Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge CFDA Number 84.412A | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge (RTT ELC), CFDA 84.412A, was a discretionary federal grant competition jointly associated with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The central goal of the program was to raise the quality of early learning and development statewide and to reduce school-readiness and later academic gaps for Children with High Needs. In practice, the competition was designed to push states to build stronger, more coordinated early childhood systems and to expand access to high-quality early learning and development programs, especially for low-income and otherwise disadvantaged children across the infant, toddler, and preschool age ranges.

A major emphasis of the opportunity was not just adding more seats in early learning programs, but increasing the number of children from high-need populations who are actually enrolled in programs that meet a high-quality bar. Alongside access and quality, the program also prioritized statewide system-building, meaning states were expected to plan for an integrated set of services and programs rather than a fragmented landscape where child care, pre-K, health, and family support programs operate in isolation. The notice makes clear that the overall design is about aligning standards, accountability, and workforce expectations across the early childhood sector so that families experience a more consistent and effective system regardless of the setting they choose.

Eligibility was aimed primarily at state governments, with additional conditions spelled out in the official Federal Register notice. Key eligibility requirements included that the state could not have previously received an RTT ELC grant and that the state had to identify a Lead Agency capable of coordinating the work. The Lead Agency was required to have executed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) or other binding agreements with each Participating State Agency, and those agreements had to be attached to the application. At a minimum, participating agencies had to agree, to the extent applicable, to use and align around several core statewide elements: statewide Early Learning and Development Standards, statewide Program Standards, a statewide Tiered Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), and a statewide Workforce Knowledge and Competency Framework along with a progression of credentials. Another stated eligibility condition was that the state needed an active Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, either operated by the state under the relevant Social Security Act authority or through an eligible nonprofit organization, reflecting the program's interest in connecting early learning improvement with broader early childhood and family support infrastructure.

The total estimated funding available for this competition was listed as $280,000,000. The opportunity did not require cost sharing or matching funds, which matters because it lowered the barrier for states to propose ambitious system reforms without needing to secure non-federal match commitments as a condition of applying. Even so, the underlying expectation was that a competitive application would show strong cross-agency alignment and the ability to sustain improvements over time, since the competition structure is about statewide reform rather than isolated pilot projects.

The timeline in the synopsis shows the application materials were available on August 30, 2013, with an optional notice of intent to apply encouraged by September 30, 2013. While the notice of intent was not required, the departments requested it to help plan the review process, and states were asked to email the program contact with the state name, a primary contact person, and which competitive preference priorities they intended to address. A Technical Assistance Planning Workshop was scheduled for September 10, 2013, with a live broadcast option to reduce travel burdens and broaden access; the departments also indicated they might offer additional calls, webinars, and FAQs via the program website to support applicants. The hard deadline for submission was October 16, 2013, and applications had to be received by 4:30 p.m. Washington, DC time; late applications were not to be considered.

Submission requirements were unusually specific and somewhat old-school by current standards, centered on physical delivery of electronic media. Applicants had to submit an electronic application package on CD or DVD (CD-ROM or DVD-ROM preferred), and the agencies strongly recommended submitting three identical discs to reduce the risk of damage or corruption. Each disc had to contain four clearly labeled files: a searchable PDF of the main application narrative including required budget tables (not a scanned, non-searchable PDF), a PDF of all appendices, a PDF of required signature pages (these could be scanned) including signed MOUs or other binding agreements for participating agencies, and a separate electronic budget spreadsheet file (such as XLS or XLSX) with the required budget tables and justifications for use in federal budget review. Files could not be password protected, and applicants were responsible for ensuring the files opened and printed correctly; the departments stated they would not review content that could not be opened or printed. In addition to the discs, applicants also had to submit signed originals of Section IV of the application plus one copy of that signed original, and they were instructed not to submit paper versions of the narrative or appendices because those would not be reviewed. Applications had to be sent by mail or hand delivery, and the envelope needed to display the CFDA number and suffix (84.412A) to ensure correct routing.

For official program details beyond the synopsis, the notice repeatedly points applicants to the Federal Register application notice as the authoritative source for eligibility nuances, priorities, selection criteria, performance measures, and other compliance requirements. The synopsis provides contact points for both technical access issues and program questions, including the program manager contact at the U.S. Department of Education and a general email address used for the competition.

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