Request for Proposals: Equity Workforce Training Implementation

Preference is given to three-year projects to allow time to solidify the program and address initial challenges, however two-year proposals up to $800,000 will be considered.

Yes, applicants may use the grant for up to six months of additional program planning, set-up, and recruitment. Successful applicants will propose projects that involve active participants during the first program year.

Program costs may vary from year to year. Some examples include the purchase of significant equipment in year one, or program plans that project to grow training cohort capacity across the grant years. These variations and others are acceptable and, in many cases, strategic. Applicants should detail the rationale and strategy in their proposal and budget narrative to ensure reviewers have clarity about their plans.

Yes, a non-profit with a 501(c) designation is eligible to apply, so long as they meet the other eligibility requirements. These funds must be used for the eligible uses listed in the RFP and cannot be used for lobbying.

This funding is intended to stimulate entry of underrepresented individuals into the Clean Energy Workforce and into pathways that lead to occupations in Climate Critical Sectors, which includes certain types of engineers. Pathways may involve programs such as job training programs, apprenticeships, certificate programs, 2-year degrees, and 4-year degrees. This funding is not intended to provide full college scholarships. However, this funding can be used to implement the social support, education, and training of eligible individuals from targeted populations, which may include offsetting training and course fees, providing participant stipends, subsidizing wages for on-the-job training, etc. See Section VII of the RFP for further details on eligible uses.

Yes, applicants are asked to leverage other resources, which may include federal grants and other matching sources of funding and/or funding that will continue after funds from this grant are expended to ensure the sustainability of the proposed program.

Yes, especially female Veterans, since they are underrepresented currently. Male veterans have moderate representation in the Clean Energy Workforce, but if their designation as a Veteran is in addition to being a member of an EJ Neighborhood, Federally Recognized or State Acknowledged Tribe, or Fossil Fuel Worker, it will be viewed favorably.

Yes, as long as the MOUs indicate either some level of commitment by the trade association and its members to interview program graduates for placement in appropriate positions, or an outright commitment to hire graduates. The MOUs are intended to demonstrate and solidify a clear potential for entry into the Clean Energy Workforce through the training programs.

Through this solicitation, MassCEC may award some Planning Grants to those applicants that have a good concept but do not demonstrate the capacity to implement that concept at this stage. In addition, MassCEC plans to open another round of Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grants in early 2023.

No, there are no specific limits on types of wraparound support services to be provided via these programs. Working with marginalized and underrepresented communities often requires comprehensive and holistic support services to ensure success, so those proposals with thoughtful wraparound support service plans will likely score more favorably.

Programs leading to attainment of a professional credential or a college degree or earning articulated credits may result in a more favorable score, but this is not a requirement under this solicitation, as certain occupation pathways do not align directly with college courses.

No, however the amount requested must be reasonable within the context of the job training program, and all equipment must be designated for use within the program. Acquisition of equipment for general operating purposes is not an acceptable use of this funding.

MassCEC is very interested in the supply chain related to Clean Energy Tech, such as the OSW and blue economy supply chain. Funding from this solicitation could be used to train individuals from targeted populations to enter jobs related to those supply chains, however directly supporting decarbonization projects does not qualify as an acceptable use of these funds. Other RFP opportunities and departments at MassCEC may be a more appropriate match for those projects.

Yes, organizations that have received prior funding from MassCEC are still eligible to respond to this solicitation, so long as the proposed program is separate and distinct from the programs supported by the prior funding. Expansion of an existing proven program to include new target populations or upskilling the delivered curriculum may be viewed as separate and distinct; extending and sustaining the existing program without any impactful changes will not be viewed as separate and distinct.

Yes, funds can be used to cover the salaries and benefits of staff delivering services related to the program. While it is not a specific requirement for a grantee to retain staff brought on for the program after the term of the grant, those applications that include plans to leverage other resources to sustain the program following the term of the grant may score more favorably.

We are looking for both educational and employer partners to deliver training and secure job placements for participants. The proposal must have a comprehensive placement strategy that includes job development staff and commitment from two employer partners. We encourage applicants to connect with partners experienced with recruiting in historically marginalized communities to ensure participation from target populations. 

Employers can reach out to existing planning grantees setting up training programs to ensure mutual understanding of the benefits and barriers of hiring program graduates. Partnerships can develop alignment between the training curriculum and employer expectations for qualifications of participants that increase likelihood of job placement. 

Yes, grantees will have opportunities to participate in community of practice cohort meetings hosted by MassCEC.

Yes, we encourage partnerships with entities that have sufficient experience in setting up and deploying workforce development training programs or organizations that have extensive clean energy sector experience to ensure that the combined partnership offers the comprehensive range of skills and knowledge necessary to stand up clean energy workforce development programs. 

Yes, funding can be used for upskilling training programs for middle management occupations if the individuals being trained are from target populations and are being placed in the climate critical sectors listed in the RFP.

The applicant must specify which of the four target populations listed on the RFP will participate in the training pipeline. The target populations are Environmental Justice Neighborhoods and Low-Income Neighborhoods, Federally Recognized and State-Acknowledged Tribes, Fossil Fuel Workers, and other underrepresented communities in the clean energy sector.

MassCEC will be tracking unique individuals participating. In the charts reflecting number of participants each year, it is best to show each individual at the point of intake or the point of completion, not cumulatively across years. For example, if 3 individuals are onboarded each year, the chart would show 3 | 3 | 3, not 3 | 6 | 9. Please note in the program design or other relevant section that the individuals will remain in the program across multiple years.

Letters of support and MOUs must include, at the minimum, a commitment from employers to interview program graduates upon training completion. Employers who commit to match funds and fees for the training may be viewed more favorably. Letters of support that demonstrate the employer demand of the occupations in which the participants are training for may also be sufficient in proving commitment for partnerships.

The application form does support the inclusion of graphs and charts. Applicants should turn diagrams into a picture and embed them in relevant sections of the application form. Applicants should be mindful of word count limits and deduct the estimated number of words in a diagram from the affected word limit. Supplementary materials will not be considered in the application.

Applicants must submit the application form in Word or PDF.  The application form was created in Word, but applicants can certainly work in another program and save the final product as a PDF.  The uploaded PDF should reflect the general format and word limits, but MassCEC doesn’t have any restrictions about how to produce that.  Also, if applicants have any technical difficulties, our team monitors the worforce@masscec.com inbox and is accustomed to providing troubleshooting support about the logistics of the application process.

MassCEC is compiling a list of potential applicants interested in networking and partnerships for the open Workforce Equity grants. View the list here. Sign up to the partnership list by sending your contact name, contact info, type of organization, and focus sector to workforce@masscec.com.

Preference is given to Lead Applicants who can handle the administration of the contract if awarded by MassCEC, which includes sending invoice requests, deliverables, and program status updates to MassCEC.