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Current Funding Opportunities as of 8.5.26

Federal Opportunities

1. EDA Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance

• Funder: U.S. Economic Development Administration
• Focus: Infrastructure, economic recovery, regional competitiveness, business expansion, revolving loan funds, and job creation.
• Eligibility: State and local governments, tribes, higher-education institutions, economic-development districts, and qualifying nonprofits.
• Funding: Generally approximately $100,000–$30 million, depending on project type; cost sharing typically applies.
• Deadline: Rolling until replaced, canceled, or funds are exhausted.
• Fit: The broadest federal opportunity for regional economic-development projects.
• Source: EDA PWEAA opportunity

2. NSF State and Regional Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Hubs — NSF 26-513

• Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
• Focus: State or multi-state AI infrastructure consortia combining higher education, government, industry, philanthropy, scientific research, and workforce development.
• Workforce uses: AI infrastructure professionals, stackable credentials, degree and certificate programs, internships, apprenticeships, faculty training, and curriculum development.
• Lead eligibility: Accredited two- and four-year higher-education institutions, including community colleges, and certain nonprofit academic or research organizations.
• Funding: Approximately $40 million–$100 million total; about ten awards of $4 million–$12 million over five years.
• Deadline: November 4, 2026, at 5 p.m. local time.
• Fit: A top-tier opportunity for a statewide or multi-state AI workforce, research, and economic-development consortium.
• Critical caution: NSF does not fund the computing, cloud, software, networking, storage, or data infrastructure itself. Those resources must be financed by consortium partners. An institution may participate in only one proposal, and only one award will be made per state or multi-state region.
• Source: Official NSF 26-513 solicitation

3. SBA Program for Investment in Microentrepreneurs — SB-OCAPR-26-001

• Funder: U.S. Small Business Administration
• Focus: Training, technical assistance, and capacity building for disadvantaged microentrepreneurs.
• Eligibility: Nonprofit microenterprise organizations, nonprofit CDFIs, qualifying governmental programs, collaborations, and tribes.
• Funding: $75,000–$400,000; approximately 27 awards; match required.
• Deadline: August 12, 2026.
• Fit: Excellent for entrepreneurship, rural business assistance, and economic-mobility programs.
• Source: Federal PRIME opportunity

4. SBA Supply Chain Acceleration and Logistics Enablement Program — SB-OIIGA-26-001

• Funder: U.S. Small Business Administration
• Focus: Helping small businesses overcome workforce, technical, operational, supplier-readiness, and market-access barriers.
• Eligibility: Nonprofits, colleges and universities, local governments, tribal organizations, small businesses, and certain other businesses.
• Funding: Up to $500,000; $9 million total; approximately 20 awards.
• Deadline: August 7, 2026.
• Fit: Strong for manufacturing, logistics, regional supply chains, and small-business technical assistance.
• Caution: Confirm the exact current submission time in Grants.gov immediately.
• Source: Federal SCALE opportunity

5. SBA State Trade Expansion Program — SB-OIT-STEP-2026-01

• Funder: U.S. Small Business Administration
• Focus: Increasing small-business exports, export revenue, and entry into international markets.
• Eligibility: A state or organization formally designated by its governor as the state’s lead international-trade entity.
• Funding: $100,000–$900,000; approximately 55 awards; match required.
• Deadline: August 18, 2026.
• Fit: Strong for state economic-development and export-promotion agencies. Other organizations may participate as state partners.
• Source: Federal STEP opportunity

6. SBA Women’s Business Center Modernization Initiative — SB-OEDWB-26-002

• Funder: U.S. Small Business Administration
• Focus: Establishing statewide Women’s Business Center lead-and-service-center networks.
• Eligibility: 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
• Funding: $250,000–$2,084,765; eight cooperative agreements expected; match required.
• Deadline: August 10, 2026.
• Fit: Particularly relevant for a West Virginia nonprofit with entrepreneurship experience and statewide delivery capacity.
• Source: Federal WBC opportunity

7. USDA AFRI Education and Workforce Development — USDA-NIFA-AFRI-011596

• Funder: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Focus: Agricultural workforce training, community and technical-college programs, youth engagement, educator development, undergraduate training, and fellowships.
• Eligibility: Varies by program area; includes colleges, universities, research organizations, certain private organizations, government laboratories, and collaborations.
• Funding: $10,000–$650,000; $39.7 million total; approximately 245 awards. Some tracks require matching funds.
• Deadline: Program-area deadlines vary; umbrella opportunity closes December 31, 2026.
• Fit: Strong for rural, agricultural, food-system, and community-college workforce initiatives.
• Source: Federal AFRI-EWD opportunity

8. USDA Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants — RUS-26-01-DLT

• Funder: USDA Rural Utilities Service
• Focus: Technology and equipment expanding rural access to education, training, and health services.
• Eligibility: Government entities, tribes, nonprofits, incorporated organizations, and consortia serving eligible rural areas.
• Funding: $50,000–$750,000; $27 million total; approximately 40 awards; match required.
• Deadline: August 31, 2026.
• Fit: Strong for rural training centers, community colleges, libraries, and multi-county workforce consortia.
• Source: Federal DLT opportunity

9. NSF Training-Based Workforce Development for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure — NSF 23-520

• Funder: U.S. National Science Foundation
• Focus: Advanced computing, data, networking, cybersecurity, and cyberinfrastructure workforce education.
• Eligibility: Primarily higher-education and research organizations with appropriate cyberinfrastructure and scientific-domain leadership.
• Funding: Pilot projects up to $300,000; small implementation projects up to $500,000; medium projects up to $1 million.
• Deadline: January 21, 2027.
• Fit: Best for universities and research-oriented partnerships developing scalable technical workforce curricula.
• Source: Federal CyberTraining opportunity

Philanthropic Opportunities

1. Truist Foundation Inspire Awards: Adult Workers in the Age of AI

• Focus: AI literacy, direct workforce services, upskilling, career navigation, credentials, and wraparound support.
• Eligibility: Established 501(c)(3) nonprofits headquartered in and serving Truist’s footprint, including Ohio and West Virginia, but not Michigan.
• Funding: Fifteen semifinalists receive $10,000. Final awards include $250,000 first place, $150,000 second place, a $75,000 community-favorite award, and $25,000 runner-up awards.
• Deadline: August 7, 2026, at noon EDT.
• Fit: One of the strongest philanthropic opportunities for workforce organizations responding to AI-related labor-market change.
• Source: Truist/MIT Solve application

2. Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund

• Focus: Workforce development, education, affordable housing, human services, and community improvement.
• Eligibility: 501(c)(3) public charities, public educational institutions, and governmental entities in eligible Weyerhaeuser communities.
• Priority geography: Includes Grayling, Michigan; Buckhannon and Sutton, West Virginia; and eligible West Virginia timberland counties.
• Funding: Minimum grant of $1,000; award sizes vary by community and local philanthropic budget.
• Deadline: September 30, 2026; reviewed throughout the year.
• Fit: Good place-based support for eligible Michigan and West Virginia workforce programs.
• Source: Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund

State-Level Opportunities

1. Michigan Clean Energy Workforce Development Program

• Funder: Michigan EGLE
• Focus: Clean-energy training, apprenticeships, career pathways, participant supports, and education-employer partnerships.
• Eligibility: Michigan-based 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(6)s, and businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
• Funding: $5,000–$50,000; $250,000 total; reimbursement basis.
• Deadline: August 30, 2026.
• Source: Michigan EGLE program

2. Michigan Going PRO Talent Fund — Employer-Led Collaboratives

• Funder: Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity
• Focus: Short-term, employer-driven training leading to transferable, industry-recognized credentials.
• Eligibility: Employer-led collaborations applying through a local Michigan Works! agency.
• Funding: Project-specific; the broader program’s historical average award is approximately $36,680.
• Deadline: Open until funds are exhausted.
• Source: Going PRO Talent Fund

3. West Virginia Governor’s Guaranteed Work Force Program

• Funder: West Virginia Division of Economic Development
• Focus: Training, retraining, and upgrading skills for employees of new, expanding, or relocating businesses.
• Eligibility: Existing West Virginia employers and companies considering relocation to West Virginia.
• Funding: Up to $2,000 per trainee; total support depends on wages, benefits, location, employment, and training commitments.
• Deadline: Continuous, contact-based intake.
• Source: West Virginia workforce programs

4. West Virginia STEP Export Assistance

• Funder: West Virginia Division of Economic Development, with SBA support
• Focus: Export-related trade shows, market travel, translation, international marketing, and related services.
• Eligibility: West Virginia small businesses; approval is required before expenses begin.
• Funding: Up to $15,000; reimbursement limited to 75% of qualifying expenses.
• Deadline: Current funding period ends September 29, 2026, subject to remaining funds.
• Source: West Virginia STEP

5. JobsOhio Workforce Grant

• Funder: JobsOhio
• Focus: Employee training connected to job creation, expansion, productivity improvements, and job retention.
• Eligibility: Ohio companies in JobsOhio-targeted industries and business functions; wage, training, and job commitments apply.
• Funding: Negotiated by project; no standard public award range.
• Deadline: Ongoing project-based intake.
• Caution: JobsOhio is Ohio’s private nonprofit economic-development corporation, making this a state-level incentive rather than a conventional state-agency grant.
• Source: JobsOhio incentive requirements