ONAA 7J-TCU Manufacturing NOFO FY2026

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) has issued Funding Opportunity No. ONAA-7j-2026-01 for the FY 2026 Tribal College and University Manufacturing E2G Grant Initiative. This discretionary grant program, operating under the Empower to Grow (E2G) Program, aims to fund innovative, hands-on, in-person manufacturing and skilled labor training and technical assistance. The initiative targets rapid reskilling of employees for 8(a) and HUBZone eligible small businesses, particularly those serving Native American communities and underserved markets. SBA expects to award up to five grants from a total funding pool of $10 million for a 12-month performance period, with no matching fund requirement. Eligible applicants include Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), community colleges on or near tribal lands, trade or vocational schools serving tribal communities, and tribal-serving institutions with established manufacturing programs. These entities must have at least three years of continuous existence and demonstrated capacity in manufacturing training. Proposals must include a cover letter, a technical proposal (maximum 15 pages), detailed budget information (utilizing SF-424 and SF-424A), and required organizational attachments. Applications will be evaluated out of 100 points across five criteria: Organizational Experience and Capacity (25 points), Project Design (35 points), Project Management (20 points), Collaboration and Resource Leveraging (10 points), and Ability to Reach Special Target Markets (10 points). Applications must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by August 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Informational pre-application webinars will be hosted on August 5 and August 12, 2026.

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (No. ONAA-7j-2026-01) for the FY 2026 Tribal College and University Manufacturing E2G Grant Initiative. Operating under the Empower to Grow (E2G) Program, this initiative seeks to award up to five discretionary grants totaling up to $10 million, with no matching fund requirement, for a 12-month period of performance. The program's primary purpose is to fund Tribal Colleges and Universities, tribal-serving institutions, and community colleges or trade schools on or near tribal lands. Selected grantees will deliver innovative, hands-on, in-person manufacturing training and technical assistance to rapid-reskill employees for 8(a) and HUBZone eligible small businesses. The initiative aims to address skilled labor shortages, improve operational efficiencies, and enhance access to federal contracting opportunities in key industries like aerospace, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. Eligible applicants must have existed continually for at least three years and possess documented capacity to deliver regional or national manufacturing training. Applications, which must include a technical proposal (maximum 15 pages), budget details, and administrative forms, must be submitted electronically via Grants.gov by August 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Proposals will be evaluated based on organizational experience, project management, design quality, resource leveraging, and ability to reach target markets. Grantees are required to submit quarterly performance and financial reports through Grant Solutions.