Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
Application Deadline: June 28, 2013, 3 PM Eastern
Request for Proposals:
Institute for Veterans and Military Families Request for Proposals
2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
In partnership with the Walmart Foundation
Letters of interest requesting to participate are solicited from educational institutions and their partners
in Texas, California, North Carolina, and New York by June 28, 2013. Selected organizations submitting
letters of interest, and those targeted by IVMF, will be invited to submit full applications with a
submission deadline of July 15, 2013 at 3 PM Eastern time. The application is limited to 5 pages of
narrative, 2 pages of budget narrative, and 2 pages of line item budget items. (All applications must be
completed with one inch margins, 11 or 12 point font, double spaced, for the program narrative and
budget narrative, and one inch margins, single spaced, at least 10 point font, for the line item budget.)
After application submission, IVMF may request additional information and responses from applicants,
or may engage in discussion and negotiation with applicants.
I. About the Institute for Veterans and Military Families
As the first institute of its kind in the nation, the IVMF leverages the intellectual, programmatic and
human capital resources of higher education in support of the post-service life course of the nation’s
veterans and military families. The IVMF focuses on developing impactful programming, cultivating
actionable research, conducting policy analysis and providing technical assistance positioned to address
the social, economic and public policy challenges facing the veterans’ community. The IVMF team
approaches this mission as a collaboration, forging enduring partnerships with government, private
industry, institutions of higher education, philanthropic organizations and stakeholders committed to
supporting transitioning service members, veterans and their families.
IVMF and the Walmart Foundation have partnered on this and on previous collaborative activities
related to veterans.
II. Background
With reductions in the size of the U.S. military, issues related to the transition of military personnel to
civilian life have been at the height of public and political consciousness. Politicians, policymakers, and
leading veteran voices espouse the importance of creating education and workforce development
opportunities for the Post-9/11 generation of veterans designed to mitigate barriers to employment for
veterans entering the civilian workforce. Importantly, the potential for important social and economic
benefits associated with efforts to advance the vocational situation of veterans through education and
training is real and compelling.
For example, a report prepared by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published in 2011,
highlights that military veterans are significantly more likely than their non-military counterparts to
pursue vocations in engineering, engineering technology and computer sciences -- fields of study that
represent important national interests (but that are generally experiencing declining enrollments in the
U.S.). Further, the NCES study also highlights that veterans are more likely than nonveterans to pursue
advanced education. Such realities suggest a positive societal return on the public investment in
1
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
veteran's education and training programs, and foreshadow just some of 'what is possible' as a result of
increasing access to vocationally focused education programs for veterans.
III. Competitive Applications
IVMF will seed, cultivate, and provide administrative oversight of grants to a network of
workforce development-focused programs with colleges and universities. Projects are intended
to be coordinated education and training interventions over a specified period of time to achieve
measurable results including education and training, certification and/or licensure, and employment
outcomes.
We will focus on programs positioned to advance the vocational situation of veterans and
transitioning service members. These programs will be developed and delivered by a network
of community and technical colleges (grantees), in partnership with local workforce
development agencies, and business and industry collaborators. They will focus on 'skills'
training, career development, and the application of practical, vocational knowledge delivered
in the context of the contemporary employment landscape.
To these ends, the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (“IVMF”) will review and evaluate
those vocations identified by grant applicants and represented as 'high demand, high growth,'
within the geographical target areas of Texas, California, North Carolina, and New York State.
Given these 'high demand, high growth' vocational opportunities, the espoused focus of the
grant program is to seed, cultivate, and leverage existing workforce development programs
(new and/or existing) proposed and/or offered by universities or community and technical
colleges, to provide skills, training, credentialing, practical experiences, apprenticeships, or
other vocational accelerators to veterans and transitioning service members. Specifically we
will select up to 10 programs to seed. Each will be evaluated for the number of people to be
served in relation to the funding requested, and on that further collaborative determination of
the exact target goals for improved program effectiveness and/or numbers of people served.
The underlying goal of the proposed grant program is to leverage vocational accelerators (skills,
training, credentialing, etc.) conferred by workforce development-focused training and
educational programs, to advance the employment situation of veterans. We define (generally)
the objectives of such programs to be:
a) Enabling a veteran to transition from military service to civilian employment, or
b) Enabling a veteran to move from unemployment to employment, or
c) Enabling a veteran to move from under-employment to full-employment, or
d) Enabling a veteran to enter the supply chain in a region's economic development
landscape
While projects that have impact within one education organization, business, industry or community are
eligible, this RFP places emphasis on initiatives that may or will have scalable regional or even statewide
2
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
impact on veteran vocational education and placement into employment, and which form
collaborations with multiple colleges, businesses, and industries.
We invite full applications and planning grants.
We solicit through this RFP process partnering organizations which will engage with veterans, and which
have a strong record of vocational program delivery and outcomes. Where appropriate, e.g., where
there may not be existing collaborative programs suited to serve the target population but with
promising potential partners, the mechanism for issuance of cooperative agreements follows the US
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Community Action Grant (CAG) process, proven
effective nationally in developing and delivering partnership-based employment programs and services.
The CAG process delivers funding over two cycles:
a) Phase I - Planning and partnerships: Grantees must establish stakeholder agreements, identify
curricula, leverage resources and prepare an implementation plan supported by MOUs, curricula
materials, needs assessments and other criteria as defined in the Terms and Conditions Section.
b) Phase II -- Execution: Phase II Implementation funding may be provided to bring the project to
fruition, deliver services, fully leverage stakeholder resources and develop mechanisms for
sustainability and bringing the project to scale. Receipt of Phase I funding does not automatically
ensure that Phase II funding will be allocated. Each Phase represents a competitive process.
Maximum Phase I funding is up to $10,000 and may last from 30 to 90 days and Phase II funding
is up to $100,000. Phase I applicants will be invited to apply for Phase II funding at the end of
their Phase I planning grant, and the appropriate deadline for Phase II funding applications will
be determined during the Phase I planning grant.
Program applicants with existing partnerships and plans which may be adapted and modified to serve
veterans may bypass Phase I funding and apply for Phase II funding. All applications must specify
whether they are applying for Phase I or Phase II funding. At the end of each phase, while there is no
guarantee of additional development funds, each project will receive continued web-based and
telephone support from IVMF to improve sustainability and expansion, and guidance on other resources
available to support continuation where success has been demonstrated. At both Phase I and Phase II,
applications will be evaluated on the reasonableness of costs related to outcomes, and the likelihood of
success, as well as the demonstrated collaborations necessary to achieve the stated goals and plans.
Success metrics will be evaluated per grant, and will include measures of entered and retained career
employment, wages or wage increase, numbers of individuals trained or certified, and costs per
outcome.
This RFP requests prospective grantees, in most cases community and technical colleges (and
their partners), to respond to the RFP with a formal proposal of engagement, with the content
limited to 5 pages of narrative, 2 pages of budget narrative, and 2 pages of line item budget items. (All
applications must be completed with one inch margins, 11 or 12 point font, double spaced, for the
program narrative and budget narrative, and one inch margins, single spaced, at least 10 point font, for
the line item budget.) After application submission, IVMF may request additional information and
responses from applicants, or may engage in discussion and negotiation with applicants. A two page
cover letter is also permitted, as are attached memorandums of understanding, and do not count
3
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
against the page limits. The content of the narrative is not proscribed, but should demonstrate capacity
to deliver the results contemplated, and describe the program sufficiently to evaluate it for funding.
The RFP allows three types of submissions for Phase I or Phase II funding:
1) A request to fund existing programs and collaborations, providing for an opportunity
to expand the existing program to include veterans as a target population
2) A request to fund the expansion of existing veteran- and family-serving programs to
include new areas, industries, training-types, initiatives, or other ways positioned to
advance the employment situation of veterans
3) A request to fund the development of a new program with existing stakeholders or
new collaborators positioned to advance the employment situation of veterans
Expansion of existing programs to include veterans should articulate necessary (but not
currently present) components or partners, and indicate who and how many people will be
served along with expected outcomes. Expansion of veteran- serving programs should clearly
define the expansion area and partners, the reasons for the expansion, and timelines along
with anticipated outcomes. Particular focus is encouraged on intentional inclusion of women
veterans, and on younger veterans age 34 and below. Planning grants will require defined
timelines, proposed partners, and broad outlines of the proposed project areas, along with
assessment of the available veteran and family populations to be served by the project.
New programs must clearly define the program, the partners, the populations to be served, the
proposed outcomes, and the expected costs, along with timelines. Grants will be assessed for
likelihood of completion of proposed activities, adequacy of partners and resources, and on
proposed costs related to expected outcomes.
RFP evaluation and administration:
1) Prospective community college grantees need to demonstrate partnerships with
business and industry, workforce development agencies and Small Business
Development Centers (SBDCs), and/or other relevant partners that document how the
creation of such partnerships and curricula will achieve definable outcomes as
measured by number of vets enrolled, number that graduate and number that obtain
employment, improve their employment, obtain certifications, credentials or licenses,
or start their businesses within three months of program completion or graduation.
Grantees should also focus on reporting metrics for wage levels and retention in
employment at 30, 60, and 90 days, and if possible build in evaluation metrics that may
be revisited at the one year point.
2) The contract mechanism used will be a cooperative agreement that ensures that
IVMF and the grantee collaboration play an active role in project development and
improvement. Each funded community college will be connected to an IVMF Project
4
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
Liaison that will support their initiative, participate in implementation activities, provide
technical assistance and capacity building, and provide access to information and
resources.
Evaluation Criteria
The following (generally) represent the basis for evaluating the efficacy of proposals in response
to the RFP:





Exemplary technical training/educational curricula that demonstrates it will meet
the demand for trained applicants needed by targeted occupational or economic
development growth sectors within the geographical location served by the grantee
Memorandums of Understanding from key partners demonstrating their
commitment to develop or expand the program and hire and support graduates.
These can include, but are not limited to partnerships. Memorandums of
Understanding DO NOT COUNT towards the page limit, and should be attached after
the program narrative, budget narrative and line item budget.
Cost per person graduating from the program
Sustainability plan that indicates how the educational program will be sustained
after expiration of the grant funding
Leveraged resources are not required by the solicitation, however applicants are
encouraged to demonstrate how in-kind or financial resources are leveraged as a
percentage of total annual project costs
Although many types of projects will be eligible, competitive applications will also:
•
•
•
•
•
Be immediate or time-sensitive opportunities for funds to make a difference.
Demonstrate that the project will be sustainable after one-time grant support (this is
particularly relevant for projects that start new services and programs of education). It is
important to explain the business plan for sustaining the project.
Include clearly stated evidence of need or opportunity, goals, timelines, objectives, and
measurable outcomes.
Have an effective plan for evaluating the measurable impact of the project and the funding
received.
Have strong potential for replication elsewhere in Texas, California, North Carolina, New
York State, and nationally in other locations.
IV. Projects Not Eligible for Funding
Requests not eligible for funding include:
• Projects that involve funding of ongoing services or activities similar to the normal activities
undertaken by an organization except when those services and activities were not previously
available to the target populations of transitioning military members and veterans.
5
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
• Core support/organizational infrastructure. Core support includes baseline operating and
administrative costs separate and distinct from the project, board development, staff
development unrelated to the project, and fundraising activities.
• Projects that focus on lobbying or political activities.
• Capital expenses.
V. Eligible Applicants
IVMF will consider proposals from existing nonprofit (501[c][3]) organizations and may include as
partners in the creation and execution of the programmatic work other educational and workforce
development organizations and business and industry partners or subcontractors regardless of their
non-profit status, and which have a significant presence in their regions. Applicant organizations must
show that proposed projects further the mission and goals of the IVMF and the Walmart Foundation to
impact the post-service life course of veterans and their families through vocational acceleration,
credentialing, licensing, certification, and career attainment.
VI. Review Criteria
IVMF is committed to a fair and transparent proposal review process. Project applications are assessed
by a panel comprising reviewers from IVMF, our advisors, and researchers who possess a diverse set of
expertise.
The review panel will consider the following factors:
1. Clear articulation of need and a focus on vulnerable veteran and transitioning military
populations, specifically including women veterans and veterans under the age of 34.
2. Likelihood that a project will accomplish its goals and have a measurable impact.
3. The experience, potential, and readiness of the applicant organization to complete the project
successfully.
4. Sustainability of the project activities after funds expire (when appropriate), and ability of the
applicant to use a grant to leverage other potential funds.
5. Potential for replication, adaptation, or expansion, and to sharing practices broadly. Key
metric tracking and reporting is also important, to include program enrollments, completions,
and outcomes post-program.
6. Degree of creativity or innovation exhibited by the project.
7. Clarity of the proposal in making the case that the initiative represents a special opportunity
for Veterans and their families.
VII. Budget
Projects will be assessed for the appropriateness of budget as it relates to the proposed scope of work
and timeline. Funding requests can range from $10,000 for Phase I planning grants to $100,000 for full
Phase II proposals. Funding may be used over 24 months.
6
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
Funds requested must be commensurate to the work proposed.
Funding requests must provide line item budgets with specificity related to staffing, including staffing
through contracts or subcontracts, non-personnel costs, purchases, and must tie the line items to the
work to be accomplished in a narrative budget.
VIII. Application Process
Programmatic questions should be e-mailed to jschmeli@syr.edu. Questions regarding the submission
process should be e-mailed to jschmeli@syr.edu. Questions and answers may be provided to all
applicants. All applications should be submitted in PDF format if possible, as one document, to
jschmeli@syr.edu. Applications may be delivered by mail to James Schmeling, Institute for Veterans and
Military Families, Syracuse University, 700 University Avenue, Suite 303, Syracuse, NY 13244. No phone
call inquiries will be accepted, all initial inquiries must be made via email.
IX. Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
To support the success of the program, as realized through the success of the grantees, the
IVMF will provide ongoing technical assistance and support to institutional participants. IVMF
proposes to facilitate three concurrent forms of technical assistance to current and prospective
IVMF/Walmart Foundation grantees, positioned to realize the following objectives:
a) Ensure that all grantees achieve programmatic outcomes
b) Increase capacity of grantees to serve additional veteran families, and to identify and
apply for additional grant dollars to support a sustainable/enduring program
c) Document their process and outcomes for dissemination and replication in additional
communities
Combined, these three concurrent goals offer the best opportunity to increase employment
outcomes, and to promote success of returning veterans and their families. In support of these
goals, IVMF proposes the following:
1) Provide technical assistance to grantees. IVMF will use existing program materials and
strategies from technical assistance and capacity building programs, replicating
successful models to help grantees organize themselves with the capacity to provide
workforce education and services to veterans and their families. IVMF and selected
grantees may hold virtual 'town halls' to provide basic information about the program
and approaches, to share practices and information with each other. IVMF may assist
grantees by assessing their organizational infrastructure for the grant activities, client
needs, economic factors, and opportunities for partnerships that can help applicants
achieve their goals.
2) Promote resource exchange among grantees. To improve effectiveness as well as
sustainability, it is essential to develop routine peer-to-peer methods for information
exchange among grantees. A prime component of the project is facilitating regular
7
Institute for Veterans and Military Families: 2013 Vocational Acceleration for Veterans Grants
'Community of Practice Calls' (COPs) to support knowledge exchange. COPs are broadly
defined as joint enterprises understood and continually renegotiated by its members to
improve knowledge and effectiveness; a mutual engagement that binds members
together into a social entity; and development of the shared repertoire of communal
resources (routines, sensibilities, artifacts, vocabulary, styles, etc.) that members have
developed and share over time to achieve common goals. We will market the virtual
sessions and facilitate calls that grantees can use as a forum to discuss challenges and
solutions; schedule presentations by experts to help address challenges that grantees
identify during the calls; use the calls to feature veterans and family members using
workforce training and employment programs to discuss personal challenges and
successes/what helped and didn't help. IVMF will develop a New Grantees Orientation
and Peer Mentoring program. IVMF will connect grantees with experienced
organizations and collaborations to create a mentor network; develop a New Grantee
Orientation Manual containing program overview information, a description of the
mentoring program, important resources, phone numbers, websites, and other tips and
tools that will encourage peer-to-peer technical assistance exchange.
3) Build and utilize a body of knowledge based upon real experiences to improve
programs, services and outcomes. Grantees will submit semi-annual summary reports
identifying proven and promising methods and outcomes related to their workforce
employment program. We will convene grant leaders in an annual workshop session
that will result in a white paper identifying present and future challenges; effective
methods; partnerships developed and needed; and recommendations at the policy or
program level.
8