Adult Education and Family Literacy Act Grants

The Florida Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult Education, administers this discretionary competitive Adult Education and Family Literacy Act funding opportunity using federal funds authorized under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, CFDA 84.002. The consolidated competition supports three federal funding streams: Adult General Education under AEFLA Section 231, Corrections Education and the Education of Other Institutionalized Individuals under Section 225, and Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education under Section 243. The grants are intended for eligible adult education providers operating within Florida to develop, implement, and improve adult education and literacy services. Funding is contingent on the availability of federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education. The program supports adult education, literacy, workplace adult education and literacy, English language acquisition, workforce preparation, integrated education and training, and related allowable activities. Corrections Education funds may support adult education and literacy, special education, secondary school credit, integrated education and training, career pathways, concurrent enrollment, peer tutoring, and transition or re-entry services intended to reduce recidivism. IELCE programs must combine English language acquisition, literacy, civics education, workforce preparation, and integrated education and training, and IELCE providers must offer at least one IET program annually. AEFLA funds must supplement and not supplant other state or local resources. Generally, at least 95 percent of an eligible provider's AEFLA award must support adult education and literacy activities, with no more than 5 percent used for planning, administration, professional development, and specified related activities unless the provider negotiates an approved special rule. The RFP identifies no matching requirement. Estimated fiscal year 2026-2027 funding is $34,645,196 for Adult General Education, $3,300,000 for Corrections Education, and $9,146,642 for Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education, for a combined estimated amount of $47,091,838. AGE and IELCE funding is allocated by Florida county, and applicants may request county allocation amounts in whole or in part according to their proposed service area. For Corrections Education, local eligible providers may request up to $100,000 per application, while a state governmental agency may request up to $1,000,000. Funding allocations may change based on the federal award or other adjustments, and the Commissioner of Education may recommend an award greater or less than the amount requested. The RFP does not establish a single universal minimum or maximum award applicable across all three consolidated funding streams. Eligible providers must demonstrate effectiveness in providing adult education and literacy activities, particularly to individuals with low literacy levels or English language learners. Eligible organizations may include local educational agencies, community-based and faith-based organizations, volunteer literacy organizations, institutions of higher education, public or private nonprofit agencies, libraries, public housing authorities, qualifying nonprofit institutions, consortia or coalitions, and partnerships between employers and otherwise eligible entities. Applicants may submit either an individual provider proposal serving a single county or a collective provider proposal serving two or more counties. A collective must designate a lead agency as applicant of record and fiscal agent, and every collective member must independently satisfy the demonstrated effectiveness requirement. Collective applications must include AGE and IELCE funding streams. Corrections applicants must serve eligible individuals in correctional or other institutional settings, with priority given to individuals likely to leave the institution within five years. Applicants were required to submit a mandatory Notice of Intent to Apply by May 15, 2026. The notice was submitted by email to DCAEGrantsCompetition@fldoe.org and was necessary for creation of the Office of Grants Management ShareFile folders used to submit the application. Written questions regarding the competition were accepted through May 29, 2026. Final applications were due June 19, 2026, no later than 11:59 PM EST and had to be submitted electronically through the designated ShareFile folders. Required materials include the applicable signed DOE 100A Project Application Form, a grant narrative assembled in the required sequence, the AEFLA Consolidated Grant Workbook, a DOE 101 Budget Narrative for each requested funding stream, the appropriate Risk Analysis form, and applicable attachments such as the Alignment with LWDB Plan Executive Summary, MOU and One-Stop Infrastructure Cost Agreement, demonstrated effectiveness information, enrollment targets, partnership information, program schedules, personnel information, IET information when applicable, and projected equipment forms when equipment is requested. Applications first undergo demonstrated effectiveness pre-screening. Applicants must provide the required performance data, including evidence meeting Florida's standard for demonstrated effectiveness, before an application can advance to substantive review. Applications that pass pre-screening are reviewed by adult education content experts and agency partners using rubric-based criteria addressing needs and responsiveness to regional workforce needs, demonstrated effectiveness and performance targets, instructional quality and evidence-based practices, distance online learning, and the required budget narrative. Local Workforce Development Boards also review applications for consistency with local workforce plans. Minimum scores for consideration are 108 of 162 points for AGE, 116 of 174 points for Corrections, and 118 of 177 points for IELCE. Where multiple qualifying applications compete for the same county allocation, final awards may be based on each applicant's proportionate share of projected enrollment, subject to FDOE negotiation. The initial program performance period is July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The consolidated proposal covers a four-year grant cycle, with subsequent performance periods of July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2028; July 1, 2028 through June 30, 2029; and July 1, 2029 through June 30, 2030. Funded providers must submit continuation applications annually, although the RFP does not state that a new discretionary competition itself occurs annually. Program contact information identifies Carol Bruner, Bureau Chief, Adult Education, at 850-245-9906 and Carol.Bruner@fldoe.org. The grants competition mailbox DCAEGrantsCompetition@fldoe.org is used for the Notice of Intent and written competition questions. Grants Management contact Jasolin Wiggins may be reached at 850-245-9814 or Jasolin.Wiggins@fldoe.org.

Pass the demonstrated effectiveness pre-screening before substantive review; answer every narrative question individually and in the RFP sequence; use evidence-based data and clearly cite required data sources within the application; align services and proposed activities with the applicable LWDB plan; ensure budget items directly correlate with narrative activities and allowable costs; IELCE applicants must address English language acquisition literacy civics workforce preparation and IET requirements; collective applicants must ensure every member demonstrates effectiveness and the proposal covers AGE and IELCE across the full service region