Notice_of_Availability_of_State_and_Federal_Funds Notice of Availability of State and Federal Funds

4/25/07 N.Y. St. Reg. Notice of Availability of State and Federal Funds

NEW YORK STATE REGISTER

VOLUME XXIX, ISSUE 17

April 25, 2007

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS

 

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Environmental Services Unit 30 South Pearl Street Albany, NY 12245

NEW YORK STATE BUSINESSES, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND MUNICIPALITIES

Environmental Investment Program

The Department of Economic Development (the “Department”) will accept applications on a continuous basis for the 2007–2008 State Fiscal Year for contracts under the Environmental Investment Program (“EIP”). Pending the availability of State funds, the Department seeks to contract with eligible applicants to undertake eligible projects that will improve the productivity and competitiveness of New York State firms through enhanced environmental performance. Eligible applicants include non-profit organizations, municipalities and firms doing business in New York. Eligible projects include activities designed to reduce wastes or prevent pollution, at the source, or increase recycling capacity. Recycling includes reuse, remanufacturing and organics composting.

Non-profit organizations may submit applications for contracts to perform research, provide technical assistance or finance capital expenditures. Municipalities may submit applications for contracts to provide technical assistance or to finance capital expenditures. For-profit firms doing business in New York may submit proposals for contracts to perform research.

For the purposes of this program, the term “municipalities” includes: local public authorities or public benefit corporations, counties, cities, towns, villages or Indian nations that govern territory within New York State, or any combination thereof. Eligible applications must achieve results in the areas of pollution prevention, reuse or recycling, and be completed by, or on behalf of, a New York business or businesses.

The Department will contract for research activities that test, evaluate and/or demonstrate the technical and/or economic feasibility of technologies or practices that prevent pollution or that reuse or recycle solid or industrial wastes. Costs eligible under a research contract include any expenses associated with the conduct of the test, evaluation, or demonstration. The Department will not pay for equipment purchases under a research contract. Research contractors will be required to provide at least 20 percent of the total project costs, and contracts will not exceed $200,000.

The Department will contract for technical assistance activities that directly assist New York businesses in preventing pollution, or in reuse or recycling. Costs eligible under a technical assistance contract include project-related personnel costs, (e.g., salaries, fringe benefits), and non-personnel costs, (e.g,. supplies, materials, travel, rent, utilities).

Technical Assistance contractors will be required to provide, at a minimum, 50 percent of the total project costs, and the Department does not foresee contracts exceeding $75,000.

The Department will contract for capital financing activities that also assist New York businesses in reducing wastes or prevention pollution at the source, or in recycling. The Department will pay for physical assets, real property improvements, infrastructure and professional services related directly to the project. Capital Projects contractors will be required to provide at least 50 percent of the total project costs, and the Department does not foresee contracts exceeding $500,000.

Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis, with regard to the proposed results to be achieved, the likelihood of project success, and the cost-effectiveness of the project and the Department's investment in the project. The Department will give preference to applications that involve cash versus in-kind investments and where matching funds exceeds minimum requirements.

Pending the availability of State funds, applications will be funded with appropriations made to the Department from the State Environmental Protection Fund (“EPF”).

To obtain a copy of the program guide, contact the Environmental Services Unit, at [phone] or via e-mail at [e-mail].

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Public Schools Choice Program Unit Room 462 EBA Albany, NY 12234

CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICANTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter Schools State Funds, Laws of 2007

Competitive funds in the amount of $770,000 are available for start-up and facilities grants to charter school applicants and charter schools.

Start-up grants are for costs associated with the development and submission of an application to establish a charter school. Facilities grants will cover costs associated with the acquisition, renovation, or construction of school facilities.

Application materials will be available at www.emsc.nysed.gov under Funding Opportunities. Applications must be submitted to the State Education Department by June 26, 2007. For further information, send an email to [e-mail] no later than May 11, 2007. Answers to all questions will be posted on www.emsc.nysed.gov under Funding Opportunities by May 18, 2007.

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Office of Teaching Initiatives Room 5N EB Albany, NY 12234

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOARDS OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES ONLY

New York State Mentor Teacher-Internship Program 2007–08

Competitive funds in the amount of $10 million are available for the development and implementation of mentor teacher-internship programs in local school districts and for instructional programs at boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES). Funding for this program is subject to yearly approval by the NYS Legislature. These programs enable experienced teachers (mentors) in a district or BOCES to provide guidance and support to beginning teachers (interns) in their first or second year of teaching.

Essential components of these programs include but are not limited to:

Joint development of these programs by school administration and local teachers' bargaining agents.

Program focus on the mentor/intern relationship which develops through the project year, as the mentor guides the new teacher to self-assessment, professional confidence and independence

Release time for mentor and interns to participate in mentoring activities

Defined mentor selection process, including establishment of a mentor selection committee

Mentor training

Described activities for mentors and interns

Described role of principals in the program

Program evaluation

Allowable program expenditures include: costs related to release from instructional time for participating teachers, training for participating teachers, program coordination costs, supplies and materials, travel costs and program evaluation. Equipment purchases are not allowable program expenditures.

Application materials for the grant competition will be available at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert under Mentor Teacher Internship Program. Grant applications must be submitted to the State Education Department, postmarked by July 1, 2007.

For further information, contact: Nancy Brennan, at the above address or e-mail [e-mail] or call at [phone]

OFFICE OF MENTAL RETARDATION AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Central New York Developmental Services Office 800 S. Wilbur Ave. Syracuse, NY 13204

VOLUNTARY AGENCIES, NOT FOR PROFIT PROVIDER AGENCIES SERVING INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

Request for Proposals for OMRDD “Assistive Technologies”

The New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (OMRDD) through the regional office of Central New York DSO announces the availability of three contracts with a value of $150,000.00 annually per contract, to provide Assistive Technologies to home based consumers. The services in this Assistive Technology RFP are targeted to eight counties. Two contracts to be used in our western district: Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, and Cortland Counties. One contract to be used in our eastern district: Oneida, Lewis, Madison and Herkimer Counties.

Assistive Technologies are services provided to home based consumers in need of Accessibility, Adaptive equipment, and modifications in the home to better serve a consumers needs through the HCBS (Home Care Based Services) waiver.

Proposals due to the Central New York DSO office (Attn: Mr. Tom Spillett) by 4:00 p.m. on May 18, 2007.

Important Note: For a copy of the Request for Proposals (RFP) which provides a comprehensive proposal instructions, please contact Mr. Spillett at the above address or call [phone], or email: [e-mail] This “announcement” does Not supply all of the necessary information to respond to the RFP.

OFFICE OF TEMPORARY AND DISABILITY ASSISTANCE

Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance 40 North Pearl Street, 10-C Albany, NY 12243

PUBLIC AGENCIES, INCLUDING COUNTY OR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS, OR ANY SUBDIVISION; NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS, INCLUDING CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS INCORPORATED, REGISTERED AND IN GOOD STANDING WITH THE CHARITIES BUREAU OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK; FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS; AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

New York Immigration Hotline

The Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance (BRIA) of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will make available up to $1,870,000 for a 34 month period under the Request for Proposals (RFP).

OTDA issues this RFP to select one agency/entity to administer a toll-free statewide immigration information and referral hotline that ensures anonymity of the caller and provides callers with referrals to service providers in New York State that are funded under the New York State Citizenship Initiative in addition to providing information and referrals regarding naturalization and other related matters, as necessary. The hotline will also provide information and referrals to other resources as determined by callers' needs.

Eligible applicants include public agencies, including county or municipal governments, or any subdivision; not-for-profit corporations, including charitable organizations incorporated, registered and in good standing with the Charities Bureau of the Attorney General in the State of New York; faith-based organizations; and educational institutions.

Prospective applicants who want to verify their status as a charitable organization should contact the Office of the New York State Attorney General, Charities Bureau at [phone] or on the Internet at www.oag.state.ny.us.

Eligible applicants must have experience and/or demonstrated ability to provide a hotline and answer phone calls and provide referrals in multiple languages. Eligible applicants must have experience in providing information and referrals related to naturalization, as well as other refugee and immigration services-related issues, to refugees and immigrants that reside in New York State. Eligible applicants must also demonstrate knowledge of a network of statewide community-based providers of refugee and immigrant services, particularly citizenship services and a network of social services providers.

In addition, eligible applicants must meet all of the following criteria:

The capacity to answer a minimum of 30,000 calls and make 44,000 referrals annually.

Applicant's language capabilities must include, at a minimum: Arabic, Bosnian, English, French, Haitian/Creole, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, Turkish, and Urdu. Applicants may propose substituting other languages for the seventeen listed here. Justification for the substitutions must be convincing.

Ability to operate the Hotline Monday through Friday (holidays negotiable) for a minimum of nine (9) hours per day.

Ability to provide referral and information relating to all OTDA programs which are targeted to refugees and immigrants (i.e., New York State Citizenship Initiative Program, Refugee Social Services Program, etc.), as well as all other immigrant-related public and private programs, and relevant service programs as determined by OTDA and available throughout New York State (i.e., housing, employment, education, business development).

Ability to produce and annually maintain a directory of statewide immigrant and refugee resources.

Implement and maintain the Hotline for the entire term of the contract (September 1, 2007 to June 30, 2010), even if the award amount of each budget period is achieved prior to the end date of the budget period.

Proposals are due on May 16, 2007 by 5:00 p.m. To obtain a copy of the New York State Citizenship Initiative Request for Proposals and application package, you may find it at www.otda.state.ny.us/cgo. Or, you may write to Renee Figueroa at the address above, fax to [phone] or send an e-mail to [e-mail] and provide detailed information including a contact name, organization/ agency name, agency address, and telephone and fax number.