The purpose of this federal grant is to:
Proposed programs of study must:
This is the second year of continuation grant funding for the applicants listed below. The four agencies that received prior funding (listed below) are eligible.
Federal CFDA # 84.048
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
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.
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.
Perkins V allocation funds must be used in accordance with the Massachusetts Perkins V Transition Manual. Funds shall supplement and shall not supplant non-Federal funds.
Perkins V is a restricted rate program that is subject to a statutory "supplement not supplant" restriction. For this competition, applicants may include indirect cost rates to recover certain business-related expenses necessary to support the proposed services. However, not less than 95 percent of funds must be spent on adult education direct services and literacy activities; not more than five percent may be spent on administrative costs.
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.
Pending appropriation and the meeting of grant requirements, awarded grantees may be eligible for a continuation grant in Fiscal Year 2027.
Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)
Yvonne Gittelson
(781) 338-3852
Friday June 13th, 2025 by 5:00 p.m.
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
GEM$ application setup will disallow submission after the due date and time. An application is considered submitted once the LEA Fiscal Representative Approved step is completed.
Additional Information for State Agencies:
The information below is intended for state entities that require ISAs as part of their grant award process. Not intended for Private or Community Based Organizations.
ISA process timeline
MA Expenditure Classification Handbook
MA Comptroller's Office Fringe Information
ISA and EdGrants Amendment Requirements
Process for waiving indirect costs (state agencies only)
Indirect Waiver Request form (state agencies only)
Section 5D: Indirect and fringe benefit costs expended from the General Fund: recovery by the comptroller (state agencies only)
Federal Grants Cost Allocation
The FY26 FC 0452 Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Continuation Grant will be submitted in GEM$.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
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: May 21, 2025