The RFP, all documents and any updates will be posted to the ACCES website.
Legislative Authority: Public Law 113-128; Education Law 207 & Chapter 53 of the Laws of 2002
Purpose of Grant: Adult Literacy Education (ALE) provides funding to support adult literacy education programs including Adult Basic Education (ABE), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE) programs. At least 50 percent of the participants receiving services must be at the lowest beginning New York Reporting System (NYRS) of Adult Basic Education and/or English for Speakers of Other Languages that is NYRS Levels 1 and 2. Up to 50% can be for participants at the highest two levels of Adult Secondary Education that is NRS Levels 5 and 6. These students must be preparing to take the NYS HSE exam leading to an HSE diploma.
Project Period
Successful applicants will be funded for July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
Eligible Applicants Public and private not-for-profit agencies, including 2- and 4-year colleges, community-based organizations, libraries, volunteer literacy organizations, other not-for-profit organizations and consortia of the above organizations.
Amount of Funding $10,093,000 per year ALE funding
Component A (Direct Student Services) - Funding ($9,193,000)
Component B (One-on-one Support and Technical Assistance Centers for Adult Education Programs) - Funding ($900,000)
Continuous funding beyond Year One will be contingent upon the State Legislature appropriating funds.
Application Due Date and Submission Instructions: Applicants are requested to submit their application electronically through HighQ. The required documents, as listed in the Application Checklist section of this RFP, must be received via online form no later than May 5, 2025.
Questions and Answers: Questions regarding the request must be submitted via online form no later than the close of business April 14, 2025. A Questions and Answers Summary will be posted to NYSED's Procurement Opportunities website no later than April 21, 2025.
Pre-qualification Requirement Proposals received from nonprofit applicants that are not Prequalified in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) by 5:00 PM on the proposal due date of May 5, 2025 cannot be evaluated. Such proposals will be disqualified from further consideration. Please see the Prequalification Requirement section for additional information.
Non-Mandatory Notice of Intent The Notice of Intent (NOI) is not a requirement for submitting a complete application by the application date; however, NYSED strongly encourages all prospective applicants to submit an NOI to ensure a timely and thorough review and rating process. A non-profit applicant's NOI will also help to facilitate timely review of their prequalification materials. The notice of intent is a simple email notice stating your organization's (use the legal name) intent to submit an application for this grant. Please also include your organization's NYS Vendor ID. The due date is April 21, 2025. Please send the NOI via this online form.
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Set Aside: No
Total MWBE Participation Goals: 30%
Disadvantaged Owned Sub-Contracting Goal: 6%
Due date:05/05/2025 5:00 PM
Questions regarding the request must be submitted via online form no later than the close of business April 17, 2025. A Q & A Summary will be posted to https://www.acces.nysed.gov/procurement by 4/28.
Contract term: 5 years
County(ies): All NYS counties
Location: Statewide
Business entities awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years:
Literacy New York-Fulton, Montgomery, and Schoharie Counties
Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County
Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus, Inc.
Mohawk Valley Community College
Tompkins Learning Partners Inc.
Oswego County Opportunities
Literacy Volunteers of Broome-Tioga Counties, Inc.
Literacy CNY
Literacy West NY, Inc. - Finger Lakes
Literacy Volunteers of Rochester
Literacy Volunteers Ontario - Yates
Catholic Charities Community Services
Literacy Solutions NY, Inc.
Make the Road - Hudson Valley
Literacy Connections of the Hudson Valley, Inc.
Literacy Nassau
Literacy Suffolk, Inc.
Make the Road - Long Island
The Opening Word Program, Inc.
Journey's End Refugee Services, Inc.
Literacy West NY, Inc.
Literacy NY - Buffalo-Niagara, Inc.
CUNY - York College
Queens Borough Public Library
CUNY - Lehman College
CUNY - LaGuardia Community College
CUNY - Borough of Manhattan Community College
Community Impact
Riverside Language Program
Edith and Carl Marks Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst
University Settlement Society of NY
YMCA of Greater New York
CUNY - Bronx Community College
Agudath Israel of America Community Services, Inc.
Shorefront YM-YWHA of Brighton-Manhattan Beach, Inc.
Brooklyn Public Library
Sunset Park Health Council
HANAC, Inc.
Literacy Assistance Center
Literacy New York, Inc.
Background
The State Adult Literacy Education (ALE) program, authorized by Public Law 113-128 and Education Law ยง207 & Chapter 53 of the Laws of 2002, aims to enhance adult literacy education across New York State. The program provides funding to support various adult education initiatives, including Adult Basic Education (ABE), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and Adult Secondary Education (ASE). The goal is to assist adults in achieving literacy skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency, particularly targeting those at the lowest functioning levels.
Work Details
The ALE grant allocates a total of $10,093,000 annually for the following components:
1. Component A (Direct Student Services) - $9,193,000: Funding is designated for direct instructional services in ABE and ESOL programs. At least 50% of participants must be at NYRS Levels 1 and 2. Up to 50% can be at NRS Levels 5 and 6, preparing for the NYS High School Equivalency (HSE) exam.
2. Component B (Support and Technical Assistance Centers) - $900,000: This component funds two Support and Technical Assistance Centers (STAC) aimed at providing technical assistance to adult education programs to meet NYRS benchmarks. Each STAC will receive $450,000 annually.
Eligible applicants include public and private not-for-profit agencies such as community-based organizations, libraries, colleges, and consortia thereof. Programs must comply with M/WBE participation goals of 30% and a disadvantaged-owned subcontracting goal of 6%. Continuous funding beyond Year One is contingent upon legislative appropriations.
Period of Performance
The contract period spans from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2030.
Place of Performance
The services will be provided statewide across all counties in New York State.
