Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI)

The Office of Community Services' (OCS) Job Opportunities for Low-Income Individuals (JOLI) program supports business development and expansion opportunities, including micro-enterprise and self-employment opportunities, in an effort to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients and other low-income individuals achieve economic self-sufficiency. Grantees may provide technical and financial assistance to private employers in low-income communities in order to create sustainable employment and business opportunities. Funded projects should focus on one of the following three program strategies: (1) new business ventures, (2) business expansion, and (3) self-employment/micro-enterprise projects. A minimum of 20 percent of the JOLI funds must be allotted to direct financial assistance to program participants for creating or expanding a business. Grantees must ensure that TANF recipients and other low-income individuals are recruited to participate in business development and expansion activities, and to fill positions created under the program. The program must help TANF recipients and other low-income individuals overcome personal or community barriers, and ensure that the businesses and jobs remain viable for at least six months after the end of the grant. For JOLI grants, low-income individuals are defined as those living in households with incomes at or below poverty, as defined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Guidelines on Poverty, found at http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/index.shtml. In addition to a well-planned and viable strategy for business creation or expansion, applicants must have in place: (1) needed management, staff, and other resources, (2) written commitments from third-party partners, (3) evidence of site control, and (4) referral sources to identify low-income individuals to fill the positions.