Supporting Effective Educator Development 84.423A

The Supporting Effective Educator Development program is a federal discretionary grant initiative administered by the U.S. Department of Labor on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education. The program is authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and is designed to increase the number of highly effective educators nationwide. It does so by funding projects that implement evidence-based practices to prepare, develop, and enhance the skills of teachers, principals, and other school leaders, with the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes. The program emphasizes scalable and sustainable models that can be evaluated and disseminated broadly across education systems. The primary purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the development, expansion, and evaluation of educator preparation and professional development initiatives that demonstrate measurable effectiveness. Projects must align with one of the required absolute priorities, which focus on strengthening the educator workforce through evidence-based approaches. These include supporting effective teachers or school leaders and advancing either literacy instruction or meaningful learning opportunities such as mathematics achievement. Additional competitive preference priorities allow applicants to gain points for proposals aligned with state endorsement, artificial intelligence integration in education, or workforce-aligned apprenticeship pathways. Funding under this program is substantial, with an estimated total program allocation of $90 million and individual awards ranging from $1 million to $6 million per project year. The typical award averages approximately $3.5 million for a performance period of up to 36 months. Applicants must plan for a multi-year implementation timeline and may be eligible for a renewal period of up to 24 additional months based on performance and available funding. Funds are intended to support direct program activities, including personnel, training, materials, evaluation, and dissemination efforts, but must comply with federal cost principles and supplement-not-supplant requirements. A critical requirement of the SEED program is the cost-sharing obligation. Each grantee must provide at least 25 percent of the total project cost from non-federal sources, which may include cash or in-kind contributions. Applicants must clearly document these contributions in their budget and provide evidence of matching funds for the first year at the time of application. This requirement ensures shared investment and sustainability of funded initiatives beyond the federal funding period. Eligibility for the program is limited to specific entity types, including institutions of higher education, national nonprofit organizations with a demonstrated track record in improving student outcomes or educator development, the Bureau of Indian Education, and partnerships that combine eligible nonprofit or higher education entities with for-profit organizations. Applicants must demonstrate their qualifications and provide documentation of nonprofit status where applicable. Subgrants may be issued by awarded entities to support implementation through local educational agencies, government entities, or other qualified partners. The application process requires submission through Grants.gov and adherence to federal registration requirements, including SAM.gov registration and a valid Unique Entity Identifier. Applications must include multiple components such as a project narrative, budget narrative, evidence documentation, and required federal forms. The project narrative is expected to address selection criteria including project design, management plan, evaluation strategy, and resource adequacy. Applications are evaluated on a 100-point scale, with emphasis on evidence-based design, feasibility, and potential for sustainable impact. The application deadline for this funding opportunity is June 1, 2026, with intergovernmental review closing on July 31, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to begin registration and submission processes early due to system requirements and validation steps. Awards are expected to be made following a competitive review process, and successful applicants must comply with federal reporting, performance measurement, and civil rights requirements throughout the grant period. For additional information or assistance, applicants may contact program officials via the provided email or telephone listed in the official notice.

Align proposal clearly with absolute priorities and provide strong evidence citations; demonstrate measurable outcomes and sustainability; ensure budget reflects required 25 percent match