Back to Federal guidance
State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Round 4 grants
Summary ETA announced about $85 million in fourth-round formula grants for states and territories to expand Registered Apprenticeship. The letter and attachments set application, performance, and funding conditions, including statewide expansion goals and direct support for programs or apprentices. Applications were due May 26, 2026.
Document
Federal guidance
Agency
U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
Document number
TEGL No. 08-25
Date issued
April 10, 2026
Status
Active
ETA lists this advisory as active and it prints an expiration date of Continuing, although its May 26, 2026 application deadline has passed.
Status last verified October 24, 2026
Apply this to your situation
This page explains the general guidance. Ask about your specific situation and see what current federal labor law says, with citations.
About this page: The full text below is the official document from U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Ezel adds the plain-English summary and tracks the document's status. The official source linked on this page is authoritative for any reliance.
CLASSIFICATION
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING Apprenticeship
ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
OA
DATE
Washington, D.C. 20210
April 10, 2026
ADVISORY: TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 08-25
TO: GOVERNORS
NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM STAKEHOLDERS
OFFICE OF APPRENTICESHIP STAFF
STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCIES
STATE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION DIRECTORS
STATE EDUCATION AGENCY HEADS
STATE WORKFORCE AGENCY HEADS
FROM: HENRY MACK, ED.D.
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
SUBJECT: State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula Round 4 Grant Program
Application Instructions and Program Description
1. Purpose. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor
(DOL, or the Department, or we), announces the availability of approximately $85 million in
formula funding to states and territories for a fourth round of State Apprenticeship Expansion
Formula (herein referred to as “SAEF4”) grants.
This Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) and its attachments contain
information about the formula award, application requirements and procedures, program
goals and objectives; expected performance outcomes; eligibility; funding restrictions,
policies, and limitations; period of performance (POP); and post-award policies related to this
grant program.
2. Action Requested. Interested states and territories should review this TEGL and its attachments
in their entirety. Successful applicants for SAEF4 must meet the requirements outlined in the
attachments.
Interested and eligible entities, as described in Attachment I Program Description, must
submit complete applications no later than 11:59 PM ET on May 26 in accordance with the
application instructions in Attachment II Project Narrative.
RESCISSIONS EXPIRATION DATE
None Continuing
3. Summary and Background.
a. Summary - The goal of the SAEF4 grant program is to fuel Registered Apprenticeship
expansion by funding states and territories to enhance their capacity to register programs
and support apprentices and employers. To meet this goal, DOL will implement a new
performance-based formula to award Registered Apprenticeship funding to eligible states
and territories. The SAEF4 performance-based formula, methodology and allocation
details are provided in Attachment VIII Formula Allocation and Methodology. To
receive formula funds, all eligible states and territories must commit to three (3) core
requirements and states with federally recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies
(hereinafter referred to as SAA states) must commit to an additional core requirement, for
a total of four (4) core commitments for SAA states:
i. (1) Setting statewide Registered Apprenticeship expansion goals;
ii. (2) Dedicating a portion of funding to direct support for Registered
Apprenticeship programs or apprentices in a state-identified industry(ies);
iii. (3) Committing to leveraged funds of at least 50 percent of the base funding
amount allocated in the formula, and;
iv. (4) For SAA states, promoting transparency and accountability in their
registration process by publishing average program approval times.
These requirements are described in Attachment II Project Narrative.
b. Background - Registered Apprenticeships address critical skills gaps across industries and
regions nationwide. The SAEF4 program provides direct funding to states and territories
based on apprenticeship system growth within the state. It aims to expand the National
Apprenticeship System while simultaneously incentivizing states to focus on growth of
the system by removing barriers that currently limit employer participation in Registered
Apprenticeships, increasing transparency around the registration process, and setting
ambitious goals for growth to advance President Trump’s goal to reach and surpass 1
million active apprentices. Further, SAEF4 aligns with America's Talent Strategy by
preparing the workforce for economic growth and strengthens the National Apprenticeship
System as the nation's premier talent development pipeline. The program seeks to advance
DOL’s efforts to prioritize reindustrialization by focusing on in-demand sectors such as
artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure, nuclear energy infrastructure, shipbuilding,
advanced manufacturing, domestic mineral production, information technology (IT) and
other Administration-identified industry sectors.
4. Program Authorization and OMB Information Collection.
Program Authorization. These grants are authorized under the Full-Year Continuing
Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Division A, Title IX (Public Law 119-4).
OMB Information Collection. OMB Information Collection number 1225-0086, Expires June
30, 2028.
According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a
collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The
public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 50 hours per
response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources,
gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of
information. Send comments about the burden estimated or any other aspect of this collection
of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of
Labor, to the attention of the Departmental Clearance Officer, 200 Constitution Avenue NW,
Room N1301, Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be emailed to:
[email protected]. (Please do not return your grant application to this address.
Send only comments about the burden caused by the collection of information to this
address. Send your grant application to the Employment and Training Administration (ETA)
via https://www.grants.gov as described in Attachment IV Application Requirements,
Review Process, and Award Notices.)
This information is being collected for the purpose of awarding a grant. The Department will use
the information collected through this TEGL to ensure that grants are awarded to applicants
whose applications meet all of the requirements described in this TEGL and its attachments be
considered for this grant.
5. Inquiries. If you have any questions, please contact LaQuisha Barnes, Grants Management
Specialist, Office of Grants Management, at [email protected], and specifically reference
the TEGL No. 08-25. This TEGL is available on the ETA website at
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/grants and at https://www.grants.gov.
6. References.
• National Apprenticeship Act, 29 U.S.C. 50
• Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, Division A, Title IX (Public
Law 119-4)
7. Attachments.
• Attachment I: Program Description
• Attachment II: Project Narrative
• Attachment III: Performance Reporting Requirements
• Attachment IV: Application Requirements, Review Process, and Award Notices
• Attachment V: Suggested Abstract Template
• Attachment VI: Suggested Work Plan Template
• Attachment VII: Formula Allocations and Methodology
ATTACHMENT I
Program Description: State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula, Round Four (SAEF4)
The State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula program (SAEF) supports the expansion of the National
Apprenticeship System by funding states and territories to enhance their capacity to register programs
and support apprentices and employers. In its fourth round of SAEF (SAEF4), the Department seeks to
provide approximately $85 million in formula funding, contingent upon the availability of federal funds,
to support eligible states and territories expanding Registered Apprenticeship programs broadly and in
specific industry sectors, including but not limited to Administration-wide priorities such as artificial
intelligence (AI) infrastructure, nuclear energy infrastructure, shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing,
domestic mineral production, and information technology (IT).
Funding may also be used to bolster a state’s capacity to expand Registered Apprenticeship, including
hiring additional staff that can include Registered Apprenticeship navigators supporting local workforce
areas or with key workforce partners, streamlining registration procedures, improving alignment
between the Registered Apprenticeship, workforce, and education systems and supporting the adoption
of learning and employment records (LERs) in Registered Apprenticeship programs for purposes of skill
validation of Registered Apprentices and/or the acquisition of accelerated credit toward a degreed
Registered Apprenticeship. Funds may also be used to work with sponsors and related instruction
providers to develop new or modify existing Registered Apprenticeship related instruction programs to
be eligible for Workforce Pell Grant funding. If any eligible states or territories do not apply for funding,
at the discretion of the Department, some or all of the remaining balance of funds of the total $85
million may be provided to eligible states and territories that applied for funding, in addition to the
amount identified in Attachment IV Abstract. Additional funds would be allocated using the same
performance-based formula applied to the base funding amount. Applicants should identify in their
project abstract if they would be interested in additional funds, in addition to the amount identified in
Attachment IV.
This year, the Department will not offer competitive funding for states, unlike in previous years. To
date, 25 states received competitive funding through SAEF for innovative expansion strategies. Given
the amount of funding awarded through prior competitions that remains available to states, no additional
competitive funds will be awarded in SAEF4.
Formula grants will be allocated using a new, performance-based formula based on new and active
apprentices (reported in the Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System (RAPIDS)
for the prior fiscal year). The performance-based formula aligns with President Trump’s goal of meeting
and surpassing 1 million active apprentices. It provides funding to eligible states and territories to
expand the National Apprenticeship System and encourages growth by incentivizing states to reduce
barriers for employers and streamline the registration process. To encourage states to effectively apply
innovative strategies to advance Registered Apprenticeship, the Department intends to continue using
the performance-based formula in future rounds of SAEF, contingent upon the future availability of
federal funds.
I. Required Application Document: Project Narrative
ATTACHMENT I
States must submit a streamlined project narrative to apply for SAEF4 grant funds.
In applying for these funds, states must commit to the core requirements described above in
Section 3 “Summary and Background,” that support statewide expansion of Registered
Apprenticeship programs. States are encouraged to leverage existing public workforce and
education system funding streams such as funds provided under the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Career and Technical Education (CTE) funds provided
through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and other relevant funding
sources. States are also encouraged to leverage other DOL-funded national Registered
Apprenticeship expansion investments and initiatives, including DOL-funded Registered
Apprenticeship cooperative agreements, industry intermediaries, national outreach
campaigns, and relevant tools and systems to increase the impact of funding and statewide
expansion efforts. Additionally, SAEF4 funds may be used to bolster and accelerate the
State’s training activities in their approved Statement of Work (SOW) under the SAEF3
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA). For more information regarding the specific
project narrative application requirements see Attachment II Project Narrative.
II. Eligibility
A. Eligible Applicants
For the purposes of this TEGL, all 50 States of the United States, the District of
Columbia, and territories with more than 100 active apprentices as of the end of FY 2025
are eligible applicants. Accordingly, for the purposes of this TEGL henceforth, the term
“state” means “any of the 50 States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and
any territory with more than 100 active apprentices.” States and territories with fewer
than 100 active Registered Apprentices (as of FY 2025 data), specifically American
Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands,
are not eligible to receive formula funding and are encouraged to continue utilizing funds
provided under SAEF3 to further expand Registered Apprenticeship in their area. To
view the Office of Apprenticeship’s (OA) FY 2025 Data and Statistics, please visit
https://www.apprenticeship.gov/data-and-statistics.
The applicant will serve as the grantee and have overall fiscal and administrative
responsibility for the grant. The applicant must also have the organizational capacity to:
• Carry out and/or oversee the programmatic functions of the grant;
• Receive and respond to all inquiries or communications from the Department;
• Oversee and manage all expenditures under the grant with an emphasis on
transparency, accountability, and data-driven outcomes;
• Withdraw or draw down funds through the Department of Health and Human
Services - Payment Management System (HHS-PMS);
• Submit all required deliverables;
• Amend the award agreement or SOW as necessary;
ATTACHMENT I
• Collect, synthesize, and report data received by employers for all training
participants to the Department; and
• Work with the Department to close out the grant.
States (the Governor official) must identify the State agency that will be the grant recipient
(e.g., State Workforce Agency eligible for funding under Title I of the WIOA, State
Educational Agency, or an SAA). Only this entity will have responsibility for administering
the project and will serve as the grant’s fiscal agent. For SAA States, the SAA must be
included as a partner if the State agency applicant is not the SAA, and the partnership must
be documented in the application through a letter of commitment from the Head of the SAA.
Each State is limited to one application. If a State submits multiple applications, the
Department will only consider the most recently received application that is submitted by the
deadline.
B. Eligible Participants
For the purposes of this grant program, eligible participants are persons 16 years of age and
older who receive a direct, grant-funded service. Funds may also be used to support
participants younger than age 16 who are enrolled in pre-apprenticeship programs that lead
directly to enrollment in a Registered Apprenticeship; however, the participant must be at
least 16 years old by the time they are expected to complete the pre-apprenticeship program
and enroll in a Registered Apprenticeship. States can also use funds that support a broad
range of activities that may not directly serve participants but support overall efforts to grow
and expand Registered Apprenticeship statewide and therefore increase the number of
apprentices enrolled in programs within the state.
III. Reporting
Grantees must follow the Department’s reporting requirements for quarterly financial and
performance reports. Details about grant performance reporting requirements are
described in Attachment III Performance Reporting Requirements.
IV. Period of Performance
The POP is 36 months with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026. States are encouraged to
spend funds in alignment with their expansion needs and may expend all grant funds before
the POP with no penalty.
The Department does not anticipate POP extensions for awards made under this funding
opportunity. Please refer to Attachment IV Section IV. B for more information on
preparing the SF424A and Budget Narrative.
V. Cost Sharing
ATTACHMENT I
This program does not require cost sharing (including matching) funds. Please refer to
Attachment II for information about a required commitment for leveraged resources.
VI. Funding Restrictions, Policies, and Limitations
All proposed project costs must be necessary and reasonable and in accordance with
federal requirements (including, but not limited to, regulatory requirements and award
terms and conditions), grantees awarded funds will be prohibited for using funds to:
• Support the administration, operation, or any other activities that do not conform
with federal law and regulations governing Registered Apprenticeship, including,
for example, using funds to support a non-conforming State Apprenticeship
Council as described in Circular 2026-02.
• Support or develop duplicative state-specific alternative systems to Standards Builder
or RAPIDS. States are encouraged to use tools developed by OA whenever possible
to increase alignment across the National Apprenticeship System. States that are
seeking to improve and enhance existing systems are encouraged to focus these
improvements on strengthening and ensure efficient reporting to DOL. States are
encouraged to use leveraged resources (reference commitment in Attachment II) to
support these enhancements and align state systems with Standards Builder, RAPIDS,
or other federal systems. These activities cannot duplicate or attempt to replace
federal systems available to states.
• Support activities that do not comply with federal antidiscrimination law and that
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, or other
protected characteristics. For more information on prohibited activities, see the
Department of Justice’s “Guidance for Recipients of Federal Funding Regarding
Unlawful Discrimination.”
VII. Additional Application Requirements
For all other application submission requirements that apply to this funding opportunity,
see the 2026 DOL Application guide, Section V.
ATTACHMENT II
Application Requirements: Project Narrative
To apply for SAEF4 grant funds, states must submit a project narrative or the Statement of Work
(SOW). The SOW must address parts A and B, described below, for the Department to consider it fully
responsive. Applicants must also describe any activities described in part C, if applicable to the SOW.
A. States must describe how they plan to meet the commitment to several requirements that
support the statewide expansion of Registered Apprenticeship programs:
1. Set Statewide Expansion Goals. States are required to establish a statewide expansion goal
for the total number of active apprentices, by industry sector and occupation, as measured
through the “Apprentices by State” dashboard on apprenticeship.gov, to achieve by the end
of the grant’s Period of Performance (POP). Post-award, the Department will work closely
with states to refine and adjust their expansion goal, as needed, to ensure it is clearly defined
and tied to reportable metrics so they are in position to successfully meet their goal. The
expansion goal must reflect all apprentices registered in the state. Note: States should not
base the goal on the number of apprentices who directly receive services or enroll in
programs supported by the grant funds.
States are also encouraged to set other ambitious goals for apprentice growth, and the
Department will measure states’ efforts to meet these goals as part of this program’s
performance reporting requirements. The Department will not penalize states that fail to meet
their statewide expansion goal or other additional goals if states demonstrate efforts and
progress toward meeting them throughout the award’s POP.
2. Support Employers and Registered Apprentices in Targeted Industry(ies). States must
specify a percentage of SAEF4 funding, determined by the state, that will be reserved to
directly support Registered Apprenticeship programs within a targeted industry(ies) identified
by the state. States must describe how funding reserved for the specific industry(ies) will be
spent, which may include, but is not limited to, developing new and expanding existing
programs in the targeted industry(ies),1 support for employers and Registered Apprenticeship
sponsors in the targeted industry(ies) (e.g., incentive payments), alignment of Career
Technical Education (CTE) programs of study with pre-apprenticeships within the targeted
industry(ies), and support for apprentices (e.g., costs associated with supportive services,
Related Training Instruction (RTI), and On-the-Job Learning (OJL)) enrolled in Registered
Apprenticeship programs within these targeted industries. Applicants must specify their
targeted industry(ies) and may propose an industry(ies) other than those listed in this TEGL
and its attachments. Applicants are encouraged to leverage existing partnerships, instead of
identifying new partnerships, to support their grant program. Please refer to Attachment II
1
An expanded Registered Apprenticeship program can only be counted once during the grant’s period of performance,
regardless of method. Any apprentice who does not directly receive a direct, grant-funded services but is enrolled in a
Registered Apprenticeship program that is developed or expanded using grant funds are reportable individuals for this grant.
ATTACHMENT II
Section C “Other allowable activities” for more details.
3. Leveraged Resources Requirement. States and territories must describe their commitment
of at least 50 percent leveraged resources based on formula allocation.
This requirement is designed to maximize the impact of the SAEF4 grant program and
ensures that states and territories demonstrate a tangible, sustained financial commitment to
Registered Apprenticeship beyond Federal funds, supporting longer-term sustainability,
scale, and continued program activities within the state.
States and territories must commit leveraged resources and funds in an amount that is at least
50 percent of the formula allocation to support costs allowable under the TEGL. (See
Attachment VII Formula Allocation and Methodology).
States and territories must describe their strategy and demonstrate how they will achieve
the 50 percent leveraged funds requirement. In addition, applicants must describe how
leveraged funds will be used to support Registered Apprenticeship expansion. Applicants
may have up to 90 days to solidify their strategy of meeting the leveraged funds
requirement. States and territories have the entire POP to meet this requirement.
The information provided in this section must also be reflected in the Budget Narrative to
indicate how matching funds will be allocated. Leveraged funds must be described in the
Budget Narrative as described in Attachment IV. Section IV. B. For a complete
understanding of this application requirement, see the 2026 Application Guide, Section II. B
Cost Sharing.
About Leveraged Resources, Approaches for Meeting Leveraged Resources, and
Potential Funding Sources
Leveraged resources are all resources, including cash and in-kind, in excess of the award and
associated cost sharing, if applicable, (e.g., in-kind contributions that support administrative
staff not funded by the grant). Leveraged funds may also include personnel, fringe benefits,
travel, equipment, supplies, and other costs that help carry out the grant program.
Leveraged resources may be met through local, state, federal, public and private funds
including but not limited to Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Governor’s
Reserve Funds, State-funded tax credits or grants, or other means as appropriate to support
the Administration’s investments in the SAEF program. Grantees may consider the following
sources of leveraged funds:
• WIOA Governor’s Reserve Funds. States and territories are encouraged to exercise
their flexibility to commit funds from the WIOA Governor’s Reserve to achieve the
Administration’s priority of exceeding 1 million apprentices and to further advance
ATTACHMENT II
the Governor’s priority workforce development programs that directly support the
expansion of Registered Apprenticeship.
• State-Funded Tax Credits or Grants. States that offer tax credits or operate grants
funded solely through state funds that support Registered Apprenticeship programs or
Registered Apprentices may use funds dedicated to these programs during the grant
POP to meet the leveraged funds requirement. For tax credits or grants, the amount
that may be counted is the actual amount drawn down, expended, or otherwise
realized by recipients during the POP — not the statutory authorization, appropriation
limit, or budget cap. For tax credits, this means the value of credits actually used
during the POP, and for grants it means awards paid during the POP. To fully satisfy
the leveraged-funds requirement, the actual amount provided through the tax credit or
funded grant program, must be equal to at least 50 percent of the base funding amount
allocated in the formula to fully meet the leveraged funds requirement for this grant
application. Funds for these tax credits or grants may be used to partially meet the
leveraged funds requirement if the remainder of the requirement is met through other
means. Funding under the tax credit or grant program must exclusively be for the
purpose of expanding Registered Apprenticeship and cannot be available to other
workforce programs. Funding must be available to all Registered Apprenticeship
programs registered for Federal purposes operating within the State.2 States with
programs that currently do not meet these requirements can work with their state
legislature to revise their tax credit or grant program during the POP and may apply
funds dedicated to the program towards the leveraged funds requirement once the tax
credit or grant program meets these requirements.
• Other Sources of Leveraged Resources. The leveraged funding requirement may be
met through a variety of other means such as philanthropic and private sector
investments. For example, federal leveraged funds could also include funding from Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (Perkins) CTE State Leadership
Activities funding, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T), Every Student
Succeeds Act (ESSA), or other relevant programs, as permissible under the specific
program. General funds to pay Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) who work on Registered
Apprenticeship programs, providing paid tuition for apprentices through the State’s
community college system, or sponsor/employer outreach activities, as appropriate may
also be used to meet the leveraged funding requirements.
4. Program Approval Time (For States with Recognized State Apprenticeship Agencies
2
In SAA states, some Registered Apprenticeship programs may be recognized by OA for federal purposes in a State but have
not received recognition for State purposes from the SAA. For example, programs utilizing National Program Standard
(NPS) operating in a SAA state may only be registered with OA and not the SAA. Such Registered Apprenticeship programs
must be eligible to receive funds under the tax credit or state-funded grant to receive funding.
ATTACHMENT II
Only).
The Department is committed to the timely consideration of standards for apprenticeship and
program registrations across the National Apprenticeship System, with the goal of improving
customer and stakeholder experiences in quality and consistency of Registered
Apprenticeship program registration.
To engage State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states in promoting transparency and
accountability, SAA states are required to publish on a public-facing website their Registered
Apprenticeship program approval performance metrics (e.g., average time to approve
program standards upon a sponsor’s final submission of signed program standards) by the
end of the first year of the grant. SAA states are further required to update this information
on an annual basis. OA will provide technical assistance and support to grantees on fulfilling
this requirement.
SAA states are also required to streamline and reduce timelines to apprenticeship program
approval while safeguarding the quality and integrity of Registered Apprenticeship programs
and standards. SAA states may leverage Office of Apprenticeship’s (OA) Standards Builder
and Apprenticeship Occupation Request (AOR) tool or other in-house tools to streamline and
reduce timelines for program approval. SAA states may use funds to hire additional staff,
including Apprenticeship Training Representatives (ATRs), to assist with program
registration and reduce approval timelines. To align with systemwide improvements to the
program registration process, SAA states are required to establish a commitment to make
program registration decisions within 30 days, similar to OA’s commitment announced
through Bulletin 2026-35, “Announcement of Office of Apprenticeship 30-day Commitment
to Apprenticeship Program Registration Determinations and new virtual “Shot Clock”
website.”
B. Project Design.
Applicants are encouraged to describe their project design using a brief, high-level description of
the activities that will be implemented by the grant. In addition to describing how the state will
meet the requirements mentioned above in part A, grant funds may be used for a wide range of
services and activities to broadly develop or expand Registered Apprenticeships within the state.3
C. Other allowable activities. In addition to the requirements mentioned above in part A that
support the statewide expansion of Registered Apprenticeship programs, states may also conduct
the following allowable activities:
• Proposed accelerated SAEF3 activities. States have the option to identify activities
3
An expanded Registered Apprenticeship program can only be counted once during the grant’s POP, regardless of method.
Any apprentice who does not directly receive a direct, grant-funded services but is enrolled in a Registered Apprenticeship
program that is developed or expanded using grant funds are reportable individuals for this grant.
ATTACHMENT II
contained in their SAEF3 workplan that they plan to amplify under SAEF4. If states decide
to expand on activities permitted under SAEF3, they must clearly identify these activities in
their project design and explain how they will rapidly accelerate these activities under
SAEF4.
• Strategies to align or incorporate CTE programs with Registered Apprenticeship in
your State to drive statewide expansion of Registered Apprenticeship. States can use
SAEF4 funds to modify CTE programs and their curriculums to serve as pre-apprenticeship
programs that lead to Registered Apprenticeship enrollment. To achieve this goal, states may
develop partnerships between CTE program providers and Registered Apprenticeship
sponsors to encourage CTE completers to enroll in Registered Apprenticeship programs.
States can also work with employers and Registered Apprenticeship sponsors to align CTE
curricula with the specific skills and competencies required for Registered Apprenticeship
programs in high-demand sectors. Additionally, states can use SAEF4 funds to create
pathways that allow students enrolled in CTE programs to receive advanced standing when
those students enter into Registered Apprenticeship programs, facilitating a smoother
transition from education to skilled employment. States can also build the capacity of
regional intermediaries that will enhance access to effective pre-apprenticeship and
Registered Apprenticeship opportunities. Furthermore, States should prioritize stakeholder
collaboration to identify local workforce needs and ensure that CTE offerings are responsive
and relevant to the recruitment needs of local Registered Apprenticeship programs. States
should also prioritize data integration and sharing, in addition to scaling the adoption of
learning and employment records, or LERs in Registered Apprenticeship programs for skill
validation of Registered Apprentices and/or the acquisition of accelerated credit toward a
degreed Registered Apprenticeship. By strategically utilizing SAEF4 funds in these ways,
states can create CTE strategies that drive expansion of Registered Apprenticeship
opportunities and that provide learners with seamless pathways from the classroom to high-
demand jobs while delivering a reliable talent pipeline for employers and supporting regional
economic growth.
• Incentive funding. Applicants may use grant funds to provide “incentive” funds to sponsors,
employers, joint labor management organizations, or industry associations (or other partners
included in a multi-employer partnership) to directly fund new or expand existing Registered
Apprenticeship programs in any targeted industry(ies), in which they are serving. These
incentive funds are intended to incentivize employers and other stakeholders to develop and
expand Registered Apprenticeship programs. Incentive funds may also be used to enroll and
support apprentices. Applicants are encouraged to review the Department’s recently released
Pay-for-Performance Incentive Payments Program Funding Opportunity Announcement,
which is a $145 million investment using this incentive payments program model.
Additionally, applicants are encouraged to become familiar with the Department’s American
Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund.
ATTACHMENT II
o Incentive Funding must be reasonable in accordance with 2 CFR 200.404 and align
with the goals of this TEGL. Applicants must have written policies and procedures in
place governing the awarding of incentive funds, and the incentives provided under
this TEGL must comply with these organizational policies. Policies and procedures
should include detailed processes for identification of recipients, distribution, and
management of the incentive funds to ensure employer commitments are met, and
risk mitigation. Further, grantees shall also provide, in quarterly narrative reports to
the Department, all recipients of incentive funding, status of activities related to the
use of incentive funding, and itemized costs related to the use of incentive funding.
• State Capacity and Staffing. States may also use grant funds to improve their capacity to
expand the National Apprenticeship System, including but not limited to hiring additional
staff (including ATRs and Registered Apprenticeship navigators) and streamlining
registration or related workforce systems. States are highly encouraged to use their SAEF4
grant funds for the appropriate levels of staffing that are needed to effectively manage each
round of their SAEF grants.
• Supportive Services. States are encouraged to develop clear policies and procedures to use
existing supportive services from WIOA programs or other funding sources to support
apprentices from enrollment through completion of Registered Apprenticeship programs.
However, if no other funds are available, states may allocate funds for supportive services to
assist individuals benefiting from this grant program, grant recipients may use up to 15
percent of grant funds to provide supportive services to individuals who are participating in
education and training activities provided through the grant. Please note: Specific allocation
amounts must also be reflected in the budget narrative. Supportive services can include
various forms of assistance, such as scholarships that can be used to offset related instruction
(RI) costs, transportation, or other supportive services necessary to participate in and complete
the apprenticeship. For example, supportive services include childcare, community service
linkages, necessary work tools and clothing, transportation, housing, internet access, mental
health counseling, disability accommodations, legal help, educational testing, financial
counseling, and emergency cash assistance. These services can also extend to mentoring,
support groups, and peer networking to encourage participation.
ATTACHMENT III
Performance Reporting Requirements
Quarterly Performance, Narrative, and Financial Reports
Grantees must submit quarterly performance, narrative, and fiscal reports during the Period of
Performance (POP). Grantees will receive a grant data and performance handbook post award.
• ETA 9173, Quarterly Performance Report (QPR): The QPR is a quantitative summary of
apprentice outcomes including participants and reportable individuals that are submitted through
the Department’s Workforce Integrated Performance System (WIPS). Grantees will upload a
data file to WIPS that aggregates individual level data including apprentice-level Registered
Apprenticeship Partners Information Database System (RAPIDS) Identification (ID) codes and
participant outcomes.
• ETA 9179, Quarterly Narrative Report (QNR): A qualitative summary of grant activities for
each reporting quarter.
• ETA 9130, Fiscal Report: All financial data is required to be reported cumulatively from grant
inception, through the end of each quarter. Expenditure data is required to be reported on an
accrual basis. The ETA 9130 Fiscal Reports are submitted through the Payment Management
System.
For the purpose of collecting additional information related to grant activities, the Department will work
with grantees to receive additional information, including RAPIDS program IDs, related to the
development and expansion of apprenticeship programs supported by the grant.
Performance Measure and Target Expansion Goal
States must provide a numeric target expansion goal for one performance measure as required by the
TEGL’s first core commitment. To account for the broad range of allowable capacity building activities
under SAEF4, the Department recognizes that the Registered Apprenticeship expansion goal should not
only include those Registered Apprentices enrolled using grant funds and should reflect broader state
goals. States must set a Registered Apprenticeship expansion goal that includes all apprentices registered
in the state by the end of the POP, not just those who are supported by the grant funding. OA will track
state’s progression against this expansion goal using the “Apprentices by State” dashboard on
apprenticeship.gov.
States are also encouraged to set other ambitious goals for apprenticeship growth, such as the number of
programs developed or expanded using grant funds.4 States will not be penalized if the statewide
expansion goal, or other ambitious goals, is not achieved by the end of the POP if states demonstrate
their efforts and progress towards meeting these goals. The Department will coordinate with grantees
post-award to determine a process to collect the below information from sponsors in states not utilizing
4
An expanded Registered Apprenticeship program can only be counted once during the grant’s POP, regardless of method.
Any apprentice who does not directly receive a direct, grant-funded services but is enrolled in a Registered Apprenticeship
program that is developed or expanded using grant funds are reportable individuals for this grant.
ATTACHMENT III
RAPIDS.
States may use the table below as an example to describe their performance goals and target outcomes.
Performance Measure Reporting Mechanism
Required: Total Number of Apprentices OA will track this through RAPIDS (as
Registered in the State by the End of the POP applicable).5 Grantees do not need to report this
(Proposed by Applicant; as described in information.
Attachment II Section A.1).
Optional: State specified performance measure To be determined by the state upon grant award,
and target goal to advance apprenticeship growth. with support from the Department as needed.
5
Grantees can see the count of apprentices in the state through the “Apprentices by Program Location” tab of the
“Apprentices by State” dashboard on apprenticeship.gov at: https://www.apprenticeship.gov/data-and-statistics/apprentices-by-state-dashboard.
ATTACHMENT IV
Application Requirements, Review Process, and Award Notices
I. TEGL No. 08-25
Assistance Listing Number: 17.285
II. Availability of Funds and Award Information
The Department anticipates the availability of approximately $85 million to award 53
grants. Awards made under this TEGL are subject to the availability of Federal funds.
The Department reserves the right to change this amount depending on the quantity and
quality of applications submitted.
III. Application Submission Requirements
• Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management
All applicants for Federal grant funding must have a Unique Entity Identifier and be
registered in the System for Award Management.
• Submission Instructions
Applicants must electronically submit their application through Grants.gov by 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on May 26, 2026. ETA will not review applications received after
11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. ETA will not accept applications sent
by hardcopy (mail or hand delivery), e-mail, telegram, or facsimile (FAX). For a
complete statement of this application requirement, see the 2026 Application Guide,
Section V. C Submission Instructions.
• Intergovernmental Review
This funding opportunity TEGL is not subject to Executive Order 12372,
“Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”
IV. Application Content and Format
ETA will consider only one application from each state or territory that is submitted by a State
Agency. If an organization submits multiple applications, only the most recently received
application that meets the deadline will be considered. If the most recent application is
disqualified for any reason, ETA will not replace it with an earlier application.
Applications submitted in response to this solicitation must consist of four separate and
distinct parts:
A. SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance;”
B. Project Budget, composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative;
ATTACHMENT IV
C. Project Narrative (see Attachment II Application Requirements - Project Narrative);
and
D. Attachments to the Project Narrative.
The applicant must make sure that the funding amount requested is consistent across all parts
and sub-parts of the application. The applicant must submit the application in one package.
Documents received separately will be tracked separately and will not be attached to the
application for review.
A. SF-424, Application for Federal Assistance
You must complete the SF-424, “Application for Federal Assistance.”
For a complete description of this application requirement, see the 2026 Application
Guide, Section IV A SF-424 Application for Federal Assistance.
B. Project Budget, Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative
Applicants must complete the SF-424A Budget Information Form and a Budget Narrative.
The Budget and Budget Narrative do not count against the page limit requirements for the
Project Narrative.
The Budget Narrative should also include a section that describes how the required leveraged
funds will be achieved to support grant activities. Grantees may have up to 90 days to
solidify their strategy of meeting the leveraged funds requirement post award. Please refer to
Attachment II A.3 for information about a required commitment for leveraged resources.
Leveraged resources are all resources, including cash and in-kind, in excess of the award and
associated cost sharing (e.g., in-kind contributions that support administrative staff not
funded by the grant). Leveraged funds may include personnel, fringe benefits, travel,
equipment, supplies, and other costs that help carry out the grant program. Applicants are
encouraged to leverage resources to increase stakeholder investment in the project and
broaden the impact of the project itself.
Applicants must ensure that the project narrative, budget narrative, and SF-424A align and
reflect the 36-month POP to implement their grant program. States may expend grant funds
sooner than the 36-month POP, without penalty. States should not propose a SAEF4 budget
that includes potential funds from future rounds of SAEF, as these will have different goals,
objectives and allowable activities. Once awarded, grantees are expected to operate their
grant concurrently with any SAEF3 funds.
For a complete description of this application requirement, see the 2026 Application
Guide, Section IV B Project Budget, Composed of the SF-424A and Budget Narrative.
ATTACHMENT IV
C. Project Narrative
To demonstrate the organization’s ability to achieve the program goals described in
Attachment I of this funding TEGL and implement this grant, a Project Narrative is
required with your application. The project narrative should be a brief, high-level
summary of the proposed project design and must be responsive to the requirements
described in Attachment II. The narrative is limited to no more than 10 pages and must
meet the following formatting requirements:
• double-spaced
• single-sided
• page size of 8.5 x 11-inches
• 1-inch page margins
• Times New Roman 12-point font
• includes the section headers listed in the Attachment II Application Requirements:
Project Narrative of this TEGL.
The Department will not read or consider any information or material beyond the
specific page limit when reviewing the Project Narrative.
D. Attachments to the Project Narrative
In addition to the Project Narrative, the application also includes required attachments as
explained below. These attachments must be clearly labeled and do not count toward the
Project Narrative page limit. Any other attachments included beyond those listed below
will not be reviewed in the scoring of the application.
Applicants are encouraged to name the files using the document names listed below. Do
not include special characters (e.g. &,–,*,%,/,#). However, underscores (for example:
My_Attached_File.pdf) to separate a file name are acceptable.
1. Required Attachments
a. Abstract
Applicants must submit a 1- to 2-page abstract summarizing the proposed project.
Applicants are encouraged to use the Abstract template, available in Attachment V.
The information provided in your abstract may be published to a public facing
website as a summary of your project. The abstract must include the following:
• Applicant’s State agency name
• Applicant location (State)
• Funding Amount
ATTACHMENT IV
• Confirm the State is interested in and has sufficient capacity to receive additional
funding (on top of the base funding amount) if it becomes available: Yes / No
• Cost Sharing Amount, if applicable
• Service area (the local/regional service area if other than Statewide)
• Project title
• Project purpose and key activities
• Description of the key industry(ies) and occupations targeted
• Required and/or optional partners, if applicable
• Public contact information
b. Governor’s Letter
A letter from the Governor must be included in the application to designate the
Agency authorized to submit the State’s application(s). This letter must also
demonstrate the State’s commitment to this grant effort. Specifically, the letter must:
• Describe specifically how the Governor or chief elected official plans to
support the expansion Registered Apprenticeship programs within the State.
• Designate the State agency to be the recipient of the award(s). For states
with federally recognized SAAs, the SAA must be included as a partner if
the state agency applicant is not the SAA. For states that do not have a
federally recognized SAA, the state must commit to work in partnership
with the federal Office of Apprenticeship within the state.
2. Optional Attachments
a. Work Plan – POP 36 months
Applicants are encouraged to submit a Work Plan that describes the project goals,
milestones and key deliverables that will be achieved throughout the grant’s POP and
this timeframe must be reflected in the work plan. Grantees have the flexibility to
spend down funds before the end of the POP and may adjust the activities proposed in
the work plan during the POP.
Applicants that choose to submit a Work Plan are encouraged to use the Work Plan
template, available in Attachment VI.
V. Application Checklist
Use the checklist below as a guide when preparing your application package to ensure
your application contains all required items. Applicants should not include the checklist
in the application package.
ATTACHMENT IV
Application Requirement Instructions Complete?
Project Abstract Attachment VI
Submission requirements are met Attachment IV
Eligibility criteria are met Attachment I
Components of the application are saved in one of the Attachment IV
specified formats and are not corrupt. (We will attempt
to open the document but will not take any additional
measures in the event of problems with opening.)
SAM Registration Attachment IV
SF-424 includes a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and Attachment IV
line 18a. aligns with the amount specified in Attachment
VII.
SF-424A Budget Information Form Attachment IV
Budget Narrative Attachment IV
Project Narrative (Parts A and B, and as applicable, Part Attachment II
C)
Governor’s Letter Attachment IV
VI. Other Review Criteria, Selection Process and Award Information
Prior to issuance, and annually thereafter, awards will be subject to review in accordance with the
process described in Executive Order 14332, Improving Oversight of Federal Grantmaking.
The government may elect to award the grant(s) with or without discussion with the applicant. If
a grant is awarded without discussion, the award will be based on the applicant’s signature on the
SF-424, including electronic signature via E-Authentication on https://www.grants.gov, which
constitutes a binding offer by the applicant.
See the 2026 DOL Application Guide, Section VII Award Notices, and Section VIII Post-award
Requirements and Administration for a complete understanding of the application
requirement.
ATTACHMENT V
Suggested Abstract Template
Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the suggested abstract template provided below. If this
template is not used, the abstract submitted with the grant application must include the
information below.
State Apprenticeship Expansion Formula, Round 4 (SAEF4) Abstract
Applicant / Organization Name:
Applicant City and State:
Project Title:
Formula Funding Amount:
Confirm the State is interested in and has sufficient capacity to receive additional funding (on
top of the base funding amount) if available:
Yes or No
Cost Sharing Amount, if applicable:
List the name of the Required Partner (for states with federally recognized SAAs where the
SAA is not the applicant):
List the name(s) of Optional Partners, as applicable:
Insert name(s) Insert type of organization
[add additional lines as needed]
Targeted Industry(ies) and/or Occupation(s):
Service Area (the local/regional service area if other than Statewide):
Summary of program activities (including project purpose and key activities):
Public Contact Information
Name:
Title:
Address:
Phone Number:
ATTACHMENT VI
Suggested SAEF4 Work Plan Template
States are encouraged to develop and implement a Work Plan that reflects specific goals and activities
supported by SAEF4 formula funds within the Period of Performance (POP). The Work Plan should
include the name of the lead or supporting institution or partner organization responsible for achieving
the proposed activities or producing specific deliverables. States are encouraged to align with and
leverage their SAEF3 Work Plan in this effort, as appropriate. A suggested Work Plan template is
provided below, or states may use their own Work Plan template.
Year # Quarter #
GOAL # Insert goal
Activity(ies): Insert activity(ies) Insert description(s) (if applicable)
Lead/Support Implementer (s) Insert lead or supporting organization that will
implement proposed activity
Deliverable(s): Insert deliverable(s) Insert description (if applicable)
Milestones Insert milestone
Time frame Insert time frame for deliverable
Start:
End:
Cost $ Insert costs
Year # Quarter #
GOAL # Insert goal
Activity(ies): Insert activity(ies) Insert description(s) (if applicable)
Lead/Support Implementer (s) Insert lead or supporting organization that will
implement proposed activity
Deliverable(s): Insert deliverable(s) Insert description (if applicable)
Milestones Insert milestone
Time frame Insert time frame for deliverable
Start:
End:
Cost $ Insert costs
Cost Sharing Amount
ATTACHMENT VII
Formula Allocations and Methodology
ETA will award $85 million overall to States and territories reflecting the formula described below.
States may apply for an amount up to the Base Funding amount determined by the formula described
below.
The funding for states and territories that have 100 or more registered apprentices is allocated by the
following formula:
• A base allocation of $500k.
• Remaining allocation will be distributed as follows:
o 50 percent Active apprentices in FY25: The number of active apprentices in each State
divided by the total number of active apprentices in the country to get the State share.
o 50 percent New apprentices State share: Average of a State’s share of new apprentices in
FY23, FY24, and FY25.
• A State’s new apprentice share for a specific year is the number of new
apprentices in each State divided by total number of new apprentices.
SAEF 4 State Allotments
State Abbreviation State Title SAEF4 Allotments
AL Alabama $961,213.28
AK Alaska $743,279.92
AZ Arizona $1,456,541.13
AR Arkansas $1,468,101.40
CA California $8,287,067.98
CO Colorado $1,520,992.76
CT Connecticut $1,219,144.89
DE Delaware $669,928.29
DC District of Columbia $722,537.31
FL Florida $2,579,598.26
GA Georgia $1,527,058.15
GU Guam $583,045.72
HI Hawaii $992,925.87
ID Idaho $942,097.14
IL Illinois $2,703,317.06
IN Indiana $3,083,345.40
IA Iowa $1,533,171.53
KS Kansas $879,740.59
KY Kentucky $1,259,817.10
LA Louisiana $931,798.38
ME Maine $686,076.82
MD Maryland $2,313,042.36
MA Massachusetts $1,279,410.52
ATTACHMENT VII
MI Michigan $2,606,920.95
MN Minnesota $1,675,439.18
MS Mississippi $1,070,585.39
MO Missouri $3,078,854.46
MT Montana $730,385.99
NE Nebraska $1,168,048.48
NV Nevada $1,287,414.95
NH New Hampshire $846,555.83
NJ New Jersey $1,604,070.60
NM New Mexico $816,177.52
NY New York $2,212,843.73
NC North Carolina $1,809,290.60
ND North Dakota $698,869.05
OH Ohio $3,248,282.01
OK Oklahoma $746,701.53
OR Oregon $1,406,900.40
PA Pennsylvania $2,022,125.92
PR Puerto Rico $713,573.85
RI Rhode Island $734,123.31
SC South Carolina $1,371,727.67
SD South Dakota $688,714.95
TN Tennessee $1,728,343.06
TX Texas $4,930,995.77
UT Utah $1,015,826.64
VT Vermont $669,751.55
VA Virginia $1,820,270.72
WA Washington $2,618,458.44
WV West Virginia $912,825.10
WI Wisconsin $1,860,909.56
WY Wyoming $561,760.92
What does federal law require in your situation?
Ezel checks current federal labor law against your facts and answers with citations.
Opens in Ezel Pro.
- Checks the law as it stands today, not only this page
- Cites every source it relies on, so you can verify it
- Chat, drafting and research in one workspace