Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Migrant Education (OME): Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.144F | ED GRANTS 022323 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 022323 002

The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), through the Office of Migrant Education (OME), offered the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Program under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.144F. This opportunity is a Department of Education grant designed to strengthen how states and partners work together to serve migratory children, especially those whose schooling is disrupted by frequent moves. The core idea is simple: states already receiving Title I, Part C MEP funds can earn additional, competitive incentive funding when they join or lead strong consortia that coordinate services across districts and, importantly, across state lines. The program is framed as a way to promote high-quality collaboration that reduces gaps in instruction, improves continuity of educational services, and responds to the unique academic and support needs that arise when students move mid-year or multiple times during their K-12 education.

At a practical level, the CIG program focuses on improving both intrastate and interstate coordination. Migratory children often face interrupted coursework, mismatched academic standards and credit requirements, delays in records transfer, inconsistent access to supplemental services, and disruptions to specialized supports like English learner services or special education. By funding consortia, the Department aims to help State educational agencies (SEAs) and their partners create more seamless systems that follow students rather than forcing students to restart each time they arrive in a new district or state. While the synopsis does not list specific project models, consortia efforts under this kind of program commonly center on shared service delivery strategies, coordinated instructional materials or tutoring approaches, better data and records-sharing practices, joint professional development, and aligned program operations that make transitions less disruptive for students and families.

Eligibility is summarized broadly as “Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification),” but the purpose statement makes clear the primary target applicants are SEAs that already receive Title I, Part C Migrant Education Program funding and that participate in a consortium with one or more other SEAs or other appropriate entities. In other words, the grant is not meant for a single standalone organization operating in isolation; it is structured to reward and expand multi-entity collaboration, with SEAs at the center. The emphasis on “other appropriate entities” leaves room for states to formalize partnerships that strengthen the consortium’s ability to deliver services, though the official Federal Register notice governs exactly who may apply and under what conditions.

Key logistical details in the posting include the funding mechanism and scale. The opportunity category is listed as mandatory, with the funding instrument type identified as a grant and the activity category as education. The award ceiling is $250,000, and the Department anticipated making about 30 awards. The funding opportunity number is ED GRANTS 022323 002, and the opportunity was created on February 23, 2023. Applications were made available on February 27, 2023, with a deadline for transmittal of applications of April 24, 2023. The intergovernmental review deadline was June 23, 2023. A pre-application webinar was scheduled for March 7, 2023, which is typically intended to walk prospective applicants through program goals, submission expectations, and any priorities or selection criteria referenced in the official notice.

For application procedures, the synopsis points applicants to the Department’s Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 7, 2022, for addresses and submission requirements. It also repeatedly emphasizes that the short description provided is only a synopsis and that the controlling guidance is the Federal Register application notice. That notice would contain the detailed eligibility rules, application components, required forms and assurances, how the Department will score proposals, any competitive priorities, performance measures that grantees must report on, and program contact details beyond what is summarized here.

The listed program contact for this opportunity was Michael Meltzer at the U.S. Department of Education, reachable by phone at (202) 987-1657 or by email at Michael.Meltzer@ed.gov. Applicants were encouraged to consult the official Federal Register version for the most authoritative and complete requirements, including any pre-application expectations, the exact consortium definitions and expectations, and the full set of program rules tied to ALN 84.144F.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Migrant Education (OME): Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.144F" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.144.
• This funding opportunity was created on Feb 23, 2023.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Apr 24, 2023 Applications Available February 27, 2023. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications April 24, 2023. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review June 23, 2023. Pre-Application Webinar Information The Department will hold a pre-application workshop via webinar for prospective applicants on March 7, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Michael Meltzer, U.S. Department of Education. Telephone (202) 987-1657. Email Michael.Meltzer@ed.gov.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $250,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 30 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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