Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants (US)

Deadline: 28-Feb-25

Applications are now open for the Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants for the development a program plan ready for implementation or for capacity building (expanding staff, solidifying essential partnerships, developing curriculum, expanding supportive services) to start or expand a clean energy equity workforce program.

In addition to direct funding, planning and capacity grantees receive technical assistance support from MassCEC to facilitate targeted networking, expanded partnerships, stronger program design, and effective practices for achieving outcomes.

Applicants may focus programming on one or more of the following categories:

• Strand A: Career Pathway Training Leading to Employment in Climate-Critical Priority Occupations
• Strand B: Clean Energy Career Awareness, Career Exploration, and Preparedness for Adult Learners and Job Seekers
• Strand C: Development of a MWBE Support Program leading to the creation or expansion of MWBEs in Climate-Critical Fields

Program Focus 

• The Equity Workforce Program seeks to expand access to career and business opportunities in climate-critical fields. A robust, well-trained, and inclusive workforce is vital to achieving and sustaining the Commonwealth’s climate goals, including Net Zero in 2050. The equity workforce programs address the need to grow Massachusetts’ clean energy workforce by prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the full spectrum of economic opportunity, aiming to produce both an increasingly diverse bench of highly trained new workers and a wider array of thriving minority and women-owned business enterprises to help lead climate-critical work.
  • Strand A: Career Pathway Training Leading to Employment in Climate-Critical Priority Occupations
    • Build job training and support capacity to fill gaps in the workforce for climate-critical sectors while creating opportunities for underserved individuals most impacted by climate change who are typically excluded from opportunities in these sectors.
  • Strand B: Clean Energy Career Awareness, Career Exploration, and Preparedness for Adult Learners and Job Seekers
    • Provide effective programming to expand awareness of access to climate-critical careers among individuals from EJ Neighborhoods or low-income communities, individuals from federally recognized or state-acknowledged tribes within the Commonwealth, members of underrepresented communities in the clean energy workforce, and Fossil Fuel Workers while providing clear off ramps into next steps to access those opportunities.
  • Strand C: Development of a MWBE Support Program leading to the creation or expansion of MWBEs in Climate-Critical Fields
    • Establish a statewide framework to provide uniform and equitable access to baseline services and supports to MWBEs via regional hubs, with additional specialized services via referral to spokes. 
    • Create new MWBE firms in critical climate fields and support the healthy long-term growth of those firms.
    • Increase the expertise, business activity, revenue, headcount, and long-term growth strategies of existing MWBEs that operate in climate-critical business fields.

Funding Information

• Depending on the type of request, applicants may apply for $20,000 to $150,000 in funding for work completed over six months to two years.

Who’s Eligible?

• Single organizations or partnerships are eligible to apply. If multiple parties are applying jointly, one party should take on the role of Lead Applicant.
• The following entities are eligible to serve as a Lead Applicant:
  • Community-based entities (often referred to as community-based organizations) such as community action partnerships, environmental justice organizations, neighborhood revitalization organizations, advocacy groups, affordable housing providers, affordable housing developers, and non-profits.
  • Post-secondary educational institutions, K-12 School Districts, Comprehensive and Vocational High Schools, Middle schools, and Vocational Schools offering a Career Technical Initiative evening program.
  • For-profit entities such as for-profit training companies, trade associations, unions, or other coalitions of businesses and clean energy businesses.
  • Federally Recognized and State-Acknowledged Tribes.
  • Workforce Development Organizations, Non-Profit and For-Profit.
  • Massachusetts Workforce Investment Boards and Career Centers/Mass Hire Organizations.
• Additional eligibility notes:
  • Lead Applicants must have a Massachusetts office and must be able to submit a Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
  • Applicants who have received prior funding or are pursuing separate funding opportunities from MassCEC are eligible to apply for this funding so long as the proposed work is sufficiently distinct and does not lead to the same project being funded, except for additional capacity-building support services, which work will necessarily overlap with a previously funded opportunity but should expand upon the same in accordance with the purpose of increasing impact of supportive services. 
  • Applicants who are currently or previously funded via solicitations under the Equity Workforce Fund must be in good standing with MassCEC and have submitted to the Workforce team during the course of their project completed progress reports substantiating outcomes and need for additional support services. Applicants with existing grants from the Equity Workforce Fund must consult with their assigned MassCEC Program Manager for approval prior to submitting an application requesting additional support service funds. Applicants funded by external funding sources should anticipate that MassCEC may request progress reports and other substantiation related to the proposed project. 
  • Applicants who have already received equity workforce planning grants may apply for a capacity grant to execute preliminary work related to future implementations. 
  • Applicants will be expected to disclose any potential conflicts of interest created through partnerships or subcontracts with related family members, current and recent employers, or any other involved parties that may create such conflicts of interest and to detail the review and selection processes used by the Applicants to ensure selection of the best parties to perform the related work.

For more information, visit MassCEC.