Opportunity Information: Apply for AC 11 04 22
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development grant opportunity is a discretionary funding program from AmeriCorps (CFDA 94.017) designed to help adults age 55 and older overcome barriers to employment and move into professional, skilled labor, or paraprofessional careers. The underlying idea is that service and volunteering can do more than meet community needs: it can also function as a structured pathway for older adults to build current, marketable skills, earn certifications, expand professional networks, and receive mentoring that supports job placement and longer-term career success after service ends. In practice, the program funds demonstration-style projects that combine meaningful service roles with intentional workforce development supports, positioning service as both a community benefit and a career development bridge.
The opportunity is rooted in the reality that older workers often face unique challenges when changing careers or reentering the labor market after time away. These challenges can include limited access to training aligned with today’s job requirements, lack of employer support, age bias or discrimination, and perceptions that older applicants are less viable candidates. AmeriCorps Seniors is using this funding to test and expand approaches that directly address these barriers by pairing service opportunities with targeted training, credentialing, and post-service mentoring and job support. Applicants are expected to clearly show how their project will recruit and engage people 55 and older and then move them along a pathway that leads to employment outcomes, not just volunteer hours.
A key feature of this competition is that it includes two programming tracks. One track is specifically tied to public health careers through a partnership with Public Health AmeriCorps. Projects in this Public Health Careers Track should both respond to local public health needs and advance health equity while creating pathways for older adults into public health-related roles. The second track covers all other career pathways and is intended for workforce development programming outside the public health focus. Applicants must choose the track that aligns with their proposed career programming, with public health-focused proposals routed through the Public Health Careers Track and all other career programming applying through the non-public health careers track.
Eligible applicants span a wide range of organizations and government entities, reflecting the program’s community-based nature and its interest in cross-sector workforce solutions. Eligible entities include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education). The funding activity categories listed for the opportunity are broad, covering business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, and income security and social services, which signals that projects may be rooted in many community contexts as long as the core workforce development purpose for older adults is central and well supported.
From an applicant perspective, the program is looking for proposals that treat workforce outcomes as a deliberate end goal and can explain the full pathway from recruitment to service placement to skills development to employment. That typically means describing the service assignments older adults will perform, the specific training or certifications they will earn, the mentoring and wraparound supports they will receive, and how the project will connect participants to employers or job opportunities in the target sectors. While the notice does not specify an award ceiling or expected number of awards in the provided excerpt, it does identify the opportunity as a grant competition administered by AmeriCorps, with an original application closing date of February 1, 2023, and a creation date of November 4, 2022.Apply for AC 11 04 22
- The AmeriCorps in the business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment, labor and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 94.017.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2022-11-04.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-02-01. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.
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FY 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development Grant (CFDA 94.017) - FAQs
What is the FY 2023 AmeriCorps Seniors Workforce Development grant?
It is a discretionary grant competition administered by AmeriCorps (CFDA 94.017) that funds demonstration-style projects using service and volunteering as a structured pathway to employment for adults age 55 and older. Projects are expected to combine meaningful service roles with intentional workforce development supports that help participants build marketable skills and move into jobs after service.
What is the main goal of this grant opportunity?
The core goal is to help adults age 55 and older overcome barriers to employment and transition into professional, skilled labor, or paraprofessional careers. Proposals should treat employment outcomes as a deliberate end goal, not just the delivery of volunteer hours.
Who is this program designed to serve?
The intended participants are adults age 55 and older, especially those who face barriers when changing careers, reentering the labor market, or pursuing new training aligned to current job requirements.
How does “service” connect to workforce development in this program?
AmeriCorps Seniors is funding projects that position service as both (1) a community benefit and (2) a career development bridge. In practice, this means participants serve in meaningful roles while also receiving structured training, credentialing opportunities, networking, and mentoring that support job placement and longer-term career success after service ends.
What kinds of barriers to employment does the program aim to address for older adults?
The opportunity highlights several challenges older workers can face, including limited access to training aligned with today’s job requirements, lack of employer support, age bias or discrimination, and perceptions that older applicants are less viable candidates. Projects are expected to test or expand approaches that directly address these barriers.
What types of projects are funded?
The program funds demonstration-style projects that pair service opportunities with targeted workforce development supports such as training, credentialing, mentoring, and post-service job support. Projects should clearly explain how they will move participants along a pathway that leads to employment outcomes.
What should applicants be able to explain in their proposals?
Based on the information provided, strong proposals should explain the full pathway from recruitment to service placement to skills development to employment. This typically includes describing: (a) how adults 55+ will be recruited and engaged, (b) what service assignments participants will perform, (c) what training or certifications participants will earn, (d) what mentoring and wraparound supports will be provided, and (e) how participants will be connected to employers or job opportunities in the target sector.
Is the program focused only on volunteering, or on jobs after service too?
The program is explicitly focused on employment outcomes. While service is central, applicants are expected to show how their project will lead to job placement and longer-term career success after service ends.
Are there different tracks applicants can apply under?
Yes. The competition includes two programming tracks: a Public Health Careers Track tied to a partnership with Public Health AmeriCorps, and a second track for all other career pathways outside the public health focus.
What is the Public Health Careers Track?
This track is for projects that create pathways for older adults into public health-related roles. Projects in this track should respond to local public health needs and advance health equity while also building workforce pathways for adults age 55 and older.
What is the non-public health careers track?
This track covers workforce development programming outside the public health focus. If the proposed career programming is not centered on public health, it belongs in this non-public health track.
Do applicants have to choose a track?
Yes. Applicants must select the track that aligns with their proposed career programming: public health-focused proposals apply through the Public Health Careers Track, and all other career programming applies through the non-public health careers track.
What types of organizations are eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants include a broad range of organizations and government entities, including: state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and nonprofit organizations (including 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status, in both cases other than institutions of higher education).
Are nonprofit organizations eligible even if they are not 501(c)(3)?
Yes. The information provided indicates that nonprofit organizations are eligible, including both 501(c)(3) nonprofits and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education).
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Both public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education are listed as eligible entities.
Are government entities eligible?
Yes. The eligible entities listed include state, county, city or township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; and federally recognized Native American tribal governments.
What community or program areas can projects fall under?
The funding activity categories listed are broad and include: business and commerce, community development, disaster prevention and relief, education, employment and training, environment, food and nutrition, health, and income security and social services. This suggests projects may be rooted in many community contexts, as long as the core workforce development purpose for older adults is central and well supported.
Does the opportunity allow projects outside public health?
Yes. Only one of the two tracks is specific to public health. The second track is explicitly for all other career pathways and is intended for workforce development programming outside the public health focus.
What are examples of outcomes AmeriCorps Seniors is looking for?
The description emphasizes outcomes such as building current, marketable skills; earning certifications; expanding professional networks; receiving mentoring; obtaining post-service job support; and ultimately moving participants into employment in professional, skilled labor, or paraprofessional careers.
What is meant by “demonstration-style” projects?
Based on the description, these are projects designed to test and expand approaches that pair service opportunities with targeted workforce development supports to address employment barriers for adults 55+ and produce measurable employment-related outcomes after service.
What is the CFDA number for this program?
The CFDA number provided for this opportunity is 94.017.
Who administers this grant competition?
The grant competition is administered by AmeriCorps.
What was the application closing date listed?
The excerpt identifies an original application closing date of February 1, 2023.
When was this opportunity created?
The excerpt lists a creation date of November 4, 2022.
Is an award ceiling or the expected number of awards provided?
No. The information provided states that the excerpt does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.
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