Program
Resources
Applications Due
Funding Source
Maximum Award
Award Details
Awards are expected to be issued between four and eight Topic A awards and between three and six Topic B awards to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Up to $2.3 million will be available for awards exclusively to Tribal Colleges and Universities:
- Topic A awards: $300,000 maximum
- Topic B awards: $2 million maximum
Eligibility
Eligible applicants include IHEs including two-year IHEs, particularly trade schools, vocational schools, technical colleges, community colleges, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. Each awarded consortium must include:
- At least one (1) two-year IHE (e.g., vocational schools, trade schools, technical colleges, community colleges, TCUs)
- At least two (2) industry employers
- At least one (1) workforce development entity
Eligible Activities
Programs shall train for occupations that address a regional need for workforce in at least one of the following technology areas:
- Integration, safe use, and maintenance of oil, natural gas, coal, or geothermal energy technologies
- Using CO2 to improve hydrocarbon recovery
- Produced water treatment and disposal
- Power generation for data centers or remote operations
- Technologies that enable any of the above technology areas, including but not limited to:
- Construction related to the building-out of facilities or infrastructure
- Applying and using artificial intelligence and machine learning
- Geographic information systems
Notable Requirements
Each regional consortia must include at least one two-year IHE (e.g., vocational schools, trade schools, technical colleges, community colleges, Tribal colleges), at least two industry employers, and at least one workforce development entity. The prime applicant must be an IHE and must have signed documentation of commitment from each consortium partner.
Preferences
Review Criteria: Demonstration of Regional Need (30%), Workforce Strategies and Metrics (15%), Participant Support Services (15%), Consortium Team Quality (20%), and Work Plan and Budget (20%).
Project selection may also be conducted using the following factors to develop a broad portfolio of projects:
- Variety of technology areas
- Representation of different types of institutions of higher education
- Geographic distribution
- Optimization of available federal funds
- Likelihood of placing trainees in jobs within the United States, including on the Lands of federally recognized Tribes
- Presents reduced risks in the following areas: schedules, budget, technical, and/or environmental risks
How to Apply
Complete and submit the online application via the TechWerx website.An Office Hours session will be held on July 9, 2026, 12 pm – 1 pm Pacific Time. More information.