Opportunity Information: Apply for NCD 19 O2
The National Council on Disability (NCD) offered a discretionary cooperative agreement under the funding opportunity titled "Notice of Funding Opportunity - AbilityOne and 14(c) Subminimum Wage" (Opportunity Number: NCD 19 O2) to fund a single, in-depth analytical report focused on the AbilityOne program and NCD's concerns about the use of Section 14(c) certificates, which allow certain employers to pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities under specific conditions. This project is explicitly positioned as a continuation and expansion of NCD's February 2019 white paper, "A Cursory Look at the AbilityOne Program," and is meant to move beyond a high-level overview into a detailed examination of how AbilityOne operates in practice and how it affects employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
At the center of the work is a close review of how AbilityOne functions and how it interacts with its two Central Nonprofit Agencies (CNAs) and the broader network of participating Nonprofit Agencies (NPAs). The report is expected to map and explain the operational and oversight relationships among these entities, including how work is sourced, how contracts are structured or supported, and how program governance and performance expectations translate into real employment experiences on the ground. A key emphasis is not just describing the program, but documenting how its structure and incentives may relate to the continued presence or reduction of subminimum wage practices under 14(c).
A major requirement for applicants is to spell out, in the proposal itself, a clear and credible plan for obtaining the data needed to determine how common 14(c) certificate holders are among AbilityOne providers. NCD signals that it wants concrete, defensible data rather than anecdotal descriptions, so proposals need to explain data sources, collection methods, and how gaps or inconsistencies would be handled. Alongside that, the applicant is expected to describe how it will establish a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). This collaboration is intended to support the production of solid evidence about the effects of different policy or program scenarios on both workers with disabilities and employers, meaning the report should not only describe current conditions but also analyze impacts under varying approaches (for example, potential changes to the use of 14(c), shifts in contracting expectations, or alternative employment models).
NCD also expects the contractor to examine each CNA individually, rather than treating the CNAs as interchangeable parts of a single system. That implies a comparative component: looking at the practices, oversight approaches, transparency, and employment outcomes associated with each CNA, identifying meaningful differences, and assessing how those differences may influence the prevalence of 14(c) use and the quality of employment pathways for workers with disabilities. In practical terms, the solicitation pushes for an evaluation design that can separate CNA-level policies and behaviors from broader program-wide features.
Another core deliverable is a transparency-focused review. The final report must assess what has been done to improve transparency in AbilityOne since the July 2018 call for improved transparency from the "898 Advisory Panel Subcommittee to Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Abuse." In other words, the contractor is expected to look at reforms or changes made after that 2018 recommendation, evaluate how meaningful those steps have been, and identify where transparency remains limited or where accountability could be strengthened. The emphasis on transparency suggests attention to issues like data availability, reporting clarity, public visibility into wage practices and outcomes, and how easily stakeholders can understand and evaluate program performance.
The project is ultimately intended to lead to actionable recommendations and "promising practices" aimed at improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities. NCD specifies that these recommendations should be relevant not only to federal agencies but also to state and local municipalities, indicating a desire for guidance that can translate across levels of government and potentially influence public procurement, disability employment policy, and contractor expectations beyond AbilityOne alone. The output is therefore expected to be both analytical (documenting how the program works and what the data show) and practical (offering strategies that agencies can adopt to improve competitive integrated employment outcomes and reduce reliance on subminimum wage practices).
Administratively, the opportunity was issued by NCD with a creation date of April 25, 2019 and an original closing date of June 6, 2019. The instrument type is a cooperative agreement, which typically implies that NCD anticipated active involvement during the project rather than a fully hands-off grant. The activity category is Employment, Labor and Training (CFDA 92.002). Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to different entity types subject to any additional eligibility language in the full solicitation. The award ceiling was $100,000, with one expected award, reflecting a single-contractor research and reporting effort rather than a multi-site or multi-award program.Apply for NCD 19 O2
- The National Council on Disability in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Notice of Funding Opportunity - AbilityOne and 14(c) Subminimum Wage" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 92.002.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 25, 2019.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 06, 2019. (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 $100,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is this funding opportunity?
This opportunity is a discretionary cooperative agreement offered by the National Council on Disability (NCD) under the title "Notice of Funding Opportunity - AbilityOne and 14(c) Subminimum Wage" (Opportunity Number: NCD 19 O2). It is designed to fund a single, in-depth analytical report.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project is intended to produce one detailed analytical report examining how the AbilityOne program operates in practice and how it affects employment outcomes for people with disabilities, with a specific focus on NCD's concerns about the use of Section 14(c) subminimum wage certificates among AbilityOne providers.
How does this project relate to NCD's February 2019 white paper?
The work is explicitly positioned as a continuation and expansion of NCD's February 2019 white paper, "A Cursory Look at the AbilityOne Program." The new report is expected to move beyond a high-level overview and deliver a deeper, more detailed examination of program operations and outcomes.
What is AbilityOne, in the context of this solicitation?
Within this solicitation, AbilityOne is treated as a program with operational and oversight relationships involving two Central Nonprofit Agencies (CNAs) and a broader network of participating Nonprofit Agencies (NPAs). The report is expected to explain how these entities interact and how that structure relates to real employment experiences.
What is Section 14(c), and why is it central to the report?
Section 14(c) refers to certificates that allow certain employers, under specific conditions, to pay subminimum wages to workers with disabilities. NCD highlights concerns about how 14(c) is used and wants the report to examine how AbilityOne's structure and incentives may relate to the continued presence or reduction of subminimum wage practices.
What are the expected deliverables?
The solicitation describes funding for a single, in-depth analytical report. The report is expected to document how AbilityOne operates, assess transparency improvements since 2018 recommendations, analyze the prevalence and role of 14(c) among AbilityOne providers, compare the two CNAs, and provide actionable recommendations and promising practices to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
What specific aspects of AbilityOne operations must be examined?
The report is expected to map and explain operational and oversight relationships among AbilityOne, the two CNAs, and participating NPAs. This includes how work is sourced, how contracts are structured or supported, and how governance and performance expectations translate into employment experiences on the ground.
Does the solicitation require analysis beyond describing the program?
Yes. The work is not limited to describing AbilityOne at a high level. It is expected to document how the program's structure and incentives may relate to 14(c) use, and it should analyze impacts under varying policy or program scenarios.
What is the requirement related to data on 14(c) certificate holders?
A major requirement is that applicants must include, in the proposal, a clear and credible plan for obtaining data needed to determine how common 14(c) certificate holders are among AbilityOne providers. NCD signals it wants concrete, defensible data rather than anecdotal descriptions.
What does NCD expect regarding data quality and gaps?
Based on the solicitation summary, proposals should explain data sources and collection methods and also describe how gaps or inconsistencies in the data would be handled, since NCD is seeking defensible evidence.
Is collaboration with another federal office expected?
Yes. The applicant is expected to describe how it will establish a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). This collaboration is intended to support development of solid evidence about impacts on workers with disabilities and employers under different policy or program scenarios.
What types of scenarios should the report analyze?
The solicitation indicates the report should analyze impacts under varying approaches, such as potential changes to the use of 14(c), shifts in contracting expectations, or alternative employment models. The goal is to go beyond current conditions and assess effects of different policy or program scenarios.
How should the two Central Nonprofit Agencies (CNAs) be treated in the analysis?
NCD expects the contractor to examine each CNA individually rather than treating them as interchangeable. This implies a comparative component that looks at differences in practices, oversight approaches, transparency, and employment outcomes associated with each CNA, and assesses how those differences may influence 14(c) prevalence and employment pathways.
What does the solicitation mean by a "transparency-focused review"?
The final report must assess what has been done to improve transparency in AbilityOne since the July 2018 call for improved transparency from the "898 Advisory Panel Subcommittee to Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Abuse." The contractor is expected to evaluate reforms or changes made after that recommendation and identify where transparency and accountability remain limited.
What kinds of transparency issues are implied by the solicitation?
The emphasis suggests attention to issues such as data availability, reporting clarity, public visibility into wage practices and outcomes, and how easily stakeholders can understand and evaluate program performance.
Who should the recommendations be useful for?
NCD specifies that recommendations and promising practices should be relevant to federal agencies and also to state and local municipalities. This indicates the guidance should be practical and transferable across levels of government, potentially influencing procurement, disability employment policy, and contractor expectations beyond AbilityOne.
What is the funding instrument type, and what does it imply?
The instrument type is a cooperative agreement. This typically implies NCD anticipated active involvement during the project rather than a fully hands-off grant arrangement.
What is the award ceiling and how many awards were expected?
The award ceiling was $100,000, and one award was expected. This reflects a single-contractor research and reporting effort rather than a multi-award or multi-site program.
When was the opportunity created and when did it close?
The opportunity had a creation date of April 25, 2019, with an original closing date of June 6, 2019.
What is the CFDA (activity category) for this opportunity?
The activity category is Employment, Labor and Training (CFDA 92.002).
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was listed as unrestricted, meaning it was broadly open to different entity types, subject to any additional eligibility language in the full solicitation.
Is this opportunity intended to fund multiple projects or one report?
Based on the stated expectation of one award and the emphasis on a single in-depth analytical report, it is intended to fund one report produced by a single awardee.
What is the overarching outcome NCD is aiming for?
The project is intended to support improved employment outcomes for people with disabilities by producing an analytical and practical report that documents how AbilityOne works, assesses transparency and oversight, evaluates 14(c) prevalence and implications, and provides actionable recommendations and promising practices.
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