The U.S. Department of Education, through its Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), has issued a notice inviting applications for fiscal year 2025 for a cooperative agreement to operate the National Technical Assistance Center to Improve State Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal Data. This initiative falls under the Technical Assistance on State Data Collection program and is authorized under several sections of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), as well as the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024.
The program is designed to build state capacity in managing and utilizing fiscal data related to the IDEA. Specifically, the Center will assist states in collecting, analyzing, and reporting high-quality financial data as required under IDEA Sections 616, 618, and 642. The Center’s scope includes helping states ensure that IDEA funds are spent in compliance with federal law while strengthening local and state systems to improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities. The award will fund a wide range of activities, including development of tools, virtual and on-site technical assistance, training systems, and dissemination strategies that increase states’ knowledge and abilities in data accuracy, fiscal compliance, and inter-agency collaboration.
Up to $3.9 million is available in year one, and $4.2 million in each subsequent year for up to five years, depending on appropriations and quality of applications. One cooperative agreement is anticipated. A minimum of 50% of the annual grant funds must be dedicated to targeted and intensive technical assistance. An additional 5% must be set aside for emerging needs identified in consultation with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Grantees must also budget for mandatory events such as a kick-off meeting, annual planning meetings, and project directors' conferences.
Eligible applicants include SEAs, state lead agencies under Part C of IDEA, LEAs, institutions of higher education, other public agencies, private nonprofits, Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations, and for-profit organizations. Applications must include specific narratives, logic models, evaluation frameworks, and assurances to assist OSEP in maintaining continuity of services. Evaluation will be carried out by an independent third-party evaluator, and projects must align with federal civil rights and open licensing policies.
Applications open on June 25, 2025, and the final deadline for submission is July 25, 2025. An intergovernmental review deadline is set for August 25, 2025. The competition includes one absolute priority: to improve state capacity in IDEA fiscal data management. Applications will be evaluated on significance, project design, evaluation quality, resource adequacy, and management plan effectiveness, as outlined in the selection criteria. The primary contact for this opportunity is Charles D. Kniseley, who can be reached at Charles.Kniseley@ed.gov or by phone at (202) 245–6313.
Maintain strict adherence to formatting guidelines, evaluation plan must use third-party evaluators, and digital products must meet Section 508 accessibility standards.
