The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), through its Adult Career Pathways Programs, is seeking proposals from qualified responders to provide services through the Southeast Asian Economic Disparities Relief competitive grant.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/28/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Southeast Asian Economic Disparities Relief competitive grant recipients must provide services that relieve economic disparities in the Southeast Asian community through workforce recruitment, development, job creation, assistance to smaller organizations to increase capacity, and outreach.
Priorities
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. Within DEED’s Employment & Training Division, programs will be focused on awarding proposals that place an emphasis on the following:
DEED’s Employment & Training Division programs seek to build an inclusive, skilled workforce and reduce disparities based on race, disability, and gender. Equity priorities to consider are as follows:
- Ensuring that training participants with the most significant barriers to employment have equitable access to training and employment opportunities.
- Ensuring that organizations serving hardest-to-serve populations reflect the community accessing the services and incorporating human-centered design into their programs.
- Reducing and eliminating disparities by empowering all members of our workforce to result in a more equitable and prosperous Minnesota for individuals, families, businesses, and communities.
DEED’s Employment & Training Division recognizes that new solutions must be developed to respond to new and ongoing challenges in our workforce and communities. Examples are:
- Programs that are mission-driven, utilizing best practices while having an innovation mindset to creatively imagine and apply new approaches to success.
- Initiatives that clearly show the development of innovative approaches to outreach and recruitment, reaching those who have been disconnected and disenfranchised from the workforce.
- The design and implementation of new, efficient, and effective systems for workforce development programs that address skills shortages, remove barriers to lifelong learning, and help workers improve their employability.
Performance
DEED’s Employment & Training Division programs are built on a foundation of partnerships, most significantly between program providers and employers to further develop opportunities for participants and increase provider performance.
- Employment/Job Placement: Employer partners that will offer livable wage jobs and job advancement to program participants.
- Job Retention: Programsthat provide intentional support for participants to retain employment and advance in their chosen field.
- Median Earnings: Programs that pursue training and/or development that target industries and jobs with livable wages.
- Credential Attainment Rate: Programs that yield measurable results demonstrated by attainment of foundational skills and industry specific qualifications.
Funding Information
- Amount of funds available is $1,000,0001 per year as authorized in Laws of Minnesota 2025.
- Applicants may apply for up to $200,000 each year, for a maximum of $400,000 total.
Target Populations
Proposals must serve adults who are seeking employment and require assistance to secure and maintain employment. Proposed services must serve individuals of Southeast Asian descent, including but not limited to Hmong, Lao, Vietnamese, Karen/Karenni, Filipino, Burmese, and/or Cambodian communities.
Eligible participants for this program must be:
- Minnesota Resident and
- Authorized to work in the United States and
- 18 years of age or older at the time of enrollment and
- Not enrolled in any K-12 school
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible organizations must provide services to relieve economic disparities in the Southeast Asian community and be one of the following:
- Nonprofit organization
- State or local government units, including Tribal governments
- Community action agencies
- Business organizations or trade associations
- Alternative secondary institutions or post-secondary institutions
- Labor organizations
Applicant organizations and their partners must have a registration in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Nonprofit organizations must have 501(c)(3) status or other recognized tax-exempt designation and be in good standing with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). All applicants must have a physical location open to the public at designated times, in the State of Minnesota.
For more information, visit DEED.
