STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

NOTICE OF GRANT OPPORTUNITY

Fiscal Year 2022

Re-Entry Services and Training Opportunities to Reestablish Employment (ReStore)

Announcement Date: April 18, 2022

Technical Assistance Workshop: April 22, 2022

Application Due Date: May 16, 2022

Notice of Grant Opportunity

FY 2022 Department of Labor and Workforce Development Notice of Availability of Grant Program Funds

Take Notice that, in compliance with NJSA 52:14-34.4 et seq., the Department of Labor (hereinafter "the Department" or "NJDOL") regularly publishes on its website, at https://nj.gov/labor/, all notices of fund availability pertaining to Federal or State grant funds which may be awarded by the Department. The notices of fund availability may be found on the Department's website under the heading "Public Notices" and the subheading "Notice of Availability of Grant Program Funds."

A.       NAME OF GRANT PROGRAM

The Re-Entry Services and Training Opportunities to Reestablish Employment (ReSTORE) is a competitive grant offered by the Department of Labor.

B.        PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE FUNDS WILL BE USED

This competitive Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO) aims to increase employment opportunities for parole and probation clients and significantly reduce the likelihood of recidivism.

The NJDOL, in collaboration with the State Parole Board (SPB) and the State Division of Probation (SDP), seeks to fund proposals that will provide training and job placement services on a fee-for-service basis to parole clients of the SPB and probation clients of the SDP.

There are over 15,000 parole clients throughout New Jersey under the supervision of the SPB and 130,000 probation clients under the supervision of the SDP. The justice-involved population has a much harder time returning to the workforce than other populations of job seekers. They often have multiple barriers to employment and require additional services and unique approaches to resolving issues. Research has shown that employment is a deterrent to recidivism.

1. Available Funding

The total amount of funding available in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022, June 15, 2022, through June 30, 2023, is estimated to be $2,900,000 to be made available from the Workforce Development Partnership Fund and is contingent upon availability.

Fee for Placement Services: The grantee will be responsible for providing job coaching and employment preparation, job placement, and tracking employment retention. The maximum reimbursable cost per participant is $4,000 and shall be payable on the fee-for-service schedule below. Applicants may elect to fund their project at a lower per participant amount to serve more clients.

1. Eligible Applicants

Preference will be given to organizations that have demonstrated successful outcomes working with employers to obtain unsubsidized employment for the targeted population. To effectuate this grant's purpose, grantees collaborating with faith-based and community-based educational institutions will be given special consideration. While there must be a lead applicant, NJDOL encourages consortium and collaborative partnerships to meet this grant's goals.

Applicants may apply for more than one grant but must make a separate application for each county. An organization that submits an application for one county is not precluded from participating as a partner in a different organization's application for a separate county.

This competitive grant program is designed to provide grants to lead agencies for employment placement services to participants referred by the SPB and SDP.

To be eligible for this NGO, the applicant must satisfy the following requirements:

• Must be a registered non-profit or for-profit entity or governmental entity;
• Pursuant to NJSA 52:32-44, a for-profit applicant and each proposed subcontractor must have a valid Business Registration Certificate on file with the Division of (This statutory requirement does not apply to non-profit organizations, private colleges, universities, or state and municipal agencies.); and
• Required to comply with the Affirmative Action Requirements of Public Law 1975,

1. 124 (NJAC 17:27) and the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1991 (PL 101-336).

The following organizations are eligible to apply as the lead agency:

• Public or private placement agencies;
• Faith-based and/or community-based organizations;
• Labor organizations;
• Employers and/or contractors;
• Public or private non-profit agencies; and,
• Trade organizations that represent a particular trade, group of trades, contractors, or employers

Applicants must limit program services to parolees under the supervision of the SPB and probation clients under the supervision of  SDP within the counties listed below for the two identified Primary Regions.

Applicants may apply for more than one grant but must make a separate application for each region. An organization that submits an application for one region is not precluded from participating as a partner in a different organization's application for a separate region. The maximum grant award per applicant is $725,000 based on a minimum of 175 new participants. The actual total award amount is contingent upon the NJDOL approval and available funding. Only the most cost-effective proposals that meet this NGO's requirements will be funded.

E.       TARGET POPULATION

Participants of The ReSTORE program must be referred to the program through the State Parole Board, the State Division of Probation, or its respective designees, located in the appropriate districts throughout the State of New Jersey.

1. GRANTEE RESPONSIBILITIES:

Case Management, Job Placement, and Employer Incentives: The lead agency will be responsible for coordinating case management services for parolees accepted into the program and assisting with placement and retention services. Costs for case management are included in the assessment, job coaching, and case management benchmark of the agreement. In addition, the lead agency will be responsible for the placement of the trainees into sustainable employment. In an effort to encourage employers to hire participants of ReSTORE, NJDOL may offer on-the-job training (OJT) or a Federal Bonding Program (FBP) fidelity bond to provide a hiring incentive to businesses employing participants of the program, depending on available funding. The OJT and FBP program will be administered separately from this NGO process and will not need to be included in your proposed budget. Detailed information will be provided and explained to applicants awarded through this NGO.

Grantees will be charged with ensuring that all participants of the ReSTORE are registered with the local One-Stop Career Centers (OSCC). The OSCC will ensure that all the appropriate resources are made available to the participants and that said participants are aware of any employer incentives available through the OSCC system.

G.      PROCEDURES FOR ELIGIBLE ENTITIES TO APPLY FOR GRANT FUNDS

The grantee serves as the applicant agency of record, the legally recognized fiscal agent for the grant project, and the single point of contact for NJDOL. The grantee will be expected to coordinate all aspects of the grant, i.e., project and spending plan, grant project monitoring and reporting, outreach and recruitment, and fiscal management.

It is essential that the applicant carefully construct result-oriented goals and objectives, accompanied by a program description and budget that provides a comprehensive plan to administer the program successfully.

All applicants are considered new applicants for this funding cycle and will be evaluated on the basis of quality, comprehensiveness, completeness, accuracy, and appropriateness of response to the NGO. The standard evaluation criteria (page 10) will be used to review and select applications.

Under this grant program, applicants must provide a narrative describing their organizational capacity, resources, commitment, and any demonstrated employment, retention, and employer relationship successes

working with this grant's targeted population. Such information must be included as part of the applicant's "Narrative" section of the application. Please refer to page 10 for additional information.

H.      TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WORKSHOP AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION

NJDOL will provide a technical assistance workshop via Zoom on April 22, 2022, from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Applicants that wish to attend, please log in using the link displayed below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3243315983?pwd=dDI2cTBibnU3MGFCbk9xRjFCeWpWdz09

Meeting ID: 324 331 5983

Passcode: 1962

The completed and signed original application must be received by 4:00 PM on May 16, 2022. Faxed or mailed copies will not be accepted. All completed applications must be electronically submitted to christopher.mckelvey@dol.nj.gov utilizing MS Word, MS Excel, and PDF only.

I.       AWARD PROCESS

To be eligible for funding, the applicant must have satisfactorily completed the required elements of the NGO. NJDOL reserves the right to reject any and all applications when circumstances indicate that it is in the Department's best interest. NJDOL's best interests in this context include but are not limited to loss of funding, the applicant's inability to provide adequate services, an indication of misrepresentation of information, and/or non-compliance with State/Federal laws and regulations; and any existing NJDOL contracts and procedures.

Panel Review Process - All applications are subject to a Department panel review and final approval by the Commissioner of the Department of Labor. The panel review date is expected to occur on June 3, 2022. Within 10 business days following the panel review date, applicants will be notified of their application status and any requested revisions. Upon completing all requested revisions and re-submitting completed applications within the required timelines, applicants will be notified of their application's final determination.

J.         REPORTING AND ON-SITE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE VISITS

Grant recipients are required to maintain progress data and submit monthly program and fiscal reports documenting grant-related activities. The reports will be reviewed to ascertain the grantee's progress within the scope of work and its conformance with program regulations and enabling legislation

The format of the monthly reports is determined by NJDOL, and the report form will be provided with the contract in dashboard format. Monthly financial reports must be submitted as required in the contract and are due by the 10^th of each month. In addition, they must contain the following:

• Status of all expenditures listed in the budget detail and the amount expended each month along with supporting documents; and
• A State of New Jersey payment voucher submission for expenditures incurred during the

All programs will receive a minimum of one on-site technical assistance visit. The purpose of the visit will be to assess progress toward the program goals and objectives and the integrity of the program model. Grantees will be required to submit additional reports as requested by NJDOL.

K.      PROGRAM OUTCOMES

Grantees are expected to attain the following outcomes during the funding period:

• 100% of participants must have an Assessment/Job Coaching/ Case Management by the grantee
• At least 60% of participants must have job placement with 30-day retention
• At least 80% of those participants placed must have job placement with 60-day
• At least 55% of those participants placed must have job placement with 90-day
• At least 50% of those participants placed must have job placement with 150-day

The chart below details the maximum amount grantees can spend for required participant services. Please ensure budget submissions reflect the following funding allocations

Each applicant may use up to $142.85 per client for Needs-Based Work Support direct services to the program participants. Examples of allowed services are transportation assistance, training, education, employer-required supplies, obtaining identification, and drivers' license reinstatement. The applicant must detail the specific services and the cost for the services in the budget summary.

The applicant's budget must be well-conceived and necessary for the implementation of the program. Final amounts will be determined at the time of pre-contract revisions. Ineligible, inappropriate, or undocumented costs will be removed from the funding request. Funds may only be used to support services specific to this award; hence, this funding may not be used to supplant or duplicate existing funding streams. Actual funding levels will depend on the availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

NJDOL reserves the right to rescind any unspent funds at the end of the grant. NJDOL also reserves the right to use this solicitation and competition to extend contracts of successful applicants for up to one year at a time, contingent upon available funding.

L.       PROPOSAL CONTENT AND CHECKLIST

To ensure consistency and fairness of evaluation, NJDOL requires that each applicant seeking funding under this grant program submit an application that includes, at a minimum, the components listed below. All components in the proposal must be in the order listed. It is important to note that failure to include the required documentation may result in the application being removed from consideration for funding. NJDOL's Standard Assurances and Certification is expected to be read prior to application submission. A description of each component is listed in this section after the checklist.

The Program Narrative must be produced using the following formatting requirements:

• Font – Times New Roman, 12 point; Spacing – double spaced;
• Margins – 1" top and bottom and 1" side margins;
• Pages must be numbered – X of X pages, centered at the bottom of the page;
• Charts and graphs are allowed but must be clearly labeled and described;
• Applicant/Organization's name must be listed on each page;
• Proposals, including attachments, should not exceed 20 pages;
• Standard Assurances and Certifications are excluded from the 20-page

Explanation of Proposal Components

1. Applicant Title Page (Attachment A) – Complete all sections of the form and attach them to the front of the Ensure that all document sections are complete and all information is accurate on the form. The Chief Executive Officer must sign and date the form.

2. Letter(s) of Commitment from Partner(s) – A letter of commitment from the applicant's local Workforce Development Board is required. Letters of commitment from other partners such as training providers, treatment providers, supportive service providers, and employers are encouraged. The letter(s) should indicate the specific activities the partner(s) will be involved

3. Statement of Need – Demonstrate the need for the project in relation to the NGO. A need is defined as the difference between the current status and the outcomes that the applicant would like to achieve. Documentation may include a demographic description of your targeted area, including employers, jobs,

and research relating to employment and training service delivery models for the target population.

4. Narrative – In this section, the applicant is to provide an overview of how the services detailed in the scope of work will be implemented and the timeframes involved, explicitly addressing the following:

1. How the applicant's approach satisfies the requirements as stated in the NGO;
2. The applicant's understanding of the program expectations and outcomes as stated in the NGO;
3. Anticipated collaboration with other entities in the course of administering the
4. Resolutions to anticipated barriers and potential problems the applicant foresees itself and/or the State encountering in the successful realization of the initiative described herein; and
5. All other resources needed by the applicant to satisfy the contract requirements resulting from this
6. The best practice(s) that will be used in the design and implementation of the program.
7. Policies on protecting applicant personal identification information (PII) and medical information per the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA).

5. Organizational Commitment and Capacity – Applicants need to describe their commitment to addressing the conditions and/or needs identified in this NGO, including the existing organizational support for implementing the proposed project. Please include charts of staff names, titles, duties/responsibilities, and time allocation related to this grant. The applicant must also state they have the management information system (MIS), equipment, and capacity needed to properly track and report participant demographic and performance data to NJDOL and demonstrate the ability to complete all required monthly reports and requests for information in accordance with protocol and timelines established by The applicant should also describe their experience in conducting training that has supported justice-involved persons. Additionally, the applicant should focus on how previous experience will be applied to ensure the proposed project's successful implementation. The applicant should describe how they will establish networking, mentoring, and leadership opportunities during and after the project, particularly creating a workforce development infrastructure and possible continued employment for recipients.

6. Training Curriculum and Schedule – It is required that each applicant submit a curriculum outlining the training modules that focus on basic skills instruction and workforce readiness instruction within this section of the NGO. Applicant must indicate the associated hours attributed to the completion of the training component of the proposal. Proposals that include training that leads to industry-recognized certificationwill be given special consideration.

7. Budget Summary– The budget summary must indicate all sources of funds and include the rationale for the uses of the performance-based award, with emphasis on the costs of the methods, staffing, marketing, training, equipment, and supplies needed to achieve the goals of this NGO.

8. Application Budget (Attachment B) – The Application Budget must be fully supported by information provided in the Budget The organizational commitment and capacity section must substantiate the projected service numbers. Budgets will be reviewed using the State of New Jersey policies and regulations as a guideline.

9. Standard Assurances and Certifications (Attachment C) – By submitting an application, the applicant implicitly agrees to the terms and conditions as outlined in the "Standard Assurances and Certifications." (Please click the link in the above chart).
10. Special Consideration – Applicants who demonstrate leveraging of other funds to decrease the per-client cost and serve more participants will be awarded extra Applicants who wish to receive this special consideration must submit Letters of Commitment to verify the availability of matching funds with the application. The Federal Bonding Program (FBP) provides zero-cost fidelity bonds to companies on behalf of individuals with risk factors that may preclude them from securing employment. These individuals would not be able to secure a Federal fidelity bond due to their risk factors; however, once bonded by the FPB program, clients are therefore bondable for life. That status offers a better opportunity for advancement; therefore, applicants who have experience leveraging the Federal Bonding Program to secure bonds for individuals with significant barriers to employment will receive extra points.

Evaluation Criteria

This NGO is competitive and will be reviewed by a selection committee using a pre-established set of requirements, which will include, but not be limited to the following:

K: EFFECTIVE DATE AND TERM

The Term of this contract shall be for one (1) year from June 15, 2022, through June 30, 2023. There is an option to extend the contract for a second year by NJDOL. The Parties must agree to a second year by a mutual written agreement.