Each state that receives Perkins funds is permitted to reserve a small portion of the funds distributed (15%) for special purposes that align with the law.  Colorado utilizes 5% of funds distributed to increase the grant awards for rural recipients.  The other 10% are distributed through a competitive process for innovative projects that align to Colorado’s strategic plan for CTE and State Perkins plan.   

Annually in mid-March, the call for proposals for the Innovations in CTE grant is opened and eligible entities are encouraged to submit projects of up to $250,000 for consideration.  Between May 15 and June 30 each year, proposals are reviewed, selected, and awarded for implementation beginning approximately July 1.  Questions about this grant process may be emailed to cte@cccs.edu and additional resources are below.  Note that the call for proposals is not generally changed significantly from year to year and the most recent posted version may be used to begin outlining a future project.