Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Technical Assistance Grant Program
Active
- Assistance listing
- 17.701
- Agency
-
Women's Bureau
Department of Labor
- Grant awards
- 40 $47,601,640 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Also known as
- WANTO Grants
- Assistance types
-
- Project Grant
- Cooperative Agreement
- Treasury account
-
- 16-0165-0-1-504
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of Labor Women's Bureau is awarding grants under CFDA 17.701 to community-based organizations providing technical assistance to employers and labor unions to increase women's participation in apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations, with the most recent grant awards issued September 30, 2025.
The program funds pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship program development, employer and union technical assistance on workforce inclusion practices, and supportive services for women participants. Recent awards show concrete focus on construction trades, advanced manufacturing, information technology, utilities, commercial driver licensing, and clean energy sectors. Building Futures (Rhode Island) received $1.44 million to run six women's apprenticeship readiness cohorts in construction and manufacturing while tracking 55 large construction projects for women's labor hours. CareerRise (Georgia) received $722 thousand to serve 50 women in metro Atlanta with customized employer technical assistance across in-demand industries. Girls on the Gridline (Florida) received $706 thousand to prepare adolescent girls from low-income Jacksonville neighborhoods for utility industry apprenticeships through school-year engagement and a six-week summer pre-apprenticeship program. WRTP | BIG STEP (Wisconsin) received $1.49 million to run five cohorts of a 12-week program combining construction skills training and commercial driver's license preparation for at least 60 women.
Forty awards totaling $47.6 million have been distributed since September 2020, with annual award counts rising from five in 2021 to nine in 2024 and seven in 2025. The program is predominantly Project Grants (98% of awards) with one Cooperative Agreement. The Department of Labor Women's Bureau is the sole funding source. Typical award magnitudes range from approximately $680 thousand to $2.15 million for two-year performance periods.
A current opportunity (FOA-WB-26-01) was posted June 5, 2026 with a July 6, 2026 due date, soliciting approximately $10 million in grants from 501(c)(3) nonprofits and other nonprofit entities. The opportunity emphasizes applicants with equity intermediary experience and focus on historically underrepresented communities including women of color, women with disabilities, rural women, and women at or below the poverty line. Industries of particular interest include advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, information technology, mining, and shipbuilding and defense industrial base.
Objective and description
- Objective
This program is intended to award grants to community- based organizations to provide technical assistance ("TA") to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations ("A/NTO").
- Description
This program is intended to award grants to community- based organizations to provide technical assistance ("TA") to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable and nontraditional occupations ("A/NTO").
Eligibility
- Applicant eligibility
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
- Uses of assistance
The WANTO Technical Assistance Grant Program is intended to award grants to community-based organizations to provide technical assistance ("TA") to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations ("A/NTO"), specifically by: Developing (establishing, expanding, and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO; Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and/or Setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.
- Use restrictions
The WANTO Technical Assistance Grant Program is intended to award grants to community-based organizations to provide technical assistance ("TA") to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women in apprenticeable occupations and nontraditional occupations ("A/NTO"), specifically by: Developing (establishing, expanding, and/or enhancing) pre-apprenticeship, apprenticeship, or other nontraditional skills training programs designed to prepare women for careers in A/NTO; Providing ongoing orientations or other resources for employers, unions, and workers on creating a successful environment for women in A/NTO; and/or Setting up support groups and facilitating networks for women in A/NTO to improve their retention.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
For grants, procedures for each project are specified in the FOA.
How to apply
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Generally, the criteria are as follows: A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in the FOA/NOFO.
- Award procedure
Generally, the procedure is as follows: A technical review panel will carefully evaluate applications against the selection criteria. These criteria are based on the policy goals, priorities, and emphases set forth in the FOA/NOFO.
- Deadlines
As set forth in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA)/Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for grants.
- Time to approval or disapproval
For grants, from 45 to 90 days.
- Appeals
Instructions for Appeals are set forth in the FOA/NOFO.
Grant opportunities
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 40 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago Women In Trades | $4,083,040 | 9% |
| 2 | Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions Non-Profit Development Corporation, Inc. | $2,866,804 | 6% |
| 3 | An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation Fresh Start Women's Foundation | $2,709,582 | 6% |
| 4 | Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, Inc. | $2,194,810 | 5% |
| 5 | Apprenticeship And Nontraditional Employmentfor Women (Anew) | $2,154,236 | 5% |
| 6 | Catalyst Connection | $2,150,103 | 5% |
| 7 | Dev Mission | $2,150,103 | 5% |
| 8 | R.i. Women In The Trades | $2,143,554 | 5% |
| 9 | ADA Developers Academy | $2,143,554 | 5% |
| 10 | Veterans Enterprise Training & Services Group, Inc. | $2,143,305 | 5% |
10 of 32 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | -$1,308,384 |
| FY2025 | $5,667,847 |
| FY2024 | $17,063,953 |
| FY2023 | $10,714,518 |
| FY2022 | $11,997,181 |
| FY2020 | -$1,492,515 |
| FY2019 | -$2,499,729 |
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 17.701?
Assistance Listing 17.701 is Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Technical Assistance Grant Program, a federal grant program run by Women's Bureau (Department of Labor).
What is the CFDA number for Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Technical Assistance Grant Program?
Its CFDA number is 17.701: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 17.701 awarded?
40 grant awards under 17.701 have obligated $47,601,640 in federal funds to 32 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 17.701?
The recipients obligated the most under Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (“WANTO”) Technical Assistance Grant Program are Chicago Women In Trades ($4,083,040), Southern Nevada Building Trades Unions Non-Profit Development Corporation, Inc. ($2,866,804) and An Arizona Nonprofit Corporation Fresh Start Women's Foundation ($2,709,582).
How much did 17.701 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 17.701 obligated $5,667,847 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 17.701?
No opportunity listed under 17.701 is open now. The latest, FY26 Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance Grant Program, was posted on June 5, 2026.
On GovTribe
See this program's full record
- Every grant award and opportunity under it
- Funding by recipient, agency and assistance type
- Alerts for new opportunities
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