The purpose of this program is to support innovative approaches that will generate long-term improvements in the performance of the public workforce system, outcomes for job seekers and employers, and cost effectiveness. General categories of innovations that may be supported include improving coordination among relevant programs and partners; improving service delivery at American Job Centers (AJCs); piloting or scaling projects and strategies that improve linkages between employment and training services and business needs; implementing new procurement strategies; and piloting or expanding new uses of technology.
Awards will be provided in the following categories:

Type A: new and untested ideas: development of service delivery or system reform ideas that are supported by a strong logic model, but for which the efficacy has not been systematically studied
Type B: promising ideas: support for structural and/or service delivery reform ideas that either have been implemented and evaluated previously, with evaluation results indicating some potential for positive impacts; or that are supported by strong evidence of positive change, but have never been implemented by the applicant
Type C: adapting or scaling proven ideas: significant expansion of structural and/or service delivery reform ideas supported by strong evidence of positive change from randomized controlled trial studies

Eligible applicants are:
State workforce agencies that are eligible for assistance under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998
Local Workforce Investment Boards that are one of the following:
A legally organized Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB) established under Section 117 of the WIA
A legal entity that serves as the fiscal agent for the LWIB in an area where the LWIB is not legally organized
Tribes, tribal consortia, and tribal nonprofit organizations that are eligible to apply for awards under Section 166 of the WIA