Opportunity Overview
The North Dakota Department of Commerce Global Talent Office is accepting applications for the Global Talent Office Grant Program. The program supports eligible North Dakota employers and community-based organizations working to recruit, retain and integrate New Americans and foreign-born workers. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis until available funding is awarded, with the current program extending through June 30, 2027.
Funding and Tracks
Track A supports employer strategies and may provide up to $50,000 with a 1:1 match. Track B supports community-based accessibility and awareness strategies and may provide up to $80,000 with a 4:1 match. Track C supports community engagement and integration activities and may provide up to $25,000 with a 4:1 match. Track D supports community integration planning and may provide up to $100,000 with a 4:1 match.
Eligibility
Track A is available to North Dakota employers that employ or plan to employ foreign-born workers, industry associations representing such employers, and community or municipal organizations acting on behalf of employer groups. Tracks B and C are available to North Dakota-based New American and immigrant-serving organizations and nonprofits, job development authorities, community development organizations, chambers of commerce, political subdivisions, and other organizations addressing local or regional workforce or community-development needs. Track D is available to community-development organizations, chambers, political subdivisions, and other qualifying local or regional workforce or community-development organizations.
Applicants must meet the applicable North Dakota registration and good-standing requirements and activities must take place in North Dakota. Institutions of postsecondary education, school districts, private schools, individuals, out-of-state applicants, and specified political organizations are not eligible under the current guidance.
Healthcare Workforce Relevance
Healthcare employers can have a legitimate Track A pathway when recruiting or employing foreign-born clinicians or other healthcare workers and using eligible strategies such as language-access materials, worksite English-language learning, cultural training, or community-integration services. Community-based healthcare workforce partnerships may also participate where the selected track and applicant structure fit the published eligibility rules.
Allowable Costs and N9+ Fit
Eligible grant expenses include qualifying subcontracted translation and support services, cultural-understanding training, technology or software needed for virtual training or language learning, event costs, marketing and media development, facilitation, evaluation, assessment, and strategic-planning services. The guidance expressly treats new devices or technology hardware as an ineligible grant-funded expense that may potentially be used as documented match when it supports an eligible activity.
N9+ Fit Score: 0/100 for grant-funded device acquisition. This is a workforce recruitment, retention and integration program rather than a clinical-equipment program. No N9+ purchase should be positioned as a grant-funded cost under the current guidance. Any hardware used as match would require a legitimate project role, proper valuation and documentation, and Commerce approval.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 74/100. The program has meaningful healthcare-workforce relevance for employers recruiting internationally educated or foreign-born staff, but its core purpose is workforce integration rather than clinical service delivery. Mandatory matching requirements and track-specific applicant rules are material gates.
Submission
All application materials must be submitted through the North Dakota Commerce online grant portal. Applications are reviewed first-come, first-served until funds are awarded. Applicants should use the current July 2026 grant guidance, complete the required project screening and proposal elements, document match, and obtain required bids, quotes or estimates for proposed costs.
Official source: North Dakota Department of Commerce — Global Talent Office Grant Program.