Career Pathways Exploration Grant Program 84.424J

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Published: May 7, 2026

Updated: May 19, 2026

Source: grants_gov

About This Opportunity

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education United States: Career Pathways Exploration Grant. Grant funding, youth development. Submission deadline Jun 2026.

This is a grants contract in the Youth and education and training sectors, with a focus on Workforce. Located in United States, North America, this opportunity is open to firms and consortiums, with an estimated budget of USD 9.0 million. Proposals must be submitted before June 9, 2026.

Published through Grants.gov, a national government procurement portal. Public procurement tenders follow the country's national bidding regulations and may have specific eligibility and documentation requirements for grants in the Youth sector. Grant applications generally require a detailed project proposal, a clear results framework, and evidence of the applicant's capacity to deliver the proposed activities. Interested parties should review the full documentation on the original source before submitting their proposal.

Description

The Career Pathways Exploration (CPE) program supports efforts to provide elementary and secondary school students with increased career exploration opportunities that allow them to develop, expand, and prioritize the skills and knowledge needed to excel in high-demand fields. To support this goal, the CPE program provides competitive grants to States to build their capacity to integrate career exploration into statewide career pathways and workforce readiness programs. The CPE program will help ensure access to opportunities that expose students to real-life workforce realities through a variety of career pathways programs that are aligned with State workforce priorities.In support of returning education to the States, ED believes this program is uniquely suited for State applicants. State applicants, as designated or endorsed by the Governors, are best positioned to coordinate K-12 career exploration initiatives that integrate education, workforce, and economic development systems. The CPE program is designed to allow Governors, in coordination with State agencies and their local educational agencies (LEAs), to align career exploration opportunities for schools with real-time labor market needs to create statewide opportunities for students to explore careers early, scale access to learning and employment records (LERs) and talent marketplaces, and align with local workforce boards and system partners so students can act on the knowledge gained in a meaningful way.State applicants are encouraged to align proposed activities with the State"s Unified or Combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan to ensure coherence with broader workforce development strategies and labor market priorities.This program is being established with funds from the two percent reservation for technical assistance and capacity building under section 4103(a)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C. § 6301 (ESEA), which is intended to support State educational agencies and LEAs in carrying out activities authorized under the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants program in title IV, part A of the ESEA through technical assistance and capacity building. Specifically, the CPE program is intended to help build the capacity of States and LEAs to provide well-rounded educational opportunities, consistent with the description of such opportunities in ESEA section 4107, through initiatives that make career pathways exploration programs broadly available to students. In support of this goal, grantees will share with other States and LEAs how career pathways exploration initiatives can be successfully implemented.

Agency: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

CFDA: 84.424

Eligible Applicants: In accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1), we are establishing that in order to receive funds under this program, an applicant must be a State (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(48)). The governor must either apply, or identify, designate, or endorse one of the following entities to apply for this program:State educational agencies (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49)),State workforce development agencies,State vocational rehabilitation agencies, orConsortia of these entities, including the governor, as a group application under 34 CFR 75.127-129.Note: Only one application per State is permitted.

Applicant Types: State governments

Cost Sharing: No

More Info: https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-birth-grade-12/school-and-community-improvement-grants/career-pathways-exploration-grant-program-84424j — https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-birth-grade-12/school-and-community-improvement-grants/career-pathways-exploration-grant-program-84424j

Contact: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Email: careerpathways@ed.gov

Data provenance

This notice is sourced from Grants.gov and was originally published on May 7, 2026. Last refreshed today. BidsFactory mirrors official procurement notices and links back to the source for full legal text.

About Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education has issued 12 procurement notices on BidsFactory, including 12 currently open and 0 awarded contracts. Activity concentrates in Education & Training, Agriculture & Food Security, and Social Protection & Welfare. All notices are published for United States. Notices are distributed via Grants.gov. Most recent publication: May 15, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about this tender

When does this tender close?

The submission deadline is June 9, 2026. You have 21 days left to prepare and submit your proposal to the contracting authority.

Who is the contracting authority?

This notice was issued by Office of Elementary and Secondary Education in United States. The authority is responsible for evaluating bids, awarding the contract, and managing performance.

What type of contract is this?

This is a Grants contract in the Youth & Employment sector. The classification helps bidders match the opportunity to their qualifications and registered scope of supply.

What is the estimated budget?

The estimated contract value is Up to $9,000,000. Bidders should ensure their proposals are consistent with this range and account for any local taxes and contract execution costs.

Where will the contract be performed?

The contract is for delivery in United States. Foreign bidders should review local registration, taxation, and any in-country presence requirements before submitting.

How can I submit a bid?

Visit Grants.gov to access the full notice, required documents, and submission instructions provided by the contracting authority.