Postsecondary Perkins Title I Leadership Grant - Federal CTE

The Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) has announced the Fiscal Year 2026 Perkins Leadership Grant under the Perkins Title I Leadership program. The ICCB is the state agency responsible for the oversight, coordination, and funding of the Illinois community college system. This funding opportunity is designed to advance career and technical education (CTE) throughout Illinois by supporting leadership projects aligned with state and national initiatives under the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, also known as Perkins V. The purpose of the program is to strengthen and innovate CTE programming at community colleges, with a focus on improving student success, aligning pathways between secondary and postsecondary institutions, and expanding access to high-quality workforce development programs. The total funding available for this grant program is $1,000,000, with awards ranging from $50,000 to $150,000. Between six and twenty awards are anticipated, depending on budget requests. The grant period will run from January 15, 2026, through June 30, 2027. Funds are federal in origin and recipients must adhere to federal and state guidelines. Indirect costs are allowed but capped at 5 percent of the total award amount. Matching funds are not required, though in some cases applicants are encouraged to leverage other resources to enhance programming. All funds must be obligated by June 30, 2027, with goods and products received by August 31, 2027, and all services rendered by June 30, 2027. Eligible applicants for this program are community colleges within the State of Illinois. Applicants may select only one objective for their proposal. The objectives include incentivizing alignment of the College and Career Pathway Endorsements framework with postsecondary programs of study, enhancing student-centered support services for CTE students, or expanding innovative delivery models for instruction. Each objective carries specific allowable activities, such as incentivizing enrollment in endorsed pathways, providing targeted student support services like advising or transportation assistance, or piloting innovative delivery models such as blended or competency-based education. Equipment and technology purchases are permitted only if directly tied to an innovative delivery model. Applications must include a completed Uniform Grant Application, an application narrative of no more than twelve pages, and a proposed budget using the Uniform Budget template. The narrative must describe project information, statement of need, goals and expected outcomes, work plan with timeline, partnerships, applicant capacity, and a contingency plan. Partnerships are highly encouraged and may include high school districts, employers, community-based organizations, and other relevant stakeholders. For Objective 1, partnerships with at least one high school and the Education Systems Center at Northern Illinois University are required. Applications must be submitted electronically to ICCB.cte@illinois.gov by October 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. No paper copies will be accepted. Proposals will be evaluated through a merit-based review using specific scoring criteria. Applications will be judged on clarity of project information, demonstrated need, project goals and performance indicators, alignment of the work plan with objectives, strength of partnerships, institutional capacity, and the presence of a contingency plan. Priority points will be awarded to colleges whose Federal Perkins Basic allocation is less than $250,000. All applicants, whether funded or not, will be notified of outcomes. Successful applicants will be required to submit quarterly programmatic and fiscal reports, participate in operational meetings, and provide student success stories or deliverables such as documents or toolkits developed through the grant. A bidder’s conference will be held on September 11, 2025, to provide technical assistance, and additional guidance will be available throughout the grant period. Questions about the application process must be submitted electronically to ICCB.cte@illinois.gov and responses will be posted in an FAQ on the ICCB website. The primary agency contact is Janelle Washington, Senior Director for Career and Technical Education, who can be reached at janelle.washington@illinois.gov or by phone at (217) 785-0068. Applicants must also be pre-qualified in the Illinois GATA Grantee Portal, maintain an active registration in the federal SAM system, and provide a Unique Entity Identifier number to be eligible for funding.

Applicants should use templates, address all elements clearly, and include strong partnerships