Opportunity Information: Apply for FOA ETA 26 23
The Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7 is a discretionary federal grant opportunity (FOA ETA 26 23, CFDA 17.280) run by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) in partnership with three regional commissions: the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). The central aim of WORC 7 is to strengthen rural workforce systems in these three multi-state regions by helping communities respond to employer demand, particularly in high-growth and emerging industries. In practice, this means funding projects that align training and talent pipelines with real, near-term hiring needs, while also building longer-term capacity in rural areas that often face persistent challenges such as limited training infrastructure, smaller labor markets, and barriers to accessing quality jobs.
The opportunity is designed to address "critical workforce needs of employers" across the WORC regions, which signals an emphasis on demand-driven strategies rather than general workforce programming. Competitive projects will typically be those that can show strong engagement from employers and industry partners, a clear rationale for why certain occupations or sectors are priorities in the region, and a credible plan to prepare workers with the skills, credentials, or work-based learning experiences needed to fill those jobs. Since the announcement highlights both high-growth and emerging industries, applicants should expect to justify not only current labor shortages but also why a sector is positioned for regional expansion and how the proposed training model will adapt as technologies and skill requirements change.
Eligibility is broad and includes many common public, nonprofit, and education entities that are often positioned to lead regional workforce initiatives. Specifically, eligible applicants include state governments; county governments; city or township governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education); Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments). The announcement also clarifies what is meant by "Others," limiting that category to state and local workforce development boards, industry and employer associations, labor-management organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are other than federally recognized, and Indian/Native American tribal organizations that are federally recognized. Because these categories can be nuanced, applicants are expected to consult the full Funding Opportunity Announcement for precise eligibility requirements and any conditions tied to geography, partnerships, or organizational role.
WORC 7 also explicitly encourages faith-based organizations to apply and states that the Department of Labor will not discriminate based on religious character or affiliation in selecting recipients or administering awards, as long as the applicant meets the program's eligibility requirements. This is an important signal for community-based organizations with deep local networks in rural areas, where service delivery partnerships often include faith-affiliated providers. The key takeaway is that faith-based status neither advantages nor disadvantages an applicant; competitiveness hinges on alignment with the FOA, the strength of the workforce strategy, and the ability to execute.
In terms of scale and competition, the grant has an award ceiling of $8,000,000, with an estimated 15 awards expected. The original closing date is July 23, 2026, and the opportunity was created on June 10, 2026. This indicates a relatively large funding opportunity with a limited number of awards, which usually implies a competitive process where proposals must be well-developed, partnership-rich, and outcomes-focused. Prospective applicants are encouraged to track updates through the Grants.gov subscription feature for this FOA, which is often useful because federal funding opportunities can include clarifications, amendments, or FAQ updates during the application window.
For questions about the announcement, ETA has provided a dedicated email address: worc7foa-eta-26-23@dol.gov. Applicants typically use this channel to confirm eligibility interpretations, allowable activities, application components, or submission issues, especially when dealing with multi-partner projects across rural jurisdictions. Overall, WORC 7 is best understood as a major regional workforce investment intended to help Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border communities build and scale training and employment pathways that are tightly connected to employer needs, support rural economic resilience, and improve access to quality jobs in industries that are growing or poised to emerge.Apply for FOA ETA 26 23
- The Employment and Training Administration in the employment, labor and training sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7: A Grant Initiative for the Appalachian, Delta, and Northern Border Regions" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 17.280.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2026-06-10.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-07-23. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $8,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 15 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.
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Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Round 7 - FAQs
What is WORC Round 7 (WORC 7)?
WORC Round 7 is a discretionary federal grant opportunity run by the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), in partnership with three regional commissions: the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), and the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). The program is focused on strengthening rural workforce systems across these multi-state regions.
What is the main purpose of WORC 7?
The central aim of WORC 7 is to strengthen rural workforce systems by helping communities respond to employer demand, especially in high-growth and emerging industries. The funding is intended to support projects that connect training and talent pipelines to real, near-term hiring needs, while building longer-term workforce capacity in rural areas.
Which regions does WORC 7 serve?
WORC 7 serves rural communities within the multi-state regions associated with ARC (Appalachian), DRA (Delta), and NBRC (Northern Border). Applicants should consult the full Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for the precise geographic requirements and any conditions tied to location or regional eligibility.
What does "demand-driven" mean in the context of this grant?
The opportunity emphasizes addressing the "critical workforce needs of employers," which signals a demand-driven approach. In practice, this means proposals are expected to be grounded in employer hiring needs, with clear engagement from employers and industry partners, and a plan to prepare workers for specific jobs that employers need to fill.
What kinds of industries does WORC 7 prioritize?
WORC 7 highlights high-growth and emerging industries. Applicants should be prepared to explain why their targeted occupations or sectors are priorities for the region, how the sector is positioned for expansion, and how training approaches will adapt as technologies and skill requirements evolve.
What types of projects are likely to be competitive?
Based on the description, competitive projects typically show: strong employer and industry partner engagement; a clear rationale for the chosen occupations/sectors; and a credible strategy to equip workers with relevant skills, credentials, and/or work-based learning experiences aligned with near-term hiring demand. Proposals that also build longer-term rural capacity and address common rural constraints (like limited training infrastructure and smaller labor markets) align with the stated intent of the program.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes: state governments; county governments; city or township governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3), excluding institutions of higher education); Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); and Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments).
What does the FOA mean by "Others" as an eligible category?
The announcement clarifies that the "Others" category is limited to: state and local workforce development boards, industry and employer associations, labor-management organizations, Indian/Native American tribal governments that are other than federally recognized, and Indian/Native American tribal organizations that are federally recognized. Because these definitions can be nuanced, applicants should refer to the full FOA for exact eligibility rules and any associated conditions.
Are faith-based organizations allowed to apply?
Yes. WORC 7 explicitly encourages faith-based organizations to apply and states that the Department of Labor will not discriminate based on religious character or affiliation when selecting recipients or administering awards, as long as the applicant meets eligibility requirements.
Does being faith-based increase or decrease competitiveness?
The opportunity indicates that religious character or affiliation is not a selection factor. Competitiveness depends on meeting eligibility requirements and presenting a strong, FOA-aligned workforce strategy with credible execution and clear alignment to employer demand.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling is $8,000,000.
How many awards does ETA expect to make?
ETA estimates approximately 15 awards.
When is the application deadline?
The original closing date is July 23, 2026.
When was this opportunity posted/created?
The opportunity was created on June 10, 2026.
Is this likely to be a competitive grant?
Yes. The combination of a relatively large award ceiling and a limited estimated number of awards (about 15) typically indicates a competitive process. Proposals are likely to need strong partnerships, clear outcomes, and well-developed plans aligned to employer demand in the eligible regions.
How can applicants stay informed about updates or amendments?
Applicants are encouraged to track updates through the Grants.gov subscription feature for this FOA. Federal opportunities may issue clarifications, amendments, or additional FAQs during the application window.
What is the FOA identifier and CFDA number for WORC 7?
The FOA is identified as ETA 26 23, and the CFDA number is 17.280.
Who administers WORC 7 at the federal level?
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) runs the program, in partnership with ARC, DRA, and NBRC.
What are common rural workforce challenges this program is meant to address?
The program description points to persistent rural challenges such as limited training infrastructure, smaller labor markets, and barriers to accessing quality jobs. WORC 7 is framed as both a near-term employer-demand response and a longer-term capacity-building investment.
Where can applicants send questions about the announcement?
ETA provided a dedicated email address for questions: worc7foa-eta-26-23@dol.gov.
What kinds of questions are appropriate to send to the ETA email contact?
Applicants commonly use the provided contact email to confirm eligibility interpretations, allowable activities, required application components, and submission issues, particularly for multi-partner projects spanning rural jurisdictions.
Why does the announcement emphasize "critical workforce needs of employers"?
The emphasis signals that the funding is intended for projects tightly connected to employer hiring demand rather than broad, general workforce programming. Applicants should be prepared to show why their training and career pathway approach directly addresses real workforce needs in the targeted region.
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