Missouri Workforce Development Grants

This grant provides financial support and mentorship to early-stage cleantech entrepreneurs in the Midwest who are developing innovative solutions to promote economic growth and environmental sustainability.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that create hands-on STEAM workshops for underserved youth, enhancing technical skills and career exploration opportunities within the Best Buy Teen Tech Centers network.

This funding opportunity is designed to strengthen research capabilities in eligible jurisdictions by supporting collaborations among academic institutions, government agencies, and private industry to develop sustainable research infrastructure.

This funding opportunity supports local nonprofits, government entities, schools, and churches in Monett to implement projects that enhance the community's quality of life.

This funding opportunity supports conservation projects that provide employment and training for young adults and veterans, helping them gain experience in environmental stewardship and resource management on public lands.

This grant provides funding to non-profit organizations in Missouri that support entrepreneurs in developing high-tech companies and creating sustainable jobs through innovation and commercialization of new technologies.

This program provides financial support to small agribusinesses in urban areas of Missouri for projects that enhance infrastructure, improve local food systems, and promote sustainable urban agriculture.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to organizations that assist migrant and seasonal farmworkers with employment services, training, and housing solutions.

The Regional Arts Commission’s Artist Support Grant provides funding for the career advancement of individual artists in St. Louis City and County, Missouri. This grant directly aligns with the foundation's mission to foster the creative life of the artist and contribute to the vibrant artistic culture of St. Louis. It is designed to be flexible, accessible, and to encourage creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustained commitment to artistic work across all artistic disciplines. The primary beneficiaries of this grant are individual artists aged 18 or older who are current residents of St. Louis City or County and have maintained primary residence for at least one year. These artists must also have created and presented their original work(s) to the public or performed for the public in the past three years. The grant's impact goals are to enable diverse artists to advance their careers, complete creative projects, and ultimately enrich the St. Louis community through culturally and artistically significant practices. The grant prioritizes proposals that demonstrate cultural and/or artistic essentials (40% weight), community benefit (30% weight), and artistic/practice capacity and sustainability (30% weight). Key focuses include the artist's clear plans, contribution to their practice, innovation in their artform, and thoughtful use of funds. Additionally, the grant emphasizes broad community benefit, considering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as the artist's ability to demonstrate community participation and connection. For capacity and sustainability, realistic budgeting, diverse revenue streams, a strong artistic resume/CV, and relevant work samples are crucial. Expected outcomes include the completion of individual artist projects, enhanced artistic skills and craft, and increased innovation in the arts. Measurable results are tied to the funding criteria, such as the provision of essential information, artist statements, proof of residency, clearly articulated plans, and descriptions of intended audiences and DEIA efforts. The budget also serves as a measurable component, requiring a realistic and balanced approach. The maximum funding an individual artist can receive is $7,500, supporting projects and needs occurring from November 2024 through May 2025.

The Mazuma Foundation's grant program is deeply aligned with its mission to partner with non-profit organizations to enhance the quality of life within its field of membership. This includes Jackson, Clay, Platte, Cass, Johnson, and Wyandotte counties in the Kansas City region. The foundation's strategic priority is to effect positive change in these communities through charitable giving, supporting organizations that directly address critical needs and uplift residents. The program targets a broad range of beneficiaries, including individuals and communities served by organizations focused on the arts, financial education, and community development. The impact goals are to foster artistic expression and cultural enrichment, develop financial knowledge and career readiness for youth and adults, and improve the overall living experience in the Kansas City area. The foundation aims for measurable results in these core areas, contributing to a more vibrant, financially literate, and developed community. The grant program focuses on three core areas: The Arts, Financial Education, and Community Development. Within "The Arts," grants support fine or performing arts organizations (e.g., drawing, painting, theatre, orchestra, band, dance) in the Kansas City area. For "Financial Education," the focus is on developing financial knowledge, entrepreneurship, or career development for youth or adults. "Community Development" supports organizations actively working to make Kansas City a better place to live by enhancing the community experience. The expected outcomes are positive changes in the communities served, with specific emphasis on enriching the cultural landscape, empowering individuals through financial literacy, and fostering a stronger sense of community. The Mazuma Foundation's theory of change posits that by investing in these key areas through strategic grants, they can contribute to a sustainable improvement in the quality of life across the Kansas City region. Grant amounts will go up to a maximum of $15,000, and eligible organizations must be registered 501(c)3 non-profits.

The 2024 States’ Economic Development Assistance Program (SEDAP), announced by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), seeks applications for grants to target federal resources toward communities in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. With a focus on economically distressed counties and parishes, SEDAP aims to invest in community-based and regional projects across four congressionally mandated funding categories: basic public infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, business development with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, and workforce development. The program is designed to encourage job creation, regional collaboration, and funding partnerships, leveraging a total of $16,930,642, allocated across the eight-state DRA region with awards ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 depending on project type and application score.

The IDEA Fund program is a state-sponsored venture capital initiative that utilizes public funding (both state and federal) to drive economic development within the state. The primary focus of this program is to foster innovation and support technology-driven entrepreneurial endeavors that contribute to the state’s overall economic development growth. MTC’s Venture Capital Program was created to accelerate private venture capital investment in Missouri-based start-up companies and to increase the overall investment impact of third-party investments. The Venture Capital Program supports technology startups through matching equity or convertible debt investments up to $2,000,000 for the purpose of scaling the business to attract additional venture capital. Since 2010, MTC has invested over $49 million in more than 150 early-stage Missouri-based high-growth technology-focused companies. Since 2018, our portfolio companies have gone on to raise over $1.6 billion in additional private capital.

This grant provides funding to local nonprofits, government entities, schools, and churches to address community needs and improve the quality of life in the Mountain Grove area.

This initiative provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations, local governments, and Tribal governments in coal-impacted communities to develop and scale innovative economic projects that create job opportunities and foster local economic transformation.

This grant provides funding to under-resourced communities in the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions to develop strategic plans that address local economic development challenges.

This funding opportunity supports local nonprofit organizations in Kansas City that are focused on education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, helping them strengthen their operations and increase their community impact.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofits and community organizations in rural Kansas and western Missouri to implement innovative projects that enhance economic opportunities and build resilient local economies.

This grant provides funding to K-12 Fine Arts teachers in St. Charles County, Missouri, to integrate technology into their curricula and enhance student engagement in art, music, and theatre.

This grant provides funding for technical and vocational education programs that benefit residents of Barton, Dade, and Jasper counties in southwest Missouri.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations that offer hands-on STEAM training and paid summer internships for teens aged 16-19 from low-income areas, in partnership with Best Buy Teen Tech Centers.