To be eligible to receive assistance under section 12571(a) of this title or approved national service positions for participants who serve in the national service programs to be carried out using the assistance, a State, territory, subdivision of a State, Indian tribe, public or private nonprofit organization, or institution of higher education shall prepare and submit to the Corporation an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Corporation may reasonably require.
The application of a State for approved national service positions or for a grant under section 12571(a) of this title shall be submitted by the State Commission.
The application of a State shall contain an assurance that all assistance provided under section 12571(a) of this title to the State will be used to support national service programs that were or will be selected by the State on a competitive basis. In making such competitive selections, the State shall seek to ensure the equitable allocation within the State of assistance and approved national service positions provided under this division to the State taking into consideration such factors as the location of the programs applying to the State, population density, and economic distress.
The application of a State shall also contain an assurance that not less than 60 percent of the assistance will be used to make grants in support of national service programs other than national service programs carried out by a State agency. The Corporation may permit a State to deviate from the percentage specified by this subsection if the State has not received a sufficient number of acceptable applications to comply with the percentage.
In the case of an applicant that proposes to also serve as the service sponsor, the application shall include the written concurrence of any local labor organization representing employees of the service sponsor who are engaged in the same or substantially similar work as that proposed to be carried out.
Unless specifically authorized by law, the Corporation may not provide more than 1 grant under the national service laws for a fiscal year to support the same project under the national service laws.