Preservation Trades Workforce Grant Program

The Colorado State Historical Fund is offering the Preservation Trades Workforce Grant Program, a competitive funding opportunity designed to strengthen Colorado's preservation trades workforce. The program supports projects that recruit, train, and prepare people for careers in preservation trades through apprenticeships, internships, hands-on learning, and related workforce development activities. It is intended both to increase the number of people prepared for preservation careers and to expand access to those careers for underserved communities. The program advances Colorado's 2030 State Preservation Plan, particularly Goal 4, Educate and Train, which focuses on developing the skills and leadership of preservation advocates and preparing the next generation of professionals, and Objective C, which focuses on workforce development through training, certification, and partnerships. Projects must address workforce development challenges in the preservation field and focus on underserved communities across Colorado. Priority is placed on projects that train and employ people in preservation trades through apprenticeships, internships, and hands-on learning, with an emphasis on jobs and job readiness rather than general preservation education. Other areas of emphasis include expanding career pathways for historically underrepresented communities, supporting succession planning for legacy craftspeople, and building preservation capacity in rural and underserved areas. Projects occurring outside Colorado are ineligible. General preservation education projects that do not focus on trades and projects tied to advanced-level degree programs, including bachelor's and master's degree programs, are also ineligible. Awards are available for requests of up to $200,000. A 25% cash match is required, although projects demonstrating clear financial need may qualify for a waiver. The source does not state the total amount available for the overall program or the anticipated number of awards. Grant recipients will have two years to complete their projects. The program is intended to serve as a catalyst for programs and initiatives. An applicant may receive grant funding for up to three grant rounds in succession, after which the recipient must take one year off before applying again. Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations, public entities, and Tribal governments. For-profit entities are expressly ineligible. Projects must also have a direct workforce jobs outcome; projects without such an outcome are ineligible. In addition to meeting applicant eligibility requirements, proposed activities must maintain the program's preservation trades workforce focus and serve Colorado. The program is not intended to support general academic degree programs or preservation education that lacks a trades and employment focus. The application process begins with submission of a letter of intent through the grants application portal. The letter of intent period opened August 3, 2026, and letters of intent are due October 2, 2026, at noon. Applicants are scheduled to receive letter of intent notifications on October 28, 2026. A draft application is then due November 30, 2026, followed by the final application deadline of January 8, 2027, at noon. The source does not provide a time zone for the noon deadlines, so the dates are stored without a time component under the applicable data-entry rules. No detailed application questions, required uploads, scoring rubric, or formal evaluation criteria are provided in the supplied material. Award announcements are expected in mid-February 2027, and funded projects will have a two-year grant term. The source indicates that the program operates in grant rounds and permits funding for as many as three rounds in a row, followed by a required year off for recipients funded in three consecutive years. For questions about deadlines, eligibility, or application guidance, applicants may contact the SHF Engagement team at HC_SHF@state.co.us. No individual program contact, telephone number, or explicit PDF URL is provided in the supplied source.

Emphasize a direct workforce jobs outcome and preservation trades job readiness. Align the project with apprenticeships, internships, hands-on learning, or other training and employment pathways. Demonstrate benefits for underserved communities in Colorado. Where applicable, show expansion of career pathways for historically underrepresented communities, succession planning for legacy craftspeople, or increased preservation capacity in rural and underserved areas.