In this installment of a larger five-year plan, the Department expects to award a total of $85,000,000 to states and territories to increase their ability to serve, improve, and strategically expand the National Apprenticeship system. Of the available funds, the Department intends to award up to $40,000,000 through 54 formula-funded base grants, also referred to as the Base Formula Funding in this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). The Department will also award an additional $45,000,000 through competitive funds, also referred to as Competitive Funding in this FOA, to those eligible applicants seeking to receive a combination of both Base Formula Funding and Competitive Funding. Competitive funds will be awarded through 8-10 grants, with individual grants ranging from $1,000,000 up to $6,000,000. In order to receive Competitive Funding, applicants must submit applications for both Base Formula Funding and Competitive Funding. All applicants responding to this FOA are required, at minimum, to submit an application for the Base Formula Funding.
Eligible entities are states, as defined in 29 CFR Section 29.2. The term “State” means “any of the 50 States of the United States, District of Columbia, or any Territory or possession of the United States.” For the purposes of this FOA, the eligible 54 U.S. States and territories include all 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and territories whose Active Apprentices exceeds 100 apprentices, i.e., Guam, Puerto Rico, and American Samoa.