Workforce Training Fund Program ( General Program) Grant

Workforce Training Fund Program ( General Program) Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Commonwealth Corporation
Amount: US $10,000 - US $125,000
Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Summary

The Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) provides essential grants to Massachusetts employers, focusing on small to medium-sized businesses. The program aims to enhance productivity and competitiveness by funding training for current and newly hired employees. Priorities include job retention, growth, and increased wages. Eligible employers must contribute to the Workforce Training Fund, ensuring that training aligns with state business needs. The program encourages applications emphasizing adult education, diversity, and climate resilience.

Overview

Workforce Training Fund Program The Workforce Training Fund Program (WTFP) provides grants to help Massachusetts employers address business productivity and competitiveness by providing resources to Massachusetts businesses to fund training for current and newly hired employees. The Workforce Training Fund’s major focus is small to medium-sized businesses that would not be able to make an investment in improving employee skills without the assistance of the Fund. Training funded by the Workforce Training Fund Program should address the following priorities: Training plans that will result in job retention, job growth, or increased wages.Training plans where training would make a difference in the company’s productivity, competitiveness, and ability to do business in Massachusetts. Grants are awarded competitively to Massachusetts employers (or a consortium of employers) to train their current and newly hired full-time and part-time employees (i.e. incumbent workers). The competition for General Program Training Grants from the Workforce Training Fund is particularly strong. Funding is awarded on a case-by-case basis, and other restrictions may apply.Employers are encouraged to apply for grants focusing on adult basic education (ABE) and/or English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and Climate Change Resiliency / Green Economy.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Massachusetts employers of any size may apply.Only organizations that contribute to the Workforce Training Fund are eligible to take part in WTFP grant programs.(Please Note: All private, for-profit employers that are required to contribute to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund in Massachusetts contribute to the Workforce Training Fund as do some non-profits. Non-profits that select the contributory method to finance Unemployment Insurance are eligible. Non-profits that select the reimbursable method are paying a discounted rate that does not include a contribution to the WTFP and therefore are not eligible. No federal, state or local government entities contribute and therefore are not eligible to take part in any grant-funded training.)A copy of a Certificate of Good Standing from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue that is less than 6 months old must be provided by applicants prior to being considered for a grant. In the case of a consortium application, any company with employees to be trained must also provide the certificate before an application will be considered.A Certificate of Compliance from Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) Unemployment Services for Employers portal. Click here to learn how to get yours. Please Note: All Certificates must show the business’s full legal name and FEIN. The Certificate of Compliance must explicitly verify their Workforce Training Fund contributions and must not be expired on the date of application submission.All applicants should be prepared to submit a signed Form W-9 listing the current legal business name and FEIN of their business.       The W-9 signature should be less than one year old at the time of submission to qualify.Applicants must also be in full compliance with all obligations to the Department of Unemployment Assistance, Department of Industrial Accidents, and any other obligations to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.   Applicants or their training providers who have been debarred from doing business with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts are not eligible to participate in Workforce Training Fund Programs.Companies must be in operation, with employees, long enough to have at least two full years of financial statements available for review to be considered for a grant.   Companies must be financially viable to be eligible for a grant. Upon request, applicants must be able to demonstrate to the satisfaction of reviewers that the business is expected to operate as a going concern (e.g., the company is expected to continue operating for a period of time that is sufficient to carry out its commitments, obligations, and objectives) throughout the life of a grant. Credit risk assessment may be considered in determining if a company is a viable applicant. The two most recently completed years of the company Financial Statements may be required.   WTFP staff will complete a compliance review, and the results determine if the organization(s) may receive cash advances or will be limited to a grant that does not include cash advances but rather reimburses the grantee for approved expenses.   The General Program award recipients will not be considered for new grants until one year has elapsed from the close* of a prior General Program training grant.The close is when all required documents are submitted and approved.WTFP policy prohibits General Program funding for topics that were addressed in a prior grant until a minimum of five years have passed since the closeout of the last grant.  Grant recipients are responsible for continued investment in training necessary to maintain new capabilities gained via grant funded training.NOTE: ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) is an exception. ESOL is a priority of the program and may be included in consecutive grants.