Non-profit groups invited to apply for grant funding

Through a technical assistance grant from the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, funding is being made available to support the CNMI Economic and Labor Enhancement Program through the Department of Commerce. Interested non-profit chartered organization applicants within the CNMI are encouraged to submit a proposal for the programs below.

Available program funding

– Tourism Hospitality enhancement Program ($50,000);

– Agriculture and Aquaculture Enhancement Program ($40,000)

The Technical Assistance grant funds are intended to provide eligible applicants the opportunity to provide trainings, which are nationally, and/or industry recognized in a profession relevant to the needs of the CNMI’s employment sectors. All trainings must result in participants being able to test for and/or attain program certifications.

Eligible applicant organizations must be licensed non-profit chartered organization with a demonstrated and documented history of providing nationally and/or industry recognized trainings, which result in the ability for participants to test for and/or attain certification specific to the industry for which they are being trained.

All training participants must be United States eligible workers (U.S. citizens, FAS citizens, and green card holders). Grant funds may not be used to supplement salaries for trainees, as well as be used by local government entities, private entities and non-profit employees. Grant funds may be used for professional services, training, advertisements, printing and photocopying.

Proposal criteria

There is no required format for which submission must adhere to. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

– Relevance of training to the needs of the CNMI’s employment sector;

– Experience of organization in delivery of training that result in a nationally and/or industry recognized certification;

– Proposed time frame for training completion; and

– References and/or third-party objective evidence as to the experience and/or quality of the applicant organizations capacity to meet the goals established by the program;

In coordination with CREES, focus must be on training to increase technically trained United States eligible workers to operate farms and aquaculture projects such as animal husbandry, entomology, plant cultivation and aquaculture technicians.

Eligible applicants

Eligible applicants are limited to chartered non-profit organizations established prior to the submission of proposals. Individuals, private for-profit entities and government entities are ineligible to receive funding.

Submission deadline

The submission deadline for proposals by eligible applicant organizations is Feb. 9, 2015, at 4pm. Submissions must be stamped received by the CNMI Department of Commerce Office of the Secretary, attention: Acting Secretary Mark O. Rabauliman, Pohnpei Street, Capital Hill. Submitted proposals and applications of five sets are required (one original and four copies).

Decision timeframe

Decisions on funding for submitted proposals are subject to availability of funds. The TA sub-grant committee will review the submitted proposals on Feb. 10, 2015, and notify applicant organizations no later than Feb. 13, 2015, by 4pm. Applicant organizations will be notified on Feb. 13, 2015, via phone call and followed by an official correspondence utilizing the contact information listed on proposal submissions. (Office of the Governor)