Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 081711 001
Apply for ED GRANTS 081711 001
- The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Technology and Media Services for Individuals With Disabilities Educational Materials in Accessible Formats for Students With Visual Impairments and Other Print Disabilities CFDA Number 84.327D" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.327 Special EducationEducational Technology Media, and Materials for Individuals with Disabilities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Aug 17, 2011 and posted on Aug 17, 2011.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Sep 16, 2011 Applications Available August 17, 2011. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications September 16, 2011.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $3,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).
- Eligible Applicants National, nonprofit entities with a proven track record of meeting the needs of students with visual impairments and other print disabilities through services described in section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA that have the capacity to produce, maintain, and distribute, in a timely fashion, up to date textbooks in digital audio formats to qualified students and that have a demonstrated ability to significantly leverage Federal funds through other public and private contributions, as well as through the expansive use of volunteers (see section 674(d)(2) of IDEA 17 U.S.C. 121(d)(1)).
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Opportunity Summary:
This funding opportunity, CFDA 84.327D, comes from the U.S. Department of Education under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program. Its central goal is to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities by encouraging the development, demonstration, and real-world use of technology, while also strengthening educational media services that can be used directly in classrooms. A key part of the broader program is ensuring that media used for instruction is accessible, including support for captioning and video description when those tools are appropriate for classroom learning.
The specific competition described here focuses on educational materials in accessible formats for students with visual impairments and other print disabilities. In practical terms, the government is looking to support a national effort that can produce, maintain, and distribute up-to-date textbooks in digital audio formats to qualified students, and do so quickly and reliably. The emphasis is not just on creating accessible materials, but on having the operational capacity to keep materials current and get them into students hands in a timely fashion, which matters because textbooks and instructional materials change frequently.
This opportunity is offered as a discretionary cooperative agreement, with an expectation of a single award. The estimated total funding is $3,000,000, and the award ceiling is also $3,000,000, indicating that the program anticipates funding one project at roughly that level. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement listed, although applicants are expected to demonstrate that they can significantly leverage federal funds through other public and private contributions and through extensive volunteer involvement. That leveraging requirement is a major theme in the eligibility language, meaning applicants should be prepared to show that federal dollars will be amplified by partnerships, donations, in-kind support, volunteer networks, or other non-federal resources.
Eligibility is limited and highly targeted. The Department is seeking national nonprofit entities with a proven track record serving students with visual impairments and other print disabilities through services aligned with section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA. Beyond being a nonprofit, an applicant must show it has the capacity to produce, maintain, and distribute accessible digital audio textbooks for qualified students and must also demonstrate an ability to leverage federal funding substantially. The eligibility section also notes multiple nonprofit categories (including 501(c)(3) and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, other than institutions of higher education), plus "others" as clarified in the official notice, but the core expectation remains that the applicant is a national nonprofit with demonstrated experience and the infrastructure to deliver these services at scale.
The timeline for this particular notice (posted August 17, 2011) set applications available on August 17, 2011, with a deadline to submit applications by September 16, 2011, and an archive date of October 16, 2011. Applications were to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov only. Applicants were instructed to locate the application package by searching for CFDA 84.327 (without the alpha suffix "D"), complete the forms offline, and upload them through Grants.gov. Email submissions were explicitly not allowed, which is a common federal requirement meant to ensure secure, standardized submission and tracking.
Because the text provided is a synopsis, the official Federal Register notice is treated as the controlling source for the full requirements. That official notice would contain the detailed eligibility rules, application and pre-application requirements, selection criteria, performance measures, any absolute or competitive priorities, reporting expectations, and the program office contacts. The listing includes contact points for Grants.gov technical issues and for the program manager at the Department of Education, reflecting the two typical support channels: one for submission system problems and one for substantive program questions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is this funding opportunity (CFDA 84.327D)?
This opportunity is a U.S. Department of Education discretionary cooperative agreement under the Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program (CFDA 84.327D). It is intended to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities by supporting technology and educational media services that can be used in classrooms.
2) What is the main goal of the broader Technology and Media Services for Individuals with Disabilities program?
The program aims to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities by encouraging the development, demonstration, and real-world use of technology and by strengthening educational media services that can be used directly in classroom instruction. A major emphasis is ensuring instructional media is accessible, including captioning and video description when appropriate for classroom learning.
3) What is the specific focus of this particular competition?
This competition focuses on educational materials in accessible formats for students with visual impairments and other print disabilities. The intent is to support a national effort that can produce, maintain, and distribute up-to-date textbooks in digital audio formats to qualified students.
4) What types of materials does the project need to deliver?
Based on the synopsis, the emphasis is on textbooks in digital audio formats that are accessible for qualified students with visual impairments and other print disabilities, along with the operational capability to keep those materials current as textbooks change.
5) What does the Department mean by “produce, maintain, and distribute” digital audio textbooks?
The synopsis signals that the work is not limited to creating accessible materials once. The funded effort is expected to (a) produce digital audio textbooks, (b) maintain them so they remain up-to-date as materials change, and (c) distribute them quickly and reliably so students receive materials in a timely way.
6) Why is “timely access” emphasized?
The synopsis notes that textbooks and instructional materials change frequently. The government is looking for an operation that can keep materials current and get them into students’ hands quickly and reliably, not just create accessible versions at a slower pace.
7) What type of award is this?
This is described as a discretionary cooperative agreement.
8) How many awards does the Department expect to make?
The notice indicates an expectation of a single award.
9) What is the estimated total funding amount?
The estimated total funding for the opportunity is $3,000,000.
10) What is the maximum (ceiling) award amount?
The award ceiling is $3,000,000, which aligns with the expectation that one project would be funded at roughly that level.
11) Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is listed in the synopsis.
12) If matching is not required, why does the synopsis emphasize leveraging funds?
Even though a formal match is not required, applicants are expected to demonstrate they can significantly leverage federal funds through other public and private contributions and through extensive volunteer involvement. This is presented as a major theme in the eligibility language.
13) What counts as “leveraging” federal funds under this synopsis?
The synopsis points to partnerships, donations, in-kind support, volunteer networks, and other non-federal resources as examples of ways an applicant can amplify the impact of federal dollars.
14) Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is limited and highly targeted. The Department is seeking national nonprofit entities with a proven track record serving students with visual impairments and other print disabilities through services aligned with section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA. Applicants also must show they have the capacity to produce, maintain, and distribute accessible digital audio textbooks for qualified students and can substantially leverage federal funding.
15) Does the applicant need to be a national organization?
Yes. The synopsis describes the target applicant as a national nonprofit entity and frames the project as a national effort to produce, maintain, and distribute digital audio textbooks to qualified students.
16) What experience does an applicant need to demonstrate?
The synopsis states applicants must have a proven track record serving students with visual impairments and other print disabilities, with services aligned to section 674(c)(1)(D) of IDEA, and must have the operational capacity to produce, maintain, and distribute accessible digital audio textbooks.
17) Are only 501(c)(3) nonprofits eligible?
The eligibility section referenced in the synopsis notes multiple nonprofit categories, including 501(c)(3) and certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), plus “others” as clarified in the official notice. However, the core expectation remains a national nonprofit with demonstrated experience and infrastructure to deliver at scale.
18) Are institutions of higher education (IHEs) eligible?
The synopsis notes that certain nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status may be eligible, other than institutions of higher education. For the definitive rule, applicants are directed to the official Federal Register notice.
19) What does “qualified students” mean in this synopsis?
The synopsis uses the term “qualified students” but does not define eligibility criteria for students within the provided text. The controlling Federal Register notice is identified as the source for full requirements and definitions.
20) What is the application timeline for this notice?
Applications were available on August 17, 2011. The deadline for submission was September 16, 2011. The archive date was October 16, 2011.
21) How were applications required to be submitted?
Applications were required to be submitted electronically through Grants.gov only.
22) Were email submissions allowed?
No. Email submissions were explicitly not allowed.
23) How do applicants find the application package on Grants.gov?
The synopsis instructs applicants to locate the application package by searching for CFDA 84.327 (without the alpha suffix “D”), complete the forms offline, and upload them through Grants.gov.
24) What should applicants do if the synopsis seems incomplete?
The synopsis explains it is not the full requirement set. The official Federal Register notice is treated as the controlling source for complete requirements, including detailed eligibility, application instructions, selection criteria, performance measures, priorities, reporting expectations, and contacts.
25) Where can applicants get help during the application process?
The synopsis indicates there are two typical support channels: (1) Grants.gov support for technical issues with submission and (2) a program manager at the Department of Education for substantive program questions.
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