Section 850.10  Purpose

 

Subject to appropriation, the Department shall develop, and through Regional Administrators administer, the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program. The purpose of the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program is to create a network of hubs throughout the State that will recruit, prescreen, and provide preapprenticeship skills training, for which participants may attend free of charge and receive a stipend, to create a qualified, diverse pipeline of workers who are prepared for careers in the construction and building trades and clean energy jobs opportunities therein.  Upon completion of the Illinois Climate Works Preapprenticeship Program, the candidates will be connected to and prepared to successfully complete an apprenticeship program. [20 ILCS 730/5-40(a)]

 

Section 850.20  Definitions

 

"Accessibility" means when a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally integrated and equally effective manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use.

 

"CEJA" means the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (P.A. 102-0662).

 

"Climate Works Hub" means a nonprofit organization selected by the Department to act as a workforce intermediary and to participate in the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]

 

"Community-based organization" means an organization that:

 

Provides employment, skill development, or related services to members of the community;

 

Includes community colleges, nonprofit organizations, and local governments;

 

Has at least one main operating office in the community or region it serves; and

 

Demonstrates relationships with local residents and other organizations serving the community. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]

 

"Core values" means the values of diversity, inclusion, accessibility and equity.

 

"Department" means the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

 

"Diversity" means the representation of people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

 

"Environmental justice communities" means the definition of that term as defined by the Illinois Power Agency pursuant to the Illinois Power Agency Act [20 ILCS 3855], but excluding racial and ethnic indicators, where residents have historically been subject to disproportionate pollution burdens, including pollution from the energy sector. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]  For a map that defines these areas in Illinois, refer to this website: Arcg.is/1Wvv4X.

 

"Equity" means the state, quality or ideal of being just, impartial and fair.

 

"Equity focused populations" means:

 

low-income persons;

 

persons residing in equity investment eligible communities;

 

persons who identify as black, indigenous, and people of color;

 

formerly convicted persons;

 

persons who are or were in the child welfare system;

 

energy workers;

 

dependents of displaced energy workers;

 

women;

 

LGBTQ+, transgender, or gender nonconforming persons;

 

persons with disabilities; and

 

members of any of these groups who are also youth. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]

 

"Equity investment eligible community" and "eligible community" mean the geographic areas throughout Illinois which would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination and foster sustainable economic growth. Specifically, the eligible community means the following areas:

 

Restore, Reinvest and Renew Areas (R3 Areas) as established pursuant to Section 10-40 of the Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act [410 ILCS 705], where residents have historically been excluded from economic opportunities, including opportunities in the energy sector. Eligible R3 Areas are defined in the R3 service map (website at Arcg.is/1Wvv4X); and

 

Environmental justice communities. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]  See The Equity Investment Eligible Community Map (website at:  Arcg.is/1Wvv4X), which defines the areas that satisfy the criteria for both R3 Areas and environmental justice communities.

 

"Equity investment eligible person" or "eligible person" means the persons who would most benefit from equitable investments by the State designed to combat discrimination and foster sustainable economic growth. Specifically, eligible persons means:

 

Persons whose primary residence is in an equity investment eligible community;

 

Persons who are graduates of or currently enrolled in the foster care system; or

 

Persons who were formerly incarcerated. [20 ILCS 730/5-5]

 

"Essential Employability Skills" means those general skills that are required to be successful in all sectors of the labor market and are separate from the technical skills attained in career pathways or academic skills such as math and reading.  The essential employability skills, developed by various workforce development stakeholders in Illinois, include, but are not limited to, personal ethics, work ethics, communication skills, and teamwork.

 

"GATA" means the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act [30 ILCS 708].

 

"GATA Rule" means the administrative rules of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget found at 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.

 

"Inclusion" means the action or state of including and feeling an empowered sense of belonging within a group or organization.

 

"Nonprofit organization" means a corporation organized under the General Not For Profit Corporation Act of 1986, in good standing to operate in the State of Illinois, that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community.

 

"Pre-apprenticeship program" means a training program designed to prepare individuals to enter and succeed in apprenticeship programs or in another career pathway approach. Pre-apprenticeship programs have the following core elements:

 

Inclusive recruitment of equity focused populations;

 

Industry-focused curriculum and training;

 

Hands-on learning or work-based learning;

 

Retention services for successful participation and completion;

 

Partnerships with contractors and connections to apprenticeship programs; and

 

Strive for credential acquisition.

 

"Program" means the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program. 

 

"Registered apprenticeship" means an industry-driven, high-quality career pathway where employers can develop and prepare their future workforce, and individuals can obtain paid work experience, receive progressive wage increases, classroom instruction, and a portable, nationally-recognized credential.  Registered Apprenticeships are industry-vetted and approved and validated by the U.S. Department of Labor or a State apprenticeship agency.

 

"State" means the State of Illinois.

 

"Uniform Guidance" means the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, 2 CFR Part 200.

 

Section 850.30  Funding Source

 

The grant awards described in this Part are contingent upon appropriation of funding from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund (See 20 ILCS 730/5-40(e); 20 ILCS 730/5-30(g); 20 ILCS 605/605-1075).

 

Section 850.40  Eligible Grant Applicants

 

a)         To be eligible to receive a grant, at a minimum, applicants must demonstrate the following:

 

1)         Be a nonprofit organization;

 

2)         Have an active GATA registration at the time the application is submitted and be qualified on the GATA Grantee Portal (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/) by the time the application is reviewed by the Department.

 

3)         Be a regarded entity by the Internal Revenue Service (26 CFR 301.7701-3(b)(1)(ii)) for federal income tax purposes;

 

4)         Be able to effectively serve diverse and underrepresented populations, including low-wage or low-skilled workers from economically disadvantaged communities within the proposed service regions, by providing employment services to such populations;

 

5)         Have experience with the construction and building trades, including demonstrated relationships with construction and building trades registered apprenticeship programs, industry contractors and contractor associations;

 

6)         Be able to recruit, prescreen, and provide pre-apprenticeship training to prepare workers for employment in the construction and building trades;

 

7)         Have a plan to provide the following:

 

A)        Preparatory classes;

 

B)        Workplace readiness skills, such as resume preparation and interviewing techniques;

 

C)        Strategies for overcoming barriers to entry and completion of an apprenticeship program; and

 

D)        All prerequisites for acceptance into an apprenticeship program;

 

8)         Have relationships with local residents and other organizations serving the communities in the proposed region; and

 

9)         Able to satisfy the required activities set forth in Section 850.50 and 850.60.

 

b)         The Department will award grants to fund one Climate Works Hub in each of the following three designated areas:

 

1)         Illinois Department of Transportation Region 1;

 

2)         Illinois Department of Transportation Regions 2 and 3; and

 

3)         Illinois Department of Transportation Regions 4 and 5.

 

c)         An eligible organization may serve as the designated Climate Works Hub for more than one designated hub area.  However, the applicant must be able to serve program participants for all regions for which they apply.

 

Section 850.50  Required Program Activities

 

The focus of the Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program is to help equity investment eligible persons successfully transition from the pre-apprenticeship program into registered apprenticeship programs in construction and building trades with a need for clean energy workforce expansion (primary outcome) or other advanced training programs or employment (secondary outcome).  Climate Works Hubs must:

 

a)         Design, develop and implement a Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship center to serve participants across a large geographic area and to provide equitable access to pre-apprenticeship training, academic support and supportive services.  The entities providing the Program training must be approved to provide training services by all appropriate accrediting bodies.

 

b)         Utilize proactive recruitment and outreach strategies to enroll participants in a manner that upholds the core values of diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equity for all populations, including equity focused populations.  Climate Works Hubs will collaborate with Energy Transition Navigators selected by the Department (see 20 ILCS 730/5-35) to complete community education, outreach and recruitment.

 

c)         Create an application process to review potential participants' eligibility for the Program.

 

d)         Prepare Program participants for registered apprenticeship programs by:

 

1)         Recruiting, prescreening, and providing pre-apprenticeship skills training, free of charge, using the following curricula:

 

A)        The North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Apprenticeship Readiness Program (ARPS) Multi-craft Core Curriculum (MC3) or the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core Curriculum, including any successor curriculum;

 

B)        Workplace readiness skills training using the Illinois Essential Employability Skills Framework or a similar framework; and

 

C)        Training to prevent discrimination, sexism, bullying and harassment within workplaces and that teaches conflict management skills and strategies;

 

2)         Providing flexible program delivery to improve accessibility and assist participants in overcoming barriers in the way of their Program participation or success.  Programs must include work-based learning and practicum opportunities for participants to perform construction work at job sites either while taking pre-apprenticeship instruction or immediately after completing instruction. If a program, for technical or regulatory reasons, cannot provide hands-on learning experiences, job site visits and tours of U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship programs may be permitted with approval from the Department; 

 

3)         Distributing stipends to program participants that are based on training attendance and performance;

 

4)         Communicating information to program participants on opportunities and certifications relevant to safety training and clean energy jobs in construction and building trades; and

 

5)         Connecting program completers to a registered apprenticeship program.

 

e)         Deliver or provide access through referrals for wrap-around and other supportive services that help eligible individuals overcome financial and other barriers to participation in the Program. Climate Works Hubs must offer to Program participants at a minimum access to all of the following support and transition services detailed in this subsection (e), but may offer others as needed. The funding source for these services will either be through the Program funds or from the Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program (see Section 850.60), which will be determined by the Department depending on the availability of funds and the needs of the participants. See 20 ILCS 605/605-1075(b).

 

1)         Wrap-around Support Services:

 

A)        Transportation costs, including car repairs, gas cards, or bus passes;

 

B)        Childcare or family care;

 

C)        Driver's education and driver's license fees;

 

D)        Personal health services, including dental, vision and mental health care;

 

E)        Emergency bill payments, rental assistance or emergency housing;

 

F)         Referrals for other services (e.g., food, housing, rental assistance, substance use treatment); and

 

G)        Legal assistance, including record expungement.

 

2)         Student Support Services:

 

A)        Tutoring;

 

B)        Make-up classes;

 

C)        Re-testing;

 

D)        Educational enrichment;

 

E)        Technology assistance for virtual learning; and

 

F)         Expenses related to certifications, testing or applications.

 

3)         Transition Support Services:

 

A)        Mentoring and coaching;

 

B)        Job exploration, search and placement services;

 

C)        Resume writing and mock interviews;

 

D)        Job fairs with clean energy employers;

 

E)        Follow-up support services for at least one year after job placement or graduation, whichever comes first, as needed;

 

F)         Education or training costs associated with entering an apprenticeship program; and

 

G)        Other wrap-around supportive services needed to obtain or retain an apprenticeship or employment.

 

f)         Provide case management assistance to participants transitioning to registered apprenticeship programs in construction and building trades with a need for clean energy workforce expansion. Climate Works Hubs also must have a plan for students not enrolling in apprenticeship programs for referrals to advanced construction education and training programs or to employment.

 

g)         Assist the Department as needed to implement a system to track demographic information for program participants, including:

 

1)         The number of applicants, participants and program completers broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status;

 

2)         The number of individuals accepted and placed into apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status; and

 

3)         The number of individuals who remain in apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades or have become journeymen after their placements broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status.

 

h)         Develop an assessment plan to improve program delivery. This assessment may include surveys of program graduates regarding overall satisfaction with the training activities delivered and appropriateness to the targeted job opportunities and surveys of employers concerning the comprehensiveness of coverage of required job skills.  In addition, the assessment plan should indicate how the results of the assessment activities will be used to improve the training program in a continuous manner.

 

i)          Cooperate with external evaluation efforts, as directed by the Department.

 

j)          Assist the Department to provide an annual report to the Illinois Works Review Panel by April 1 of each calendar year, which the Department will publish on its website. The annual report shall include the following information:

 

1)         A description of the Climate Works Hub's recruitment, screening, and training efforts, including a description of training related to construction and building trades opportunities in clean energy jobs;

 

2)         The number of individuals who apply to, participate in, and complete the Climate Works Hub's program, broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status;

 

3)         The number of the individuals referenced in subsection (j)(2) who are initially accepted and placed into apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status; and

 

4)         The number of individuals referenced in subsection (j)(2) who remain in apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades or have become journeymen one calendar year after their placement broken down by race, gender, age, geography and veteran status, as referenced in subsection (j)(3). [20 ILCS 730/5-40(b)]

 

k)         Collaborate and coordinate with the Department as well as the grantees and administrators of all programs created by CEJA, including the following:

 

1)         Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program [20 ILCS 730/5-20];

 

2)         Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program [20 ILCS 730/5-30];

 

3)         Energy Transition Navigators Program [20 ILCS 730/5-35];

 

4)         Clean Energy Contractor Incubator Program [20 ILCS 730/5-45];

 

5)         Returning Residents Clean Jobs Training Program [20 ILCS 730/5-50];

 

6)         Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program [20 ILCS 730/5-55]; and

 

7)         Jobs and Environmental Justice Grant Program [20 ILCS 730/5-60].

 

Section 850.60  Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program

 

a)         Subject to appropriation from the Energy Transition Assistance Fund and pursuant to the Energy Transition Act [20 ILCS 730/5-30], the Department will administer an Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program, available to individuals who participate in the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program.  Barrier reduction services are intended to help individuals overcome financial and other barriers to participation in the Program. 

 

b)         The barrier reduction services for the Program are listed in Section 850.50(e) and the Climate Works Hubs must ensure timely services and funds to address the unique and often time-sensitive barriers that may arise during participants' training. The coordinators of barrier reduction services for the Climate Works Hubs must have strong connections to other agencies and community-based organizations to facilitate these services. 

 

c)         Community-based organizations or nonprofit organizations selected as either a Climate Works Hub or as a subrecipient of a Climate Works Hub shall provide barrier reduction services to Program participants in need of services.  If barrier reduction services are provided by the Climate Works Hub, the Climate Work Hub must meet all Program eligibility criteria (see Section 850.40). The provider of barrier reduction services must meet the following minimum requirements:

 

1)         The ability to effectively serve diverse and underrepresented populations in the proposed region;

 

2)         The capacity to provide individualized supportive services and distribute barrier reduction funds in an efficient and timely manner;

 

3)         Strong connections to other community-based organizations and local agencies for referrals and hand-offs; and

 

4)         Strong connections to and experience serving equity investment eligible communities within the service region.

 

d)         Providers of barrier reduction services shall coordinate with Energy Transition Navigators (see 20 ILCS 730/5-35) to ensure eligible individuals have access to these services.

 

Section 850.70  Eligible Grant Expenditures

 

Grant expenditures for Program projects must comply with GATA, the Uniform Guidance and the funding source, be reasonable and necessary, and support the allowable grant project activities set forth in Section 850.50.  Eligible budget cost categories for this Program include the following:

 

a)         Personnel;

 

b)         Fringe benefits;

 

c)         Travel;

 

d)         Equipment;

 

e)         Supplies;

 

f)         Contractual services and subawards;

 

g)         Consultant services and expenses;

 

h)         Occupancy;

 

i)          Research and development;

 

j)          Telecommunications;

 

k)         Staff training and education;

 

l)          Direct administrative costs;

 

m)        Miscellaneous costs;

 

n)         Participant direct training costs;

 

o)         Participant work-based training costs;

 

p)         Barrier reduction costs;

 

q)         Supportive services;

 

r)          Other program costs; and

 

s)         Indirect costs.

 

Section 850.80  Participant Eligibility

 

Eligible participants for the Program include Illinois residents who are aged 16 or above and that meet the definition of an equity investment eligible person. To be eligible, participants also must have either a high school diploma or passed the GED or High School Equivalency Test or be currently enrolled in a program preparing them for a high school diploma or equivalent. However, the Department will make an exception to this requirement if a selected Climate Works Hub program utilizes an integrated career and academic preparation system (ICAPS) framework that combines the pre-apprenticeship curriculum with completion of high school equivalency or English language training.

 

Section 850.90  Form of Grant Applications

 

a)         The Department will post one or more Notices of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on the GATA Grantee Portal (https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/) seeking applications from eligible organizations contingent upon available funds.  Applicants shall submit their application materials by the deadlines set by the Department in the NOFO, which will be at least 30 days after the NOFO posting. If, on or near the application deadline, it appears that the Department will receive an insufficient number of applications for grants in one or more areas, to ensure a competitive selection process (a minimum of two applications per area), the Department may extend the NOFO posting deadline and allow by the extended deadline both new applications and application supplementation for those applicants who have already submitted applications.  The Department also may accept applications on a rolling basis with no set deadline.

 

b)         Applicants must submit:

 

1)         Uniform grant application;

 

2)         Uniform budget template;

 

3)         Conflict of interest disclosure form;

 

4)         Mandatory disclosures form;

 

5)         Executive summary or similar requirement, which describes the applicant team, pre-apprenticeship geographic area and communities to be served, partnership organizations for program delivery, the services to be provided, the equity investment eligible populations to be served, anticipated goals and outcomes of the project, and the grant amount requested;

 

6)         Budget narrative;

 

7)         Technical proposal, which describes the program activities and outcomes that the applicant will support if selected and must include the following information:

 

A)        The applicant organization's capacity and qualifications (e.g., capacity and expertise of the applicant team to timely deliver all Program requirements, experience with similar grants and projects and working with the identified target populations, and experience connecting participants to registered apprenticeships and contractors).

 

B)        The applicant organization's documentation of need (e.g., identification of the project's focus on specific equity investment eligible communities or populations, the barriers they may face and workforce needs of the target communities, the target construction and building trades and clean energy jobs as identified through local and regional market information, and the expected impact of the project on the identified communities and populations). 

 

C)        A description of the applicant's proposed project plan (e.g., program design, curriculum, and method of delivery, plan to recruit participants and assist with enrollment, anticipated goals and outcomes and plan to track outcomes, plan to deliver Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program services, and the plan to address core values).

 

D)        Information demonstrating the cost-effectiveness of the applicant's proposed program (e.g., justification of the main budget expense items and cost per participant, including barrier reduction services, costs of subcontractors and other partners and the ability for the applicant to leverage existing programs to improve cost-effectiveness).

 

8)         Resumes of existing key Program staff and instructors that demonstrate capacity to complete the work outlined in the application, including the curricula chosen.  For key staff and instructor positions that will need to be filled using Program funds, include a job description for each position, including individual qualifications sought for each position;

 

9)         Partnership agreements between the applicant and its partner organizations for the project. The agreements must detail the entity's information, key staff information, roles and responsibilities associated with the project and dollar amounts for specific services to be rendered;

 

10)       Memorandums of Understanding from registered apprenticeship programs in the construction and building trades, including for direct matriculation of Program graduates;

 

11)       Letters from contractors agreeing to hire Program graduates; and

 

12)       Any additional information required to demonstrate the applicant's ability to administer a Program or that further supports the information submitted by the applicant for the proposed project.

 

Section 850.100  Grant Award Selection

 

Grants will be awarded by the Department to Climate Works Hubs following a merit review by the Department and pursuant to GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.350).  The Department will award up to three total grants for each round of funding, representing each of the three areas identified in Section 850.40(b).  All applications will be sorted by proposed region. The highest scoring applications per region will be prioritized. The final grant awards will be negotiated by the Department based on the applications' alignment with the requirements of the Program. The purpose of negotiations will be to arrive at acceptable grant terms, including budgetary and scope of work provisions, at which time the final decision to make a grant award will be made. In evaluating applications, the Department will consider the criteria listed below:

 

a)         Whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria (Section 850.40).

 

b)         The applicant team's qualifications and capacity, including:

 

1)         Capacity and expertise for successful and timely completion of pre-apprenticeship training and administration tasks;

 

2)         Expertise and capacity to deliver a wide variety of wrap-around services (barrier reduction) in a timely and efficient manner;

 

3)         Relevant experience and administrative performance on similar grants and projects (workforce training and support service administration);

 

4)         Relevant experience working with and the capacity to recruit from the identified target populations;

 

5)         Relevant experience and qualifications of the applicant team's staff, including partners, subcontractors and subrecipients, to be assigned to deliver training and support services; and

 

6)         Relevant experience and qualifications of the applicant team's staff to work with and connect participants to registered apprenticeship programs and contractors.

 

c)         The applicant organization's documentation of need, including:

 

1)         The applicant project's focus on specific equity investment eligible communities or populations, identification of barriers that these target communities or populations may face, and workforce needs in target communities;

 

2)         Identification of the region or regions where this project will operate (see Section 850.40(b)) and the specific locations where the training will be offered;

 

3)         The applicant project's target construction and building trades and the need for expansion of clean energy jobs and apprenticeship programs in these trades, as demonstrated through local and regional labor market information; and

 

4)         The expected impact of the applicant's project on the identified target communities, populations, and job growth in target trades.

 

d)         The quality of the proposed project; including:

 

1)         The applicant's pre-apprenticeship training program design, curriculum and methods of delivery, including clean energy topics. Additional scoring credit will be given to applicant programs that have an agreement with the North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to utilize the Multi-Craft Core Curriculum or successor curriculums [20 ILCS 730/5-40(d-5)];

 

2)         The applicant's plan to recruit participants and assist with enrollment;

 

3)         Program goals and outcomes including number of students served, industry recognized skills, certifications, apprenticeship placements, other advanced training and employment;

 

4)         The applicant's plan for delivering Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program Services (wrap-around services) to facilitate access to and completion of training program, including a list of services to be provided;

 

5)         The applicant's plan to help participants transition to registered apprenticeship programs and the partnership agreements with registered apprenticeship programs or contractors;

 

6)         The applicant's plan to address equity in program design, recruitment, wrap-around supports and apprenticeship transition services; and

 

7)         The applicant's plan to track program outcomes, assess the program and use this information to improve program delivery.

 

e)         The cost-effectiveness of the applicant's proposed program; including:

 

1)         The reasonableness of the proposed project costs in relation to the planned outcomes (cost per participant) and the proposed activities;

 

2)         The reasonableness of the proposed costs per eligible participant for Energy Transition Barrier Reduction wrap-around services in relation to proposed services; and

 

3)         The applicant's ability to leverage existing programs, services and partnerships to improve cost-effectiveness, return on investment, and long-term sustainability of the program.

 

Section 850.110  Grant Administration

 

a)         Grant Agreements and Payment Disbursements

 

1)         Applicants selected to receive a grant will enter into a grant agreement with the Department, which specifies the terms and conditions of the award.  Grants will be awarded for an initial one-year term with the option for the Department to renew the awards annually for up to two additional years, with additional funding, based on the activities, outcomes and performance of the Climate Works Hubs as well as the availability of funds. The renewal, if granted, would occur after one year of programmatic performance and an evaluation of services and outcomes by the Department.

 

2)         Grant awards will be administered in a manner that complies with all applicable State and federal requirements including, but not limited to, GATA, the Uniform Guidance, the Program statute and this Part.  The Department reserves the right to suspend or terminate a grant agreement, recoup grant funds received under this Part or withhold any future year funding for non-compliance with the provisions in the grant agreement or non-compliance with applicable State and federal laws and regulations.

 

3)         The Department will disburse Grant funds in accordance with a schedule included in the grant agreement. The Department may disburse funds based on the outcomes outlined in the grant agreement.

 

b)         Grant Performance, Monitoring and Reporting Requirements

Climate Works Hubs shall comply with all GATA and Department requirements set forth in the grant agreement for grant performance, administration, audits, monitoring and reporting. 

 

1)         Grant performance goals and performance and expenditure reporting will be based on the specific grant project activities of each grant award and will follow GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.410), which include periodic financial and performance reports at least quarterly, and financial and performance close-out reports after the end of the grant term (see 44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.440). The deadlines for all required reports will be set forth in the grant agreement.  In addition to the performance and financial reports, Climate Works Hubs will be required to assist the Department, as needed, in the submission of an annual report to the Illinois Works Review Panel.  See Section 850.50(j).

 

2)         Grant audits shall be based on the standards set forth in the GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.90).

 

3)         Climate Works Hubs must monitor their grant activities and those of any subrecipients and contractors to assure compliance with applicable State and federal requirements and to assure their performance expectations are being achieved.  The Department will monitor the activities of Climate Works Hubs to assure compliance with all requirements and performance expectations of the award.  Climate Works Hubs shall timely submit all required reports, and shall supply, upon the Department's request, documents and information relevant to the award.  The Department may monitor activities through site visits.

 

c)         Records Retention

Climate Works Hubs shall maintain, for the period of time set forth in the GATA rules (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.430(a) and (b)) adequate books, all financial records and supporting documents, statistical records, and all other records pertinent to the program. If any litigation, claim or audit is started before the expiration of the retention period, the records must be retained until all litigation, claims or audit exceptions involving the records have been resolved and final action taken. Climate Works Hubs shall be responsible for ensuring that contractors and subrecipients comply with the retention requirements.