Notice2026-19570
Announcement of the Intent To Award a Single-Source Cooperative Agreement to International Rescue Committee in New York, New York
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 24, 2026
Issuing agencies
Health and Human Services DepartmentChildren and Families Administration
Abstract
The ACF, ORR, Refugee Program Bureau announces the intent to solicit and award a single-source cooperative agreement up to $20,000,000 to International Rescue Committee (IRC), in New York, New York, for the National Virtual Program for Professional Advancement. The proposed project period is September 30, 2026, through September 29, 2027. Under this initiative, IRC will use its nationwide virtual service delivery model to provide professional advancement services to up to 1,334 eligible refugees who arrived in the United States between September 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 184 (Thursday, September 24, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Page 60625]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-19570]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
[Assistance Listing Number: 93.576]
Announcement of the Intent To Award a Single-Source Cooperative
Agreement to International Rescue Committee in New York, New York
AGENCY: Refugee Program Bureau, Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR),
Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
ACTION: Notice of issuance of a single-source cooperative agreement.
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SUMMARY: The ACF, ORR, Refugee Program Bureau announces the intent to
solicit and award a single-source cooperative agreement up to
$20,000,000 to International Rescue Committee (IRC), in New York, New
York, for the National Virtual Program for Professional Advancement.
The proposed project period is September 30, 2026, through September
29, 2027. Under this initiative, IRC will use its nationwide virtual
service delivery model to provide professional advancement services to
up to 1,334 eligible refugees who arrived in the United States between
September 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026.
DATES: The proposed period of support is September 30, 2026, through
September 29, 2027.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miro Marinovich, Office of Refugee
Resettlement, Administration for Children and Families, 330 C Street
SW, Washington, DC 20201. Telephone: (202) 729-3638; Email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#026f6b706d2c6f63706b6c6d746b616a426361642c6a6a712c656d74"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="c9a4a0bba6e7a4a8bba0a7a6bfa0aaa189a8aaafe7a1a1bae7aea6bf">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ORR intends to solicit and award a
cooperative agreement to IRC for the National Virtual Program for
Professional Advancement (NVPPA). The proposed action will provide up
to $20,000,000 to IRC to establish and implement a nationwide virtual
service model.
Under this initiative, IRC's national Economic Empowerment team
will serve up to 1,334 eligible refugees who arrived in the United
States before between September 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026.
Services will be available virtually nationwide, regardless of a
participant's location or initial resettlement agency, and will include
outreach, orientation, intake, eligibility verification, Career
Development Planning, navigation, job readiness and pathway-specific
training, direct financial assistance, job development, and job
placement support. IRC will track enrollment, services, disbursements,
and employment outcomes.
Of the $20,000,000 supplement, up to $16,008,000 will go towards
direct financial assistance for the costs of education and training of
as much as $12,000 per participant for 1,334 eligible refugees. The
remaining $3,992,000 will support IRC staffing, supplies, and
associated indirect costs. Eligible direct financial assistance will
include tuition; degree, certification, licensing, and examination
costs; credential evaluation; textbooks and software; uniforms and
safety gear; transportation; child care; required equipment; and a
vehicle when an approved Career Development Plan establishes that the
purchase is necessary for a career goal.
IRC will use its existing national virtual infrastructure and apply
eligibility, career planning, documentation, vendor verification,
direct payment, reporting, and enrollment contingency controls.
Payments generally will be made directly to vendors or training
providers; staff will confirm that each expense aligns with an approved
Career Development Plan; vendors will be verified as licensed or
accredited; and IRC will report against defined enrollment and spending
thresholds.
The proposed model addresses geographic barriers to assistance,
unrecognized foreign credentials, and limited funds for career-related
costs that can leave qualified refugees in survival employment below
their skill level. It is intended to help participants recover prior
professions or build new career pathways, support household self-
sufficiency, and reduce geographic disparities in access to career
services.
ORR proposes to solicit and award IRC because it can use its
existing national virtual infrastructure and established program and
stewardship controls, supporting a faster, more expansive launch than
site-based programs.
Timely issuance is important because eligible clients are arriving
throughout September 2026. The funding must be provided before the end
of the fiscal year for IRC to begin serving eligible refugees on
September 30, 2026. The proposed cooperative agreement through
September 29, 2027, will allow IRC to set up and implement the
nationwide virtual model.
Statutory Authority: Under section 8 U.S.C. 1522(c) of the Refugee
Act, ORR is authorized to make grants to and contracts with public or
private nonprofit agencies to assist refugees in obtaining the skills
necessary for economic self-sufficiency.
Elizabeth Leo,
Grants Policy Branch Chief, Office of Grants Policy, Office of
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2026-19570 Filed 9-23-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-89-P
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