Refugee Career Pathways Program | HHS 2024 ACF ORR ZM 0020

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2024 ACF ORR ZM 0020

The Refugee Career Pathways Program (RCP) is a discretionary federal grant opportunity offered by the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its purpose is to help refugees and other ORR-eligible populations move toward long-term self-sufficiency by connecting them to professional or skilled employment that builds on what they already bring with them, such as prior education, work history, and occupational skills gained before arriving in the United States. Rather than focusing only on immediate job placement, the program is designed to help participants understand realistic career pathways in the U.S. labor market, create individualized career plans, and progress into jobs with advancement potential.

The core service model centers on structured, participant-specific support. Funded projects are expected to provide individualized case management and career planning so participants can identify an appropriate occupational track, understand the steps required to enter that field in the U.S., and follow a plan toward employment and career growth. Allowable activities include training and technical assistance connected to employment readiness and occupational advancement, specialized English language instruction that is tailored to workplace needs (often called vocational or occupation-specific English), and mentoring to help participants navigate professional norms, hiring processes, and career progression. A notable feature is that eligible refugee participants may also receive federal financial assistance to address credential barriers, including costs tied to establishing or re-establishing credentials. This can include support for obtaining educational credits, paying for evaluations or coursework, or enrolling in required certification or licensing programs when those steps are necessary to re-enter a prior profession or qualify for a skilled occupation.

A major structural requirement is partnership. ORR requires every RCP project to partner with at least one educational institution, such as a university, college, community college, or another training provider with expertise in career and technical education. The intent is to ensure participants have practical access to training pipelines, credential programs, and career opportunities, and that RCP efforts supplement rather than replace existing services in the community. If an educational institution is the lead applicant or implementer, it must also collaborate with at least one refugee-focused entity, such as a resettlement office or another organization that specifically serves refugees. This two-way partnership expectation is meant to blend education and workforce capacity with refugee-specific expertise, cultural competence, and service navigation.

Eligibility is broad across public and nonprofit sectors. Eligible applicants include various government entities (such as county and city governments and special districts), independent school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribal governments and other eligible tribal organizations, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and nonprofit organizations both with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education when applying under the nonprofit category). Faith-based and community organizations are eligible on the same basis as other applicants, and ORR notes that selection will not discriminate based on religious character, affiliation, or exercise, consistent with applicable federal protections and regulations. Individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from merit review.

This opportunity is listed under Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2024-ACF-ORR-ZM-0020 and CFDA (Assistance Listing) 93.576, categorized under Income Security and Social Services. Awards are grants, with an award ceiling of $325,000, and ORR anticipates making about 15 awards. The posting date is April 19, 2024, and the original closing date for applications is June 28, 2024.

• The Administration for Children and Families - ORR in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Refugee Career Pathways Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.576.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-04-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-06-28. (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 $325,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for HHS 2024 ACF ORR ZM 0020

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