US Department of Labor VETS Offers Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) Grants for Veteran Employment

Please note, 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 Internal Revenue Service Code section 501(c)(4) that engage in lobbying activities are not eligible to receive Federal funds and grants. No activity, including awareness-raising and advocacy activities, may include fundraising for, or lobbying of, U.S. Federal, state or local governments (see OMB Circular A-122).

All applicants for the VWIP must be able to satisfy a “responsibility review” that demonstrates an ability to administer Federal funds. See 20 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 667.170. Eligible applicants must fall into one of the following categories:

• SWIBs/LWIBs established under Sections 111 and 117 of the Workforce Investment Act.
• Public agencies, meaning any public agency of a state or of a general purpose political subdivision of a state that has the power to levy taxes and spend funds, as well as general corporate and police powers (this typically refers to cities and counties). A state agency may propose in its application to serve one or more of the jurisdictions located in its state. This does not preclude a city or county agency from submitting an application to serve its own jurisdiction.
• Non-profit organizations (including faith-based and community-based organizations). If claiming 501(c)(3) status, a current and valid Internal Revenue Service (IRS) statement indicating 501(c)(3) status approval must be submitted with the application or the application will be deemed non-responsive and it will not be evaluated. The IRS statement should be listed as an attachment to the technical proposal and it will not be counted toward the 50-page limit.

The U.S. Department of Labor (Department of Labor or USDOL), Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), announces a grant competition under the Veterans’ Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) in Program Year (PY) 2012, as authorized under section 168 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. Selected programs will assist eligible veterans by providing employment, training, and support services with an emphasis on implementing innovative approaches that increase the number of veteran participants who complete industry-recognized training programs and who receive occupational credentials and certifications to improve their overall competitiveness in the civilian workforce.

The total funding available for this VWIP solicitation is up to $12.8 million. It is anticipated that approximately ten (10) to eleven (11) three year awards will be made under this solicitation. Awards are expected to range from a minimum of $750,000 to a maximum of $1,250,000. Requests exceeding $1,250,000 will be considered non-responsive and will not be evaluated. If there are any residual program funds, the Grant Officer may select qualified application(s) and award grants up to one (1) year after the initial performance period, which will begin between July 1, 2012 and August 1, 2012, and extending through June 30, 2015, as indicated per the notice of award, unless modified by the Grant Officer. The 1st two months, August 1 through September 30, 2012 will be considered the start-up period.
This SGA provides background information on the VWIP and identifies the critical elements that must be contained within proposals funded under this solicitation. It also describes the application submission requirements, the process that eligible applicants must use to apply for funds covered by this solicitation, and how grantees will be selected.

This SGA contains all of the necessary information and forms needed to apply for grant funding. Applicants for grant funds should read this notice in its entirety. It is the applicant’s sole responsibility to be aware of, responsive to, and in compliance with all requirements described within this solicitation. In addition, there may be future addenda for this solicitation published in Grants.gov and on the VETS website (www.dol.gov/vets). All applicants are responsible for checking Grants.gov and the VETS website regularly to ensure they have all of the latest information regarding updates to this solicitation.