Opportunity Overview
NYSED’s RFP 290 is the 2027-2032 competition for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Title II adult education and the New York Welfare Education Program. It is a major multiyear workforce and education funding lane designed to help out-of-school youth and adults build literacy, secondary-credential, English-language, civics and employment skills.
Funding and Project Period
NYSED identifies approximately $52,905,416 annually: $51,062,416 in WIOA Title II funding and $1,843,000 in Welfare Education Program funding, subject to federal availability. The project period runs July 1, 2027 through June 30, 2032. Awards vary by geography, competition type and service scale.
Four Competition Areas
The annual funding is divided among Adult Basic Education and Literacy Services, Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education, Corrections Education and Other Institutionalized Education Programs, and Literacy Zones. NYSED lists approximately $26.1 million for ABE/Literacy, $11.3 million for IELCE, $3.5 million for Corrections Education, and $12 million for Literacy Zones.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible providers that demonstrate effectiveness in adult education and literacy may include local educational agencies, community-based and faith-based organizations, volunteer literacy organizations, institutions of higher education, public or private nonprofit agencies, libraries, public housing authorities, other qualifying nonprofits, and eligible consortia or coalitions. Demonstrated effectiveness is a threshold requirement and is documented differently for current AEFLA grantees and organizations that have not previously received AEFLA funding.
Current Application Calendar
Applications are due November 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET through NYSED’s electronic submission process. The question period closed September 4. NYSED held the Bidders’ Conference on September 15, 2026 at 10:00 AM and posted the conference presentation and video recording on September 17. NYSED revised the RFP on September 15 to clarify Local Workforce Development Board review requirements. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit Attachment 4 to the applicable LWDB as early as possible because review may take up to six weeks, and a completed Attachment 4 is required for each Program Area with the application. For New York City, support and signature requests now go through the NYC Workforce Development Board online support-request process. NYSED states that its Questions and Answers Summary will be posted no later than September 18, 2026; as of Atlas verification on September 18, that Q&A was not yet visibly posted on the official opportunity page. The optional Notice of Intent is due October 30, 2026.
Prequalification Gate
Nonprofit applicants must be prequalified in the Statewide Financial System by 5:00 PM ET on November 13. NYSED states that proposals from nonprofit applicants that are not prequalified by the deadline cannot be evaluated.
Healthcare and Workforce Relevance
This is a substantial workforce pathway for organizations serving adults who need literacy, English-language and employment skills. Healthcare employers and training partners may benefit indirectly where an eligible provider builds contextualized education connected to healthcare career pathways. However, the verified purpose is adult education and literacy rather than clinical service delivery.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 94/100. The competition is large, multiyear, well documented, and open to a broad but qualification-controlled set of New York adult education providers. N9+ Fit Score: 0/100. The controlling RFP does not establish a connected examination, telehealth, or clinical technology pathway. QC Healthcare / Dr. Miltie direct-vendor fit: 0/100.
Next Action
Prospective applicants should choose the appropriate competition area, assemble demonstrated-effectiveness evidence, review the September 15 bidder-conference materials, start LWDB Attachment 4 review immediately, monitor for the NYSED Questions and Answers Summary, complete SFS prequalification where applicable, optionally file the NOI by October 30, and build a five-year program and budget for submission by November 13, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.
Official source: New York State Education Department — RFP 290.