FY 21 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance | ETA TEGL NO 13 20

Opportunity Information: Apply for ETA TEGL NO 13 20

The FY 21 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance is a mandatory federal grant opportunity issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA), focused on helping states access and draw down Fiscal Year 2021 funds that support the Trade Adjustment Assistance program. In practical terms, it is less of a competitive “apply and hope” grant and more of a required, structured funding process that state agencies must complete to receive their TaOA allocation. The grant is tied to employment, labor, and training activities and is cataloged under CFDA number 17.245, which identifies it as part of the TAA program’s funding stream.

The purpose of the opportunity is straightforward: it provides a formal pathway for State Workforce Agencies (SWAs), or other agencies designated by a Governor as “Cooperating State Agencies” (CSAs), to gain access to FY 2021 TaOA funds. These agencies are collectively referred to throughout the guidance as “States,” “Recipients,” “Grantees,” “Applicants,” or “You,” reflecting that the funding is intended for state-level administration and delivery rather than private organizations or the general public. The core requirement is administrative: eligible state entities must complete and submit the Standard Form 424 (SF-424), Application for Federal Assistance, through Grants.gov in order to access the funds.

As a funding opportunity, it is categorized as “Mandatory,” meaning ETA expects eligible state entities to submit the required application materials to receive their designated funding rather than competing against one another for a limited number of awards based on scoring. The instrument type is a grant, and the activity category is Employment, Labor and Training, which aligns with the TAA program’s mission of supporting workers impacted by foreign trade. The opportunity anticipates a broad distribution across states, with an expected 47 awards, reflecting nationwide participation rather than a small set of recipients.

Key dates and administrative details are central to this announcement. The opportunity was created on January 27, 2021, and the original closing date for applications was February 19, 2021. Applications had to be submitted via Grants.gov and received by the deadline, listed as 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. Like many federal submissions, timeliness and successful electronic receipt are critical, because late or incomplete submissions can delay a state’s access to funds even when the funding is intended to be formula-based or otherwise mandated.

In terms of funding scale, the announcement lists an award ceiling of $46,532,289. With 47 expected awards, this points to a significant national funding pool that is distributed across state recipients. While the notice excerpt does not describe specific state-by-state allocation amounts or the underlying formula, the presence of a ceiling and the “mandatory” label strongly suggests these funds are planned for distribution across participating states in alignment with TAA program rules and annual appropriations.

Overall, this grant management guidance is best understood as an official set of instructions and submission requirements enabling states to receive FY 2021 TAA “Training and Other Activities” funds. Its emphasis is on ensuring the correct state entities submit the SF-424 through the required federal portal by the stated deadline so that ETA can obligate and release funds for TAA program services and related allowable activities under the TaOA funding category.

• The Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY 21 Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Training and Other Activities (TaOA) Grant Management Guidance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.245.
• This funding opportunity was created on Jan 27, 2021.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Feb 19, 2021 The closing date for receipt of applications under this announcement is February 19, 2021. Applications must be received no later than 40000 p.m. Eastern Time.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $46,532,289.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 47 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ETA TEGL NO 13 20

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