The Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) Board, through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), is soliciting grant applications for grant funding for new and incumbent worker training programs.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
State: Minnesota, Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 01/20/2026
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
MJSP will accept applications for the Partnership and Pathways Programs. A “Short Form” application is available for grants under $50,000. In addition, applications for Pre-Development grants for the Partnership Program will be considered. DEED is committed to empowering the growth of the Minnesota economy for everyone. DEED facilitates an economic environment to produce jobs and improve the quality of the state’s workforce.
Partnership Program: The purpose of the Partnership Program is to act as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provide training for new or incumbent workers. Funds are used to develop and deliver training that is specific to business needs.
Pathways Program: The purpose of the Pathways Program is to act as a catalyst between business and education in developing cooperative training projects that provide training, new jobs and career paths for individuals who are at or below 200% of federal poverty guidelines or those who are making the transition from public assistance to the workforce.
Priorities
MJSP recognizes the importance of reducing disparities and is committed to encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. For both the Partnership and Pathways programs, preference will be given to institutions that serve economically disadvantaged people, people of color, people with disabilities, or those who are victims of economic dislocation, and to businesses located in rural areas. Additionally, MJSP strongly encourages and prioritizes proposals that include training related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In addition, further preference will be given to Pathways projects that:
- Provide employment with paid benefits for employees.
- Provide employment where there are defined career paths for trainees.
- Pilot the development of an educational pathway that can be used on a continuing basis, which helps people make the transition from public assistance directly to work.
- Demonstrate the active participation of Department of Employment and Economic Development CareerForce centers, community-based organizations that serve Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, and local human service agencies. It is the policy of the State of Minnesota to ensure fairness, precision, equity, and consistency in competitive grant awards. This includes implementing diversity and inclusion in grant-making.
Funding Information
- Approximately $5.5 million is available for distribution for SFY 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).
- The maximum grant award for the Partnership and Pathways programs is $500,000. A Short-Form application is available for Partnership or Pathways grant requests under $50,000. The maximum grant award for Pre-Development grants is $49,999.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants for Partnership, Pathways, and Pre-Development grants are post-secondary educational institutions/training providers within the state that are accredited through institutional or specialized accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation
- Eligible Pathways applicants also include workforce development intermediaries partnering with an accredited provider of training. Workforce development intermediaries are defined as public, private, or nonprofit entities that provide employment services to low-income individuals and have a demonstrated track record bringing together employers and workers, private and public funding streams, and other stakeholders to implement pathways to career advancement for low-income individuals. Entities may include, but are not limited to, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, or the administrative entity of a local workforce service area.
- All eligible Partnership and Pathways projects must also include the active participation of one or more Minnesota businesses. The project must involve training that is an area of employment need. Training must consist primarily of new or customized curriculum that is specific to participating business needs and must be provided primarily by accredited Minnesota training institutions. A participating business is limited to one active grant in each grant program at any given time, with the exception of businesses that have multiple locations or businesses engaged in projects that involve a consortium of businesses.
- Pathways funds may only be used to train individuals who are making a transition from public assistance to work or individuals at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines.
- Pre-Development grant applications must include the active participation of private employers within the state and must demonstrate that the grant will be used to increase the applicant’s knowledge in the areas of employment need, skills training, and education for the purpose of developing a Partnership grant proposal for a project that will address education and skills training for high wage, high growth, and high skill occupations, businesses and industries. In addition, a pre-development grant application should demonstrate that the training institution will develop a significant amount of new capacity. Eligible applicants are post-secondary educational institutions/training providers within the state that are accredited through institutional or specialized accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Very few projects qualify for pre-development funds. As such, any potential pre-development grant applications should be discussed with MJSP staff prior to the submission of a proposal.
For more information, visit DEED.
