Green Jobs for Youth - Skills Training

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), through its Office of Environmental Justice, has released the Green Jobs for Youth – Skills Training Round 2 funding opportunity. This program provides financial support to Tribal organizations and not-for-profit community-based organizations that serve Disadvantaged Communities and Potential Environmental Justice Areas within New York State. The initiative is part of the broader Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which prioritizes climate equity, workforce readiness, and a just transition to green industries. The program is designed to prepare New York youth aged 17 to 24 in environmental justice communities for emerging careers in clean energy, conservation, and other green sectors. The funder, DEC, carries a mission of conserving, improving, and protecting the natural resources of New York while addressing air, water, and land pollution. Its Office of Environmental Justice operates to mitigate environmental burdens in underserved communities and create pathways to equity and resilience. Through this grant, DEC aims to create opportunities for young people to acquire nationally recognized certifications or other skill credentials in high-demand green fields, while establishing partnerships with employers that lead to direct job placement and career development. The program has an estimated total of $4,000,000 available, sourced from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund. Applicants may request between $100,000 and $250,000, with awards structured to support as many eligible projects as possible, sometimes through partial funding. Each project must be designed to operate within a 36-month contract period running from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. Allowable expenses include personal services, curriculum development, training costs, equipment, wraparound support services such as transportation and childcare, recruitment, and participant stipends. Ineligible expenses include overhead, indirect costs, and any costs incurred outside of the project term. Eligible applicants must be not-for-profit corporations incorporated in New York with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and an annual revenue under $5 million, or recognized Tribal organizations with territory overlapping New York State. All not-for-profits must be registered and prequalified in the Statewide Financial System Grants Management portal by the submission deadline. Applicants must also provide proof of their environmental justice focus, confirm good standing with DEC, and complete mandatory certifications including sexual harassment prevention and Executive Order 16 compliance. Fiscal sponsorship arrangements and collaborative partnerships are permitted, with appropriate documentation. The application process requires online submission through the Statewide Financial System Grants Management portal. Key required elements include a project title, short description, full program narrative, training curriculum, recruitment and retention plan, partnerships with employers, wraparound support strategy, budget, work plan, and timeline. Supporting materials such as partnership letters, maps of disadvantaged communities served, proof of site control, and optional letters of support are part of the submission. Applications will be scored based on environmental justice alignment, quality of the training program, accessibility, partnerships, cost-effectiveness, and work plan. The application period opens on September 25, 2025, with a webinar scheduled for October 1, 2025. The question and answer period closes on December 31, 2025, and final applications are due on January 28, 2026, at 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Awards are anticipated to be announced in the second quarter of 2026, between April and June. The designated contact for program questions is Alexis Jones, Program Manager at DEC’s Office of Environmental Justice, reachable at ejgrants@dec.ny.gov or 518-402-8556. Technical assistance for the application portal is provided through the SFS Help Desk at helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov.

Submit early (48+ hours before deadline), ensure SFS prequalification is completed, provide detailed responses to scoring criteria, include letters of support for extra points.