Section 830.90  Grant Award Selection

Grants will be awarded by DCEO to grantees following a merit review by an evaluation committee designated by DCEO and pursuant to GATA requirements (44 Ill. Adm. Code 7000.350).  DCEO will award one grant for each facility identified by DOC (see Section 830.40(b)) and set forth in the applicable NOFO.  All applications will be sorted by each correctional facility location proposed for services. The highest scoring applications per facility will be prioritized for funding. The final grant awards will be negotiated by DCEO 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, DCEO will consider the criteria listed below:

a)         Whether the applicant meets the eligibility criteria (Section 830.40).

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

1)         The applicant team's history working with incarcerated people or justice-impacted people;

2)         The applicant team's experience providing workforce training, certification, job readiness, and skill development, especially to justice-impacted people;

3)         The applicant team's experience providing transition and follow-up services to help people, especially returning residents, gain and retain jobs;

4)         The applicant team's knowledge and experience within the clean energy industry, including relationships with clean energy employers and qualifications to teach the Curriculum Framework;

5)         The applicant team's capacity to provide Program elements in the correctional facility and follow-up services in identified economic development regions as evidenced through the staffing plan; and

6)         The Program Administrator's capabilities and experience related to program development, financial management, cultural and language competency, working with committed and justice-involved persons, working with clean energy employers, awareness of clean energy trends, and workforce development best practices.

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

1)         The quality of the plan to address barriers that returning residents face inside correctional facilities and upon release;

2)         The quality of the plan to address the challenges and concerns that employers face when hiring returning residents; and

3)         The expected impact of the project on returning residents and communities impacted by incarceration.

d)         The quality of the applicant's proposed project plan, including:

1)         The plan to provide recruitment, intake, and enrollment services;

2)         The plan to deliver training, with clear integration of the Curriculum

Framework, including the bridge program and job-specific training;

3)         The plan to provide supportive services (student support services, transition services, and wrap-around support services) to participants before and after release, in coordination with other CEJA programs;

4)         The plan to help participants transition to employment in the clean energy industry and provide credible, relevant partnership agreements with employers for job placement and work-based learning opportunities;

5)         The plan to create a program culture that incorporates the core values of diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equity in program design, recruitment, support services, training and transition services; and

6)         The 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 thoroughness, reasonableness and necessity of the applicant's proposed program costs in relation to the planned activities and projected outcomes; 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.