The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is accepting applications for its Cannabis Industry Training Program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 12/02/2025
Size of the Grant: $50,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
The Cannabis Industry Training (CanTrain) Program is a competitive grant funding opportunity through the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED’s) Office of Adult Career Pathways. The Office of Adult Career Pathways (ACP) serves Minnesotans at all stages of their educational and career journeys through the development and implementation of workforce training programs. ACP serves adults who traditionally face multiple barriers to employment, need enhanced educational services, wrap-around support, and supportive services in order to be successful in securing long-term family-sustaining wages. Services are intended to help eliminate racial disparities and large economic gaps for the purpose of increasing Minnesotans’ literacy and access to high-growth, highwage jobs.
Funding Information
- The total amount of funds available from this program is $2,720,354.
- Maximum Award: Interested parties may request up to $500,000 total in state funds through this Request for Proposals (RFP). The amount of the request should reflect the geographic reach, scale and comprehensiveness of the expertise and services that the grant-supported project will provide. Applicants may only submit one application totaling $500,000.
Grant Period
Anticipated start date of January 2026 through June 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
- The applicant/grantee must be an educational institution, nonprofit organization, private business, community group, a unit of local government including a Tribal Nation, or a labor organization that represents cannabis workers in the state or partnerships between different types of organizations with expertise in the cannabis industry in Minnesota.
- To receive grant funding, an eligible organization must submit a written application to DEED, using a form developed by DEED, explaining the organization’s ability to train individuals for successful careers in the legal cannabis industry, particularly individuals facing barriers to education or employment.
- An eligible organization’s grant application must also include:
- a description of the proposed training;
- an analysis of the degree of demand in the legal cannabis industry for the skills gained through the proposed training;
- any evidence of the organization’s past success in training individuals for successful careers, particularly in new or emerging industries;
- an estimate of the cost of providing the proposed training;
- the sources and amounts of any non-state funds or in-kind contributions that will supplement grant money, including any amounts that individuals will be charged to participate in the training; and
- any additional information requested by the commissioner.
For more information, visit MDEED.
