American Rescue Plan Act

Application – Economic Development

Workforce Development
Ways to complete and submit your application for consideration:
  1. Submit Electronically (Below)
  2. Download and Submit a Hardcopy
Download Hardcopy Application Here

Hardcopy Applications should be submitted to:

Office of the Albany County Executive

112 State Street

Albany, NY 12207

NEW: Q&A Responses (Click Here)
Have a Question?

The County will accept questions through June 7, 2023 and will publicly post responses to the ARPA Portal on or around June 9, 2023.

To submit a question, simply fill out the below form. If you include your email, you will be notified when responses are publicly posted. 

Workforce Development

The County of Albany is dedicating $1,500,000 of ARPA funding for grants to expand access to workforce development opportunities in the County. Funding is available to workforce development/training providers with proposals to create or expand workforce development programs that enhance the skills, employability, or earning potential of unemployed or underemployed County residents. Companies looking to create or expand in-house training programs are also encourage to apply. Priority will be given to applications serving strategic industries in the County including advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, life science, health care, and nanotechnology.    

Applications for funding can fall into three areas:

1.Development of a new workforce development/training initiative serving unemployed/underemployed residents in Albany County.

2. Expansion of existing or planned workforce development or job training programs including, but not limited to:

a. Enhanced community outreach efforts;

b. Stipends/tuition for Albany County residents;

c. Expanding programs to serve more County residents (e.g. historically underserved communities that were disproportionally impacted by COVID-19);

d. Funding for wraparound service that encourage participation in workforce development/training programs or employment;

e. Purchase of equipment to support training.

3. Construction/renovation of a workforce/job training center.

To comply with federal eligibility guidelines, proposals must serve individuals and families whose income is under 350 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).  More information can be found in the chart below or by visiting the following website:

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/.

For Individuals: $51,030

For a Family of 2: $69,020

For a Family of 3: $87,010

For a Family of 4: $105,000

For a Family of 5: $122,990

Application Details, Eligibility and Restrictions

Competitive Process. Funds will be awarded only after the completion, submission and review of a complete application. Incomplete or deficient applications will be disqualified for consideration by the County. Completion of an application is not a guarantee of an award. Applications will be reviewed by, and investments  made at the discretion of, the County.

Award Structure. Awards may be provided by the County in the form of grants, loans, forgivable loans or any combination thereof. The County reserves the right to not fund an application , or to fund it at a lower amount than requested.

Decision Process.Each proposed project and applicant will be subject to the County’s standard ARPA decision making process in order to ensure ARPA eligibility, ability of applicants to meet the reporting and compliance requirements as set forth by the US Treasury, and to determine the best and most strategic use of funds.

Application Deadline. Applications for workforce development grants will be accepted and graded on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted.

Application Assistance. The County of Albany will be hosting information sessions during the application open period to assist grant applicants. . For more information visit:

Federal Eligibility. County awards must be expended in compliance with applicable Local, State and Federal law. The use of funds must address impacts associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic. For the purposes of this application, programs should serve individuals For additional information, see Federal regulations: Click Here.

Eligible Organizations or Entities.  To be eligible for consideration, applicants must be workforce development/training providers with experience providing workforce development/job training services in the Capital Region OR companies located in Albany County.
    Protection of Personal Information.  The County utilizes appropriate data collection, storage and processing practices and security measures to reasonably mitigate risks and protect against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of any personal information provided as a part of this application.

        Award Restrictions. Awarded funds may not be used to pay taxes, fees, or any other payments due to the County of Albany. In addition, organization or entities shall not be permitted to use funds for expenses that already have been or will be covered by any other local, state, or federal assistance program. Awards may only be utilized for eligible purposes as defined by the US Treasury in the Final Rule. For additional information, see the “Resources” section of the County’s ARPA Portal (https://albanycountyarpa.org/resources/)

        Award Terms. All funds must be expended by December 31, 2026.

        Award Amounts. Funding requests should be at least $50,000. A maximum award amount is not specified; however, the County expects to make multiple awards with the funds available. Awards exceeding $250,000 will be subject to additional compliance requirements.

        Reimbursement. Consistent with Albany County policy, award recipients will be reimbursed via a monthly or quarterly reimbursement schedule for costs incurred. Up to 25 percent of an award may be provided upfront if a justification can be made that it is essential for project success.
        ARPA Sub-Recipient Status. Awardees of these funds will be considered subrecipients of Albany County ARPA funds. Subrecipients are entities that receive a subaward from the County to carry out the purposes of the ARPA funding on behalf of the County. As a subrecipient, awardees will be subject to the subrecipient compliance and reporting requirements as defined by the US Treasury (https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/coronavirus/assistance-for-state-local-and-tribal-governments/state-and-local-fiscal-recovery-funds/recipient-compliance-and-reporting-responsibilities.)
        Geographic Focus. Applications should directly benefit Albany County residents and/or Albany County-based companies.

        Grading Criteria. Applicants will be graded on the following criteria:

        • Applicant capability and experience
        • Outside funding/ financial sustainability
        • Project Readiness/ability to meet timeline
        • Project impact on unemployed/underemployed individuals
        Priority will be given to applications serving strategic industries including advanced manufacturing, alternative energy, life science, health care, and nanotechnology.
        Forms You Will Need
        For Your Application
        Proposed Budget Form and US Treasury Reporting and Compliance Guidance  
        Proposed Budget Form. Below is a downloadable Proposed Budget Form which  will need to be completed and uploaded as a part or your application.
        Download Proposed Budget Form Here
        US Treasury Reporting and Compliance Guidance: Applicants will be required to ackowledge that the have recieved a copy of and understand the US Treasury’s Reporting and Compliance Guidance. A copy is available by clicking the below button or ny visiting:
        US Treasury Reporting and Compliance Guidance

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