The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) will administer the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education (IELCE) and Integrated Education and Training (IET) grant to Community Adult Learning Centers (CALCs, fund codes 340/345/359) consistent with Public Law 113-128, Sections 201 through 243, across six local workforce development areas for CALCs. The eight local workforce areas are Berkshire, Boston, Bristol, Cape Cod, Hampden (IET only) Metro Southwest, North Shore, and South Shore.
IELCE models provide ESOL instruction concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities, civics education, and workforce training (occupational skills training) that result in students attaining one or more industry-recognized credentials (IRCs) required for local area employment in high-demand industries. IET models provide adult education concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation activities, and workforce training (occupational skills training) that result in students attaining a high school credential and one or more IRCs needed for high-demand local occupations.
Programs can submit multiple proposals. For example, a program could submit one IELCE advanced manufacturing proposal, and, separately, an IET welding proposal. Each will be reviewed and scored separately and must include all required documents, including Program Unit Signature Page, Class Plan and Budget Workbook, Part III Narrative (part III.a. for IELCE and/or part III.b. for IET), Statement of Assurances, Schedule B, and required appendices.
The following priorities have been established for IET and IELCE programs:
Eligible applicants are current recipients of ESE-funded CALC grants (Fund Codes 340/345/359) that have demonstrated effectiveness in providing adult education and literacy activities, including:
Refer to the table below for eligible workforce area allocations. Funding is subject to state and federal appropriation. As such, all values in this table are primarily designed as estimates for planning purposes and are not binding.
ESE will award funding to meritorious proposals based primarily upon the quality of the responses to this RFP, number of proposals submitted per each local workforce area and the score and rank of these proposals in each local workforce area as determined by the proposal review team.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change.
Fund Code 340, 359: Federal CFDA 84.002
Fund Code 345: State
Funds must be used in accordance with the FY2019 Massachusetts Policies for Effective Adult Education in Community Adult Learning Centers and Correctional Institutions and Guidelines for Effective Integrated Education and Training and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education Services (to be posted September 2018).
Not less than 75 percent of funds must be spent on AE direct services; not more than 25 percent may be spent on administrative costs, including indirect costs.
Agencies with an approved federal indirect cost rate shall not receive more than an 8% indirect rate for adult education programs. Agencies with an ESE-approved indirect cost rate (IDC) shall not receive more than a 5% indirect rate for adult education programs. The total of direct and indirect costs may not exceed the total grant award. In lieu of charging for indirect costs, grantees that provide an appropriate and detailed allocation of agency-wide costs to their grant programs may receive DESE approval to include them as direct costs. For more information about applying for and calculating indirect, see The Grants Management Procedural Manual.
Upon approval through June 30, 2019 (State-funded — Fund Code: 345); conditionally renewable for up to an additional four years.
Upon approval through August 31, 2019 (Federally-funded — Fund Codes: 340, 359); conditionally renewable for up to an additional four years.
Renewals are subject to satisfactory performance, the appropriation of state and federal funds, and the continuance of federal authorizing legislation. Total grant award duration will not exceed five years (initial year plus renewals).
Submit an optional Letter of Intent (for planning purposes only, but strongly encouraged) in the online portal found on the ACLS website by October 19, 2018.
Resources can be found on the ACLS Career Pathways webpage.
A Bidders' Conference will be held Thursday, October 11, 2018 from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon at the Worcester Adult Learning Center, Fanning Building, 24 Chatham Street, Worcester, in the auditorium.
All inquiries must be submitted in writing to by October 26th to IET-IELCEQA@doe.mass.edu; all answers will be posted to the ACLS webpage. Questions can be submitted upon release to November 16, 2018.
Proposals are due on November 26, 2018 by 3:00 p.m.
Proposals must be submitted electronically via the online portal.
Applicants will create an account and be able to enter the portal for the RFP. Once you have created a user account and entered the portal, you will be asked to:
Enter basic information
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required. You will not be able to submit your grant unless you include data or uploads in all required fields.
Please note that you are presented with two choices at the bottom of the submission webpage: <Save Draft> and <Submit>. Once you choose Submit, you are no longer able to make edits or change the files you wish to upload. Save Draft should be used routinely until you have completed the entire process and are certain you are ready to send your materials submission to us.
Also, please note that the Part II-Budget is an Excel for PC document. Please do not work on this document in Excel for Mac, as it will not render properly, even if you subsequently save the document in a PC environment.
If problems occur while using the portal anytime, or if you encounter technical difficulties with the Class/Plan Budget workbook contact Derek Kalchbrenner.
Submit a response to all narrative prompts. The response may not exceed six pages.
Applicants are required to provide page numbers on every page of the narrative response. All narrative responses must be in a font no smaller than Arial 10 font, with 1" margins on all sides.
Important: Pages that exceed the above page limit will not be reviewed and scored. Required forms are not included in these page limits.
Awarded Recipients: Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget in EdGrants. Once selected, recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.
Note: ESE reserves the right to conduct a site visit prior to award.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to return to this RFP and the Q&A page for updates and amendments. All updates and amendments supersede previous versions.
Last Updated: September 21, 2018
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.