Grant Funding Opportunities

National Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) are time-limited funding assistance, authorized by Section 170 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), in response to major economic dislocations or disaster events impacting the workforce. DWGs are supplemental resources providing flexibility to states and communities in responding to these unexpected events requiring workforce services, which exceed the capacity of the state or local area to address with WIOA formula funding resources.

The Employment and Training Administration accepts applications in two categories:

  1. Rescue workers sifting through debris field

    Disaster Recovery DWGs provide states, outlying areas, and Indian tribal governments with funding to create disaster-relief and humanitarian assistance employment to address cleanup and recovery following a federally declared disaster. Funding may also be used to provide employment and training services as appropriate, to minimize the disaster’s employment and economic.

  2. Newspaper with Jobs heading

    Employment Recovery DWGs provide resources to states and other eligible applicants to provide WIOA employment and training services in response to major economic dislocations, such as large, unexpected layoff events, plant closures, or realignments of military installations.

Applicants must apply through Grants.gov by accessing the applicable DWG funding opportunity (one of two):

  1. Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) No. 16-21, National Dislocated Worker Grant Program Guidance, found at this link: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/341845

    The announcement pertains to both Disaster Recovery and Employment Recovery DWGs.

    Issue Date: June 16, 2022
    Closing Date: This is a rolling grant solicitation with no closing date at this time.

  2. TEGL No. 4-18, Disaster Recovery National Dislocated Worker Grants to Address the Opioid Crisis, found at this link: www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=308985

    The purpose of these grants is to enable eligible applicants to create disaster-relief employment to alleviate the effects of the opioid crisis in affected communities, as well as to provide employment and training activities, including supportive services, to address economic and workforce impacts related to widespread opioid use, addiction, and overdose.

    Issue Date: September 14, 2018
    Closing Date: This is a rolling grant solicitation with no closing date at this time.

ETA may develop additional categories and conduct limited competitions to meet particular needs of dislocated workers, as program funding allows. In such cases, ETA will issue a separate announcement and guidance.