Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII): Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP): Grants to Charter Management Organization for the Replication and expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools CFDA Number 84.282M | ED GRANTS 030117 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 030117 003

The Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII) grant opportunity under the Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP) is a discretionary federal grant run by the U.S. Department of Education to help grow the supply of strong public charter schools. Specifically, this competition, listed under CFDA 84.282M, funds Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) through competitive awards so they can either replicate successful charter school models in new locations or expand enrollment in existing high-quality charter schools. In practical terms, the program is designed to help proven charter operators bring their model to more students by opening additional schools based on an established approach or by increasing seats in schools that are already demonstrating quality.

The broader CSP program has several connected goals. At the center is expanding educational opportunity for all students, with a clear emphasis on students who have traditionally been underserved, while also supporting those students in meeting challenging state academic standards. Beyond access, CSP is also meant to help with the early-stage work of building charter schools by providing financial support for planning, program design, and initial implementation. Another major aim is increasing the number of high-quality charter schools nationwide, not simply increasing the number of charter schools in general. The program also supports learning and accountability across the sector by encouraging evaluation of charter schools effects on student achievement as well as on families and communities. It additionally promotes sharing best practices between charter schools and traditional public schools, and it encourages states to improve the charter school environment through better facilities support for charter schools and stronger authorizing practices (meaning the processes by which charter schools are approved, overseen, and renewed or closed).

This particular CMO-focused competition (84.282M) is framed around scaling what already works. Funds can be used in two main ways: to expand the enrollment of one or more existing high-quality charter schools, or to replicate one or more new charter schools that are built from an existing high-quality model. The underlying logic is that CMOs with a track record are positioned to grow responsibly because they can apply a proven school design, instructional approach, and operational systems across multiple campuses, rather than starting from scratch without evidence of effectiveness.

From an application and logistics standpoint, the Department requires electronic submission through Grants.gov. Applicants must download the application package, complete it offline, and then upload it through the Grants.gov system. The notice stresses that applications cannot be submitted by email. An important technical detail is how to locate the application package: applicants must search by the CFDA number without the letter suffix, meaning they should search for 84.282 rather than 84.282M when using the Grants.gov search function.

The opportunity information provided also includes a correction and reopening context tied to the Federal Register notice for FY 2017. The Department originally published the notice inviting applications on January 13, 2017 (82 FR 4322), and later issued corrections to fix references to ESEA section 1111(c)(2), reflecting changes from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). To give eligible applicants a fair chance to apply or revise submissions in light of those corrected statutory references, the Department reopened the competition. The correction notice also clarified key dates by replacing placeholder text with the actual publication date (January 13, 2017) and the date 105 days after publication (April 28, 2017).

In the specific competition snapshot included in the source data, the opportunity number is ED GRANTS 030117 003, the posting indicates applications were available March 1, 2017 with an original closing date of March 15, 2017, and the award ceiling listed is $900,000. The Department projected about 10 awards. Eligibility is summarized broadly as "Others" with additional clarification expected in the official Federal Register notice, which is repeatedly emphasized as the controlling source for full requirements such as eligibility rules, priorities, performance measures, submission instructions, and program contacts. The summary makes clear that the synopsis is not a substitute for the official notice, and directs applicants to the Federal Register for the complete and authoritative application requirements.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Innovation and Improvement (OII): Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (CSP): Grants to Charter Management Organization for the Replication and expansion of High-Quality Charter Schools CFDA Number 84.282M" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.282.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 01, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 15, 2017 Applications Available March 1, 2017. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications March 15, 2017. (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 $900,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for ED GRANTS 030117 003

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