Narrative: c. 1.

1. Competitive and Non-Competitive Grant and Contract Award Process

The State utilizes a competitive process for awarding grants and contracts unless a sole source process is warranted consistent with OMB guidelines. The competitive process, including those for youth services, is handled through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The State Workforce Board, through the Office of Workforce Opportunity oversees the RFP process. The State maintains a RFP mailing list, and public announcements are posted on the OWO’s website, in newspapers and with other media, as appropriate.

2. Criteria Used in Awarding Youth Grants

Grants for youth activities are awarded at the State level through the New Hampshire State Workforce Innovation Board (SWIB) in response to successful application for grant funds solicited through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The RFP stipulates that the following guidance and conditions will apply in awarding grants to providers of youth services:

• Proposal submissions will be reviewed to ensure that all the required documentation, signatures, and assurances are included.
• The cost of the proposal will not be the sole determinate factor for selection.
• The proposal contents will be reviewed and scored using a rating criterion and point system. A minimum of 75% of the funds are allocated to programs that serve out-of-school youth and up to 25% of the funds will be allocated to youth currently enrolled in educational activities.
• Respondents may choose to apply to serve in-school youth only, out-of-school youth only, or both.
• The goal is to distribute funds throughout the geographic regions of the state based on the receipt of satisfactory applications.
• The State Workforce Innovation Board/Office of Workforce Opportunity reserves the right to allocate funds as appropriate based on the quality of proposals, past performance, and the statewide minimum of 75% out-of-school funding.
• The State Workforce Innovation Board in conjunction with the Office of Workforce Opportunity

establishes a review panel and conducts a comprehensive, fair and impartial evaluation of all proposals received that meet the Request for Proposals minimum requirements.

• Proposals that do not meet minimum criteria will not be funded.
• Applications will be ranked based on the score assigned by the panel after careful evaluation by panel members.
• Final decisions will be based on the application score, the regional and minimum funding requirements, high performing contractors, the judgment of the review team and the State Workforce Innovation Board in conjunction with the Office of Workforce Opportunity, and where applicable, the Governor and NH Executive Council approval process.

Criteria for Determining Effective Youth Providers

To guide the youth funding award process, and help interested providers better understand the vision, goals and priorities established by the State Workforce Innovation Board, the State Workforce Innovation Board has identified seven areas for consideration in determining effective providers of youth services.

They are as follows:

1. Meeting Needs: Programs should meet the needs of at-risk youth populations and underserved communities while providing a broad range of services that meet the academic, employment, and youth development needs of young people. Programs should be aimed at ensuring that economically disadvantaged youth in school and out of school have the opportunities and support needed to become productive members of the workforce and achieve economic self-sufficiency.
2. Youth Development: Effective programs are built on a well-conceived and implemented approach to youth development. A commitment to youth development is exemplified by a conscious and professional reliance on youth development principles, including high expectations, caring relationships, holistic service strategies that build responsibility and identity, and a view towards youth as resources. Key strategies the State Workforce Innovation Board is looking for in this area are integrating social and support services into programming, addressing transportation barriers to youth access, accommodating a variety of learning styles, and providing follow-up services for young people when they exit in order to ensure their continued success.
3. Skill Development: Effective programs clearly emphasize the development of skills, knowledge, and competencies that lead to jobs and careers. Programs should strongly link work and learning and academic and occupational learning. All Dropout Recovery (out-of-school youth) programs are required to provide occupational skills training concurrently with work readiness and academic training. Key strategies the State Workforce Innovation Board is looking for in this area are linkages to apprenticeships, community colleges and employers, transition services, and how participants will gain academic credit and skill credentials.
4. Involvement of Employers and Links to Local Labor Markets: Programs should have the strong involvement of local employers and should be linked to local labor market needs and growing economic sectors as determined by the occupations in-demand list for New Hampshire. Programs should provide effective connections to intermediaries with strong links to the job market and local and regional employers.
5. Collaboration and Leveraging Partnerships: Programs are sought that demonstrate how partnerships and the involvement of the community will be used to meet the program goals. Involving the local community means developing real partnerships among educational institutions, employers, community- based organizations, private sector employers, and/or other organizations and members of the community interested in youth. Respondents are encouraged to access resources from these partnerships and use them in the program to provide quality youth opportunities.
6. Producing Results: Programs should ensure that young people are gaining the skills to complete high school or its equivalent and transition to postsecondary education, advanced training or skilled employment. Programs should track these results and strive to continuously improve their programs and their outcomes for youth based on information and data.
7. Academic Gains for In-School Youth: Alternative Education programs (either dropout prevention or dropout recovery models) will provide quality education that adheres to the state standards.