UI Integrity Center of Excellence Operations

The U.S. Department of Labor, through its Employment and Training Administration (ETA), has announced its intent to continue funding the Unemployment Insurance (UI) Integrity Center of Excellence. This cooperative agreement will be awarded on a sole-source basis to the Center for Employment Security Education and Research (CESER), the research and education arm of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA). CESER, a 501(c)(3) entity established in 1994, has managed the UI Integrity Center since 2017 and is uniquely positioned to provide national leadership and resources for state workforce agencies to strengthen program integrity in unemployment insurance operations. The funding for this cooperative agreement is made possible through the Full Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-7), which maintains federal funding levels at those of Fiscal Year 2024. Specifically, this includes $9,000,000 authorized in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024 (Public Law 118-47), designated for the ongoing support of the UI Integrity Center. This allocation falls under the Department of Labor’s appropriation for State Unemployment Insurance and Employment Service Operations. The UI Integrity Center plays a critical role in improving oversight, preventing improper payments, and enhancing fraud prevention strategies across the nation’s UI programs. The primary mission of the UI Integrity Center is to strengthen the ability of state unemployment insurance systems to detect, prevent, and recover improper payments. It provides training and technical assistance, develops and disseminates program integrity resources, and promotes scalable fraud prevention tools for all states. Additionally, the Center enables rapid alerts to state agencies when new fraud schemes or improper payment practices are identified, ensuring that states can respond quickly to emerging threats. These efforts align with requirements under the Payment Integrity Information Act (PIIA) of 2019, which mandates stricter accountability in federal payment programs. This funding opportunity is not open to public competition. The award is being made on a sole-source basis to CESER, justified under Department of Labor Manual Series (DLMS) 2, Chapter 800, Section 836(G)(3), which permits awards where the recipient possesses unique qualifications essential for the success of the program. NASWA/CESER is uniquely suited to manage the UI Integrity Center because it represents state workforce agencies nationwide, serves as a trusted liaison with federal agencies, and provides established expertise in unemployment insurance policy, operations, and technology. Awarding the cooperative agreement to another organization would risk duplication of effort, delay program deliverables, and disrupt ongoing projects that states depend upon. The funding announcement was posted on August 25, 2025, with an application close date of September 5, 2025. However, as a Notice of Intent to Award, it does not solicit competitive applications. Instead, it formally documents the Department of Labor’s decision to provide continued financial support to CESER for the UI Integrity Center’s operations. This cooperative agreement is expected to distribute one award in total, with the full $9,000,000 allocated to CESER. No cost sharing or matching contributions are required for this award. Applicants outside of CESER are not eligible for this award. The sole eligible recipient is CESER, as designated in the official grant announcement. For technical questions or accessibility issues with the full notice, interested parties may contact Jeannette Flowers at the Department of Labor via email at flowers.jeannette@dol.gov. This notice underscores the federal government’s commitment to preserving the integrity of the unemployment insurance system through the ongoing work of the UI Integrity Center of Excellence.