Pathways with Purpose FAQs

Q: With respect to eligible organizations and proposed approaches, how do you define “employer-led”?

A: “Employer-led” means that employers are substantively involved in all major project decisions and are direct participants in the work—not simply serving in an advisory capacity. The anchor applicant must demonstrate active employer/industry leadership, including identification of one or more employer champions who will play a meaningful role in the partnership and project efforts. If your organization convenes and represents employers in this capacity, we encourage you to review the eligibility criteria and reach out to pathways@uschamber.org with any further questions.

Q: Does the applicant need to be a 501(c)(3) or can a 501(c)(6) apply? Can you provide clarity on the phrasing of "will be responsible for confirming all funds are used solely for appropriate 501(c)(3) activities"?

A: It is not required that an applicant organization is a 501(c)(3). A 501(c)(6) is eligible to submit a proposal for this funding, so long as funds are used solely for appropriate 501(c)(3) activities. Recipient entities are prohibited from, among other things, engaging in political activity, lobbying activity, and advocacy related to specific legislative proposals with U.S. Chamber Foundation funding.

Q: 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 organizations are listed as eligible entities for this opportunity. If our organization is not either of these, are we eligible? Are units of government eligible? 

A: Your organization must be able to receive philanthropic funding and meet the eligibility requirements associated with being an employer-led organization as laid out in the RFP and further clarified in this FAQ. 501(c)3 and 501(c)6 organizations as well as educational institutions and units of government can generally meet applicable criteria to receive philanthropic funding but must also meet the “employer-led” requirements outlined. Please note that recipient entities are prohibited from, among other things, engaging in political activity/lobbying activity with Chamber Foundation funding.

Q: Can a non-profit intermediary that has brought together employers in a specific sector (including a lead employer) be eligible as the lead applicant?

A: Yes. The RFP includes “an industry intermediary working on behalf of multiple employers” among the examples of eligible anchor organizations. The key requirement is that the applicant demonstrates active employer leadership and engagement, including identification of one or more employer champions, and a formal partnership with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs).

Q: What is the definition of an intermediary? 

A: In general, an intermediary organization is a neutral "broker" or "backbone" entity that works on behalf of multiple organizations or stakeholders. For the purposes of this grant, we define employer intermediaries as employer-led organizations that convene industry leaders to understand talent challenges and co-design employer-led solutions with SEAs and/or LEAs for the benefit of K–12 student career pathway and labor market outcomes.

Q: Is an organization created by a chamber of commerce eligible?

A: Yes. The RFP lists “chambers of commerce” among the examples of eligible anchor organizations. An organization created by or affiliated with a chamber would be eligible provided it meets the requirements outlined in the RFP, including demonstrating employer leadership and a formal partnership with one or more SEAs and/or LEAs.

Q: Would a national, state, or regional industry-based association and/or its foundation be eligible as a lead applicant?  

A: Yes. The RFP lists “statewide or regional industry- or sector-based associations” as eligible applicants. National industry-based associations would also be eligible, so long as they can demonstrate employer leadership, a formal partnership with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs), and state-wide or regional impact on K-12 students in alignment with the requirements listed in this RFP.

Q: Is there a preference for regional/local chamber requests over requests from economic development organizations?

A: No. The RFP does not give preference to any particular type of eligible organization. Chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, industry associations, employer coalitions, and other employer-led entities are all equally eligible. The U.S. Chamber Foundation reserves the right to ensure diversity among the cohort in terms of geography, and industry sector focus.

Q: Can a workforce board apply?

A: The RFP is designed for employer-led organizations that represent multiple employers and partner with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). A workforce board is not excluded, but the applicant must clearly demonstrate that it operates in an employer-led capacity, meaning employers are actively leading and driving the work, not simply participating on an advisory board. If you believe your organization meets that requirement, we encourage you to review the eligibility criteria carefully and reach out to pathways@uschamber.org with any further questions.

Q: Would a local workforce development board that is also a non-profit organization, be eligible to apply?

A: Workforce boards are not excluded from this opportunity, but the applicant must clearly demonstrate that it operates in an employer-led capacity—meaning employers are actively leading and driving the work, not simply participating on an advisory board. If you believe your organization meets that requirement and others outlined in the RFP, we encourage you to review the eligibility criteria carefully and reach out to pathways@uschamber.org with any further questions.

Q: Can a county office of education with multiple partners apply?

A: The RFP is designed for employer-led organizations that represent multiple employers and partner with state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). SEAs and/or LEAs are not eligible to apply as the lead applicant, but a county office of education would be welcomed as part of the application and partnership.

Q: Are organizations that represent and serve multiple K–12 schools or districts (e.g., education service centers, non-profit education technical assistance centers) eligible to serve as the employer-driven organization anchor applicant if they are focused on working with SEAs and LEAs to expand the educator/teacher pipeline?

A: While the Chamber Foundation recognizes the need for enhanced and expanded pathways to teacher preparation and recognizes this work as relevant, applications that focus exclusively on this strategy will not be competitive since the program’s intent is to build stronger relationships with the business community.

Q: Can a community college serve as the lead if they are convening employers around an industry?

A: The anchor applicant must be an employer-led organization. A community college would not typically qualify as the lead applicant, but it would be a strong education partner within the consortium. The lead applicant should be an employer-facing organization that represents multiple employers and partners with state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs) to serve K-12 students.

Q: Does a labor management organization that represents both contractors and trades qualify as an employer-led organization?

A: The RFP lists several examples of eligible anchor organizations, including employer coalitions and “other employer-led entities.” A labor management organization could be eligible if it can demonstrate that it operates in an employer-led capacity and meets all other eligibility requirements, including a formal partnership with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). We encourage you to review the eligibility criteria and reach out to pathways@uschamber.org with any further questions.

Q: Can the eligible applicant organization partner with just one LEA?

A: Yes. The RFP requires a formal partnership with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). A single LEA partnership is eligible, though we do encourage applicants to think about regional or statewide scale and reach in their proposals. Whether partnering with one LEA or several, be sure to articulate how your initiative will achieve meaningful scale and impact.

Q: What are some examples of SEAs or LEAs?

A: SEAs are state education agencies, and LEAs are local education agencies. Examples include state departments of education, school districts, and regional education agencies such as those at the county level.

Q: Would partnership with a charter school network function as an LEA partnership?

A: Yes. Charter school networks qualify for this partnership requirement, so long as strong partnership and coordination can be demonstrated and applicants indicate how the network of charter schools will support your initiative’s goals for achieving meaningful statewide or regional scale and impact.

Q: Are we permitted to add additional education partners (SEAs and/or LEAs) and others after we submit our proposal? Can we add additional SEA and/or LEA MOUs/letters of support after the application?

A: At the time of submission, applicants must meet the minimum requirements for SEA and/or LEA support and submit at least one MOU/letter of interest to meet that requirement. Successful applicants may add additional partners of any type to their efforts upon award and with the approval of the U.S. Chamber Foundation.

Q: Can organizations be listed as a partner on more than one application?

A: Eligible lead applicants should submit only one application for this opportunity. Partner organizations (e.g., employers, SEAs and LEAs, community partners, training and education institutions) can be listed in more than one lead applicant’s proposal as required or optional partners. However, we encourage states and regions to communicate and align application efforts, where appropriate, to signal alignment and shared commitment to impact and scale.

Q: The RFP indicates that MOUs and letters of commitment are required only from educational institution partners. May letters of commitment from non-education partners, such as employers, workforce intermediaries, and community organizations, also be submitted? If so, would doing so strengthen the competitiveness of an application by demonstrating a more formal and comprehensive commitment from all partners involved? 

A: Additional letters of commitment may be submitted to indicate strong partner support for your efforts, but they are not required. Letters of commitment beyond the required SEA and/or LEA partner(s) are a strong indication of partner commitment and support but will not create an advantage over those who do not submit them but have strongly described their partnership commitments through their proposal narrative.  

Q: How should applicants structure and describe a school district serving as both an educational partner and an employer, such as hosting interns or pre-apprentices, to best align with the Chamber Foundation’s expectations? 

A: The anchor applicant (i.e., recipient of grant funds) must be an employer-led organization that partners with one or more SEAs and/or LEAs as required partners. Applicants must demonstrate active leadership by employers/industry, including identification of one or more employer champions in their proposal. Each application, in alignment with the requirements outlined in the RFP, should describe the roles and responsibilities of the anchor organization, the required LEA and/or SEA partner(s), employer champion(s), and other partners involved in your efforts. 

Note: While the U.S. Chamber Foundation recognizes the need for enhanced and expanded education pathways (e.g., work-based learning and pathway programming) and recognizes work with school systems as relevant, applications that focus exclusively on education pipelines and work-based learning experiences within the education field will not be competitive since the program’s intent is to build stronger relationships between LEAs and/or SEAs and the business community. 

Q: Does the dedicated project manager already need to be in place upon applying, or could this be planned personnel included within the application?

A: No, the required project manager does not need to already be in place at the time of application. Applicants may include planned personnel in their proposal and budget staffing costs accordingly. However, the proposal should clearly demonstrate how the staffing requirement will be met upon award.

Q: Can we partner with multiple agencies to make up the 2–3 required staff members?

A: The RFP requires applicants to commit at least part-time support from two to three team members, including a dedicated project manager to own the work on behalf of the employer-led community partnership. We encourage required staff to be employees of the applicant/lead organization to ensure consistency, accountability, and redundancy in the event of a change in employment or re-assignment. The project manager/lead point of contact must either be an employee of the applicant organization or work on behalf of them (e.g., hired contractor/consultant). In cases where your efforts must rely on multiple organizations to fulfill this staffing requirement, please ensure that you have fully described in your staffing narrative your approach to ensuring consistency and coordination across staff, and your contingency plans in the event of a staffing change.

Q: The RFP application asks applicants to list staff who will work on this initiative and a brief summary of their relevant qualifications. Could you please clarify whether this response is intended to address the anchor organization's capacity alone or whether it should encompass the experience and background of the employer champion and other partners involved in the recommended approach? 

A: This question/requirement on the application is intended, as indicated, to capture those staff fulfilling the staffing requirements outlined in the RFP—at least part-time support from two to three team members, including a dedicated project manager. It is not expected that applicants will detail the individuals and experience/background of partner staff unless staff from partner organizations are being utilized to fulfil this requirement. (Please also see the FAQ response directly above).

Q: Is the focus of this grant opportunity K–12 systems and students?

A: Yes. The target population for the career-connected learning focuses outlined in this RFP is K–12 learners.

Q: Do programs have to include the full K–12 grade ecosystem, or can programming be targeted to sub-groups/grades within that umbrella (i.e., a program that primarily targets high-school juniors and seniors)?

A: Programs/proposed approaches do not have to serve the full K–12 continuum/ecosystem. They can be targeted toward specific grades or groups of K–12 learners. The key is to address both required focus areas outlined in the RFP and meeting other outlined requirements.

Q: Can proposed efforts also be applied to young adults (i.e., 18- to 24-year-olds)?

A: The core focus of the initiative is on K–12 career pathway programming and work-based learning in partnership with state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). Applicants should ensure that their proposals are grounded in that K–12 focus.

Q: The Project Proposal Form references learners ages 12–24 in Question 25. Could you please clarify whether this opportunity is intended to focus specifically on K–12 learners, or if postsecondary participants are also within scope? 

A: This opportunity is intended to focus on K–12 learners—particularly secondary students—by strengthening employer-driven, school system–connected strategies that align curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and expand access to work-based learning. Postsecondary partners and participants may be included only where they directly support K–12 pathway design and implementation (e.g., alignment to postsecondary programs of study, dual enrollment, or transitions into postsecondary training). However, the primary target population, activities, and outcomes supported by this funding should remain centered on K–12 learners and K–12 systems. 

Q: Can a proposed initiative serve secondary school-aged individuals in after-school programs or programs for opportunity youth, or does the initiative need to operate within formal K–12 systems? 

A: Proposed initiatives may include components that occur outside of the traditional school day or school building (e.g., after-school programming), including for secondary school-aged learners. However, proposed efforts should be primarily designed to operate in partnership with formal K–12 systems (e.g., SEAs and/or LEAs) in alignment with the required core focus areas of this grant (aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and expanding access to work-based learning). Applicants should clearly describe how any out-of-school activities complement and reinforce the core, school-connected strategy, rather than serving as the primary use of grant funds. 

Q: The RFP references serving a “significant” number of students. Could you provide any additional guidance on how you define or evaluate “significant” in this context (e.g., scale, reach, or percentage of a population served)? Is there a target number or range of students that should be served by this initiative? 

A: No additional guidance or specific numbers or percentages will be provided at this time. We expect that scale and reach is proportional to your state or region and to your proposed activities in alignment with the RFP requirements, and encourage you to discuss in your application how your efforts will lead to innovation, scale, and impact, but there is no specific target number for K–12 students served.

Q: Are there any guidelines or restrictions regarding industries or career pathways of focus for this opportunity?

A: There are no restrictions or preferences regarding industries of focus for your proposed efforts. We encourage applicants to align their approaches to those industries, occupations/jobs, and career pathways that are in-demand and lead to quality employment in their state or region, and to include references to this focus in Section 3 of the application.

Q: Is the intent to fund single-industry efforts, or is there interest in proposals that tackle workforce needs in multiple industries?

A: We are open to both approaches. We would suggest thinking about where and how you can have the most impact on students, employers, and your state or community.

Q: Is the grant opportunity intended to encourage solutions implemented by one specific consortium, or as a statewide/system-wide solution?

A: The RFP encourages applicants to demonstrate the capability to organize and lead efforts at a regional or statewide level. We encourage flexibility and responsiveness to state or regional needs. Proposals may focus on a single consortium or a broader statewide or region-wide approach. The key is demonstrating scale, reach, and the potential to impact a significant number of K-12 learners.

Q: Are there states or regions that are being prioritized?

A: No specific states or regions are being prioritized. However, the U.S. Chamber Foundation reserves the right to make award decisions that ensure diversity among the cohort in terms of geography and industry sector focus.

Q: Is there any preference or added consideration given to proposals that are statewide in scope versus those that are more regionally focused? 

A: There is no preference for statewide efforts in comparison to regionally focused approaches. We are looking for strong proposals that will lead to industry-relevant pathway programming (in alignment with the required focus areas) and impact on K–12 learners.

Q: Is there a preference for new or existing initiatives?

A: The RFP welcomes applications focused on both new and existing initiatives. Applicants may propose launching new efforts and innovations or improving and scaling existing ones. The RFP specifically asks applicants to discuss whether their proposed efforts are new or building off existing work.

Q: Should we view this more as a planning grant?

A: While we acknowledge one school year is not an extraordinary amount of time, we are confident that impact can be achieved. The activities executed as part of this grant may lead to longer-term, sustainable practices, which should be called out in the respective section of the application, but we do anticipate that cohort members will take action and demonstrate measurable benefits during the grant period.

Q: Are you looking mostly for more intensive/deeper program types (e.g., internships)? Could employer-led career exploration programming be competitive for this grant?

A: The RFP requires applicants to address both core focus areas: 1) aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and 2) experiencing the world of work through work-based learning. The RFP references a range of WBL experiences including internships, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, youth employment, project-based learning, and job shadowing. Career exploration programming could be part of a competitive proposal, provided it is connected to the required core focus areas, involves employer leadership, and demonstrates tangible outcomes for learners.

Q: Are there specific work-based learning models—such as paid pre-apprenticeships, employer designed projects, or internships—that the Chamber Foundation is particularly interested in seeing or that tend to score well? 

A: No specific work-based learning models will receive preferential scoring based on their type/model alone. Applicants should propose innovative and/or high-quality work-based learning that aligns with the needs of their industry partners and that provide relevant, career-connected learning to K–12 students in high-demand career pathways. Please ensure that this alignment and the intended impact of your proposed WBL efforts is described in your application narrative.

Q: For apprenticeships that are part of an applicant’s proposed approach, are they expected to be Registered Apprenticeships?

A: No, apprenticeships of all kinds are welcomed. Applicants have flexibility to propose the model that best fits their state or regional context and industry needs.

Q: Can funds be used for postsecondary programs if our CTE consortia include postsecondary institutions?

A: The core focus of the initiative is on K–12 career pathway programming and work-based learning in partnership with SEAs and/or LEAs. Applicants should ensure their proposals are grounded in that K–12 focus. However, if your efforts involve dual credit and/or credential opportunities—or other partnerships with postsecondary education, training, and credential-issuing bodies—that serve K-12 students, this would be an allowable use of funds.

Q: What types of credentials or credentials of value are considered preferred or acceptable under this grant (e.g., industry certifications, badges, micro-credentials, or pre-apprenticeship certificates)?

A: There are no blanket restrictions or preferences on the types of credentials of value included in your proposed efforts. However, applicants should ensure that they describe how credentials of value will be identified and prioritized in collaboration with employers/industry leaders and how they meet the needs of both K–12 students and industry.

Q: Can this grant be an opportunity to drive stronger implementation of Workforce Pell implementation?

A: The core focus of the initiative is on K–12 career pathway programming and work-based learning in partnership with one or more state or local education agencies (SEAs and/or LEAs). Applicants should ensure their proposals are grounded in that K–12 focus. However, applicants are welcome to make the case for alignment with Workforce Pell opportunities, especially as they may align with the required focus areas described in the RFP (e.g., alignment to industry priorities, industry-aligned credentialing, work-based learning).

Q: There are some prescribed outputs and outcomes in the RFP, but you also indicate that applicants can propose alternatives based on their specific proposal. How flexible is this? Will we be penalized in any way for suggesting alternative outputs and outcomes?

A: We want you to innovate; that's the core value of this initiative. You are welcome to suggest alternative outputs and measures that better align with your proposed activities, either in place of or in addition to those listed. You will not be penalized for proposing alternatives, as long as your measures are clearly tied to your proposed work and demonstrate how you will capture meaningful results. The U.S. Chamber Foundation also reserves the right to negotiate performance metrics upon award.

Q: Which outcomes or metrics does the Chamber Foundation view as most meaningful when evaluating impact (e.g., credential attainment, employer engagement, student transitions into apprenticeships or employment)? 

A: No guidelines regarding outcomes and metrics will be provided beyond what is included in the RFP, individualized grant agreement, and the FAQ response above. Proposed outcomes and metrics should align with the required focus areas of this grant (aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and experiencing the world of work/WBL) and the efforts you propose in your application.  

Q: For projects serving rural or mixed rural-urban regions, how does the Chamber Foundation recommend applicants demonstrate strong partnerships and impact, particularly when employer capacity and geographic access differ from urban settings?

A: The U.S. Chamber Foundation encourages applicants from all community types and geographies and recognizes the differences in opportunity for scale in both student numbers and partners (including employers). The review team will look to applicants’ responses in Section 3 of the application, which focuses on regional context and workforce challenges, to describe unique state or regional challenges (including in rural or rural-urban settings), and to responses throughout your application to describe how your proposed efforts will address those challenges, propose new innovations, or scale existing efforts in alignment with the required focus areas of this grant opportunity. You might also consider including multiple rural areas in your application to achieve scale, if possible and relevant. We understand that impact is relative and context dependent. Please ensure that you describe the impact and scale of your proposed efforts in the context of your community size, challenges, and opportunities.

Q: How many applicants will be awarded grant funds?

A: Four to five communities will be selected.

Q: There is a range of potential award amounts listed. Why? Should we assume that we can propose a budget up to the higher amount but that it may be negotiated/reduced if we are successfully awarded this grant?

A: We anticipate making equal investments across each selected community and will award four to five grants. The range reflects that the final per-award amount will depend on the number of selections made. We encourage you to build a budget that is realistic, well-justified, and aligned with your action plan; don't undershoot, but make sure every dollar has a purpose.

Q: Is the minimum amount $295,000 or do you fund smaller grants?  

A: We anticipate making equal grants  across each selected community ($295,000 to $365,000) and will award four to five grants. The range reflects that the final per-award amount will depend on the number of selections made. We encourage you to build a budget that is realistic, well-justified, and aligned with your action plan; don't undershoot, but make sure every dollar has a purpose.  

However, the U.S. Chamber Foundation reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to adjust these amounts and negotiate with successful applicants to ensure that budgets align with proposed activities and impact. We encourage applicants to propose budgets that are right sized to their proposed innovations and approaches and articulate how your initiative will achieve meaningful scale and impact. 

Q: Is it expected that organizations will spend the entirety of the allocated funds within the 1-year timeframe?  

A: Yes. At this time, this funding opportunity and associated support is expected to last for one year. All awarded funds are expected to be expended within this timeframe. The U.S. Chamber Foundation will work with funding recipients to ensure that project budgets are meaningfully and successfully expended or, if needed, repurposed during this timeframe. 

Q: How will funding be distributed to grantees? Is this funding reimbursement-based? 

A: Funding is not reimbursement-based. Funds will be disbursed in two to three installments determined by deliverable schedules and agreed upon between the U.S. Chamber Foundation and grantees upon award.  For clarity, recipients will be required to expend funds in accordance with a specific budget and will be required to provide reports indicating that monies were properly spent.

Q: How many fiscal agents are allowable as part of the grant?

A: In cases where more than one organization partners to submit an application for this grant, applicants must identify a main applicant/lead organization that meets the eligibility requirements and identify only one organization who will serve as the fiscal agent within the proposal submission.

Q: There are two events/check-ins listed as “potentially in person.” Do we need to budget for those potential trips in our proposal, or will there be additional funding associated with that travel?

A: You do not need to budget for travel to U.S. Chamber Foundation-sponsored convenings. The Foundation will cover travel costs associated with those events. Your travel budget should reflect any travel needed to support your own proposed project activities and partnerships on the ground.

Q: What expenses are allowable/not allowable?

A: The U.S. Chamber Foundation promotes flexibility in applicants’ funding approaches, so long as your approach is aligned to the goals of your proposed activities and the requirements of this grant. Eligible uses of this funding include, but are not limited to:

• Staffing costs (in alignment with staffing requirements described in the “Eligibility and Requirements for Participation” section)
• Programmatic activity costs
• Vendor or subcontractor costs
• Travel costs
• Material costs

In addition, funds must be used solely for appropriate 501(c)(3) activities. Recipient entities are prohibited from, among other things, engaging in political activity, lobbying activity, and advocacy related to specific legislative proposals with U.S. Chamber Foundation funding.

Q: Could programmatic activities include stipends or wraparound supports for learners? Can grant dollars be used toward paying student wages (e.g., for an internship)?

A: If justified in your narrative as an important element of state or regional efforts to innovate and scale the aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and experiencing the world of work (WBL) (the required elements), stipends or wraparound supports for learners will likely be considered an allowable programmatic expense. Applicants should be prepared to describe how this financial support will lead to measurable impact. In addition, wraparound supports may be subject to additional legal review upon award (i.e., as part of the contracting process) to ensure they are in fact allowable under charitable giving guidelines.

Q: Are there any restrictions on using this funding for teacher stipends, transportation for students to access cross-district pathway programming, purchase of equipment to enhance programming and align with industry standards, or technology or software solutions?  

A: These are allowable expenses. Applicants should propose a budget that—in addition to any matching funds (optional)—supports state or regional innovation and scaling of the required core focus areas of this grant (aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and expanding access to WBL). Justification should be provided in your budget narrative for how these and other activities, purchases, and supports will lead to state or regional scale and impact on K–12 learners.  

Funds must be used solely for appropriate 501(c)(3) activities. Recipient entities are prohibited from, among other things, engaging in political activity, and lobbying activity with Chamber Foundation funding. 

Q: Can we use funds to support dedicated staffing beyond the dedicated staffing capacity required and outlined in this RFP? 

A: Yes. The staffing capacity requirements presented in the RFP are minimum requirements. Applicants should propose a staffing model and budget that—in addition to any matching funds or staffing capacity that are available—supports state or regional innovation and scaling of the required core focus areas of this grant (aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and expanding access to WBL). Additional staffing may be proposed to support the success of your efforts and funding may be used to support your staffing plan. Justification should be provided in your budget narrative for how this additional staffing capacity will lead to state or regional scale and impact on K–12 learners. 

Q: Any restrictions on the percentage of funds within each category (programmatic activities versus material costs)? 

A: Budget categories listed in the RFP and budget template reflect high-level eligible uses of this funding. There are no restrictions on the percentage of funds within each category. We encourage you to innovate and to align your budget with your proposed approaches. Justification should be provided in your budget narrative for how these and other activities, purchases, and supports will lead to state or regional scale and impact on K–12 learners and meet the requirements outlined in the RFP. 

Q: Is there a maximum percentage that can be charged for administrative/indirect expenses?

A: There is not a maximum percentage that can be charged for administrative/indirect expenses. However, we expect competitive applications to focus on funding efforts that will contribute to launching and scaling efforts associated with aligning curriculum and credentials to labor market needs and experiencing the world of work (WBL) (the required elements) and will lead to lasting impact. The U.S. Chamber Foundation may pose additional questions about your administrative/indirect expenses and reserves the right to further negotiate upon award/selection.

Q: Can you please clarify what sub-grantee costs are as listed in the draft budget template?  

A: A sub-grantee (or sub-recipient) is any entity that you anticipate receiving a subaward—or pass-through share of your overall funding to oversee a portion of your proposed activities. Sub-grantee (or sub-recipient) relationships are typically only established in cases where an organization besides the anchor applicant/recipient is expected to oversee and deliver a significant portion of your proposed programmatic activities, including through dedicated staffing capacity. Sub-grantee relationships and funding arrangements are typically governed by a subgrantee contract or agreement. In cases where sub-grants, (sub-contracts, sub-awards) are issued, the lead/anchor organization is still ultimately responsible for carrying out the proposed approaches and deliverables outlined in the grant agreement negotiated with the U.S. Chamber Foundation.

Q: Is there an expected or ideal per-student cost range that the Chamber Foundation is looking for within proposed models? 

A: There is no per-student cost range or limit associated with this funding. However, applicants should be prepared to describe how this financial support will lead to measurable impact for students in their proposal and budget narratives. 

Q: Is there a preferred format or level of detail for documenting matching funds or non-monetary contributions, such as employer time, engagement, or other in-kind support? 

A: Matching funds, whether monetary or in-kind, are not required of this grant. We ask for you to provide information on optional matching funds in a few places in the narrative/application questions for informational purposes only and to indicate where they may strengthen your approach, sustainability, etc. However, there will be no penalties or preferences for projects based on in-kind contributions (or lack thereof). You do not need to provide detailed budget information for in-kind contributions or matching funds.

Q: How many applications are you expecting?

A: We had more than 400 people register for the webinar, but we do not have an estimate of the number of applications we expect to receive.

Q: What is the official grant period for this program and funding opportunity? 

A: In short, we expect grant activity to take place approximately June 2026 to June 2027. Please refer to the schedule below, which was provided in the RFP. 

Project Timeline

Q: Will additional funding opportunities be available?

A: As of now, this is the only funding opportunity available. We are always exploring ways to expand and deepen this work, and the U.S. Chamber Foundation would be open to continuing investments or pursuing new opportunities with additional communities if the collaborative finds value in the outcomes. For now, we encourage interested organizations to apply to this round.

Q: Can you provide additional information about the cohort activities and the anticipated time commitment for grantees throughout the grant period? 

A: No additional information beyond what is shared on page 11 of the RFP will be shared at this time. The technical assistance plan and cohort activities are still being refined and will be finalized based on the stated needs and initiatives of focus for the selected applicants. It is the expectation that these activities will be valuable to and support each grantee's efforts, will result in valuable peer learning, and will not be burdensome to grantees. 

Q: Who is required and/or eligible to participate in the technical assistance activities offered by the Chamber Foundation and its partners as part of this program? 

A: As the RFP states, selected applicants are expected to commit to leveraging and engaging in the technical assistance and peer sharing opportunities provided by the U.S. Chamber Foundation. Our team fully intends to work with each grantee to determine which individuals and entities from their wider project teams—including partner organizations—would most benefit from and contribute to these activities.

Q: For those who choose not to apply or are not selected as recipients of this grant, what learning opportunities will be available from this cohort?

A: The U.S. Chamber Foundation intends to share best practices, resources, and insights produced through this cohort-based initiative broadly, in furtherance of wide-scale adoption by other states, communities, and industry-led consortia. This may include webinars, publications, and other dissemination activities.

Q: Is there a way to help applicants connect with each other to continue building networks and advancing the work?

A: Currently, the U.S. Chamber Foundation plans to manage ongoing learning and networking opportunities for the selected applicants only, through the cohort-based peer learning approaches described in the RFP. However, the U.S. Chamber Foundation is exploring ways to expand and deepen this Pathways with Purpose work and impact on an ongoing basis and encourages applicants—whether successful in this grant opportunity or not—to engage in virtual and in-person convening opportunities available through its various initiatives. Visit https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/ to explore these opportunities.