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Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2024: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) in Correctional Institutions (Planning Grant)

Fund Code: 0565

Purpose:

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education seeks to fund FY2024 competitive grants for planning the design or redesign of career and technical education programs to include both distance learningi opportunities and transition support services that are informed by evidence-based practices in re-entry to

  1. Support the planning of career & technical education (CTE) programsii in Massachusetts correctional institutionsiii that prepare returning citizens to succeed in CORI-neutral, in-demand career pathways that offer a sustainable living wage and
  2. Prepare eligible providers to respond to the FY25 Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) in Correctional Institutions RFP.

These planning grants are designed to provide Massachusetts correctional institutions with the resources to

  • Create and support partnerships among correctional institutions, training providers, employers, and workforce partners (e.g., local MassHire Workforce Boards) to identify programs of study that
    • Result in an industry-recognized credential or certificateiv
    • Provide justice involved individuals with coherent and rigorous educational activities that develop the academic, technical, and career management knowledge and skills required to secure employment in an identified career pathway or enroll and complete a postsecondary program in the pathway.
    • Meet current and emerging labor market demandv for graduates of the Perkins V program
  • Assess the correctional institution's capacity to recruit and enroll at least one cohort of ten or more students, or two cohorts with a minimum of six students each.
  • Identify and evaluate potential strategies to ensure that students who begin the CTE program while committed can complete it post-release.
  • Determine whether they are able to respond to upcoming competitive Perkins V request for proposals.
Eligibility:

Massachusetts correctional institutions

Funding Type:

State Line Item, 7035-0002

Funding:

Approximately $50,000 in funding is available for planning grant awards ranging from approximately $5,000 to $10,000. Subject to state appropriation, awards will be based on the quality of the programs proposed.

Approximately $200,000 will be available to support one or more FY25 Perkins V competitive implementation grants which can be renewed for another year based on satisfactory program performance. DESE will post the competitive Perkins V in Correctional Institutions RFP by March 15, 2024. Planning grants are not a requirement of the FY25 competitive RFP.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds must be used to support collaboration, planning, and/or research. These costs may include:

  • Stipends

  • Costs to support an inclusive process to gather input from staff, prospective students, institutional partners, etc., to determine needs and assets to support the instructional program

  • Consultant fees and honorariums

  • Subscription costs for online video conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom)

Project Duration:

Upon Approval – May 10, 2024

Program Unit:

Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Contact:

Yvonne Gittelson

Date Due:

Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 26, 2024*

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due. GEM$ application setup will disallow submission after the due date and time. A competitive proposal is considered submitted once the LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved step is completed

*All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Additional Information:

A Bidders' Conference will be held via Zoom on February 15, 2024, from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Please email Yvonne Gittelson for the Zoom link and password.

GEM$ Submission Instructions:

The FY24 FC 0565 Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) in Correctional Institutions (Planning Grant) will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by the due date listed in the RFP.

The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.

Please Note: Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.

Failure to provide DESE with GEMS Request Form at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.


i To provide continuous instruction in the event of ongoing health and safety protocols due to COVID-19 or other circumstances that prevent or limit in-person instruction.

ii In accordance with the Perkins Checklist

iii Any prison; jail; reformatory; work farm; detention center; halfway house; community-based rehabilitation center; or any other similar institution designed for the confinement or rehabilitation of criminal offenders

iv ServSafe and OSHA 10 training do not qualify as courses, although OSHA 30 or another 30+ hour credential-focused class may, provided it results is an industry-recognized certification or credential.

v Based on Regional Labor Market Blueprints, updated for 2020.

Last Updated: February 12, 2024

 
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