Questions submitted by parties interested in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) 2006 funds, and the answers to those questions, are listed below. Questions and answers are organized by general topic area and/or category. This Web page will be updated regularly as questions are submitted.

The last day to submit questions for the SFP was September 22, 2006. The answers to the questions will be posted by September 29, 2006.

• Applicant Eligibility
• Cash/In-Kind Match
• Category 1 Growth Industry—Proposal Criteria
• Category 2 Industries with a Statewide Need—Proposal Criteria
• Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers – Participant Eligibility and Enrollment
• Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers – Project Performance
• Category 3B Special Populations – Project Performance
• Category 3B Special Populations – Proposal Criteria
• Collaboration
• General
• Proposal Format
• Use of Funds

Applicant Eligibility

1. Q. We are a nursing academy at a high school with ties to Mission College’s Certified Nursing Program. May we apply as a high school program?

   A. Eligible applicants include public, private non-profit, and private for profit organizations. Since your organization is a public educational entity, you are eligible to apply.

2. Q. The SFP limits applicants to two applications for funding from two of the funding categories. If a region of LWIAs is submitting, can the region submit for all three of the discretionary fund categories and the veterans if a different lead LWIA applies on behalf of the region?

   A. Yes. A region may submit multiple proposals under the WIA Governor’s Discretionary 15 Percent SFP as long as an applicant or lead agency does not submit more than two applications for funding. Each application must be for separate funding categories. Submitting an application under the WIA Governor’s Discretionary 15 Percent SFP does not preclude an applicant from submitting a proposal under the Veterans Employment-Related Assistance Program SFP.

3. Q. Our agency has participated in 15 Percent projects as a partner and subcontractor of a LWIA; it has never been a direct grant recipient. We now have the resources in place to assume the responsibility of conducting and administering a 15 percent project. Given this background, how likely is our agency to be competitive with respect to the criterion of applicant eligibility?

A. Proposals will be accepted from public, private non-profit, private for-profit organizations. In order to be competitive, applicants must demonstrate their capability to conduct and administer a federally funded project including the ability to collect and report financial and participant data as required. Examples of past or present experience in managing projects similar to your proposal would be beneficial.

4. Q. The SFP states that “Applicants may submit up to two proposals for funding from two separate funding categories. Applicants submitting more than two proposals will be disqualified and none of the submitted proposals will be scored or considered for funding.” (p. 10)

   (a) If three or more LWIB’s joined in a partnership (with one LWIB acting as a lead agency) for the purpose of operating a regional program, would the partnership be considered one “Applicant”?

   (b) If yes, may each LWIB (in the role of lead agency) submit a separate proposal(s) on behalf of the same partnership for two separate funding categories? If so, would the scenario be a viable way for partnerships to apply for all three funding categories?

   Example: LWIAs A, B, and C form a partnership. A applies for Category 1 on behalf of the partnership with its partners B and C. B applies for Category 2 with A and C as partners, and C applies for Category 3 with A and B as partners.

   A. (a) Yes, a partnership application would be considered one application from the lead agency. (b) Yes, partnerships may submit multiple applications as long as the lead agency (the applicant) submits no more than two applications for two different funding categories. The three separate submissions in your example would be allowable.

5. Q. I am seeking partnership with a number of businesses to provide a special customized training program to advance their minimum wage workers. Would each of my partners need to submit a proposal or can one partner serve as a fiscal agent for all partners involved?

   A. Yes. One partner can submit the application and serve as fiscal agent for all the partners.

6. Q. Is there any disadvantage to a single applicant submitting more than one proposal (under different categories)?

   A. No, there is no disadvantage to submitting more than one proposal as long as a single applicant does not submit more than two proposals per separate funding categories.

Cash/In-Kind Match

1. Q. Regarding matching funds, is there a preference for cash or in-kind?

   A. The SFP does not stipulate the type of non-WIA match and either is acceptable.

2. Q. Last year a match of 20 percent was required, but is it the same this year? Is the requirement a match of up to 20 percent (will receive normal scoring), and after 20 percent the bonus points start to take effect?

   A. Match is not required for an application to be submitted under this SFP. If the non-WIA cash/in-kind match is less than 20 percent of the project request, the applicant will not receive bonus points. If the match is equal to 20 to 30 percent, 3 bonus points will be awarded or if the match is greater than 30 percent 6 bonus points will be awarded.

3. Q. For in-kind matches: Does free use of the organization’s 20 computer classroom qualify as an in-kind donation for a program that teaches computer skills? Does use of an organization’s office space by a case manager or career counselor dedicated to the program qualify as an in-kind donation?

   A. Yes, these examples meet the definition of in-kind match since they are donated use of equipment and space as long as they will be used specifically for project activities and they are funded with non-WIA monies.

4. Q. On calculation of match: Is the match percentage a percent of total budget (including match) or of state funds requested? For example, if the total state funds requested are $200,000, does a $60,000 match (either cash or in-kind or both) count as a 30 percent match for a total project amount of $260,000?

   A. Yes, your example above is correct. The match percentage is calculated using the WIA funds requested (match amount divided by requested funds).

5. Q. Our question revolves around the use of our approved indirect rate for the required match in the grant. State Center Community College District has an approved indirect rate cost agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of 36.5 percent on all programs. Can we use our indirect rate as part of the match? If so, what percentage of this rate can we use as match for the grant?

   A. No, indirect rates do not meet the definition of cash and/or in-kind match.

Category 1 Growth Industry Proposal Criteria

NOTICE TO APPLICANTS. As a result of several questions regarding the High Wage Criteria in the Category 1 Growth Industries proposal package instructions, we have expanded the language to provide clarity and flexibility in addressing this section of the proposal. This criteria has been changed as follows:

The average wage in the industry is at least the median for the region and

• the industry or industry sector is either bringing new employees in at a wage that is higher than the median for all industries in the region

or

• incumbent workers or newly employed workers have opportunities/career ladders that will lead them to a wage higher than the median for all industries in the region.

1. Q. Would an industry that is part of healthcare qualify for the High Growth/High Wage category?

   A. Yes, it could. However, for any industry selected under the Category 1 Growth Industries, the applicant must demonstrate that the industry meets the high growth criteria contained in the SFP. Applicants must provide supporting labor market information data and sources.

Category 2 Industries with a Statewide Need Proposal Criteria

1. Q. For Statewide Need: Are the reports on the Logistics industry referenced in the SFP (the CREP report and the EDD’s Manufacturing Careers report) available online? If so, where?

   A. Yes. Both reports may be accessed using these Internet links www.labor.ca.gov/panel/logmanufvalue.pdf and www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occmisc/Manuf1-Intro.pdf; these are referenced on pages 5 and 6 of the main SFP document.

2. Q. In the healthcare section, will you be accepting proposals for any category of worker other than nursing?

   A. Yes, the industry cluster Healthcare/Nursing under the Category 2 Industries with a Statewide Need can target other allied health industries.

3. Q. Is construction acceptable under the category Industries with Statewide Need?

   A. Yes, the construction industry is one of the sectors targeted under Infrastructure Development. However the construction must be related to infrastructure that facilitates the movement of people and goods, e.g., highways, transit and rail systems, roads, bridges, airports and seaport.

4. Q. Is any preference extended to proposals submitted under Category 2 which provide services to special needs populations like youth and people with disabilities?

   A. No, Category 2 does not contain any preferences for this target population. Applications can be submitted under any of the funding categories to target special needs populations.

Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers – Participant Eligibility and Enrollment

1. Q. Do “minimum wage workers” only mean those who earn exactly $6.75 per hour? Does it therefore exclude those who make $6.75 or more per hour?

   A. Yes, minimum wage workers are only those workers that earn $6.75, which excludes those working above this hourly rate.

2. Q. Since a worker who makes $6.75 per hour/40 hours per week/2080 hours per year would annually earn $14,040 – would eligibility be solely based on the $6.75 per hour or could it also include someone who works part time at a higher wage but earns less than $14,040 per year?

   A. No, the SFP criteria for the Advancing Minimum Wage Workers Category do not include annual earnings as a condition of participant eligibility. The target population is defined as incumbent workers between the ages of 25 to 54 who have been consistently employed in minimum wage jobs for the last three years.

3. Q. (a) Can you please specify what is meant by “attachment to the labor market in minimum wage jobs for the last three years”? For example, would a person who did not work at all during any part of the past three years, but who worked at minimum wage prior to the three year period, be considered eligible?
   
   (b) Also, I would like to know whether a person in the following scenario be eligible: A person who worked at a job above minimum wage at some point during the past three years, but who worked at a minimum wage for the majority of the past three years, and who had a spell of unemployment during those three years such that the amount of unemployment insurance or other cash assistance received, when added to the amount earned at the above minimum wage employment, averages on a per hour basis to a wage at or below minimum wage. That is, this person’s average wage for those three years would be at or even below minimum wage, but the income did not derive solely from employment at a minimum wage job.

   A. (a) No, the individual who has not worked at all in the past three year period would not be eligible under this category. The Advancing Minimum Wage Workers Category is targeting incumbent workers (currently working) who have a recent history (last three years) of employment in minimum wage jobs and who have not been able to break out of this cycle.
   
   (b) Yes, the individual in your second scenario would be eligible as long as they are an incumbent worker currently employed in a minimum wage job. The majority of their employment history was spent in minimum wage jobs.

4. Q. Must the targeted workers under Category 3A have been employed in a minimum wage job for the past three years only in the industry for which the project plans to train these workers? For example, if the training offered through the project is in health care, must the incumbents to be served have been employed only in health care for the three years prior to receiving services through the project?

   A. No, the employment history of the targeted workers can be with any industry where they were earning a minimum wage.

Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers – Project Performance

1. Q. Can you please provide some clarification on accountability for performance outcomes related to Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers proposals? In particular, what documentation will be needed to show wage increase and over what period of time? Will funding be tied to commitment to ensuring wage increases as part of the project?

   A. As much as possible, the project performance for this category will be measured using the Job Training Automation System. However, several of the performance goals will require the grantee to submit special reports to the state on the progress toward its goals. Documentation to demonstrate wage increases should include pay stubs or statements from the employer. The time period to demonstrate wage increases is by the project end date. Proposals that demonstrate their ability to ensure that at least 80 percent of the participants will receive a wage increase will be more competitive.

Category 3B Special Populations – Project Performance

1. Q. Our agency has found that clients with homeless, foster youth, or disabled status and other multiple barriers to employment experience greater challenge in relation to the areas of employment, retention, and obtainment of credentials. Will applicants whose proposals focus on special populations be accorded any flexibility in connection to the WIA performance goals? Have performance goals been set for sub-populations?

   A. Yes, applicants are afforded flexibility with the WIA performance goals. The SFP states in Section D. State Performance that the state goals are provided as a point of reference for applicants when reviewing their local goals. Local program designs may vary significantly and necessitate flexibility in determining performance goals. If the planned performance goals are different than the State performance goals, applicants must provide an explanation in the proposal narrative Section IV., Goals and Objectives.

Category 3B Special Populations – Proposal Criteria

1. Q. With the advent of Category 3B Special Populations, is the specific criteria of Category 3 now been adjusted for the type of Special Population to be served?

   For example, the original criteria stated that the target population had to be “consistently employed in minimum wage jobs for three years”; “incumbent workers between the ages of 25 to 54…”; and the “employer involvement in the planning and implementation of the project’ had to be demonstrated.

   These criteria would really not apply to disabled youth. It is out understanding that customized services and training to prepare special needs populations should have customized criteria that applies to that special population. Is this a correct understanding?

   A. The Category 3B Special Populations criteria are different than the Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers. Your example above applies to the Advancing Minimum Wage Workers category. The criteria for the Special Populations category are different and are contained in the separate Category 3B proposal package instructions.

2. Q. Are additional points beyond the six points for non-WIA matches available to applicants submitting proposals under Category 3B which will train participants belonging to special populations for the careers that earn additional points for applicants for applicants submitting proposals under Category 3A?

   A. No, Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers and Category 3B Special Populations have separate proposal package instructions and criteria.

3. Q. If proposals focus on serving populations with multiple barriers to employment, will reviewers take into consideration that the barriers impact training and placement costs?

   A. Yes. Under Section IV, Goals and Objectives, describe how the outcomes (costs per participant) will be measured and provide clarification to demonstrate their effectiveness.

4. Q. Prospective grantees applying under Category 3 need to select one of two options, and each option causes the grantee to serve different populations. Can a prospective grantee who serves the populations of both options submit a single application proposing to serve the population of each option simultaneously? Would such a proposal receive extra consideration?

   A. No, Category 3A Advancing Minimum Wage Workers and 3B Special Populations are separate funding categories with different criteria.

5. Q. The description for Category 3B states that grantees will train clients both to secure jobs and to advance to positions requiring higher levels of skills. Is the goal behind this category to promote the movement of unemployed individuals into entry-level jobs and the training of incumbent job holders in advanced skills?

   A. Yes, the goal of this category is to promote the movement of unemployed individuals into entry-level jobs and advance incumbent workers into jobs that have career ladder opportunities. The SFP Section III, Planned Approach asks the applicant to demonstrate how the occupations targeted will assist the individuals in progressing into higher skill, higher wage occupations.

6. Q. This is to request clarification regarding whether an applicant can submit multiple applications under the special population category (i.e., one application with high-risk youth as the target group and a second one focused on disabled adults).

   A. No, An applicant may not submit more than one proposal per a funding category.

Collaboration

1. Q. Under core services, we currently receive support from our local WIA for 12 students per year. Would a letter of support from our local WIA fulfill this requirement? If not, would we need to incorporate WIA more into the grant to increase our opportunity for funding?

   A. No, a letter of support would not fulfill the requirement to describe your established linkages with a Local Workforce Investment Area. Support letters will not be used in the review process. The SFP, in Section V, requests that applicants describe how they have successfully established linkages with their LWIA. The applicant should describe any actions they have taken in establishing this linkage and provide descriptions of any formal or informal agreements that are currently in place. Additionally the applicant is asked to describe what roles and responsibilities the LWIA will perform in conjunction with the proposal. Points for this Section will be awarded based on how well the applicant responds to these criteria.

2. Q. Section V – Local Collaboration – (in a multi-county LWIA situation): Assume the LWIA is an active partner with several local One-Stop partners for a joint submittal in counties X and Y for the “advancing minimum wage worker category”. Would that submittal be graded lower if another organization wanted to submit an “advancing minimum wage worker” proposal for county Z without the active involvement of the LWIA?

   This question goes to the heart of the suggestion that there should not be more than one SFP for any one category from the same LWIA.

   A. No, an application that demonstrated a partnership with the LWIA will be more competitive than an application that does not demonstrate active involvement of the LWIA.

General

1. Q. In the previous year, what percentage of applications (for each category) received funding?

   A. The Employment Development Department received 215 applications under the PY 2005/06 solicitation. The percent of applications awarded by category is as follows:

   • Growth Industry – 2%
   • Industries with a Statewide Need – Nursing – 5%
   • Advancing Workers with Barriers to Employment – 3%
   • Veterans’ Employment Related Assistance – 4.6%

2. Q. What types of organizations have typically received awards in the past? Are local government entities usually among the winners?

   A. The types of organization that received awards in the last SFP included local government entities, community based organizations, community colleges, labor organizations, school districts and private for profit organizations.

3. Q. The minimum wage for California will change January 1, 2007, from $6.75 to $7.50. Which figure should we use in our calculations?

   A. We anticipate projects will begin December 1, 2006, therefore you should include the increase in the minimum wage in your proposal budget.

4. Q. Why does the SFP (pg. 11) talk about the “subgrantee” in the definition of cash match? Why does it not say “grantee”?

   A. For purposes of the SFP, the definition of “subgrantee” and “grantee” are identical.

5. Q. The SFP states that “grantees will be required to have the approved emulation software” to report expenditures, participant, and outcome data to the State (p. 15). Will the State provide software to agencies who receive an award of 15 Percent funds but who do not, at the time of the application, possess such software? Or will the lack of such software disqualify the applicant?

   A. The State requires those agencies awarded funds under the SFP to obtain the required software for the Job Training Automation System. While the State will not provide the software, funds provided under the SFP may be used to purchase the required software. The lack of emulation software will not disqualify the applicant.

6. Q. If we received WIA Governor’s Discretionary 15% Funds last year, are we qualified to submit another proposal this year – either for the same program or a different program?

   A. Past recipients are eligible to apply for this competitive process. Past and current performance of WIA grants will be evaluated when making funding recommendations.

7. Q. If one or more LWIAs/WIBs jointly submit a SFP, could there be any consideration for exceeding the stated budget amounts posted in each funding category.

   A. No, the budget limits set in the SFP for each category cannot be exceeded.

8. Q. Is it possible to go for the new grant as an extension of our current grant?

   A. No, this is a separate grant solicitation. In accordance with the Section VI, Resource Utilization criteria, “It is the intent of this SFP to fund projects that ensure the non-duplication of services and the sustainability of the proposed activities once funding under this grant ceases.”

9. Q. Have targets been set for the numbers of participants to be served or for ranges for the cost per participant? What is the average cost per participant upper limit that the EDD would consider to be competitive?

   A. The state has not prescribed a specific number of participants to be served nor an average cost per participant. Those numbers will vary based on the type of project proposed.

10. Q. Is the cost per participant listed in past awards useful for identifying acceptable cost per participant for the purposes of this RFP?

    A. No, as stated in the question above, costs per participant will vary based on the type of project proposed. Each application has unique characteristics in terms of who they will serve, the types of services, and other resources that are available. In Section VIII of the proposal narrative, applicants are asked to explain how the proposed costs are necessary and reasonable in terms of benefiting participants.

Proposal Format

1. Q. Do tables and graphs included in the proposal need to be in 12 point type?

   A. No, some of the tables including in the proposal narrative are set at 11 point type in order to fit all of the information. Other tables and graphs that are added to the narrative should be in 11 point font.

2. Q. Can footnotes and citations be included as an attachment or should these elements be included in the twenty pages of the narrative itself?

   A. Footnotes and citations must be included in the 20 page narrative.

3. Q. The phrase, “if applicable” is used in connection with the requested copy of an organization’s California Franchise Tax Board determination letter. Does an organization possessing one need to submit a copy?

   A. Yes, if an organization has a California Franchise Tax Board determination letter, it should be submitted with the proposal.

Use of Funds

1. Q.Is the cap of $600,000 for twelve months (and thus is an annual cap) or is it for grant activity periods of twelve to twenty-four months?

   A. The maximum award amount is for the entire grant period which can be between 18 and 24 months. Grant funds will not be available for longer than the 24-month expenditure period.

2. Q. We recently (this semester) increased our student acceptance to 30 students per semester. Our historical challenge has been retention and successful completion of the Registered Nursing program. Due to space limitations we will only be able to accommodate 30 students per semester. We would like to use the grant funds to create a proactive remediation program to decrease our attrition rate and increase our graduation rate (there by increasing the workforce). Would this be possible without increasing the number of students we admit beyond 30?

   A. Yes, your example of a proactive remediation program to decrease the attrition rate and increase the number of graduates would be an allowable project activity.

3. Q. With regard to Industries with a Statewide Need, may 15 Percent funds be used to renovate facilities that will result in increased training capacity?

   A. It is allowable to use WIA 15 Percent funds for renovation as long as it does not result in increasing the value of the property. Renovation costs must be reviewed and approved by the State prior to project implementation.