CTE Revitalization Grant 2025-2027 RFA

The Oregon Department of Education is issuing a Request for Applications (RFA S-58100-00016940) for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grant 2025-2027, a competitive grant program designed to strengthen existing CTE Programs of Study and support development of new programs aligned with high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand occupations. Eligible applicants include Oregon public school districts, Educational Service Districts (ESDs), public schools, and public charter schools, which may apply individually or in consortium. The procurement seeks funding to support development, expansion, and enhancement of CTE Programs of Study through three grant categories: Start-up NEW, Start-up MOVE, and High Quality Program of Study (HQPOS), with key deliverables including an application narrative (maximum eight pages), budget narrative and worksheet, statement of assurances, partner commitment letters, outcomes and measures documentation, activities and timeline, and previous recipient eligibility responses where applicable. Applicants must demonstrate commitment to advancing equitable access to CTE for historically and currently marginalized learners and address nine mandatory evaluation criteria (vision, equity, partnerships, CTE program design, high-skill/high-wage/in-demand occupations, diploma connections, activities and timeline, outcomes, and evaluation/sustainability) plus an optional bonus criterion for Career and Technical Student Organization integration, with evaluation scores ranging from 15 to 25 points per criterion for a total possible score of 200 points. The application submission deadline is June 24, 2026, at 2:59 PM (PDT), with a questions and clarifications deadline of May 27, 2026, at 3:00 PM (PDT), a notice of intent to award anticipated July 8, 2026, and a seven-calendar-day appeals period following notification. All project activities must be completed by June 30, 2027, with final reports and close-out documentation due October 8, 2027. Applications must be submitted electronically through Smartsheet; no paper or email submissions are accepted.

The CTE Revitalization Grant program carries no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, though the program emphasizes equity strategies for historically and currently marginalized students as a core evaluation criterion. The grant is funded through legislative appropriation in SB 5515 (2025) and is authorized under ORS 344.075 and implemented through OAR 581-044-0210 through 581-044-0260, with no incumbent vendors or current contractors identified in this procurement. The grant performance period runs July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027, with retroactive funding available from the start date, and grant funds must be used for allowable costs directly supporting approved project activities. The maximum grant award is $125,000 for single-school applications and up to $250,000 for multi-district consortia applications, with no minimum funding requirement; administrative costs are capped at 5 percent of the total project budget. Notably, capital improvements and vehicle purchases are explicitly prohibited due to the short timeline and uncertainty within the current grant cycle. The grant specifically requires grantees to develop and sustain partnerships with federally recognized Tribes, community-based organizations, businesses, industries, labor organizations, and community colleges, as evidenced through written commitment letters demonstrating specific contributions such as equipment donations, facility access, curriculum development, internship opportunities, instructor expertise, or financial support.