Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA): Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project, Assistance Listing Number 84.421E | ED GRANTS 040523 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 040523 001

The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), through the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), announced the Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project under the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF), Assistance Listing Number 84.421E. This is a discretionary federal funding opportunity offered by the U.S. Department of Education, and it is intended to support multiple model demonstration projects that test and scale new approaches for improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities, with a strong emphasis on children and youth as they transition from school to adult life and work.

At the heart of this competition is the DIF program purpose set by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-103): to back innovative activities that increase competitive integrated employment (CIE) for youth and other individuals with disabilities. In plain terms, the Department is looking for projects that do more than run isolated programs. The focus is on building system-level, coordinated transition strategies that can be replicated, improved over time, and embedded into the way agencies routinely support young people with disabilities as they move from secondary education into postsecondary training, employment, and community life.

A central feature of this opportunity is the requirement for active collaboration among key partners that influence transition outcomes. The notice highlights that success depends on coordinated work by State vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs), State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and federally funded Centers for Independent Living (CILs). The intent is to move beyond informal cooperation and instead create structured partnerships where these entities align responsibilities, share information appropriately, and coordinate services so that students and youth experience smoother handoffs and fewer gaps between school-based transition planning and employment-focused services.

The grant is also grounded in the federal definition of competitive integrated employment, which sets a high bar for the kind of work outcomes these projects should promote. CIE includes full-time or part-time work (including self-employment) where the individual is paid at least the applicable minimum wage and at a rate comparable to non-disabled coworkers doing similar work, with access to similar benefits. The employment setting must be in the community, not segregated, and must involve routine interaction with coworkers and others without disabilities to the same extent as peers in comparable roles. The role should also offer opportunities for advancement similar to those available to employees without disabilities in similar positions. By tying the program purpose to this definition, the Department is signaling that the end goal is not simply participation in activities or short-term placements, but real labor market outcomes consistent with equity, integration, and career growth.

From an administrative and logistics standpoint, the opportunity was posted with an applications available date of April 5, 2023. A notice of intent to apply was due April 19, 2023, and full applications were due June 5, 2023. The intergovernmental review deadline was August 3, 2023. The Department also planned technical assistance for applicants through posted PowerPoint materials and a pre-application conference call, with a process for submitting questions in advance and publishing a summary of questions and answers afterward. This structure is meant to help applicants understand expectations, required partnerships, and the details that are typically spelled out in the official Federal Register notice, including selection criteria and performance measures.

In terms of award structure, the opportunity lists the funding instruments as grants and cooperative agreements, which generally means recipients may receive not only funds but also substantial federal involvement or coordination during the project period (the level of involvement is defined in the official notice). The posting indicates an expectation of 32 awards, though it does not provide an award ceiling amount in the summarized fields provided here. Eligibility is described broadly as "Others," with clarification deferred to the official application notice, which is common when eligibility depends on specific partnership configurations, lead applicant types, or other conditions that are too detailed for a short synopsis.

For applicants and stakeholders trying to understand what this competition is really seeking, the main takeaway is that RSA is prioritizing transition systems that are jointly built and jointly owned by education, vocational rehabilitation, and independent living partners. The Department wants models that can demonstrate how these players can operate as an integrated pathway rather than separate service silos, with the measurable end result being more youth with disabilities entering and retaining competitive integrated employment. The official Federal Register notice remains the controlling document for exact eligibility rules, required components, priorities, performance reporting, and submission requirements, and the Department points applicants to its Revised Common Instructions for discretionary grant programs (published December 7, 2022) for submission procedures.

The listed federal contact for this competition was Cassandra P. Shoffler at the U.S. Department of Education, and the program email provided for questions was 84.421E@ed.gov, with additional applicant resources and pre-application materials posted through the NCRTM grant information page referenced in the notice.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS): Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA): Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project, Assistance Listing Number 84.421E" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.421.
• This funding opportunity was created on Apr 05, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 05, 2023 Applications Available April 5, 2023. Deadline for Notice of Intent to Apply April 19, 2023. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications June 5, 2023. Date of Pre-Application Meeting The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will post a PowerPoint presentation that provides general information about the Rehabilitation Services Administration#8217s discretionary grants and a PowerPoint presentation specifically about the Disability Innovation Fund, Pathways to Partnerships Innovative Model Demonstration Project (84.421E) at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/grant-info. In addition to posting the PowerPoint, OSERS will conduct a pre-application meeting specific to this competition via conference call to respond to questions. Information about the pre-application meeting will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/grant-info prior to the date of the call. OSERS invites interested applicants to send questions to 84.421E@ed.gov in advance of the pre-application meeting. The teleconference information, including a summary of the 84.421E pre-application meeting questions and answers, will be available at https://ncrtm.ed.gov/grant-info within 10 business days after the pre-application meeting. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review August 3, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Cassandra P. Shoffler, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, room 5065A, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone (202) 245-7827. Email 84.421E@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 32 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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