When the first COVID-19 cases were discovered in early March, the City of Seattle mobilized for quick and comprehensive response across all its departments, from opening up additional shelters for people experiencing homelessness, to protecting residents from evictions and utility shut-offs, to standing up emergency child care for Seattle’s essential workers and first responders. These efforts, along with countless others in partnership with state, public health, and community organizations—as well as the critical role played by residents in stopping the spread—helped Seattle became a model for the rest of the country in how to save lives and protect our health care system from becoming overwhelmed.

But the financial impact of COVID-19 is significant. Dramatically reduced City revenues due to business closures and reduced economic activity in Seattle, combined with increased spending on a variety of fronts to fight the disease and mitigate its effect, have resulted in a shortfall of over $200 million. As the City Budget Office (CBO) and City departments have evaluated the financial impact of the pandemic, departments have been asked to reevaluate discretionary spending and identify budget reductions for 2020.

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This is a reminder that the last day to submit questions related to the currently open O&A RFI will be Friday, June 12, 2020.

Questions may be submitted via email to DEELFunding@seattle.gov and include “Question_ Opportunity and Access Investment-RFI Application” in the subject line.

Please visit DEEL’s Opportunity & Access page to review questions that have already been submitted and answered, as well as access all materials, including the complete RFI document, submission templates (application and budget), technical assistance slide decks, and other resources.

All materials, announcements and questions submitted to DEEL are posted on our website. DEEL will not provide individual notice of changes, and prospective applicants are responsible for regularly checking the web page for technical assistance information as well as any updates, clarifications, or amendments.

To be considered for funding, eligible applicants must submit applications by 3:00 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2020.

Successful applicants will be notified by Friday, August 21, 2020, for investments beginning as early as October 2020 with the possibility of annual renewal through the 2022-23 school year, conditional upon annual performance. Annual award size will be contingent upon services provided and students served. 

The revised timeline for this funding opportunity is as follows:

Event	Date/Time*
Request for Investment (RFI) application issued	Monday, May 11, 2020
RFI Information Webinar (Prerecorded)	Monday, May 11, 2020   posted by 4pm
Technical Assistance Session 1 (Online)	Monday, May 18, 2020   2:30-4:00pm
Technical Assistance Session 2 (Online)	Monday, June 1, 2020   2:30-4:00pm
Last day to submit questions	Friday, June 12, 2020
RFI Applications Due	Monday, June 22, 2020 by 3:00pm
Applications Reviewed and Rated	June 23 – July 10, 2020
Interviews and Review Panel Deliberations	July 15 – July 24, 2020
Notifications issued to applicants	Friday, August 21, 2020

*Dates and times are subject to change