DEPARTMENT OF
LABOR AND INDUSTRYJob Creation Assistance on Behalf of Persons with Severe Disabilities in Allegheny County [28 Pa.B. 2180] The Department of Labor and Industry (Department), Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in 1986 (P. L. 99-506), announces that competing applications to provide job creation assistance on behalf of persons with severe disabilities in Allegheny County will be accepted. This competition is authorized under section 103(b) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Funding for these projects is under the auspices of the Pennsylvania State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), which will serve as administrator and fiscal agent for grants awarded under this announced competition.
This competition may provide multiyear funding for up to 3 years. OVR will entertain applications which address the development of local grants-to-business programs designed to increase employment of OVR-eligible persons, and stimulate local economic growth, through the acquisition of equipment essential to production/accomplishment of the business' primary purpose.
Important: Equipment acquired by local employers as a result of this grant competition must be operated (throughout the life of the equipment) by a person, or persons, with severe disabilities who are customers of OVR.
Application Information
Applications received by close of business 5 p.m., June 29, 1998, which are complete and conform to established specifications will be accepted for review. Applications submitted after this date and time will be ineligible for consideration.
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of reviewers convened for that purpose. Grants will be awarded through this competition contingent upon the availability of funds and the receipt of acceptable applications. Grants will be awarded by October 1, 1998. Final awards made through this competition are subject to the approval of the Executive Director, Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation.
* Eligible applicants are recognized ''Economic Development Groups'' defined as follows:
Any nonprofit or governmental group, corporation or consortium which exists for the purpose of providing economic development funding, provided in the form of capital equipment purchases, to companies doing business, or planning to do business in Allegheny County.
For the purposes of this competition, an eligible applicant may also be another nonprofit or governmental organization experienced in successfully collaborating with business and industry located in Allegheny County. The collaboration must have been in regard to development of employment, employment opportunities, placement of hard to place populations, workforce development or comparable areas of endeavor.
A bona fide applicant must have operated in the capacities as noted above for at least 3 years prior to submittal of an application under this competition.
* A bona fide applicant must address the need for job creation assistance, of the nature described, in Allegheny County.
* A bona fide applicant must demonstrate that its application has been developed considerate of input from the Pittsburgh OVR District Office.
* The original and one copy of the application narrative, as well as the original and one copy of the project budget must be received at the following address by the application deadline: Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Infrastructure Services Section, Room 1320, Labor and Industry Building, Seventh and Forster Streets, Harrisburg, PA 17120, Attention: Raymond L. Walker, Supervisor.
An original and one copy of the project budget, submitted in a separate sealed envelope, must accompany the application narrative. No reference may be made to the amount of funds requested, or other budgetary information, in the narrative application.
Four copies of the completed application narrative, only, must be received at the OVR Pittsburgh District Office at the following address (by the application deadline cited above): PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Pittsburgh District Office, 217 State Office Building, 300 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Attention: Carol Dudek, District Administrator.
No budget information is to be sent to the Pittsburgh District Office.
Service Information
For purposes of this competition, Job Creation Assistance on Behalf of Persons with Severe Disabilities, services focus upon activities that result in increased competitive employment of OVR-eligible persons with severe disabilities. Activities allowable under this grant competition include: 1.) disbursement of monies, through the OVR grantee, to qualified local businesses for purchase of equipment, and requiring the recipient businesses to employ persons with severe disabilities to operate that equipment; and 2.) staff/other project-related administrative costs of the grantee, not to exceed 20% of the total application budget.
The grantee funded under this competition must comply with the following:
* Individuals placed in employment through this program must be eligible OVR customers.
* Job Creation services must be implemented with the close coordination of the OVR Pittsburgh District Office functioning in a leadership capacity. Proposals submitted for consideration under this grant competition must reflect this ongoing joint effort.
* The OVR District Administrator, OVR Pittsburgh District Office, or that person's designee, must personally be involved in all decisions regarding provision of equipment to applicant businesses. The District Administrator must cosign all disbursements made by the grantee to qualifying businesses.
Application Material/Questions
The complete application package containing a detailed Request for Proposal and Guidelines for Application, is available by writing to the following address, or by calling Raymond L. Walker, Supervisor, Infrastructure Services Section at (717) 787-5735, TDD: (717) 783-8917.
Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
Infrastructure Services Section
Room 1320 Labor and Industry Building
Seventh and Forster Streets
Harrisburg, PA 17120Please direct questions concerning this announcement to Raymond Walker at the above address and telephone number.
Preproposal Conference
A preproposal conference to deal specifically with technical questions regarding the application will be held for prospective applicants on Monday, May 18, 1998, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at: OVR Pittsburgh District Office--Conference Room, 217 State Office Building, 300 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, (800) 442-6371, TDD: (412) 392-5936.
Persons expecting to attend the preproposal conference should advise Carol Dudek, Pittsburgh District Office Administrator, in advance, of any special considerations or accommodations that may be required in order for them to fully participate in the preproposal conference. If reserved, handicapped parking is required, it is imperative that persons needing such parking notify Carol Dudek as soon as possible.
Persons needing directions to the State Office Building should call the OVR numbers noted above.
JOHNNY J. BUTLER,
Secretary[Pa.B. Doc. No. 98-735. Filed for public inspection May 8, 1998, 9:00 a.m.]
