ED is mostly a grants agency, not a procurement agency — dollars flow through cooperative agreements, formula grants, and discretionary grant competitions rather than RFP-style contracts. Identity intervention for Gen Z postsecondary readiness lives at the intersection of OPE, OESE, OCTAE, and IES. The Talent Marketplace Supplemental Priority (effective 2026-05-13) is a structural tailwind that can be layered onto any ED discretionary grant — see the dedicated section below.
Three-tier program (Early-phase ~$4M, Mid-phase ~$8M, Expansion ~$15M) funding evidence-based, innovative practices. High-poverty student priority. Allows for randomized control / quasi-experimental designs.
Four research centers — NCER, NCSER, NCEE, NCES. Funds applied research, including the ED SBIR program.
→ IES home · SBIR solicitation info · All IES funding opportunities
Multi-year grants to states + partnerships to serve cohorts of low-income students from 7th grade through first year of postsecondary. Cohort model fits identity-formation arc cleanly.
→ Program details — ed.gov/programs/gearup · Current state & partnership grantees
Eight programs serving first-gen, low-income, students with disabilities — Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math-Science, EOC, Student Support Services, McNair, Veterans Upward Bound, TRIO Training.
→ TRIO home — ed.gov/ope/trio · Talent Search · Upward Bound · SSS · McNair
HBCU (Title III-B), HSI (Title V), AANAPISI, and other MSI capacity grants. Postsecondary identity work is allowable use of funds.
→ White House Initiative on HBCUs · Title III-B (HBCU) · Title V (HSI / DHSI) · IDUES — Institutional Service
Mostly operational; minimal direct acquisition. Watch for FSA Vendor Outreach Days and Better FAFSA technical assistance contracts.
→ Federal Student Aid — studentaid.gov · FSA Partners (Knowledge Center) · FSA conferences & outreach events · FSA forms & publications
$1.4B+ annually flowing to states for CTE. State-administered; we'd typically subcontract to LEAs or community colleges using Perkins funds.
→ Perkins V at cte.ed.gov · Perkins Collaborative Resource Network · OCTAE Perkins page
WIOA Title II, administered by ED/OCTAE. Identity-clarification for adult learners pursuing reskilling is a natural fit.
→ OCTAE Adult Education home · WIOA Titles overview · LINCS — adult education resources
ED's evidence framework (ESSA Tier 1–4) is built around "what works." founding_up's Rosenthal-anchored design principles (no scores, no gamification, pattern-based) translate into a defensible logic model. EIR + IES SBIR + a GEAR UP state partner is a credible 18-month sequence.
On July 15, 2025, ED and DOL announced implementation of an interagency partnership that fundamentally restructures the federal education-workforce system. DOL now administers Perkins V (CTE) and WIOA Title II (Adult Ed) alongside DOL's existing workforce portfolio, while ED retains statutory authority and oversight. A unified state plan portal consolidates WIOA + Perkins state planning. Authorized under Executive Order 14278 (signed April 23, 2025); Interagency Agreement signed May 21, 2025; Supreme Court cleared implementation July 14, 2025.
The federal government is now operationally treating education and workforce as one integrated system — which is exactly what the founding_up Exchange Layer is in product form. States writing unified WIOA + Perkins plans need technology that demonstrates education-to-workforce integration. Texas (where we already operate) is the natural first state to engage on this new consolidated planning surface. The "unified state plan portal" creates a single buyer-side procurement target rather than two parallel systems.
→ ED press release — Workforce Development Partnership (July 15, 2025)
On 2026-04-13, ED published FR Doc. 2026-07084: "Final Priority and Definitions — Secretary's Supplemental Priority and Definitions on Career Pathways and Workforce Readiness." It became effective 2026-05-13. This is Secretary Linda McMahon's 7th supplemental priority. It can be layered onto any ED discretionary grant program — current or future. Not a one-time competition; a permanent policy instrument shaping ED grant-making for the duration of this administration and likely beyond.
Federal Register — FR Doc. 2026-07084 · GovInfo PDF · FSA Partners · ED Sept 25, 2025 press release announcing proposed priorities
An integrated system with three components: (1) Credential Registry — digital repository maintained by a State or State Workforce Agency that makes degree and non-degree credentials transparent and links them to verified competencies; (2) Skills-Based Job Description Generator — digital tool enabling employers to define jobs by required skills rather than proxies like degrees; (3) Learning and Employment Record (LER) — digital tool letting individuals develop and share verified, portable resumes connected to industry-recognized competencies. Together: "connect employers, students, and jobseekers by converting job descriptions and learning assertions into discrete, industry-recognized competencies." Final version uses "learners" not just "students" — covers both youth and adult.
founding_up's Exchange Layer is a near-exact match to all three components. Pair with the companion AI Priority (FR Doc. 2026-07087, also effective 2026-05-13) — every ED grant application can now invoke BOTH supplemental priorities simultaneously for higher scoring.
FR Doc. 2026-09440. Max award $3M/year per state. Explicitly uses the Talent Marketplaces CPP.
Door for us: tight deadline — Texas is the natural partner conversation for the next round. FR notice
FR Doc. 2026-05655. Includes "Expanding Access to Talent Marketplaces" priority. Recipients must explore talent marketplaces, LERs, apprenticeship/CTE pathways.
FR Doc. 2026-06456. Incentivizes Workforce Pell & apprenticeship pathway alignment.
Launched 2026-01-13 by OCTAE. Required components: Credential Registry, LERs, Skills-Based Job Description Generators, AI tools. Up to 10 semi-finalists/finalists receive technical assistance + prize money.
Door for us: when semi-finalists announced, approach as tech partner. ED press release
Short-term credential programs feeding directly into talent marketplace pipelines. Massive demand engine for platforms that connect credential holders to employers.
→ studentaid.gov · FSA Partners — implementation guidance · verify exact program landing page once ED publishes July 2026 implementation materials
Introduced 2026-04-02 by Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT). Amends WIOA to establish talent marketplaces with portable LERs + credential registries.
Every future ED grant competition can now include a Competitive Preference Priority (CPP) for talent marketplaces. Applicants demonstrating alignment score higher. The language will appear in dozens of grant competitions over the next 3–5 years. founding_up should produce a one-page "State Implementation Partner" brief mapping our Exchange Layer to the three-component definition for state governor's offices.