Closed
California state funding opportunity
Workforce Accelerator Fund 9.0
Workforce Development Board
- Portal ID5440
- StatusClosed
Competitive proposals usually start 6+ weeks out.
Program summary
Synopsis
Goals: Improve labor market & skills outcomes through the development of strategies that fill gaps, accelerate processes, or customize services to ensure greater access to workforce services & employment opportunities. Implement, replicate and scale innovations that emerged from previous Accelerator projects. Create new modes for service delivery & funding alignment that can be replicated across the State & regionally.
The goal of Accelerator 9.0 is to impact economic and racial equity by creating pathways to good quality jobs for workers from disadvantaged or low-income communities. Traditional workforce and education strategies have had inadequate impact. Even promising strategies lack the speed, agility, or scale needed to accelerate employment for workers desperately in need of good jobs Accelerator seeks solutions to specific challenges that inhibit career opportunity & employment success for the targeted populations and that improve access to the workforce development pipeline – education, training, support services, placement, retention, etc. The intent is not simply to create new programs or to expand existing ones. Successful applicants will demonstrate how their projects will direct existing resources and efforts in new, more efficient and effective ways. These efforts should not create or reinforce service delivery silos or funding silos, but rather should result in strategies that take a new or unique approach to addressing workforce pipeline gaps specific to these populations, that can be applied, replicated or scaled to create broader impact and system improvement. The Big Idea Concept The end game is advancing job quality and equity. Each project must identify a specific workforce system challenge or gap that existing workforce programs do not or cannot currently address due, for example, to rigid funding requirements, inadequate resources, need for relevant expertise or new partnerships, or other obstacles. With relatively flexible Accelerator funding, the Big Idea is a new innovative approach that has the potential to address this challenge or gap, thereby accelerating quality job outcomes for the population(s) targeted by the project. A Big Idea will address one or more program areas below, or elements of one or more of these areas: • Make high growth jobs better jobs by increasing job quality standards for emerging industries and/or jobs that drive the region by working with employers (see Job Quality description under Goals). • Create income security and/or upward mobility for current workers. For example with an employer or within an industry, or from one occupation to another higher wage occupation, etc. May include, but not limited to, employed worker training (i.e. paid OJT or formal apprenticeship); sector-based “hiring hall” or “employer of record” approaches that allow employees mobility across multiple employers; employer collaboratives that lead facilitate to shared investment in talent; sector based technology solutions that enhance mobility and access to quality jobs; worker collaboratives that enhance sector-based networking and income stability; activities that lead to employee ownership. Target populations include: • People that are unemployed or underemployed • People experiencing housing insecurity • Youth that are neither in school nor working • Immigrant job seekers • People from disadvantaged or low-income communities • People from communities experiencing disproportionate unemployment
Timeline
Key dates
-
February 1, 2021
Opportunity posted to California Grants Portal -
March 8, 2021
Applications close -
April 2021
Expected award date
Who may apply
Eligibility
Eligible applicant types as published by the awarding agency:
- Nonprofit
- Public Agency
- Tribal Government
- Additional info on eligibility
- Eligible applicants for this RFA include but are not limited to local workforce development boards, labor organizations, labor-management partnerships, public universities, K-12education entities and adult schools, community colleges, county social services agencies, worker centers, community-based organizations, business related non-profit organizations, and workforce intermediaries.
- Geography
- Statewide
Awarding agency
Additional information
- Agency name
- Workforce Development Board
- Full announcement
- View the full announcement ↗
- Grantor contact
-
1-916-657-1440
WAF@cwdb.ca.govv
Funding
Funding source
- Source
- State
- Funding method
- Reimbursement(s)
- Notes
- The California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) and the Employment DevelopmentDepartment (EDD) are pleased to announce the availability of up to $7.4 million inWorkforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds to design, develop, andimplement projects that will drive equitable recovery with quality jobs and accelerateemployment and re-employment for California workers.
Government Grants Consulting
Federal, state, and local grant funding is highly competitive, and the gap between a complete application and a winning one usually comes down to strategy, compliance, and execution. GTC 360° Advisors supports organizations across the entire grant lifecycle — from identifying the right opportunities to managing the award long after it is won. The questions below cover how our grant consulting practice works and the organizations we serve.
What is government grant consulting, and how does GTC 360° Advisors help?
Government grant consulting means guiding an organization through the full grant lifecycle — research, eligibility review, strategy, writing, submission, and post-award compliance. GTC 360° Advisors manages this end to end, pairing grant writers, project managers, financial analysts, and compliance analysts to maximize the odds of an award and keep it in good standing afterward.What types of organizations can GTC 360° Advisors help win grants?
GTC 360° Advisors supports municipalities, state agencies, nonprofits, school districts, tribal governments, higher education institutions, and private companies pursuing grant funding. Clients have included the City of Los Angeles, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, Virginia Commonwealth University, and nonprofit partners such as the Walton Family Foundation and Blue Meridian Partners.What federal agencies has GTC 360° Advisors secured funding from?
GTC 360° Advisors has secured funding from agencies including the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Commerce (EDA and NIST), Education, and State, as well as FEMA, EPA, NSF, NIH, HRSA, SAMHSA, and the CDC. The firm has won over $860 million and counting in federal and state contracts and grants for its clients.Does GTC 360° Advisors handle state and local grants, or only federal?
GTC 360° Advisors pursues grant funding at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The firm’s advisor network is positioned in every state to help clients identify and compete for regional and state-level funding in addition to federal opportunities.What is GrantSignal AI, and how does it help find grant opportunities?
GrantSignal AI is GTC 360° Advisors’ AI-powered funding intelligence platform. It aggregates federal, foundation, and other public funding sources into a single dashboard, then uses AI to match opportunities to an organization’s mission, eligibility, and capacity — rather than relying on simple keyword search — and sends alerts as new, winnable opportunities appear.Does GTC 360° Advisors provide grant compliance and post-award management?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors manages grants through close-out, including compliance with 2 CFR 200 (Uniform Guidance), Davis-Bacon labor standards, Section 3, environmental review requirements, and funder reporting obligations. The firm builds compliance systems and reporting frameworks so clients stay in good standing with federal and state grantors.What is GTC 360° Advisors’ track record on grant applications?
GTC 360° Advisors has historically maintained an 88%-plus win rate on the grant applications it has submitted, including a 100% win rate in 2024 across several highly competitive programs. Recent wins include $180 million in EDA Tech Hubs funding for three consortia and $20 million in EDA Recompete funding for the City of Birmingham, Alabama.Can nonprofits and higher education institutions work with GTC 360° Advisors on grants?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors regularly supports nonprofits and universities with grant strategy, writing, and administration, including current work with the Walton Family Foundation, Blue Meridian Partners, Texas A&M University, the Montana State University System, and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Working With GTC 360° Advisors
Every engagement is scoped around the organization in front of us — its goals, its deadline, and the internal capacity it already has. Pricing, team assignments, and project milestones are agreed before any work begins, so there are no surprises mid-project. Below are the questions prospective clients and partners ask us most often.
How much does it cost to work with GTC 360° Advisors?
Pricing is customized to the scope, timeline, and budget of each engagement, with both hourly and fixed-fee options available depending on the deliverable. GTC 360° Advisors prices transparently, with no hidden fees for administrative or incidental work, and structures fees so clients gain a full team of senior professionals for less than the cost of a single in-house hire.What is the process for getting started with GTC 360° Advisors?
Engagements typically start with a conversation about your organization’s goals, funding needs, or growth targets, followed by a scoped proposal outlining services, team, and pricing. From there, GTC 360° Advisors assigns team members matched to the work and begins with research, strategy, or capture planning, depending on the engagement.How long does it take to see results from a grant or contract engagement?
Timelines vary by opportunity: some grant or contract cycles run a few months from research to submission, while others (large infrastructure or multi-year programs) take longer and continue through post-award management. GTC 360° Advisors sets clear project timelines and milestones at the start of every engagement so clients know what to expect.Does GTC 360° Advisors work with organizations outside the United States?
GTC 360° Advisors primarily supports U.S.-based government contracts, grants, and business development, but its public affairs and business development services extend internationally through its global partner network for clients running cross-border campaigns.Can I join the GTC 360° Advisors Network as a consultant or subject matter expert?
Yes. GTC 360° Advisors welcomes applications from experienced firms and freelancers who align with its mission and values to join the GTC 360° Advisors Network, giving members access to mutual marketing, referrals, and new client opportunities.How do I contact GTC 360° Advisors to discuss a project?
You can reach GTC 360° Advisors at info@gtc360.com or through the contact form at gtc360.com/join-our-network. The firm typically responds to discuss goals, funding needs, or growth targets and outline next steps for an engagement.
Planning for the next cycle?
Tell us the opportunity and we will come back with an honest read on fit, the partners you would need, and what a compliant submission takes.