Policy Updates

The decision to reduce the total amount a business can receive in General Program grants and Express Program reimbursements per calendar year was made to ensure the sustainability and longevity of the Workforce Training Fund. The high demand for Workforce Training Fund grants outstrips the supply of funds available. By reducing award amounts, we can maintain the availability of Workforce Training Fund grant funds to a larger number of eligible Massachusetts businesses while accommodating a surge in requests for grant funding. 

The Workforce Training Fund is experiencing a surge in demand that outstrips the projected supply of funds available. Since July 2023, we began requiring businesses to complete one grant in one program before starting another in the other program. Doing so helps us to ensure that committed grant funds are actively being used by a business while allowing other eligible businesses to apply for and receive new grants. 

Note: This policy change was implemented on July 10, 2023, to new General and Express Program applications.

This means that Effective on July 10, 2023, the Workforce Training Fund made the following changes: 

a. Eligible Massachusetts businesses cannot have a General Program grant in progress and receive a new Express Program grant(s) without first completing training and closing out their active General Program grant. 

b. Eligible Massachusetts businesses cannot have an active Express Program grant(s) in progress and receive a new General Program grant without first completing training and closing out any active Express grants. 

No. The policy change only applies to new Express or General Program applications submitted on or after July 10, 2023. If you have an active grant in both programs issued before July 10, 2023, the award amounts will remain intact until you complete training or close out the contract. 

No. All Express grants approved, and contracts executed before from applications submitted by 11/1/24 at 5 pm, will be honored in full at the amounts stated in their contracts, provided that all program guidelines are followed for the duration of the grant period. 

Yes. If you are a business with between 51 and 100 MA employees and have an active Express service agreement that was applied for and approved before November 1, 2024, at 5pm, then it will be honored up to the amount stipulated in the service agreement, provided that all program guidelines are followed for the duration of the grant period. 

Please keep in mind that businesses that wish to receive more than $15,000 in grant funds (the max amount through the Express Program) are encouraged to apply for the General Program. Eligible businesses can receive up to $125,000 for two-year grants for customized training projects.  

You are eligible to apply for the Express Program if the total number of W-2 employees working in Massachusetts on the exact date that you submit an Express application is at or below 100. Express Program awards up to 100% reimbursement within program guidelines for employers with 1-50 MA W-2 employees at the moment of application, and up to 50% reimbursement within program guidelines for employers with 51-100 MA W-2 employees at the moment of application.

 
As a kind reminder, businesses with over 100 MA employees are encouraged to apply for the General Program. Eligible businesses of any size can receive up to $125,000 for two-year grants for customized training projects. 

The Express Program has added a new subsidy cap of $300 per instructional hour/per course. Our team will calculate the cost per instructional hour by taking the course cost (either a group rate cost or per trainee rate cost, depending on how the course is offered by the training provider) and dividing it by the number of training hours pre-approved and listed on the Express Course Directory for the course. If the cost exceeds $300 per instructional hour, the total award amount will be reduced to fall within our subsidy cap, and your business will be responsible for covering the remaining cost out-of-pocket.

Please note, that this is a subsidy cap of $300 per instructional hour, which means if you are an organization with 51-100 MA payroll employees, the subsidy cap will be calculated off 50% of the course cost (the max reimbursable percentage amount for organizations with 51-100 payroll employees).

Click here to use our Express Subsidy Estimator, which can help you discern how much training cost reimbursement you may be eligible for each approved course, as well as how much training cost your company may need to pay out of pocket. See some calculation examples in action on our Express Program Policy Change (Click here).