Veteran Employment Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has announced a competitive funding opportunity through its Veteran Employment Program (VEP) focused on Delaware County. This initiative offers approximately $200,000 in state funding to support one grant award aimed at enhancing employment outcomes for veterans and eligible spouses residing in Delaware County. The grant will support comprehensive, wrap-around services designed to address employment barriers and promote long-term stability through innovative program design, outreach, job placement support, and retention planning. The Commonwealth seeks applicants capable of coordinating partnerships across business, education, workforce, and community sectors to achieve the stated goals. Eligible applicants include local workforce development boards, nonprofits, community-based and educational organizations, labor unions, economic development entities, and other non-governmental entities with the capacity to serve veterans and their spouses in Delaware County. Applicants must be able to manage program design, performance tracking, fiscal reporting, and coordination with a third-party evaluator. Partnerships are encouraged, though one lead entity must be identified. Additional eligibility includes having a PA SAP Vendor ID, a FEIN, and the capacity to comply with the standard Workforce Grant Agreement. The grant’s primary aim is to reduce employment barriers for veterans and their spouses. These barriers may include housing insecurity, mental or physical health challenges, and difficulty navigating the transition to civilian life—particularly for those with service-connected disabilities. The program’s goals are to deliver targeted supportive services, tailor employment strategies, and implement a robust outreach and engagement plan. Services must be specific to Delaware County, and all individuals served must be actively seeking employment. Verification of eligibility for veterans and spouses will be required through documents such as DD-214, NGB-22, or military spouse ID cards. Applications will be evaluated based on a comprehensive merit review, which assesses project design, performance outcomes, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and budget justification. Specific metrics include reduction of employment barriers, employment and retention rates, veteran satisfaction, and the number of employers engaged. Both outputs and outcomes, as well as demographic data, will be tracked. The awardee must participate in ongoing performance monitoring, submit monthly and annual reports, and collaborate with L&I staff throughout the contract period. The application package must include a completed application form, project summary cover page, detailed project narrative (10-page limit), a minimum of two letters of support, a grant financial reporting package in Excel, a budget justification, a signed Worker Protection Certification Form (EO 2021-06), a local board notification email (if not applying as an LWDB), and a completed grant action plan. Applications must follow strict formatting requirements and be submitted as PDFs (except the budget form) by February 9, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET via email to [email protected]. Key dates include the NGA release on January 12, 2026, a bidder’s conference on January 20, 2026, and a questions deadline of January 28, 2026. The contract period will run from May 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, with an additional reporting period ending June 30, 2028. The grant is non-recurring and does not appear to repeat annually. Award notifications will be sent within 30 days after selection, and all project expenses must fall within the designated performance period.

Clearly organize narrative using named evaluation headers to ensure each evaluation criterion is fully addressed.