[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 22 (Thursday, February 3, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5633-5637]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-415]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Overview 
Information; Projects With Industry; Notice Inviting Applications for 
New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005

    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.234R.

DATES: Applications Available: February 3, 2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 21, 2005.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 2005.
    Eligible Applicants: Employers, nonprofit agencies or 
organizations, designated State units, labor unions, community 
rehabilitation program providers, trade associations, Indian tribes, 
tribal organizations, and other agencies or organizations with the 
capacity to create and expand job and career opportunities for 
individuals with disabilities.
    In order to ensure an equitable distribution of funds among the 
States as required by statute, grant awards will be made only to 
organizations that provide job and career opportunities for individuals 
with disabilities within the State in which the organization is 
located. Only organizations that are located in the State where the 
organization applies to provide services will be considered for a 
grant.

[[Page 5634]]

    To further ensure the equitable distribution of funds, to the 
extent funds are available, grants will be awarded to those projects 
that propose to serve those unserved or underserved individuals with 
disabilities in States, portions of States, Indian tribes, or tribal 
organizations.
    Estimated Available Funds: $19,567,593.
    The estimated available funds will be used to support projects in 
FY 2005. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2006 from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 77.


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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Projects With Industry program creates and 
expands job and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities 
in the competitive labor market by engaging the talent and leadership 
of private industry as partners in the rehabilitation process. Projects 
identify competitive job and career opportunities and the skills needed 
to perform those jobs, create practical settings for job readiness and 
training programs, and provide job placements and career advancement 
services.
    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 795.
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 84, 85, 86, and 99. (b) The regulations for this program in 34 
CFR part 379.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.



    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $19,567,593.
    The estimated available funds will be used to support projects in 
FY 2005. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, the Secretary may make additional awards in FY 2006 from 
the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $200,000-$300,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 77.


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


    Project Period: Up to 36 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Employers, nonprofit agencies or 
organizations, designated State units, labor unions, community 
rehabilitation program providers, trade associations, Indian tribes, 
tribal organizations, and other agencies or organizations with the 
capacity to create and expand job and career opportunities for 
individuals with disabilities.
    In order to ensure an equitable distribution of funds among the 
States as required by statute, grant awards will be made only to 
organizations that provide job and career opportunities for individuals 
with disabilities within the State in which the organization is 
located. Only organizations that are located in the State where the 
organization applies to provide services will be considered for a 
grant.
    To further ensure the equitable distribution of funds, to the 
extent funds are available, grants will be awarded to those projects 
that propose to serve those unserved or underserved individuals with 
disabilities in States, portions of States, Indian tribes, or tribal 
organizations.
    2. Cost Sharing or Matching: See 34 CFR 379.40.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications 
Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll 
free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 
1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.234R.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
room 5075, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: 
(202) 245-7363. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339.
    2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements 
concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you 
must submit, are in the application package for this competition.
    3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: February 3, 
2005.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 21, 2005.
    Applications for grants under this competition must be submitted 
electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e-
Application) available through the Department's e-Grants system. For 
information (including dates and times) about how to submit your 
application electronically or by mail or hand delivery if you qualify 
for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, please refer 
to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice.
    We do not consider an application that does not comply with the 
deadline requirements.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 19, 2005.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about 
Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 
12372 is in the application package for this competition.
    5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
    6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under 
this competition must be submitted electronically, unless you qualify 
for an exception to this requirement in accordance with the 
instructions in this section.
    We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format 
unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify for one of 
the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written 
statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these 
exceptions. Further information regarding

[[Page 5635]]

calculation of the date that is two weeks before the application 
deadline date is provided later in this section under Exception to 
Electronic Submission Requirement.

a. Electronic Submission of Applications

    Applications for grants under the Projects With Industry program--
CFDA Number 84.234R must be submitted electronically using e-
Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, 
accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    While completing your electronic application, you will be entering 
data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an 
electronic copy of a grant application to us.
    Please note the following:
     You must complete the electronic submission of your grant 
application by 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application 
deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application 
for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do 
not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application 
process.
     The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site 
are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until 
midnight Saturday, Washington, DC time. Please note that the system is 
unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on 
Thursdays, Washington, DC time, for maintenance. Any modifications to 
these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site.
     You will not receive additional point value because you 
submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you 
if you quality for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit your 
application in paper format.
     You must submit all documents electronically, including 
the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget 
Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary 
assurances and certifications.
     Any narrative sections of your application should be 
attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF 
(Portable Document) format.
     Your electronic application must comply with any page 
limit requirements described in this notice.
     Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may 
wish to print a copy of it for your records.
     After you electronically submit your application, you will 
receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award 
number (an identifying number unique to your application).
     Within three working days after submitting your electronic 
application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control 
Center after following these steps:
    (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application.
    (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form.
    (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the 
hard-copy signature page of the ED 424.
    (4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at 
(202) 245-6272.
     We may request that you provide us original signatures on 
other forms at a later date.
    Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of e-Application System 
Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting 
your application on the application deadline date because the e-
Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of 
one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, 
by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if--
    (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have 
initiated an electronic application for this competition; and
    (2)(a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or 
more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, 
on the application deadline date; or
    (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time 
between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the 
application deadline date.
    We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability 
before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to 
confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may 
contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e-
Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore 
the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all 
registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions 
referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the 
Department's e-Application system.
    Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for an 
exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may submit your 
application in paper format, if you are unable to submit an application 
through the e-Application system because--
     You do not have access to the Internet; or
     You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to 
the Department's e-Application system; and
     No later than two weeks before the application deadline 
date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before the 
application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next business 
day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a written statement 
to the Department, explaining which of the two grounds for an exception 
prevent you from using the Internet to submit your application. If you 
mail your written statement to the Department, it must be postmarked no 
later than two weeks before the application deadline date. If you fax 
your written statement to the Department, we must receive the faxed 
statement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date.
    Address and mail or fax your statement to: Kerrie Brown, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5048, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. FAX: (202) 245-7593.
    Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with the 
mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you must mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a 
commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must mail 
the original and two copies of your application, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable 
following address:
    By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of 
Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.234R), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260; or
    By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, 
Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 
84.234R), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506.

[[Page 5636]]

    Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing 
consisting of one of the following:
    (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark,
    (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the 
U.S. Postal Service,
    (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial 
carrier, or
    (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the 
U.S. Department of Education.
    If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do 
not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:
    (1) A private metered postmark, or
    (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.
    If your application is postmarked after the application deadline 
date, we will not consider your application.


    Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated 
postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your 
local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery

    If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission 
requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper 
application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original 
and two copies of your application, by hand, on or before the 
application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: 
U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: 
(CFDA Number 84.234R), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center 
Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260.
    The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily 
between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Washington, DC time, except Saturdays, 
Sundays, and Federal holidays.
    Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail 
or hand deliver your application to the Department:
    (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the 
Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, 
if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your 
application.
    (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application 
receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant 
application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the 
application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of 
Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
in 34 CFR 75.210.
    2. Review and Selection Process: The procedures used for reviewing 
and selecting an application for an award are in 34 CFR 75.215 through 
75.222.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a 
final performance report, including financial information, as directed 
by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you must submit an 
annual performance report that provides the most current performance 
and financial expenditure information as specified by the Secretary in 
34 CFR 75.118 and 34 CFR part 379.
    4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance and 
Results Act (GPRA), the Department has established four performance 
measures for the Projects With Industry program. The measures are 
percentage of individuals served who were placed in competitive 
employment, average increase in weekly earnings experienced by 
individuals placed in competitive employment, percentage of previously 
unemployed individuals served who were placed in competitive 
employment, and cost per placement. Each grantee must submit an annual 
performance report documenting its success in addressing these 
performance measures, as well as the compliance indicators required by 
the program regulations in 34 CFR part 379, Subpart F.
    In addition, the Projects With Industry program is part of the 
Administration's job training and employment common measures 
initiative. The common measures for job training and employment 
programs targeting adults are--

entered employment (percentage of individuals employed in the first 
quarter after program exit); retention in employment (percentage of 
individuals employed in the first quarter after exit that were still 
employed in the second and third quarters after program exit); earnings 
increase (percentage change in earnings pre-registration to post-
program and first quarter after exit to third quarter after exit); and 
efficiency (annual cost per participant). The Department is currently 
working toward implementation of these common measures. Each grantee 
will be required to collect and report data for the common measures 
when implemented.

VII. Agency Contact

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kerrie Brown, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5048, Potomac Center Plaza, 
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7281 or by e-mail: 
[email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the program contact person listed in this 
section.

VIII. Other Information

    Electronic Access to This Document: You may view this document, as 
well as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the 
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in 
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.



[[Page 5637]]


    Dated: January 31, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and RehabilitativeServices.
 [FR Doc. E5-415 Filed 2-2-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P