Department of Labor Grants

Provides funding to one qualified institution (or consortium) of higher education to expand our understanding of the U.S. unemployment insurance system-including its effects on workers, employers, and local communities-with a cross-cutting focus on equity in program administration and outcomes.

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $2,000,000 total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for one cooperative agreement to fund a global, technical assistance project, piloted in the Indonesian palm oil sector, to reduce and remediate forced labor in supply chains where forced labor is prevalent. The multi-phase project will develop and pilot actionable resources to help create or refine global worker-driven social compliance systems putting workers and their organizations at the center of effective solutions to ensure the real, independently verifiable protection of labor rights in global supply chains. The duration of Phase I of the project will be a maximum of 36 months from the effective date of the award. Following the conclusion of Phase I, USDOL will consider awarding a second phase of the project of approximately $4,000,000 total costs, reflecting a total potential project budget of approximately $6,000,000 over approximately eight years. The project will aim to achieve the following Outputs:Output 1: Actionable resources developed to enable the establishment of global worker-driven social compliance systems that prevent, reduce, and remediate forced laborOutput 2: Private sector stakeholders adopt worker-driven social compliance systems by leveraging actionable resources developed in Output 1 in selected sectors/countries

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL, or the Department), announces the availability of approximately $4,000,000 total costs (subject to the availability of Federal funds) for one cooperative agreement to fund a technical assistance project to increase resiliency of local communities to child labor and/or forced labor in the context of a changing climate in Nepal. The project will focus on learning and action with the following outcomes: 1. increased understanding of the link between climate change and vulnerability to child labor and/or forced labor risks; and 2. increased implementation of child-centered, gender-sensitive, and socially inclusive climate adaptation initiatives.

The primary goals of the ETM Demonstration Grants are to improve the employment outcomes of multiply marginalized people with disabilities, specifically youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD), as well as to increase states’ capacity to develop innovative employment strategies for underserved Y&YAD and their families. The ETM grants will support up to four grantees in developing scalable strategies to enable multiply marginalized Y&YAD ages 14 to 24 to successfully transition into the workforce. ETM Demonstration Grant applicants will identify specific target population(s) based on data analysis and needs assessments. For example, applicants may focus on low-income Y&YAD as well as those experiencing homelessness, leaving foster care, or involved in the justice system. Applicants may also focus on underserved Y&YAD populations identified in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), such as youth receiving Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) benefits, youth potentially eligible for SSI, or youth whose low earnings may lead them to apply for SSI benefits as adults.

The fourth round of Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants (SCC4) will increase the capacity and responsiveness of community colleges to meet the skill development needs of employers and equitably support students in obtaining good jobs in in-demand industries. Applicants will use strategies rooted in evidence and designed to build further evidence on the effectiveness of sector-based career pathways programs in leading to positive employment outcomes. These strategies will also address identified equity gaps to increase full access to educational and economic opportunity–particularly for individuals from historically underserved communities. The lead applicant of an SCC Partnership must be a community college that is a public institution as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act, and at which the associate degree is primarily the highest degree awarded. The lead may apply as a single institution or as a consortium of two or more colleges in a common labor market area. Consortium members may include community colleges and public and private, non-profit four-year institutions, as defined in Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act. Institutions that were funded in the first three rounds of SCC as either leads or consortium members may apply as leads or consortium members under this fourth round if they focus on a different industry sector than in prior rounds. Employers and the public workforce development system are required partners for all projects, which must also include a sector convener partner unless the lead or another partner serves in that role. Partnerships with unions or labor-management organizations are encouraged in support of good jobs. Partnerships with community-based organizations, adult education providers, and tribal entities, as relevant, are encouraged in support of equitable employment outcomes in good jobs. Questions regarding this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Forecast may be emailed to SCC4_FOA-ETA-23-15@dol.gov. We encourage prospective applicants and interested parties to use the Grants.gov subscription option to register for future updates provided for this particular FOA.