Students and Young Adults Equity Workforce Career Awareness and Training Grants FY26 is sponsored by Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (MassCEC). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Students and Young Adults Career Awareness and Training | MassCEC Students and Young Adults Career Awareness and Training MassCEC / Workforce / Funding / Students and Young Adults Career Awareness and Training The Challenge: Increase Young Adults' Interest in Climate-Critical Fields By 2030, the Massachusetts clean energy workforce will need to grow by 34%, or more than 34,000 workers, to meet the state’s climate goals.

Many of these jobs will be well-paying, with median wages of over $36 per hour, in 2023 dollars. However, many students and young adults are unaware of the career opportunities available to them in the clean energy sector. Increased knowledge of and interest in climate-critical fields among young adults will help build a stronger, more diverse clean energy workforce in Massachusetts.

About Students and Young Adults Career Awareness and Training Students and Young Adults Equity Workforce Career Awareness and Training Grants provide up to $600,000 to organizations interested in career awareness and training programming focused on supporting students and young adults.

The grants support programming in the following strands: Strand A: Clean Energy Career Awareness, Career Exploration, Career Navigation, and Preparedness Strand B: Career Pathway Training Strand C: Planning and Capacity for Career Awareness or Career Pathways Training Individual organizations or partnerships are eligible to apply. If multiple parties are applying jointly, one party should take on the role of lead applicant.

The following entities are eligible to serve as a lead applicant: Community-based entities (often referred to as community-based organizations) such as community action partnerships, environmental justice organizations, neighborhood revitalization organizations, advocacy groups, affordable housing providers, affordable housing developers, and non-profits Post-secondary educational institutions, K-12 school districts, comprehensive and vocational high schools, middle schools, and vocational schools offering a Career Technical Initiative evening program For-profit entities such as training companies, trade associations, unions, or other coalitions of businesses and clean energy businesses Federally recognized and state-acknowledged tribes Workforce development organizations(non-profit or for-profit) Massachusetts Workforce Investment Boards and Career Centers/Mass Hire Organizations Note: Applicants without the ability to hire staff or receive funds may consider forming a partnership with another group that can act as a fiscal agent.

For full program details, please refer to the Students and Young Adults RFP. Priority: January 15, 2026 Release of Request for Proposals (RFP) Questions due to MassCEC via RFPWorkforce@masscec.

com Questions with answers posted to MassCEC website December 17, 2025 at 12 pm Pre-Application Office Hours Priority deadline: January 15, 2026 by 11:59 pm All proposals due: April 10, 2026 by 11:59 pm Follow-up questions/interviews with applicants Within one month of application Within two to three months of application Review this decision chart to find the appropriate program.

Review this RFP, including all forms and attachments, to understand the opportunity, requirements, and MassCEC’s objectives. Attend MassCEC informational webinars and/or utilize other informational resources offered. Contact MassCEC with questions and/or to discuss your ideas via email at rfpworkforce@masscec.

com . Submit all completed RFP forms and attachments by email to rfpworkforce@masscec. com by 11:59 pm by April 10, 2026, with “Students and Young Adult Equity Workforce Career Awareness and Training Grants” in the subject line.

RFP - Student and Young Adults Equity Implementation Grants FY26 Attachment 1 - Authorized Applicants Signature Form Attachment 2 - Application Form Attachment 3 - Proposed Program Budget and Schedule Attachment 4 - Sample Milestone Grant Agreement Attachment 5 - Sample Cost Reimbursement Grant Agreement Attachment 6 - Decision Chart Pre-Application Office Hours MassCEC hosts office hours (one-hour blocks) to answer questions about all open Workforce Development grant opportunities.

Join anytime during the one-hour block!

December 22, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm January 6, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm January 13, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm January 20, 8:30 am - 9:30 am February 4, 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm February 18, 2:00 pm -3:00 pm March 3, 8:30 am - 9:30 am March 18, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm March 25, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm April 7, 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm MassCEC hosted a pre-application webinar on December 17, 2025 to walk through the Request for Proposals and to respond to audience questions.

Frequently Asked Questions 1. Can a non-profit or a municipality be a lead applicant? Yes, a non-profit or municipality can be the lead applicant as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements.

2. Are for-profit companies that develop curricula eligible to apply? For-profit companies are eligible to apply as long as they meet the eligibility requirements for the RFP.

The strand they are applying to and the full scope of the work proposed may also affect eligibility. 3. Can an organization apply for more than one strand of funding?

Yes, organizations may apply for more than one strand, but each application must be for a distinct project or initiative. 4. Are industries like aquaculture and agriculture technology considered priority occupations?

No, aquaculture and agriculture technology are not priority occupations. Please refer to the priority occupations as defined by MassCEC in the Clean Energy Workforce Needs Assessment . 5.

If an organization previously received a planning grant from MassCEC and intends to apply again, does the proposed project need to be different? Current planning grantees are encouraged to apply to the implementation grant with their more comprehensive plans for implementation. 6.

What documentation is required if an organization has recently become a nonprofit? You’ll need to provide documentation showing that your organization exists and is eligible to receive funds—for example, something that establishes your tax status. Full documentation doesn’t need to be finalized at the time of application, but it must be in place before contracting and payment can occur.

7. Is a subcontractor for another organization that received a grant, but I am not responsible for their metrics. Does this count as receiving prior MassCEC funding?

Yes, please list on the application that you have received MassCEC funding as a sub-contractor on an existing grant. You can explain that you do not have access to the program’s metrics. 8.

Are employers committed to hiring entry-level employees? If so, is there a current list of these employers by region? MassCEC does not have a list of employers who are committed to hiring entry-level employers.

Lead applicants should consider if this would be an access of the employer partners. 9. Can funds be used to provide stipends to students participating in internships that may reduce their ability to work after school?

Yes, Stipends for the program or internships that are part of the program are an allowable cost. 10. Are materials or tools developed through the grant required to be publicly accessible?

Yes. Any materials, resources, or tools developed with this funding are considered public information and must be made publicly available. 11.

Can we qualify if the high schools we work with are not located exclusively in Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhoods? Yes. While EJ communities are a priority, schools are not required to serve only students from EJ neighborhoods in order to qualify.

12. Can we use a full year for planning in an implementation grant application? A full-year planning timeline would be more appropriate for a Capacity or Planning Grant.

Implementation Grants should not include more than six months of planning. 13. How specific does the budget need to be?

Can we include a general line item for consultant work or exploratory activities like interviewing candidates? Budgets should be as specific as possible. Uncertain or speculative costs may weaken your proposal.

For example, if you’re unsure whether you’ll hire a consultant or how much it might cost, that line item may not be considered valid. We recommend identifying consultants in advance and including their expected costs in your application. 14.

If a consultant turns out not to be the right fit, can we shift funds to staff time instead? It’s better to solidify your plans before applying. Most successful applications name specific consultants and outline related costs.

This strengthens both your planning and implementation capacity. 15. Are we allowed to purchase equipment with the grant funds?

Yes. Grant funds may be used to purchase materials or equipment that directly support work-based or learning-based experiences within the proposed program. Requests for materials or equipment should clearly explain their purpose and relevance to the program, providing documentation of alternative products and providers that were researched, as well as two additional price quotes.

If you are proposing larger equipment purchases, please consider whether the Climate Critical Training Program may be more a more appropriate funding source. 16. Can Strand A or B funds be used to renovate or improve a classroom to support hands-on learning in clean energy career programs?

Costs related to equipment and materials can be included in the budget if they are directly related to the clean energy career readiness program. For example, if you were outfitting a classroom with the equipment needed in order to teach the construction course in the clean energy career readiness program, that could be part of the budget.

Other renovation costs could potentially be included if they were part of a subcontractor budget and required in order to run the program. 17. Can grant funds be used to issue a sub-award to an out-of-state partner, such as a university?

Sub-awards are not permitted under this RFP. However, you may allocate funds to subcontractors for specific work completed as part of the project. Additionally, we encourage applicants to consider leveraging in-state expertise as these areas are part of the evaluation criteria for proposals.

18. For subcontractors, consultants, or partners, is there a particular template, language, or length that your office recommends for letters of support? There are no requirements for letters of support.

The subcontractor, consultants, and partners will require a budget tab if they receive more than $10,000 of the grant. 19. Is there an anticipated start date (if funded) that we can incorporate into our project planning?

Contracts are typically signed and executed between 4-6 months after application. Project planning should incorporate this timeline into their planned start date. 20.

In metrics reporting, are completion rate and wage required metrics? We plan to use other forms of measurement. You are welcome to tailor your metrics to fit your program.

We will ask you to define what “completion” means in the context of your specific program and how you will measure participant success. 21. Does the funding need to be evenly distributed across each year of a multi-year grant?

No, the total funding amount can be allocated flexibly over the grant period—it does not need to be evenly split between each year. 22. What qualifies as a clear "offramp" under Strand A?

For Strand A, offramps can include outcomes like enrolling in college or choosing a related major—they’re more education-focused. In contrast, Strand B emphasizes career exploration, job navigation, and placement as primary offramps. 23.

Can we receive an upfront payment? In general, no; for cost-reimbursement grants, payments are made after expenses are incurred. 24.

We don’t have a physical office in Massachusetts but operate nationwide. Are organizations without a Massachusetts office eligible for funding? Yes, we have funded national organizations in the past.

However, it’s important that your program includes Massachusetts-based staff or partners, especially for providing wraparound services. 25. Who is eligible based on age, and how do you define “young adults”?

This funding may only be used to support participants who are under the age of 24. Anyone who is 24 or older must be supported through other funding sources and cannot be included in costs charged to this grant. Applicants should refer to Attachment 6 of the RFP for full eligibility details.

For the purposes of this program, “young adults” are defined as ages 18–24. The program also supports middle‑school–aged youth, and the maximum eligible age across all program strands is 24. 26.

The RFP states that Career Awareness curriculum developed that covers topics covered by MassCEC’s developed curriculum and resources is not eligible for funding. Can you provide more specifics around what curriculum development costs qualify? Applicants should ensure that any curriculum proposed under this grant is not duplicative of MassCEC’s existing Clean Energy Career Awareness Curriculum.

If your program builds upon or is informed by this curriculum, applicants should clearly explain how their proposed activities expand, adapt, or enhance that content, including the rationale for the expansion and its relevance to the target population or program design.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate familiarity with the MassCEC curriculum and identify specific gaps, growth areas, or opportunities that their proposal seeks to address. 27. Can I use multiple MassCEC grants to fund the same program or initiative, including awards from different RFPs?

No. MassCEC will not award multiple streams of funding through different RFPs to support the same program or initiative. Each MassCEC award must fund a distinct program or a clearly differentiated scope of work. 28.

What is the difference between the priority deadline and final deadline? Applications submitted by the priority deadline of January 15, 2026 will be reviewed after that date. Applicants may continue to submit applications on a rolling basis until the final deadline of April 10, 2026 and all applications submitted by the final deadline will be considered for funding under this RFP.

29. If I apply by the Priority Deadline, can I receive feedback and then reapply by the Final Deadline? No. Applications submitted by the Priority Deadline are considered final and will not receive feedback prior to the Final Deadline.

Applicants may submit one application per RFP. 30. Do we qualify if our headquarters is located out of state, but many staff live in Massachusetts?

Yes. The lead applicant must be based in Massachusetts, even if the organization’s headquarters is located in another state. This requirement helps minimize out‑of‑state travel costs.

MassCEC / Workforce / Funding / Students and Young Adults Career Awareness and Training Equity Workforce Training Implementation Grants Career Pathway Training: up to $1,200,000 Career Preparedness: up to $600,000 Planning or Capacity: up to $50,000 or $150,000 Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support Strand A: Hub: Up to $800,000 Strand B: Spoke: Up to $400,000 Strand C: Mass Save® Contractor Development Pathway Spoke: Up to $400,000 Strand D: Planning and Capacity Building: Up to $150,000 Climate-Critical Workforce Training, Equipment & Infrastructure Grants Career Pathway Training: $800,000 Climate-Critical Upskilling: $600,000 Equipment, Infrastructure and Training Ecosystem Support: $750,000 Capacity for Climate-Critical Educators and Trainers: $400,000 Program Area High Performance Buildings Award Potential: $2.

5M total funding Application Deadline: May 8, 2026 at 11:59 PM Request for Proposals: Maritime and Aviation Decarbonization Sector Mapping Program Area Clean Transportation Program Type Consulting/Services Award Potential: Blind bid Application Deadline: May 1, 2026 Climate-Critical Underrepresented Business Support Program Area Env.

Justice/DEI, Workforce Strand A: Hub: Up to $800,000 Strand B: Spoke: Up to $400,000 Strand C: Mass Save® Contractor Development Pathway Spoke: Up to $400,000 Strand D: Planning and Capacity Building: Up to $150,000 Application Deadline: January 16, 2026