Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act Youth Funding Grant

Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act Youth Funding Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: City of Boston
Last Updated: March 21, 2026

Summary

The Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) Youth Funding aims to support marginalized youth aged 18-24 facing barriers to education, training, and employment. Managed by the Office of Workforce Development in collaboration with local organizations, this grant provides funding for up to three years to create a coordinated system that helps youth transition into career-oriented opportunities. Key focus areas include evidence-based policies, partnerships, and access to essential services to ensure successful outcomes for participants.

Overview

NOTE: See funder website regarding Optional LOI Deadline. Please note that this deadline helps OWD to build an appropriate review committee in relation to the volume of applications. Before starting the application for WIOA Youth Funding, all applicants are required to download and review the following document found on funder's website: Pre-Reading to Prepare for the Application. Background WIOA Youth funding is a US Department of Labor formulary grant for youth facing education, training, and employment barriers. Information and resources on WIOA Youth are available on the Department of Labor’s website. The Office of Workforce Development (OWD) manages WIOA Youth funding in partnership with the Boston MassHire Workforce Board and its Youth Council, and under the supervision of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. Under this Request for Grant Applications (RFGA), organizations will be eligible for up to three years of funding on this schedule: Year 1: the open and competitive year during which applications may be submitted by all eligible entitiesYear 2: the first year of refunding open only to awardees from the previous yearYear 3: the second year of potential refunding Program Goals OWD envisions an integrated and coordinated system of services that stabilizes marginalized youth and transitions them towards career-oriented education, training, and employment. Five key principles that will guide the selection of funded programs are summarized below and expanded upon in the following section. Programs are framed around a multi-step intervention model Programs have well-defined and robust transition processes to the post-program stepProgram policies and protocols are evidence-based and appropriate for the populationYouth are on a pathway to the attainment of post-secondary credentials needed for employment in high-demand occupationsPrograms leverage multiple internal and external partnerships to ensure the integration of high-quality, youth-focused services. Our systemwide goals are also as follows: Youth are on a pathway to and through post-secondary education or training Youth have access to evidence-based services designed to eliminate barriers to employment and trainingYouth have access to timely, high-quality, and specialized services representing the required 14 program elements stipulated by WIOA, particularly stabilization servicesOWD and providers have meaningful and high-quality data to improve services and outcomes for youthWe invest time, money, and staff resources in building a coordinated system with connections both between organizations and linkages to broader networks of economic opportunity. Priority Target Populations Within the above eligibility requirements under WIOA, the Boston Private Industry Council and Office of Workforce Development have determined the following priority target populations under this RFGA: Out-of-school youth between the ages of 18-24 years old.Court-involved; homeless or runaway; in foster care or aged out of the foster care system; pregnant or parenting; youth living with a disability; young men of color; documented immigrant youth.Low-income youth who are: identified as having foundational skills needed or English Language Learners, residing in Boston Housing Authority (BHA) facilities or utilizing a housing voucher, in post-secondary schools with a GPA less than 2.0, living in a single-parent household, truant, residing in a high-poverty area, or failed the MCAS in the most recent round. Individuals with disabilities who need pre-employment transition services, including job exploration, work-based learning experiences, workplace readiness training, self-advocacy instruction, counseling on enrollment opportunities in comprehensive transition or post secondary education programs, and instruction in self-advocacy to maximize opportunities for competitive, integrated employment. Funding Previous awards have average costs per participant at $10,000 with an additional $3,000 for follow up services. OWD encourages applicants to reference this ratio when building budget requests.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.