Department of Employment ServicesRFA#:YIGP2018

Office of Youth Programs


OFFICE OF YOUTH PROGRAMS

2018 In-School Youth Innovation Grants-Pilot

Request for Applications (RFA)

RFA#: YIGP2018

RFA Release Date: August22, 2017

Pre-Application Meeting (Webinar)

Date: August 23,2017

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Session:Emailfor link to webinar

Applicants must submit a letter of intent to apply no later than 12:00pmSeptember 1, 2017

Application Submission Deadline:

September 8th2017, at 12:00pm noon EST

Applications shall be submitted electronically through the Grants Management Portal at

Grants Management System

LATE and INCOMPLETEAPPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

Request for Application

Section A: Application Statement of Work

A.1Program Scope

A.2Program Background

A.3General Program Requirements

A.4Specific Program Requirements

A.5Provider Payments

A.6Provider Requirements

Section B:Application Submission

B.1Application Format

B.2Program Narrative

B.3Specific Program Requirements

B.4Program Budget

B.5Preference Points

Section C: Application Review and Scoring

C.1Review Panel and Technical Rating Scale

C.2Scoring Criteria

C.3How to Apply

C.4Proposal Submission

C.5Application Process

Section D:Department of Employment Services (DOES) Contacts

D.1Award Administration Information

D.2Grants Officer

LIST OF FORMS TO BE INCLUDED WITH SUBMISSION:

Statement of Certification(DOES Will Provide)

Non-Disclosure Agreement(DOES Will Provide)

Copy of most recent and complete set of audited financial statements or clean-hands certification.(If audited financial statements have never been prepared due to the size or newness of an organization, the applicant must provide, at a minimum, an Organizational Budget, an Income Statement (or Profit and Loss Statement), and a Balance Sheet certified by an authorized representative of the organization, and any letters, filings, etc. submitted to the IRS within the three (3) years before the date of the grant application.)

LIST OF FORMS THAT ARE REQUIREDWITH APPLICATION SUBMISSION

List of Partners and Affiliations

List of Other Funding Sources

Staffing Plan

IRS Form W-9

Documentation proving IRS tax status (e.g. 501(c)(3) determination letter)

Valid/Current Business License or license by applicable regulatory body

Current Clean Hands Certificate

List of Organizational Board Includes Members and Positions

DOES/IN-SCHOOLYOUTHINNOVATIONGRANTSPROGRAM Page 1

Department of Employment ServicesRFA#:YIGP2018

Office of Youth Programs

LIST OF SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Memorandum of Partnership Agreement or Understanding
Budget Narrative
Organizational Chart
Key Staff Resumes or Brief Biographies
Proof of Occupancy/Building Lease/Rental Agreement
Insurance Certificate
Proof of 501(c) (3) Status

Section A: APPLICATION STATEMENT OF WORK

A.1PROGRAM SCOPE

The District of Columbia Department of Employment Services (DOES), Office of Youth Programs (OYP) is seeking qualified organizations to provide services to District youth through its Youth Innovation Grants Program (YIGP). The YIGP isfunded by the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA), which became effective on July 1, 2014.

The purpose of this program is to support innovative workforce-related programs aimed at

  • the attainment of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent,
  • entry into postsecondary education,
  • career readiness for teens and young adult participants,
  • paid and unpaid internships or job shadowing in an emerging career pathway, and
  • otherinnovative solutions that have been shown to drastically improve opportunities and academic outcomesfor In-School Youth (ISY) and young adults between the ages of 14- to 21-years-old.

Career Pathways: This grant will support programming that focuses on one or more of the following career pathways, as detailed in the WIOA State Plan:

  1. Information Technology
  2. Science, Engineering, Math & Technology
  3. Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Human Services
  4. Entrepreneurship, Business Management
  5. Arts, AV Technology & Communications

Reporting Requirements and Case Management: Providers will be required to submit the following documentation:

  • Individual Service StrategyPlans (ISSP) with each participant, including well-articulated and measurable goals in program records, participant file and Virtual One Stop (VOS) file.
  • Schedule weekly case management sessions with each participant and summarize the meetings in weekly case management notes;
  • The number of participants served and contact hours for each participant must be accurately recorded and will be used to evaluate the program’s effectiveness; and
  • Periodically review theISSP and progress with each participant and updates case notes accordingly in the participant and VOS file.

WIOA Requirements: To enroll in the Youth Innovations Grant program, in-school participants must meet the eligibility requirements of federal workforce law. According to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act (WIOA), section §129(a) (1) (C), an ISY is an individual who is:

  • Not younger than 14 and not older than 21 years at time of enrollment in WIOA; and

Attending secondary or postsecondary school at the time the eligibility determination portion of program enrollment in WIOA is made; To be eligible for WIOA funding, in-school participants must be one or more of the following:

  • Low-income, as defined by WIOA §3(36), or lives in a high-poverty area, and meets one or more of these additional conditions:
  • Basic skills deficient, as defined by WIOA §3(5);
  • An offender;
  • An English language learner, defined as an individual who has a limited ability in speaking, reading, writing, or understanding the English language, and whose native language is a language other than English; or who lives in a family or community environment where a language other than English is the dominant language
  • Homeless; a runaway; in foster care, has aged out of the foster care system, or has attained 16 years of age and left foster care for kinship guardianship or adoption; a child eligible for assistance under §477 of the Social Security Act (42 USC §677); or in an out of-home placement;
  • Pregnant or parenting;
  • Disabled; or
  • Requires additional assistance to complete an educational program or to secure or hold employment (WIOA §3(27) and §129(a)(1)(C))

Youth with Disabilities: The DOES Office of Youth Programs supports all eligible youth, including those that are identified as youth with disabilities. Increasing services to this population is critical for serving all eligible youth in the District. We encourage providers to partner with organizations that serve youth with disabilities. Youth with disabilities must be afforded more opportunities to practice and improve their workplace skills, explore their career interests and receive services to assist with eliminating barriers. Any provider who submits a proposal with specific programming for this demographic may receive special consideration and preference points during the review process

Innovation Requirement: The DOES, Office of Youth Programs defines innovation as the creation, application and implementation of model programs or research-based approaches that have been shown tohave been shown to increase and enhanceyouth employment, education, training, and support services to District residents aged 14-21. Overall, DOES is seeking to complement its current programs withnew and effective programmatic approaches, which can include partnership and collaboration with other relevant stakeholders, to engage in-school teens and young adults in career, job training or postsecondary opportunities.

DOES is seeking grantees to create innovative programming that addresses significant barriers and ultimately improves outcomes and creates academic gains for young people ages 14-21by providing one of more of the followingactivities:

Program Activities:

(A) Tutoring, study skills training, instruction, and evidence-based dropout prevention and recovery strategies that lead to completion of the requirements for a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent (including a recognized certificate of attendance or similar document for individuals with disabilities) or for a recognized postsecondary credential; Paid and unpaid internships as well as job shadowing.

(B) Alternative secondary school services, or dropout recovery services, as appropriate;

(C) Paid and unpaid work experiences that have as a component academic and occupational education, which may include— (i) summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year; (ii) pre apprenticeship programs; (iii) internships and job shadowing; and (iv) on-the-job training opportunities;

(D) Occupational skill training, which shall include priority consideration for training programs that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials that are aligned with in demand industry sectors or occupations in the five (5) career pathways, as detailed in the WIOA State Plan:

  1. Information Technology
  2. Science, Engineering, Math & Technology
  3. Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Human Services
  4. Entrepreneurship, Business Management
  5. Arts, AV Technology & Communications

(E) Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster;

(F) Leadership development opportunities, which may include community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social and civic behaviors, as appropriate;

(G) Support services;

(H) Adult mentoring for the period of participation and a subsequent period, for a total of not less than four (4) months;

(I) Follow-up services for not less than four (4) months after the completion of participation, as appropriate;

(J) Comprehensive guidance and counseling, which may include drug and alcohol abuse counseling and referral, as appropriate;

(K) Financial literacy education;

(L) Entrepreneurial skills training;

(M) Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand industry sectors or occupations available in the local area, such as career awareness, career counseling, and career exploration services; and

(N) Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to postsecondary education and training.

Partnerships and Collaborations: Providers are encouraged to consider entering meaningful partnerships with other DC Government agencies, local universities, and community based organizationsor local businesses to recruit participants andto secure paid and unpaid internships or job shadowing opportunities. Such partnerships also may result in innovative approaches to service delivery and support services for youth participants.

Cohort Requirement: Applicants may only submit one (1) proposal in response to this RFA. The proposal must include programmingfor two (2) cohorts of 14-21year old participants during fiscal year 2018. Cohorts must consist of a minimum of twenty (20) participants age 14-21. Applicants should propose to serve a maximum of forty (40) participants throughout the entire grant period.

Internships: If providers wish to offer internships as a component of the innovative programming, then –

  • Only 50%of total participants enrolled may be paid or unpaid interns.
  • These internship opportunities shall only be afforded to youth ages 16-21years of age.If providers choose to provide workforce development programming that includes internships or job shadowing, they will ensure that any participant will not work over ten (10) hours per week.
  • Internship opportunities are not mandatory for the youth but are strongly encouraged to include a partnership plan in their proposal if they wish to arrange internships.
  • The maximum number of forty (40) participants over two cohorts is mandatory regardless of the number of internships offered.
  • The internship component shall include the creation of an online employment profile or portfolio, which should include: a resume, cover letter, and if applicable, references; profile, work samples or portfolio uploaded on a professional jobseeker site such asLinkedIn, LinkedIn ProFinder, Tispr ,Glassdooror Jopwell.

Follow-Up Services: DOES expects that the program will begin on October 1, 2017, and conclude by September 30, 2018, with four (4)months of follow-up services for each participant not to exceed four (4) months. The follow-up services shall consist of case management sessions to prepare participants for post-secondary educational opportunities, academic and occupational learning, or employment opportunities, as appropriate.

Program Evaluation: Applicants should outline within their proposal the number of estimated contact hours with each participant per week. The number of participants served and contact hourswillbe used to assess the success of the program’s effectiveness and may be considered by DOES in evaluating whether to approve grant renewals for any subsequent option years.

Funding Allocation: The proposal should discuss how your organization will allocate resources to promote student learning and professional development efforts under the WIOA guidelines.In accordance with WIOA, providers shall provide youth programs and activities consisting of at least one of the following elements:

  1. Tutoring, study skills training, instruction, and evidence-based dropout prevention and recovery strategies that lead to completion of the requirements for a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent (including a recognized certificate of attendance or similar document for individuals with disabilities) or for a recognized postsecondary credential.
  2. Alternative secondary school services, or dropout recovery services, as appropriate.
  3. Paid and unpaid work experiences that have academic and occupational education as a component of the work experience, which may include the following types of work:
  • summer employment opportunities and other employment opportunities available throughout the school year;
  • pre-apprenticeship programs;
  • internships and job shadowing; and
  • on-the-job training opportunities;
  1. Occupational skill training, which shall include priority consideration for training programs that lead to recognized postsecondary credentials that are aligned with in demand industry sectors or occupations in the local area involved.
  2. Education offered concurrently with and in the same context as workforce preparation activities and training for a specific occupation or occupational cluster;
  3. Leadership development opportunities, which may include community service and peer-centered activities encouraging responsibility and other positive social and civic behaviors, as appropriate;
  4. Supportive services;
  5. Adult mentoring for the period of participation and a subsequent period of follow-up, for a total of not less than four (4) months;
  6. Follow-up services for not less than four (4) months after the completion of participation, as appropriate;
  7. Comprehensive guidance and counseling, which may include drug and alcohol abuse counseling and referral, as appropriate;
  8. Financial literacy education;
  9. Entrepreneurial skills training;
  10. Services that provide labor market and employment information about in-demand industry sectors or occupations available in the local area, such as career awareness, career counseling, and career exploration services; and
  11. Activities that help youth prepare for and transition to postsecondary education and training.

WIOA Activities: OYP aims to fund integrated service models that embrace a holistic approach by addressing the educational, work readiness, and social service needs of youth participants.The program model canaddress one or more of the followingWIOA activities:

  1. Work experiences for youth through training and guidance in soft skillsand leadership development.
  2. Training for youth in technical skills, or hard skills, needed for specific career pathways or work settings which may include enrollment and successful completion of an industry recognized certification.
  3. Development and maintenance of relationships with employers to promote youth employment, internship or job shadowing opportunities.
  4. Opportunities for youth to successfully complete secondary education programs and obtaining post-secondary credentials to enter the workforce based upon individual interests and skills.
  5. Opportunities for Youth to understand business development processes that will aid in the launching of a small business.

Development and maintenance of relationships with Career and Technical Education providers to promote youth obtaining credentials for five (5) specific career pathways.

1.Information Technology

2.Science, Engineering, Math & Technology

3.Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Human Services

4.Entrepreneurship, Business Management

5.Arts, AV Technology & Communications

A.1.1Period of Performance

Grantees will be required to deliver programming for two (2) cohorts of 14-21 year old participants during fiscal year 2018. Cohorts must consist of a minimum of twenty (20) participants age 14-21. Applicants should propose to serve a maximum 40participants throughout the entire grant period. Program will begin October 1, 2017 and conclude by September 30, 2018 with four (4) months of follow-up services for each participant. Applicants should outline within their proposal the number contact hours with each participant per week. The number of participants served and contact hours may be used to assess the success of the program’s effectiveness with participants and may be considered by DOES in evaluating whether to approve grant renewals for subsequent option years. Applicants must create a minimum of three (3) participant outcomes for each youth and submit with initial proposal.

The period of performance shall be from October 1, 2017 until September 30, 2018 with four (4) months of follow-up support and services for participants.

A.1.2Location Requirements

For purposes of this RFA, all Applicants shall provide services in the District of Columbia. Each Applicant shall provide legal proof of ownership or occupancy of the site where the program will be held to prove that the Applicant is entitled to conduct the program in that space.

Adequate proof of ownership or occupancy that may be submitted includes the following:

  • Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) that shows the location has sufficient space to serve the number of participants proposed by the Applicant;
  • If engaged asigned approval letter and building use agreement from the DC Public Schools Office of Out-of-School Time;
  • If engaged asigned approval letter and permit from the DC Department of Parks and Recreation; or
  • Building lease or rental agreement that is current and valid.

The Applicant shall submit written notice of any site changes within 24 hours of the proposed change. Any site changes shall be approved by DOES, prior to the proposed change.

A.1.3Total Amount of Funding to be Awarded

Pending the availability of funds, the total amount of anticipated funding isatotalof up to$500,000. Additional funds will be available for the payment of youth wages and/or stipends to be paid separately from the grant award.

DOESanticipates making up tofive(5)awards that serve a minimum of forty (40) participants in two (2) cohorts of twenty (20) participants through FY18,not to exceed $100,000 per successful application, based upon the availability of funding.

A.2PROGRAM BACKGROUND

DOES is the agency whose mission is to plan, develop, and administer workforce development services to District of Columbia residents. DOES provides a range of programs and services to job seekers, including job development, job search assistance, self-directed job search, vocational training, apprenticeship, unemployment insurance, transitional employment, and referrals to supportive services and educational programs.