REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
City of Birmingham Reinvest Birmingham Training Provider
Summary
U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration - Distressed Area
Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete)
The United States Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA)
has invested in economically distressed communities to create and connect people to
good jobs. The program targets areas where prime-age (25-54 years) employment
significantly trails the national average, with the goal to close this gap through large, flexible
investments.
On August 5, 2024, the EDA announced awards for six communities that were Finalists in
Recompete (Phase 1). The awards – totaling $184 million – will support implementing
innovative strategies to create good-paying jobs, bolster economic growth, and dismantle
barriers limiting workforce participation.
Reinvest Birmingham
The Reinvest Birmingham Recompete Plan, led by the City of Birmingham, was awarded
$20 million to support the persistently distressed neighborhoods of North Birmingham,
Northside, Pratt, and Smithfield. Recompete funding will provide in-demand workforce
training to residents in the target neighborhoods through partnerships with a variety of
training providers, educational institutions and community-based organizations. The
funding also includes support for entrepreneurs, expanding and improving transportation
and accessible childcare in the target neighborhoods. Reinvest will create paths for
residents to the good jobs committed by Birmingham-area employers.
Project Outcome
The City of Birmingham is seeking to solicit for proposals for multiple workforce training
providers to deliver short-term, industry-recognized credential programs that support one
or more of the following:
• Soft Skills and Employability Readiness Training
• Construction
• Advanced Manufacturing
• Childcare
• Professional Services
We encourage any training providers in these industries, especially those with alignment to
specific job placement opportunities within the listed pathways to apply to be a City of
Birmingham Reinvest Birmingham training provider. Applicants must provide a list of
employer partners for eligibility consideration. If you are interested in learning more about
Reinvest Birmingham and if your organization or program is an eligible candidate for this
opportunity to support the workforce development ecosystem, please reach out to the City
of Birmingham’s Department of Innovation & Economic Opportunity at
reinvest@birminghamal.gov.
These training programs must be designed to lead to industry-recognized credentials and
prepare residents for immediate employment opportunities. Providers with capacity for job
placement services with existing employer relationships, preferably illustrated through
formal commitments to hire, are strongly preferred.
Selected providers will work closely with City staff and other Reinvest partners to support
implementation of the training strategy, contribute to outcome tracking, and report on
performance metrics aligned with Reinvest Birmingham's goals and federal grant
requirements.
The successful proposer will:
• Deliver short-term (2–17 week) training programs in at least one of the listed
industries
• Design programs leading to industry-recognized credentials that translate to
employment
• Recruit and serve residents from Reinvest Birmingham’s priority neighborhoods
o North Birmingham
o Northside
o Pratt
o Smithfield
• Embed or offer standalone soft skills and employability training
• Provide job placement support and track employment outcomes
• Collaborate with the City and component partners to align with employer needs
• Submit monthly and quarterly reports on admissions, enrollment, credentials, and
employment
Expected Deliverables:
• Training curricula and credential pathways
• Admissions, enrollment, credentialing, and job placement data
• Monthly and quarterly reporting to Reinvest Plan team
Project Goals
1. Deliver accessible, short-term training opportunities aligned with in-demand
industries.
2. Provide residents with credentials that lead directly to employment.
3. Strengthen soft skills and job readiness to support long-term career success.
4. Foster deep collaboration between training providers, employers, and community
organizations.
5. Ensure data-driven tracking and reporting of participant outcomes, including
admission, enrollment, completion, credentialing, and job placement.
6. Promote equitable economic mobility for residents of North Birmingham,
Smithfield, Pratt, and Northside.
Timeline
Date
October 15, 2025
November 6, 2025
November 21, 2025
Mid – December 2025
January 2026
February - March 2026
September 15th, 2029
Event
Applications open
Pre-Bid Webinar
First Round Application
submission deadline
Approved training providers
will be formally announced
via direct notification with a
press release to follow
Training Provider
Onboarding will take place
Newly funded training
programs will begin
All training programs will
end with final reporting to
be prepared for submission
to the EDA
Notes
Applications will be
accepted on a rolling basis
until all available funds are
committed
Time: 11:00am to 12:00pm
During the vetting process
reviewers will also talk to
listed employers to ensure
buy-in and support of the
training providers
Available Training Program Grant Proposal Types
These training programs can be conducted as credit or non-credit earning (industry-
recognized certifications preferred) and may occur over the course of one or multiple
periods (i.e. over two semesters, etc). Please note training must be scheduled such that
employment begins no later than Q3 2029. Applicants may request funding for costs
associated with training facilitation and/or tuition, books, fees, supplies, certification
exams, and other resources required for training under one of the following proposal
options:
• Cohort-Based Proposal
o A Cohort-Based Proposal would consist of requesting funding for a single or
multiple cohorts of trainees. A minimum of 10 individuals completing
programming is needed to qualify as a cohort. Priority will be given to cohorts
with the goal to train and graduate at least 200-260 individuals by September
15th, 2029.
o Typical funding request: $35,000-$350,000 (max)
• Target Number Proposal
o This approach would involve setting a target number of individuals to train or
scholarships to provide. The funding would be variable based on the number
of individuals and expressed need. Once the target number is reached, an
extension may be requested dependent on additional funds availability.
o Funding up to $5,000 per individual, $350,000 max for total programming;
commiserate upon the type of training provided.
Funding Stipulations
• Funding can be used for any of the following:
o Tuition & fees
o Books & supplies
o Certification/licensing exams
o Other direct program expenses required by the training program (facilitation,
drug tests, background checks, vaccines, insurance, etc.)
o Coaching or Mentoring
o Childcare (paid directly to childcare providers)
o Transportation (in the form of gas cards or bus passes)
o Stipends or other direct payments to individuals**
o Other wrap-around supports that address barriers to participation in training
programs for underserved populations (prior authorization required on case
specific scenarios)
** Training providers must document their determination that all costs, including participant stipends, are
reasonable and essential to the success of the proposed program and propose costs that are targeted to
achieve program goals (e.g., equitably train prime age individuals in the service area), provided there are
sufficient financial controls in place.
SECTION 1: PROJECT SCOPE
There are four main components to this contract project:
(2.1) Training Program Delivery & Credentialing
(2.2) Job Placement & Soft Skills Support
(2.3) Data Collection, Reporting & Collaboration
(2.4) Barrier Reduction and Wrap Around Services Support
The City of Birmingham is seeking proposals from qualified workforce training providers to
deliver industry-aligned, short-term credentialing programs and job placement services for
residents of the Reinvest Birmingham priority neighborhoods. These programs must align
with Reinvest Birmingham’s goal of training at least 2,500 residents and placing a minimum
of 1,500 into employment across the life of the grant by completing the following
components:
2.1 Training Program Delivery & Credentialing
The successful contractor will:
• Develop and implement or connect Reinvest Birmingham job seekers to short-term
(2–17 weeks) training programs in one or more of the following sectors:
o Construction
o Advanced Manufacturing
o Childcare
o Healthcare
o Professional Services
• Align training programs to lead to industry recognized credentials or certifications
that are valued by local employers
• Recruit and enroll participants from the Reinvest Birmingham target neighborhoods
o North Birmingham
o Northside
o Pratt
o Smithfield
• Design culturally responsive and accessible training formats (e.g., in-person, hybrid,
or flexible scheduling)
• Ensure training addresses technical competencies needed for entry-level to mid-
skill positions
This page summarizes the opportunity, including an overview and a preview of the attached documents.