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Youth Innovation Fund

RECEIVE FUNDING FOR YOUR
INNOVATIVE YOUTH PROGRAM

The Youth Innovation Fund, brought to you by Rogue Workforce Partnership and Southern Oregon Youth Works, supports community-driven projects that create paid training programs, paid work experiences, and supportive services for youth and young adults ages 16-24 in Southern Oregon. This initiative empowers businesses, education providers, and community organizations to design structured, skill-building experiences that prepare young people for the workforce.

How it Works

  • Submit a Proposal – Youth service organizations, businesses, and education providers can apply online to propose paid training programs, paid work experiences, or supportive services for youth and young adults.
  • Review & Selection – Applications will be evaluated based on program priorities, service eligibility criteria, individual participant eligibility, and funding availability. Successful proposals must include a per-participant cost breakdown to ensure alignment with funding guidelines.
  • Funding – The Youth Innovation Fund directly covers participant service costs. It does not operate on a reimbursement model and cannot be used for capacity building, program development, or general overhead costs. Youth and young adults will be enrolled in the Youth Innovation Fund Program based on individual eligibility.

Opportunities Supported by the Fund

Projects must provide at least one of the following services for youth and young adults ages 16-24:

  • Paid Training Programs – Financial assistance for eligible training or certification programs, including tuition, fees, books, and materials.
  • Paid Work Experiences – Structured, hands-on experiences with local employers that provide wages to participants.
  • Supportive Services – Resources such as transportation, work attire, and childcare to help youth successfully participate in training and employment activities.

Organizations may apply for the Youth Innovation Fund once per quarter, based on Rogue Workforce partnership’s Program Year schedule:
Quarter 1: July 1 – September 30
Quarter 2: October 1 – December 31
Quarter 3: January 1 – March 31
Quarter 4: April 1 – June 30

How Youth Are Enrolled

Once a project is approved, our team will work directly with awardees to identify and enroll youth and young adults into paid training programs, paid work experiences, or support services based on individual eligibility.

Why Apply?

Through the Youth Innovation Fund, organizations receive funding to:

  • Encourage Innovation – Design and implement creative, high-impact programs that expand workforce opportunities for youth and young adults.
  • Expand Career Pathways – Provide youth with the skills, training, and real-world experience they need to succeed in the workforce.
  • Customize Your Approach – Develop a tailored program that aligns with your organization’s expertise and meets the needs of the workforce.

Allowable Costs

Requested funds may only be used to cover direct participant costs, which are paid directly by Southern Oregon Youth Works on behalf of the participant. These are not pass-through funds provided to the proposing organization.

Allowable uses include:

  • Work experience wages
  • Tuition and fees for occupational skills training
  • Workforce preparation activity fees
  • Support services, as defined in RWP’s Support Services and Needs-Related Payment Policy

Administrative, overhead, or indirect costs are not allowable.

All projects and participants must be located within Jackson or Josephine County.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Awards will be subject to individual youth participant eligibility and available funding.

For more information, contact the Southern Oregon Youth Works Program Team at soyouthworks@rogueworkforce.org.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE?
ATTEND AN INFORMATION SESSION.

Want to learn more about how to apply for the Youth Innovation Fund? We recently held an information session for organizations interested in applying. View the recording below to get all the details on eligibility, funding requirements, and how to submit a strong proposal. These sessions are a great way to connect with our team and explore how your idea can become a reality.