Education Stabilization Fund Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grants Application

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
Washington, DC

Fiscal Year 2020
APPLICATION FOR GRANTS
UNDER THE
EDUCATION STABILIZATION FUND –
REIMAGINE WORKFORCE PREPARATION
(ESF-RWP) DISCRETIONARY GRANTS PROGRAM
(CFDA NUMBER: 84.425G)
OMB No. 1894-0006

APPLICATION CLOSING DATE: AUGUST 24, 2020

CONTENTS

I.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS ................................................... 6
1.
2.
3.
4.

Getting Started ..................................................................................................................... 6
Completing and Submitting Your Application .................................................................... 6
Tips for Submitting of Your Application............................................................................. 7
Addressing Your Questions ................................................................................................. 7
II. THE ESF-RWP GRANTS COMPETITION ................................................................................ 8
Applicant Webinar Announcement ............................................................................................. 8
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply ....................................................................................... 8
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications.................................................................................... 8
Competition Priorities ................................................................................................................. 8
Application and Program Requirements ................................................................................... 11
Application Review Information: Selection Criteria ............................................................... 15
III. APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES ...................................................................... 18
Submission Procedures ............................................................................................................. 18
Important Tips & Reminders for Applicants ............................................................................ 20
IV. THE APPLICATION .................................................................................................................. 25
ED Abstract Narrative Form Instructions ................................................................................. 25
Project Narrative Form Instructions .......................................................................................... 25
Budget Narrative Form Instructions .......................................................................................... 25
Other Attachments Form Instructions ....................................................................................... 29
Tips for Submitting the Narrative and Appendices ................................................................... 30
V. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................... 31
VI. OPTIONAL APPLICATION PACKAGE ATTACHMENTS .................................................. 32
VII.

APPENDIX: CORONAVIRUS BURDEN FACTORS ......................................................... 33

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June 19, 2020
Dear Governor:
I want to thank you for all that you are doing to support learning, economic development and
reemployment during this unprecedented time. While we recognize that many individuals,
institutions and businesses are suffering as a result of the novel Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic, we trust in the ingenuity of American entrepreneurship to create new
opportunities for individuals and communities to grow and thrive. To that end, I am announcing
a new discretionary grant program designed to leverage the power of entrepreneurship to help
individuals develop new workplace-relevant competencies and skills, to help innovators and
inventors strengthen existing businesses or build new ones, and to help institutions of higher
education leverage the talents of their faculty and staff and repurpose underutilized space to
foster business development and innovation and advance their own efforts to recover from
COVID-19 related disruptions.
American colleges and universities are a national treasure, and they now have the opportunity to
reinvent themselves and to be more responsive to the needs of their local communities –
especially disadvantaged communities. As I have said many times before, we need to Rethink
Higher Education, which includes cultivating new education and training options, providing
lower cost options that engage business leaders, technology experts and subject matter experts in
the development of engaging content and in the assessment of student learning.
Therefore, this new competitive grant program, called the Reimagine Workforce Preparation
(RWP) program, seeks to fund state workforce boards and their education and workforce
partners to develop and implement new education, training and business development
opportunities to support individuals living and working in their communities. This program
invites applications for projects on one of two tracks:
1. Expanding educational opportunities through short-term, career pathways or sector-based
education and training programs
a. Grantees are invited to propose the development or expansion of short-term
education programs, including career pathways programs, to help prepare
unemployed or underemployed individuals for high demand jobs in their
community or region; and/or
b. Grantees are invited to propose the development or expansion of industry sectorbased education and training programs that lead to a credential that employers in a
given sector recognize and reward; or
2. Supporting college sustainability and local entrepreneurship through small business
incubators
a. Grantees are invited to submit applications that help colleges and universities
make their faculty, staff and facilities more accessible to small businesses in their
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communities, and to ensure that institutions can sustain their operations at a time
when enrollments are declining and campus buildings may be underutilized,
including through the creation of small business incubators that are on the campus
of, or affiliated with, one or more colleges and universities in the state.
We invite each state to submit one proposal, with the state workforce board serving as the project
lead, and we encourage states to develop projects that engage Minority-Serving Institutions
(MSIs) and serve distressed communities, including rural communities and Opportunity Zones,
at the core of their project plan. States that were hardest hit by COVID-19 disruptions, as
measured by a set of pre-determined factors, and projects that seek to address the needs of MSIs
and distressed communities will be prioritized among the strongest applicants.
Through this grant competition, your State has the opportunity to unleash creativity and
ingenuity and expand learner access to new, unique, and lower-cost workforce education
opportunities. In addition, in order to ensure that participants do not take on student debt to fund
their education and training opportunity, this program includes funding to underwrite the cost of
tuition and fees for student participants – including for student enrollment in programs that may
otherwise not participate in federal student aid programs. Students whose tuition and fees are
covered by grant funds must be eligible for public benefits as described in section 431 of the
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611).
Authorized under section 18001(a)(3) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
(CARES) Act, which set aside 1% of appropriated funding under the Education Stabilization
Fund (ESF) for grants to States with the highest coronavirus burden, the Department anticipates
making 8-9 awards averaging approximately $15 million each. In total, the estimated available
funds for the RWP program is $127 million. Of the remaining funds under the 1% set-aside of
the ESF, the Department separately announced another competition to fund new K-12 models
proposed by eligible State education agencies.
In response to the legislative requirement to give priority to States hardest hit by the novel
coronavirus, each applicant will be required to demonstrate its level of burden through the use of
multiple measures, which include measures of public health, access to broadband, and
unemployment data suggestive of need. As with most of the Department’s discretionary grant
competitions, applications will be evaluated by a panel of independent peer reviewers, and only
the highest-scoring applications will be funded. In order to ensure that the proposal meets the
needs of the State and engages the full range of education and workforce stakeholders, each State
may submit only one proposal, and that proposal must be submitted by the State Workforce
Board.
The enclosed notice inviting applications (NIA) describes the grant competition in additional
detail. The enclosed application package should be reviewed, completed, and submitted by
interested applicants no later than August 18, 2020. For additional information about how to
apply, please consult the enclosed application. The Department intends to make awards by no
later than October 2020. Please send any questions to ESF-RWP@ed.gov.

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Thank you for your continued commitment to our nation’s learners during these extraordinary
times. I am looking forward to seeing your creativity and ingenuity in action.
Sincerely,
Betsy DeVos

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I.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS

The following is a brief overview of the application process for the ESF-RWP Grants Program.

1. Getting Started
All interested applicants should first thoroughly review the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA)
for FY 2020 ESF-RWP Grants Program published in the Federal Register and on the
Department’s website at: https://cte.ed.gov/grants/funding-opportunities and at
https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/states-highest-coronavirusburden/.
This Application Package does not contain the full-text of the NIA and should only be used as a
guide when completing and submitting an ESF-RWP application. The NIA is the authoritative
source for the rules, priorities, and selection criteria for this competition, and in any place where
the application package and NIA may conflict, the NIA takes precedence. Therefore, the NIA
will orient applicants to the ESF-RWP Grants Program by providing details associated with the
following information:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Background information and purpose of the program;
Eligibility requirements;
Competition Priorities and Requirements;
Selection Criteria and assigned points;
Key definitions; and
Instructions on how to electronically submit the application.

Applicants should pay close attention to the selection criteria as applications will be evaluated
and scored against these criteria.
2.

Completing and Submitting Your Application
A complete application consists of the following components:
• Project Abstract - where applicants provide a brief overview of the proposed project
including primary goal and key objectives and activities
• Project Narrative – where applicants respond to absolute priorities, application
requirements, and selection criteria
• Budget Narrative - where applicants provide an itemized breakdown and narratives for
project costs
• Appendices (which may include the following):
 Resumes of Project Director and Key Personnel;
 Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement;
 List of proprietary information found in the application, if applicable;
 Letters of support from key partners, if applicable.
• Required Forms:
 Standard Forms, and
 Assurances and Certifications
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Once the application is complete, it must be submitted electronically using the Grants.gov
system.
3. Tips for Submitting of Your Application
 Thoroughly review the “Important Tips & Reminders for Applicants’ section in the
subsequent pages of this application package.
 All ESF-RWP grant applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov
unless an applicant qualifies 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.
Please refer to the NIA for more information on the exceptions to electronic
submission.
 Before you are ready to submit your application familiarize yourself as early as
possible with Grants.gov.
 Please ensure proper browser support. The latest versions of Microsoft Internet
Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari are supported for use
with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo frequent changes and updates,
so we recommend you use the latest version when submitting your application via
Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may
experience issues. For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov
Browser information in the Applicant FAQs:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser.
 Do not wait until the last day to submit your application. The time it takes to upload
the narratives for your application will vary depending on several factors including the
size of the files and the speed of your internet connection. If you try to submit your
application after 11:59:59 on the deadline date, the Grants.gov system will not accept it.
 Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to enforce the
established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants.
 All applications must be received on or before August 24, 2020. No
changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.
4. Addressing Your Questions
The Department provides an avenue for interested applicants to ask questions to clarify their
understanding of the ESF-RWP Grants competition and process. Applicants should keep in
mind that the Department cannot provide guidance on specific applications. The Department
cannot provide guidance or recommendations on an applicant’s proposed approach, plan, or
response to priorities, program requirements, and selection criteria. Interested applicants may
send all other questions to ESF-RWP@ed.gov.
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II.

THE ESF-RWP GRANTS COMPETITION
OVERVIEW

Applications Available: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Applicant Webinar: Monday, June 29, 2020 at 2 p.m. ET
Register at: https://cte.ed.gov/esf_rwp_register
Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply
The Department can develop a more efficient process for reviewing grant applications if it has a
better understanding of the number of entities that intend to apply for funding under this
competition. Each potential applicant is strongly encouraged to notify the Department of its
intent to apply by sending a short email message with the applicant organization’s name
and address to ESF-RWP@ed.gov with “Intent to Apply” in the email subject line by July
13, 2020. Applicants that do not provide this email notification may still apply for funding.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications

All applications must be received on or before 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on
August 24, 2020. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date
and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 11:59:59 p.m. (Eastern Time), on the
application deadline date. Late applications will not be accepted. The Department is required to
enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to
an application will be accepted after the deadline date and time.

Award Information:
Estimated Available Funds: $127,500,000.
Estimated Range of Awards: $5,000,000 - $20,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $15,000,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 8-9; awards under each absolute priority, dependent on sufficient
quality.
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates.
Project Period: Up to 36 months
ESF-RWP Authorizing Legislation
Section 18001(a)(3) of Title VIII of Division B of the CARES Act, Pub. Law 116-36 (enacted
March 27, 2020).
Program Purpose
The purpose of the ESF-RWP Grants program is to provide support to help States with the
highest coronavirus burden create or expand short-term education and training opportunities
and/or or career pathways programs that help citizens return to work, become entrepreneurs, or
expand their small businesses (as described under Absolute Priority 1); or to enable States to
create or expand small business incubators that offer education and training, mentorship, as well

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as shared facilities and resources that will help small businesses recover and grow and new
entrepreneurs thrive (as described under Absolute Priority 2).
Short-term educational programs or career pathways programs created or expanded under
Absolute Priority 1 of this program must lead to certificates, badges, micro-credentials, licenses,
or other workplace-relevant credentials that respond to the needs of employers or facilitate
entrepreneurship. By definition, career pathways programs must also enable participants who
have not already completed a high school diploma or equivalent to earn such a diploma or
equivalent. Short-term educational and career pathways programs supported under this program
must create opportunities for individuals to more rapidly prepare for, and over time adapt to,
changing workplace needs or to start or grow a small business.
Grant funds may be used under Absolute Priority 1 to develop and implement short-term
education and training programs and/or career pathways programs, hire qualified instructors,
procure necessary equipment and supplies, and subsidize tuition and fees for individuals enrolled
in these or existing short-term educational, workforce development or career pathways programs
so that they can quickly gain entry to the workforce or become entrepreneurs without taking on
debt. Funds may also be used to provide student uniforms, protective gear, student support
services and transportation vouchers for all students, as well as childcare support for studentparents who are enrolled in education and training programs supported by programs developed
under this grant program.
Unlike traditional degree and certificate programs which are typically designed by educators, this
grant program is designed to support efforts led by State Workforce Development Boards, in
partnership with groups of employers, industry organizations, and education and training
partners to identify workplace competencies, develop curriculum and assessments that help
workers gain and demonstrate those competencies, and establish a credentialing system that
employers will use to make hiring and promotion decisions within their organizations. The
Department encourages applicants to review existing occupational frameworks and incorporate
them, to the extent possible, in their efforts. The program does not seek to fund the development
of new occupational frameworks where existing frameworks that have been endorsed by
employers or industry sectors already exist.
While grants will be made to State Workforce Boards, these recipients may partner with business
and trade organizations, employers or groups of employers, Standards Recognition Entities
(SREs), Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), third-party intermediaries who help employers
design and implement work-based learning programs, and other education and training
providers.
This grant program also supports a second activity, which is designed to cultivate
entrepreneurship by supporting the development of small business incubators located on the
campuses of, or developed in association with, colleges and universities. These incubators
provide, among other things, short-term educational and training programs or continuing
education courses to help entrepreneurs establish and grow their businesses, comply with or
exceed industry standards, and meet State and occupational health, safety and licensure
requirements. In addition to educational offerings, small business incubators also provide
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mentorship from faculty and other business professionals, and typically offer shared space,
services, staffing and equipment to help small businesses get started and grow.
These small business incubators create new opportunities for colleges and universities to expand
their offerings and create new revenue streams so that institutions can also become
entrepreneurial at a time when declining enrollments and COVID-19 related disruptions may
result in longer-term underutilization of campus facilities. In this regard, these funds assist in the
stabilization of institutions and the local economy.
Absolute Priorities
The ESF-RWP Grants competition includes two absolute priorities of which the applicant
addresses one priority. The Secretary intends to award grants under each of the absolute
priorities for which applications of sufficient quality are submitted. Applicants must clearly
identify whether the proposed project addresses either Absolute Priority 1 or Absolute Priority 2.
Each State may submit only one application for ESF-RWP that addresses either absolute priority,
but not both. Absolute Priority 1 includes two competitive preference priorities.
Absolute Priority 1
Projects that will focus on:
(a) Creating, developing, implementing, replicating, or taking to scale short-term educational
programs and training courses or programs, and/or career pathways programs, including those
focused on facilitating and strengthening entrepreneurship and small business ownership.
Applicants must propose a project that focuses on one or more of the following activities: 1)
helping displaced workers return to gainful employment; 2) helping new workers enter jobs
within in-demand industry sectors or occupations (as identified at the national, State or local
level); 3) transitioning underemployed workers to new fields, or 4) assisting small business
owners to gain the skills needed to create new businesses or grow current businesses and become
more resilient; and/or
(b) Funding the creation, development, implementation, replication, or scaling of industry
sector-based education and training models and programs that:
(1) Are initiated and organized by employer stakeholders, which may include business
leaders, trade associations, professional societies or community businesses organizations;
(2) May partner with institutions of higher education or other post-secondary education
and training providers; and
(3) May include the engagement of third-party intermediaries, which are organizations
that help bridge the gap between employers and educational institutions to the benefit of
students.
Projects under Absolute Priority 1(a) and 1(b) may include apprenticeships and other workbased learning programs and must provide individuals the opportunity to earn badges,
certifications, micro-credentials, licenses, or other credentials that employers affirmatively signal
will contribute to qualifying a candidate for employment or promotion in an in-demand industry
sector or occupation (as defined in this notice).

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Competitive Preference Priorities Under Absolute Priority 1
The ESF-RWP Grants competition includes two competitive preference priorities for
applicants that address Absolute Priority 1. We will award up to an additional five points to an
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 1 and up to three additional points to an
application that meets Competitive Preference Priority 2. The priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1—Distance Education.
The extent to which an application that proposes a project in which the short-term educational
programs and training programs described above include didactic education that will be
principally delivered through distance education (as defined in this notice); or
Competitive Preference Priority 2 —Serving Lifelong Learners in Distressed Communities.
The extent to which an application proposes a project that focuses on the unique needs of
individuals who reside in rural communities or Opportunity Zones, and that is designed to enable
economic growth and development in those regions. This could include focusing primarily on
in-demand jobs available to individuals in these communities, aligning education and job
training opportunities with the strategic planning goals for economic development in the
community, or meeting the unique needs of individuals who may have challenges related to
transportation, childcare or limitations in access to technology associated with living and
working in these communities.
For purposes of this competition, we will consider a community as rural if the community meets
qualifications for rural applicants established in section 114(e)(5)(A) of Perkins V, and the
applicant certifies that it meets those qualifications in its application.
Opportunity Zones must be census tracts designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under
section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code. An applicant must provide the census tract
numbers of the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s) in which it proposes to provide services.
Absolute Priority 2
Projects that will focus on creating or supporting one or more IHE-based or IHE-affiliated small
business incubators that leverage the facilities and/or instructional resources of one or more IHEs
to support high-quality job growth, the establishment of small businesses important to the local
economy or the development of technology commercialization. Applicants must propose a plan
to provide education, training and mentorship; offer shared facilities, services, space or
equipment; and facilitate partnerships and networks among business leaders that help
entrepreneurs start or expand their core businesses or develop business adjacencies that will
enable them expand into new markets, products or services.
Competitive Preference Priorities Under Absolute Priority 2

The ESF-RWP Grants competition includes one competitive preference priority for applicants that
address Absolute Priority 2. We will award up to an additional five points to an application that meets
Competitive Preference Priority 3. The priority is:

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Competitive Preference Priority 3—Serving Entrepreneurs and Businesses in Distressed
Communities
(a) The applicant will locate the business incubator, or include as an affiliated partner in
managing and administering an off-campus business incubator, at least one minority-serving
institution of higher education that is eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through
320 of part A of Title III, under part B of Title III, or under Title V of the Higher Education Act
of 1965. An applicant must identify the minority-serving institution of higher education with
which it will partner; or
(b) The applicant will locate the IHE-affiliated business incubator in a rural community or
Opportunity Zone in order to support the business development goals of those communities and
to enable businesses that are located in those regions and that employ individuals who live in
those communities to thrive.
For purposes of this competition, we will consider a community as rural if the community meets
qualifications for rural applicants established in section 114(e)(5)(A) of Perkins V, and the
applicant certifies that it meets those qualifications in its application.
Opportunity Zones must be census tracts designated by the Secretary of the Treasury under
section 1400Z-1 of the Internal Revenue Code. An applicant must provide the census tract
numbers of the Qualified Opportunity Zone(s) in which it proposes to provide services.
Application Requirements
This competition includes six application requirements that eligible applicants must meet in
order to be considered for funding. The application requirements are:
(1) Include a description of the State’s coronavirus burden based on indicators and information
factors other than those provided in Appendix 1 that demonstrate the significance of the impact
of COVID-19 on students, employers, small businesses and economic development in the State.
This may include additional data, including other public health measures such as coronavirusrelated deaths per capita, or any other relevant education, labor, or demographic data.
(2) Describe the applicant’s approach to addressing Absolute Priority 1 or 2. This description
must include a list of organizations and entities that will be included as partners in developing
and implementing the planned activities, an implementation plan and timeline for key grant
activities and a plan for how the applicant will collect data to report on the performance
measures for this program. It must also include the estimated number of students, businesses,
and IHEs, if applicable, that the applicant intends to serve with grant funds. The applicant must
also list other sources of Federal funds it is seeking or has secured, under the CARES Act or
other Federal grant programs, to carry out the same, similar or related activities to those
proposed in the applicant’s plan.
(3) Provide an analysis of State assets and collaborative efforts (including supports already
provided from Federal and non-Federal sources) to respond to the economic impacts of COVID19 and the need for short-term educational programs, including those that support small business
owners and entrepreneurs and/or those that provide industry sector-based education and training
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programs that lead to industry-recognized credentials in the case of an application that addresses
Absolute Priority 1 or the need for short-term educational programs and courses for small
business and/or small business incubators (or similar entities) in the case of an application that
addresses Absolute Priority 2.
(4) A description of the steps the State is taking at the time of the application to identify and
address the State’s immediate needs outlined in application requirement (2), including:
(a) For applicants addressing Absolute Priority 1(a)-–
(i) How the State is meeting the education, support, and mentorship needs of individuals
who seek career preparation or advancement through short-term educational programs
and career pathways programs;
(ii) Which short-term educational programs or career pathways programs will be the
focus of the grant activities; and
(iii) Which occupations or occupational clusters will be the focus of the grant activities;
or
(b) For applicants addressing Absolute Priority 1(b)-(i) How the State will identify the industry sectors and sector leaders that will engage in
developing and implementing sector-based education, training, and credentialing
programs;
(ii) Prior experience the State has in leading sector-based education and training
activities, including in the development of sector-based apprenticeship programs;
(iii) How the State will recruit businesses and employers that will participate in the
program and rely on credentials earned through industry sector-based education and
training programs to hire and promote employees; and
(iv) Which educational providers, which may include IHEs or other post-secondary
education and training providers, have experience in working with industry leaders or
employers to develop or provide competency-based education programs and which
educational providers have committed to partner with the applicant on the proposed
project; or
(c) For applicants addressing Absolute Priority 2 –
(i) How the State is currently providing education, training and support to entrepreneurs
and small business owners;
(ii) How the State will build upon prior experiences with small business incubators or
identify which kinds of small businesses it can best serve through one or more small
business incubators that are affiliated with one or more IHEs;
(iii) How the State will identify institutional partners, geographic location(s) or industry
sector(s) to be served by one or more small business incubators developed with these
grant funds;
(iv) The specialized assistance, facilities, shared equipment and other shared resources
that will be provided by the proposed small business incubator; and
(v) Other sources of funding or continuing support that will enable the small business
incubator to continue operating after the expiration of these grant funds.
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(5) Describe how the applicant will recruit unemployed or dislocated workers; workers seeking
job transition or advancement; entrepreneurs; small business owners or other participants who
would benefit from the education, training and/or business development opportunities that will
be provided with grant funds, and how the applicant will determine participation if demand
exceeds supply.
(6) Provide an assurance that the applicant will provide information to the Secretary, as
requested, for evaluations that the Secretary may carry out.
Program Requirement
There is one program requirement the ESF-RWP competition. The Program Requirement is:
Grantees must make information on all credentials (including badges, certificates, certifications,
licenses, and degrees of all levels and types) and competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities)
achieved as a result of funding under this program publicly accessible through the use of linked
open data formats that support full transparency and interoperability. Such information must
include the industry sector for or by which the credential was developed, the entities involved in
the development of the credential, the competencies or skills assessed in awarding the credential,
the form of assessment used to verify an individual’s eligibility to be awarded the credential, and
the body engaged in overseeing the awarding of such credentials.
Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: State Workforce Board.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost sharing or matching.
3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may award subgrants--to directly carry
out project activities consistent with the Statewide strategy described in its application--to
the following types of entities: IHEs; local workforce development boards; business trade
and professional organizations; business development organizations; non-IHE
postsecondary and employer-based education and training providers; third-party workbased learning or apprenticeship intermediaries; and State, regional, and local public and
private agencies.
Funding Restrictions
To maximize the funds available for services to students and the public, the Department
encourages each eligible entity to minimize the amount of administrative costs charged to the
program. See the NIA for more information on funding restrictions.
Recommended Page Limit
The project narrative is where the applicant addresses the absolute priorities, application
requirements, and selection criteria that reviewers use to evaluate your application. We
recommend that you limit the project narrative to no more than 25 pages.
See the NIA for more information on the recommended page limit and other submission
standards.

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Application Review Information: Selection Criteria
An applicant may earn up to a total of 100 points based on the selection criteria for the
application.
A. Highest Coronavirus Burden (up to 40 points).
In determining the States with the highest coronavirus burden, the Secretary considers the
extent to which the State has a high coronavirus burden as follows:
(1) The extent to which the applicant, based on the factors listed in the
application package (see the appendix for the coronavirus burden factors),
when weighted equally, is in the—
(i) Up to 20th percentile of coronavirus burden (4 points);
(ii) 21st to 40th percentile of coronavirus burden (8 points);
(iii) 41st to 60th percentile of coronavirus burden (12 points);
(iv) 61st to 80th percentile of coronavirus burden (16 points); or
(v) 81st to 100th percentile of coronavirus burden. (20 points)
(2) The extent to which the applicant has a high coronavirus burden based on
indicators and information factors identified by the applicant in response to
Application Requirement 1. (20 points)
B. Quality of Project Services and Quality of the Project Design (up to 35 points).
In determining the quality of the project services and the quality of the design of the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and sufficiency of strategies for
ensuring equal access and treatment for eligible project participants who are members of
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. (up to 5 points)
In addition, the Secretary considers-(1) The extent to which the proposed project is an exceptional approach to the absolute
priority being addressed and includes a detailed project plan for addressing the absolute
priority. (up to 10 points)
(2) The extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services, infrastructure, or
opportunities have been identified and will be addressed by the proposed project,
including the nature and magnitude of those gaps or weaknesses. (up to 10 points)
(3) The likelihood that services to be provided by the proposed project (for applicants
under Absolute Priority 1) will expand access to remote learning options and lead to
improvements in student outcomes; or the likelihood that services to be provided by the
proposed project (for applicants under Absolute Priority 2) will increase the number and
success of small businesses in a state or region. (up to 5 points)
(4) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed project reflect up-todate knowledge from research and effective practice. (up to 5 points)
C. Quality of the Management Plan and Adequacy of Resources (up to 25 points).
In determining the quality of the management plan and adequacy of resources for the
proposed project, the Secretary considers--

15

(1) The adequacy of the management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed
project on time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, timelines,
and milestones for accomplishing project tasks. (up to 5 points)
(2) The extent to which the budget is adequate to support the proposed project. (up to 5
points)
(3) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and
potential significance of the proposed project. (up to 5 points)
(4) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the number of persons to be
served and to the anticipated results and benefits. (up to 10 points)
Open Licensing Requirements
Unless an exception applies, if you are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be
required to openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in part, with
Department grant funds. See the NIA for the full text associated with the open licensing
requirements.
Reporting
If you apply for a grant under this competition, you must ensure that you have in place the
necessary processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply if you have an exception
under 2 CFR 170.110(b). See the NIA for the full text associated with the reporting
requirements.
Performance and Project-specific Measures
The Department has established the following performance measures for the ESF-RWP Grants
program:
(1) For applications addressing Absolute Priority 1—
(a) The number of students served by the project; the percentage of students who enrolled
in a program receiving grant funds who completed the program;
(b) The percentage of individuals who enrolled in a program receiving grant funds who
were employed in the second quarter after exiting the program; and
(c) The percentage of individuals employed in the second quarter after exit who are
employed full-time in an occupation that is directly related to the program of study; and
(d) The median earnings of individuals in (b) and (c).
(2) For applicants addressing Absolute Priority 2 –
(a) The number of individuals who participated in the short-course or programs offered
by the business incubator and one year after its completion had started a new business
venture or maintained/expanded their existing small business;
(b) For small business owners who participated in a small business incubator, the number
of employees employed at the start of their participation in this program, and at the end of
their participation in the program and whether or not they were still in business one year
after completing the program.

16

In addition, applicants must propose project-specific performance measures and performance
targets consistent with the objectives of the proposed project. In addition, applicants must
propose project-specific performance measures and performance targets consistent with the
objectives of the proposed project:
(a) Performance Measures. How each proposed performance measure would accurately measure
the performance of the project and how the proposed performance measures would be consistent
with the performance measures established for the program funding the competition.
(b) Baseline Data.
(i) Why each proposed baseline is valid; or
(ii) If the applicant has determined that there are no established baseline data for a
particular performance measure, an explanation of why there is no established baseline
and of how and when, during the project period, the applicant would establish a valid
baseline for the performance measure.
(c) Performance Targets. Why each proposed performance target is ambitious yet achievable
compared to the baseline for the performance measure and when, during the project period, the
applicant would meet the performance target(s).
(d) Data Collection and Reporting.
(i) The data collection and reporting methods the applicant would use and why those
methods are likely to yield reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data; and
(ii) The applicant's capacity to collect and report reliable, valid, and meaningful
performance data, as evidenced by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in
other projects or research.
See the NIA for more information pertaining to project-specific measures.

17

III.

APPLICATION SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

Applicants are required to follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on February 13,
2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2019-02206 which contain
requirements and information on how to submit an application.
Submission Procedures
To do business with the Department, and to submit your application electronically using
Grants.gov, you must:
(1) Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and a Taxpayer
Identification Number (TIN);
(2) Register both your DUNS and TIN with the System for Award Management (SAM.gov),
the Government’s primary registrant database;
(3) Provide your DUNS and TIN on your application; and
(4) Maintain an active SAM registration with current information while your application is
under review by the Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project
period.
DUNS
The DUNS number is a unique nine-digit number that does not convey any information about the
recipient. A built-in check digit helps assure the accuracy of the DUNS number. The ninth digit
of each number is the check digit, which is mathematically related to the other digits. It lets
computer systems determine if a DUNS number has been entered correctly.
Dun & Bradstreet, a global information services provider, has assigned DUNS numbers to over
43 million companies worldwide. Check with your fiscal office to see if your agency has an
assigned DUNS number before contacting Dun & Bradstreet.
You can obtain a DUNS number at no charge by calling 1-800-333-0505 or by completing a
D-U-N-S Number request online at the following URL: http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
TIN
Corporate entities, agencies, institutions, and organizations can obtain a TIN from the Internal
Revenue Service (IRS). If you need a new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN to
become active.
SAM
The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take
upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data you enter
into the SAM.gov database. Once your SAM registration is active, it may be 24-48 hours before
you can access the information in Grants.gov and apply through Grants.gov.

18

If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to make any changes. However,
please make certain that the TIN associated with your DUNS number is correct.
NOTE: Your agency must update its SAM registration annually.
Grants.gov
In order to submit your application via Grants.gov, you must:
(1) Register as an applicant using the DUNS number your organization used when it registered in
SAM; and
(2) Be designated by your organization’s E-Biz Point of Contact as an Authorized Organization
Representative (AOR). Details on these steps are outlined at
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
Grants.gov System Maintenance
Please keep in mind that the Grants.gov system will not be available for use during the times
listed below.
Date

Details

July 18-20,
2020

Scheduled Maintenance Outage:
Production System will go Offline Saturday July 18, 2020 at 12:01 AM ET.
Production System will go Online Monday July 20, 2020 at 6:00 AM ET.

August 15-17,
2020

Scheduled Maintenance Outage:
Production System will go Offline Saturday August 15, 2020 at 12:01 AM ET.
Production System will go Online Monday August 17, 2020 at 6:00 AM ET.

19

IMPORTANT TIPS & REMINDERS FOR APPLICANTS
To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, below are important submission procedures you need to be
aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the
Department of Education.
Browser Support
The latest versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and
Apple Safari are supported for use with Grants.gov. However, these web browsers undergo
frequent changes and updates, so we recommend you have the latest version when using
Grants.gov. Legacy versions of these web browsers may be functional, but you may experience
issues.
For additional information or updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser information in the
Applicant FAQs: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#browser
ATTENTION – Workspace, Adobe Forms and PDF Files
Grants.gov applicants can apply online using Workspace. Workspace is a shared, online
environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web
forms within an application. For each funding opportunity announcement (FOA), you can create
individual instances of a workspace.
Below is an overview of applying on Grants.gov. For access to complete instructions on how to
apply for opportunities, refer to: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspaceoverview.html
1) Create a Workspace: Creating a workspace allows you to complete it online and route it
through your organization for review before submitting.
2) Complete a Workspace: Add participants to the workspace to work on the application
together, complete all the required forms online or by downloading PDF versions, and
check for errors before submission. The Workspace progress bar will display the state of
your application process as you apply. As you apply using Workspace, you may click the
blue question mark icon near the upper-right corner of each page to access contextsensitive help.
a. Adobe Reader: If you decide not to apply by filling out web forms you can download
individual PDF forms in Workspace. The individual PDF forms can be downloaded and
saved to your local device storage, network drive(s), or external drives, then accessed
through Adobe Reader.
NOTE: Visit the Adobe Software Compatibility page on Grants.gov to download the
appropriate version of the software at:
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html.

20

b. Mandatory Fields in Forms: In the forms, you will note fields marked with an asterisk
and a different background color. These fields are mandatory fields that must be
completed to successfully submit your application.
c. Complete SF-424 Fields First: The forms are designed to fill in common required
fields across other forms, such as the applicant name, address, and DUNS Number. Once
it is completed, the information will transfer to the other forms.
3) Submit a Workspace: An application may be submitted through workspace by clicking
the Sign and Submit button on the Manage Workspace page, under the Forms tab.
Grants.gov recommends submitting your application package at least 24-48 hours prior to
the close date to provide you with time to correct any potential technical issues that may
disrupt the application submission.
4) Track a Workspace Submission: After successfully submitting a workspace application, a
Grants.gov Tracking Number (GRANTXXXXXXXX) is automatically assigned to the
application. The number will be listed on the Confirmation page that is generated after
submission. Using the tracking number, access the Track My Application page under the
Applicants tab or the Details tab in the submitted workspace.
5) For additional training resources, including video tutorials, refer to
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-training.html.
Helpful Reminders
1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration in
the System for Award Management (SAM). SAM registration may take approximately one
week to complete but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the
completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You
may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you
cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that
once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be
available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. Your
organization will also need to update its SAM registration annually. For detailed information
on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.
NOTE: As a reminder, grants.gov has relaxed the requirement for applicants to have an
active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) in order to apply for
funding. However, the Department strongly encourages applicants to start the SAM
registration process as soon as possible, and in the event a registration expires before an
award is issued, the Department will relax the active registration requirement, and not delay
funds due to the COVID-19 crisis.
More information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov; and to further assist you with
obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing
21

SAM account, the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet available at:
http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.
2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day
to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your
application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an
application will vary depending on several factors including the size of the application
and the speed of your Internet connection. The time it takes Grants.gov to process the
application will also vary. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below),
you will need to ensure a successful resubmission in Grants.gov before 11:59:59 p.m.
Eastern Time on the deadline date.
Note: To ensure a successful resubmission in Grants.gov, you must utilize the DUNS
number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized
Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the
same number used when your organization registered with the SAM. If you do not enter
the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with,
Grants.gov will reject your application.
3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your
application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date
and time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My
Application link. For a successful submission, the date and time received should be
earlier than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline date, AND the application status
should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned.
Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency
Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be
available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.
If the date and time received is later than 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time, on the deadline
date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still
awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either
change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,”
your application has not been received successfully.
Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov
site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/encountering-error-messages.html.
For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the
Adobe Reader Software Tip Sheet at:
http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/adobe-software-compatibility.html. If you
discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below.
Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the
status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your
application has been received timely and validated successfully.
22

Submission Problems – What should you do?
If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov
Customer Support via phone at 1-800-518-4726; via email at: mailto:support@grants.gov; or,
access the Grants.gov Self-Service Knowledge Base web portal at: https://grantsportal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants.
If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 11:59:59
p.m. Eastern Time, unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and 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. If electronic submission is optional and you have problems
that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications,
please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register
notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date. (See the
Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)
Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.gov
Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support.html for help with Grants.gov. For
additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Applicant
FAQs found at this Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicantfaqs.html as well as additional information on Workspace at
https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/applicant-faqs.html#workspace.
Dial-Up Internet Connections
When using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly
longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable
modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take
a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If
you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you
may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an
exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the
application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)
Attaching Files – Additional Tips
Please note the following tips related to attaching files to your application:
When you submit your application electronically, you must upload any narrative sections and all other
attachments to your application as files in either Portable Document Format (PDF) or Microsoft Word.
Although applicants have the option of uploading any narrative sections and all other attachments to their
application in either PDF or Microsoft Word, we recommend applicants submit all documents as readonly flattened PDFs, meaning any fillable PDF files must be saved and submitted as non-fillable PDF
files and not as interactive or fillable PDF files, to better ensure applications are processed in a more
timely, accurate, and efficient manner.

23

•

Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the
same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your
application package should have a unique file name.

•

When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by
Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded file names must be fewer
than 50 characters, and, in general, applicants should not use any special characters.
However, Grants.gov does allow for the following UTF-8 characters when naming
your attachments: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore, hyphen, space, period, parenthesis,
curly braces, square brackets, ampersand, tilde, exclamation point, comma, semi
colon, apostrophe, at sign, number sign, dollar sign, percent sign, plus sign, and equal
sign. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will
be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

•

Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that
contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file
attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. Therefore, you may want
to check the total size of your package before submission.

24

IV.

THE APPLICATION

THE APPLICATION NARRATIVES
The ESF-RWP grant application will use Grants.gov Narrative Forms. Each form is identified
below along with application instructions.
ED Abstract Narrative Form Instructions
The project abstract should be attached as a single document to the ED Abstract Form in
accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. The abstract should be no more than 1-2
paragraphs, [limited to 2000 characters], and should include the following items:
 The primary goal of the project;
 A succinct description of the key project objectives and activities;
 A brief description of the key uses of grant funds;
 A list of participating partners in the project, if applicable.
Project Narrative Form Instructions
The project narrative should be attached as a single document to the Project Narrative
Attachment Form in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov and should include
the following parts in order to expedite the review process:
 A Table of Contents;
 A description of the proposed project;
 The applicant’s response to the selection criteria; and,
 The applicant’s response to the Absolute Priority, the Competitive Priority (if applicable)
and Application and Program Requirements.
The project narrative should, as a general matter, follow the order of the selection criteria. It
should contain clear headings to help the Department staff and peer reviewers match the
narrative with the selection criteria because the application will be evaluated and scored against
these criteria. Also, when addressing the criteria, applicants are encouraged to make explicit
connections to the Absolute Priority and application requirements.
We suggest that you limit the project narrative to 25 pages, double-spaced, and number the pages
consecutively. Please provide any charts, graphs, citations, or examples within the 25 pages of
the projective narrative.
Note: Please see the NIA for additional application submission requirements and detailed
information regarding the Absolute Priorities and Application Requirements.
Budget Narrative Form Instructions
The budget narratives should be attached as a single document to the “Budget Narrative
Attachment Form” in accordance with the instructions found on Grants.gov. The Budget
Narrative Form is where the applicant provides an itemized budget breakdown and narrative for
25

each budget category listed in Sections A (Federal Funds Budget) and B (Non-Federal Funds
Budget) of the ED 524 form. The itemized budget and accompanying budget narratives should
project all costs of the proposed project and reflect an annual budget for all 3 years of the
proposed project.
In accordance with 34 C.F.R. 75.232, Department of Education staff will perform a cost analysis
of each project recommended for funding to ensure that costs relate to the activities and
objectives of the project, are reasonable, allowable, and allocable. Therefore, budget should only
include costs that are reasonable, allowable, and necessary for carrying out the objectives of the
ESF-RWP Grant Program project. Rules about allowable costs are set out in 2 C.F.R. part 200,
as adopted by the Department at 2 C.F.R. 3474. We may delete or reduce costs from the budget
during this review.
NOTE: The annual budget period for Year 1 will be September 1, 2020– September 30, 2021.
For Years 2 and 3, the budget period should include the estimated costs for October 1 –
September 30 for each year.
In a single document attached to the Budget Narrative Attachment Form, each application must
provide the following two budget narratives:
1. Federal Funds Budget Narrative: This first budget narrative must align with and break
down the costs budgeted in Section A of ED Form 524. Section A - Budget Summary:
U.S. Department of Education Funds should include all ESF-RWP Grants Program funds
requested in support of the proposed project. See “Further Instructions for the Budget
Narratives” for the expected format and level of detail.
2. Non-Federal Funds Budget Narrative: This second budget narrative must align with and
break down the costs budgeted in Section B of ED Form 524. Section B - Budget
Summary: Non-Federal Funds should include any non-Federal program funds, including,
in-kind resources.
The budget narrative will serve to meet the requirements of Section C of ED Form 524 and
should provide sufficient detail to:
• Give an itemized budget breakdown for each year of the proposed project (36 months);
• Show the basis for estimating the costs of personnel salaries, benefits, project staff travel,
materials and supplies, consultants and subcontracts, indirect costs and any other projected
expenditures;
• Show the relationship between all budgeted funds and project activities and outcomes;
• Show the total amount that will be expended as shown in the ED Form 524;
• Enable reviewers and project staff to understand how grant funds and non-federal funds/inkind resources in the ED Form 524 (if applicable) will be used.
Helpful Suggestions for Completing the Budget Narrative
To facilitate the review of your Budget Narrative, we encourage, but do not require, each
applicant to include the following information for each year of the project.

26

1. Personnel
• Provide the title and duties of each position to be compensated under this project and the
importance of each position to the success of the project.
• Provide the salary for each position under this project.
• Provide the amount of time (such as hours or percentage of time) to be spent by each
position on this project.
• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.
• Fees and expenses for consultants, if included, should be included under Contractual (line
6).
2. Fringe Benefits
• Give the fringe benefit percentages of all personnel included under Personnel.
• Provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.
• Do not include fringe benefits for salaries and wages that are treated as part of the
indirect cost.
• Leave the line blank if needed.
3. Travel
• Explain the purpose of the travel, how it aligns to the project goals and objectives, and
who will travel.
• Provide an estimate for the number of trips and points of origin and destination.
• Provide an estimated cost for each trip.
• Travel for consultants or contractors should be included under Contractual (line 6).
4. Equipment
• Indicate the cost of tangible, non-expendable personal property that has a usefulness
greater than one year and acquisition costs that are the lesser of the capitalization level
established by the applicant entity for financial statement purposes or $5,000 per article.
Lower limits may be established to maintain consistency with the applicant’s purchasing
policy.
• Indicate the type and estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased.
• Provide strong justification of the need for items of equipment to be purchased.
• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.
5. Supplies
• Supplies purchased with grant funds should directly benefit the project and be necessary
for achieving project goals.
• Direct supplies and materials differ from equipment in that they are consumable,
expendable, and of a relatively low unit cost. Provide an estimate of supplies by nature
of expense or general category (e.g., instructional materials, office supplies, etc.).
• Explain the purpose of the supplies and how they relate to project success.
• Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations.

27

•

Individual pieces of equipment that are under $5,000 per unit are generally considered
supplies. However, as noted in the example under Equipment, an applicant’s organization
may have a different equipment policy.

6. Contractual
• The contractual category should include all costs specifically incurred with actions that
the applicant takes in conjunction with an established internal procurement system.
Include consultant fees, expenses, and travel costs in this category if the consultant’s
services are obtained through a written binding agreement or contract.
• Describe the products to be acquired, and/or the professional services to be provided.
• Provide the purpose of the product(s) and/or services and their relation to project success.
• Contractors are not to be named in an application since contracts will be competed
following the award of a grant. If an applicant proposes in its application to use an
existing contract or prior selection of any vendor for any activities to be supported with
Federal ESF-RWP Grant Program funds (or other Federal grant funds), the applicant
must be prepared to demonstrate how it is in compliance with the "Procurement
Practices" described in the “Application Information” section of this application package.
Additionally, if an applicant intends to take advantage of the flexibility allowed in 34
C.F.R. 75.135 in order to use small purchase procurement procedures for contracts for
data collection, data analysis, evaluation services or essential services, the applicant
should carefully review the requirements in 34 C.F.R. 75.135 to ensure all required
information is included in the application and budget narrative.
• Provide the projected cost per contractor and basis for cost estimates.
• For professional services contracts, provide the amounts of time to be devoted to the
project, including the costs to be charged to this proposed grant award.
7. Construction
• Not applicable.
8. Other
• Indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1-6. Do not include costs that are included
in the indirect cost rate.
• List and identify items by major type or category (e.g., communications, printing, etc.).
• Provide the purpose for the expenditures and their relation to the proposed
comprehensive strategy that will be implemented during the project period.
• Provide the cost per item (printing = $500, postage = $150) and the basis for cost
estimates or computations.
9. Total Direct Costs
• The sum total of all direct expenditures, per budget category, of lines 1-8.
10. Indirect Costs
• The Department of Education (ED) generally reimburses a grantee for its indirect costs.
These kinds of costs generally are recovered through an indirect cost rate that the grantee
negotiates with its cognizant agency for indirect costs.
28

•

Use of the temporary rate of 10 percent of budgeted direct salaries and wages is subject to
the following limitations:
1. The grantee must submit an indirect cost rate proposal its cognizant agency within
90 days after ED issues the GAN.
2. If after the 90-day period, the grantee has not submitted an indirect cost rate
proposal to its cognizant agency, the grantee may not charge its grant for indirect
costs (except when ED finds exceptional circumstances) until it has negotiated an
indirect cost rate agreement with its cognizant agency.
3. The grantee may only recover indirect costs incurred on or after the date it
submitted its indirect cost rate proposal to its cognizant agency or at the start of the of
the project period, whichever of the two occurs later.
4. The total amount of funds recovered by the grantee under the federally recognized
indirect cost rate is reduced by the amount of indirect costs previously recovered
under the temporary indirect cost rate.
5. The grantee must obtain prior approval from ED to shift direct costs to indirect
costs in order to recover indirect costs at a higher negotiated indirect cost rate.
6. The grantee may not request additional funds to recover indirect costs that it cannot
recover by shifting direct costs to indirect costs.

11. Training Stipends
• The training stipend line item only pertains to costs associated with long term training
programs and college or university coursework, not workshops or short-term training or
professional development offerings.
• Costs associated with professional development should be included under Other (line 8).
12. Total Costs
• Sum total of direct costs, indirect costs, and stipends.
• Please provide total costs for each year and for the entire project period (36 months).
Other Attachments Form Instructions
Applicants should attach all other information, including required items as appendices using
the Other Attachments Form. For each appendix, applicants are asked to save files as a .PDF,
label each file with the Appendix name and upload the file to the Other Attachments Form. The
Other Attachments Form can support up to ten attachments.
Applicants are encouraged to follow the order below when uploading information to the
Appendix:





Appendix 1:
Appendix 2:
Appendix 3:
Appendix 4:

Individual Resumes for Project Director and Key Personnel
Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
List of proprietary information found in the application, if applicable
Assurance that Applicant will participate in an evaluation, pursuant to
Application Requirement 5 – Applicants should create a statement
providing assurance that they will submit information to the Department,
as requested, for evaluations the Secretary may care out.
29

TIPS FOR SUBMITTING THE NARRATIVES AND APPENDICES
 When attaching files, applicants should limit the size of their file names. Lengthy file
names could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We
recommend your file names be less than 50 characters. Please note that Grants.gov
cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same
name within a grant submission.
 Please ensure that only U.S. Department of Education approved file types are attached.
See the NIA for a detailed description of these files (read-only, non-modifiable .pdf files).
Also, do not upload any password-protected files to your application. Lengthy file names
could result in difficulties with opening and processing your application. We recommend
your file names be less than 50 characters.
 If you have multiple documents to be attached to one of the above narrative sections, it is
recommended that you merge them into one .PDF file and upload them to the appropriate
narrative.
 The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the budget section,
including the narrative budget justification; the assurances and certifications; or the onepage abstract, the resumes, the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the
recommended page limit does apply to entire the project narrative.
REQUIRED FORMS
Standard Forms Instructions
Applicants must submit along with their project narratives the required standard forms,
assurances, and certifications included in the list below.
• Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424);
NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to
the Standard Form (SF 424). Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of
Education will review only materials/files attached to the section labeled “Other
Attachments Form.”
• Department of Education Supplemental Information form SF 424;
• Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524) Sections A & B;
• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL);
• General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements - Section 427;
• Assurances, Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) (This form is completed in SAM); and
• Grants.gov Lobbying form (formerly ED 80-0013 form).
Electronic copies and instructions for the required forms can be downloaded at the following
address: https://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html and can be found in the
Grants.gov submission package.

30

V.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Paperwork Burden Statement

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 40 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. The
obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit and voluntary. Send
comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20210-4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and
reference the OMB Control Number 1830-NEW.
NOTE: Please do not return the completed 1830-NEW application to this address.

31

VI.

OPTIONAL APPLICATION PACKAGE ATTACHMENTS

Optional Application Checklist
Applicants should review this optional checklist once they believe they have completed their
applications. The checklist contains all mandatory parts of the application. The Application
Checklist is optional; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to fill in the checklist or
something similar, to ensure that all requirements have been addressed and to ensure that
program staff and peer reviewers can find the information in your application that addresses each
applicable element from the NIA.
ED Standard Forms
Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)
Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424
Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524) Sections A & B
Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)
Assurances and Certifications
GEPA Section 427
Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)
Grants.gov Lobby form (formerly ED 80-0013 form)
Application Narrative
ED Abstract Narrative Form
Project Narrative Form
Budget Narrative Form
Other Attachments Form (Upload Appendices here)
Appendices:
Appendix 1: Individual Resumes for Project Director and Key Personnel
Appendix 2: Current Indirect Cost Rate Agreement
Appendix 3: List of proprietary information found in the application, if applicable
Appendix 4: Assurance that Applicant will participate in an evaluation, pursuant
to Application Requirement 5
NOTE: Eligible applicants should attach all appendices to the Other Attachments Form. The
Grants.gov system will allow applicants to attach as many as ten separate appendices in this
section.

32

VII. APPENDIX: CORONAVIRUS BURDEN FACTORS

Appendix A

Percentile calculation of Coronavirus burden by State, as referenced in Section (V)(1)(A).
State

1

2

3

% of Population
Without
Broadband
Access

Initial Unemployment
Insurance Claims Filed
(as % of Civilian Labor
Force) 1

State % Share of
Confirmed
Coronavirus
Cases Per
Capita 2

Alabama

16.5

20.19

1.06

Alaska

10.3

23.55

0.30

Arizona

11.7

14.54

0.78

Arkansas

19.2

13.82

0.70

California

8.9

21.01

0.85

Colorado

8.2

11.76

1.82

Connecticut

8.9

15.62

5.14

Delaware

9.2

18.00

3.33

District of
Columbia

11.7

19.63

4.54

Florida

12.5

17.15

1.05

Georgia

13.2

31.20

1.69

Hawaii

10.2

31.69

0.24

Idaho

10

14.11

0.73

Illinois

11

14.30

3.10

Indiana

13.6

18.75

1.88

Percentile based on 3
factors weighted
equally

61st to 80th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
41st to 60th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
61st to 80th percentile
61st to 80th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
21st to 40th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
61st to 80th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
41st to 60th percentile
61st to 80th percentile

The initial unemployment insurance claims filed as a percentage of each State’s civilian labor force are
provided here for informational purposes, and the Department will update these data as of the deadline for
transmittal of applications, which may adjust State percentiles and rankings.

1

The COVID-19 per capita percentages for each State are provided here for informational purposes, and the
Department will update these data as of the deadline for transmittal of applications, which may adjust State
percentiles and rankings.

2

33

State

1

2

3

% of Population
Without
Broadband
Access

Initial Unemployment
Insurance Claims Filed
(as % of Civilian Labor
Force) 1

State % Share of
Confirmed
Coronavirus
Cases Per
Capita 2

Iowa

11.9

16.55

1.92

Kansas

11.6

15.50

1.12

Kentucky

14.4

32.87

0.78

Louisiana

17.6

26.14

3.87

Maine

11.7

18.11

0.56

9

13.90

2.79

Massachusetts

8.7

21.08

6.10

Michigan

12.1

27.23

3.86

Minnesota

9.3

19.62

0.84

Mississippi

19.4

17.45

1.69

Missouri

13.1

16.21

0.87

Montana

12.2

17.65

0.26

Nebraska

9.9

10.54

2.00

Nevada

11.3

26.95

1.11

New
Hampshire

7.6

22.52

1.16

New Jersey

9.1

21.59

8.79

New Mexico

20.6

13.82

1.18

New York

11.7

19.32

9.70

North Carolina

13.2

16.85

0.71

North Dakota

15.1

15.21

1.00

Ohio

11.8

19.67

1.08

Oklahoma

14.4

19.21

0.62

Oregon

8.9

15.69

0.41

Maryland

34

Percentile based on 3
factors weighted
equally

41st to 60th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
21st to 40th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
21st to 40th percentile
61st to 80th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
61st to 80th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
61st to 80th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
21st to 40th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
20th percentile or
lower

State

1

2

3

% of Population
Without
Broadband
Access

Initial Unemployment
Insurance Claims Filed
(as % of Civilian Labor
Force) 1

State % Share of
Confirmed
Coronavirus
Cases Per
Capita 2

Pennsylvania

11.9

26.44

2.39

Puerto Rico

33.6

22.96

0.36

Rhode Island

10.3

27.49

5.63

South Carolina

15.1

19.35

0.81

South Dakota

14.6

8.09

1.85

Tennessee

14.3

13.82

1.21

Texas

13.3

12.98

0.70

Utah

7.1

9.06

1.05

Vermont

13.9

17.72

0.87

Virginia

11

14.22

1.43

Washington

7.4

25.06

1.24

West Virginia

16.4

16.86

0.41

Wisconsin

11.4

15.65

0.88

Wyoming

11

11.12

0.63

Percentile based on 3
factors weighted
equally

61st to 80th percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
81st to 100th
percentile
61st to 80th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
21st to 40th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
20th percentile or
lower
41st to 60th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
61st to 80th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
20th percentile or
lower
20th percentile or
lower

Data sources and methodology:
Available Broadband Access
The number in column 1 is the percent of the population in each State without broadband access
of any kind in 2018, as determined by 100 minus the percent of households with broadband
access in 2018. The source for the percent of households with broadband access of any kind is
the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey in 2018. This data may be retrieved
through the customization of this table:
https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S2802&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S2802.
Initial Unemployment Insurance Claims
The number in column 2 is the total number of initial unemployment insurance (UI) weekly
claims reported by the State between the week ending March 14, 2020 and the week ending May
35

2, 2020 3 divided by the number of individuals in the State’s civilian labor force during March
2020. 4 The UI weekly claims data are not seasonally adjusted. The source of the UI weekly
initial claims data is the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report published by the
Employment and Training Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The data
may be retrieved from https://oui.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims_arch.asp. The source of the data
on the State’s civilian labor force is the Bureau of Labor Statistics in DOL. The data may be
retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t01.htm.
COVID-19 Cases Per Capita
The number in column 3 is the percent share of total COVID-19 cases per capita for each State.
This number is derived by taking the total number of COVID-19 cases per capita reported to the
Centers for Disease Control, by State, as of 5:51 p.m. on May 6, 2020 and dividing that by the
total number of cases per capita in the U.S. The per capita data and the sum of all cases per
capita may be retrieved from the Centers for Disease Control at https://www.cdc.gov/covid-datatracker/index.html by downloading the Excel document that accompanies the visual displays.
Ranking Methodology
To determine ranking, States were assigned total burden scores based on sum of the values of the
indicators relative to one another. 5 All three indicators were weighted equally in calculating
burden scores. Higher values on the indicators shows higher need for the State (e.g., higher share
of COVID-19 cases, higher percentage of households without broadband access, etc.). The States
were then ranked based on their total burden scores. Points were then awarded by the percentile
of their rank as indicated below.
Percentile
81 to 100th percentile
61st to 80th percentile
41st to 60th percentile
21st to 40th percentile
20th percentile and below
st

Number of Points Awarded
20
16
12
8
4

State Ranks 6
43 through 52
32 through 42
22 through 31
11 through 21
1 through 10

Unlike the other weeks, the weekly initial unemployment claims for the week ending May 2, 2020 are the
advanced initial unemployment claims, released on May 7, 2020.

3

The number for Puerto Rico’s total civilian labor force is from February 2020 because data for March 2020 were
not available.
4

Each indicator is worth 33.3 points out of 100 possible total burden points. The state with the highest burden for an
indicator is awarded 33.3 points and all other states are assigned points based on the percentage of their burden
relative to the state with the highest burden for that indicator. Total burden is the sum of all the points for each
indicator.

5

6

Higher scores indicate higher burden.

36