The Business Accelerator Grant application round is closed for the 2022 program year. Please refer back to the website in July 2023 or contact Barbara Darby at barbarad@landofsky.org or (828) 231-6611.
Mountain Area Workforce Development Board is opening our Business Accelerator Grant for applications.
> Call for Submission of Grant Applications
> Business Accelerator Grant Guidelines
> Business Accelerator Grant Pre-Application Questionnaire
> Business Accelerator Application (One Business)
- The Business Accelerator Grant for Incumbent Worker Training is a competitive, cost reimbursement training grant through which qualifying businesses can address employees’ skills gaps. These skills gaps can be a result of a worker’s changing responsibilities/requirements in her/his job, or for a worker whose job may potentially be eliminated, and skill upgrading is needed to accept new responsibilities. Incumbent worker (IW) training should increase the knowledge, skills, and/or certifications of workers, and increase the competitiveness of the employee and the employer.
- North Carolina for-profit and not-for-profit businesses with an employer-employee relationship (W-2) with at least five or more employees, that have been in operation for a minimum of one year prior to the Workforce Board’s application date, are current on all federal and state tax obligations, and are financially viable are eligible to apply.
- Training Grants are awarded on a competitive basis. The maximum award amount is up to $10,000 per grant.
- The Training Grant is administered through the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board. Applications are submitted directly to the workforce board. The board may request additional information or establish supplemental provisions and requirements for the training applications.
- For each grant application cycle, the MAWDB will set the application due date.
- Only complete grant applications will be considered for this competitive grant process. Incomplete applications may be corrected if time allows prior to the due date or resubmitted the next grant application cycle.
Application Process and Tentative Schedule:
| Call for Pre-Application Questionnaire (required) | December 27, 2021 – January 7, 2022 |
| Call for Applications | December 27, 2021 – January 14, 2022 |
| Zoom meeting for first-time applicants (required) | January 5-7 and January 10-12, 2022 |
| Draft Application Deadline (required) | January 14, 2022; 4 pm |
| Final Application Deadline | January 28, 2022; 4 pm |
| Application Review | February 1 – February 11, 2022 |
| Award Announcement | February 18, 2022 |
| Deadline for Contracts | March 18, 2022 |
| Deadline for Training Completion | June 30, 2022 |
All applications will be reviewed by the Workforce Board’s Grant Committee. The Committee uses an assessment scoring system for each application. The Committee will make recommendations to the Board on applications for funding. After the Board approves the recommendations, the business will be notified within 5 business day by email and/or phone. The Business Services Representative will have up to 60 days from award notification to prepare the contract. Payment for training that is purchases or conducted prior to the date of the dually signed contract can’t be reimbursed.
An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer/Program
(This Business Accelerator Grant opportunity offered by the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board is 100% federally funded by the Employment and Training Administration of the US Department of Labor as part of an award totaling $809,990.)
