Wilson Fish Bridge to Employment Program

The Wilson Fish Bridge to Employment Program (WF B2E) is a cooperative agreement funded by the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Refugee Resettlement to deliver employment training, placement services, and English language training to Refugee Cash Assistance recipients in six states—Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas—where the Refugee Support Services program will no longer operate beginning FY 2027. Services are restricted to individuals within the first 36 months after arriving in the United States or attaining ORR-eligible status. Funding is structured in three one-year budget periods over a total three-year project period, with award amounts tied to the number of ORR-eligible individuals in each state, ranging from a minimum of $250,000 for areas with fewer than 1,000 individuals to a maximum of $14,438,363 for states with 50,000 or more. A total of six awards are expected, with a program funding ceiling of $17,388,363 and no cost-sharing requirement. Subsequent year budgets are determined using a two-year lookback period and capped at no more than a 20% reduction from the previous year’s approved budget. Recipients must directly or through subawards deliver comprehensive services including case management, Employment Authorization Document assistance, aptitude and skills assessments, on-the-job and vocational training (including driver education), job placement with follow-up, and support services such as transportation, childcare, and interpreter services, all aligned with 45 CFR 400.2 and 45 CFR 400.81(b). All participants must be verified as legally eligible to work in the U.S. through E-Verify. Applications are due by August 10, 2026, through Grants.gov, and must include a project narrative, line-item budget, organizational capacity documentation, legal proof of nonprofit status, indirect cost agreements, third-party agreements, and an ACF Priorities Alignment Attestation. The evaluation weighs project response (59 points), resources and capabilities (24 points), impact (10 points), ACF alignment (10 points), purpose and need (7 points), and offers bonus points for statewide coverage, prior ORR experience, and existing staff in the state. Recipients must submit quarterly financial reports using the SF-425 and implement a performance evaluation plan using data management systems to track inputs,