The purpose of this federal grant is to assist school districts in improving secondary-level programs that meet Massachusetts's expectations for Career and Technical Education and career-connected learning, defined by the Massachusetts State Plan for implementing the federal Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act P.L. 115-224 (Perkins V).
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is guided by its educational vision where:
All students in Massachusetts, particularly students from historically underserved groups and communities, will have equitable opportunities to excel in all content areas across all grades.
Culturally and linguistically sustaining classroom and school practices will support students to thrive by creating affirming environments where students have a sense of belonging, engage in deeper learning, and are held to high expectations with targeted support.
DESE partners with districts, schools, and programs to:
Cultivate systems to support the whole student and foster joyful, healthy, and supportive learning environments so that all students feel valued, connected, nourished, and ready to learn. Strategic Objective 1 — "Whole Student"
Promote deeper learning so that all students engage in grade-level work that is real-world, relevant, and interactive. Strategic Objective 2 — "Deeper Learning"
Develop and sustain a workforce that is diverse, culturally responsive, well-prepared, and committed to continuous improvement, so that all students have equitable access to effective educators. Strategic Objective 3 — "Diverse and Effective Workforce"
Applicants for this grant opportunity should be intentional in the use of grant funds to support at least one of these strategic objectives.
The priority is to close the achievement gap on the Perkins core indicators of performance for populations who are chronically unemployed or underemployed, including special populations. Note: A minimum of 20% of the allocation funds must be used for secondary-postsecondary linkage activities and services.
A postsecondary institution is eligible to receive funds based on criteria established by the United States Department of Education (USED). Postsecondary institutions must offer Career Technical Education programs that comply with the various elements of Perkins V. In addition, recipients must develop a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment. Grants are awarded to programs after the state reviews and approves its grant application.
Federal CFDA 84.048Federal grant funds must adhere to:
FY25 FC 0401 Perkins V Postsecondary Allocations — Approximately $4,531,866 is available.
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Allocation funds must be used in accordance with Perkins V. Funds shall supplement and not supplant non-Federal funds.
Upon Approval* – 06/30/2025
* The grant start date cannot be prior to DESE receiving a substantially approvable Application Submission as directed in this RFP's Submission Instructions. Goods and Services cannot be procured prior to Grants receiving and approving an application submission. Funds cannot exceed the project duration end date.
Resource Allocation Strategy and Planning
Federal Grant Programs
(781) 338-6230
Monday, September 23, 2024
Community Colleges eligible to receive Perkins Postsecondary funds are required to take an additional step to obtain funds through the Interdepartmental Service Agreement (ISA) process. This process will add 4 to 6 weeks to the process timeline. Therefore, it is important to keep this in mind, and submit your completed application in a timely fashion.
FY25 Federal Grant Assurances — The FY25 Federal Grant Assurances Signature Page (Page 1 only) must be completed and signed by the Superintendent/Executive Director and uploaded in GEM$ in the LEA Document Library under Assurances, in folder Federal Entitlement Grant Assurances. We cannot approve any federal entitlement grants without a signed, properly dated and uploaded Federal Grant Assurance signature page.
The information below is intended for Community Colleges that require ISAs as part of their grant award process.
Once the grant is through the DESE Program Approved step of the workflow in GEM$, an ISA document will be generated by Grants Management based on the ISA section/ budget tags entered. The ISA document will be uploaded into GEM$ as part of the grant file for the applicant to sign. Once signed by the applicant DESE signs. This fully executed ISA will then be attached to the GEM$ application (as a comment). The grant will then be moved through DESE fiscal approved. The grant cannot be DESE fiscal approved without a signed ISA. The ISA process applies only to Community Colleges.
Additional resources:
Resource Guide on Required Use of Funds — The Six Categories of Required Use of Funds (Section 135(b)) and Examples of How They Can Be Met
Resource Guide — Allowable Costs for Strengthening Career and Technical Education Entitlement Grants
Quick Reference Guide — Perkins Postsecondary Allowable and Unallowable Costs
Quick Reference Guide — Perkins V Funding and High-Quality College and Career Pathways (HQCCP)
Massachusetts Perkins V Manual
Prenatal through Young Adulthood Family Engagement Framework in Massachusetts
Grants for Schools: Getting Them and Using Them, A Procedural Manual
Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR)
The FY2025 Fund Code 0401 Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Postsecondary Allocation Grant must be completed and submitted in the Grants for Education Management System (GEM$).
Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: May 10, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.