The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) is accepting fifth-round partnership proposals for the Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund (HWIF) — Healthcare Training Scholarships & Incentive Partnership Proposals. The current 2026 Request for Proposals states that the submission period closes October 15, 2026 at 4:30 PM EST through the official Microsoft Forms proposal process.
CPE states that $2,338,560 in matchable state funds is available through the second year of the HWIF appropriation. The current RFP does not state a universal per-proposal maximum. Under the public-private partnership model, the healthcare partner deposits its pledged amount and CPE matches that amount dollar-for-dollar. HWIF funding is paid to the healthcare program, which administers scholarships, recruitment, student selection, service-obligation compliance, disbursement, outcome tracking, and reporting.
Eligible entities are organizations offering healthcare programs that lead graduates to qualifying Kentucky licensure or certification and that partner with a healthcare provider. The RFP lists eligible credentials across substance-use counseling, community health workers, EMS, medical imaging/radiation, dental hygiene and assisting, nursing and nurse aide credentials, respiratory care, psychology, occupational therapy, behavior analysis, physical therapy, social work, marriage and family therapy, professional counseling, physician assistant, dietetics/nutrition, and speech-language pathology/audiology. Applicants should verify the live application for the complete credential list and current form requirements.
CPE identifies statutory priorities for proposals addressing the needs of a historically underserved county, reducing workforce demand for an eligible healthcare credential identified among the highest-demand credentials in Kentucky, or involving a healthcare partner with 50 or fewer employees. All applicant-controlled approvals, partnership commitments, pledge amounts, credential eligibility, and submission certifications must be verified before filing.
Atlas analysis: Atlas Opportunity Score 92/100. This is a strong Kentucky healthcare-workforce opportunity because the state match directly leverages employer participation to expand training pipelines. N9+ Fit Score 0/100: the controlling RFP is designed for healthcare training scholarships and incentive partnerships rather than telehealth/device procurement, so Nonagon N9+ should not be forced into this pursuit. Dr. Miltie is not being advanced as a direct applicant.
Official source: Kentucky CPE — 2026 Healthcare Workforce Investment Fund Request for Proposals.