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ETIP Incentive Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

NOFO ID: 2081 - 951

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Information PageA. Program Description 2B. Funding Information 2C. Eligibility Information 2

Applicants 2Cost Sharing or Matching 3Indirect Cost Rate 3Other NA

D. Application & Submission Information 4Address to Request Application Package 4Content For Application Submission 5DUNS Number and System & Award Management (SAM) Registration 7Submission Dates and Times 7Intergovernmental Review NAFunding Restrictions 7Other Submission Requirements 8

E. Application Review Information 9Criteria 9Review and Selection Process 10Anticipated Announcement and State Award Dates 10

F. Award Administration Information 10State Award Notices 10Administration and National Policy Requirements 10Reporting 10

G. State Awarding Agency Contact 13H. Other Information 13

Proprietary Information and FOIA 13Definitions 13Exhibit A: Application Scoring Review Document 14

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A. Program Description This notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) sets forth the requirements for the 2019 Employer Training

Investment Program (ETIP) – Incentive Grant Program. The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (the “Department”) administers the ETIP funds as appropriated by the General Assembly and as authorized by 20 ILCS 605/605-800 and 56 Ill. Admin. Code Part 2650. The ETIP Incentive Grant Program provides a grant opportunity to qualified businesses located in Illinois, to pay up to 50% of the approved costs for providing a structured job training program to their full-time, Illinois-based workforce. Training activities for this award must be initiated and completed during the eligible grant performance period as outlined in section C.2 of this NOFO.

Grant Performance RequirementsGrantees will be required to: train an agreed and approved number of new, full-time employees; create the requisite number of new, full-time jobs within two years after the grant commencement date and maintain those jobs for an additional three-year period (for a total of five years); and expend or legally obligate grant funds as outlined in the final approved budget and scope of work by the end of the grant performance period. Failure to comply with grant performance requirements will result in repayment based on the amount of the deficiency.

B. Funding Information

Funding SourceThe ETIP Incentive Grant Program is funded through General Revenue funds appropriated to the Department by the Illinois General Assembly.

Funding AwardsIt is anticipated that the Department will have approximately $1,500,000 in ETIP Incentive Grant Program funds available to make awards during State Fiscal Year 2019. The total number of awards will be dependent on the quality of applications received and the amount of funds available. There are no minimum or maximum award amounts, and the Department reserves the right to fund a lesser amount of funds applied for.

Pre-Award CostsPre-award costs may be allowable for training activities at the discretion of the Department.

The release of this NOFO does not obligate the Department to make an award.

C. Eligibility Information

An entity may apply for a grant once the entity has registered and completed all requirements through the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov. Registration and GATA qualification are required annually. During GATA qualification, verifications are performed including a check of the federal Debarred and Suspended list and status on the Illinois Stop Payment List. An automated email notification to the entity alerts them of “qualified” status or informs how to remediate a negative verification (e.g., inactive DUNS, not in good standing with the Secretary of State). A federal Debarred and Suspended status cannot be remediated.

1. Eligible Applicants

To qualify for participation in the program, an applicant must be a business concern that shall: 1) have received final approval from the Department on or after July 1, 2018 for participation

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in the Economic Development for a Growing Economy Tax Credit Act Program (“EDGE”), 35 ILCS 10/5-1 et seq.; 2) have agreed to expand current operations in Illinois or to locate new operations in Illinois; 3) make a minimum investment in capital improvements of $2,500,000 in the Illinois operation(s) (as defined by EDGE) that is the subject of the EDGE approval and 4 )agree to hire a number of new, full-time employees in the State of Illinois equal to the lesser of: (A) 10% of the number of full-time employees employed by the applicant world-wide on the date the EDGE application was filed with the Department or (B) 50 new employees. These new, full-time jobs must be created at the Illinois location(s) that is the subject of the EDGE final approval within two (2) years of the date the commencement of the grant award.

Additionally, a business concern which meets the qualifying criteria will be required to maintain the requisite number of jobs created for an additional three-year period, for a total of five years, and must use the funds to train new, full-time, Illinois-based employees who work at the business concern’s Illinois expansion or new facility location(s).

Pursuant to the policy of the Illinois Office of the Comptroller, to receive grant funds from the State of Illinois, a Grantee must be considered a regarded entity by the IRS for federal income tax purposes. Disregarded entities will not be eligible to receive grant funds.

Because the program has a limited amount of funding, applications from the following types of business entities are generally not eligible for participation: retail sales or service operations (except back office operations), hospitality service operations or healthcare operations (except back office operations), government entities, educational institutions and construction and trades.

The Department complies with all applicable provisions of state and federal laws and regulations pertaining to nondiscrimination, sexual harassment and equal employment opportunity including, but not limited to: The Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/1-101 et seq.), the Public Works Employment Discrimination Act (775 ILCS 10/1 et seq.), the United States Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended) (42 USC 2000a-and 2000H-6), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 USC 794), the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 USC 12101 et seq.), and the Age Discrimination Act (42 USC 6101 et seq.).

2. Eligible Grant Performance Period

Training activities that have been initiated on or after the date the Grantee receives final approval from the Department for participation in the EDGE Program and will be completed no later than 06/30/2020 are eligible for inclusion in this application.

3. Cost Sharing or Matching

The ETIP Incentive Grant Program requires a 50% match from the Grantee for all eligible training-related expenditures. (20 ILCS 605/605-800(e); 56 Ill. Admin. Code § 2650.40(a)).

4. Indirect Cost Rate

To charge indirect costs to a grant, the applicant organization must elect one of the following options annually and complete the necessary requirements in the State of Illinois Indirect Cost Rate System (CARS):

a) Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency (“NICRA”).

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Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. The organization must provide a copy of the federally negotiated NICRA.

b) State Negotiated Rate. The organization can negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate. If the organization elects to negotiate a State rate, the indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted through the State of Illinois Cost Rate System (CARS) no later than 3 months after the effective date of the award for the first year of negotiations, or if a State rate was previously negotiated, the organization must annually submit a new indirect cost rate proposal within 6 months after the close of the Grantee’s fiscal year.

c) De Minimis Rate. An organization that has never received a Federally Negotiated Rate or a State Negotiated Rate may elect a de minimis rate of 10% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate.

d) Grantees have discretion not to claim payment for indirect costs and elect the “No Indirect Costs” in the CARS System. Grantees that elect not to claim indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs.

5. Other

None

D. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

Grant application forms are available to qualified applicants at the URL provided in this notice of funding opportunity or by contacting the Program Manager:

John GlazierETIP Program Manager500 E. MonroeSpringfield, IL 62701Phone [email protected]

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

i. GATA Qualification Requirements

a) Registration through the GATA Portal: An entity may apply for a grant once the entity has been GATA qualified through the GATA Grantee Portal, www.grants.illinois.gov.

b) DUNS number/Register at SAM.gov: During GATA qualification, Dun and Bradstreet verifications are performed, as well as a check of Debarred and Suspended status and good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State and Illinois Department of Revenue. The entity will be informed of corrective action needed to become eligible

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for a grant award. The online registration will trigger a GATA qualification process that will ensure the entity: • Has a current DUNS number; • Has a current SAM CAGE Code (you will need to register at SAM.gov); • Is not on the Federal Excluded Parties List; • Is in good standing with the Illinois Secretary of State;• Completes the Internal Quality Control Questionnaire (ICQ); and• Completes the of Programmatic Risk Assessment Questionnaire (PRAQ).

c) Additional Programmatic Pre-Qualification requirements include:

• Submission of Illinois Department of Revenue ITR-1 Tax Clearance verification;• Submission of 2 years audited financial statements for departmental review; and• Background review of Company Executives.

d) The Department may request additional corporate documents in certain circumstances.

ii. The Application

Applicants must submit the following information in the manner indicated and on forms as provided with the application:

a) Uniform Grant Application Grant application forms are available at the web link provided in the “Grant Application Link” field of this announcement or by contacting the Program Manager.

b) ETIP Program Application In addition to the Uniform Application, applicants are also required to complete the ETIP Program Application providing additional program specific and evaluative information.

c) Transmittal Letter Each applicant must provide a transmittal letter with the application providing information on: recent trends and significant events in the company's workforce, sales, competition, production, markets, and facility locations; how applicant will coordinate and use other training programs for funding, as appropriate; describe training activities, including training content, training providers, timeline, training methods, assessment techniques and how the training is linked to any new capital investment; and how these activities will be linked to work unit and/or company performance.

d) Application Training Forms Applicants will be required to complete Training Schedules A, B and C which will be used to collect the following information (an additional application attachment in excel format): Training Outline – that details, by job classification or training course,

minimum skills desired for entry into training by job or training course and additional skills to be acquired in training by job or training course.

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Program Outline Timetable – that details the training schedule of employee entry by job classification or training course per month into the program.

Training Outline Data/Trainees – that lists the job classification or training

course and the number of trainees for each classification or training course. This form lists the number of new and upgraded trainees, the number of hours of training requested for each trainee or training course, and the average wage paid to the employees in that job classification or training course.

Training Outline Data/Trainers – that identifies all instructors or entities

conducting training. The number of instructors, the total number of instructional hours and the instructor costs, including tuition and fees, and proof of payment (if applicable) are required.

e) Uniform Budget Template

The Uniform Budget can be found at the URL provided in this notice of funding opportunity and must be submitted with your application. It is expected that administrative costs, both direct and indirect, will represent a small portion of the program budget.

f) Audited Financials In order to verify financial viability, the program requires each applicant to submit with the application: financial statements consisting of profit and loss statements and balance sheets for the last two years or tax returns for the last two years. For newly-established companies, a three-year projected balance sheet and profit and loss statement and a one-year monthly cash flow statement are required. Companies submitting financial information more than six months old must submit a statement regarding why more current information is not available.

g) Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Mandatory Disclosures (see attachments).

h) W-9 Tax Form for Business Entity applicant (see attachment). The grant funds recipient must not be a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes.

Grant SubmissionGrant package submissions shall be made to the Department on templates provided and should be typed or computer generated, include the following and be submitted electronically to the ETIP Program Manager at [email protected].

Uniform Grant Application ETIP Program Application Transmittal Letter Uniform Grant Budget Application Training Schedules 2 years audited Financial Statements Conflict of Interest Disclosure and Mandatory Disclosures W-9 for Business Entity applicant

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NOFO ID: 2081 - 951

3. Duns Number and System & Award Management (SAM) RegistrationEach applicant (unless the applicant has an exception approved by the Federal or State awarding agency under 2 CFR § 25.110(d)) is required to:

i. Be registered in SAM before submitting its application. To establish a SAM registration, go to www.SAM.gov and/or utilize this instructional link: How to Register in SAM from the www.grants.illinois.gov Resource Links tab.

ii. Provide a valid DUNS number in its application; and

iii. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal, Federal pass-through or State award or an application or plan under consideration by a Federal or State awarding agency. The Department may not make an award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable DUNS and SAM requirements and, if an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time the Department is ready to make an award, the Department may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and may use that determination as a basis for making an award to another applicant.

4. Submission Dates and TimesThe application and all required documentation shall be submitted electronically and will be accepted on a rolling basis. However, the Department encourages applications be submitted by 02/28/2019 to ensure consideration for FY19 funding.

5. Intergovernmental ReviewN/A

6. Funding RestrictionsGrant funds may be used to cover no more than 50% of a company’s actual expenses related to the delivery of training for their full-time employees. Companies will be required to fund a match amount of the remaining 50% of the cost for training delivery. Training activities shall be delivered in structured group training or a classroom setting overseen by qualified internal or external instructors. Structured computerized and online training is also allowable. Training should be directly associated with an employee’s day-to-day activities, enhance skills related to the employee’s job performance, or be related to a career path this is anticipated for the employee.

Examples of Acceptable Training Activities include but may not be limited to: Computer skills Equipment LEAN Production OSHA safety Quality control Technical workplace skills Training programs required to respond to new or changing technologies, processes,

product lines, machinery, or equipment being introduced into the work place Training necessary to implement continuous improvement systems in the workplace,

including quality certifications Training employees in skills necessary to enable company to establish, maintain or

expand into new export markets Training related to regulatory compliance as mandated for the workplace

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NOFO ID: 2081 - 951

Basic and/or remedial training of employees ONLY as a prerequisite or pathway for other vocational or technical skills training

Training to upgrade technical workplace skills

Examples of Unacceptable Training Activities include but may not be limited to: Personal development Team building experiences New employee orientation Soft skills development Company sponsored tuition reimbursement programs toward GED or college degree Conference/seminar/workshop

Industry and Employee Function CategoriesTraining of employees who serve in a retail or hospitality function, i.e., directly assisting retail customers or working on the floor of a retail store, are NOT eligible training activities.

Training CategoriesEligible expenditures must fall within the following budget categories related to the delivery of training.

Personnel Expenses - Trainee wages and internal (employee) trainer wages paid to employees while conducting or participating in training activities. (excluding fringe benefits)

Contractual Expenses – Costs to hire external vendor to conduct training, or tuition or fees to attend training sessions. (excluding travel, curriculum development)

Training and Education - Instructional training materials expenses (Non-Depreciable)

Travel -Travel costs are the expenses reimbursed by the company for transportation, lodging, subsistence and related items incurred by the employees of the Grantee, who are in travel status on official business of the Grantee and must be reasonable and related to employee training that is the subject of the grant award. Travel costs may only be charged to a grant award based on an adopted policy of the Grantee’s governing board. Absent a policy, the Grantee must follow the rules of the Governor’s Travel Control Board. No policy can exceed the charges normally allowed by the Governor’s Travel Control Board or the federal travel regulations. International travel must be approved by the Department and, if approved, the Grantee must follow the expenditure limitations set forth by the U.S. Department of State: https://aoprals.state.gov/web920/per_diem.asp.

7. Other Submission Requirements. Application materials must be submitted to the Department electronically to the Program Manager:

John GlazierETIP Program Manager500 E. MonroeSpringfield, IL 62701Phone [email protected]

E. Application Review Information

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1. Criteria The Department shall screen all applications to determine that all requirements of the application package have been addressed. Complete applications will be reviewed and evaluated comparatively by Department staff. This review and evaluation process will be completed within 45 days after receipt of all required information. Department staff will conduct a technical and financial evaluation of each application. Applications will be scored in accordance with Exhibit A. a) Technical Evaluation Component – Each application will be reviewed to assure

compliance with technical program requirements as detailed in the ETIP Administrative Rules at 56 Ill. Admin Code §§ 2650.30, 2650.120.

b) Financial Evaluation Component – The company's audited financial statements, including the annual balance sheets and profit and loss statements for the past two years, or other acceptable financial information as determined by the Department, will be reviewed through a standard credit analysis which will determine the: liquidity and debt coverage for the project; ability of the company to manage debt; business trends; and projected earnings. This standard credit analysis will determine the financial stability of the company.

c) Evaluation Characteristics – Applications determined eligible for funding based on the requirements of C.1 (eligible applicants) and E.1.b (financial evaluation) of this NOFO will be evaluated according to the following criteria (See Exhibit A):

Compliance with technical ETIP requirements set forth in 56 Ill. Admin. Code §§ 2650.30, 2650.120.

Project readiness (e.g., time schedule for project initiation, etc.) Average wage rate of trainees New capital investment (e.g., training directly relates to jobs, etc.) and capital

investment per trainee Applicant has identified specific and measurable training objectives Financial feasibility of the project as determined by the financial evaluation Compliance with terms and conditions under previous Employer Training

Investment Program grant awards County unemployment rate Applicant is adversely affected by foreign competition or training would provide

company advantage in competing in a global market Quality and consistency of the proposed training program Company with an Illinois headquarters Level of value-added for the specific industry Industries specified in the sectors targeted by the Department (Advanced

Manufacturing; Agribusiness and Food Processing; Transportation, Distribution and Logistics; Life Sciences and Biotechnology; Business and Professional Services; Energy)

Located in a State-designated Enterprise Zone Is the projected five-year new job creation (identified in EDGE application) 50%

more than the two-year job creation commitment? Is the applicant project located in a county bordering another state? Does the grant request require proprietary training (not available from others) at a

company facility(ies) or at an equipment manufacturer’s location? Does the application identify other information which would further enhance

scoring criteria, or would provide significant documented benefit to the local or state of Illinois economy?

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2. Review and Selection Process Department staff will use the criteria listed in this section of the NOFO to review the applications. The total number of grant awards and funding levels will be dependent on the quality of applications received and the amount of funds available. Decisions to award grants and the funding levels will be determined per application based upon compliance with the requirements of the NOFO and the reviews conducted by Department staff. The Department reserves the right to fund a lesser amount of funds applied for to maximize the number of awards.

3. Anticipated Announcement and State Award DatesThe Department anticipates sending Notices of State Award within approximately 45 days of the final submission date, but reserves the right to issue a reduced award, or not to issue any award.

F. Award Administration Information

1. Additional Assessments After an applicant is selected to receive an award, the applicant will be instructed to complete a programmatic risk assessment.

2. State Award NoticesThe Notice of State Award (NOSA) will specify the funding terms and specific conditions resulting from the pre-award risk assessments. The NOSA must be approved in the GATA Portal by an authorized representative of the Grantee’s organization. The NOSA is not an authorization to begin performance or incur costs.

3. Administrative and National Policy RequirementsGrant Award PaymentOnce the grant agreement is fully executed, the Grantee will receive a partial grant award payment issued through the Illinois Office of the Comptroller. The remaining grant funds will be disbursed upon submission of quarterly reports with approved expenditures reaching a stated threshold amount.

Indirect Cost RateThe applicant may request reimbursement for indirect costs based upon the Indirect Cost Rate requirements and limitations stated in Section C.4.

4. ReportingMonitoringGrantees funded through this NOFO are subject to fiscal and programmatic monitoring visits by the Department. They must have an open-door policy allowing periodic visits by Department monitors to evaluate the progress of the project and provide documentation upon request of the monitor. The Department may modify grants based on performance.

Project Reporting Successful applicants will be required to submit regular reports to document the progress of the training project as part of the grant requirements. Reports shall be submitted on forms supplied by the Department. These reports include but are not limited to the following:

Periodic Financial Reports (PFR) Periodic Performance Reports (PPR)

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Final Training Evaluation Report. Grantee shall submit written evaluation reports directly to the Department no later than 60 days after the end of the grant term. The report shall include an overview of grant performance and provide insight of how the grant was beneficial to the Grantee and the employees who participated.

Compliance with Corporate AccountabilityGrantees will be required to comply with the Corporate Accountability for Tax Expenditures Act, 20 ILCS 715, which requires that a grantee must agree to have hired a stated number of full-time employees at the Grantee’s facility(s) on specified dates. If the Grantee fails to meet the specified employment levels, the Grantee will have to repay the Department a pro-rata amount of the grant award, which shall reflect the percentage of deficiency between the required number of jobs to be created and the actual number of jobs created, as of the date of the Department determines the Grantee to be in breach of the job creation requirements.

Specifically, Grantees will be required to create the requisite number of new, full-time jobs within two years after the grant commencement date and maintain those jobs for an additional three-year period (for a total of five years). Grantees also will be required to continue operations at the applicable facility(s) for five (5) years after the start date of the grant award or will be required to repay the entire amount of the grant funds to the Department.

Grantees will be required to file an annual report detailing employment data at the applicable facility(s) over the course of the previous year, as required by 20 ILCS 715/20(b).

Employment VerificationThe Department is committed to protecting the privacy of its vendors, Grantees and beneficiaries of programs and services; however, the programs rules and statutory authority reserves the Department’s right to request and receive social security numbers (SSNs) or other personal identifying information for purposes of verification of program and grant term(s) compliance. Notice of such requests will be given in advance and any exchange or collection of personal information will be in accordance with all state and federal privacy laws.

Additional DocumentationTo comply with conditions and terms of the grant agreement, Grantees should be prepared to collect and maintain the following information and documents. Such information should be kept on file for a period of three years from the date of submission of the grant closeout.

a. Proof of receipt and deposit of grant funds: copy of state warrants, deposit slips and complete bank statements depicting the deposit;

b. Accounting records detailing year-to-date expenditures for both match and grant funds;

c. Timesheets validating time allocated to the grant; d. Proof of payment, i.e. canceled checks, bank statements corresponding to invoices; e. Classroom rosters, sign-in sheets and other documentation of training; f. Official payroll documentation to validate reported hourly wage; g. A listing of hire dates for all new employees; h. A listing of all individuals participating in the program to date; i. All contracts or sub-grants paid from grants or match funds (if applicable); j. Budget modifications(s)/request(s); k. Completed Close-Out package(s) or Final Periodic Financial Report; l. Copy of Evaluation Narrative; m. Copy of Notification provided to participants regarding the grant funds; n. Drug-Free Program policy; o. Equal Employment Opportunity policy; p. Sexual Harassment policy; and

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q. ADA policy.

Additional Reporting Requirementsa. The applicant agrees that, upon request by the Department or other State of Illinois

agency, it will conduct an audit in accordance with the applicable auditing standards, which are required pursuant to the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act and the applicable rules and policies, to ensure the accountability of public funds.

b. The applicant certifies that it is a company in good standing, authorized to do business in Illinois and has no delinquent state tax liabilities or obligations.

c. The applicant authorizes the Department to verify, in any manner deemed appropriate, any and all items indicated in this application which includes information obtained through the Illinois Department of Employment Security, Consumer Credit Bureau Services and business reporting services such as Dun and Bradstreet.

d. The applicant agrees to promptly notify the Department regarding any major business or personnel changes at their facility (e.g., layoff situations, changes in training plans or schedules).

e. The applicant acknowledges that if its application is funded, it will be required to comply with the Illinois Drug Free Workplace Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Illinois Human Rights Act and any future laws enacted which may be applicable to the grant.

f. The applicant certifies that to the best of its knowledge, as of the date of this application, it is not in material violation of any local, state or federal labor laws at the site and that abnormal labor conditions such as a strike or lockout do not exist at this site. The Grantee agrees to immediately notify the Department regarding any major changes in the above-mentioned conditions. The Department reserves the right to collect grant funds or withhold payment in situations where staff was reduced due to layoff or turnover in excess of normal attrition.

g. The applicant understands the company is required to maintain appropriate records for a period of three years after the submission of the grant close-out documents.

h. The applicant agrees to notify all trainees that, if funded, the training is being partially funded by an Employer Training Investment Program grant administered by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

i. The applicant agrees, if the project is funded, to make every effort to reemploy individuals who were previously employed at the facility when: 1) the employer is reopening, or is proposing to reopen a facility that was last closed during the preceding two years; 2) at least one-third of the persons who were employed at the facility before its most recent closure remain unemployed; 3) the product or service produced by, or proposed to be produced by, the employer at the facility is substantially similar to the product or service produced at the facility before its most recent closure. Further, the Grantee agrees to notify the Department when all these conditions are met.

G. State Awarding Agency Contact(s)Please direct any questions regarding this NOFO to:

John Glazier

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ETIP Program Manager500 E. MonroeSpringfield, IL 62701Phone [email protected]

H. Other Information

1. Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.) Application materials, periodic and programmatic reports and other information obtained by the Department shall be administered pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

2. Definitions

DepartmentRefers to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

Full-time Employee An individual who is employed for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment. [35 ILCS 10/5-5] Annually scheduled periods for inventory or repairs, vacations, holidays and paid time for sick leave, vacation or other leave shall be included in this computation of full-time employment. An individual for whom a W-2 is issued by a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) is a full-time employee if employed in the service of the applicant for consideration for at least 35 hours each week or who renders any other standard of service generally accepted by industry custom or practice as full-time employment to the Applicant. [35 ILCS 10/5-5] For example, an employee who works 25 hours per week is considered the industry standard for full-time in the package delivery industry and an employee who is employed for at least 35 hours per week during the historical seasonal production is considered the industry standard for full-time in the candy manufacturing industry.

Grantee The Grantee is the named recipient of the grant award and is responsible for carrying out all terms and conditions of the grant agreement.

GrantorShall be known as the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Grant Performance Period Refers to the period during which all eligible grant expenditures and training activities undertaken by Grantees must have been started and completed. For purposes of any grant awarded pursuant to this NOFO, the grant agreement term shall be the date the Grantee receives final approval from the Department for participation in the EDGE Program through 06/30/2020. Pre-award costs may be allowed at the discretion of the Department.

TraineeA full-time, Illinois-based new employee of a company, who receives training during the allowed Grant Performance Period from funds made available through this grant opportunity. No participating employee may be an unauthorized alien as defined in 8 U.S.C. § 1324a.

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New EmployeeAn individual who is hired by the Grantee within two (2) years of the date the grant award commences.

Capital ImprovementsIncludes the purchase, renovation, rehabilitation, or construction of permanent tangible land, buildings, structures, equipment and furnishings in an approved project sited in Illinois and in expenditures for goods or services that are normally capitalized, including organizational costs and research and development costs incurred in Illinois. For land, buildings, structures and equipment that are leased, the lease must equal or exceed the term of the EDGE Tax Credit Agreement and the cost of the property shall be determined from the present value, using the corporate interest rate prevailing at the time of the application, of the lease payments.

3. Acronyms Used in This NOFO:DCEO Department of Commerce and Economic OpportunityDUNS Data Universal Numbering SystemETIP Employer Training Investment ProgramNAICS North American Industry Classification SystemNICRA Negotiated Indirect Cost Rate AgreementNOFO Notice of Funding OpportunityNOSA Notice of State AwardSAM System for Award Management

4. Exhibit A: Application Scoring Review Document

ETIP-Single Company Incentive Scoring Review

Applicant must receive 50 out of 100 points to qualify for funding. Higher scores may result in higher ETIP grants ranging from $250 up to a maximum of $5,000 per new full-time job created. Awards are based

upon competing applications and funds availability.

Mandatory Requirement

Mandatory Requirement Met?

(“No” disqualifies all applications)

Has received EDGE application approval, including project capital investment of not less than $2,500,000 and new, full-time project jobs in the State of Illinois equal to the lesser of: (A) 10% of the number of full-time employees employed by the applicant(s) world-wide on the date the EDGE application or (B) 50 new full-time employees.

Yes or No

JCAR Evaluation Requirements (2650.130):a) Technical Evaluation Component – Each application will be reviewed to

assure compliance with technical program requirements as detailed in Sections 2650.30 and 2650.120.

Yes or No

b) Financial Evaluation Component – The company's audited financial statements, including the annual balance sheets and profit and loss

Yes or No

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statements for the past three years, or other acceptable financial information as determined by the Department, will be reviewed through a standard credit analysis which will determine the: liquidity and debt coverage for the project; ability of the company to manage debt; business trends; and projected earnings. This standard credit analysis will determine the financial stability of the company.

c) Did the Company comply with terms and conditions under previous Employer Training Investment Program grant awards?

Yes or No

Scoring Criteria ScoreApplicant

Score

JCAR Evaluation Requirements (2650.130):c) Application Evaluation – Those applications determined eligible for funding based on the evaluation process described in subsections (a) and (b), will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

1) Project readiness (e.g., time schedule for project initiation, etc.)Does application demonstrate ability to start project upon grant award? 0 pts > 24 mo; 1 pt 19-23 mo; 2.5 pts 7-18 mo; 5 pts within in 6 mo

0-5

2) Average wage rate of trainees. Does average wage exceed average annual wage for county where project is located?

0 or 5

3) New capital investment.1 pt = $2.5 million; 2 pts=$5 million; 3 pts=$10 million; 4pts=$20 million; 5 pts=>$50 million

1-5

4) Applicant has identified specific and measurable training objectives in application? (Are the goals and objectives of the training clearly stated in the training outline, and can the training goals be measurable and achievable to gauge success?)

0-5

5) Financial feasibility of the project as determined by the financial evaluation described in subsection 2650.130(b)

One point for each of the following which meet or exceed RMA or similar industry standards for: Liquidity Debt Coverage Ability to Manage Debt (Debt/Worth) Business Trends (Increasing revenues next 3 years after project complete) Projected Earnings (increasing earnings next three years after project

complete)

0 or 10 or 10 or 10 or 1

0 or 16) County unemployment rate

Is county unemployment rate of the Project site greater than statewide unemployment rate?

0 or 5

7) Applicant adversely affected by foreign competition or training would provide an advantage in competing in a global market?

0-5

8) Quality and consistency of the proposed training program documented in application? (Does the submitted outline of the training provide sufficient detail to determine if the quality of the training delivery will be capable driving the trainees to achieve desired training result, and does the training appear to be consistent with company/industry standards or objectives?)

0-5

9) Illinois-based company 0 or 5

15


NOFO ID: 2081 - 951

Is the Company headquartered in Illinois?10) Level of value-added for the specific industry

Does the Company contribute to qualified R&D investment in Illinois or utilize unique production or assembly processes?

0 or 5

11) Industries specified in annual application packages Is the Company in an industry sector targeted by the Department?

0 or 5

12) Is the project site located in a State-designated enterprise zone? 0 or 5Projected 5 year new full-time job creation (identified in the EDGE application) is 50% or more of the two year new full-time job creation commitment.

0 or 5

Is the Project located in a county bordering another state? 0 or 5Is the Project located in an underserved area as defined by the EDGE program? 0 or 5Does the grant request require proprietary training at a company facility(ies) for proprietary training (not available from others) or at the equipment manufacturer’s location?(NOTE: Points awarded based upon the percentage of trainees for THIS ETIP request which require proprietary training; other employees may take advantage of other training and do not affect this rating.)0 pts for no proprietary training in this grant; 2.5 pts for less than 50% requiring proprietary training in this grant; 5 pts for 50-75% requiring proprietary training in this grant; 10 points for 75-89% requiring proprietary training in this grant; 15 pts for 90% or more requiring proprietary training in this grant.

0-15

Does the application identify other information which would further enhance scoring criteria, or would provide significant, specifically documented benefit to the local or statewide economy?(Information should include but not limited to: project utilizes unique production or assembly processes which position’s Illinois as a leading state in this field; company’s inclusion in a targeted industry which provides greater benefit than potential grants to company’s in non-targeted industries; loss of all existing Illinois employees to a competing state; new or significantly expanded technology investment in the region, 5% or more employment loss a region’s targeted industry. See Supplemental Application question #14.)

0-10

Total Score 0-100

16