Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant (WIG) Grant Focus Areas

Applications for the Workforce Innovation Grants for Larimer County will be available Friday, December 3, 2021 through Thursday, January 20, 2022. 

Eligibility 

Organizations Eligible to Apply for Funding 

The following entities are eligible to apply for a Workforce Innovation Grant.

  • Eligible organizations include:
    • Public and Private Sector Employers, Employer Organization, or Trade
      Associations
    • Apprenticeship Sponsors
    • Community-Based Organizations
    • Colorado Workforce Centers
    • Formalized Sector Partnerships recognized by the Colorado Workforce Development Center 
  • Eligible organizations are required to
    • Have an EIN and be in good standing with the IRS
    • Organizations are based in the U.S. with a valid Tax ID # and U.S. bank account

Eligible applicants may apply in partnership with sub-applicants, including: higher education, libraries, K-12 Local Education Agencies (LEAs) or Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), adult education programs, proprietary (private) training providers, economic development corporations, and non-profit organizations. 

Eligible Populations to Serve with Workforce Innovation Grant Funding
  • Individuals who are 16 years of age or older and currently or previously were economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Participant eligibility may be self-attested, and the reason must be documented. This includes individuals:
    • who experienced household income loss or job loss since March 2020,
    • who were unable to access or continue education or training due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
  • Business existing employees are eligible when the worker or employer have been economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grant Focus Areas and Allowable Activities

  1. Supporting work-based learning, skill development, training completion, and quality job placement through the following:
  • Providing quality education and training for reskilling, upskilling and next-skilling individuals who are in COVID-19 impacted households and underserved populations that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency;

  • Building accountable partnerships and systems to improve outcomes or decrease costs for workers and learners to access quality education and training;

  • Increasing access to career counseling and navigation programs for in-school and out-of-school workers and learners;

  • Develop new, work-based learning programs in partnership with employers;

  • Increasing access to English as a Second Language (ESL) and other career readiness programs that enable equitable access.

  1. Supporting employers and small business to reduce financial hardships resulted from the public health emergency or providing greater opportunities for communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 to engage in skill development through the following:

  • Providing services to businesses and employers;

  • Supporting initiatives to enhance job quality;

  • Increasing adoption of skills-based practices, including implementing skills-based hiring programs/practices;

  • Developing or expanding training and work-based programs for current/existing employees (incumbent workers) in partnership with Colorado Workforce Centers, training providers, community based organizations, local education providers, and institutions of higher education;

  • Building career paths or career ladders for existing employees, including training funds.

  1. Increasing participation by underserved communities including, but not limited to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with disabilities, New Americans, ex-offenders, and older workers through the following:
  • Adopting focused outreach strategies specific to underserved communities;
  • Increasing partnership with community-based organization that serve these populations in order to support existing trusted messengers that can enhance outreach;
  • Improving language access, to include American sign language, to ensure outreach and participation

 

Workforce Innovation Grant Application Overview and Outline

Grant Funding Reimbursement Process and Allowable Costs

LCEWD Business Services

Larimer County Workforce Innovation Grant

We are here to help.  Please contact us with any questions. 

Email: lcewd-grant@larimer.org