Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Development Center | FOA ODEP 22 10

Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ODEP 22 10

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) released this discretionary grant opportunity to fund the operation of the Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Development Center (LEAD WIOA PDC). The core purpose of the award is to support a national policy development and technical assistance center that helps the broader workforce system improve competitive integrated employment (CIE) services, opportunities, and outcomes for people with disabilities. In practical terms, the selected organization is expected to continue and expand the work of the existing LEAD WIOA PDC (previously referred to as the LEAD Center) by working across the full range of workforce programs and partners influenced by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), helping them adopt stronger policies and better practices that lead to real employment and economic advancement outcomes.

The work is organized around three main priorities tied to WIOA and disability employment. First, the center will focus on advancing economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities, meaning it will help systems and stakeholders move beyond short-term placements toward sustained employment and improved economic outcomes. Second, it will promote and strengthen career pathways that lead to competitive integrated employment as defined in WIOA, which generally emphasizes employment in typical work settings alongside people without disabilities, at competitive wages, with opportunities for advancement. Third, the center will work on improving how disability-related data are collected and reported across WIOA programs, recognizing that better data quality and consistency are essential for accountability, performance measurement, and identifying gaps in service and outcomes for people with disabilities.

ODEP anticipates making a single award under a cooperative agreement structure, which typically indicates substantial federal involvement in shaping or coordinating the work as it is carried out, compared to a standard grant. While the announcement makes approximately 2,000,000 available initially, the department expects total funding of about 8,000,000 over a four-year period of performance, distributed in annual increments of about 2,000,000 each year. Applicants are asked to submit an application that covers the full four-year project concept, but the first-year budget request is capped at 2,000,000, reflecting the incremental funding approach and annual continuation dependent on performance and the availability of funds.

Eligible applicants include a range of organization types: nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. The opportunity is listed under CFDA (Assistance Listing) 17.720, with the activity category noted as education, reflecting the policy development, training, and technical assistance nature of the work rather than direct service delivery. The funding opportunity number is FOA ODEP 22 10, and it was posted on May 3, 2022, with an application deadline of June 17, 2022. Applications were required to be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. The stated award ceiling is 2,000,000, consistent with the first-year funding limit, and the expected number of awards is one, emphasizing that this is intended to fund a single national center rather than multiple smaller projects.

• The Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Development Center" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.720.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 03, 2022.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 17, 2022 Applications must be submitted electronically no later than 1159 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, For profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses.

Apply for FOA ODEP 22 10

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