Opportunity Overview
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) is accepting FY2027 applications for the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) Postsecondary Allocation Grant, Fund Code 0401. This federal entitlement grant supports eligible Massachusetts postsecondary institutions in improving postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs and career-connected learning.
Deadline
DESE lists the application due date as Wednesday, September 23, 2026. The governing public RFP page does not publish a clock time or time zone. Atlas therefore does not infer one. New applicant outreach should not begin unless the exact cutoff time and time zone are authoritatively confirmed and at least 48 hours remain.
FY2027 Allocations
DESE has published FY2027 Fund Code 0401 allocations for 17 eligible postsecondary recipients. Awards range from $55,049 for Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology to $713,739 for Bristol Community College. Other published recipients include Berkshire, Bunker Hill, Cape Cod, Greenfield, Holyoke, MassBay, Massasoit, Middlesex, Mount Wachusett, North Shore, Northern Essex, Quincy College, Quinsigamond, Roxbury, and Springfield Technical Community College.
Eligibility
A postsecondary institution is eligible based on U.S. Department of Education criteria. The institution must offer Perkins V-compliant CTE programs and develop and maintain a Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment (CLNA). Grants are awarded after DESE reviews and approves the application. A minimum of 20% of allocation funds must be used for secondary-postsecondary linkage activities and services.
Allowable Use and Equipment Controls
Funds must be used in accordance with Perkins V and must supplement rather than supplant non-Federal funds. DESE provides postsecondary allowable-cost guidance and a capital-equipment approval process. Non-construction capital expenditures, including equipment costing $30,000 or more, require prior-approval documentation with the budget. Capital expenditures are tangible or intangible assets with a useful life greater than one year that meet or exceed the organization’s capitalization threshold. A final contract or purchase order must be uploaded before grant funds are drawn for the expense; where the final contract or purchase order is not yet available, DESE may require procurement policies and procedures with the capital request.
Clinical, diagnostic, telehealth, simulation, nursing, EMS, medical-assisting, dental-assisting, or other health-technology purchases are not automatically allowable. Any specific purchase must be supported by the eligible institution’s CTE program, CLNA, Perkins required uses, DESE allowable-cost rules, procurement requirements, and project-specific budget.
Application and ISA Requirements
Applications are submitted through GEM$. The FY27 Federal Grant Assurances signature pages must be completed by the Superintendent or Executive Director and uploaded in the LEA Document Library. State and community colleges must also complete the Interdepartmental Service Agreement (ISA) process; DESE states this may add approximately four to six weeks to the process, and the grant cannot reach DESE fiscal approval without a signed ISA.
Healthcare-Specific Applicant Screening Priorities
Current first-party institutional sources confirm substantial healthcare education pathways at several named FY2027 recipients. These are screening priorities, not a claim that any institution has selected a particular equipment purchase or that a specific cost is automatically allowable.
- Bristol Community College — $713,739: current accredited programs include Nursing, Medical Assisting, and Dental Hygiene.
- Quinsigamond Community College — $571,645: current healthcare pathways include Nurse Education, Practical Nursing, paramedic-to-nursing, LPN-to-nursing, dental and other health programs.
- Springfield Technical Community College — $496,813: its current accredited nursing program uses health and patient simulation, skills labs, and related equipment.
- Bunker Hill Community College — $410,284: current programs include Registered Nursing, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Surgical Technology, Medical Assisting, and CNA/Patient Care Technician pathways.
- Massasoit Community College — $302,595: current accredited health programs include Nursing, Dental Assisting, Respiratory Care, Radiologic Technology, Medical Assisting, and Paramedic.
- Holyoke Community College — $262,513: current health programs include RN and practical nursing, radiologic technology, medical assisting, CNA, and simulation-based health education.
- Middlesex Community College — $239,461: current nursing programs include associate-degree RN and LPN pathways supported by nursing simulation and skills labs.
Before outreach, Atlas must verify the institution’s FY27 CLNA priorities, applicant-defined project need, Perkins allowability, procurement path, and exact September 23 cutoff time/time zone. Initial outreach must remain grant-focused and must not introduce N9+.
Atlas Fit Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 92/100. This is a sizeable Massachusetts postsecondary CTE entitlement lane with known FY2027 recipient allocations and a documented equipment/capital-expenditure path.
School/Education Funding Score: 98/100. The program directly funds postsecondary CTE programs and career-connected learning.
N9+ Fit Score: 65/100 conditional. Several eligible institutions operate nursing, allied-health, emergency-care, or related workforce programs, creating a plausible applicant-specific clinical-technology pathway. Fit must still be established from the institution’s actual program need, CLNA, Perkins allowability, and procurement rules. Do not introduce N9+ in initial applicant outreach.
QC Healthcare Fit: 30/100. Healthcare workforce or implementation support may be relevant only when it is an eligible, applicant-defined Perkins expense.
Dr. Miltie direct-applicant fit: 0/100. Eligible applicants are qualifying postsecondary institutions. Any Dr. Miltie role would be vendor or support-provider only under the institution’s procurement and grant requirements.
Source Control
Controlling sources reviewed September 16, 2026: the DESE FY2027 Fund Code 0401 RFP, the DESE Perkins program page, and the official FY2027 FC 0401 allocation table. Because the public RFP gives the September 23 due date without a clock time or time zone, Atlas requires authoritative confirmation before any new outreach governed by the 48-hour send gate.