Agricultural Career and Employment Grants Program (ACE)

Funding Opportunity Number:	USDA2011ACE01
Opportunity Category:	Discretionary
Posted Date:	Oct 20, 2011
Creation Date:	Oct 20, 2011
Original Closing Date for Applications:	Nov 15, 2011
Current Closing Date for Applications:	Nov 15, 2011
Archive Date:	Dec 15, 2011
Funding Instrument Type:	Grant
Category of Funding Activity:	Agriculture Employment, Labor and Training
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:	8
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$4,000,000
Award Ceiling:	$500,000
Award Floor:	$0
CFDA Number(s):	10.465  --  Farmworker Training Grant Program
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:	No

Eligible Applicants

State governments
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Small businesses
 

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Entities eligible for awards are non-profit organizations or a consortium of entities comprised of a non-profit organization and one or more of the following: agribusinesses, State and local governments, agricultural labor organizations, farmer or rancher cooperatives, and community-based organizations with the capacity to train farmworkers. The criteria by which an entity's capacity to train farmworkers will be evaluated, at a minimum, by the following items: 1) an understanding of the issues facing hired farmworkers and conditions under which they work; 2) familiarity with the agricultural industry in the geographic area to be served, including agricultural labor needs and existing services for farmworkers; and 3) the capacity to effectively administer a program of services and benefits authorized by the grants program. 

Agency Name

DM-Office of Advocacy and Outreach

Description

The ACE grants program is intended to improve the supply of skilled agricultural workers and bring greater stability to the workforce in this sector. This stability will be realized through services specifically designed to assist farmworkers in securing, retaining, upgrading or returning from agricultural jobs. Such services include the following: • agricultural labor skills development; • the provision of agricultural labor market information; • transportation; • short-term housing while in transit to an agricultural worksite; • workplace literacy and assistance with English as a second language; • health and safety instruction, including ways of safeguarding the food supply of the United States; and • other such services the Secretary deems appropriate.