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Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge is sponsored by Department of Education - Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education. The purpose of the Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge (Challenge) is to strengthen connections among learners and earners, education and training providers, and employers by fostering the development of integrated Talent Marketplaces (34 CFR Part 75).
These digital, interconnected systems, maintained by an eligible recipient designated by the Governor, will support the recognition and use of learning, skills, and credentials across the education-to-employment continuum.
By advancing interoperable Talent Marketplaces that make learning count wherever it occurs, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) seeks to expand access to high-quality career pathways, increase labor force participation, and strengthen state and regional economies through skills-based hiring and lifelong learning.
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Submissions Due: April 30, 2026 Making All Learning Count Advancing interoperable Talent Marketplaces that make learning count wherever it occurs. The Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is a $15 million prize competition to strengthen the connections between learners, education and training providers, and employers by fostering the development of integrated Talent Marketplaces.
Sign-Up for Info Sessions Session 1: About the Challenge Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 2 pm ET Session 2: Building an Integrated Talent Marketplace Rescheduled date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 2 pm ET Session 3: Setting Your Team Up for Success Rescheduled date: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 2 pm ET Four-month submission period. Up to 10 semi-finalists selected. Submission period: Jan.
13, 2026; 8:00AM ET – Apr. 30, 2026; 8:00PM ET Semi-finalist announcement: May 2026 Four-month submission period. Up to 10 semi-finalists selected.
Submissions Due: Apr. 30, 2026 at 8 pm ET Semi-finalist announcement: May 2026 Semi-finalists receive six months of tailored technical assistance to incubate their action plans and participate in a community of practice. Finalist announcement: Jan.
2027 Semi-finalists receive six months of tailored technical assistance to incubate their action plans and participate in a community of practice. Finalist announcement: Jan. 2027 A fifteen-month acceleration period during which up to 10 finalists deploy, scale, and measure the impact of their systems with support from intensified technical assistance.
Eligible Entrant / Team Lead A Talent Marketplace is a public digital system maintained by a State Workforce Agency that helps connect people’s skills and credentials to education and job opportunities. It brings together learning and employment records (LERs), a credential registry, and tools that translate jobs and credentials into clear, skill-based information.
Using artificial intelligence, the system allows individuals and employers to securely share, understand, and use skills and achievements to support training and career advancement. See Official Rules, Terms and Conditions for full definition. Official Rules, Terms and Conditions
According to the current listing, eligibility includes: Refer to the website cto-challenge.com and the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions. Confirm the full requirements in the official notice before applying.
The current listing shows $15,000,000. Verify award ceilings, matching requirements, and allowable costs in the official notice.
The published deadline was May 1, 2026, which has passed. Check the official notice for any future application windows before investing time in a proposal.
Yes — Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge is offered by Department of Education - Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education and this listing comes from Challenge.gov, an official U.S. federal source. Federal applications generally require registrations (for example SAM.gov or an agency submission portal), so allow extra lead time.
Start from the official opportunity page linked in this listing — it carries the sponsor's submission instructions.
Past winners and funding trends for this program
Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information.For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-30488.Purpose of Program: The purpose of the RLTT program is to provide financial assistance for academic training areas of personnel shortages in vocational rehabilitation identified by the Secretary and published in a notice in the Federal Register. Grantees must award at least 65 percent of project funds as scholarships (i.e., awards of financial assistance, including disbursements or credits for student stipends, tuition and fees, books and supplies, and student travel in conjunction with training assignments) to students (herein referred to as RSA scholars) enrolled in the RLTT program. The program trains RSA scholars to possess the skills needed to address the specialized needs of individuals with specific types of disability conditions, which may include, but are not limited to, physical disabilities, mental health disorders or illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities (including Autism), blindness, and deaf or hard of hearing. Assistance Listing Numbers: 84.129B, 84.129E, 84.129H, 84.129L, 84.129P, 84.129Q, and 84.129W This posting is for ALN 84.129W. Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-061725-008. Assistance Listing: 84.129. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ED. Award Amount: Up to $200K per award.
Note: Each funding opportunity description is a synopsis of information in the Federal Register application notice. For specific information about eligibility, please see the official application notice. The official version of this document is the document published in the Federal Register. Please review the official application notice for pre-application and application requirements, application submission information, performance measures, priorities and program contact information.For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2024 (89 FR 104528) and available at https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-30488.Purpose of Program: The purpose of the AHC-Seminars program is to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction.The Assistance Listing Number is 84.422C. Funding Opportunity Number: ED-GRANTS-062325-001. Assistance Listing: 84.422. Funding Instrument: G. Category: ED. Award Amount: $14.2M total program funding.
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