Manufacturing Training Academies

The Manufacturing Training Academies Grant Program, administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), is designed to fund the establishment of advanced manufacturing workforce training facilities at downstate Illinois community colleges. This initiative aligns with the Illinois Economic Growth Plan, aiming to support regional economic development by investing in capital projects that foster training in high-demand manufacturing sectors such as life sciences, microelectronics, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and ag tech. This round represents the program’s second competitive cycle, following initial awards made in 2021. With $24 million in state capital funds allocated under Public Act 104-0003, DCEO anticipates issuing up to six awards, split across two grant tiers and two regions. The program offers two funding tiers to accommodate varying community college district capacities. Tier 1 grants are capped at $3 million and are intended for smaller districts with limited resources, while Tier 2 grants offer up to $6 million for larger-scale projects. Each eligible applicant may submit proposals for both tiers but will be limited to a single award. DCEO expects to fund two Tier 1 and one Tier 2 project in each of the Central and Southern regions of Illinois. Only community colleges located outside of Cook County and the surrounding collar counties are eligible. Districts that received awards in the program's first round—namely, Southwestern Illinois College, Heartland Community College, Kankakee Community College, and Richland Community College—are not eligible for this round. Funded projects must involve capital improvements such as new construction or durable equipment purchases. They are expected to establish specialized training programs that fill gaps in regional workforce offerings and meet the needs of local manufacturing employers. The programs should include flexible training models like open-entry/open-exit, apprenticeship, and incumbent worker programs. Training curricula must align with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) 2024–2028 Strategic Plan and applicable regional WIOA plans, with emphasis on data-driven development through collaboration with employer-led sector partnerships or local economic development organizations. Applicants must be community college districts listed in the eligible regions and must be registered in the Illinois GATA Grantee Portal with valid federal identifiers (UEI, SAM), and must not be listed on federal or state exclusion lists. The grant does not allow indirect costs or pre-award cost reimbursement. Applications must include several core documents: a uniform grant application, budget, conflict of interest and mandatory disclosure forms, a program-specific application form, and at least three letters of recommendation from workforce, economic development, and industry stakeholders—including a letter from the local workforce board. All materials must be submitted via a Smartsheet form by 5:00 PM on April 30, 2026. A technical assistance session is offered but not mandatory, scheduled for January 28, 2026, at 2:00 PM via WebEx. Applications will be scored based on a 100-point rubric assessing need, capacity, and quality. Awards will be granted to the top-scoring Tier 2 applicant and the two top-scoring Tier 1 applicants in each eligible region, provided they meet a minimum score threshold. Notifications will be issued through a Notice of State Award (NOSA), with project performance periods expected to span from mid-2026 to mid-2028. Grantees must comply with performance reporting requirements, state labor laws, and various capital project compliance rules. While this is not an annually recurring opportunity, future rounds may occur based on funding availability and program outcomes.

Align training with WIOA plans; include strong stakeholder letters; show regional workforce need clearly.