Iowa's Jobs Training Program (260F) funds training for the people you already employ, up to $50,000 per business site in a fiscal year, through Iowa's 15 community colleges. The college holds the agreement with your business, a match is required, and retail, health care and professional services businesses are excluded. We check with your college whether these courses can run under your project before you count on anything.
Iowa funds training for current employees through the Iowa Jobs Training Program, known by its code chapter, 260F. Iowa Workforce Development approves the projects and Iowa's 15 community colleges run them. The college signs the agreement with your business, assesses what your people need, and arranges the training.
The money comes as a forgivable loan. If the project is completed and reported as agreed, the loan is forgiven. Awards are capped at $50,000 per business site in a fiscal year and $100,000 per site across three years, and the business has to agree to a match before approval.
The industry rule is the part to check first. The program is written for businesses in manufacturing, processing, assembly, research and development, and services sold across state lines. Retail, health and professional services businesses are excluded by statute, and a service business has to have customers outside Iowa.
On the trainer: the community college contracts for the training, not you. Iowa's rules let the college subcontract services and pay for professional services, so an outside course can be part of a project, but that is the college's call. For a manufacturer or a firm selling services across the region, 260F money is how a smaller team trains staff to automate repetitive work and keep pace with larger, better-funded competitors.
For Iowa businesses in manufacturing, processing, assembly, research and development, or services in interstate commerce. Retail, health and professional services businesses are excluded.
Training, skill assessments, subcontracted services, professional services, and training-related travel and meals, as arranged by the community college. Employee wages during training are not reimbursed.
Your community college submits the application to Iowa Workforce Development on your behalf. Training can start on the effective date of the agreement of intent or the date the department receives the application, whichever comes first. Nothing should start before that.
A 40-person manufacturer sends eight people through two courses. Tuition is $24,000. If the college includes the courses and the match is 25% of project cost, the award could cover up to $18,000 and the company puts in $6,000. The college and the state set the final number, which is why we confirm before we quote.
The five courses are the same in every state: 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum. Start with who will be in the room. A mixed group of managers, admins and customer-facing staff belongs in AI Enablement for Small Business Teams. If the pressure is in the back office, AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams is built for the people who close the month and run payroll.
Contractors, home services and any crew-based business should look at AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses. Law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices fit AI for Professional Practices. And if you have someone who lives in spreadsheets, exports and reports, Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams is the technical option, with a smaller cohort of up to 6.
Iowa's industry rule shapes the choice. Manufacturers, processors and firms selling services out of state are the fit, so the finance, field service and Claude Code courses map most directly. Professional services businesses are excluded from 260F, so AI for Professional Practices will rarely fit here.
A 15 minute call to check the industry rule, your Iowa site and the employees you would train, and to pick the course.
We contact your college's business training office with you. The college decides whether these courses can be part of your project and sets out the match.
The college submits the application to Iowa Workforce Development. Training starts once the agreement of intent is in effect or the application is received. Your team takes 10 hours of live, instructor-led training over 4 to 5 weeks.
The college either pays training costs directly or reimburses your business. When the project is completed and the final performance report is in, the loan is forgiven.
Plan your AI rollout as two budgets: training through 260F, and implementation as its own project. Our free AI capability audit maps the second one.
It can, through the Iowa Jobs Training Program (260F), if your business is in an eligible industry and your community college includes the training in your project. 260F funds training for current employees through Iowa's 15 community colleges as a forgivable loan. It does not name AI training either way.
Up to $50,000 per business site in a fiscal year and $100,000 across three years, less your match. There is no per-trainee cap. If the match is 25% of project cost, as the Legislative Services Agency describes for awards of $5,000 or more, eight seats at $24,000 could be funded up to $18,000. We confirm the match with your college first.
Iowa businesses in manufacturing, processing, assembly, research and development, or services sold in interstate commerce. A service business needs customers outside Iowa. You cannot have closed or cut employment by more than 20% at another Iowa site in the past 36 months.
The statute excludes them. Law, accounting, medical and similar practices are professional services, so 260F is not the route for them. Manufacturers and firms selling services out of state are who it is written for.
A current employee of the business who pays Iowa withholding tax. People with executive responsibilities are excluded, and so are replacement workers hired during a labor dispute.
Not directly. The community college contracts for the training. Iowa's rules let the college subcontract services and pay for professional services, so an outside course can be included, but the college decides. We ask your college before you apply.
No. Iowa's rules do not allow reimbursement of employee wages while the employee is in training.
Before training starts, through your community college, which submits the application to Iowa Workforce Development. Training can begin on the effective date of the agreement of intent or the date the application is received, whichever comes first. Timing depends on your college.
The college either pays training costs directly or reimburses your business. The award is a forgivable loan, forgiven when the project is completed and documented in the final performance report.
Employee wages during training, and anything that is not training: consulting, implementation, building automations, and AI software for the business.
Yes, the program is active. The Legislative Services Agency reports a $4.8 million annual appropriation, and awards are made project by project, so ask your college about its current allocation.
Send the form. We confirm your industry and site on a short call, then contact your community college's business training office with you. You can also reach Iowa Workforce Development at workforcetraining@iwd.iowa.gov.