Opportunity Overview
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) Recognized Apprenticeship Preparation Program Grant supports Minnesota career-readiness and employment-preparation programs seeking to become DLI-recognized apprenticeship preparation programs (pre-apprenticeship programs) and create pathways for participants into Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs).
This is a Minnesota-administered federal pass-through opportunity funded through the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Grant, Award 24A60AP000057, ALN/CFDA 17.285.
Funding and Deadline
Up to $50,000 is available. DLI anticipates approximately 5–7 awards. Applicants may request from $5,000 to $10,000, and partial awards may be made. There is no match requirement.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are awarded or December 31, 2026, whichever comes first. Applications are due on the last day of each month and are reviewed monthly. The current official DLI webpage and RFP do not publish an exact monthly cutoff clock time or time zone; applicants should confirm remaining funds and current submission timing with DLI before filing. Applications are submitted by email to Mahdi Surosh at mahdi.surosh@state.mn.us.
The project period is anticipated to begin May 1, 2026, or when the grant contract is fully executed if later, and ends June 30, 2027. No extension of the original contract is available.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include Minnesota community-based organizations, workforce development agencies, nonprofit organizations, and Registered Apprenticeship Programs that demonstrate the capacity, experience, and relationships needed to administer an apprenticeship preparation program. Applicants must be in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Multi-organizational collaborative applications are not allowed.
An applicant that is not already a Registered Apprenticeship Program must submit at least one signed letter of support from a Minnesota RAP sponsor describing a participant pathway such as direct or preferred entry or credit for advanced standing. The applicant also must become a DLI-recognized apprenticeship preparation program during the grant period.
Allowable Costs and Activities
Examples include grant-related personnel and fringe benefits; staff travel; development and alignment of training and curriculum; outreach and participant recruitment materials; office and training supplies; tools, boots, and personal safety equipment related to placement; participant assessment, mentoring, transportation assistance, daycare and emergency assistance; and necessary contractual services. Indirect costs may use an approved federal negotiated rate or the 15% federal de minimis rate, subject to the RFP rules.
Ineligible expenses include direct funding to participants such as stipends or wages, fundraising, most taxes, lobbying and political contributions, bad debts and finance charges, parking or traffic violations, out-of-state transportation and travel, food and beverages, party supplies, and costs double-funded by another source.
Application Package and Evaluation
A complete submission must include the official application form, Exhibit A certification that the applicant is not suspended or debarred by Minnesota or the federal government, and applicable RAP commitment/support letters. DLI instructs applicants not to submit unrequested materials.
Applications are scored on a 100-point scale: program overview 5 points, activities and services 15, work plan 25, outcomes 25, organizational ability 20, and sustainability 10. The budget and budget narrative are required but unscored.
Atlas Assessment
Atlas Opportunity Score: 72/100. This is a legitimate Minnesota workforce-development opportunity with a clear applicant pool and manageable application structure, but the $10,000 applicant ceiling limits strategic value. N9+ Fit: 0/100 at the opportunity level. Although limited tools, supplies, and safety equipment may be allowable, Atlas will not infer or introduce an N9+ equipment pathway without an applicant-specific, defensible training need. QC Healthcare Fit: 0/100 at the opportunity level. Dr. Miltie, LLC direct-applicant or direct-vendor eligibility is not established.
Atlas should confirm that grant funds remain available before beginning applicant-specific work because the program closes when funds are exhausted. Ordinary ORIGINAL outreach must follow all Minnesota lane recipient, opt-out, hard-bounce, duplicate, queue, and authoritative-send gates.