(a) Time, manner, and content of application

To be eligible to receive assistance under section 12571(a) of this title or approved national service positions for participants who serve in the national service programs to be carried out using the assistance, a State, territory, subdivision of a State, Indian tribe, public or private nonprofit organization, or institution of higher education shall prepare and submit to the Corporation an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.

(b) Types of permissible application information

In order to have adequate information upon which to consider an application under section 12585 of this title, the Corporation may require the following information to be provided in an application submitted under subsection (a):

(1) A description of the national service programs proposed to be carried out directly by the applicant using assistance provided under section 12571 of this title.

(2) A description of the national service programs that are selected by the applicant to receive a grant using assistance requested under section 12571 of this title and a description of the process and criteria by which the programs were selected.

(3) A description of other funding sources to be used, or sought to be used, for the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), and, if the application is submitted for the purpose of seeking a renewal of assistance, a description of the success of the programs in reducing their reliance on Federal funds.

(4) A description of the extent to which the projects to be conducted using the assistance will address unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs and produce a direct benefit for the community in which the projects are performed.

(5) A description of the plan to be used to recruit participants, including youth who are individuals with disabilities and economically disadvantaged young men and women, for the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2).

(6) A description of the manner in which the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) build on existing programs, including Federal programs.

(7) A description of the manner in which the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) will involve participants—

(A) in projects that build an ethic of civic responsibility and produce a positive change in the lives of participants through training and participation in meaningful service experiences and opportunities for reflection on such experiences; and

(B) in leadership positions in implementing and evaluating the program.

(8) Measurable goals for the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), and a strategy to achieve such goals, in terms of—

(A) the impact to be made in meeting unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs; and

(B) the service experience to be provided to participants in the programs.

(9) A description of the manner and extent to which the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) conform to the national service priorities established by the Corporation under section 12572(f) of this title.

(10) A description of the past experience of the applicant in operating a comparable program or in conducting a grant program in support of other comparable service programs.

(11) A description of the type and number of proposed service positions in which participants will receive the national service educational award described in division D and a description of the manner in which approved national service positions will be apportioned by the applicant.

(12) A description of the manner and extent to which participants, representatives of the community served, community-based agencies with a demonstrated record of experience in providing services, municipalities and governments of counties in which such a community is located, and labor organizations contributed to the development of the national service programs referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2), including the identity of the individual representing each appropriate labor organization (if any) who was consulted and the nature of the consultation.

(13) Such other information as the Corporation may reasonably require.

(c) Required application information

An application submitted under subsection (a) shall contain the following information:

(1) A description of the proposed positions into which participants will be placed using the assistance provided under section 12571 of this title.

(2) A description of the proposed minimum qualifications that individuals shall meet to become participants in such programs.

(3) In the case of a nonprofit organization intending to operate programs in 2 or more States, a description of the manner in which and extent to which the organization consulted with the State Commissions of each State in which the organization intends to operate and the nature of the consultation.

(d) Additional required application information

An application submitted under subsection (a) for programs described in 12572(a) ¹ of this title shall also contain—

(1) measurable goals, to be used for annual measurements of the program’s performance on 1 or more of the corresponding indicators described in section 12572 of this title;

(2) information describing how the applicant proposes to utilize funds to improve performance on the corresponding indicators utilizing participants, including describing the activities in which such participants will engage to improve performance on those indicators;

(3) information identifying the geographical area in which the eligible entity proposing to carry out the program proposes to use funds to improve performance on the corresponding indicators, and demographic information on the students or individuals, as appropriate, in such area, and statistics demonstrating the need to improve such indicators in such area; and

(4) if applicable, information on how the eligible entity will work with other community-based entities to carry out activities to improve performance on the corresponding indicators using such funds.

(e) Application to receive only approved national service positions

(1) Applicability of subsection

This subsection shall apply in the case of an application in which—

(A) the applicant is not seeking assistance under section 12571(a) of this title, but requests national service educational awards for individuals serving in service positions described in section 12573 of this title; or

(B) the applicant requests national service educational awards for service positions described in section 12573 of this title, but the positions are not positions in a national service program described in subsection (a), (b), or (c) of section 12572 of this title for which assistance may be provided under section 12571(a) of this title.

(2) Special application requirements

For the applications described in paragraph (1), the Corporation shall establish special application requirements in order to determine—

(A) whether the service positions meet unmet human, educational, environmental, or public safety needs and meet the criteria for assistance under this division; and

(B) whether the Corporation should approve the positions as approved national service positions.

(f) Special rule for State applicants

(1) Submission by State Commission

The application of a State for approved national service positions or for a grant under section 12571(a) of this title shall be submitted by the State Commission.

(2) Competitive selection

The application of a State shall contain an assurance that all assistance provided under section 12571(a) of this title to the State will be used to support national service programs that were or will be selected by the State on a competitive basis. In making such competitive selections, the State shall seek to ensure the equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national service positions provided under this division to the State taking into consideration such factors as the location of the programs applying to the State, population density, and economic distress.

(3) Assistance to non-State entities

The application of a State shall also contain an assurance that not less than 60 percent of the assistance will be used to make grants in support of national service programs other than national service programs carried out by a State agency. The Corporation may permit a State to deviate from the percentage specified by this subsection if the State has not received a sufficient number of acceptable applications to comply with the percentage.

(g) Special rule for certain applicants

(1) Written concurrence

In the case of an applicant that proposes to also serve as the service sponsor, the application shall include the written concurrence of any local labor organization representing employees of the service sponsor who are engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out.

(2) Applicant defined

For purposes of this subsection, the term “applicant” means—

(A) a State, subdivision of a State, territory, Indian tribe, public or private nonprofit organization, or institution of higher education submitting an application under this section; or

(B) an entity applying for assistance or approved national service positions through a grant program conducted using assistance provided to a State, subdivision of a State, territory, Indian tribe, public or private nonprofit organization, or institution of higher education under section 12571 of this title.

(h) Limitation on same project receiving multiple grants

Unless specifically authorized by law, the Corporation may not provide more than 1 grant under the national service laws for a fiscal year to support the same project under the national service laws.