Upskill: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant Program

The Upskill: NJ Incumbent Worker Training Grant is a workforce development initiative administered by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL). The program is designed to strengthen New Jersey's workforce by helping employers train their current employees in high-demand skills. Funded through the Workforce Development Partnership Fund, the FY2026 cycle of this competitive grant program supports both single employers and industry-specific consortiums seeking to enhance the skillsets of frontline incumbent workers. The Department emphasizes that the goal of this funding is to increase the competitiveness of businesses and promote employee advancement, not to subsidize compliance training or orientation for new hires. This program reimburses up to 50% of training costs for eligible training formats, including third-party classroom training, on-the-job training (OJT), and company in-house training. Reimbursable costs include tuition, textbooks, software, and credentialing fees, although online training access fees are excluded. For OJT and in-house training, reimbursement is based on 50% of the trainee’s base wages. Third-party training providers must be located within New Jersey. Employers may apply for up to $1,000,000 per round, and a maximum of two awards per fiscal year is allowed. A total of $7,000,000 in funding is available for FY2026. Eligible applicants include New Jersey-based single employers, consortiums (including employer organizations, unions, community-based and faith-based organizations, or educational institutions), and public entities. However, seasonal, part-time, temporary, commission-based, and 1099 roles are ineligible. To apply, all employers must provide a tax clearance certificate from the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Applicants must also submit a long-range Human Resource Development Plan, a training narrative, a completed FY26 Program Conditions Form, and other required documentation through NJDOL’s IGX portal. The grant application process involves three formal steps. First, the Authorized Official must register or update their business profile in the IGX system. Second, a completed Letter of Intent (LOI), including a list of participating companies and third-party trainers (if applicable), must be submitted via email by the designated deadlines. Third, once LOI approval is confirmed, the full application, including detailed training and budget plans, must be submitted online through IGX. Applications will be scored based on the quality of the Human Resource Development Plan (up to 20 points) and responses to four narrative questions (up to 80 points). Applications are reviewed competitively in three rounds during FY2026. Submission deadlines are as follows: Round 1 closes October 22, 2025; Round 2 closes December 31, 2025; and Round 3 closes April 1, 2026. Panel review begins shortly after each deadline. Funding announcements follow panel recommendations and Commissioner approval. Funded applicants must begin training promptly and submit monthly progress and payment reports. Final expenditure reports are due within 30 business days of the contract end date. Grantees must retain trained employees for at least six months post-training, and those who relocate out of New Jersey within three years must repay the grant.

Ensure IGX registration is accurate; submit LOI by deadline with correct FEIN; retain employees for 6 months post-training; invoice 30% of award within 6 months; contact BR before final report