Grant Opportunities
Grant: Department of Transportation: Career and Technical Education Grant
Who May Apply: Public, private, and cyber schools, career and technical centers, youth development centers, and institutions of higher learning
Use: To develop and implement new technical training curriculum or to expand existing technical training curriculum and/or delivery, relevant to the heavy highway industry
Funds: The total amount of direct grant reimbursement funding available under this program is $12 million. PennDOT intends to award a single individual grant up to $500,000 per eligible applicant. An additional $3 million is available, up to $10,000 per student, in supportive services through PennDOT’s Supportive Services Center
Application Deadline: September 1, 2026
More information: PennDOT Website
Grant: Catalyze Pittsburgh Challenge
(Partner4Work Pittsburgh, Catalyze Challenge, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation)
Who May Apply: The initiative will support innovative, early-stage career-connected learning ideas that introduce young people to pathways in emerging industries and occupations.
Eligible counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, and Westmoreland.
Use: Funding will prioritize opportunities for youth from financially constrained families and those facing challenging circumstances in Southwestern Pennsylvania, ages 11–18 years old.
Funds: Selected applicants will be awarded funding of up to $15,000 to refine their idea and prepare a competitive application for implementation funding.
Organizations selected after the planning period will be awarded implementation-focused funding of up to $350,000 for projects lasting 12-24 months.
Application Deadlines:
Phase 1: September 22, 2026 – October 30, 2026
Phase 2: December 2026 – May 2027
Phase 3: June 2027 – May 2029
More information: Partner4Work Pittsburgh
- Programs that focus on high‐quality academics
- Programs that establish evidence-based practices to improve educational outcomes;
- Programs that design a system of multitiered supports
- Use for Increases in Charter School Tuition costs
- a Foundation amount of $1,383,402,000;
- an increase of $526,440,000 in funding through the Adequacy Supplement;
- a new minimum adequacy supplement of $6,437,000;
- and an increase of $32,202,000 in the Tax Equity Supplement.
- September 14, 2026: Ready to Learn Grant applications open
- October 16, 2026: Deadline to submit Foundation and Adequacy application
- November 2, 2026: Ready to Learn Tax-Equity applications open
- February 28, 2027: Deadline to submit Tax Equity application