This manual provides guidelines for responding to a request for proposals under the provisions of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act of 1984 in the State of Maine. The manual is organized in five sections. The first section (introduction) outlines basic goals and program standards of the act, categorical set-asides and allocations, and grants to eligible recipients. The second section explains award criteria--for services and activities for the handicapped and disadvantaged, for adult training and retraining projects, for single parents and homemakers and sex equity projects, and for Title III special projects; it also suggests sources of further information on funding opportunities and criteria. The format of grant applications is discussed in the third section, with information on the summary/abstract; needs assessment/problem statement; goals and objectives; activity plan; coordination statement; plan for assuming fiscal responsibility; monitoring and evaluation plan; project progress reports; budget and payment schedule; year-end financial report; budget adjustment form; and assurances. The fourth section provides examples of the various parts of the prescribed format, and the final section is an appendix containing information on the grant agreement, grant award rule, grant reapplication process, and categorical structure of the Carl D. Perkins Act. (KC)