The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of grant funds for The Reentry Employment in Skilled Trades, Advanced Manufacturing, Registered Apprenticeships, and Training (RESTART) Initiative.
Donor Name: Employment and Training Administration
State: All States
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/15/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: 4 Years
Details:
RESTART supports the advancement of workforce readiness skills and the attainment of employment for ex-offenders across three populations: youth (ages 15-17 years old), young adults (ages 18-24 years old), and adults (ages 25 years old and above). Funds will be awarded to eligible entities to develop programs to train ex-offenders for high-need American jobs and assist them in being productive contributors to the U.S. economy. This initiative provides those with criminal records and criminal justice-system contact placement into trainings that support in-demand industries, and it provides funding for services that evidence-based research suggests increase the likelihood of successful employment outcomes. Such training and employment services include: robust assessment of prior learning and skills; pre-apprenticeships; work-based learning through On-the-Job Training and Registered Apprenticeships; artificial intelligence (AI), digital literacy, and financial literacy training; credential attainment; paid work experiences; unsubsidized employment placement; developing and deploying learning and employment records (LER) or comprehensive learner record (CLR) solutions where feasible including connecting corrections education with existing state LER and CLR efforts; credit for prior learning and acceleration solutions for rapid entry into postsecondary credentialing opportunities; and relevant skills training for high-demand sectors such as advanced manufacturing and the maritime sector.
The purpose of this program is to prepare youth, young adults, and adults with criminal legal histories, young adults who have been incarcerated or involved in the criminal justice system, and young adults who have dropped out of school or other educational programs for employment. Preparation for employment under this program will align with the workforce development efforts of the Trump Administration, including but not limited to: the five pillars of the U.S. Departments of Labor, Commerce, Education’s blueprint for talent development, “America’s Talent Strategy: Equipping American Workers for the Golden Age” and President Trump’s Executive Order 14269, Executive Order 14278, Executive Order 14277, and Executive Order 14332.
Goals and Objectives
The goals of the RESTART grant are to:
- Make communities safer by reducing crime and decreasing rates of recidivism among reentrants;
- Increase the number of workers with the skills necessary to enter job sectors with high workforce needs, aligned to the labor market demands of states and regions, such as the manufacturing, maritime, and other transportation industries;
- Develop partnerships and pathways that lead directly to sustainable, high-wage employment and placements in Registered Apprenticeships, contributing to the Trump Administration’s efforts to reach and surpass 1 million new active apprentices; and
- Equip these populations with basic proficiencies, digital, financial, and AI literacy trainings, and other tools to become productive, responsible, and law-abiding members of society.
Funding Information
- $1,000,000 – 1,499,999
- $1,500,000 – 1,999,999
- $2,000,000 – 2,499,999
- $2,500,000 – 2,999,999
- $3,000,000 – 3,499,999
- $3,500,000 – 3,999,999
- $4,000,000 – 4,499,999
- $4,500,000 – 4,999,999
- $5,000,000 – 5,100,000
Project Period
42 months.
Eligibility Criteria
Participants eligible to receive services provided through this program may fall within three categories: (1) youth, (2) young adults, or (3) adults.
For youth-serving programs, eligible participants must:
- Be at least 15 years old and not older than 17 years of age on the date of enrollment;
- Reside in the applicant’s targeted geographic area, or plan to return to the area upon release from incarceration; and
- Have left a school or other educational program prior to completion or have current or past involvement with the juvenile or adult criminal justice system, defined as:
- Current or previous incarceration or arrest;
- Under the supervision of the criminal justice system, either in out-of-home placements (e.g., residential reentry centers), on probation, or on parole;
- Alternative sentence by the juvenile or adult criminal justice system; or
- Diversionary program of the juvenile or adult criminal justice system.
- If they have NO criminal justice system contact, NO history of having left a school or other educational program prior to completion, but have been referred due to displaying at least one of the following risk factors:
- Attend or attended an alternative high school for disciplinary reasons;
- Gang membership (current or prior);
- Parent who is currently or formerly incarcerated; or
- Substance abuse
For young-adult-serving programs, eligible participants must:
- Be at least 18 years old and not older than 24 on the date of enrollment;
- Reside in the applicant’s targeted geographic area, or plan to return to the area upon release from incarceration; and
- Have current or past involvement with the juvenile or adult criminal justice system, defined as:
- Current or previous incarceration or arrest;
- Under the supervision of the criminal justice system, either in out-of-home placements (e.g., residential reentry centers), on probation, or on parole;
- Alternative sentence by the juvenile or adult criminal justice system; or
- Diversionary program of the juvenile or adult criminal justice system.
For adult-serving programs, eligible participants must:
- Be at least 25 years old on the date of enrollment;
- Reside in the applicant’s targeted geographic area, or plan to return to the area upon release from incarceration; and
- Have had juvenile or adult criminal justice system contact, defined as one of the following:
- Current incarceration in a state correctional facility, federal correctional institution, or local or county jail for adults;
- Previous incarceration in a state correctional facility, federal correctional institution, or local or county jail and released anytime after March 31, 2020;
- Under the supervision of the criminal justice system, either in out-of-home placements (e.g., residential reentry centers), on probation, or on parole;
- Current alternative sentence by the adult criminal justice system; or,
- Current diversionary program of the adult criminal justice system
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
