The purpose of this competitive federal grant is to:
Assist state and county correctional agencies with education programs that meet the definition of career and technical education as defined in the Massachusetts Perkins State Plan, outlined below; and
Support the establishment or substantial improvement of career & technical education programs in correctional institutions that prepare returning citizens to succeed in CORI-neutral, in-demand, career pathways that offer an entry-level sustainable living wage.
Proposed programs of study must:
Offer a sequence of at least two courses2 that:
Results in an industry-recognized credential (IRC) or certificate 3, and
Provides justice involved individuals (i.e., criminal offenders in correctional institutions4 and those living in the community while under parole or probation supervision) 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;
Demonstrate meaningful collaboration between correctional institutions, community corrections, career and technical education (CTE) providers, and local area employers;
Include a strategic recruitment and cohort determination plan that yields at least one cohort of ten or more students, or two cohorts with a minimum of six students each, who can begin the CTE program while committed and, if necessary, complete it post-release;
Have the capacity to be delivered fully, or in part, via technology-based distance learning; and
Include transition support services that are clearly tailored to support success in the career pathway before and after release.
Massachusetts correctional facilities (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), including the Department of Youth Services.
Federal CFDA # 84.048
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
Approximately $200,000 will be available in FY2025 to support one or more competitive implementation grants between $40,000 and $85,000 which can be renewed for another two years based on satisfactory program performance.
Subject to federal appropriation, the continuation of FY25 awards will be based on: (1) the quality of applicants' mid-year and final reports and (2) a satisfactory on-site monitoring report.
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Perkins V allocation funds must be used in accordance with the Massachusetts Perkins V Transition Manual. Funds shall supplement and shall not supplant non-Federal funds.
Perkins V is a restricted rate program that is subject to a statutory "supplement not supplant" restriction. For this competition, applicants may include indirect cost rates to recover certain business-related expenses necessary to support the proposed services. However, not less than 95 percent of funds must be spent on adult education direct services and literacy activities; not more than five percent may be spent on administrative costs.
Upon Approval through June 30, 2025
Pending appropriation and the meeting of grant requirements, awarded grantees may be eligible for continuation grant(s) in Fiscal Year(s) 2026 and 2027.
Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)
Yvonne Gittelson
Friday, May 10, 2024*. Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m.
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due. GEM$ 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.
The following document must be downloaded from this RFP, saved, completed, and uploaded into GEM$ under the Funding Application Shared Documents section:
Perkins V Narrative
Upload into GEM$ under the Funding Application Shared Documents section:
A Bidders' Conference will be held via Zoom on April 26, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Please email Yvonne Gittelson for the Zoom link and password.
The FY25 FC 0452 Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Competitive 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.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. 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.
Last Updated: April 5, 2024
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.