Nursing Apprenticeship Planning Grant Opportunity

Background

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) has received funding through the FY26 General Appropriation Act (GAA), line item 4000-0020, to support partnership incentive grants between public institutions of higher education and healthcare providers aimed at expanding the nursing workforce. The Nursing Council on Workforce Sustainability (NCWS) will serve as the intermediary and fiscal agent for this initiative, responsible for program administration and outcome monitoring.

Through this initiative, NCWS intends to award planning grants that lead to the development and registration of Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Registered Nurse (RN) apprenticeships at the associate and baccalaureate levels through the Massachusetts Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS). NCWS will also provide technical assistance and serve as the apprenticeship sponsor with DAS. 

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are partnerships between healthcare organizations that employ Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and/or Registered Nurses (RNs) and public institutions of higher education seeking to develop nursing apprenticeship programs.

Awards

A total of six to ten planning grants will be awarded, with individual grant amounts ranging from $30,000 to $60,000.

Time Period

Application Period: February 9 – March 6, 2026

Application Decisions: March 9 – March 18, 2026

Awards Announced: March 23, 2026

Fund Distributed: April 2026  

Goals and Objectives

Program Goal

To catalyze new, sustainable partnerships between healthcare employers and public higher education institutions that culminate in the registration and launch of nursing apprenticeship programs at the LPN and/or RN levels .

Objectives

Each partnership funded under this initiative will be expected to:

  1. Establish a formal partnership agreement (MOU) between a healthcare organization and an academic institution.
  2. Conduct planning and program design activities that lead to the registration of a new nursing apprenticeship program with the Division of Apprenticeship Standards.
  3. Develop curriculum alignment, competency frameworks, and mentorship structures consistent with the Massachusetts Nursing Apprenticeship Network (MNAN) model.
  4. Identify and address barriers to implementation, including employer onboarding, vendor registration, and financial modeling.
  5. Work in partnership with the NCWS on nursing apprenticeship development.
  6. Produce a final implementation plan ready for DAS registration and launch by January 30, 2027.

The Role of the NCWS

  • Serve as the fiscal intermediary for all funds.
  • Manage all aspects of grant solicitation, review, and distribution.
  • Provide technical assistance to grantees on apprenticeship design, partnership structure, and compliance with DAS and EOHHS requirements.
  • Monitor deliverables and progress through required quarterly and final reports.
  • Conduct post-award evaluations to assess readiness to launch registered apprenticeship programs.
  • Serve as sponsor for every nurse apprenticeship created through this grant program.

Application Process

The application process will open on Monday, February 9th at 9:00 am.

The healthcare organization will serve as the primary partner and will be responsible for completing all elements of the application process and, should an award be made, will serve as the principal manager of grant funds.

The application may be downloaded on the NCWS website. The completed application and all necessary forms can then be email to NursingCouncil@umassmed.edu.

Applications and all supporting documentation must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026.

Questions

For any questions, please email us at NursingCouncil@umassmed.edu.