The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is thrilled to announce the launch of our new online Grants Management System. The goal of the new system is to provide grant seekers with information about DEED's numerous grants and make it easy for them to efficiently manage their grant applications.

DEED and stakeholders alike will benefit from the online grants management system. DEED's Grants Management System supports applicants through the entire grantmaking cycle, from the initial RFP to awarding and contracting to grant closeout and internal reporting. DEED's Grants Management System will make the grant process easier and more accessible for everyone.

The first grant applications available through DEED's Grants Management System are three Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) programs: On-Ramp to Career Pathways, Bridge to Career Pathways and Individualized Training Pathways.

• On-Ramp to Career Pathways will reach Minnesotans interested in earning a certificate and/or improving their employment skills.
• Bridge to Career Pathways will reach Minnesotans seeking to improve skills or obtain new skills to earn an industry recognized credential in line with the Regional Workforce Development Area (RWDA).
• Individualized Training Pathways (P2P ITP) will reach Minnesotans seeking training in four targeted specific industry sectors: Healthcare, Information Technology, Skilled Trades and Advanced Manufacturing.

Each of the three P2P programs seeks to help build career pathways through removing barriers by increasing navigation of career services and career training opportunities. There is $14.3 million in funding available over the next two years to fund all three programs.

Other DEED grant funding opportunities will be added to DEED's Grants Management System over time, including the Small Business Assistance Partnership program in the next few weeks, employment and training programs early this fall and broadband development grants later this year. To find out if the application submission will be through DEED's Grants Management System, please refer to the submission instructions in the Request for Proposals (RFP) for each grant funding opportunity.

We hope grant seekers will quickly experience the value in moving our manual grants processes into this new system!