Service to Success Competitive Grant

The Service to Success Competitive Grant is administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development through its Office of Public Service. This program is designed to strengthen the connection between public service participation and long term employment outcomes by funding initiatives that create, expand, or enhance service to career pathways. These pathways are structured programs that combine sustained service opportunities with training, credential attainment, and exposure to specific career fields, enabling participants to transition from service roles into stable employment. The primary objective of the grant is to support organizations that help individuals, including participants in AmeriCorps and similar national service programs, move into sustainable careers. Funded programs must intentionally align service based experiences with industry recognized career pathways. This includes providing opportunities for participants to earn academic credits, certifications, licenses, or other credentials during their service. The program prioritizes pathways connected to key workforce sectors such as health and elder care, education, public service, environmental and climate related careers, and food security or agriculture. Funding for this opportunity is derived from state appropriations, with a total of 712500 dollars available for distribution in the current cycle. Individual awards are structured across two tracks: expansion grants of up to 100000 dollars and innovation grants of up to 50000 dollars. Approximately ten awards are anticipated. Funds may be used for direct and indirect costs associated with implementing or expanding service to career pathway programs, including participant recruitment, credential development, and partnership building. However, expenditures such as fundraising, lobbying, and out of state travel are explicitly prohibited. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with 501c3 status, educational institutions, workforce development boards, tribal organizations, and certain government entities. Applicants must demonstrate prior experience delivering public service or workforce development programs and must maintain a budget exceeding the requested grant amount. Programs must include structured service opportunities, targeted recruitment of individuals facing barriers to employment, and clearly defined training and career development components. Collaboration among service organizations, educational partners, and employers is strongly encouraged. The application process requires submission through an online portal, with no paper submissions accepted. Applicants must provide detailed organizational information, a comprehensive project description, workplan, budget, and required financial and compliance documentation. The project description must address recruitment strategies, service activities, career pathway design, implementation capacity, impact measurement, and evaluation planning. Applications are evaluated using a 100 point scoring system that emphasizes recruitment of underserved populations, quality of service opportunities, strength of career pathways, and organizational capacity. Key dates include an application deadline of May 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM Central Time, with questions due by April 23, 2026. Awards are expected to be announced by June 1, 2026, and funded projects are scheduled to begin by late June 2026. The standard performance period is 12 months, ending June 30, 2027, with the possibility of extensions up to three years. The program does not guarantee funding for all applicants and reserves the right to modify proposals during contract negotiations. Oversight and accountability requirements include regular reporting, financial reconciliation, and participation in evaluation efforts. Grantees must submit progress reports, track participant outcomes, and comply with state monitoring standards. The Department retains authority to reallocate funds if awarded organizations are unable to fulfill grant requirements. This ensures that resources are directed toward programs demonstrating effective implementation and measurable workforce outcomes.

Align proposal with priority sectors and demonstrate strong partnerships and measurable workforce outcomes while clearly outlining recruitment of overlooked workers and credential pathways