TEGL 18-22 (Accessible PDF)(3).pdf

ETA Advisory File Text

EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Washington D.C. 20210 CLASSIFICATION SCSEP CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL OWI DNPTTA DATE May 15 2023 RESCISSIONS TEGL 11-21EXPIRATION DATE Continuing ADVISORY TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 18-22TO SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM GRANTEES FROM BRENT PARTON s Acting Assistant Secretary SUBJECT Program Year PY 2023 Planning Instructions and Allotments for Senior Community Service Employment Program SCSEP State Territorial and National Grantees 1. Purpose . To provide SCSEP state territorial and national grantees with the PY 2023 SCSEP allotments and the application instructions for PY 2023 grant submissions. This Training and Employment Guidance Letter TEGL will also provide guidance regarding Minority Report submissions in the Program Narrative for this year. 2.Action Requested. To apply for PY 2023 grant funds SCSEP grantees must follow the instructions in this TEGL and submit all documents to https www.grants.gov. Submissions are due Fri day June 16 2023. 3.Summary and Background. a. Summary The Employment and Training Administration ETA issued this TEGL to transmit grant planning guidance for PY 2023. The TEGL advises SCSEP grantees of the number of authorized positions and associated allotments for PY 2023 as well as grantee application requirements to receive this funding. b. Background SCSEP funds are allocated by a formula provided in Section 506 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 OAA as amended 42 USC 3056d and operate on a PY basis from July 1 through the following June 30. Sections 106 b and 107 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 Pub. L. 117-328 from this poi nt forward referred to as the Act Division H Title I allow the Secretary of Labor Secretary to set aside up to 0.5 percent of each discretionary appropriation for activities related to program integrity and 0.75 percent of most operating funds for evaluations. In PY 2023 after reducing the appropriation for set-asides authorized by the Act and transferring funds to the Office of the Solicitor per Section 102 of the Act 399 925 000 is available for SCSEP program activities. Any funds not used for these reserve activities will be distributed by formula to state territorial and national grantees. 2 SCSEP funds are allocated to and administered through grants to all state governors Puerto Rico the District of Columbia and four territories as well as competitively awarded to national non-profit agencies for services across the country. The national non-profit organizations generally compete for the awards every four years subject to annual appropriations . ETA renews SCSEP state and terr itorial grant awards on an annual basis and SC SEP national grants on an annual basis during non -competitive years . Each year ETA requires grantees to submit a grant application that includes an SF-424 an SF-424A the geographic areas to be served a detailed budget narrative a program narrative signed pr ogrammatic assurances and any optional special requests. 4. Program Details Annual Grant Guidance. This section provides important program information and detailed submission instructions for state and territory formula grantees and current national grantees. a.Important Notes for PY 2023 1 Equitable Distribution Report - Under the Paperwork Reduction Act specifically 44 U.S.C. 3506 c 2 A ETA received approval in 2021 to renew the Equitable Distribution Forms and include the Equitable Distribution Report as part of the annual guidance to eliminate duplication OMB Control Number 1205- 0040 . Note that per email correspondence with grantees in February of 2023 the Department will not include ED in the PY 2023 application submission and instead will extend the ED report submission timeline to August 31 2023. 2 Poverty Guidelines - The Department of Health and Human Services HHS published updated Federal poverty guidelines that were effective on January 19 2023. These guidelines provide the basis for determining the income eligibility of SCSEP applicants and enrollees. Grantees must multiply the appropriate base poverty guideline by 125 percent or 1.25 to convert the poverty guidelines to low income as defined in Section 518 a 3 A OAA 42 USC 3056p a 3 A . The Poverty Guidelines are published on the HHS website and in the Federal Register. The HHS website that provides federal poverty guidelines https aspe.hhs.gov poverty-guidelines also provides a chart with percentages of the guidelines including 125 percent levels. ETA opted to discontinue issuing the Poverty Guidelines annual TEGL to convey the SCSEP poverty guidelines given the availability of the poverty guidelines information via the Federal Register and the HHS website. Grantees should review the poverty guidelines on one of these sites which are effective as of the publication date. ETA will continue to notify grantees informally once the poverty guidelines are published and to post links to the guidelines at https www.dol.gov agencies eta seniors and https olderworkers.workforcegps.org . 3 3 Optional Special Requests - To facilitate the allotment review process grantees may submit a copy of their request to use additional funds for participant training and supportive services ATSS to their Federal Project Officer FPO or National Office Liaison at the time of or earlier than the grant submission for review. To the extent possible ETA will provide decisions on ATSS requests at the time of grant awards. b. Program Allotments. Attachment I provides the funding amounts and authorized positions for each grantee in PY 2023. Grantees must ensure this funding amount is reflected on the SF 424 424A and Budget Narrative. c.Grant Application Requirements. Grantees must submit the following items through Grants.gov at www.grants.gov 1 An electronically signed copy of an SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance OMB Control No. 4040-0004 . Submitting the SF-424 through Grants.gov constitutes an electronically signed SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance. Item 18 on the SF-424 must reflect the exact amount of the allotment in Attachment I. Additionally Item 11 of the SF-424 must include the SCSEP Assistance Listing 17.235. Submission requirements stipulate that all applicants for Federal grant funding opportunities must have a Unique Entity ID UEI a 12-charater alphanumeric ID assigned to an entity by SAM.gov and must supply their UEI number on the SF-424. Please be aware that you cannot submit an application to Grants.gov if your organization does not have an active registration in the System for Award Management SAM . Grantees can find out if they have an active SAM registration by going to www.sam.gov and clicking on the Search Records tab. Then enter your organization s UEI and click on the Search button. For assistance with SAM registration please call the SAM federal help desk at 866 606-8220. Item 14 of the SF-424 requires a list of the Areas Affected by Project. Grantees must list the states and counties the grant will serve. Grantees may also export the data for the service area s and attach the list on an Excel spreadsheet as a separate document.2 An SF-424A-Budget Information Form Non-Construction Programs OMB Control No. 4040-0006 .3 A Budget Narrative The Budget Narrative must fully explain the projected costs reflected in each line item of the SF-424A. See Attachment II for complete instructions. The Budget Narrative must include A detailed description of costs associated with each line item on the SF-24A Budget Information Form. 4 Both the percentage and total dollar amount allocated to participant wages and fringe benefits as described at 20 CFR 641.565. Both the percentage and total dollar amount allocated to administrative costs as described at 20 CFR 641.856. Infrastructure contributions to the workforce system in accordance with WIOA Sec. 121 h 29 USC 3151 h . 4 A Project Narrative - All grantees must submit a narrative that includes the information outlined in detail in Attachment III of this TEGL including Required. Services to minorities Please note additional guidance for the Minority Report in Attachment III for instructions. Required. Organizational structure monitoring and audits. Optional. National grantees may choose to provide any relevant updates to the statement of work that was included in the grant award documents following the PY 2020 National Competition. State grantees may provide updates in relevant sections of the SCSEP portion of the WIOA Combined State Plan Modification or their stand-alone SCSEP State Plan submitted last year. States may modify their plans at any time as well. 5 Programmatic Assurances See Attachment IV for complete instructions. Grantees must review sign and submit the programmatic assurances in Attachment IV that outline program requirements based on the OAA and the SCSEP regulations at 20 CFR Part 641. Adobe digital signatures are acceptable. The signatory must be the same individual as the Authorized Representative listed in item 21 of the SF-424. 6 Attachments as applicable Optional Requests See Attachment V for complete instructions. Grantees may submit one or more of the optional requests described in Attachment V. Note that this TEGL provides updated instructions for requesting to use additional grant funds for training and supportive services activities ATSS requests and ETA encourages grantees to consider how incorporating such activities into their overall service strategy may help improve participant outcomes. To facilitate the allotment review process grantees may submit a copy of their ATSS to their FPO or National Office Liaison at the time of or earlier than the grant submission for review. This TEGL also removes CARES Act provisions that allowed for an increase in Administrative Cost Limitations up to 20 percent. This will return the maximum increase to 15 percent. Geographic Service Area Attachment This attachment notes the states and counties included in the grantee s service area. This attachment is required if the grantee chooses not to list the service area in the SF-424 as noted in item 1 above. 5 NICRA CAP - Grantees that have an indirect cost rate must also submit a copy of their negotiated indirect cost rate agreement NICRA or cost allocation plan if applicable . d. Grants.gov Submission Process. Applicants must submit the application package through Grants.gov. Applicants who need to register with Grants.gov may do so at the following hyperlink https www.grants.gov web grants applicants organization- registration.html. Registration is a one-time process applicants with a Grants.gov account do not need to register again. To submit the required application package applicants must 1 Select the Search Grants tab on the Grants.gov homepage. 2 Under the section Basic Search Criteria enter TEGL-ETA-18-22. 3 Select the link to the applicable TEGL provided in the search results. 4 Select the Package tab. 5 Under the Actions column select Apply.ETA encourages application submission as soon as possible however applications must be received by 11 59 PM EST on Friday June 16 2023. This submission process may at times be complicated and time-consuming. As such the Department strongly encourages applicants to initiate the process as soon as possible to allow time to resolve unanticipated technical problems. F or technical issues encountered during application submission applicants may call 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035 to speak to a Customer Support Representative or emailsupport grants.gov. The Contact Center is open 24 hours a day seven days a week but closes on federal holidays.e. New Grantee Financial Reporting Requirements. All ETA award recipients are required to report financial data on the ETA-9130 Financial Report. ETA-9130 reports are due no later than 45 calendar days after the end of each specified reporting quarter. Reporting quarter end dates are March 31 June 30 September 30 and December 31. A final 9130 for the last quarter of the period of performance must be submitted no later than 120 calendar days after the quarter ends. See 2 CFR 200.344. Note On April 3 2023 ETA replaced its legacy E-Grants Grantee Reporting System GRS by transitioning to the Payment Management System PMS for grant recipient submission of the quarterly ETA-9130 financial reports. PMS is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS . Please see Training and Employment Notice No. 16-22 for additional information. 5. Inquiri es. Questions regarding grant applications should be directed to Grant Specialist Jeannette Flowers at Flowers.Jeannette dol.gov. Federal Project Officers also remain available for other questions. 6 6. References. Older Americans Act 42 USC 3056 et seq. as amended through Public Law 116-131 March 25 2020 Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 Pub. L. 117-328 December 29 2022 TEN 16-22 The Employment and Training Administration is Implementing GrantSolutions for Grant Award Processing and the Payment Management System for Financial Reporting January 18 2023 TEGL 17-20 Senior Community Service Employment Program Updated Guidance on Priority of Service Durational Limits and State Plan Submissions April 15 2021 Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act of 2020 CARES Act Pub. L. 116-136 March 27 2020 TEGL 17-16 Infrastructure Funding of the One-Stop Delivery System January 18 2017 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act WIOA Pub. L. 113-128 Sec. 121 Funding of One-Stop Infrastructure Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 Pub. L. 104-13 May 22 1995 SCSEP Performance Data Collection Approval Office of Management and Budget No. 1205-0040 expiration date November 30 2024 OMB Uniform Administrative Requirements Cost Principles and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards Final Rule 78 FR 78589 December 26 2013 published at 2 CFR Part 200 and 2 CFR Part 2900 TEGL 12-06 Revised Income Inclusions and Exclusions and Procedures for Determining Senior Community Service Employment Program SCSEP Eligibility December 28 2006 VOW Veterans Opportunity to Work to Hire Heroes Act of 2011 Pub. L. 112-56 November 21 2011 and Federal Poverty Guidelines Federal Register 88 FR 3424 January 19 2023 or HHS website at https aspe.hhs.gov poverty-guidelines. 7. Attachments. Attachment IA-IE Funding Allocations and Authorized Positions Attachment II Budget Narrative Instructions Attachment III Program Narrative Instructions Attachment IV Programmatic Assurances Attachment V Optional Special Requests