OpportunityTitle: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Cooperative Agreements Under the Disability Employment Initiative
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Applicants must not have received DEI project funding in 2010.  Applicants must be the state WIA administrative agency.  Congress&apos; intent was that these funds be used to &quot;improve the accessibility and accountability of the public workforce development system for individuals with disabilities.&quot;  (Appropriations Committee, Senate Report 111-66).  Therefore, the state WIA administrative agency must not pass these funds through to any other entity for administration.     As discussed in Section I.B, where a state has at least four local WIBs, the state workforce agency must select at least two local WIBs that have the capacity to implement the state&apos;s proposal under this SGA.  If a state workforce agency chooses to select only two, only one of the sites will be selected via the modified site lottery to implement the DEI.  The other site must function as a control.     States with a single workforce area may select at least two distinct areas within the state that can serve in the same roles as states with multiple WIBs.  Also, states with fewer than four local WIBs may select two of their local WIBs that can serve in the same roles as local WIBs in states with four or more WIBs.  In either case, DOL will score these applications on the same basis as those offering multiple WIBs.  All evaluation criteria would apply to these applications including the modified site lottery.
Description: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in coordination with Department of Labor&apos;s (DOL&apos;s) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), announces the availability of approximately $20 million for a second round of cooperative agreements to state agencies that administer the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). These funds provide an opportunity for states to develop and implement a plan for improving effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in the workforce. DOL is using this funding to implement the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI), through which the Department intends to make six to ten grant awards designed to: 1) improve educational, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits; and 2) help these individuals with disabilities find a path into the middle class through exemplary and model service delivery by the public workforce system. The DOL will award DEI grants for a three-year period of performance.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Email Grant Specialist
GrantorContactText: Serena Boyd &lt;br/&gt;Grants Management Specialist &lt;br/&gt;Phone 202-693-3338
CloseDateExplanation: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is July 15, 2011.  Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Eastern Time.