Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center Rehabilitation Services Administration; ALN 84.264L

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, has released the fiscal year 2025 Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) for the National Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center (NVRTAC). This federal discretionary grant, governed under Assistance Listing Number 84.264L, is intended to establish a centralized technical assistance center that will support State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies in enhancing service delivery and employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The NVRTAC is expected to provide intensive, targeted, and universal training and technical assistance in areas such as performance management, program evaluation, human resource strategies, and fiscal oversight. The NVRTAC will be funded through a cooperative agreement with a single recipient for a 12-month budget period, renewable up to 60 months depending on performance and need. The Department expects to award approximately $6,000,000 annually for this effort, with only one award expected. The center will work to strengthen the capacity of state VR agencies in implementing best practices in competitive integrated employment (CIE), program management, strategic planning, data analysis, and financial accountability. Recipients are required to match 10 percent of the total project cost through non-federal funds. This includes a requirement to assess grantees’ fiscal health and personnel capabilities to optimize program outcomes and ensure compliance with the Rehabilitation Act and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Eligible applicants for this opportunity include states and public or private nonprofit agencies and organizations, including Indian Tribes and institutions of higher education. The funded applicant must establish an advisory committee with stakeholders such as individuals with disabilities, business representatives, and subject matter experts in assistive technology and VR financial management. The grantee will develop a training and technical assistance plan following a comprehensive needs assessment, coordinate with RSA state liaisons, and establish an accessible online platform for communication, training delivery, and record tracking. The application opens on June 20, 2025, and the deadline for submission is July 25, 2025. The deadline for intergovernmental review is September 23, 2025. Interested applicants can access additional resources at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/RSAGrantInfo.aspx, and direct questions to 84.264L@ed.gov. Roslyn Thomas is the primary contact person for this grant and can be reached at (202) 987-0105. A pre-application information session is available, and applicants are encouraged to attend or review these resources online. Applications must adhere to submission instructions outlined in the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published on December 23, 2024. Proposals should detail a rigorous project evaluation plan with measurable benchmarks, outcomes, and logic models. The Department evaluates applications based on five criteria: significance, quality of design, adequacy of resources, management plan, and evidence-building. Applications should also include a dissemination plan and demonstrate coordination with other technical assistance initiatives funded by federal departments such as Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. Grantees will be held accountable through various performance measures including improvements in state agency coordination, personnel feedback on training quality and relevance, and quantifiable changes in employment outcomes. Reports must be submitted semi-annually, and continuation of funding is contingent on satisfactory progress, financial compliance, and civil rights adherence.

Clearly align outcomes with WIOA measures; coordinate with RSA; use inclusive advisory committee; ensure data tracking.