MUNICIPALITIES, ACADEMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is issuing a Request for Applications for state assistance funding to conduct innovative projects that help to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the Great Lakes resources in New York State. Preferred projects should bring together experts from diverse disciplines to conduct research, data collection and analysis, and public communication that informs or enhances current New York State management issues and processes. Projects should especially focus on the exchange of knowledge in the areas of toxic discharge control and elimination, contaminant remediation, and sustaining and enhancing the health of the basin's floral, fauna and human elements of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Project funding priorities are established by the Great Lakes Basin Advisory Council and are described in detail in the Request for Applications.

Proposed project deliverables must have a high probability of success and benefit the watersheds, communities or natural resources located within the geographic boundaries of New York State's Great Lakes programs as developed under the federal Great Lakes Critical Programs Act of 1990, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) as amended in 1987, and the New York Great Lakes Water Conservation and Management Act of 1989 including the waters of Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the tributary watersheds from the New York-Pennsylvania border to the New York-Vermont border. Projects already receiving funds from other available New York State assistance programs for similar activities are ineligible for funding under this Program.

Eligible applicants are municipalities, academic research institutions and not-for-profit corporations. “Municipality” includes a local public authority or public benefit corporation, a county, city, town, village, school district, community college, supervisory district, district corporation, improvement district within a county, city, town or village, or Indian nation or tribe recognized by the state or the United States with a reservation wholly or partly within the boundaries of New York State. “Academic research institution” means an institution that provides post-secondary education (higher education), including courses of study through which faculty and students have opportunities to conduct advanced research, or a research center that is closely associated with an institution of higher education. “Not-for-profit corporation” means an organization formed pursuant to the Not-For-Profit Corporation law and qualified for 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status under the federal internal revenue code.

Cooperative partnership efforts are encouraged. A non-New York State collaborator may be considered an eligible applicant only if the Principal Investigator of the project is employed by a New York State municipality, academic research institution or not-for-profit corporation.

A total of $500,000 is currently available for the Large Grant program. The minimum grant amount will be $15,000 and the maximum will be $100,000. Matching funds are not required. However, because matching funds demonstrate an applicant's commitment to the project, proposed budgets that include matching project-related funds will receive additional credit in the application scoring process.

DEC anticipates that a grant project should not exceed a two-year term. Where circumstances beyond a recipient's control necessitate an extension of the project term, DEC may consider up to two additional one-year term extensions at no additional cost. Applicants should note that this is a reimbursement grant program. It does not allow for any advance payment of funding.

The Request for Applications may be found on the Department of Environmental Conservation's website at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/25582.html.

Completed applications must be received by the Department or be postmarked by 4:00 p.m. on April 21, 2008.

For further information, contact: Donald Zelazny, Great Lakes Programs Coordinator, at the above address, or call (716) 851-7220, e-mail: [email protected]

FOR-PROFIT AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES

BIDDERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE: AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS OFFERING APPEARING IN THE JANUARY 30, 2008 EDITION OF THE STATE REGISTER INDICATED PROPOSALS THAT EXCEED $100,000 IN FUNDS BEING REQUESTED WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THIS OFFERING LIMITATION HAS BEEN CHANGED. UNDER NEW GUIDELINES, PROPOSALS THAT REQUEST $200,000 IN FUNDING WILL BE CONSIDERED FROM BIDDERS THAT INTEND TO SERVE AN ENTIRE LABOR MARKET AREA (LMA), AS DEFINED IN THE RFP, THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WITH OTHER PARTNERS IN THE REGION. ALL OTHER CONDITIONS OF THE ORIGINAL OFFERING ARE STILL APPLICABLE.

The New York State Department of Labor is soliciting proposals from public and private, for-profit and not-for-profit entities that have the ability to broker and manage opportunities for public or private secondary and post-secondary or technical school students to serve paid internships at private for-profit businesses within New York State.

Public or private secondary and post-secondary and technical schools may apply. However, schools with an active internship placement program must provide written assurance that the funds from this initiative will not be used to supplant services already being provided by the school. Funds under this initiative may only be used to serve above and beyond the number of students currently being served through the school's internship placement program.

Up to $2 million is available annually for this initiative for the initial12 month term of the multi-year contract and subsequent terms. Current plans are to issue approximately 20 grants for this project with a maximum award amount of $100,000 each for the initial 12 month term of this initiative, which is expected to be May 15, 2008 to May 14, 2009.

The Department will entertain proposals from entities seeking an LMA's entire $200,000, set aside if the bidder can make a compelling case as to why a regional approach—as opposed to having two or more separate projects funded under this initiative serving the region—makes sense for its LMA. Proposals submitted under this provision must demonstrate that there is regional support for such an approach as evidenced by letters of support from key stakeholders such as WIBs, local chief elected officials, local schools, employers and or employer groups, as well as other public service organizations in the region. These proposals must clearly indicate that proposed services will be made available to all eligible students in the LMA. Additionally, bidders submitting proposals under this provision must enter into partnership agreements that detail the types of services each partner will be offering, including any leveraged resources that will be made available to enhance the level of services to students and employers.

Offers to renew an agreement past the initial contract term of 12 months will be contingent upon continued availability of funding for this initiative; and, the Department's assessment of a grantee's performance during the preceding contract period, as well as approval by the Office of the State Comptroller.

Interested parties should complete and submit a Notice of Intent to Bid form by no later than 5:00 p.m. New York State Time on February 22, 2008 to the attention of: Karen A. Coleman, Director — NYS Department of Labor — Workforce Development & Training Division — Building #12 — Room 450 — State Office Building Campus Albany, New York 12240 Attn: Student Internship RFP.

Proposals must be received no later than 4:00 p.m. New York State Time on March 10, 2008. Any proposals or unsolicited amendments to proposals received after the due date and time will not be considered in the review process. No faxed or e-mailed documents will be accepted.

For further information or to access the Notice of Intent to Bid form and the electronic application: Log on to our website at www.workforcenewyork.com or contact Blas Ortiz at the above address or call (518) 457-0380