CWDB opens Hire 2 grant for Hire 1 grantees with roughly $9.5 million available

The California Workforce Development Board on Jan. 12 described the Hire 2 grant opportunity, saying the FY 2025–26 state budget allocated approximately $9,500,000 for projects that support employment and mobility for justice-involved individuals.

"The intent of Hire 2 is to support employment and job mobility for California's justice involved reentry population," said Mike Rosetta, branch manager for the grants solicitations unit at the California Workforce Development Board.

The CWDB emphasized that eligibility for Hire 2 is limited to organizations that received funding under the earlier Hire 1 awards. "Eligibility for the Hire 2 program is limited to Hire 1 grantees only," Rosetta said, and the RFA's appendices A–C list eligible applicants and maximum request amounts.

Applicants must choose one of two project types: a network model (hub-and-spoke) or an independent project. Julissa Silva, grants analyst, explained that network hubs submit a single application on behalf of an entire network, while spokes may either remain in their network or apply independently. Independent project funding limits are tied to prior Hire 1 designations; the webinar cited examples such as small community-based organizations (up to $200,000) and large CBOs (up to $400,000).

All project types must demonstrate leverage or match of at least 50% of the total requested funding from non-CWDB sources; projects proposing greater match may receive bonus points. "All project types are required to leverage and or match funding from a non CWDB source for a minimum of 50% of their total requested funding," Monique, a grants analyst, said.

The CWDB will prioritize proposals based on Hire 1 past performance (including spending and reporting), sustainability plans to continue serving participants beyond the grant term, and service to counties with disproportionate justice involvement. The agency encouraged applicants to use statewide data sources such as California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation release data and Labor Market Information Division statistics to demonstrate local need.

Applications opened in Cal eGrants on Jan. 12. Key dates announced during the webinar include a virtual office hours session on Feb. 4 and a solicitation close date of Feb. 26; applicants were instructed to submit materials in Cal eGrants and to upload all required exhibits before the deadline. The CWDB advised applicants to submit at least 48 hours early because late applications will not be accepted. The webinar noted an estimated program start date of Oct. 1, 2026, and an 18-month grant term; contract processing was described as typically taking two to six months. The webinar stated award announcement timing as "between 2026" without providing a specific range.

Required application components include partnership agreements with one or more local government entities and one or more local workforce development boards; Hire 1 partnership agreements may be re-used if required partners will continue in the same roles and the Hire 2 project will serve the same counties.

The CWDB will post a weekly Q&A document on the Hire 2 webpage during the application period. The first Q&A posting was scheduled for Jan. 23; questions must be submitted each Tuesday by 2 p.m. to be considered for that week's posting, with the last Q&A scheduled for Feb. 20. Individual CWDB staff will not answer applicant questions directly during the open application period to preserve a fair competition; instead, applicants should submit questions to solicitations@cwdb.ca.gov using "Hire 2 question" in the subject line.

The CWDB recommended that applicants follow the RFA's instructions for narrative responses, required exhibits, and partner documentation and to consult the scoring tables in the RFA when preparing proposals. Award amounts, required forms, and detailed scoring rubrics are available in the RFA and appendices posted on the Hire 2 webpage.

Contact: solicitations@cwdb.ca.gov. Virtual office hours Feb. 4; applications due Feb. 26.