NCOA is issuing a request for proposal (RFP) to qualified public or nonprofit agencies who can provide services for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP).
In 2024, NCOA aims to serve over 4,000 disadvantaged seniors in their communities in partnership with sub-grantees in over 350 counties across several states and territories. Any 501(c)(3) nonprofit or government agency that can meet the goals, standards, and policies of NCOA for providing SCSEP services to people 55 years of age and over, as described in this RFP, is eligible to apply.
SCSEP is the longest-standing program in America that offers help to unemployed individuals age 55+ and living on a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level. The program is authorized under the Older Americans Act and funded via the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL).
NCOA has been one of the four original national sponsors for SCSEP since 1968 and continue to operate the program. Learn more about NCOA's efforts to help older adults return to the workforce.
Request for proposal updates
The application has been updated to request documentation demonstrating fiscal health.
Within the application, please use the existing attachment fields to upload either:
- A recent Uniform Guidance Single Audit
- A recent 990 AND an internal financial statement with an operating budget
These files can be combined with the other required attachments and uploaded as one file in the application portal.
Also, the Performance Measures section of the application has been updated to reflect a correction under Item 1:
- Number of eligible individuals served
The total number of people served is 160% times the sub-grantee's number of modified positions. This allows for the expected churn rate.
Goal = 160% of modified positions
Questions? Email the NCOA team at SCSEP.support@ncoa.org.
What is the timeline of the grant award?
Subject to funding availability, successful applicants should expect to receive a grant award notification approximately 90-120 days following the application deadline.
What is the application deadline?
Proposal submissions are due no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, April 5, 2024. Please see the RFP below for the full application timeline.
How do I apply?
This full RFP includes detailed instructions on applying, as well as a submission and award timeline:
Informational webinar
NCOA hosted a Bidders’ Meeting on March 12, 2024. Watch the recording.
Questions?
For additional questions about this SCSEP grant announcement, please email SCSEP.support@ncoa.org.
Frequently asked questions
Q: In Question 4, Section 4, how are “high-need community training opportunities” defined?
A: High-need community training opportunities are those that respond to a high demand for social services. For example, in an area with a high rate of homelessness, a community service assignment that serves the homeless would meet this definition.
Q: In Section 4, Question 5, how are “minority populations” defined?
A: Minority populations are defined by the categories identified by the Department of Labor for the administration of SCSEP and include:
- Hispanic/Latino
- American Indian or Alaskan Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- More than one race
Q: Will the chosen SCSEP sub-grantees be compensated on a reimbursement basis, or outright award of funds up front?
A: Sub-grantees will be funded on a reimbursement or cash advance payment basis. Successful grantees will need to either submit a monthly financial report for monthly reimbursement or a cash advance request made one week before funds are needed.
Q: Is there an area where we would input the budget?
A: The budget will be automatically calculated once you select the state(s) and counties.
Q: If we were interested in other areas that NCOA does not currently have, do we put this interest in the area where it states Additional Partnership Opportunities?
A. The instructions for what should be included in the Additional Partnership Opportunities section of the application are below:
The Department of Labor anticipates making funds available for the next four years to existing SCSEP grantees to apply for employment strategies focused on a specific sector with in-demand jobs. There will be additional funds to support SCSEP job seekers interested in the identified sector for training and supportive services and the administration of this additional scope of work.
Within the application portal, you can indicate if your organization has identified a particular sector it wants to focus on. Please provide details on potential partners, including training providers, schools, employers and other community organizations or businesses, if interested in this anticipated funding opportunity. This opportunity is only available for consideration by existing NCOA subgrantees who re-apply for a subgrant.
The applicant’s interest in this additional partnership opportunity does not change their application's outcome or review process.
Q: Once you press the Mark Complete button, are there other parts and if need be, can you go back or is the submission fully closed?
A. NCOA can reopen the application upon request, but only before the application deadline.
Q: We are interested in applying to serve seven counties with a total of 57 authorized positions. If the cap on Administrative is 6%, it does not seem feasible to have a required full-time Project Director, as the 6% would not even cover a reasonable salary, notwithstanding benefits and other expenses. How do subgrantees manage to successfully operate within these parameters?
A: Applicants should propose a service area that enables them to have a sufficient operational budget. Applicants should determine that by assessing any internal resources that might be contributed as well as the federal funds NCOA will disburse. Upon determining the operational costs, applicants can consider the number of authorized positions needed to achieve that budget. For smaller projects, applicants may need to consider if they can serve a larger area to have the budget needed to administer the program, while keeping in mind that all applicants must be able to fully serve the areas they propose.
Q: Where should I put our interest if we wanted to serve other non-NCOA counties in the state. If you are looking to expand in the state you are currently in, there is no way for you to choose counties NCOA does not currently serve.
A: Please include other states or counties that are currently outside of the targeted NCOA service area in your response to the Program Approach Section, in the text box that asks you to “Describe your approach to meet the program goals described in RFP Approach, Performance Measures section.”
Q: In the new SCSEP RFP, I don't see a reference for Letters of Support.
A: No letters of support are required or expected for the SCSEP application.
