CCIC and CAIA are proud partners to Connecticut’s Tech Talent Accelerator program, an innovative statewide program led by the Business Higher Education Forum in partnership with the New England Board of Higher Education designed to catalyze the development of higher education-business partnerships and create new tech talent pathways to high-demand industries.
The Business-Higher Education Forum and the New England Board of Higher Education, with support from the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy, are pleased to announce the launch of the TTA 3.0 Innovation Grant RFP.
This next phase of the Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator builds on Pilot Grant learnings to support new AI programs, partnerships, and pathways that align higher education with industry demand.
Innovation Grants will enable Connecticut institutions to co-design and launch new AI programs with employers, using innovative delivery models to rapidly build both domain-specific AI expertise and durable, transferable skills. Priority will be given to projects that:
- Expand work-based learning models
- Are submitted by institutions located in Central or Western Connecticut
- Are submitted by CT State community college campuses
Strong proposals will include deep employer engagement, clear learner pathways, and the ability to enroll learners during the grant period. We encourage institutions in Central and Western Connecticut to apply, as well as CT State campuses. Applications are due June 12, 2026.
Grant details:
- Grant period: September 1, 2026 – August 31, 2027
- Awards up to $75,000
Learn more and download the RFP: https://www.bhef.com/techtalentaccelerator.
Join an informational webinar:
· April 17, 2026 | 11:30am – 12:30pm
· April 24, 2026 | 11:30am – 12:30pm
Please contact techtalentaccelerator@bhef.com with any questions.