Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Indian Education (OIE): Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.299A | ED GRANTS 011725 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 011725 003

The Office of Indian Education (OIE) within the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) is offering the Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth (Assistance Listing Number 84.299A). This is a discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number ED GRANTS 011725 003) intended to fund community-driven demonstration projects that create, test, strengthen, and share innovative approaches to improving educational opportunities and academic outcomes for Indian students. The emphasis is on projects that respond to real community-level needs and challenges and translate those solutions into services or programs that can be used more broadly.

The central goal of the program is to provide financial assistance for locally grounded work that improves achievement and opportunity for Indian children and youth. In practice, that means applicants are expected to design projects shaped by community priorities, focused on barriers that exist in the community context, and oriented toward measurable improvements for students. Because these are demonstration grants, there is also an implied expectation that funded work will generate learnings, models, or practices that can be shared or replicated beyond a single site, rather than functioning only as ongoing general operating support.

Eligibility is defined in section 6121(b) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and in 34 CFR 263.20. Eligible applicants may apply on their own or as part of a consortium and include: State educational agencies (SEAs); local educational agencies (LEAs); Indian Tribes; Indian organizations; federally supported elementary or secondary schools serving Indian students, including Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools and Tribally Controlled Schools; and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). The opportunity listing also reflects a broad range of applicant types that may fit within these categories or participate through allowable structures, including various levels of government, public and private institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), as applicable to the program's governing definitions and requirements.

A key expectation is meaningful Tribal engagement when the applicant itself is not a Tribe. Non-Tribal applicants that partner with an Indian Tribe or Indian organization are expected to document substantial Tribal involvement in the partnership agreement referenced in the application requirements. This is more than a letter of support; it should show that Tribal direction is built into the project from design through implementation and across the entire project period, reflecting shared decision-making and sustained leadership rather than one-time consultation.

The closing date for applications is April 28, 2025. The Department anticipates making about 45 awards under this competition, based on the notice summary provided. The notice also points applicants to the official Federal Register application notice as the controlling source for full details, including eligibility nuances, required application components, selection criteria, performance measures, program priorities, and how to submit. Application submission logistics and standard discretionary grant instructions are tied to the Department's Revised Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs published on December 23, 2024, which applicants are expected to follow alongside the program-specific requirements in the Federal Register notice.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Office of Indian Education (OIE): Indian Education Discretionary Grants Program: Demonstration Grants for Indian Children and Youth Program, Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.299A" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.299.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-01-17.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-04-28. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 45 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 011725 003

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