Federal grant programs / Department of Commerce

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Talent Challenge Program (11.023)

Also known as STEM Talent Challenge

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$8.4 million
• Grant awards26
• Typical award$297,643
• Awarded in FY 2025$0
• Size rank1,529 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceGrant

Key findings

• It is the 1529th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 83% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 19 states and territories.

What the program funds

The U.S Economic Development Administration’s STEM Talent Challenge aims to build STEM talent training systems to strengthen regional innovation economies.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Eligible applications for and eligible recipients of EDA investment assistance under this NOFO include: • a State; • an Indian tribe; • a city or other political subdivision of a State; • an entity that is— o a nonprofit organization; o an institution of higher education; o a public-private partnership; o a science or research park; o a Federal laboratory; o an economic development organization or similar entity; and that has an application supported by a State, a political subdivision of a State, or a native organization; or • a consortium of any of the above-mentioned eligible applicants.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Proposed projects may aim for some or all of the following outputs and outcomes or others, as appropriate, considering each proposed project’s regional, sectoral, and economic contexts. A. STEM Work-Based Learning and Training Projects should focus on an interdisciplinary approach and utilize training models that provide workers with the experiences and skills they will need to succeed on-the-job and in real-world applications. These may include, but are not limited to, innovative industry-driven apprenticeships, fellowships, internships, and other cooperative employer-educator partnerships, and are not limited to existing industry definitions – experimentation and innovation is encouraged. While important to the development of a future workforce, general education programs such as those found in K-12 curriculums are not encouraged, unless part of a broader strategy in a STEM readiness program. B. Increase Regional Innovation Capacity Projects should focus on connecting regional innovation stakeholders and employers with the workforce and talent development leaders of the region, or training providers who are readying tomorrow’s workforce. Programs should emphasize enabling the region’s fast-paced technology startups and innovative companies to hire locally and decrease their costs and lead time to filling positions, allowing them to grow their teams and scale their businesses faster.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

This program has no statutory formula. Applicants must provide matching non-Federal Share equal to at least 50 percent of the total project cost; i.e., applicants must match each dollar requested with at least one dollar of applicant match.MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 45% of the money, colleges and universities 45% and state and local governments 3.6%.

By state

No state received $1 million or 10 awards from this program, so it has no state pages.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.