NEW JERSEY OFFSHORE WIND SAFETY TRAINING CHALLENGE
This Grant Challenge is closed and has been awarded to Atlantic Cape Community College
The New Jersey Offshore Wind Safety Training Challenge is a grant program being administered by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), with the support of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.
The New Jersey Offshore Wind Safety Training Challenge is a new grant competition that will help to establish an industry-recognized training program and facility that is foundational for preparing New Jersey workers to participate in and support the growth of the offshore wind energy sector in the State. The training program and supporting facility will be the first of its kind in the State and enable New Jersey to strengthen its leadership position in offshore wind energy.
The competition will be structured as a Challenge in which New Jersey-based community colleges and training providers, including labor unions, non-profit or community organizations, and private training providers, will be given an opportunity to submit proposals for establishing a Global Wind Organization (GWO) accredited Basic Safety and Sea Survival Training program in New Jersey. An Evaluation Committee will evaluate, score, and rank submissions, and recommend one proposal for OSHE’s consideration for a potential grant award.
The winner will be announced in Summer 2021 and will receive a grant of up to $3 million to support implementation of the program and retrofitting or constructing a supporting facility.
The goal of the New Jersey Offshore Wind Safety Training Challenge is to:
- Develop and deliver a GWO certified Basic Safety and Sea Survival Training program; and
- Establish a training facility (or facilities) in New Jersey with the equipment required to complete all modules of the Basic Safety and Sea Survival Training program, as identified in the GWO Basic Safety and Sea Survival Training Standards, which can be found on GWO’s website.
Eligible applicants include New Jersey-based community colleges and training providers, which includes labor unions, non-profit or community organizations, and private training providers. All organizations must be registered to conduct business in New Jersey as evidenced by a Business Registration Certificate issued by the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (if applicable), and in good standing with the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and the NJ Department of the Treasury as reported by the respective departments.
Applications from coalitions of local institutions are encouraged, such as a community college and labor union applying together, as an example. Each member of the coalition must individually satisfy the requirements of the preceding paragraph in order for the coalition to be considered, though only a single lead applicant will enter into the grant agreement with OSHE, and receive the grant, if successful. Coalitions will not be considered as joint ventures as only one member of the coalition will be the single lead on the program. Applicants that form a coalition will be asked to provide a draft Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other legally binding document between the single lead and the other coalition members that details all organizations’ roles, responsibilities, and contributions to the project. The draft document must be executed to show that the relationship between the single lead and other coalition members has been legally established prior to initial disbursement of grant.
Furthermore, applicants are required to either have GWO accreditation OR collaborate with an organization that is accredited to provide all modules of GWO Basic Safety and Sea Survival training, which can include organizations that are not New Jersey-based. Only the single lead applicant will enter into the grant agreement with OSHE, and receive the grant, if successful. GWO maintains a database of training providers, which can be found on its website. To support collaboration with current GWO training providers outside of New Jersey, NJEDA will conduct outreach to current GWO training providers to identify those that have specifically expressed interest in working with local organizations in New Jersey. Any organizations that express interest will be listed in an Addendum. Applicants that collaborate with a current GWO training provider will be asked to provide a draft Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other legally binding document between the applicant and GWO training provider that details all organizations’ roles, responsibilities, and contributions to the project. The draft document must be executed to show that the relationship between the applicant and the GWO training provider has been legally established prior to initial disbursement of grant.
KEY DATES
February 24, 2021
Optional Informational Webinar (note, recording will be posted online)
March 1, 2021
Notice of Funding Availability Published in New Jersey Register
March 15, 2021
Begin Accepting Proposals
April 23, 2021
Deadline for Submitting Questions
April 30, 2021
Deadline for Proposals from Applicants
June 15, 2021
Applicants Notified No Later Than This Date
June 25, 2021
Initial Disbursement to Winning Applicant
The application period for the New Jersey Offshore Wind Safety Training challenge is now open.
Applicants must submit a proposal describing their proposed solution in detail to SafetyTrainingChallenge@njeda.com.
Entities interested in applying should first review the Notice of Funding Availability.
Please submit the following:
- Application cover page (attached)
- Responses to the three sections as stated in the Notice of Funding availability (starting page 4)
- Responses to all required questions as stated in the Notice of Funding availability (starting page 4)
- Please use suggested components of response as a guide to respond to the questions
Proposals must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on April 30, 2021 to be evaluated and scored.
PROGRAM GUIDE
QUESTIONS?
Written questions and inquiries will be accepted from all potential applicants via email. All queries shall be sent to SafetyTrainingChallenge@njeda.com
All questions received, and answers given in response will be answered in the form of a Frequently Asked Questions document to be posted and continually updated on NJEDA website up until April 23, 2021.
Any addenda will be posted on the same website. It is the responsibility of any potential applicant to review the website on a frequent basis to become aware of any answers and addenda.