[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 71 (Friday, April 13, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18670-18678]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7027]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Veterans' Employment and Training Service


Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP) National 
Technical Assistance Center Cooperative Agreement(s) for Program Year 
(PY) 2007 Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement(s) Solicitation 
07-08 Period of Performance is PY 2007, July 1, 2007 Through 
June 30, 2008

AGENCY: Veterans' Employment and Training Service, Department of Labor.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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DATES: Applications are due on May 14, 2007.
SUMMARY: (Applicants For a Cooperative Agreement Should Read This 
Notice In Its Entirety): The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), 
Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS), announces a 
cooperative agreement competition under 38 U.S.C. Section 2021, as 
added by Section 5 of Public Law 107-95, the Homeless Veterans 
Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (HVCAA). Section 2021 authorizes 
programs to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the 
labor force.
    In order to assist the USDOL-VETS in carrying out 38 U.S.C. 2021, 
it is announcing the availability of funds for a cooperative agreement 
to assist in developing a National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) 
for the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program (HVRP). The primary 
objective of the HVRP NTAC will be to provide general technical 
assistance on veterans' homelessness programs and issues to existing 
HVRP grantees (approximately 80 grantees nationwide), potential HVRP 
applicants, employers, Veterans Service Organizations, Federal, State, 
and local agency partners, non-profit organizations (including faith-
based and community organizations), the general public, and other 
interested stakeholders. Successful applicant(s) will assist USDOL-VETS 
by providing general technical assistance and guidance to eligible HVRP 
entities relating to assistance for homeless

[[Page 18671]]

veterans under the HVRP and related programs that assist homeless 
veterans.
    Applicants will also be responsible for developing, conducting, and 
documenting extensive outreach efforts to national, state, and local 
employers to increase their awareness of HVRP and its objectives in 
order to increase job opportunities for homeless veterans. Applicants 
will also be responsible for assisting USDOL-VETS by contacting current 
HVRP grantees in order to extract, document, and share at least 20 best 
HVRP practices with other HVRP grantees and potential applicants. 
Finally, applicants will assist USDOL-VETS by conducting general 
research and studies as determined by USDOL-VETS.
    Entities that are interested in assisting USDOL-VETS in providing 
technical assistance are to be aware that historically the HVRP 
annually receives thousands of nationwide inquiries via telephone, 
written correspondence, and e-mail concerning homeless veterans and 
HVRP in general. The awardee(s) will be responsible for answering 100 
percent of these technical assistance inquiries.
    Applicants are to be aware of and assist USDOL-VETS and their 
grantees in implementing the HVRP objectives: (1) To provide services 
to assist in reintegrating homeless veterans into meaningful employment 
within the labor force, and (2) to stimulate the development of 
effective service delivery systems that will address the complex 
problems facing homeless veterans.
    Under this solicitation for cooperative agreement(s) covering 
Program Year (PY) 2007, VETS anticipates that up to $500,000 will be 
available for a cooperative agreement award(s) up to a maximum total 
award of $500,000. Depending on the quality and content of the 
applications received, USDOL-VETS expects to award one (1) to (2) 
cooperative agreements. This notice contains all of the necessary 
information and forms to apply for funding. The period of performance 
for this PY 2007 cooperative agreement(s) will be July 1, 2007 through 
June 30, 2008. Two (2) optional years of additional funding may be 
available, depending upon Congressional appropriations, the agency's 
decision to exercise the optional year(s) of funding, and awardee(s) 
satisfactory technical and financial performance.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), Veterans' Employment and 
Training Service (VETS), announces a cooperative agreement competition 
under 38 U.S.C. Section 2021, as added by Section 5 of Public Law 107-
95, the Homeless Veterans Comprehensive Assistance Act of 2001 (HVCAA). 
Section 2021 authorizes programs to expedite the reintegration of 
homeless veterans into the labor force. In order to assist the USDOL-
VETS in carrying out 38 U.S.C. 2021, it is announcing the availability 
of funds for a cooperative agreement to assist in developing a National 
Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) for the Homeless Veterans' 
Reintegration Program (HVRP). The HVRP NTAC primary objective will to 
provide general technical assistance and guidance to existing HVRP 
grantees (approximately 80 grantees nationwide), potential HVRP 
applicants, employers, Veterans Service Organizations, Federal, State, 
and local agency partners, non-profit organizations (including faith-
based and community organizations), the general public, and other 
interested stakeholders seeking information on veterans' homelessness 
programs, issues, concerns, and referrals for additional information 
and assistance.
    This USDOL-VETS cooperative agreement(s) anticipates substantial 
involvement between USDOL-VETS and the awardee(s) during the 
performance of this project. Involvement will include collaboration and 
participation by USDOL-VETS in the overall direction of the project 
throughout the period of the award(s). The USDOL-VETS will provide 
expertise and guidance in decisions involving strategic planning 
(including development of a proactive plan to deliver technical 
assistance to existing HVRP grantees), allocation of resources, key 
personnel decisions, development and revision of public information 
materials, and analysis and implementation of evaluation findings.

1. Program Concept and Emphasis

    In order to increase the quality and quantity of HVRP applications 
received, U.S. DOL-VETS will provide successful applicant(s) with 
general guidelines on how to gather and electronically disseminate 
technical assistance and guidance to eligible HVRP entities. In order 
to assist and increase capacity building of existing HVRP grantees, 
successful applicant(s) will be responsible for instructing and 
assisting current HVRP grantees on identifying additional funding 
resources for similar and/or complimentary homeless veterans programs.
    Guidance will be provided to successful awardee(s) as they assist 
USDOL-VETS by developing, conducting, and documenting extensive 
outreach efforts to national, state, and local employers to increase 
their awareness of HVRP and its objectives in order to potentially 
increase job opportunities for homeless veterans.
    Guidance will be provided to successful awardee(s) as they assist 
USDOL-VETS by interviewing current HVRP grantees (via face-to-face, 
telephone, written correspondence, or e-mail communications) in order 
to extract, document, publish, and share their best practices with 
other HVRP grantees and potential HVRP grantees.
    Entities that are interested in assisting USDOL-VETS in providing 
technical assistance are to be aware that historically the HVRP 
receives several thousand nationwide inquiries yearly via telephone, 
written correspondence, and e-mail concerning homeless veterans and 
HVRP in general. The awardee(s) will be responsible for answering 100 
percent of these technical assistance inquiries.
    In order to provide timely information and updates, it is 
recommended that successful applicant(s) have an Internet-based Web 
site (or develop a website within 30 calendar days of receiving an 
award) with clearly stated information relative to homelessness, 
veterans, and homeless veterans' issues, concerns. Successful 
applicant(s) will plan to gather and electronically disseminate 
technical assistance information through this Web site and identify 
additional resources for assistance that can be readily assessed by 
current HVRP grantees, potential applicants, Veterans Service 
Organizations, non-profit organizations (including faith-based and 
community organizations), Federal, State, and local agency partners, 
the general public, and other interested stakeholders. USDOL-VETS will 
provide suggestions and guidance to the awardee(s) the structure and 
content of the website and will seek authorization to link to the 
successful awardee(s) webpage directly from the USDOL-VETS Web page at 
http://www.dol.gov/vets as a resource for HVRP technical assistance 
purposes.
    Applicants are to assist USDOL-VETS in implementing the HVRP 
objectives: (1) To provide services to assist in reintegrating homeless 
veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force, and (2) to 
stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems 
addressing the complex problems facing homeless veterans.

2. Scope and Program Design

    Successful applicants will assist U.S. DOL-VETS in improving the 
awareness of HVRP and increasing the quality of the general technical 
assistance

[[Page 18672]]

provided to existing HVRP grantees. Successful applicants will assist 
U.S. DOL-VETS in providing outreach to national, state, and local 
employers for the purpose of increasing employer awareness of the HVRP 
and its objectives in order to increase job opportunities for homeless 
veterans. Successful applicants will assist USDOL-VETS by interviewing 
existing HVRP grantees in an effort to extract at least twenty (20) 
HVRP best practices and summarize their efforts in Word or WordPerfect 
format to be accessible at both the applicants and the U.S. DOL-VETS 
Web sites.
    Successful applicant(s) must plan to support the travel and 
associated costs of sending at least one (1) representative to periodic 
meetings with USDOL-VETS staff in Washington, DC (at least twice per 
year). Successful applicant(s) will assist U.S. DOL-VETS by planning to 
attend and provide general HVRP information at conference(s) sponsored 
by the USDOL-VETS and other USDOL agency partners such as the 
Employment and Training Administration, the Office of Disability 
Employment Policy, Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, and 
other federal agency partners such as the Department of Veterans' 
Affairs, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Department of 
Health and Human Services, and various other social service provider 
organizations that target similar grantees that provide services to 
homeless persons, veterans, and homeless veterans.

II. Award Information

1. Type of Funding Instrument

    Successful applicant(s) will be granted a one (1) year cooperative 
agreement award with optional funding for an additional two (2) years 
depending on successful performance and the availability of funds.

    Note: Selection of an organization as an awardee(s) does not 
constitute final approval of the application and budget as 
submitted. Before or shortly after the actual cooperative agreement 
is awarded, USDOL may enter into negotiations about such items as 
program components, staffing, and funding levels, and administrative 
systems in place to support the cooperative agreement 
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 or 
terminate the award.

    2. Funding Levels: The total funding available for this Cooperative 
Agreement(s) to assist USDOL-VETS in developing a National Technical 
Assistance Center for HVRP purposes is up to $500,000. Depending on the 
quality and content of the applications received, it is anticipated 
that one (1) or two (2) awards will be made under this solicitation. 
Awards are expected to range from $75,000 to a maximum of $500,000. The 
Department of Labor reserves the right to negotiate the amounts to be 
awarded under this competition. Please be advised that proposals will 
be evaluated in part on cost/value and that requests exceeding $500,000 
will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. If there 
are any residual programmatic funds, the Department of Labor reserves 
the right to select for funding the next highest scoring applicant(s) 
on the competitive list developed for this solicitation up to one (1) 
year after the initial performance period begins or June 30, 2008.
    3. Period of Performance: The period of performance will be for the 
twelve (12) month period of July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, unless 
modified in writing by the Grant Officer. It is expected that 
successful applicant(s) will begin program operations under this 
solicitation on July 1, 2007. All program funds must be obligated by 
June 30, 2008; a limited amount of funds may be obligated and reserved 
for any follow-up activities and closeout.
    4. Optional Year Funding: Should Congress appropriate additional 
funds for HVRP purposes, VETS may consider up to two (2) additional 
years of optional funding. The Government does not, however, guarantee 
optional year funding for any awardee(s). In deciding whether to 
exercise any optional year(s) of funding, VETS will consider awardee(s) 
performance during the previous period of operations as follows:
    A. The awardee(s) will be responsible for providing timely 
responses (within 5 working days) to at least 85% of all the technical 
assistance inquiries received and within 10 working days for the 
remaining 15% of inquiries received.
    B. The awardee(s) must have complied with all terms identified in 
the Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement(s), award document, and 
General and Special Provisions; and
    C. All program and fiscal reports must have been submitted to the 
Grant Officer Technical Representative by the established due dates and 
the awardee(s) must verify these reports for accuracy purposes.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: Applications for funds will be accepted 
from non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community 
organizations.
     If claiming 501(c)(3) status, the Internal Revenue Service 
statement indicating 501(c)(3) status approval must be submitted.
     However, entities organized under Section 501(c)(4) of the 
Internal Revenue Code are not eligible to receive funds under this 
announcement. Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Public 
Law 104-65, 109 Stat. 691 (2 U.S.C. 1611) prohibits instituting an 
award, grant, or loan of federal funds to 501(c)(4) entities that 
engage in lobbying.
    2. Cost Sharing: Cost sharing and matching funds are not required.

3. Other Eligibility Criteria

    Legal rules pertaining to inherently religious activities by 
organization that receive Federal Financial Assistance. Neutral, non-
religious criteria that neither favor nor disfavor religion will be 
employed in the selection of award recipient(s) and must be employed by 
awardee(s). The government is generally prohibited from providing 
direct financial assistance for inherently religious activities. These 
award funds may not be used for religious instruction, worship, prayer, 
proselytizing or their inherently religious activities. In this 
context, the term direct financial assistance means financial 
assistance that is provided directly by a government entity or an 
intermediate organization, as opposed to financial assistance that an 
organization receives as the result of the genuine and independent 
private choice of a beneficiary. In other contexts, the term ``direct'' 
financial assistance may be used to refer to financial assistance that 
an organization receives directly from the Federal government (also 
known as ``discretionary'' assistance), as opposed to assistance that 
it receives from a State or local government (also known as 
``indirect'' or ``block'' grant assistance). The term ``direct'' has 
the former meaning throughout this paragraph.

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Address to Request an Application and Amendments: This 
Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement(s), together with its 
attachments, includes all the information needed to apply. Additional 
application packages and amendments to this solicitation may be 
obtained from the VETS Web site address at http://www.dol.gov/vets, the 
Federal Grant Opportunities Web site address at http://www.grants.gov, 
and from the Federal Register Web site address at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html. The Federal Register may also be 
obtained from your nearest

[[Page 18673]]

government office or library. Additional copies of the standard forms 
can be downloaded from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/grants_forms.html.
    All applications must be addressed to: Department of Labor, 
Procurement Services Center, Attention: Cassandra Mitchell, Reference 
Solicitation 07-08, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, 
Washington, DC 20210, Phone Number: (202) 693-4570 (this is not a toll-
free number).
     Applicants are encouraged to apply online at 
www.grants.gov. Applicants submitting proposals online are requested to 
refrain from mailing a hard copy application as well. It is strongly 
recommended that applicants using www.grants.gov immediately initiate 
and complete the ``Get Started'' registration steps at http://www.grants.gov/GetStarted. These steps may take multiple days to 
complete, and this time should be factored into plans for electronic 
submission in order to avoid facing unexpected delays that could result 
in the rejection of an application. If submitting electronically 
through www.grants.gov it would be appreciated if the application 
submitted is saved as .doc, .pdf, or .txt files.
     Except as provided in Section IV.3., any application 
received after the deadline will be considered as non-responsive and 
will not be evaluated.
    2. Content and Form of Application: The application must include 
the name, address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address (if 
applicable) of a key contact person at the applicant's organization in 
case questions should arise. To be considered responsive to this 
solicitation the application must consist of three (3) separate and 
distinct sections: the Executive Summary, the Technical Proposal, and 
the Cost Proposal. The information provided in these three (3) sections 
is essential to demonstrate an understanding of the programmatic and 
fiscal contents of the cooperative agreement proposal(s).
    A complete application packages must not exceed 50 single-sided 
pages (8\1/2\'' x 11''), double-spaced, 12-point font, typed pages (all 
attachments are included in the 50 page maximum). Any pages over the 
50-page limit will not be read or evaluated. Major sections and sub-
sections of the application must be divided and clearly identified 
(e.g. with tab dividers), and all pages must be numbered. To be 
considered responsive, cooperative agreement applications must include:
     An original, blue ink-signed, and two (2) copies of the 
cover letter.
     An original and two (2) copies of the Executive Summary 
(see below).
     An original and two (2) copies of the Technical Proposal 
[see below]
     An original and two (2) copies of the Cost Proposal (see 
below) that includes an original, blue ink-signed, Application for 
Federal Assistance, SF-424 (Appendix A), a Budget Narrative, Budget 
Information Sheet SF-424A (Appendix B), an original, blue ink-signed, 
Assurances and Certifications Signature Page (Appendix C), a Direct 
Cost Description for Applicants and Sub-applicants (Appendix E), a 
completed Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants (Appendix 
F), and the applicant's specific financial and/or audit statement dated 
within the last 18 months (audit and financial statements do not count 
towards the 50 page limitation).
    A. Section 1--Executive Summary: A one to two page ``Executive 
Summary'' reflecting the applicant's proposed overall strategy, 
timeline, and outcomes to be achieved in their cooperative agreement 
proposal is required. The Executive Summary should include:
     An overview of the applicant's proposed plan to assist 
U.S. DOL-VETS in implementing a nation-wide technical assistance 
strategy and employer outreach effort, program design, process, 
methods, and proposed projects in providing technical assistance and 
information to various entities.
     The applicant's experience in providing technical 
assistance and guidance on a nation-wide basis to assist homeless 
veterans or a similar group of persons.
     Describe the measures of success for the plan. A summary 
of anticipated outcomes, goals, number of technical assistance 
responses provided, outreach methods, number of employers provided HVRP 
information, customers served, cost effectiveness, results-oriented 
model, benefits, and value added by the project.
    B. Section 2--Technical Proposal must not exceed 15 pages of 
single-sided 12-pitch font and one inch left, right, top, and bottom 
margins and does count towards the 50 page maximum.
    Required Content: Applicants must be responsive to the Rating 
Criteria contained in Section V(1) and address all of the rating 
factors as thoroughly as possible in the narrative in order to be found 
technically acceptable under this solicitation. The technical proposal 
consists of a narrative proposal that demonstrates and describes the 
methodologies used in assisting U.S. DOL-VETS in implementing and 
managing technical assistance provided for HVRP purposes; in 
extracting, gathering, documenting, and publicizing twenty (20) HVRP 
grantee best practices; in assisting USDOL-VETS by developing and 
implementing a nation-wide employer outreach component to inform 
employers about HVRP in order to increase employment opportunities for 
homeless veterans. Applicants will indicate their availability and 
capability to assisting USDOL-VETS by conducting general research and 
studies as determined by USDOL-VETS.
    The applicant(s) must describe: Organizational capability to 
provide required program activities including: key staff skills, 
experience, biographies, history, knowledge, qualifications, and 
capabilities; office locations, and organizational chart providing 
similar information. It is preferred that the awardee(s) be a well-
established social service provider to veterans, homeless individuals, 
homeless veterans, or other similar type participants and not in the 
initial start-up phase or process. The applicant's relevant current and 
prior experience (within the last three-year period) in operating 
technical assistance grants, cooperative agreements, and/or contracts 
is to be clearly described, if applicable.
    Measures of Success--Applicants must describe the measures of 
success for the proposed plan. Applicants must describe their proposed 
outcomes, goals, number served, result-oriented model, feedback 
mechanism, performance accountability, evaluation and improvement, and 
the proposed system to monitor the implementation of program activities 
and achievement of stated project objectives.
    C. Section 3--The Cost Proposal must contain the following: 
Applicants can expect that the cost proposal will be reviewed to ensure 
that the costs proposed are allocable, allowable, and reasonable. The 
cost proposal must contain:
    (1) Standard Form SF-424, ``Application for Federal Assistance'' 
(with the original signed in blue-ink) (Appendix A) must be completed;
    The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this program 
is 17.805 and it must be entered on the SF-424, in Block 11.
    The organizational unit section of Block 8 of the SF-424 must 
contain the Dun and Bradstreet Number (DUNS) of the applicant. 
Beginning October 1, 2003, all applicants for Federal funding 
opportunities are required to include a DUNS number with their 
application. See OMB Notice of Final Policy Issuance, 68 FR 38402 (June 
27, 2003). Applicants' DUNS number is to be entered into Block 8 of SF-
424. The DUNS number is a nine-digit identification number that 
uniquely

[[Page 18674]]

identifies business entities. There is no charge for obtaining a DUNS 
number. To obtain a DUNS number call 1-866-705-5711 or access the 
following Web site: http://www.dunandbradstreet.com/. Requests for 
exemption from the DUNS number requirement must be made to the Office 
of Management and Budget. If no DUNS number is provided then the 
application will be considered non-responsive.
    (2) Standard Form SF-424A ``Budget Information Sheet'' (Appendix B) 
must be included;
    (3) As an attachment to SF-424A, the applicant must provide a 
detailed cost breakout of each line item on the Budget Information 
Sheet. Please label this page or pages the ``Budget Narrative'' and 
ensure that costs reported on the SF-424A correspond accurately with 
the Budget Narrative;
    The Budget Narrative must include, at a minimum:
     Personnel Costs--Applicants must provide a breakout of all 
personnel costs by position, title, annual salary rates, and percent of 
time of each position to be devoted to the proposed project by 
completing the ``Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and Sub-
Applicants'' form (Appendix E);
     Fringe Benefits--Applicants must provide an explanation 
and breakout of fringe benefit rates and associated charges that exceed 
35% of salaries and wages;
     Explanation of Costs and Methodologies--Applicants must 
provide an explanation of the purpose and composition of, and 
methodology used to derive the costs of each of the following: 
Personnel costs, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, 
contracts, and any other costs. The applicant must include costs of any 
required travel described in this Solicitation. Planned travel 
expenditures may not exceed 20% of the total HVRP funds requested. 
Mileage charges may not exceed 48.5 cents per mile or the current 
Federal rate;
     Equipment Purchases--Applicants must provide 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.
     Other Funds--Applicants must describe other funding 
sources to include matching funds, leveraged funds, and in-kind 
services. Matching funds are not required for this HVRP-NTAC 
cooperative agreement(s). When resources such as matching funds, 
leveraged funds, and/or the value of in-kind contributions are made 
available, please describe in Section B of the Budget Information 
Sheet.
    (4) A completed Assurance and Certification signature page 
(Appendix C) (signed in blue ink) must be submitted;
    (5) A completed Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and Sub-
Applicants (Appendix D) must be submitted;
    (6) All applicants must submit evidence of satisfactory financial 
management capability, which must include recent (within the last 18 
months) program-specific financial and/or audit statements (does not 
count towards the 50 page limitation). All successful awardee(s) are 
required to utilize Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP), 
maintain a separate accounting for these cooperative agreement funds, 
and have a checking account;
    (7) All applicants must include, as a separate appendix, a list of 
all employment and training related government grants, cooperative 
agreements, and contracts that they have had in the past three (3) 
years, including grant/contract officer contact information. VETS 
reserves the right to have a USDOL representative review and verify 
this data;
    (8) A completed Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants 
(Appendix F) must be provided.
    3. Submission Dates and Times (Acceptable Methods of Submission): 
Application packages must be received at the designated place by the 
date and time specified or it will not be considered. Any application 
received at the Office of Procurement Services after 5 p.m. ET, May 14, 
2007, will not be considered unless it is received before the award is 
made and:
     It is determined by the Government that the late receipt 
was due solely to mishandling by the Government after receipt at the 
U.S. Department of Labor at the address indicated; or
     It was sent by registered or certified mail not later than 
the fifth calendar day before May 14, 2007; or
     It was sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service--Post Office to Addressee, not later than 5 p.m. at the place 
of mailing two (2) working days, excluding weekends and Federal 
holidays, prior to May 14, 2007.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by registered or certified mail is the U.S. 
Postal Service postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on the original 
receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. If the postmark is not legible, 
an application received after the above closing time and date will be 
processed as if mailed late. ``Postmark'' means a printed, stamped or 
otherwise placed impression (not a postage meter machine impression) 
that is readily identifiable without further action as having been 
applied and affixed by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service on the 
date of mailing. Therefore applicants should request that the postal 
clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' postmark on both 
the receipt and the envelope or wrapper. Applications cannot be 
accepted by e-mail or facsimile machine.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the date of mailing of a 
late application sent by U.S. Postal Service Express Mail Next Day 
Service--Post Office to Addressee is the date entered by the Post 
Office clerk on the ``Express Mail Next Day Service--Post Office to 
Addressee'' label and the postmark on the envelope or wrapper and on 
the original receipt from the U.S. Postal Service. ``Postmark'' has the 
same meaning as defined above. Therefore, applicants should request 
that the postal clerk place a legible hand cancellation ``bull's-eye'' 
postmark on both the receipt and the envelope or wrapper.
    The only acceptable evidence to establish the time of receipt at 
the U.S. Department of Labor is the date/time stamp of the Procurement 
Services Center on the application wrapper or other documentary 
evidence or receipt maintained by that office. Applications sent by 
other delivery services, such as Federal Express, UPS, etc., will also 
be accepted.
    All applicants are advised that U.S. mail delivery in the 
Washington, DC area has been erratic due to security concerns. All 
applicants must take this into consideration when preparing to meet the 
application deadline, as you assume the risk for ensuring a timely 
submission, that is, if, because of these mail problems, the Department 
does not receive an application or receives it too late to give proper 
consideration, even if it was timely mailed, the Department is not 
required to consider the application.
    4. Intergovernmental Review: Not Applicable.
    5. Funding Restrictions:
    A. Proposals exceeding $500,000 will be considered non-responsive 
and will not be evaluated.
    B. Pre-award costs will not be reimbursed unless specifically 
agreed upon in writing by the Department of Labor.
    C. Entities described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue 
Code that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive 
funds under this announcement because Section 18 of

[[Page 18675]]

the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, Public Law No. 104-65, 109 Stat. 
691, prohibits the award of Federal funds to these entities.
D. Limitations on Administrative and Indirect Costs
     Administrative costs, which consist of all direct and 
indirect costs associated with the supervision and management of the 
program, are limited to and may not exceed 20% of the total cooperative 
agreement award. Indirect costs claimed by the applicant must be based 
on a federally approved rate. A copy of the current negotiated approved 
and signed indirect cost negotiation agreement must be submitted with 
the application. Furthermore, indirect costs are considered a part of 
administrative costs for HVRP purposes and, therefore, may not exceed 
20% of the total cooperative agreement award. If the applicant does not 
presently have an approved indirect cost rate, a proposed rate with 
justification may be submitted. Successful applicants will be required 
to negotiate an acceptable and allowable rate within 90 days of 
cooperative agreement award with the appropriate USDOL Regional Office 
of Cost Determination or with the applicant's cognizant agency for 
indirect cost rates (See Office of Management and Budget Web site at: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/attach.html.

V. Application Review Information

    Cooperative Agreement applications will be evaluated on the 
applicant's capability to perform the work, technical approach, 
individual staff experience and qualifications, and applicant's past 
performance as described below in Section V.1. Based on these 
evaluations, a Competitive Range consisting of the most highly rated 
proposals will be established.
    Applicants are advised that the Grant Officer will make the 
selection of award(s) for a cooperative agreement after a careful 
evaluation of the proposals by a panel of evaluators chosen by USDOL-
VETS and the Grant Officer. Each panelist will evaluate the proposals 
for technical acceptability using a range of scores assigned to each 
factor as described below in Section V.1. The scores for each area in 
Section V.I. below will then be added and ranked in numerical order. 
The grant review panel will score each applicant's proposal based on 
the grant applicant's responses to the overall requirements as outlined 
in this Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement(s) and the selection 
criteria in Section V.I., and recommend a proposal(s) based on the 
highest score.
    1. Application Evaluation Criteria: Applications may receive up to 
100 total points based on the following criteria:
    A. Applicant's Overall Plan and Capability to assist USDOL-VETS by 
developing and maintaining a HVRP National Technical Assistance Center 
under a Cooperative Agreement (30 points)
    The Government will evaluate each applicant's overall plan and 
capability to assist USDOL-VETS by developing and maintaining a HVRP 
National Technical Assistance Center on the basis of its proposed 
strategy for providing technical assistance on a nation-wide or similar 
basis. In making this evaluation, the government will consider an 
applicant's: (1) Knowledge of the content of the work in terms of 
constituent activities, their inputs and outputs, and their 
interrelationships and interdependencies; (2) recognition of the 
appropriate sequence and realistic duration of the work activities; (3) 
knowledge of the appropriate types of resources required to perform the 
work activities; (4) familiarity with the difficulties, uncertainties, 
and risks associated with the work; and (5) knowledge of the personnel 
qualifications necessary to the performance of the work.
    B. Technical Approach (25 points).
    The applicant's technical approach should reflect a clear 
understanding of the HVRP program and innovative approaches in 
assisting the USDOL-VETS in successful accomplishment of all phases of 
this Solicitation for Cooperative Agreement(s), specifically, 
operational plan, design, implementation, project management and 
monitoring, and reporting. The applicant should demonstrate a clear 
understanding of each phase, task, and subtask.
    The Government will evaluate the applicant's knowledge and ability, 
based upon a clear understanding and articulation of the components of 
the HVRP, to assist U.S. DOL-VETS in promoting awareness of the HVRP in 
a positive, knowledgeable manner to other social service providers, 
local, state, and national employers, as well as to the general public. 
Applicants must provide a description of approaches (with examples) 
that the applicant would use in assisting U.S. DOL-VETS in developing 
and implementing a National Technical Assistance Center for HVRP 
purposes. The applicant must demonstrate active communications and 
strong relationships with other organizations providing services to 
veterans and homeless veterans or other similar type group of persons.
    The Government will review the following factors:
     The applicant's proposed work plan addresses all of the 
tasks and subtasks listed in this Solicitation for Cooperative 
Agreement(s).
     The applicant's proposed sequencing, scheduling, and 
timely completion of tasks/subtasks by phases demonstrates an 
understanding of the objectives and the applicant's critical role in 
assisting the government in implementation of the HVRP objectives.
     The applicants' understanding of its role in assisting 
USDOL-VETS in providing general technical assistance and guidance to 
HVRP grantees, potential applicants, Veterans Service Organizations, 
non-profit organizations (including faith-based and community 
organizations), other federal agencies, the general public, and other 
interested stakeholders.
     The applicant's understanding of its role in relation to 
parties other than USDOL-VETS federal and contractor staff, i.e., 
employers, organizations that support veterans, State Workforce 
Agencies, the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program and Local Veterans' 
Employment Representative staff, Workforce Development programs, and 
other USDOL-VETS contractors and consultants.
    C. Individual Staff Experience and Qualifications (25 points).
    This section of the proposal must provide sufficient information to 
judge the quality and competence of staff proposed to assist USDOL-VETS 
in developing and maintaining the National Technical Assistance Center 
for HVRP purposes and to assure that it meets the required 
qualifications. Successful applicants will have staff that already 
possess (or are capable of acquiring within a short time period) 
knowledge of homeless veterans, the HVRP program, and other related 
programs for veterans and homeless veterans (such as: The Department of 
Veterans Affairs Grants and Per Diem Programs, Department of Housing 
and Urban Development grant programs and their Continuums of Care, 
Stand Down Events, etc.). The proposal must include the current 
employment status of personnel proposed to work under this cooperative 
agreement, i.e., whether these personnel are currently employed by the 
applicant or whether their employment is dependent upon award and 
planned recruitment.
    The Government, in its evaluation of the applicant's proposal, will 
place considerable emphasis on the applicant's commitment of personnel 
qualified for the work involved in accomplishing the assigned tasks.

[[Page 18676]]

Accordingly, the following information must be furnished:
    1. The names of the proposed Project Director and other staff to be 
assigned under this Cooperative Agreement;
    2. A resume for all professional personnel which must include the 
individual's current employment status and previous work experience, 
including position title, dates in position, duties performed, 
employing organization, education, and training.
    D. Applicant's Past Performance (20 Points).
    Successful applicants must describe their past experience in 
providing technical assistance on a nation-wide basis (or similar 
basis) concerning the homeless veteran population, the HVRP program, 
Stand Down Events, and/or other similar type programs for veterans and 
homeless veterans or other similar type persons. Applicants must 
describe their role, duties, and responsibilities and to what extent 
they were involved in providing technical assistance on a nation-wide 
(or similar basis) on programs for veterans, homeless veterans, or 
other similar type persons. The application review panel and the Grant 
Officer will determine the relevance and extent of past performance 
information provided by each applicant.

2. Review and Selection Process

    Applications will be reviewed by a Department of Labor application 
review panel using the point scoring system specified above in Section 
V(1). The application review panel will assign a score after 
objectively and carefully evaluating each responsive application and 
all responsive applications will be ranked based on this score. The 
ranking will be the primary means of identifying applicants as 
potential awardee(s). The application review panel will establish a 
competitive range, based upon the proposal evaluation, for the purpose 
of selecting qualified applicants. For this solicitation, the minimum 
acceptable score for consideration is 70, but the competitive range may 
be set higher.
    The Grant Officer will make a final selection based on the 
application review panel findings and application scores. The 
application review panel's findings and recommendations are solely 
advisory in nature and not binding on the Grant Officer.
    A cost realism analysis will be performed by the application review 
panel. The purpose of this analysis is to screen all applicant cost 
proposals to ensure expenses are allocable, allowable, and reasonable. 
Determinations of allowable costs will be made in accordance with the 
applicable Federal cost principles, e.g., Non-Profit Organizations--OMB 
Circular A-122. Unallowable costs are those charges to an award that a 
grantor agency or its representatives determine are not to be allowed 
in accordance with the applicable Federal Cost Principles or other 
conditions contained in the cooperative agreement award. If the 
application review panel concludes that the cost proposal contains an 
expense(s) that is not allocable, allowable, and/or reasonable, they 
will inform the Grant Officer and he/she may request a revision to the 
application.
    The Government reserves the right to ask the applicant for 
clarification on any aspect of the cooperative agreement application. 
The Grant Officer may consult with Department of Labor staff on any 
potential awardee(s) concerns. The Grant Officer's determination for 
award under this solicitation is the final agency action.
Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
    Announcement of this award is expected to occur by June 20, 2007. 
The cooperative agreement(s) will be awarded by no later than July 1, 
2007.

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

    A. The Notice of Award signed by the Grant Officer is the 
authorizing document and will be provided through postal mail and/or by 
electronic means to the authorized representative listed on the SF-424 
Application for Federal Assistance. Notice that an organization has 
been selected as an award recipient does not constitute final approval 
of the application and budget as submitted. Before the actual 
cooperative agreement award, the Grant Officer and/or the Grant 
Officer's Technical Representative may enter into negotiations 
concerning such items as program components, funding levels, and 
administrative systems. If the negotiations do not result in an 
acceptable submittal, the Grant Officer reserves the right to terminate 
the negotiation and decline to fund the proposal.
    B. A post-award conference will be held within forty-five (45) days 
of the cooperative agreement award(s) in Washington, DC with the USDOL-
VETS Grant Officer Technical Representative. The associated travel 
costs for this one (1) day meeting is to be included as a part of the 
applicant's budget proposal. Both program and administrative matters 
will be reviewed and discussed.
    Successful cooperative agreement awardee(s) are required to budget 
and plan to attend the post-award conference for all grantees awarded 
PY 2007 HVRP funds through another competition under SGA 07-07 
and for those HVRP grantees awarded second and third optional year 
funding. The applicant(s) awarded a cooperative agreement to assist the 
USDOL-VETS in developing and maintaining the National Technical 
Assistance Center for HVRP purposes must attend and participate in the 
National HVRP Post-Award Training Conference that is expected to be 
held in August 2007. The site of the National HVRP Post-Award Training 
Conference has not yet been determined, however, for planning and 
budgeting purposes, applicants should allot four (4) days and use 
Denver, CO as the potential conference site. The successful awardee(s) 
are to propose a plan to develop and deliver specific training, with 
prior USDOL-VETS approval, at the National HVRP Post-Award Training 
Conference. Costs associated with attending this conference for up to 
three (3) awardee representatives will be allowed as long as they are 
incurred in accordance with Federal travel regulations.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    All awardee(s) must comply with the provisions of Title 38 U.S.C. 
and its regulations, as applicable.
A. Administrative Program Requirements
    All awardee(s), including faith-based organizations, will be 
subject to applicable Federal laws (including provisions of 
appropriations law), regulations, and the applicable Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars. The successful awardee(s) under 
this Solicitation for a Cooperative Agreement will be subject to the 
following administrative standards and provisions, if applicable:
     29 CFR part 2--General Participation in Department of 
Labor Programs by Faith-Based and Community Organizations; Equal 
Treatment of All Department of Labor Program Participants and 
Beneficiaries.
     29 CFR part 30--Equal Employment Opportunity in 
Apprenticeship and Training.
     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 or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance.
     29 CFR part 33--Enforcement of Nondiscrimination on the 
Basis of

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Handicap in Programs or Activities Conducted by the Department of 
Labor.
     29 CFR part 35--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Age in 
Programs and Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance from the 
Department of Labor.
     29 CFR part 36--Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in 
Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Assistance.
     29 CFR part 37--Implementation of the Nondiscrimination 
and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 
1998.
     29 CFR part 93--New Restrictions on Lobbying.
     29 CFR part 94--Government-wide Requirements for Drug-Free 
Workplace (Financial Assistance).
     29 CFR part 95--Grants and Agreements with Institutions of 
Higher Education, Hospitals, and other Non-Profit Organizations, and 
with Commercial Organizations.
     29 CFR part 96--Audit Requirements for Grants, Contracts 
and Other Agreements.
     29 CFR part 98--Government-wide Debarment and Suspension 
(Non procurement).
     29 CFR part 99--Audit of States, Local Governments, and 
Non-Profit Organizations.
     Applicable cost principles and audit requirements under 
OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-110, A-122, A-133, and 48 CFR part 31.
     In accordance with Section 18 of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act of 1995, Public Law 104-65 (2 U.S.C. 1611), non-profit entities 
incorporated under 501(c)(4) that engage in lobbying activities are not 
eligible to received Federal funds and grants.
     38 U.S.C. 4215--Requirements for priority of service for 
veterans in all Department of Labor training programs.
    3. Reporting and Monitoring--USDOL-VETS is responsible for ensuring 
the effective implementation of this Cooperative Agreement, in 
accordance with the provisions of this announcement and the terms of 
the Cooperative Agreement award document. The awardee(s) must fully 
cooperate with USDOL-VETS staff while they conduct periodic on-site 
project reviews. Reviews will focus on timely project implementation, 
performance in meeting the Cooperative Agreement's objectives, tasks 
and responsibilities, expenditure of funds on allowable activities, and 
overall administration of project activities. The awardee(s) must agree 
to fully cooperate with monitoring personnel and make available 
performance and financial records on all parts of project activity, 
including participant employment and wage data, and to provide access 
to personnel, as specified by the Grant Officer Technical 
Representative.
    The awardee(s) will be required to submit periodic financial and 
programmatic accomplishment reports to their respective Grant Officer 
Technical Representative (GOTR) as described below:
A. Quarterly Financial Reports
    No later than 30 days after the end of each Federal fiscal quarter 
(October 30th, January 30th, April 30th, and July 30th) the awardee(s) 
must report outlays, program income, and other financial information on 
a Federal fiscal quarterly basis using SF-269, Financial Status Report, 
and submit a copy of the HHS/PMS 272 draw down report to their GOTR. 
These required quarterly financial reports must cite the assigned grant 
number and be electronically submitted to the Department of Labor's E-
Grants Reporting System.
B. Quarterly Program Reports
    No later than 30 days after the end of each Federal fiscal quarter 
(October 30th, January 30th, April 30th, and July 30th) awardee(s) must 
submit a Quarterly Technical Narrative Performance Report to the GOTR 
that contains the following:
    (1) A comprehensive description of actual technical assistance and 
employer outreach activities conducted and the status of progress on 
identifying and drafting twenty (20) HVRP grantee best practices as 
compared to the planned goals for the reporting period;
    (2) An explanation for variances of plus or minus 15% of planned 
program and/or expenditure goals, to include: Identification of 
corrective action that will be taken to meet the planned goals, if 
required; and a timetable for accomplishment of the corrective action.
    These quarterly technical performance reports must cite the 
assigned grant number and may be submitted to the GOTR electronically 
via e-mail.
C. 90-Day Final Report
    An outline of the final report is due to the GOTR forty-five (45) 
days prior to the expiration of the cooperative agreement (May 15th) 
before the expiration of the (each) period of performance. No later 
than 120 days after the (each) period of performance (October 30th), 
the awardee(s) must submit a final narrative technical performance 
report to their Grant Officer Technical Representative showing results 
and performance as of the 90th day after the award period, and 
containing the following:
    (1) Final Financial Status Report SF-269 data entered into the 
Department of Labor's E-grants reporting system (that zeros out all 
unliquidated obligations); and
    (2) Final Technical Performance Report that describes the outcomes, 
technical assistance provided, employer outreach activities conducted 
as compared to the planned activities, the final twenty (20) HVRP 
grantee best practices document in Word or .pdf format (if not provided 
earlier), and a narrative description of the overall activities 
performed, lessons learned, and recommendations for programmatic 
improvement(s).
    The final financial and technical performance reports must cite the 
assigned grant number and may be submitted to the Grant Officer 
Technical Representative electronically via e-mail.
    Agency Contact: All questions regarding this solicitation should be 
directed to Cassandra Mitchell, e-mail address: mitchell.cassandra--
dol.gov, at telephone number: (202) 693-4570 (note this is not a toll-
free number). To obtain further information on the Homeless Veterans' 
Reintegration Program of the U.S. Department of Labor, visit the USDOL-
VETS Web site at http://www.dol.gov/vets. Individuals with hearing 
impairments may call 1-800-670-7008 (TTY/TDD).

VII. Other Information

A. Acknowledgement of USDOL Funding

    1. Printed Materials: In all circumstances, the following must be 
displayed on printed materials prepared by the awardee(s) while in 
receipt of USDOL funding: ``Preparation of this item was funded by the 
United States Department of Labor under Grant No. [insert the 
appropriate grant number].''
     All printed materials must also include the following 
notice: ``This document does not necessarily reflect the views or 
policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade 
names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the 
U.S. Government.''
    2. Public references to cooperative agreement award(s): When 
issuing statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid 
solicitations, and other documents describing projects or programs 
funded in whole or in part with Federal money, all awardees receiving 
Federal funds must clearly state:
     The percentage of the total costs of the program or 
project, which will be financed with Federal money;

[[Page 18678]]

     The dollar amount of Federal financial assistance for the 
project or program; and
     The percentage and dollar amount of the total costs of the 
project or program that will be financed by non-governmental sources.
    B. Use of USDOL Logo: In consultation with USDOL, VETS, the 
awardee(s) must acknowledge USDOL's role as described below:
     The USDOL logo may be applied to USDOL-funded material 
prepared for distribution, including posters, videos, pamphlets, 
research documents, national survey results, impact evaluations, best 
practice reports, and other publications of global interest. The 
awardee(s) must consult with USDOL on whether the logo may be used on 
any such items prior to final draft or final preparation for 
distribution. In no event will the USDOL logo be placed on any item 
until USDOL has given the awardee(s) permission to use the logo on the 
item.
     All documents must include the following notice: ``This 
documentation does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the 
U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial 
products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.''
    C. OMB Information Collection No. 1205-0458, 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 
U.S. Department of Labor, to the attention of Cassandra Mitchell, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Room S-4307, Washington, DC 20210.
    This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a 
grant. The information collected through this ``Solicitation for Grant 
Applications'' will be used by the Department of Labor 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.
    Resources for the Applicant: The Department of Labor maintains a 
number of Web-based resources that may be of assistance to applicants. 
The Web page for the USDOL-VETS at http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/main.htm is a valuable source of information including the program 
highlights and brochures, glossary of terms, frequently used acronyms, 
general and special provisions, power point presentations on how to 
apply for HVRP funding, On-Site Monitoring Visits, etc. The Interagency 
Council on Homeless at Web page http://www.ich.gov has information from 
various departments that assist homeless persons including updated 
information on local community ten (10) year plans to end homelessness 
and continuum of care plans. Applicants may also review ``VETS' Guide 
to Competitive and Discretionary Grants'' located at Web page http://www.dol.gov/vets/grants/Final_VETS_Guide-linked.pdf. For a basic 
understanding of the application process and basic responsibilities of 
receiving Federal funds, please see ``Guidance for Faith-Based and 
Community Organizations on Partnering with the Federal Government'' at 
Web pages http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci and http://www.dol.gov/cfbci.
    Appendices: (Located on U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans' 
Employment and Training Service Web page http://www.dol.gov/vets follow 
link for the applicable solicitation listed under announcements).

Appendix A: Application for Federal Assistance SF-424.
Appendix B: Budget Information Sheet SF-424A.
Appendix C: Assurances and Certifications Signature Page.
Appendix D: Direct Cost Descriptions for Applicants and Sub-Applicants.
Appendix E: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants.

Lisa Harvey,
Grant Officer.
 [FR Doc. E7-7027 Filed 4-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-79-P