Workforce Catalyst Program

The West Virginia Department of Health, through its Rural Health Transformation Program and Health to Prosperity initiative, has released an Announcement of Funding Availability to support workforce participation through targeted employer incentives. This funding opportunity is part of a larger statewide effort backed by approximately 200 million dollars awarded to West Virginia through federal legislation to improve health outcomes, reduce chronic disease burden, and increase workforce engagement in rural communities. The Health to Prosperity initiative specifically focuses on addressing barriers to employment related to behavioral health conditions, substance use disorders, chronic illnesses, and other factors that prevent individuals from maintaining or returning to work. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to identify and award a single qualified Third Party Administrator to serve as both the fiscal agent and program administrator for an Employer Subsidy Program. This program is designed to incentivize employers to hire individuals participating in state approved return to work programs by offering structured, milestone based subsidies. These subsidies are tied to employment milestones such as hiring, ninety day retention, and twelve month retention, ensuring that funding supports sustained workforce participation rather than one time hiring events. The selected administrator will be responsible for managing employer applications, verifying eligibility, administering payments, and ensuring compliance with all state and federal requirements. Funding under this opportunity totals five hundred thousand dollars for a one year period ending July thirty first, two thousand twenty seven. Of this amount, fifty thousand dollars is allocated for administrative costs and four hundred fifty thousand dollars is designated for employer subsidies. Funds must be used strictly for allowable activities such as subsidy payments, administrative oversight, verification processes, and reporting. The program explicitly prohibits supplanting existing employer funded benefits, using funds for unrelated services, or duplicating funding sources. Administrative costs are capped at ten percent of the total award, and all expenditures must comply with federal cost principles. Eligible applicants include organizations with demonstrated experience serving as fiscal agents or administrators of grant or subsidy programs. This includes financial institutions, benefits administrators, workforce program operators, health plans, and similar entities capable of managing large scale funding distribution and compliance tracking. Applicants must demonstrate the ability to verify employer eligibility, track net new hires, monitor retention milestones, and integrate data with the state data system. The program is statewide, covering all counties in West Virginia, with emphasis on areas facing significant workforce participation challenges. Applications must be submitted through the West Virginia Oasis Vendor Self Service portal and must include a comprehensive narrative, detailed budget, contact list, and county level service plan. The narrative must address organizational capacity, projected impact on health outcomes, implementation feasibility, and long term sustainability. Applications will be evaluated based on organizational readiness, projected impact, feasibility, sustainability, and budget justification, with a minimum score requirement of eighty percent for funding consideration. The application timeline includes a release date of July twenty second, two thousand twenty six, and a submission deadline of August fifth, two thousand twenty six at eleven fifty nine pm Eastern Time. Applicant questions must be submitted within three business days of posting or by July twenty seventh, two thousand twenty six. The program requires rapid implementation, with key milestones including operational setup within fifteen days and full program launch within sixty days of award. Ongoing reporting, including monthly and quarterly submissions, is required to ensure accountability and performance tracking. The selected grantee will work closely with state program managers and must provide real time data access, maintain compliance with reporting requirements, and demonstrate measurable outcomes such as employer participation, number of hires, and retention rates. The state retains oversight authority and may reallocate or terminate funding if performance benchmarks are not met. This funding opportunity is not explicitly recurring and is dependent on future federal funding availability and program performance outcomes.

Emphasize data tracking verification processes and ability to scale quickly Align proposal with milestone based payments and workforce outcomes Demonstrate prior experience managing subsidies and compliance