The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is issuing this Notice of Funding Opportunity to provide funding for programs aimed at supporting small and medium sized manufacturers address workforce attraction and retention challenges.
Donor Name: Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
State: Illinois
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/24/2025
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 3 Years
Details:
Small and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs) face two key workforce challenges: 1) attracting and developing the next generation of skilled workers and 2) creating structured upskilling programs for their employees. The combination of limited resources and staff capacity for human resources (HR) and training, time constraints, and the absence of structured training and career pathway systems create the challenges. This program will be required to implement two interconnected approaches. First, a structured internship support program that will provide templates, trainings, and tools for companies to create systems of training and development for new internship programs. The second component will be a Learning Management System (LMS), a centralized portal of resources to help manufacturers build a strong manufacturing workforce pipeline both in recruiting the next generation and upskilling incumbent workers.
The intended outcome for this grant is to support the creation of a program that supports small and medium sized manufacturers in creating impactful internships and develop a centralized portal for workforce training resources.
Funding Information
Total amount of funding expected to be awarded through this NOFO is $2,600,000.
Grant Period
The period of performance is expected to be May 1, 2025 through September 30, 2027.
Eligibility Criteria
- A Nonprofit Organization
- Serves as the U.S Department of Commerce Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center for Illinois.
For more information, visit DCEO.
