Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAMS

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is a strategic plan designed to create or save 3 to 4 million jobs by 2011. These federal economic stimulus programs cover a wide range of community development resources including tax credits, job training, and infrastructure and renewable energy grants.

To view the full bill, visit www.recovery.gov, or download a summary of the ARRA.

Many federal agencies have established their own ARRA web pages. For a complete list of agency-specific websites, visit www.recovery.gov/?q=content/agencies.

For information on ARRA programs and spending in the state of Indiana, visit www.invest.in.gov.

Or contact the Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana for assistance.

ARRA Programs

ARRA USDA’s Rural Utilities Service “Broadband Initiatives Program”

Broadband Initiatives: Notice of Funding Availability

Brownfields Job Training Program

Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Competitive Grant Program

Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program

Clean Diesel Emerging Technologies Program

Community Development Block Grant ARRA Notice

COPS Hiring Recovery Program

Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development Weatherization Partnership

Department of Housing and Urban Development ARRA Webcasts

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will be hosting webcasts regarding ARRA funding.

To register online, visit www.hud.gov

Homeless Prevention Program
May 12, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
This webcast will focus on providing details for grantees and sub- grantees in the areas of program development, program participant eligibility requirements, eligible activities, and grantee responsibility.

Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
May 12, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
This one-hour training session will provide HUD staff and recipients with a basic understanding of the laws and civil rights related program requirements that are associated with HUD programs. The training will also provide samples how HUD recipients could meet the laws for non-discrimination and to affirmatively further fair housing. Recipients and sub-recipients of ARRA funds or other Federal financial assistance must comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act of 1968, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and a variety of program-specific statutes with nondiscrimination requirements.

Public Housing Capital Fund
May 12, 2009
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This webcast will provide an overview of both the formula and competitive grants associated with the AARA. In addition, specific information concerning the application and scoring process for the competitive grants will be delineated.

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Funds
May 13, 2009
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The ARRA appropriates $1 billion in CDBG funds for distribution to almost 1,200 grantees. This webcast will inform CDBG grantees of the application process and deadlines associated with CDBG-R funds. It will also discuss project selection, prudent spending criteria and identify the reporting requirements that accompany CDBG-R funding.

Assisted Housing Green Retrofit
May 13, 2009
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The ARRA includes $250 million for grants and loans to be used for energy and green retrofits of eligible multifamily properties with project-based assistance, including projects under Sections 8, 202, and 811. This webcast will cover the implementing Notice, including property eligibility, application process and requirements, program overview, and policies and procedures. There will be time for questions from the audience via email or phone.

Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) 2
May 14, 2009
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This webcast will provide details regarding the $2 billion in NSP 2 funding provided under the ARRA. NSP 2 is a competitive program open to states, local government and non-profits organizations, all of which may partner with for-profit entities in developing their proposal. There will be two separate competitions, one for $50 million addressing technical assistance and capacity building to support NSP 1 and NSP grantees and a second competition for $1.93 billion to fund NSP efforts at the state, regional and local levels.

Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
May 14, 2009
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
This webcast will focus on the performance and reporting requirements for Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control, Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration, Healthy Homes Demonstration, and Healthy Homes Technical Studies grantees funded under the ARRA.

Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding Allocation Formulas

Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Stabilization Program 2 (NSP2)

Department of Housing and Urban Development Public Housing Improvement Funds

Department of Labor Green Jobs Training Grants

DOT Announces Available Funding for Urban Circulator Projects

EECBG Program for Non-entitlement communities for State of Indiana

b&d consulting

1050 K Street NW, Suite 400

Washington, DC 20001

Tel 202.312.7400 Fax 202-312-7460

www.bakerdconsulting.com


FROM:	B&D Consulting
DATE:	October 9, 2009
RE:	American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State of Indiana Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants for Non-entitlement Communities

Overview

Indiana’s Office of Energy Development (OED) will receive more than $14 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. The state is required to pass along 60% ($6.8 million) of that funding to non-entitlement cities and counties that did not receive direct formula funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

On October 7, the State of Indiana (Indiana) published Program Guidelines for the States' EECBG funds to non-entitlement communities. To access a copy of the Indiana grant funding synopsis and links to the application, click here: http://www.in.gov/oed/2585.htm.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants include non-entitlement incorporated units of local government in Indiana. Cities are eligible for funds if they have a population of less than 35,000 and counties if they have a population of less than 200,000. Non-entitlement, incorporated units of local government that are located within an entitlement county are eligible to apply for funding through OED as long as the same project activities proposed in their application to OED is not also included in their county’s direct funding application to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Deadline

Applications are due in full by December 7, 2009. Applicants will be notified of their award (or denial) on January 6, 2010.

Program Focus

This funding opportunity has three focus areas:

Area 1: LED Traffic Signal Retrofits

· Eligible projects include LED technology to replace inefficient lighting for pedestrian signals and traffic signals.

· Cap of $250,000 maximum per applicant.

Area 2: Lighting Retrofits for Government-Owned Structures

· Eligible projects include energy efficient lighting upgrades and lighting/occupancy sensor controls for government-owned structures.

· Cap of $100,000 maximum per applicant.

· An energy audit is recommended, but not required

· Cost of energy audit can be claimed as an eligible, reimbursable expense.

Area 3: Structure Retrofits (excluding lighting) for Government-Owned Structures

· Eligible projects include energy efficient HVAC, windows, exterior doors excluding garage doors, insulation, and energy monitoring system upgrades for government-owned structures.

· Renewable energy projects are not eligible projects.

· Cap of $250,000 maximum per applicant.

· An energy audit is recommended, but not required

· Cost of energy audit can be claimed as an eligible, reimbursable expense.

Cities and counties applying for these grants must fill out a separate application for each Area for which they want to be considered. Only one application per area per applicant will be considered.

A total of $3.4 million is available for Area 1. Areas 2 and 3 each have $1.7 million allotted to them. No cost share is required, but OED will consider any overage paid for by the grantee as leveraged funds.

Additionally, it is likely OED will offer one more round of this grant offered in Areas 2 and 3 only.

EECBG Application FY10 AREA 1

EECBG Application FY10 AREA 2

EECBG Application FY10 AREA 3

Electric Vehicle Grants

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

State Energy Plan--ARRA Stimulus

Indiana is receiving funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for energy related programs. This funding is being administered by the Indiana Office of Energy Development (OED), which acts as the State Energy Office within the State Energy Program (SEP) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Stimulus funding will reach Indiana in a number of different ways. $68.6 million has been designated for this program in Indiana. Programs and projects that will be funded through SEP are still being developed. The plan for using SEP funding is is being reviewed by DOE. Program and project plans will be revealed in July.

The U.S. Department of Energy has now approved Indiana's application for the SEP-ARRA funding. The first $27 million of the stimulus funding is now available for programs developed by OED. This does not mean the funding will be immediately awarded. The State of Indiana is now developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for entities seeking project funding through the SEP-ARRA. These RFP's will be available shortly.

Here is the News release from USDOE:

Obama Administration Awards More than $27 Million for Indiana State Energy Program
Funding Will Speed Adoption of Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced over $27.4 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Indiana. Under DOE’s State Energy Program, Indiana proposed a statewide plan that prioritizes energy savings, creates or retains jobs, increases the use of renewable energy, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Secretary Chu today announced a total of more than $162 million for State Energy Programs in seven states and territories states including: Colorado, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Puerto Rico. Each grantee is receiving 40 percent of its total State Energy Program (SEP) funding authorized under the Recovery Act.

“This funding will provide an important boost for state economies, help to put Americans back to work, and move us toward energy independence," said Secretary Chu. "It reflects our commitment to support innovative state and local strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy while insisting that taxpayer dollars be spent responsibly."

With today's announcement, Indiana will now have received 40 percent of its total State Energy Program (SEP) funding authorized under the Recovery Act. Indiana will now have received 50 percent of its total Recovery Act SEP funding. The initial 10 percent of total funding was previously available to support planning activities; the remaining 50 percent of funds will be released once the state meets reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act. After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, Indiana will receive over $34 million in additional funding, for a total of more than $68 million.

Indiana will utilize SEP Recovery Act funding to implement several energy efficiency and renewable energy projects throughout the state with a focus on saving and creating jobs, quickly completing projects, positive environmental impacts, measurable energy efficiency savings, and diversifying statewide energy sources. The Indiana program will include a competitive loan program to promote energy efficiency in the commercial, industrial, and manufacturing sectors in the state that will provide financial assistance for the implementation of energy efficient technologies such as lighting, controls and sensors, insulation, and appliances. Recovery Act funds will also be used to support training programs and public energy outreach and education campaigns that will provide information to consumers on the importance of energy conservation, as well as tips on how to reduce their energy consumption. The training efforts will help transition Indiana’s workforce from energy intensive, high environmental impact production processes to more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives.

Activities eligible for State Energy Program funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

The Recovery Act appropriated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program (SEP) to help promote energy efficiency and clean energy deployment, as well as to support local economic recovery. States use these grants at the state and local level to create green jobs and address state energy priorities.

Transparency and accountability are important priorities for SEP and all Recovery Act projects. Throughout the program’s implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and national level, while emphasizing with states the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies.

If you would like to keep updated on EECBG information and release dates in the future, you may do so by visiting our website: http://www.in.gov/oed/2585.htm .

To see the materials that were handed out at the workshop, please click our EECBG workshop link (http://www.in.gov/oed/2597.htm ) and you will find the items available for download at the bottom of the page.

Download a copy of the plan

Indiana's application for funds

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program - Updated 7/1/09

There have been two important updates to the application submission process for direct formula grants:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the filing deadline for formula grant applyications under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) has been extended until 8:00 p.m. (ET), Monday, August 10, 2009. DOE has indicated that failure to meet this deadline will result in forfeiture of allocated funds. Those applications that were submitted by the initial June 25, 2009, due date will be forwarded to the awarding agencies for review and award. This extension will not delay the processing of applications submitted by the initial deadline.

Please Note: If you have already submitted your application, you cannot submit any revisions at this time. You will be contacted by the awarding agency, at which time you will be given the opportunity to make any necessary revisions/clarifications to the application.

The DOE is aware that some applicants have experienced difficulties while submitting EECBG applications through FedConnect. In the event that you are unable to upload your application using this system, your first step should be to call FedConnect Support at 1-800-899-6665. However, applications may also be submitted via email to eecbg@netl.doe.gov. If you choose to submit your application in this manner, please include the subject line "EECBG Application (Unique Identification Code)." Information on the Unique Identification Code begins on page 14 of Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), Ammenement 4. Applicants submitting their application via email will receive an email confirmation letting them know that their application has been received. If you have submitted your application to FedConnect and received a confirmation, please do NOT also send your application via email, so as to avoid duplicates.

Please Note: Although you may submit your application via email, all three registration steps outlined below under "How to Apply" must still be completed in order to receive your award.

ARRA has provided $400 million for a competitive solicitation of Energy Efficiency and Conservation funds.

Strategy Plan

Local government and Indian tribe Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program applicants must develop and submit an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy.

The Strategy can be turned in with the application or within 120 days after the effective date of the award.

Ideally, the Strategy will be a comprehensive document detailing the applicant's goals for energy efficiency and conservation; however, there is recognition that in the original authorizing law, cities were to have one year to develop this strategy and as such, plans may not include as much detail.

Strategies must include the following information:

Jurisdictional area covered by the plan and governing body and/or office with direct authority over plan
Plan implementation partners and any leverage funds from private or other public sources
Baseline energy use and GRG emissions inventory and forecast
Goals/objectives for total energy use and emissions reductions, and energy efficiency increase (including deployment of renewable technology; goals can be qualitative)
Actions/plans/strategies and implementation schedule to meet goals
Expected outcomes and benefits of the plan related to:
- Jobs created and/or retained
- Energy saved
- Renewable energy capacity
- GHG emissions reduced
- Funds leveraged
Obstacles to reaching goals and strategies to remove obstacles
Policies and/or administrative actions adopted or needed to support actions, plans, strategies, targets, and/or schedules
Evaluation, monitoring, and verification plan
Plan for how activities will be sustained beyond grant period
Plans for the use of funds by adjacent eligible local governments that receive grants under the program; and plans to coordinate and share information with the State
Plans for how these funds will be coordinated with leverage funds, including other ARRA funds, to maximize benefits

There is a form that must also be filled out, known as Attachment D. You can download it here.

Cities can use a portion of their grant to develop this strategy, but funds related to projects will not be released until the plan is approved.

If DOE does not find the strategy acceptable, funds will be held back until revisions and alterations are made and reevaluated.

The DOE suggests entities continue to set up any groundwork that will enable immediate implementation of the plan (setting up RFPs, for example, or getting local counsel approval for new building codes).

Innovation and Opportunity

DOE is encouraging innovative programs that will leverage private dollars and programs and strategies with long-term sustained growth without additional federal investment.

Metrics

Long-term metrics will be based on:

Jobs created and/or retained
Energy (kwh/terms/gallons/BTUs/etc.) saved
Renewable energy generated
GRG emissions reduced
Cost savings

A number of metric activities will be evaluated on an ongoing basis to provide the Federal government with short-term outcomes to track. These include metrics and activities such as:

Number of new and existing buildings covered by new building codes
Number of energy audit performed by sector
Square footage of buildings retrofitted, by Industry Sector
Number and size of solar energy systems installed
Monetary value of financial incentive provided by sector
Number and type of workshops, training, and education sessions held

In all, there are 36 metric activities listed in Attachment C of the solicitation (download Attachment C here). Grantees will have to report on only those metrics related to their specific activities.

Application

Applications for local governments are due June 25.

Applicants have 18 months from the date of award to obligate funds and 36 months to spend them.

A copy of the Funding Opportunity Notice can be obtained from FedConnect by searching under Reference Number DE-FOA-0000013.

Download Revised FOA

Energy Training Partnership Grants

Fire Station Construction Grants

Funding for Youth Summer Jobs

The U.S. Department of Workforce Development has announced that ARRA funding is now available for implementing summer youth programs.

Distribution of Funds

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has encouraged, but not required, states to hold summer youth programs.

The state of Indiana does not currently have a plan in place for summer youth programs. The last time it did was in 1994 under the Job Training Partnership Act of 1982, so that may provide an outdated model. The timeframe has not been announced for establishing summer youth employment programs.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) must issue necessary grant award documents so that funds are available to states by March 19, 2009. States have been advised to plan how to obligate funds to local areas within 30 days of receipt. WIA funds may be obligated through the entire period of availability and must be spent by June 30, 2011. Congress and the Obama administration intended for the majority of funds to be used within the first year of availability.

The State Plan modification will be the “primary vehicle for [the State] communicating to the public how it will implement the Recovery Act.” The modification should be available on the ETA website.

Use of Funds Overview

ETA has encouraged states and local areas to use a significant portion of the Summer Youth Activities funding to operate expanded summer youth employment opportunities during the summer of 2009 and to provide as many youth as possible with high-quality summer employment opportunities and other work experiences outside of the summer months.

Given the short timeframe for 2009 summer youth implementation, states and local areas are encouraged to begin planning for summer employment immediately and to begin procuring necessary vendors to carry out summer employment.

States and local areas should explore expedited procurement processes under current state and local law. Where existing processes are a barrier to rapid implementation, states and local areas may contact ETA regional offices to explore the use of waivers to facilitate the rapid implementation of summer employment.

States and local areas may begin their eligibility determination process for summer 2009 participants immediately. All costs incurred as early as February 17, 2009 may be covered by Recovery Act Funds. ETA will provide additional guidance as part of the state plan modification process.

Summer employment includes any set of allowable WIA Youth services with a work experience component that occurs between May 1, 2009 and September 30, 2009.

Eligible Youth

The ARRA increases the maximum age of eligible youth to 24. Priority will be given to veterans and eligible spouses.

Services provided should focus on those most in need: out-of-school youth, at-risk for dropping out, in and aging out of foster care, offenders, at-risk of court involvement, homeless, runaways, children of incarcerated parents, migrant youth, Indian and Native American youth, and youth with disabilities.

Local areas must expend a minimum of 30% of ARRA funds on out-of-school youth.

Implementation

Chief elected officials and local workforce investment boards are responsible for ensuring that local youth programs provide summer employment to youth. The chief elected official is the grant recipient unless another entity is chosen to be the grant recipient or a fiscal agent. The grant recipient/fiscal agent may either administer summer youth employment opportunities themselves or select providers on a competitive basis for grants or contracts.

ETA advises states and local areas to select employers willing to work closely with program staff and who are flexible in working with youth who have issues that may be barriers to employment. Employers should be from the public, private, and non-profit sectors, including community service learning opportunities. Employers should not be favored at the expense of others. The focus is not to impact the profit margin of for-profit companies and summer youth should not replace employees who have been laid off. State and local areas may provide wages or stipends to youth in a classroom-based component of a summer employment opportunity.

Furthermore, certain employment facilities are prohibited: casinos or other gambling establishments, aquariums, zoos, golf courses, or swimming pools. Green work experiences and pre-apprenticeship programs are encouraged. ETA also hopes that states will use ARRA funds to support new and innovative strategies for engaging out-of-school youth, perhaps through adult training services or “transitional job models that combine short-term subsidized work experience with support services and career counseling.”

Local areas will have the flexibility to determine:

Which of the 10 program elements currently available through WIA Youth funding they provide with ARRA funds
If the 12-month follow-up will be required
Type of assessment and Individual Service Strategy is necessary (a full objective assessment and comprehensive ISS is not required)
Whether academic learning can be directly linked to summer employment (but encouraged for participants without high school diplomas).

The work readiness skills goal is the sole indicator to be used for youth participating only in summer employment. States and/or local areas should establish methodology for determining work readiness skills upon commencement and completion of summer employment; a variety of assessment tools are suggested, including worksite supervisor evaluations, checklists, and portfolio assessments.

Programs should be structured to impart measurable communication, interpersonal, decision-making, and learning skills.

Tracking and Reporting

Local areas are required to track number of participants enrolled in summer employment and the completion rate of those participants. A separate report on the use of ARRA funds will be required.

Timeline for Guidance from ETA

February 17, 2009	Enactment of Law
Week of March 2, 2009	Grant agreement amendments sent to state grantees; ETA publishes allotments; Training and Employment Guidance Letter
Week of March 9, 2009	States must return signed version of grant agreement
Week of March 16, 2009	ETA publishes policy guidance on Recovery Act Funds; ETA publishes guidance on State Plan modifications; Funds are available to states through a Notice of Obligation
April 15, 2009	States submit extension request for Program Year 2009 State Plan, waiver extension requests, and proposed levels of performance
Late Spring, 2009	ETA publishes guidance on reporting
June 30, 2009	States submit PY 2009 State Plan modification

For more information, visit http://economicrecovery.workforce3one.org or email eta.economicrecovery@dol.gov.

FY2009 Brownfields Economic Development Initiative Notice of Funding Availability

Green Retrofit Program for Multi-Family Housing

Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries Grants Announced

ARRA: Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries Grants Announced

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided $750 million to the Department of Labor (DOL) for a program of competitive grants for worker training and placement in high growth and emerging industries. Of the $750 million allotted for competitive grants, the Recovery Act provided up to $250 million for high growth industries with a priority on projects that prepare workers for careers in the health care sector.

Today, the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) published a Notice of Availability of Funds (NOFA) and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Health Care and Other High Growth and Emerging Industries for this $250 million in available funding.

To Download DOL grant funding synopsis.

Additionally, the NOFA in its entirety has been attached to this email.

ETA is particularly interested in receiving applications that focus on one or more of the following health care sub-sectors and occupational categories:

Nursing: Projects that provide training and support career progression in nursing, as well as short-term skills certification or credentialing that enables incumbent workers to advance along a career ladder/lattice in health care.

Allied Health: Investments that support recruitment, retention, and career pathways in related allied health occupations.

Long-Term Care: Projects that provide training and educational pathways to careers in long-term care occupations.

Health Information Technology: Projects that design state of the art training and support progression in the health information workforce for individuals who want to specialize in the management of health information, as well as incumbent workers who must use new information technology to perform the duties of their jobs.

Other High Growth and Emerging Industries: ETA is soliciting grant applications that address current and forecasted workforce shortages and provide workers with career opportunities in high growth, high demand sectors of the economy. Examples include information technology, advanced manufacturing, wireless and broadband deployment, transportation and warehousing and biotechnology. The Solicitation directs applicants to define local high growth or emerging industries in the context of their state or regional economy.

Eligible Applicants: Public entities or nonprofit entities are eligible applicants. These may include local Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Systems, Tribal organizations, education and training providers, labor organizations, and faith-based and community organizations. Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed project will be implemented by a strong strategic partnership. This partnership must include at least one entity from the following: public workforce investment system, public and private employers and industry related organizations (such as Federally Qualified Health Centers and other health care employers), and the education and training community. Applicants are encouraged to include other partners such as non-profit organizations, labor organizations, organizations implementing projects funded by the Recovery Act that will create or support jobs in the health care or high growth and emerging industries, national, state and local foundations, and state and local social service agencies.

Eligible Activities: Eligible activities include training, education, and job placement assistance to prepare workers to enter the health care sector and other high growth and emerging industries. All projects must lead to employment for participants and must incorporate training activities that address skills and competencies demanded by target industries, support participants advancement along a defined career pathway, result in an employer or industry recognized certificate or degree, take place at times and locations convenient for the targeted populations, integrate occupational training with basic skills training, and integrate training activities with supportive services to help target populations overcome barriers to participation in training and employment. Allowable activities are described in the Solicitation and include items such as on the job training, internship programs, basic skills training, and classroom occupational training.

Target Populations: Individuals eligible to receive training include unemployed workers, dislocated workers, and incumbent workers including low-wage workers. Within these categories, grantees may serve a wide range of individuals, such as those on public assistance, high school drop-outs, individuals with disabilities, veterans, Indians and Native Americans and individuals with Limited English Proficiency.

Grant Amounts: ETA intends to fund 45 – 65 grants ranging from approximately $2 million to $5 million each.

Deadline: The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement isOctober 5, 2009. Applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. (Eastern Time).

Auto Communities: Approximately $25 million of the total funds available through this Solicitation will be awarded for projects serving communities impacted by automotive-related restructuring.

Working with Other Recovery Act Programs: DOL is partnering with other federal agencies to support the creation of jobs by developing a pipeline of skilled workers in the health care industry and other high growth and emerging industries. Where possible, ETA encourages applicants to connect their workforce development strategies to other Recovery Act funded projects that create jobs or impact the skill requirements of existing jobs. ETA recommends that applicants review other parts of the Recovery Act, such as those sections that include activities related to health care through the Departments of Education and HHS, Health Resources and Services Administration. For other high growth and emerging industries, applicants are suggested to review other Recovery Act programs from the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation and others.

High Growth Industry Grants

NEW - Updated Memo 8/3/09

Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program

Low Income Weatherization Program

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) has released a request for proposals (RFP) from non-profit organizations able to administer the Low Income Weatherization Program.

Services to be provided include:

Client outreach and selection
Residential energy audits
Weatherization of dwellings
Inspections
Data entry

Contracts will last from May 1, 2009, through March 31, 2010.

Eligible Providers

Only non-profit organizations may apply.

Providers will be selected during a public hearing, based on the following criteria:

Experience and performance in weatherization or housing renovation activities
Experience assisting low-income people in the area to be served
Capacity to undertake a timely and effective weatherization program
Extent to which the organization’s past or current programs have achieved weatherization goals in a timely fashion
Quality of work performed
Number, qualifications, and experience of staff members
Ability to recruit volunteers, public service employment workers, and federal or state training program participants
Relative need for a weatherization project by the area's low-income people

Prevailing Wage

Contractors involved in all weatherization projects, including those for single-family homes, must pay prevailing wages at the residential labor rate applicable in each county. Contractors must certify their compliance with prevailing-wage requirements to IHCDA. IHCDA is in the process of creating a standard form for reporting.

Proposal Evaluation

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) will award contracts by April 24, 2009.

IHCDA will give preference to organizations in good standing with Indiana agencies and that show ability, experience, and proficiency in the following areas:

Administering weatherization or rehabilitation projects or similar projects
Developing an effective timeline for spending the funds
Demonstrating capacity
Using innovation and creativity to maximize efficiency of the proposed project

Program Applicants

To be eligible, households must have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. Priority will be given to households that include elderly or disabled residents, children under 18, residences with high-energy usage, or families with high energy burdens.

The 2009 Weatherization Manual is being updated, but prospective grantees may rely on the 2008 Weatherization Manual, available at http://www.in.gov/ihcda/2523.htm, for additional program information.

Funding

Indiana will receive $65 million in its first allocation of funding; the second allocation is yet to be determined. The current RFP relates to funds provided in the first allocation.

Funds will be allocated on a county-by-county basis. All responses must specify the area to be served: statewide, a given county or counties, or other region.

Funds must be committed by September 10, 2010, and expended by March 31, 2012.

The assistance amount available is an average of $5,000 per home; $5,000 is not a cap on costs.

Vehicle and equipment purchases in excess of $5,000 must be pre-approved and do affect the average cost per home. Leasing of vehicles is also allowed.

Supplies totaling less than $5,000 do not require pre-approval and can be included in the average cost-per-home. These expenses are on a reimbursement basis and require adequate documentation.

Advances for vehicles and equipment may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but no commitment has been given for authorizing advances.

Other Federal Funds

Funds may be used in conjunction with other federal funds for the same projects. However, grantees must track ARRA funding separate from other grant funds.

Additionally, other federal funds may be subject to separate requirements. For instance, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides assistance to households with incomes at or below 150% of the poverty level. In that instance, the project for which both LIHEAP and ARRA funds are used would be subject to the 150% poverty level requirement.

Training and Audits

Training will be available regionally for auditors, with some components available online.

Separate training will be available regionally for contractors. The contractor training will take approximately three days.

IHCDA will audit grantees at least annually.

Proposal Submission

IHCDA must receive proposals by 5:00 p.m. on April15, 2009.

For more information, or to submit questions or concerns, email iwx@ihcda.in.gov.

Direct inquiries about the RFP, contact Paul Krievins at pkrievins@ihcda.in.gov or (317) 233-5372.

Download Low Income Weatherization Program RFP (PDF 1.44 MB)

Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development Weatherization Partnership

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have announced an interagency agreement that will assist with the weatherization of HUD-assisted and Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties.

DOE has concluded that existing income verification procedures for HUD-assisted and public housing and LIHTC properties are sufficient for determining eligibility for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP).

This agreement reduces a significant administrative obstacle to the improvement of energy efficiency and livability of these homes.

WAP received $5 billion under the ARRA - a 20-fold funding increase over previous years.

Download the DOE-HUD Memorandum of Understanding

National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program

National Housing Trust Weatherization Policy Brief

New Guidance for Recipient Reporting from Office of Management and Budget

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has developed reporting guidance regarding the use of ARRA funds.

This guidance implements the reporting requirements included in Section 1512 of the Recovery Act for recipients of grants, loans, and other forms of assistance.

The reports required by Section 1512 will be submitted by recipients beginning in October 2009 and will answer questions such as:

Who is receiving Recovery Act dollars and in what amounts?
What projects or activities are being funded with Recovery Act dollars?
What is the completion status of such projects or activities and what impact have they had on job creation and retention?

Based on input received from the public on previous implementing guidance issued by OMB, the reporting framework has been updated and enhanced to capture additional spending data from prime recipients and sub-recipients of ARRA awards.

OMB has worked with the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board to deploy a nationwide data collection system available at www.FederalReporting.gov that will reduce information reporting burden on recipients by simplifying instructions and providing a user-friendly mechanism for submitting required data.

Update: 7-9-09

Schedule and Registration of Webinars for ARRARecipient Reporting Announced

Yesterday, The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Recovery, Accountability and Transparency Board announced that webinars will be held the week of July 20,2009 to provide information on implementing the guidance set forth in OMB Memorandum M-09-21, Implementing Guidance for the Reports on Use of Funds Pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that was released on June 22, 2009. (The OMB Memorandum M-09-21 has been attached to this email).

Each webinar will focus on a major section of the Guidance as well as on the technology solution. The intended audience for these webinars includes Federal agency personnel, prime recipients and sub-recipients.

Use the following link to register for webinars: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=node/658

Webinar Schedule and Registration

Date	Time	Title of Webinar
July 20, 2009	10:00am - 12:00pm	SECTION 1 - General Information
July 20, 2009	2:00pm - 4:00pm	SECTION 2 - Basic Principles and Requirements of Recovery Act Recipient Reporting SECTION 5 - Reporting on Jobs Creation Estimates by Recipients

July 21, 2009	10:00am - 12:00pm	SECTION 3 - Recipient Reporting Process
July 21, 2009	2:00pm - 4:00pm	Technology Solution from an Agency Perspective

July 22, 2009	10:00am - 12:00pm	Technology Solution from a Prime Recipient Perspective
July 22, 2009	2:00pm - 4:00pm	Technology Solution from a Sub- Recipient Perspective

July 23, 2009	10:00am - 12:00pm	SECTION 4 - Data Quality Requirements

Download OMB Reporting Guidance

Download OMB Recipient Reporting Model

Download List of Programs Required to Report

Office of Management and Budget Releases New Guidance for Recipient Reporting

SmartWay Clean Diesel Finance Program

TIGER Discretionary Grants

Tiger Discretionary Grants: June 17 Federal Register Notice Revised NOFA

The USDOT published a revised notice of funding availability for the $1.5 billion TIGER Discretionary Grant program in today’s Federal Register (June 17). Under this program, funds will be awarded to State and local governments who submit applications for capital investments in surface transportation infrastructure, including highway or bridge projects, public transportation projects, passenger and freight rail, and port infrastructure investments. Applications for TIGER discretionary grants must be submitted by September 15, 2009, from state and local governments, including U.S. territories, tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities, MPOs and others. Today’s notice revises the interim notice published on May 18, and clarifies that the Department is no longer considering comments on the proposed selection criteria and guidance for awarding TIGER Discretionary Grants. The revised notice is the operative notice of funding availability for the TIGER Discretionary Grants program. Today’s Federal Register notice is attached and is available at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-14262.pdf. Additional information about the program is available at: http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/.

Summary of Changes
The revised Federal Register notice makes the following substantive changes to the notice published on May 18 (please read the notice for a complete description of these changes):

provides additional guidance for evaluating a project’s costs and benefits; specifically, the notice (i) provides a discount rate for discounting future benefits and costs to present values, (ii) identifies guidance on the value of time and statistical lives, (iii) provides sources of information on the social benefits of reducing crash costs, pollutant emissions and other externalities, (iv) provides economic values for various benefits, including the cost of a metric ton of carbon emissions, and (v) clarifies that applicants should present a project’s net benefits, in addition to the project’s benefit-cost ratio;
clarifies that MPOs are eligible grant recipients;
clarifies that for this program “Economically Distressed Areas” is not limited to counties, but could include municipalities;
includes additional guidance about which projects must be included in State or local planning documents to demonstrate readiness to proceed;
clarifies that projects that have negative effects on any of the selection criteria are less likely to receive grant funds;
clarifies that the Economic Competitiveness criterion targets investments that facilitate net new private sector expansion, hiring, or growth, rather than those that result only in moving existing jobs or economic activity to different locations;
clarifies that while applications may be submitted prior to the September 15 deadline, the Department will not evaluate applications or announce projects selected to receive TIGER Discretionary Grants until after the September 15 deadline;
requests that applicants include certain information on the first page of their applications;
clarifies that recipients of TIGER Discretionary Grants and their first-tier sub-awardees are required to have a DUNS number (www.dnb.com) <https://webmail2.dot.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.dnb.com)/> and a current registration in the Central Contractor Registration (www.ccr.gov <https://webmail2.dot.gov/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ccr.gov/> ) prior to award of a TIGER Discretionary Grant;
includes requirements guiding the Department’s communications with registered lobbyists which were specified in the memorandum from the President of the United States dated March 20, 2009; and
clarifies that the TDD number is provided for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Economic Development Coalition of Southwest Indiana (800-401-7683)

ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAMS

ARRA Programs

Federal Guidance

Funding Amounts and Distribution

Timeline for Guidance from DOE

Programs Contact

Innovation and Opportunity

Metrics

Application

Distribution of Funds

Use of Funds Overview

Eligible Youth

Implementation

Tracking and Reporting

Timeline for Guidance from ETA

Eligible Providers

Prevailing Wage

Proposal Evaluation

Program Applicants

Funding

Other Federal Funds

Training and Audits

Proposal Submission

Department of Energy and Department of Housing and Urban Development Weatherization Partnership