DOE Clean Energy and Manufacturing Workforce Training and Technical Assistance Awards (IAC Program)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)—in collaboration with its Partnership Intermediary, ENERGYWERX —has opened applications to establish new industrial training and assessment centers, as part of the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) network, across the United States to train students and incumbent workers for high-quality careers in clean energy, energy efficiency, and advanced manufacturing, and to help small and midsized manufacturers (SMMs) save money, reduce energy waste, and improve productivity.  

Through this solicitation, DOE aims to support community and technical colleges; trade schools; union training programs (including labor-management training programs); apprenticeship readiness, apprenticeship, and internship programs; and their employer and workforce system partners through planning awards of up to $200,000, execution awards of up to $2,000,000, and cohort awards of up to $7,000,000. This solicitation builds on the round of selections announced in November 2023 – applicants may wish to review those selections to understand the types of projects that DOE expects to fund in this solicitation.

This solicitation makes available up to $24,000,000 of funds from section 40521 of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), 42 USC § 17116.  

• Sign up for the Teaming Partner List: Click Here to Sign Up
• View the List and contact potential partners here (password: “IACteaming”): Click Here to View Potential Partners

How to Apply

• Please see more detail in the Solicitation Overview here.  
• Complete the submission and upload in Submittable here.

Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session (March 5, 2024): Join ENERGYWERX and the IAC team for an informational webinar on the Manufacturing Workforce Training and Tachnical Assistance Program on March 5, 2024 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET.

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The IAC team will be hosting 2 optional Informational Office Hours Session for potential candidates. Participants are encouraged to come prepared to ask questions.

• ‍Informational Office Hours Part 1 (March 27, 2024 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET) COMPLETED
• Informational Office Hours Part 2 (May 7, 2024 from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET): Click Here to RSVP

Submissions are due NLT May 16, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET

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• Applications Open: February 23, 2024
• Informational Webinar/Objective Strategic Session: March 5, 2024, at 3:00-4:00 PM ET
• Optional Q&A “Office Hours” 1: March 27, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET – COMPLETED
• Optional concept paper deadline: March 28, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET. (Concept paper submitters will receive brief, structured feedback.) - COMPLETED
• Optional Q&A Office Hours 2: May 7, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET – Click Here to RSVP‍
• Required full application deadline: May 16, 2024, at 3:00 PM ET - Click Here to Submit‍
• Review and Selection: Selection notifications anticipated in ~ July 2024. ‍
• Awarding and Implementation: Selectees will finalize awards with ENERGYWERX and begin implementation in Fall or Winter 2024-2025.

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Complete submission and upload here: Click Here to Submit

(Submissions are due NLT May 16, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET)

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1. IAC Planning and Capacity-Building ($100,000-200,000 each, 12 months): Smaller planning awards for workforce development programs looking to expand their industrial sector training, test options to serve SMMs through hands-on training, and prepare for a possible Track 2 (Execution and Scale) award in 1-2 years.
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   Eligible entities: Community colleges, community college systems, trade schools, union training programs (including labor-management training programs), and other apprenticeship and internship training programs (with applicant cost share.
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2. IAC Execution and Scale ($500,000-2,000,000 each, 36 months): Larger awards for an existing career training program to become an IAC. Selected projects will serve SMMs with no-cost technical assistance while expanding their workforce development supports and hands-on career training.
   
   Eligible entities: Same as Track 1
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3. IAC Consortia ($4,000,000-7,000,000 each, 36 months): Larger awards for an umbrella organization to establish and support 5-15 new IACs within their member network. At least 80% of funds must go to eligible sub-recipients.
   
   Eligible entities: Same as Tracks 1 and 2, as well as entities that represent a network or association of IAC-eligible training entities or entities that can otherwise demonstrate an ability to effectively distribute sub-awards to IAC-eligible entities (e.g., an association of community colleges, national unions, workforce and apprenticeship intermediaries, industry associations, etc.).

Applications will be reviewed for inclusion of in-demand jobs in ways that explicitly attend to job quality, employer partnerships and job placement plans, use of effective workforce development strategies, plans to provide useful services to SMMs, community benefits plans, and robustness of project management approach, team, and budget. Please see the Solicitation Overview for more details.

Please see click here to download the full list of FAQ's.

If you have any questions, please contact ENERGYWERX: info@energywerx.org

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