The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) Stimulus Program will provide up to $6 million in federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) to ensure that Texas has the skilled workforce needed to obtain employment and meet the growing demands in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.

View details & learn how to apply »

Launchpad Fund

Round 2 Grant Application Materials

• Notice of Availability and Request for Applications
• Grant Application Instructions - Revised 1/14/10
• Supplemental Application Information
• Grant Application (.doc)
• Sample Contract

Responses to Questions

1/22/10 — Official Responses to Questions from Potential Proposers

Grant Administration Materials

Administration Procedures

Reporting Requirements

To open the PDFs, download the latest reader from Adobe. To open .doc files, download MS Word viewer.

Round 2 Deadlines	Date*
Grant Notice of Application Published in Texas Register	01/08/10
Deadline to File Non-mandatory Letters of Intent and Questions	01/15/10
Official Responses to Questions Posted	01/22/10
Grant Application Deadline	01/29/10
Comptroller Award of Grants	03/31/10
Commencement of Grant Funding	04/30/10
*Dates may be subject to change Sign up for e-mail notification

The $10 million Launchpad Fund supports and expands existing nonprofit programs with a proven track record of good performance.

Update to Instructions Jan. 14, 2010:

We are announcing a revision to the grant instructions for Round 2 JET Launchpad Fund grants. Page 4 of the Revised Grant Instructions reflects the following change:

• Existing programs must have a minimum 50% match, of which at least 10% must be cash.
• New programs must have a minimum 25% match, of which 5% must be cash.

A new program would be a program not previously administered by the applicant or not previously administered by the applicant in the workforce development board district for which funding is requested. For example, the services are different than those previously provided by the applicant in the workforce development board district or the same services are being delivered, but in a different workforce development board district than those previously provided. No historical information on success measures would be available for a new program.

An existing program means a program that delivers the same type of services previously delivered by the applicant in the same workforce development board district. An existing program would be able to provide proven historical information on success measures which would be considered for additional points over a new program during the evaluation process. If the program is delivering the same services in the same workforce development board district with the only difference being the high-demand occupation, the program would be considered an existing program.

Applications for the second round of Launchpad Fund grants are due Jan. 29, 2010 and will be accepted from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including 501(c)(3) organizations connected with public community colleges, and work force agencies to help low-income students prepare for the careers of tomorrow. Total combined grant awards for the second round will not exceed $3.5 million. Individual grant requests may be submitted in amounts ranging from $25,000 to $500,000.

Fund Overview

Fund Purpose: Supports Texas nonprofit organizations with programs that prepare low-income students for careers in high-demand technical occupations, such as welding, computer support, engineering technology, nursing and allied health professions.

Budget Allocation: $10 million in competitive grants for the 2010-2011 biennium (September 1, 2009, through August 31, 2011).

Who Qualifies: Texas nonprofit organizations must be governed by boards including community and business leaders and must assist low-income students to prepare for, apply and enroll in public community colleges or technical schools in high-demand occupation training programs (see application instructions for further details).

The need for the Launchpad Fund arises as students increasingly look for ways to pay for costs associated with college. Tuition costs as a share of median household income continue to rise. According to the Texas Comptroller’s 2008 Texas Works report, tuition at four-year universities accounted for 6.4 percent of median household income in 2007, up from 4.1 percent in 2002. The share of community college average tuition rates for in-district students increased from 1.1 to 1.5 percent during this period.

Letters of Intent

You may submit a Letter of Intent informing us of your interest in applying for the Launchpad Fund. Please include your name, e-mail address, phone number and the name of your school or organization. You will then receive e-mail notification of program updates. A Letter of Intent is not mandatory for the application process.

Eligibility Requirements

Nonprofits must meet these criteria:

• Be a 501(c)(3) organization;
• Be community-based and led;
• Has achieved or will achieve certain measures of success in assisting participants as applicable; and
• Provide matching funds.

Award Criteria

Round 2

When selecting second round Launchpad Fund recipients, the following considerations will be used:

• Priority given to grant applications that promote balanced, geographical distribution of funds across the state;
• Priority given to programs for high-demand occupations not funded in the first round;
• Existing programs must provide a 50% cash match, new programs must provide a 25% cash match;
• Priority given to organizations that partner with community colleges, business organizations, economic development organizations, or businesses;
• Priority given to programs that have existing programs in place to assist veterans;
• Priority given to organizations that can demonstrate employment of participating students at an average full-time starting wage equal to or greater than the prevailing wage in the region for the occupation entered by the participating students;
• Program must not be a substitute for a regular program already provided by a school district; and
• Organization must not be a private elementary or secondary school.

Fund Awards

Round 1

On Oct. 20, 2009, the Comptroller awarded $3.5 million in the first round of Launchpad funds to the following nonprofit organizations: