Section 820.80  Grant Award Selection

Grants will be awarded by the Department to Energy Transition Navigators following a merit review by the Department and pursuant to GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.350).  The Department will award grants for each round of funding, representing service to each of the regions identified in Section 820.40(b).  All applications will be sorted by proposed region. The highest scoring applications per region will be prioritized. If the concentration of eligible participants justifies it, the Department may award grants to multiple applicants in a region. 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:

a)         Whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria (Section 820.40);

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

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

2)         Identification of the region or regions where this project will operate (see Section 820.40(b));

3)         The applicant project's focus on local employment needs and how the program can establish relationships with local employers and facilitate job growth; and

4)         The expected impact of the project on the identified target communities and populations, including how the work of the applicant's project will increase participation in the CEJA workforce training or contractor programs.

c)         The applicant team's capacity and qualifications to execute the project according to the requirements of the Program, including:

1)         Staff capacity, knowledge of all CEJA program offerings and eligibility, and qualifications for successful and timely completion of all program tasks;

2)         Relevant experience and administrative performance on similar grants and projects, including experience working to provide services to populations impacted by climate change or to address barriers to employment.  Additional credit will be awarded for those organizations with experience providing services to populations impacted by climate change;

3)         Relevant experience working with eligible CEJA program participants, including individuals from economically disadvantaged communities, equity investment eligible persons and equity focused populations, and the ability to analyze the impact of policies and practices on these populations and ensure equitable and inclusive program operations; and

4)         The quality of the applicant team's connections to and relationships with the statewide and local workforce development systems, economic development organizations, educational institutions, Small Business Development Centers, APEX Accelerators, community-based organizations, local clean energy and other employers, labor unions, trade groups and industry leaders.

d)         The quality of the applicant's proposed project design and implementation, including:

1)         The program goals and projected outcomes including, but not limited to, the number of individuals served, number of enrollments in a program, and number of outreach activities and events;

2)         The applicant's approach to conducting education, outreach, and engagement, and to recruiting eligible participants for the CEJA workforce and contractor programs;

3)         The applicant's proposed work plan, which outlines the project tasks, deliverables, and milestones and the ability to reach milestones in a timely manner;

4)         The applicant's plans to assist participants in enrolling in the CEJA workforce and contractor programs, providing career navigation support, and connecting participants to barrier reduction services;

5)         The applicant's plans to engage with a variety of local stakeholders, including, but not limited to, workforce development and employment organizations, Small Business Development Centers, APEX Accelerators and community-based organizations, to share information about the CEJA programs, recruit participants, coordinate activities, and refer participants to other services;

6)         The applicant's plans to engage clean energy employers, industry leaders, labor unions and apprenticeship programs to identify local job and skill needs, facilitate job placement, and work with the CEJA programs to address these needs; and

7)         The applicant's plan to conduct reporting activities, assess program activities, and improve the program.

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

1)         The reasonableness of the main budget expense items and the cost efficiency in relation to planned outcomes and to the proposed activities; and

2)         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.