Partnership Program

Use of Funds

Funds may be used for training-related costs such as curriculum development, instruction, training materials and supplies, training equipment, and instructor travel. Requests for wage subsidies and tuition reimbursement are not eligible. However, wages paid to employees during training may be counted towards the required matching contribution.

Pre-Development Grants

Pre-development grants assist in covering costs associated with planning a specific, large-scale Partnership Program project. A pre-development grant must demonstrate that the project will address education and skills training for high-wage, high-growth, and high skill occupations, businesses, and industries. In addition, a pre-development grant should demonstrate that the education institution will develop a significant amount of new capacity.

Grants of up to $50,000 are awarded to accredited Minnesota educational institutions with businesses as partners. The maximum Partnership Program grant following a pre-development grant will be reduced by the amount of the pre-development grant.

Very few projects qualify for pre-development funds. As such, any potential pre-development grant applications should be discussed with MJSP staff prior to the submission of a proposal.

Apply

Applications are accepted on a year-round basis. Grants, pending the availability of funding, are generally reviewed and approved three to six times per year by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board.

Application forms are available on the Forms tab. A short-form application is available for grants of up to $50,000.

Timetables

Proposals are due six weeks before each MJSP board meeting for which Partnership proposals are being accepted, with the exception of short-form applications, which are due three weeks before MJSP board meetings. Applications must be submitted on or before application due dates. Grants over $50,000 are generally awarded three times per year and grants of $50,000 or less are generally awarded five to six times per year.

See the MJSP Board Meeting Schedule for due dates and to review detailed information in the Request for Proposal for the upcoming MJSP Board meeting.

Application Process

For businesses, the application process begins by contacting an accredited, Minnesota educational institution that may be a potential training partner. After meeting with the business to more clearly understand the training needs and to identify possible training and program options, the educational institution typically takes the lead in applying for the grant. It is recommended that grant applicants contact DEED staff to discuss their proposed training outline and determine if it would be an eligible Partnership project.

If the proposed project appears to be compatible with Partnership guidelines, the training institution will partner with the business and complete a Partnership grant application for the next available grant round. DEED encourages the submission of draft proposals at least two weeks prior to application due dates.

DEED/MJSP staff evaluate applications and make recommendations to the Board. The Board then reviews the applications and recommendations and awards grants at scheduled Board meetings in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Board.

For grant requests of over $50,000, a representative from the educational institution and business are asked to provide a short presentation to the MJSP Board and answer any questions the Board may have at the scheduled Board meeting.

Format

All requests for funding must be submitted as formal application proposals to DEED’s Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Office on forms provided by MJSP. Application forms, along with specific eligibility criteria, guidelines and application instructions can be found on the Forms tab.

Forms

Following are instructions and forms for completing a Partnership grant application.

Partnership/Pathways Grant Application Guide

Updated June 2024. This is the joint, full-text version of the application for a Partnership and/or Pathways grant. It contains detailed program information and application instructions.

Partnership/Pathways Grant Application Forms

Updated June 2024. This packet contains the application outline and forms for a Partnership and/or Pathways grant of over $50,000. The budget forms, which are under a separate file, must also be completed.

Partnership/Pathways Budget Forms

Revised November 2020. This packet contains the required budget forms for a Partnership and/or Pathways grant to be submitted as part of the Partnership grant application.

Partnership/Pathways Short-Form Application Guide

Updated June 2024. The short-form application is a condensed version of the Partnership and/or Pathways grant application which may be used for Partnership or Pathways grant requests of up to $50,000. This packet contains the detailed program information and application instructions.

Partnership/Pathways Short-Form Application Forms

Updated June 2024. This document contains the application forms for a Partnership and/or Pathways grant of $50,000 or less. The same Partnership or Pathways budget forms that are used for the regular application must also be submitted with the short-form application.

Pre-Development Grant Application Instructions and Forms

Updated June 2024. A pre-development grant of up to $50,000 is intended to be used as a means for covering the costs associated with planning a specific, large-scale project for which additional MJSP funds will subsequently be requested through the submission of a Partnership grant application. This packet contains the full-text version of the application, with detailed program information, application instructions, and application forms.

Partnership/Pathways Proposal Evaluation Form

Updated June 2024. This is the evaluation form MJSP staff uses to score Partnership/Pathways grant applications.

Partnership/Pathways Short-Form Proposal Evaluation Form

Updated June 2024. This is the evaluation form MJSP staff uses to score Partnership/Pathways Short-Form grant applications.

Pre-Development Proposal Evaluation Form

Updated June 2024. This is the evaluation form MJSP staff uses to score Pre-Development grant applications.”

Grant Management

Here businesses and educational institutions will find report forms and the program guides that include instructions for managing a Partnership grant and for completing required reports.

Educational Institutions

Guide to Program Operations

Instructions for managing a grant and for completing the required report forms.

Curriculum Report

This report is to be submitted by the grantee at the end of the first or second trimester. It provides information on the training topics and goals.

Financial Report and Request for Payment

This report will be provided by the MJSP Grant Coordinator containing project-specific information.

It is to be submitted by the grantee at the end of each trimester. The costs reflected on the Financial Report are cumulative line-item costs for the project year-to-date. The Request for Payment reflects cumulative and trimester cost data.

Narrative Report

This report is to be submitted by the grantee at the end of each trimester. It provides information on how the project is progressing. A short paragraph for each section is usually sufficient.

Project Trainee Report

This report form will be provided by the MJSP Grant Coordinator containing project-specific information. This report is to be submitted by the grantee at the end of each trimester. It provides information on the trainee population.

Audit Requirements

Audits are required for all Partnership grants of over $50,000. This document contains information on the audit requirements.

Audit Preparation

Instructions on how to prepare for an audit.

Businesses

Contributing Business Handbook

Provides information on program administration and instructions for completing report forms.

Contributing Business Final Program Evaluation

This is a sample report only; a link to complete the evaluation online will be sent to the business approximately two weeks prior to the project end-date.

This report is to be submitted by the contributing business at the end of the project. This report gives each contributing business the opportunity to comment about the project.

Contributing Business Status Report

This report is to be submitted by the contributing business at the end of every other trimester. It gives each contributing business the opportunity to comment on the progress of the project.

Receipt Voucher for In-Kind Contributions

This form must be completed by the contributing business and submitted to the educational institution. While there is no specific due-date, it is advised that vouchers be filled out monthly. The form documents the in-kind match given by the contributing business(es) to the project.

Contacts

Each region of the state has an assigned grant coordinator who can answer questions about the Partnership program. Check the map to identify your region and then find your contact. Both our grant coordinators administer projects in the Twin Cities Metro Area.

NOTE: If you are an individual looking for training assistance please contact the Minnesota Dislocated Worker Program, CareerForce, or the financial aid office of the educational institution you are planning to attend.

Address and Email

Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Office
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
180 E 5th St Suite 1200
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-259-7514
deed.mjsp@state.mn.us

Staff Contact List

Jodie Greising, Director
651-259-7517

Brent Carpenter
651-259-7514

Danielle Kressin – Region 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7W, 7E, 11
651-259-7509

Vikki Palony – Region 6W, 6E, 8, 9 & 10, 11
651-259-7524