Grants and Other Financial Assistance Programs

FY2025: Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant

Fund Code: 0412

Purpose:

The purpose of this competitive Career and Technical Education (CTE) Partnership Grant is to support regional and local partnerships to expand existing and/or develop new CTE programs and initiatives that increase student access to CTE opportunities, primarily through more effective use and integration of existing capacity and resources. Services provided are to supplement currently funded local, state, and federal programs.

Priorities:

Priority will be given to applicants that:

Provide students access to Chapter 74 level programming at career technical education districts serving Gateway Cities* where access to admittance into the regional career technical high school that serves that Gateway City is limited by oversubscription relative to capacity.
Can demonstrate success in providing high-quality Chapter 74 state-approved technical education programs.
Establish and implement program models and action plans that will increase student seats and access to Career Technical Education (CTE) training for jobs that are in demand and aligned with current labor market data.
Demonstrate current and future active collaboration with secondary and postsecondary as well as industry and workforce development partners.
Convene regional/local partners to expand existing and/or develop new CTE programs and initiatives that increase student access to CTE opportunities.
Leverage the use of existing resources among the participating partners, to maximize capacity, impact, and sustainability.
Serve traditionally underserved populations.
Provide students with a sequence of courses that will lead to technical skill proficiency, an industry-recognized credential, and/or an associate degree.
Propose a concrete strategy for sustainability as an educational option for students upon conclusion of Implementation funding.
Propose new or expanded partnerships.

Competitive priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.

* The Massachusetts Legislature defines 26 Gateway Cities in the Commonwealth: Attleboro, Barnstable, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Peabody, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Taunton, Westfield, and Worcester.

Eligibility:

Eligible applicants include Districts, Charters, or Collaboratives. Please identify and indicate in the application which partner will serve as project lead for this initiative.

Partner agencies may include employers, school consortia, educational collaboratives, community colleges, other publicly funded educational institutions, workforce development boards, or community-based organizations that provide publicly funded educational services but cannot include private proprietary schools or private postsecondary institutions. Applicants must identify proposed partners in this planning grant.

Applicants may pursue funding to plan or to implement a CTE Partnership, but Implementation awards are not contingent on prior receipt of Planning Grant funding.

Please note that DESE will consider applications from previous recipients of CTE Partnership Planning and/or Implementation funding.

Funding Type:

State Line Item 7035-0001

Funding:

Approximately $2,500,000 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.

Eligible applicants may apply for funds for one (1) planning grant and/or one (1) implementation grant.

Please Note: This competitive grant opportunity is not intended to fund Innovation Career Pathways. There are other funds dedicated for that initiative.

This grant opportunity is also not intended to fund the development of new Chapter 74 state-approved career technical education programs.

Project Duration:

Choose one:

Upon approval (but no earlier than July 1, 2024) – June 30, 2025
January 1, 2025 (or upon approval) – June 30, 2025

Fund Use:

Grant funds must be used to plan or implement programs/activities/initiatives that will increase student seats and student access to CTE pathways/programs, particularly for underserved populations and students residing in Gateway Cities where the regional technical high school serving that Gateway City is oversubscribed. All implementation activities must be appropriate and consistent with all applicable state and federal requirements.

Planning funds may be used for:

Stipends to support convening and planning;
Consultant and contract fees to provide planning-related professional development; and
Other costs that are negotiated with the Department.

Implementation funds may be used for:

Staffing costs necessary to implement the proposed program/activity;
Consultant and contract fees necessary to implement the proposed program/activity;
Supplies and equipment necessary to implement the program;
Transportation costs that are not otherwise reimbursed via the regional school transportation program (subject to Massachusetts legislative appropriation); and
Other costs that are negotiated with the Department.

Grantees may not use funds to supplant local resources.

Program Unit:

Office for College, Career, and Technical Education

Contact:

Lawrence DeSalvatore

Date Due:

Applicants should choose one:

Option 1: Completed grant proposals must be submitted to the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, May 10, 2024*.
Option 2: Completed grant proposals must be submitted to the Department via GEM$ by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 18, 2024*.

*All responses must be fully submitted by the due date listed above. A grant is considered submitted when it is at the LEA Superintendent Approved Stage in GEM$.

Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. ET on the date due.

*All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.

Required Forms:

Please upload signed letters of commitment from any partners

Additional Information:

Questions and Answers — Applicants can find all the questions asked regarding this funding opportunity and DESE's response at Chapter 74 Partnership Program (also known as "After Dark").

Final Report:

Recipients will be required to submit a final report on or before September 30, 2025. The final report must include:

Planning

The outcomes of the planning process; and
How the grantee used the funds.

Implementation

A summary of implementation outcomes, including the number of seats added; expected long-term program outcomes; and potential for replication;
Challenges encountered during implementation;
Any plans to institutionalize, continue or scale up the program or project;
A description of the how the implementation grant addressed the priorities identified in this Request for Proposals;
What support/resources might be necessary to replicate or expand these programs/activities; and
How the grantee used the funds.

GEM$ Submission Instructions:

The FY25 Fund Code 0412 Career and Technical Education Partnership Grant Application will be submitted in GEM$, DESE's cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system.

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. To be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by one of the due dates listed above.

The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature, will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.

Please Note: Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.

Failure to provide DESE with GEMS Request Form at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.

Last Updated: August 28, 2024