies of the proposal, 
one (1) blue ink-signed original Standard Form (SF) 424 and one (1) 
blue ink signed original SF 424A must be submitted to the U.S. 
Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division 
of Federal Assistance, Attention: Eric Luetkenhaus, Ref. SGA/DFA-04-
102, Room N-4438, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210, 
by the closing date identified in Section IV(3) below. This grant 
application must have two parts: (1) a technical proposal; and (2) a 
cost proposal.
Part I: Technical Proposal
    The technical proposal must consist of a narrative not to exceed 
twenty (20) double-spaced pages, including all attachments except as 
noted below. The technical proposal must be organized in accordance 
with the evaluation criteria identified in Section V(1). Applicants who 
fail to follow the rating criteria format may be deemed non-responsive.
    The narrative must be typed in a font size of no less than 12-pt., 
and printed on one side of the paper only. Attachments are to be placed 
in a separate appendix and should include any supporting documentation, 
but must be limited to meaningful information that contributes to, and/
or verifies, the proposed activities. All attachments count against the 
20-page limit, with the exception of required vitae or position 
descriptions, the list of current and prior government grants and 
contracts, recent audits, and employer Letters of Commitment. Any 
proposal that exceeds the page limit may be considered non-responsive. 
Non-responsive applications will not be rated.
    The cost proposal must contain the required standard forms and 
budget information as described in Section IV (2) (Part II) below. It 
is required that all applicants use the Rating Criteria format when 
developing their proposals.
    The Department will not read general letters of support. However, 
the Department expects applicants to provide employer Letters of 
Commitment indicating a willingness to partner with the program. The 
Department will accept all employer letters, but will only read up to 
15.
Part II. Cost Proposal
    The cost proposal must consist of a completed Standard Form (SF) 
424 ``Application for Federal Assistance,'' SF 424A ``Budget 
Information Sheet,'' a detailed cost breakdown of each line item on the 
SF 424A, and supporting materials as listed below. Copies of all 
required forms, with instructions for completion, are included as 
appendices to this SGA. Additional copies can be downloaded from the 
SCSEP Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/seniors. Applicants can expect 
the cost proposal to be reviewed for allowability, how the money is 
allocated, and reasonableness of placement and enrollment costs. The 
cost proposal must include the following items:
    (1) The Standard Form (SF) 424, ``Application for Federal 
Assistance'' (original signed in blue ink) (See Appendix A). Applicants 
must indicate on the SF 424 the organization's IRS Status, if 
applicable.
    Please note that, effective October 1, 2003, all applicants for 
federal grant and funding opportunities are required to include a Dun 
and Bradstreet (DUNS) number with their application. See OMB Notice of 
Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 27, 2003). The DUNS number is 
a nine-digit identification number that uniquely identifies business 
entities. There is no charge for obtaining a DUNS number (although it 
may take 14-30 days). To obtain a DUNS number, access the following Web 
site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com or call 1-866-705-5711. Requests 
for exemption from the DUNS number requirement must be made to OMB. The 
Dun and Bradstreet number of the applicant should be entered in the 
``Organizational Unit'' section of block 5 of the SF 424. The Catalog 
of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program is 17.235. It 
must be entered on the SF 424, Block 10.
    (2) A Standard Form (SF) 424A ``Budget Information Sheet'' (See 
Appendix B).
    (3) A detailed cost breakout of each line item on the Budget 
Information Sheet, which should be labeled as ``Budget Narrative.'' 
Please ensure that costs reported on the SF 424A correspond accurately 
with the Budget Narrative. The budget narrative must include the 
following information at a minimum:
     A breakout of all personnel costs by position, title, 
salary rates, and percent of time of each position to be devoted to the 
proposed project (including awardees);
     An explanation and breakout of extraordinary fringe 
benefit rates and associated charges (i.e., rates exceeding 35% of 
salaries and wages);
     An explanation of the purpose and composition of, and 
method used to derive the costs, of each of the following: travel, 
equipment, supplies, sub-awards/contracts, and any other costs. The 
applicant must include costs of any required travel described in this 
solicitation. Mileage charges may not exceed 37.5 cents per mile;
     A description/specification of and justification for 
equipment purchases, if any. Tangible, non-expendable personal property 
having a useful life of more than one year and a unit acquisition cost 
of $5,000 or more per unit must be specifically identified;
     The source of matching and in-kind funds, if any.
    (4) Assurance and Certification signature page (See Appendix D);
    (5) Evidence of satisfactory financial management capability, which 
must include recent financial and/or audit statements;
    (6) A list, in a separate appendix, of all government grants and 
contracts that the applicant or any of its affiliates has had in the 
past three (3) years, including grant officer contact information. For 
purposes of this SGA, the term ``affiliate'' refers to the applicant's 
subsidiaries, divisions, predecessors, and successors;
    (7) A copy of the applicant's most recent (within 12 months) 
audited financial statement.

3. Submission Dates, Times, and Addresses

    All submissions, including hand-delivered grant proposals, must be 
received in the Department by 4:45 p.m., eastern time, on July 21, 2004 
at the address listed in Section IV(2) above.
    Dates stamped by private delivery service or by the U.S. Postal 
Service are unacceptable as proof of submission; however, applicants 
are advised to submit mailed documents by ``return receipt requested.''
    Notice: All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the 
Washington, DC, area continues to be erratic due to the concerns 
involving anthrax and ricin contamination. All applicants must take 
this into consideration when preparing to meet the application 
deadline, as each applicant assumes the risk for ensuring a timely 
submission of its application. If, because of these mail problems, or 
for any other reason, the Department does not receive an application or 
receives it too late to give it proper consideration, even if the 
application was mailed or sent well before the closing date, the 
Department may choose not to consider the application.
    Please note that faxed applications will not be accepted. 
Applications not received by the closing date may not be accepted.

[[Page 32055]]

    Failure to adhere to any of the above instructions may be a basis 
for a determination of non-responsiveness.

4. Intergovernmental Review

    This funding opportunity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 
12372, ``Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.''

5. Funding Restrictions

    SCSEP is subject to legislated limitations on the expenditure of 
title V funds. The administrative cost limitation of a SCSEP project is 
13.5 percent of the Federal share; however, the Grant Officer may 
increase this limit, but only up to 15 percent of the cost of the 
project. (OAA Sec.  502(c)(3)). Any applicant requesting an 
administrative cost higher than 13.5 percent as part of this initial 
application must justify that request as part of its application. Note, 
however, that submission of a justification alone does not entitle the 
applicant to approval of a higher administrative cost limit. Any 
decision to approve a higher administrative limit will be made on a 
case-by-case basis.
Other Allowable Costs
    Wages and Fringe Benefits. There is a minimum or ``floor'' on the 
grant funds that must be spent on participant wages and fringe 
benefits. That floor is 75 percent of the total Federal share, which 
reflects Congressional concern that low-income program participants be 
the primary beneficiaries of the funding. (OAA Sec.  502(c)(6)(B)). If 
the applicant who is applying for Section 502(e) funding is also a 
grantee for the SCSEP program, the grantee is required to maintain the 
75 percent requirement for the entire funding amount, i.e., SCSEP plus 
Section 502(e) funding. In addition, grantees may use wages and fringe 
benefits to cover the costs of on-the-job-experience training.
    Other Participant Costs. Costs that are to be used for participant 
training, counseling, job development, and similar activities are known 
as ``Other Participant Costs'' (OAA Sec.  502(c)(6)(A)). The available 
Federal share for Other Participant Costs is that part of the Federal 
grant allocation that is not used for administrative costs or 
participant wages and fringe benefits. The difference between (1) the 
total grant allotment and (2) the sum of the administrative costs and 
participant wages and fringe benefits is called ``Other Participant 
Costs.'' The formula is: Total Grant Allotment--(Administrative Costs + 
Wages and Fringe Benefits) = Other Participant Costs.
    Start-up Costs. Specific start-up costs are not statutorily 
provided for in SCSEP projects. However, according to Section 502(c)(4) 
of the OAA, the cost of administration (limited to 13.5 percent, or 15 
percent with Department approval), includes the costs associated with 
such goods and services required for administration of the program as 
rental or purchase of equipment, utilities, office supplies, postage, 
and rental and maintenance of office space. Generally, these costs are 
incurred after the beginning of a grant period. However, the Department 
will allow awardees who are new to the program to obtain such items up 
to one month before the beginning of the start-up of the program, 
consistent with the applicable OMB circulars.
    Workers' Compensation. Grantees must provide the participants in 
the program with workers' compensation benefits equal to that provided 
by the law for covered employment. The grantee must undertake to 
provide this benefit either through insurance by a recognized carrier 
or by self-insurance, as authorized by State law (Section 504(b) of the 
OAA).

6. Other Submission Requirements

    Withdrawal of Applications. Applications may be withdrawn by 
written notice or telegram (including mailgram) received at any time 
before an award is made. Applications may be withdrawn in person by the 
applicant or by an authorized representative thereof, if the 
representative's identify is made known and the representative signs a 
receipt for the proposal.

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

    The following review criteria, totaling a maximum score of 100 
points, apply to all applications. An applicant's technical proposal 
must be organized according to these criteria.
(A) Program Design--Approach, Population(s) and Area(s) Served (30 
Points)
    Overall Objectives. The applicant must describe the overall plan 
for how it will realize the purposes of the program, which are to 
assure second career training and the placement of eligible individuals 
in employment opportunities with private business concerns, with an 
emphasis on new work modes. The program seeks to promote employment 
opportunities for unemployed, low-income persons, to foster individual 
economic self-sufficiency, and to increase the number of persons who 
may enjoy the benefits of unsubsidized employment (5 points).
    Characteristics of Geographic Locations. The applicant must 
describe the geographic area(s) that will be served by the proposed 
program. The applicant must include a detailed list of the locations 
broken down by (a) state, and (b) county or parish (or independent 
cities not within any county, if applicable) where the project will be 
conducted. Grantees that have previously conducted these projects are 
encouraged to conduct their projects in different localities from year-
to-year. To receive full credit, the applicant must also discuss the 
rationale for choosing such location(s) including: (1) Location of 
intended employer(s), whether urban, suburban, or rural; (2) recent 
poverty and unemployment rates for those areas; (3) expected 
participant skills and education levels; (4) expected barriers to 
employment; and, (5) additional services that the program/employer will 
provide to those facing barriers to employment (12 points).
    An applicant who fails to list the locations desired will be 
considered non-responsive and will not be rated.
    Training. The applicant must describe the types of training it will 
engage in for the identified population(s) it will serve. To receive 
full credit, the applicant must describe how it plans to utilize 
training resources, such as those provided under the Workforce 
Investment Act of 1998 and though the registered Apprenticeship Program 
(see Web site at http://www.doleta.gov/atels_bat) (5 points).
    Participant Recruitment, Selection and Income Certification. The 
applicant must describe its plan to recruit and select participants and 
must:

--Explain how eligibility will be determined and documented; and
--Describe efforts to assure participation of minority, limited 
English-speaking, and Indian eligible individuals, and individuals with 
greatest economic need and those with poor employment prospects.

    Applicants who are not current SCSEP grantees must describe how 
they will coordinate with the SCSEP grantees to recruit participants (6 
points).

    Complaint Resolution System. The applicant must briefly discuss the 
complaint resolution system that it will use in cases where a 
participant wishes to dispute an adverse action or in cases where an 
applicant for enrollment wishes to dispute an unfavorable determination 
of eligibility. If available, provide as an attachment an example of 
the written explanation of the complaint

[[Page 32056]]

resolution system that is to be given to each participant (2 points).
(B) Participant Services and Unsubsidized Placements (30 Points)
    The applicant must describe the services that will be provided to 
the participants, either directly, through the One-Stop Center System, 
or through other service providers.
    Orientation and Supportive Services. Applicants must describe 
participant orientation procedures. Applicants must describe the 
supportive services to be provided to participants and the source(s) of 
these services. The supportive services offered must be geared to help 
participants obtain or retain employment, with emphasis on coordinating 
with networks of faith-based or community organizations that provide 
such services. Where applicable, applicants must describe the 
arrangements that will be made to provide transportation assistance to 
participants and/or the reimbursement rate for transportation. To 
receive full credit, the applicant must also identify the source for 
providing such supportive services (6 points).
    Placement into Unsubsidized Employment. The applicants must:

--Describe the steps that will be taken to transition participants into 
unsubsidized employment.
--Include examples or anticipated content of the cooperative 
arrangements that will be made with the Workforce Investment Board and 
One-Stop centers to place participants into unsubsidized employment 
(OAA Sec.  502(b)(1)(O)).
--Describe placement follow-up efforts that will be utilized.

    Applicants must describe the procedures to be followed in 
developing assessments of participants, including assessing the job 
aptitudes, job readiness, and job preferences of participants, as well 
as their potential for transition into unsubsidized employment. 
Training should be related to the participant's assessment and IEP as 
well as to the unsubsidized employment goal. Training may also be 
developmental (i.e., the skills developed will enhance the 
participants' unsubsidized employment opportunities). Non-SCSEP 
applicants must describe how they will ensure that the assessment and 
IEP are adequate for the training opportunities developed and the 
intended unsubsidized placement.
    Applicants must describe how it will match participants to the 
appropriate employers and ensure that participants have the support 
they need to stay in their position, (i.e., provide the needed 
supportive services). Applicants must also indicate what is expected to 
be the average wage at placement (12 points).
    Work with Area Employers and New Work Modes. The applicant must 
describe how it plans to identify what the needs of area employers are, 
the skills in demand, how any skills gaps might be filled, the jobs 
expected to be available in the area, the strategies that it will use 
to provide participants with the skills needed by employers, and 
strategies it will use to match participants with employers. The 
applicant must use Labor Market Information and other resources to 
identify growth industries located in its areas of operation, in order 
to focus on them as a source of placement and must describe how it will 
obtain such information.
    Applicants must describe how they will utilize new work modes such 
as flex-place, flex-time, job sharing and reduced physical activity 
(OAA Sec.  502(e)(2)(A)). To receive full credit, applicants must 
describe how they will place participants in high growth industries 
such as healthcare, retail, manufacturing, construction, and/or 
transportation (12 points).
(C) Benefits to Employers (10 Points)
    Applicants must describe the benefits that employers will enjoy 
from participating in the program, how their needs will be addressed, 
and how the service strategy will prepare participants with the skills 
employers need from their employees. Applicants must identify their 
project's Expected Employment Rates (EER), and show how they can place 
their participants in an unsubsidized job, at a rate of 75 percent or 
above. The EER is calculated by dividing the number of participants 
placed in unsubsidized jobs by the total number of project 
participants. This calculation must be based upon the expected 
retention rate 6 months after placement (10 points).
(D) Staffing and Fiscal Oversight (30 Points)
    Staffing. The applicant must describe the management structure for 
the proposed project. The applicant must include a staffing plan or 
project organizational chart describing the relationship between the 
applicant and planned sub-grantees and/or key host agencies. The chart 
must identify staff with key management responsibilities and show their 
expected portion of time dedicated to the project (if less than 100 
percent). The applicant must include a brief description of its 
specific, relevant experience (and, as appropriate, the experience of 
significant sub-grantees) in serving senior populations, serving people 
with barriers to employment, and/or in administering other employment-
related or other Federal programs. The applicant must also include 
position descriptions and, if available, vitae for key staff in 
management and participant services (4 points).
    Program Oversight and Sub-grants. The applicant must describe its 
procedures for managing any proposed sub-grantees or contractors, 
including training providers, to ensure effective program operations. 
The applicant must provide, for example, an explanation of how it will 
ensure that adequate resources are made available for local level 
operations, and how it will establish a mechanism for the tracing of 
funds to a level of expenditure adequate to ensure that funds have been 
spent lawfully.
    The applicant must describe the methods and procedures to be used 
to monitor and evaluate project activities, sub-grantees, and 
contractors to determine if the project is being administered in 
accordance with Federal guidelines and regulations and if project goals 
and timetables are being met. Include in this explanation:

--How frequently monitoring/evaluation visits will be made to projects 
(generally local projects should be monitored no less than annually);
--Who will be responsible for monitoring/evaluation;
--What criteria will be used to monitor and evaluate project 
activities;
--What methods will be used to prescribe remedial action when 
necessary;
--What follow-up procedures will be used to ensure that any identified 
problem has been remedied; and
--How sub-grantee or project reports will be validated and made part of 
permanent files.

    If applicable, applicants that are considering utilizing sub-
grantees or sub-contractors are also required to submit the criteria 
they plan to use in selecting sub-grantees and sub-contractors. Such 
applicants must provide a timeframe for competing and/or awarding sub-
grants and sub-contracts, whether awarded competitively or non-
competitively, including the planned dates of the awards and 
performance (12 points).
    Cost Reasonableness. Average costs per participant are estimated to 
be $2,500. The applicant must justify any higher cost per participant. 
The cost per placement is the Federal cost divided by

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the number of participants. Applicants are required to address the 
following points:

--The expected cost per placement (total Federal cost of the project 
divided by the number of participants placed); and
--If provided, describe any in-kind donations, or contributions from 
states or the private sector (4 points).

    Financial Monitoring. Applicants must describe how the financial 
management system of sub-grantees and projects will be monitored, 
including:
--Who will be responsible for monitoring sub-grantee and affiliate 
expenditures;
--How frequently monitoring of expenditures will be done;
--How financial reports will be validated; and
--What follow-up procedures will be used (6 points).

    Audits. Applicants must describe coverage plans to audit projects 
as well as plans to audit the headquarters activities. The applicant 
must provide specific references to the most recent audit and include 
the name of the audit firm and the date of that audit (4 points).

Points Summary

(A) Program Design--Approach, Population(s) and Area(s) Served (30 
points)
(B) Participant Services and Unsubsidized Placements (30 points)
(C) Benefits to Employers (10 points)
(D) Staffing and Fiscal Oversight (30 points)
Total = 100 points

2. Review and Selection Process

    A technical review panel will evaluate applications against the 
rating criteria in Section V (1). Responding alone is not grounds 
enough for receiving a satisfactory score. Applications will be ranked 
based on the score assigned by the panel after careful evaluation by 
each panel member.
    The ranking will be the primary basis used to identify applicants 
as potential grantees. Proposals that do not merit a minimum score of 
80 out of 100 will not be considered for an award. The panels' 
conclusions are advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant 
Officer. In deciding whether to award a grant to an applicant, the 
Grant Officer will, when appropriate, also take into account the 
applicant's past performance in its prior Federal grants or contracts 
for the past three (3) years as it relates to the applicant's or its 
affiliate's demonstration of financial and administrative 
responsibility and program performance. The information the Grant 
Officer considers may include: (1) The applicant's level of cooperation 
with Grant Officer(s), the applicant's Federal technical 
representatives, and Federal auditors and investigators; and (2) the 
sufficiency of the administrative costs to sub-grantees, 
subcontractors, or other affiliates. (A list of the applicant's prior 
Federal grants and contracts must be attached to the proposal). The 
Department reserves the right to ask for clarification or to hold 
discussions, but is not obligated to do so. In awards without 
discussions, an award will be made on the applicant's signature on the 
SF 424, which constitutes a binding offer. The Department further 
reserves the right to select applicants out of rank order if such a 
selection would, in its opinion, result in: the most effective and 
appropriate combination of funding; the most effective administrative 
structure (i.e., whether the organization is simply passing through 
funds, or whether it is also providing oversight coordination, 
monitoring, etc., for accountability purposes); meeting program goals 
(i.e., serving the needs of: minorities, limited English speakers, 
Indian eligible individuals, those with poor employment prospects, and 
those of greatest economic need); and a broad distribution of 
geographical service areas. Such items may be negotiated before we 
award a grant. If the negotiations do not result in an acceptable 
submission, the Department has the right to decline to fund an 
applicant's proposal.

3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates

    Award decisions will be made no later than September 30, 2004.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    All award notifications will be posted on the ETA Homepage at 
http://www.doleta.gov. Grant awards will be made no later than 
September 30, 2004. Any applicant that is not selected as a potential 
grantee or whose application has been denied in part or in whole by the 
Department will be notified in writing by the Grant Officer.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Grantees must comply with the provisions of the Older Americans 
Act, as amended, and its implementing regulations, including the 
administrative standards and limitations on title V funds identified in 
20 CFR Part 641, subpart H (69 FR 19014). Additionally, all grants will 
be subject to the following administrative standards and provisions, if 
applicable to the particular grantee:
     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;
     29 CFR part 32--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Handicap 
In Programs and Activities Receiving or Benefiting from Federal 
Financial Assistance;
     29 CFR part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in 
Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the 
Department of Labor;
     29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the Non-discrimination 
and Equal Protection Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 
(WIA) (to the extent that grantees are One-Stop partners and 
participants in the One-Stop delivery system, see 29 CFR 37.4).
     29 CFR part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying;
     29 CFR part 95--Grants and Agreements with Institutions of 
Higher Education, Hospitals, and Other Non-Profit Organizations, and 
with Commercial Organizations, Foreign Governments, Organizations under 
the Jurisdiction of Foreign Governments, and International 
Organizations;
     29 CFR part 96--Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts 
and Other Agreements;
     29 CFR part 97--Uniform Administrative Requirements for 
Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments; and
     29 CFR part 98--Government-wide Debarment and Suspension 
(Non-procurement) and Government-wide Requirement for a Drug-Free 
Workplace.
    In accordance with 20 CFR 641.836, projects funded under this SGA 
may not involve political activities. Additionally, in accordance with 
Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Public Law 104-65 (2 
U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities covered by Section 501(c)(4), of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that engage in lobbying activities are 
not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. Further, this program 
is subject to the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 4215, as amended by the 
``Jobs for Veterans Act,'' Pub. L. 107-288, which 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 the Department of Labor. 
Please note that, to obtain priority of service, a veteran must meet 
the program's eligibility requirements. ETA Training

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and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 5-03 (September 16, 2003) 
provides general guidance on the scope of the veteran's priority 
statute and its effect on current employment and training programs. The 
TEGL can be found at: http://ows.doleta.gov/dmstree/tegl/tegl2K1/tegl_05-03.htm. The Department anticipates updating this guidance at the 
time of WIA reauthorization and issuing individual guidance on each 
affected employment and training program.

3. Reporting

    The Department wants to ensure that all eligible participants are 
well served by the grantees. It is strongly committed to a system-wide 
continuous improvement approach, based on quality principles and 
practices. Performance accountability ensures that the program is 
successful and that it is aligned with the One-Stop system and with the 
WIA performance measures. All selected applicants must agree to be 
evaluated on performance measures as a condition of the grant award 
(OAA Sec.  513(a)(5)).
    New performance measures will go into effect with the new SCSEP 
regulations, that were published on April 9, 2004. The Department 
intends to apply common measures to all its employment and training 
programs. The common measures are: (1) Entered employment; (2) 
retention; and (3) earnings increase. Please refer to Training and 
Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) number 7-01 for additional 
information and definitions for the common measures. TEGLs can be 
accessed on the DOL Web site at: http://www.ows.doleta.gov/dmstree/tegl/tegl2k1/tegl_07.01.htm. For purposes of the Section 502(e) 
program, the goal for unsubsidized placements is at least 75% of 
participants, although grantees should try to place 100% of the 
participants.
    The grantee may be asked to collect new data during this 
performance cycle. For the purposes of Section 502(e), grantees will 
report progress towards their goals on a quarterly basis, as part of 
their progress reports. If grantees also have a non-502(e) grant, they 
will submit a separate report for their Section 502(e) grants entitled 
``Private Sector Projects.'' Multiple private sector projects may be 
combined into one report. Other reports may be requested as needed.
    Applicants must have current computer technology and ensure that 
their organizations have the capability to link to the Internet. 
Reporting must be done through the EIMS system, accessed through the 
Internet. The Department will provide all of the necessary instructions 
to facilitate the grantee's access to the system.
Quarterly Progress Reports
    In accordance with 29 CFR 97.40 or 29 CFR 95.51, each grantee must 
submit a Senior Community Service Employment Program Quarterly Progress 
Report (QPR). This report must be prepared to coincide with the ending 
dates for Federal fiscal year quarters and must be submitted to the 
Department no later than 30 days after the end of the quarterly 
reporting period. If the grant period ends on a date other than the 
last day of a federal fiscal year quarter, the last quarterly report 
covering the entire grant period must be submitted no later than 30 
days after the ending date. The Department will provide the format and 
instructions for the preparation of this report.
Financial Status Reports
    The following financial reporting requirements apply to title V 
grants:

--An SF-269, Financial Status Report (FSR), must be submitted to the 
Department within 30 days after the ending of each quarter of the 
program year.
--A final FSR must be submitted within 90 days after the end of the 
grant.
--All FSRs must be prepared on an accrual basis.

    Should a current SCSEP grantee be a successful applicant, its 
Section 502(e) costs will be collected in a separate report. Progress 
reports will be required on a quarterly basis. The Department will 
provide the format for the quarterly progress report.

VI. Agency Contacts

    Questions should be faxed to Eric Luetkenhaus, Grant Officer, 
Division of Federal Assistance at (202) 693-2705 [This is not a toll 
free number]. All inquiries should include the SGA/DFA 04-102 and a 
contact name, fax and phone number. For more information contact Mr. 
Luetkenhaus at (202) 693-3109 [This is not a toll free number]. This 
solicitation will also be published on the Internet, on ETA's SCSEP 
homepage at http://www.doleta.gov/seniors, and the ETA homepage at 
http://www.doleta.gov.
    If assistance is needed, non-title V grantee applicants should fax 
questions on identifying existing SCSEP programs and location of 
current positions.

VIII. Other Information

Other Applicant Considerations

    An applicant may submit multiple proposed projects within a single 
proposal; however, the applicant must submit a separate budget for each 
project and the narrative in the technical proposal must sufficiently 
identify the services to be provided for each project. For instance, if 
an applicant proposes to run a computer-related training course and a 
separate furniture manufacturing training course, a separate budget 
must be submitted that identifies the costs associated with each 
training. The Department may choose to fund one or the other, or both. 
Proposals including multiple projects must comply with the 20 page 
limit for total proposal length (this is, all projects must be 
discussed within 20 pages).

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 28 day of May, 2004.
Emily Stover DeRocco,
Assistant Secretary of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Appendices

Appendix A: Application for Federal Assistance, Standard Form 424 SF-
424 In MS Word
Appendix B: Budget Information Sheet, Standard Form 424-A SF-424A In MS 
Word
Appendix C: Standard Form 424-A Clarifying Instructions
Appendix D: Assurances and Certifications Signature Page
Appendix E: OMB No. 1890-0014: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity For 
Applicants
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[FR Doc. 04-12896 Filed 6-7-04; 8:45 am]
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