The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is accepting FY27 applications for the Illinois Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program, FY27-1 / CSFA 420-30-3197. The CEJA program supports community-based organizations that recruit, train, support, and connect Illinois residents to clean-energy employment and career pathways.
DCEO lists $50,900,000 in estimated total program funding and anticipates 20 awards. The controlling Illinois GATA opportunity states that no cost share or match is required and that indirect costs are allowed without stated restrictions. The GATA summary does not publish a single-award range for this FY27 competition.
Eligible community-based organizations may include qualifying community colleges, nonprofit organizations, and units of local government when they satisfy the NOFO’s community-presence, service-area, organizational-capacity, and workforce-program requirements. Applicants must demonstrate meaningful relationships with residents and organizations in the communities they propose to serve and sufficient programmatic and partnership capacity to deliver the required workforce services.
The published application deadline is October 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM. The controlling GATA record and NOFO do not state a deadline time zone. Atlas must verify the time zone with DCEO before any deadline-sensitive applicant outreach or submission. The current opportunity was posted September 22, 2026, and DCEO lists a nonmandatory technical-assistance session for September 29, 2026 at 10:00 AM.
Application preparation must use the controlling NOFO, official Uniform Grant Application and Budget, required disclosures, work plan, staffing and qualification materials, partnership documentation, and all required program attachments. Applicant-specific facts must be verified and unresolved facts must be treated as account input required.
Atlas Opportunity Score: 88/100. This is a high-value Illinois workforce opportunity because of its $50.9 million funding pool, 20 anticipated awards, no required match, and broad relevance to qualified community colleges, nonprofits, local-government workforce entities, and community partnerships.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. The controlling materials establish a clean-energy workforce-development purpose and do not establish a legitimate N9+ or QC Healthcare pathway. N9+ should not be introduced in ordinary outreach for this program.
Direct Vendor Review: This is an applicant grant, not a direct Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare procurement.
Official source: Illinois DCEO FY27 Clean Jobs Workforce Network Program.