Illinois Adult Education and Literacy Professional Development Network Grant

The Illinois Community College Board is offering the Illinois Adult Education and Literacy Professional Development Network grant to provide technical assistance supporting implementation of the Adult Education and Literacy Program under 34 CFR 463.1. The opportunity is an initial competitive announcement supported with federal funding and is intended to establish a professional development and technical assistance resource for Illinois WIOA Title II Adult Education providers. One award is anticipated, with estimated total program funding of $300,000 and an award range of $300,000. The grant period is July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028. A renewal plan must be submitted in Spring 2027, and second-year funding is contingent upon sufficient appropriation and satisfactory performance during the preceding year. The selected grantee will coordinate and deliver workforce-aligned English Language Acquisition professional development and technical assistance, including support related to English Language Acquisition Content Standards, ELL NRS Assessment Training, Evidence Based Reading Instruction, Technology Integration, Integrated English Language and Civics Education, and Workplace Literacy. Technology and AI utilization are to be embedded within English Language Acquisition instructional training and coaching rather than provided solely as standalone technology or AI training. The grantee will coordinate offerings with Illinois Adult Education Professional Development Network partners, assist ICCB with relevant projects, and maintain, analyze, and report professional development participation data to identify engagement trends, gaps, and opportunities for targeted technical assistance and continuous improvement. The project also requires operation and promotion of the Illinois Adult Education Hotline, including management of phone calls, text messages, and online forms, strategies for integrating AI into hotline operations, and outreach through social media and other relevant methods. Allowable expenditures are governed by the Education Department General Administrative Regulations and applicable federal cost principles. Identified allowable cost areas include personnel compensation, fringe benefits, travel, equipment, supplies, contractual services, consultant and professional services, training and education, and indirect costs or general administration. General administration costs may not exceed 5 percent of the total allocation. Grant funds must be used exclusively for purposes stated in the approved proposal, spent in accordance with the approved budget and grantee policies and procedures, and expended only for activities occurring during the grant period. No cost sharing or matching requirement applies. Eligible applicants must be located in Illinois and in good standing with the State of Illinois and must be a Local Educational Agency, Institution of Higher Education, or public or private nonprofit agency. Applicants must demonstrate relevant effectiveness and experience. The notice identifies, among other qualifications, at least three years of professional development and technical assistance experience serving adult education and literacy programs and at least three years of experience providing professional development concerning at least three identified areas: the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act, service integration, English Language Acquisition, workplace literacy, and curriculum and instruction leading to increased student outcomes. Relevant experience supporting Workplace Literacy or incumbent worker education initiatives, ability to provide on-site technical assistance, and demonstrated capacity to manage a multilingual hotline recruitment and awareness tool connecting prospective learners to Title II-funded Adult Education Programs are also identified. Applications were required through Amplifund no later than 5:00 p.m. Central Time on May 4, 2026. Applicants were required to have an applicable SAM registration and valid Unique Entity Identifier and to maintain active SAM registration as required. The application package includes the Uniform Grant Application with the FY2027 request and appropriate Chief Executive Officer signature, Uniform Grant Budget for the FY27 requested amount with the required certificate signature, completed Scope of Work, Programmatic Risk Assessment, FFATA Reporting form, and Grant Narrative. The narrative addresses strategies and capacity for English Language Acquisition, workforce-aligned instruction, assessment, Evidence Based Reading Instruction, Technology Integration and Workplace Literacy; a calendar of professional development and technical assistance services; indicators of performance and learning transfer; and the proposed hotline infrastructure and outreach. A virtual Bidders' Conference was scheduled for April 2, 2026, and written applicant questions were due by April 20, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Applications undergo a merit-based review by a committee of experts in adult education and professional development. The 100-point evaluation assigns 30 points to strategies for program support for English Language Acquisition, workforce-aligned instruction, technology integration, assessment, and Evidence Based Reading Instruction; 25 points to applicant capacity and staff experience; 20 points to the comprehensive calendar of services and activities, including professional development, technical assistance, and hotline operations; 20 points to indicators of performance and continuous improvement; and 5 points to the budget. Successful merit-based finalists that complete award requirements receive a Notice of State Award, and the selected awardee must accept the award and execute a Uniform Grant Agreement before spending grant funds. The funded program must provide quarterly programmatic and expenditure reports covering outcomes, participation metrics, challenges, and strategies for addressing them. The statewide agency contact is Kang Hee Hong, Director for English Language Acquisition, telephone 312-814-5849 and email kanghee.hong@illinois.gov. The notice was posted March 24, 2026, with applications due May 4, 2026. The performance period runs from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2028, subject to the stated renewal, appropriation, and satisfactory-performance conditions. The source does not establish an annual or other recurring competitive application cycle, so no future application deadline is inferred from the Spring 2027 renewal-plan requirement.

Prioritize the highest-scoring review areas: clearly demonstrate strategies for ELA, workforce-aligned instruction, technology integration, assessment, and Evidence Based Reading Instruction and document staff capacity and experience. Provide a comprehensive calendar covering required services and hotline operations. Explain a comprehensive evaluation framework, learning transfer, student outcomes, and continuous improvement. Ensure every required component and narrative field is complete because incomplete applications may be disqualified and ICCB will not notify applicants of missing items.