New Jersey FY2027 Growing Apprenticeships in Nontraditional Sectors (GAINS), Round 1 is an open competitive grant offered by the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL), Office of Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning. It funds development and expansion of U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship programs in occupations including healthcare, education, manufacturing, public service, technology, construction and other recognized apprenticeable sectors. The official Notice of Grant Opportunity (NGO) was announced September 28, 2026.
Funding: applicant awards versus program pool
NJDOL makes up to $6,000,000 in total FY2027 Round 1 program funds available, contingent on appropriations, for multiple competitive awards. There is no fixed individual applicant award maximum specified in the controlling NGO. Each applicant proposes an evidence-supported budget, with a maximum allowable overall cost of $12,000 per apprentice served; this is a per-participant budget limit, not an individual organizational grant ceiling. Wage-support reimbursement can cover up to 50% of eligible apprentices’ wages for up to 52 work weeks and 40 hours weekly, capped at $12,000 per apprentice. Final applicant awards are negotiated and determined by NJDOL. Grants are paid on a cost-reimbursement basis; anticipated 18-month performance is February 1, 2027 through July 31, 2028, subject to final contract terms.
Mandatory dates and application process
Required Letter of Intent: Friday, November 27, 2026, no later than 12:00 noon. Complete IGX application: Friday, December 4, 2026, no later than 12:00 noon. The NGO gives local calendar dates and noon deadlines without an explicit time-zone abbreviation. The applicant Authorized Official must create or maintain an account in NJDOL’s IGX electronic grant system, complete and sign the NGO Attachment I Letter of Intent, and email it to ApprenticeshipUnit@dol.nj.gov by the earlier deadline. The LOI is required even for prior applicants and grants access to the application in IGX. Submit the completed online application by December 4. The next technical-assistance webinar is November 10, 2026; advance registration is required.
Eligible organizations and program conditions
Eligible lead applicants developing or expanding an apprenticeship include New Jersey-present employers; nonprofit and community organizations; school districts and public vocational schools; colleges and universities; workforce intermediary sponsors and Workforce Development Boards; trade associations and labor organizations; labor-management partnerships; economic development agencies; state, county and municipal government; faith-based organizations; and qualified private education/training entities on the Eligible Training Provider List. The applicant must be the registered-apprenticeship sponsor or apply through an eligible lead agency arrangement meeting the NGO’s requirements. Every funded apprentice must live in New Jersey and have U.S. work authorization, and participating employers must have a New Jersey presence. Normally apprentices must be full-time and earn at least $18/hour when hired; limited exceptions require specific justification/approval. Applicants must demonstrate fiscal and administrative capacity and be in good standing with NJDOL.
Allowable activities, financial restrictions and matching
Allowable budget lines include eligible new-apprentice wage reimbursement, related technical instruction after USDOL registration, curriculum development, instructional costs, eligible program-management expenses, and justified supportive services such as transportation or childcare. Administrative costs are capped at 10% of the final award. Apprentices may not be charged tuition, training costs, materials or participation fees. Front-loaded training before apprenticeship employment is not eligible as related technical instruction. Grant funds cannot be spent on capital construction or renovation, overnight lodging, out-of-state mileage or tolls, application preparation, association memberships, or the other excluded costs in Section F. Funds also cannot displace existing workers, supplant approved apprenticeship programs or impair collective bargaining agreements without required concurrence. No fixed mandatory matching-fund percentage is stated in the NGO; leveraged cash, in-kind, philanthropic or other eligible resources strengthen the review score but should not be described as a required cash match.
Submission documents and reporting
IGX submission requires a program narrative (maximum 20 pages), an implementation plan (maximum 5 pages), a sustainability plan (maximum 5 pages), a New Jersey Tax Clearance Certificate, sponsor and employer information, service counties, projected participant outcomes, and detailed budgets using Schedules A–D. NJDOL reviews technical capacity, compliance, program quality, costs and outcomes. Successful awardees must submit monthly activity and expenditure reports and a final closeout report. Applicants should read the complete 27-page FY2027 Round 1 NGO and attachments and use NJDOL’s IGX application portal; the official New Jersey grant-opportunities page lists updates.