Agriculture Workforce Competitive Grant Program 2026-2027

The Growing Careers: Agriculture Workforce Competitive Grant is administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) through its Office of Adult Career Pathways (ACP). The ACP supports adults at all stages of career development, especially those facing systemic barriers to employment, by funding workforce training programs that provide education, support services, and job placement. The Growing Careers grant program is designed to address workforce development needs within Minnesota's agriculture sector, focusing on occupations in demand and promoting equity through inclusive service delivery. This grant program is funded under Minnesota Statute 116L.17 and authorized by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board, with a total available funding pool of $2.4 million. Applicants can request up to $500,000 per project. The funding period runs from the date of agreement execution through June 30, 2027. Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis, with consideration given to geographic and community equity to ensure a broad statewide impact. DEED reserves the right to award partial funding to maximize regional service distribution. All awarded funds must be used to deliver workforce-related services that align with agriculture-sector job training and placement. Applicants must be organizations registered and in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State, with physical locations accessible to the public in Minnesota. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) or similar tax-exempt status, state or local government units (including tribal governments), community action agencies, labor organizations, and 501(c)(6) business or trade associations. Only one proposal may be submitted per organization as the primary grantee, though multiple partnerships are encouraged and may appear in other submissions. To qualify, participants must be dislocated workers per Minnesota Statute 116L.17. This includes individuals permanently separated from employment, long-term unemployed, veterans, displaced homemakers, low-income adults, and others with substantial employment barriers. All participants must be Minnesota residents, authorized to work in the U.S., and not enrolled in K-12 education. The grant supports services such as employment counseling, skills assessments, training (short- and long-term), paid internships, on-the-job training, and support services such as transportation and food assistance. Funded programs must directly support entry into agriculture-specific or agriculture-relevant employment. The application period opens June 2, 2025. Applications are due by July 17, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. CST. An informational webinar will be held June 16, 2025. All questions must be submitted in writing by July 11, 2025, and responses will be published on DEED’s website. Award notifications are expected by August 27, 2025, with grant agreements to follow. Proposals are evaluated on a 100-point scale across seven sections: organizational capacity, program description, implementation workplan, outreach, partnerships, performance evaluation, and budget. Proposals must include multiple completed forms, including narrative responses, workplans, budget tables, partnership documentation, financial certifications, and organizational capacity assessments. Contact for the grant is Vanessa Roman, Lead ACP Program Coordinator. Email: Vanessa.Roman@state.mn.us. All applications must be submitted in PDF format via email to ACPgrants.deed@state.mn.us by the posted deadline. Any applications received after this date will not be considered. Selected applicants will undergo post-award financial and capacity review in accordance with Minnesota state law.

Applicants should prioritize strong partnerships, submit complete PDF by deadline, and align services with agriculture job market.