The 2023 Request for Proposal from the MBI-WORKS (Master Builders of Workforce Opportunities Require Knowledge and Skills) Endowment Board is now open to schools and nonprofit programs across Iowa through Sept. 15.

The MBI-WORKS Endowment provides resources to complement career education and workforce recruitment into the Iowa commercial construction industry. Funding recipients are expected to be creative in their approach to increasing the number of Iowans entering the commercial construction workforce and increasing the awareness of the career opportunities available within the industry.

The endowment’s board of directors, made up of 11 people who are from both in and outside the industry, will review the proposals and provide funding to those that best fit the endowment’s mission, according to a news release.

In 2022, the endowment provided $186,050 in funding awards, bringing the overall total to just over $700,000 awarded over the past four years.

“The MBI-WORKS Endowment continues to fund opportunities that create the key connection point between Iowans and meaningful careers in commercial construction,” Beth Townsend, executive director of Iowa Workforce Development and MBI-WORKS Endowment board member, said in a prepared statement. “The Endowment recognizes that creating new experiences is critical to creating new pipelines that will drive future economic growth.”

The Request for Proposal is available here.