Executive Office of Economic Development Community Programs

This form is for current grantees to report on Community Empowerment & Reinvestment Grant activities and expenditures for Fiscal Year 2026 (fall 2025 through June 30, 2026)

Community Workforce Partnerships Program At-a-Glance

Purpose: Support community-led workforce development initiatives that support economic mobility within a single Massachusetts municipality. Projects must respond to a community-defined economic need or opportunity and demonstrate a clear link to stable employment and/or wage growth within one year.

Administering Agency: Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED)  

Maximum Award: $200,000

Contract Type: Cost reimbursement  

Contract Performance Period: January 1, 2027 – December 31, 2027

Eligible Lead Applicants: Massachusetts nonprofit organizations that:

• Have IRS tax-exempt status at time of application
• Have experience providing workforce development services
• Apply on behalf of an active partnership or coalition (minimum one additional partner)
• Have at least $500,000 in gross support and revenue on most recently filed IRS 990 return 

Geographic Requirement: Projects must focus on a single Massachusetts city or town (or one Boston neighborhood).

Required Project Focus: Workforce development initiatives, including:

• Job skill training
• Adult literacy or English language learning with workforce focus
• Small business employee skill development, apprenticeship, recruitment, or retention

Target Population: A clearly defined group who resides within the selected municipality that has helped shape the project and faces identifiable workforce barriers or economic opportunity gaps.

Priority Considerations: Projects that:

• Demonstrate a strong pathway to stable employment and/or wage growth
• Support participants in earning in-demand credentials or licenses (if applicable)
• Provide at least two direct supportive services from list (childcare, housing stabilization, transportation, healthcare navigation, CORI sealing)
• Serve municipalities with elevated poverty or economic vulnerability indicators

Application Deadline: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. 

Award Notification: September 2026 (anticipated)

This form is for current grantees to report on Community Workforce Partnerships Grant activities and expenditures for the 2026 contract period (January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026).

About 

The Social Enterprise Capital Grant Program was created to invest in employment social enterprises that contribute to economic growth in low-income communities. 

The program makes capital grants to non-profit organizations to develop eligible facilities for social enterprises that target individuals facing significant barriers to employment.

For the purposes of this program, an employment social enterprise is defined as: 

• A discrete or embedded business venture, that 
• Produces and sells goods or services, and is 
• Operated by a mission-driven nonprofit organization whose primary goal is to employ and assist people who face barriers to employment.  

What you need

To be considered for funding, the applicant organization must be: 

• A Massachusetts non-profit organization in good standing, and 
• In possession of a report from a recent financial audit, and 
• Conforming to this RFP’s definition of an employment social enterprise, and 
• Successfully operating an employment social enterprise for at least 12 continuous months prior to the time of application, and 
• The current or contracted future owner of the real estate to be purchased, repaired, rehabilitated, and/or renovated, and 
• Offering paid employment opportunities to at least five low-income individuals, with priority to socially and economically disadvantaged populations who experience complex needs and barriers to employment that require intensive interventions, and 
• Paying employees/participants in the social enterprise no less than the Massachusetts minimum hourly wage for their employment.  

Applicant will also be required to affirm and demonstrate that it currently provides the following services to social enterprise participants, and plans to provide them to future participants:

• Outreach to targeted populations.
• On-the-job training and skill development, including worksite supervision and performance coaching.
• Comprehensive supportive services for at least 1 year (including, but not limited to, case management, aimed at helping to overcome barriers to employment).
• Assistance to obtain external employment.
• Job retention services, which include follow up with beneficiaries for at least 1 year and employers to support job retention and advancement.

A complete proposal packet includes the Submittable eligibility screening and application forms, as well as the following components. All of the following documents must be uploaded into the application and received as part of one Submittable form: 

• Recent Audited Financial Statement 
• Budget Form (available for download at Mass.gov)
• Proof of Current or Contracted Future Property Ownership 

For complete program requirements and application instructions, please refer to the RFP for the FY2027 grant round.

Questions? 

Please contact EOHEDGrants@mass.gov and specify the grant program for which you are applying in the subject line. Program staff will be available for technical support up to 4:00 pm on the application due date.

This is the FY2026 reporting form for currently contracted grant recipients.