Bismarck State College

Bismarck State College, a state-controlled institution of higher learning within the North Dakota University System, is a polytechnic institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota that serves as both an educational provider and a skilled workforce developer. The college provides specialized training, educational programming, and technical instruction to federal agencies and their constituents, leveraging its expertise in vocational training, STEM-focused educational initiatives, and workforce development to support national priorities. As a registered federal contractor and grant recipient since June 2001, Bismarck State College has demonstrated sustained capacity to deliver federal services across multiple agencies and mission areas.

Through federal contract awards, Bismarck State College has provided specialized educational and training services across diverse federal agencies. The college delivered a four-day STEAM summer camp for military youth ages 8-15 through a $97,096.88 firm fixed-price purchase order from the Department of the Army awarded on July 20, 2025, featuring hands-on instruction in robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles, 3D printing, and cyber-technology for approximately 40 annual participants. Additionally, the college provided Commercial Driver's License training courses at the Lost Wood National Wildlife Refuge for the U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 under a $6,595.00 purchase order awarded in April 2025. Bismarck State College also delivered craft training for the Western Area Power Administration's Electric Power Training Center program through an $18,671.22 firm fixed-price purchase order awarded in February 2025 to support power industry workforce development. All three contract awards were issued as unrestricted purchase orders without set-aside designations, reflecting the college's selection based on technical capability and competitive pricing in open competitions.

Bismarck State College's federal grant portfolio reflects comprehensive engagement in workforce development, occupational safety, educational support, and innovative technology initiatives across multiple federal agencies. The college currently administers a $9,886,512.00 five-year Disability Innovation Fund project grant from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to develop extended reality technologies improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities, running from October 2024 through September 2029. The college holds an active $195,000 OSHA Consultation Agreements block grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (awarded October 2025) providing no-cost workplace safety services to smaller employers with high-hazard operations, a program the college has maintained continuously since at least 2021 through multiple renewable cooperative agreements. Bismarck State College received a $2,339,140 Economic Adjustment Assistance project grant from the Economic Development Administration in July 2022 to purchase high-tech laboratory and classroom equipment supporting automation, simulation, and augmented/virtual reality training in polytechnic career programs. The college manages two active grants supporting registered apprenticeships and career pathways: a project grant from the Employment and Training Administration supporting the Registered Apprenticeships - Done Right (RADAR) program targeting healthcare and manufacturing industries, and a project grant for workforce development in advanced manufacturing and professional technical services across multiple North Dakota counties (awarded September 2023, extending through September 2028). Additional major grants include a $9,886,512.00 project grant from the National Science Foundation supporting the AIM Scholars program providing scholarships and student support services to low-income STEM students (awarded January 2022, extending through December 2027), and NSF funding for the Automation and Manufacturing Technician program development addressing rural North Dakota's need for advanced manufacturing workforce capabilities. The college also administers grants supporting agricultural education through unmanned aerial systems training funded by the Department of Agriculture, nuclear power and instrumentation technology scholarship programs funded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Central Office, student success initiatives through the Office of Postsecondary Education, and a National Endowment for the Arts grant supporting a symposium on American bison folk arts and living traditions. Sub-grant awards demonstrate additional federal support, including allocations from the North Dakota Department of Human Services for developmental disabilities advocacy, the North Dakota Department of Commerce for energy auditor training, electrician technician program development, and electric vehicle education expansion, and sub-awards from prime recipients like Indian River State College for energy and vehicle curriculum development initiatives.