Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA WB 16 02
Apply for FOA WB 16 02
- The Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "PORTABLE RETIREMENT BENEFITS PLANNING" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.261.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jul 27, 2016.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 26, 2016 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 $75,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
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Opportunity Summary:
The U.S. Department of Labor's Womens Bureau announced a discretionary grant opportunity called Portable Retirement Benefits Planning (FOA WB 16 02) to support early-stage planning work that can expand retirement security for low-wage workers, especially those who have historically lacked access to employer-sponsored retirement plans. Using authority under 29 U.S.C. 13 and funding provided through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, the program set aside about $100,000 total to help nonprofits do the kind of groundwork needed before a portable retirement benefits program can be built or expanded for specific stakeholder groups or target populations.
The core purpose of the grants is not to run a full benefits program right away, but to fund structured planning and analysis that leads to viable portable retirement savings solutions. "Portable" in this context means retirement benefits that can follow a worker across jobs, industries, or periods of nontraditional work, which is particularly relevant for low-wage workers who may change employers frequently, work part-time, hold multiple jobs, or participate in contingent or gig work where benefits coverage is often limited. The Womens Bureau positioned the program as a way to address the retirement savings gap by helping organizations identify what keeps low-wage workers from saving and what practical models could overcome those barriers at scale.
Applicants were expected to propose planning activities that fit into one or more of three main categories. First, projects could focus on assessing the specific challenges and barriers faced by low-wage workers or other defined target populations with little or no retirement savings, such as obstacles tied to irregular income, low financial margins, lack of access to payroll deduction, limited familiarity with retirement products, or administrative hurdles. Second, projects could research and analyze existing opportunities and tools that might be used to expand current portable retirement savings vehicles or create new ones, with an emphasis on approaches that actually work for low-wage workers rather than simply mirroring traditional employer-based plans. Third, projects could study scalable models for portable retirement benefits programs and identify legal constraints and potential changes to state and/or federal law that would be needed to make those models feasible for the intended populations, recognizing that retirement plan rules, fiduciary requirements, and jurisdictional issues can determine whether a model can be implemented broadly.
Funding was structured as a small set of awards: the Womens Bureau anticipated making two to four grants, each ranging from $25,000 to a maximum (award ceiling) of $75,000, for an expected total of up to four awards. The eligible applicants category indicated "Others," with the narrative emphasizing nonprofit organizations as the intended applicants for this planning-focused support. Proposals were to be evaluated competitively, with selection based on overall proposal strength, including the quality of the design, whether the budget and costs were reasonable, the presence of innovative ideas and workable solutions, and the applicant's ability to access and use relevant data to support the planning work. In other words, the Department signaled that strong applications would be evidence-driven and grounded in real-world implementation considerations rather than purely conceptual discussions.
Administratively, the opportunity was issued by the Department of Labor under the Employment and Training Administration umbrella and carried CFDA number 17.261, with the funding instrument identified as a grant and the activity category listed as employment, labor, and training. The opportunity was created on July 27, 2016, and the original application deadline was August 26, 2016, with applications due by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Overall, the grant sought to catalyze practical, data-informed planning efforts that could lead to portable retirement savings options capable of reaching low-wage workers who are least likely to be covered by traditional employer retirement systems.
Portable Retirement Benefits Planning (FOA WB 16 02) - FAQs
What is the Portable Retirement Benefits Planning grant (FOA WB 16 02)?
It is a discretionary grant opportunity announced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Womens Bureau to fund early-stage planning work related to portable retirement benefits. The goal is to support structured analysis and planning that can lead to retirement savings solutions that better reach low-wage workers, especially people who have historically lacked access to employer-sponsored retirement plans.
What does "portable" mean in this grant opportunity?
"Portable" refers to retirement benefits that can follow a worker across jobs, industries, or periods of nontraditional work. This is intended to fit workers who may change employers often, work part-time, hold multiple jobs, or work in contingent or gig arrangements where traditional benefits coverage is often limited.
What is the main purpose of the funding?
The primary purpose is to fund planning and analysis, not to immediately operate a full retirement benefits program. The grants are meant to support groundwork that can lead to viable portable retirement savings solutions for specific stakeholder groups or target populations.
Who is the program intended to help?
The focus is on low-wage workers and other defined target populations with little or no retirement savings, particularly those least likely to be covered by traditional employer-based retirement systems.
What kinds of worker situations does the program highlight as relevant?
The opportunity highlights situations common among low-wage workers, such as frequent job changes, part-time work, multiple jobholding, and contingent or gig work, all of which can limit access to employer-sponsored retirement plans and make retirement savings harder to maintain over time.
What types of activities were applicants expected to propose?
Applicants were expected to propose planning activities that fit into one or more of three categories: (1) assessing challenges and barriers to saving; (2) researching and analyzing opportunities and tools to expand or create portable retirement savings vehicles; and/or (3) studying scalable models and identifying legal constraints and potential state and/or federal law changes needed to make models feasible.
What does "assessing barriers" include in this context?
The opportunity describes barriers such as irregular income, low financial margins, lack of access to payroll deduction, limited familiarity with retirement products, and administrative hurdles, among other challenges faced by low-wage workers or other target groups with little or no retirement savings.
What does the opportunity mean by researching "existing opportunities and tools"?
This refers to analyzing tools, approaches, or vehicles that could be used to expand current portable retirement savings options or create new ones, with an emphasis on approaches that work for low-wage workers rather than simply copying traditional employer-based plans.
What is meant by studying "scalable models" for portable retirement benefits?
It means examining program models that could be implemented broadly (at scale) and identifying practical considerations that affect feasibility, including legal constraints and potential changes to state and/or federal law that may be needed.
Why does the grant mention legal constraints and potential law changes?
The grant recognizes that retirement plan rules, fiduciary requirements, and jurisdictional issues can determine whether a portable retirement model can be implemented broadly for the intended populations. Planning work could include identifying constraints and possible legal changes needed to make a model workable.
How much total funding was set aside for this opportunity?
About $100,000 total was set aside to support planning efforts.
How many awards did the Womens Bureau anticipate making?
The Womens Bureau anticipated making two to four grants, for an expected total of up to four awards.
What was the award size range?
Individual awards were expected to range from $25,000 up to a maximum (award ceiling) of $75,000.
Who was eligible to apply based on the information provided?
The eligible applicants category was listed as "Others," and the narrative emphasizes nonprofit organizations as the intended applicants for this planning-focused support.
How were proposals expected to be selected?
Proposals were to be evaluated competitively based on overall proposal strength. The selection criteria described include the quality of the project design, whether the budget and costs were reasonable, the presence of innovative ideas and workable solutions, and the applicant's ability to access and use relevant data to support the planning work.
What kind of approach did the Department of Labor signal it wanted in applications?
The opportunity indicates that strong applications would be evidence-driven and grounded in real-world implementation considerations, not purely conceptual discussions.
Which agency and office issued this funding opportunity?
The opportunity was announced by the U.S. Department of Labor's Womens Bureau and issued under the Employment and Training Administration umbrella.
What is the CFDA number for this grant?
The CFDA number listed for the opportunity is 17.261.
What type of funding instrument was used?
The funding instrument identified for this opportunity was a grant.
What was the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category was listed as employment, labor, and training.
What legal authority and funding source were cited?
The opportunity cited authority under 29 U.S.C. 13 and stated that funding was provided through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on July 27, 2016.
What was the application deadline and time zone?
The original application deadline was August 26, 2016, with applications due by 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Is this grant intended to immediately launch or operate a full retirement benefits program?
No. The stated purpose is to fund early-stage planning and analysis work that could lead to a viable portable retirement savings solution, rather than to run a full benefits program right away.
What is the broader problem the grant is trying to address?
The grant is positioned as a way to address the retirement savings gap by helping organizations identify why low-wage workers have trouble saving and what practical portable models could overcome those barriers at scale.
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