BlackRock Foundation launches $25 million RFP to expand skilled trades training under Future Builders

BlackRock is moving beyond general-purpose philanthropy with a targeted funding step aimed at the skilled trades workforce. Through its Future Builders program, The BlackRock Foundation has launched a $25 million Request for Proposals (RFP) to fund nonprofit efforts that expand access to skilled trades training and career pathways tied to infrastructure needs.

The RFP is part of a broader $100 million philanthropic commitment designed to train and support 50,000 American workers as they pursue careers in trades such as electrical work, HVAC, plumbing, and related construction roles. BlackRock says the initiative is meant to help close what it describes as a skilled labor gap, by connecting people to training, supporting completion and licensure, and helping participants build long-term financial stability.

Under the competition, The BlackRock Foundation plans to commit $25 million over two funding cycles through two-year grants ranging from $500,000 to $1 million per award. The RFP process is being administered by Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit that works on education and workforce systems at national scale.

Applicants can propose either “worker training” programs or “capacity-building” efforts. Worker training proposals can include activities such as pre-apprenticeship and career navigation, workforce training, apprenticeship programs, and “wraparound” supports intended to improve training persistence and completion. Capacity-building proposals are described as organizational and system-focused, such as ecosystem-building, demonstrations, adoption of technology or tools, or research meant to strengthen skilled trades workforce development at greater scale.

BlackRock’s RFP materials specify timing and eligibility. The RFP release date is listed as Monday, June 1, 2026. Organizations are directed to submit questions to FutureBuildersRFP@ by July 1, 2026, and proposals are due on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. The company’s Future Builders page says grant recipients are expected to be announced in the fall. The JFF-hosted RFP page also states the application is open to U.S.-based nonprofits, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that are recognized as 501(c)(3) public charities or equivalent and that propose funding for a specific program or project rather than general operating support.

The competition covers skilled trades broadly, but applicants must show a strong connection between the proposed work and infrastructure projects or supply chains, including data center construction and related supply chains, energy infrastructure, or transportation infrastructure. Example occupations listed include electricians, HVAC technicians, plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters, ironworkers, insulation workers, and construction equipment operators. BlackRock’s public Future Builders page also frames the initiative as providing “financial education and digital savings tools” to trainees and workers, positioning the philanthropic effort as more than training instruction alone.

While the RFP provides a clear structure for what applicants should propose and how outcomes may be measured, it does not spell out how grant recipients will be selected beyond the competitive process. The program materials also do not disclose specific communities, employer partners, or expected hiring outcomes at the time of the RFP launch, and they do not provide a timetable for any pilot grants beyond the first cycle’s stated application and award windows.

For market watchers, the immediate item to follow is whether the initiative evolves from grantmaking into longer-term workforce partnerships that extend beyond the two-year grant period. The RFP guide asks applicants to describe measurable outcomes during the two-year window, such as enrollments, credentialing or placement, retention or wage progression outcomes, changes to training capacity, and system-level improvements like policy adoption or credential recognition. The next practical milestone is the July 10 proposal deadline and the fall award announcements, which will indicate which regions and training models BlackRock and JFF consider most scalable.