House and Senate negotiators reportedly signed off on a budget package last night that funds the Department of Education (among other federal agencies) for the current fiscal year. The package includes the president’s proposed $10 million for Promise Neighborhoods planning grants.
The budget package (H.R. 3288) is likely to be approved and sent to President Obama for signing by December 18. The U.S. Department of Education is expected to issue the equivalent of a draft RFP (called a Notice of Proposed Priorities) for planning grants sometime after December 18, with a 30 day comment period. The final notice will be released sometime after that, presumably early next year, at which time the Department will be accepting planning grant applications.
Language in the report for the budget package instructs the Department of Education to provide a briefing to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees at least 30 days before releasing the “request for proposals.” We will keep you posted.