Commonwealth Corp Workforce Training Fund — Express Program

AmountUp to $15,000/year

DeadlineRolling

CompetitionLow

Eligible businessesAll

About this program

The Workforce Training Fund's Express Program reimburses Massachusetts employers for approved employee training, up to $15,000 per company each calendar year. Reimbursement is capped at $300 per instructional hour and $3,000 per employee per course. To qualify, you'll need 100 or fewer W-2 employees in Massachusetts and a real business location in the state; a home address or PO box doesn't count. Nearly every MA for-profit business already pays into the fund, which is what makes it eligible. Only payroll employees working in Massachusetts can be trained under the grant; contractors and temporary workers don't qualify. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so there's no deadline to plan around.

Official program page: commcorp.org ↗

Who is eligible?

Massachusetts businesses with 100 or fewer Massachusetts W-2 employees may apply. In order to qualify, businesses must pay into the Workforce Training Fund - this includes virtually all MA for-profit businesses.

Grant funds are limited to $15,000 per company per calendar year, $300 per instructional hour, and $3,000 per employee per course. Businesses are responsible for covering additional costs beyond these caps out-of-pocket.

Massachusetts businesses with 100 or fewer Massachusetts W-2 employees may apply. In order to qualify, businesses must pay into the Workforce Training Fund. All for-profit companies pay into the fund.

“Massachusetts businesses” are defined as companies with work being performed in Massachusetts that have an office, factory, warehouse or other physical location in Massachusetts owned or leased by the company. Neither employees’ home addresses nor P.O. boxes can be counted as locations for this purpose. However, locations owned or leased by company ownership can be counted as locations for this purpose. Only companies that meet this definition and all other program guidelines can be approved for a Workforce Training Fund grant.

All trainees must be full-time or part-time payroll employees of the company receiving an Express Program grant and must be employed in Massachusetts. (Trainees are not required to live in Massachusetts.)

All applicants should be prepared to submit a Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. All COGS must have the business’s full legal name and a Notice Date within 6 months from the date of application submission.

Eligible employers are encouraged to apply at any time for funding that is right sized to their current needs. Companies with 100 or fewer employees working in Massachusetts may apply and receive more than one Express Program grant at a time, up to a total of $15,000 in new grant funds per calendar year.

All eligible employers may now participate in both the Express and General Programs simultaneously.

Not eligible if

More than 100 MA W-2 employees
No physical MA office or leased location (home addresses and PO boxes do not qualify)
Trainees who are contractors or temps
Expired Certificate of Good Standing or Certificate of Compliance
No W-2 employees on payroll (owners and 1099 contractors do not count toward eligibility)
No W-2 employees on payroll (owner-only businesses and 1099 contractors do not qualify)

FundBug tracks Massachusetts-specific programs like this one right alongside national grants, so you're not searching two separate worlds for funding.

See your Massachusetts matches →