Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2026: Connecting Activities Grant

Fund Code: 0428

Purpose:

This targeted grant is intended to enhance a regional system of support for high schools and high school students to engage in career immersion learning opportunities for career readiness. Programming should expose students to a variety of career opportunities based on labor market research and allow for targeted workforce and career skills development, career counseling, and elements of experiential and work-based learning.

Priorities:

Increase the number of students placed in work-based learning immersion experiences (e.g., internships, whether paid or for school credit , pre-apprenticeships, career capstones, etc.) and youth employment aligned to student interest and planning, including where schools have implemented MyCAP, documented and aligned in student MyCAP.

Increase the number of employers partnering with districts/schools to provide career development opportunities to all students. A deliberate focus should be on WBL opportunities in high wage, high demand and other fields identified as growth areas that will provide family sustaining wages in the Commonwealth.

Support the efforts of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Executive Office of Education (EOE) and the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) to improve equity and access to career development education opportunities for underserved student populations. (Including underserved racial/ethnic populations, low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities as well as students from cities and towns with high youth unemployment)

Support school and districts' efforts to increase MyCAP implementation for all students.

Provide at least one annual regional convening open to all schools in the region that provides school and district staff with updated regional workforce data, reflection on regional work-based learning opportunities, opportunity to learn of resources and best practices related to providing high quality career immersion activities.

Eligibility:

This grant is targeted to the 16 MassHire Workforce Boards :

Eligible OrganizationMaximum Award
Berkshire County Reg. Employment Board$334,438.00
Boston Private industry Council$1,536,417.00
Bristol County Training Consortium$301,981.00
Brockton Area WIB$249,382.00
Cape & Islands Workforce Development Board, Inc.$305,418.00
Career Center of Lowell$393,092.00
City of Salem/North Shore WIB$355,425.00
Franklin/Hampshire Employment & Training$352,392.00
Greater New Bedford WIB$203,749.00
MassHire Hampden County Workforce Board, Inc.$407,188.00
Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board$329,502.00
Metro North Regional Employment Board$404,662.00
Metro South/West Workforce Board$400,276.00
North Central Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board, Inc.$277,999.00
South Coastal Career Development Administration (City of Quincy)$207,724.00
Worcester City Manager's Office$261,473.00
Grand Total$6,321,118.00
Funding Type:

State 7027-0019

The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

Funding:

A total of approximately $6,321,118 is projected to be available. Funding is contingent upon availability.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.

Fund Use:

Funds may not be used for the purchase of equipment, furniture, computers/technology etc. without the previous approval of DESE staff to show specific need for the fulfillment of program objectives. Fund use may include:

  • WFB FTEs and Stipends to coordinate WBL opportunities, including staff placed at high schools and career specialists / Connector Role to deliver on grant priorities
  • Supplies related to delivering Career Awareness, exploration and immersion activities and recruiting business/industry
  • Student transportation
  • Costs related to regional convenings of schools for sharing of resources

Indirect Costs may be sought as long as the region has obtained an approved indirect cost rate through DESE procedures

Additional General Grant coding Guidance is available: CCTE Resource for Grants .

Project Duration:

Upon Approval (No Earlier than 7/1/2025) * – 6/30/2026

*Grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.

Program Unit:

Office of College, Career, and Technical Education

Contact:

Joseph Wyman

Date Due:

Friday June 20, 2025 5:00 PM

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.

Submission Instructions:

This grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.

Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)

Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These form can be accessed without logging in to the system.

Last Updated: June 9, 2025

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