Experienced Services

 

To enable the agency to work with select NGOs to fill a wide variety of temporary human resource needs with skilled, experienced workers, aged 55 and older, while also providing opportunities to qualified older Americans to have meaningful work and fair wages.

General information about this opportunity
Last Known Status
Active
Program Number
15.682
Federal Agency/Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of The Interior
Type(s) of Assistance Offered
B - Project Grants
Program Accomplishments
Fiscal Year 2019 Not Applicable.
Fiscal Year 2020 For FY20, 2 applications were submitted.
Fiscal Year 2021 Four applications were received for the over-arching program agreements, and 2 agreements were awarded; 18 project agreements were awarded under these over-arching agreements, at the request of the agency.
Fiscal Year 2022 Program issued 32 awards.
Fiscal Year 2023 Program has issued 20 awards.
Fiscal Year 2024 About 40 awards are estimated.
Authorization
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 – Department of the Interior Experienced Services Program (P.L. 117-328 [H.R. 2617-328])
Who is eligible to apply/benefit from this assistance?
Applicant Eligibility
Applicants must be nonprofits and eligible to receive funds from the Department of Labor under Title V of the Older Americans Act (Senior Community Service Employment Program).
Beneficiary Eligibility
Individuals (Americans, age 55 and older) who qualify for temporary positions, as described in approved position descriptions provided by the contracting, Federal agency. These individuals may include Federal pension recipients.
Credentials/Documentation
Applicants must have proof of nonprofit status from the IRS and proof of Department of Labor Senior Community Service Employment Program award eligibility.
What is the process for applying and being award this assistance?
Pre-Application Procedure
Preapplication coordination is not applicable.
Application Procedure
2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. A Notice of Funding Opportunity is published before a new, 5-year cooperative agreement term and applications are received. In addition to standard Federal financial assistance forms, applicants must provide proof of nonprofit status and eligibility status for receiving funds from the Department of Labor under Title V of the Older Americans Act.
Award Procedure
An award is made after there is a cooperative agreement with an eligible nonprofit organization and the agency has a project to propose under the terms of that agreement.
Deadlines
Not applicable.
Approval/Disapproval Decision Time
From 90 to 120 days.
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
Not applicable.
How are proposals selected?
All required forms must be filled out properly; the project proposal must include all of the items noted in the NoFO Project Proposal section, including proof of eligibility; the mission and objectives of the applicants must relate to the DOI priorities addressed in the announcement objectives; the applicant must be qualified to carry out the work described in the NoFO; the applicant must demonstrate it has the techniques, processes, etc. to carry out the work; the applicant must have qualified personnel; the applicant must have knowledge and experience in planning, collaboration and evaluation; and the applicant must apply for adequate resources and be able to leverage resources effectively. The budget review and audit review must be correct and complete and not raise any concerns. It must show its record of past performance of similar work.
How may assistance be used?
Recipients will use funding to cover overhead or administrative costs to fulfill its obligations under the cooperative agreement, as well as salary and benefits for enrollees. Overhead or administrative costs may include payroll and benefits management, required reporting, and providing interactive portal for enrollee supervisors, among others.
What are the requirements after being awarded this opportunity?
Reporting
Performance Reports: Performance reports are required. Recipients must monitor and report on project performance in accordance with the requirements in 2 CFR 200.329. A final performance report is due within 120 calendar days of the award period of performance end date, unless the awarding program approves a due date extension. The FWS details all reporting requirements including frequency and due dates in Notices of Award.
Auditing
Not applicable.
Records
Recipients will maintain records in accordance with 2 CFR 200. Program-specific legislation/regulation may dictate additional records retention requirements. Program will detail all non-standard records retention requirements in the notice of award.
Other Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
The Experienced Services Program assistance is available after being awarded every five years. The program is not funded; each project is funded through existing program budgets as it arises. Funding may be provided to individual projects until those projects expire, including over multiple years, unless statutory authority is not provided in a given year. Program will obligate funds and send a notice of award to successful applicants. Recipients request awarded funds as needed and in accordance with 2 CFR 200, unless otherwise dictated by program-specific legislation/regulation or special award terms. Program will include any special award terms and conditions in the notice of award.
Who do I contact about this opportunity?
Regional or Local Office
Edith Thompson, National Conservation Training Center, 698 Conservation Way, Shepherdstown, WV 25443, 304-876-7499, edith_thompson@fws.gov
Headquarters Office
Edith Thompson
USFWS HQ, 5275 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA 22041 USA
edith_thompson@fws.gov
Phone: 703-358-2267
Website Address
https://www.fws.gov/careers
Financial Information
Account Identification
14-1611-0-1-302
Obligations
(Cooperative Agreements) FY 22$1,620,704.00; FY 23 est $2,500,000.00; FY 24 est $2,500,000.00; FY 21$1,400,000.00; FY 20$0.00; FY 19$0.00; FY 18$0.00; -
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
This is a new program. The first year will be a pilot and will have a maximum of $300,000 total awarded for the year.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
Not applicable.
Examples of Funded Projects
Fiscal Year 2019 Support the USFWS mission across a range of capacities on a temporary, full or part-time, project-specific basis.
Fiscal Year 2020 New program, no awards issued in 2020.
Fiscal Year 2021 The implementation of the FWS Experienced Services Program was awarded to two nonprofit organizations in FY 2021. These organizations recruited qualified workers to support a wide range of temporary needs within the agency, including construction inspection, conservation design and planning, administrative support, visitor services, permitting under the Endangered Species Act, and implementation of the National Environmental Protection Act, among others.
Fiscal Year 2022 The USFWS entered into 32 project agreements in FY 22 to bring on board skilled, experienced workers, aged 55 and older. These included maintenance workers, administrative support, pilots, engineers, biologists, training curriculum and course leaders, data management staff, Section 508 remediation technicians, realty specialists, animal caretakers, project coordinators, and more.
Fiscal Year 2023 The USFWS has entered into 17 project agreements to date to bring on board skilled, experienced workers, aged 55 and older, including technical writers/editors, fish pathologists, realty specialists, policy analysts, public information officers, and contaminants specialists.
Fiscal Year 2024 No details available.

 



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