North Dakota
ND
Technical Skills Training Grant, Track B
the North Dakota Department of Commerce
the North Dakota Department of Commerce Technical Skills Training Grant page and grant guidance (August 4, 2026)
source
1:1
match: the grant covers up to half, you fund the rest
$100,000
maximum Track B award for upskilling existing staff
4 weeks
typical time from application to award notice
In ND
training must take place in North Dakota
Program terms checked against the North Dakota Department of Commerce program page and grant guidance (August 4, 2026) on September 25, 2026. How a purchased course fits the cost rules is being confirmed.
Five things have to be true. | We check them with you.
North Dakota's grant is a project grant, not a simple per-seat refund, so the fit matters more than the paperwork. Send the form and we will confirm each point on a short call, check your roles against the In-Demand Occupations List, and tell you plainly what we have confirmed with the Department of Commerce.
  • You are a North Dakota business registered and in good standing with the North Dakota Secretary of State
  • The people you train are existing staff, and most of them live and intend to work in North Dakota
  • The jobs they are being trained for appear on the state's In-Demand Occupations List
  • The training takes place in North Dakota and is not part of a degree program
  • You can match every grant dollar with a private-sector dollar, in cash or in-kind
The match is the rule that shapes everything. Every dollar the state puts in has to be matched by a private-sector dollar, in cash, equipment, supplies or in-kind contributions. Track B tops out at $100,000 for the life of the grant.
Company size does not change North Dakota's terms. The occupation does: the jobs you are training for have to be on the In-Demand Occupations List. Send the form and we will check your roles against it.
In North Dakota, the 1:1 match means the grant can cover up to half of a project. On a $3,000 seat, that is up to $1,500 from the grant and $1,500 from you, if the course is approved as an eligible cost. There is no per-trainee cap, and Track B tops out at $100,000.
A 1:1 match, and training has to happen in North Dakota
The grant covers up to half, applications are reviewed in the order received, and the roles have to be on the in-demand list. Start with the eligibility check.
North Dakota · Technical Skills Training Grant

North Dakota AI Training Grants: A Dollar-for-Dollar Match Up to $100,000

North Dakota's Technical Skills Training Grant funds businesses that upskill their existing staff. Track B awards up to $100,000, matched dollar for dollar by the business, so the state covers up to half of the project. Training has to take place in North Dakota, for jobs on the state's In-Demand Occupations List. We are confirming how a purchased course fits the grant's cost rules before we promise a number.

Check my eligibilitySee how the money works
Up to 100%of course cost reimbursed
$3,000per employee, per course
$15,000per company, per calendar year
10 hrslive, instructor-led training

Program terms checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026.

15 minute eligibility check

Six things have to be true. We check them with you.

The Express Program is simple once you know you qualify. Send the form and we will confirm each point on a short call, pick the course, and set a start date that clears the 21-day filing rule.

  • You have 100 or fewer Massachusetts W-2 employees
  • You have a physical Massachusetts location, owned or leased
  • Trainees are W-2 employees who work in Massachusetts (not owners, 1099 contractors or temps)
  • Your three state documents are current
  • No trainee has had the same or similar funded training in the last five years
  • Training happens on paid time, at regular wages
Over 100 employees? The General Program funds $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match. Use the same form and we will route you.

See if your team qualifies

Takes about a minute. We reply within one business day.

With more than 100 Massachusetts employees, Express will not fit, but the General Program can: $10,000 to $200,000 with a 1-to-1 match, and wages paid during training count toward it. Send the form and we will walk you through that route.

No cost and no obligation. Help with the application is free, and you file it. Approval is decided by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed.

✓

Got it. You are on our list.

We will email you within one business day to set up the 15 minute call. A checklist is on its way to your inbox now. Want to skip the back and forth?

Pick a time now
Local view

How North Dakota pays for AI training, in plain terms

The North Dakota Department of Commerce runs the Technical Skills Training Grant with state general funds. It has three tracks. Track B is the one for employers: internal upskilling for existing staff, with awards up to $100,000 and a dollar-for-dollar match from the business. Track C funds training tied to automation you have already put in place, up to $200,000 on the same match.

This is a project grant, and it pays in stages. A quarter of the award is released when the contract is signed, the next quarter after you document spending most of that, and the rest after your first milestone. You report quarterly and file a final report at the end.

Three rules decide the fit. Training has to take place in North Dakota. Most participants have to live and intend to work in North Dakota. And the jobs you are training for have to be on the In-Demand Occupations List. The current list includes accountants and auditors, general and operations managers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC mechanics, and computer and mathematical occupations. It does not include bookkeeping clerks, payroll clerks or customer service representatives.

The eligible-cost list is written around building training programs: curriculum development by subcontractors, technology for virtual training, tools and supplies, and scholarships for at least 5 participants. We are confirming with Commerce how a purchased 10-hour course fits that list before we put a number on your project. Done right, it gives small and mid-sized North Dakota businesses a way to train staff to automate repetitive work and compete with larger, better-funded competitors.

Region
Statewide
Who runs the grant
North Dakota Department of Commerce, Workforce Development Division
Check my eligibility
Use cases

What a trained team automates first

Training is the starting line. These are the repetitive jobs small and mid-size businesses take off their people's plates once the team knows how to direct AI and check its work.

The edge the big players already have

Private equity backed competitors are buying up trades, practices and service businesses and running them on centralized software with a back-office team behind it. An independent business does not need that overhead to match them. A trained staff plus a handful of well-chosen automations gives a regular small business a true technological edge: faster answers, tighter books, cleaner data, and owners who get their evenings back.

End-of-day bookkeeping and reconciliation

Daily sales, deposits and card batches matched against the books every night. Entries are drafted, exceptions are flagged, and a person only reviews what does not tie out.

An AI receptionist that books the appointment

Calls answered after hours and during the rush. It takes the details, books straight into your calendar, texts a confirmation, and hands off to a person when the call needs one.

A CRM that fills itself in

Calls, web forms, emails and your job or practice software feed contact records, notes and next steps automatically. No more end-of-week data entry, and no more leads that never got logged.

Reports that build themselves

The weekly numbers pulled from your systems, written up in plain language and in your inbox Monday morning. Revenue, jobs, margins, pipeline, cash. Nobody assembles a spreadsheet.

Estimates and proposals in minutes

Site notes, photos, measurements or an intake call turned into a priced draft in your own template. Your estimator reviews and sends instead of starting from a blank page.

Invoicing and collections follow-up

Invoices go out when the job closes. Reminders go out on schedule, in your voice. An aging summary tells you each week who needs a phone call.

Scheduling and dispatch

Requests sorted by urgency, location and skill. Crews and customers notified automatically, with reschedules handled without six phone calls.

Document intake and data entry

Vendor bills, certificates of insurance, applications, permits and forms read and keyed into your system, with anything unclear routed to a person.

Reviews, follow-ups and repeat business

A check-in after every job, a review request when the customer is happy, a reply drafted for every review, and a reminder when it is time for the next service.

What this looks like in your industry

Same skills, different paperwork. Pick yours.

Construction and general contractors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Bid packages: takeoff notes and sub quotes assembled into a proposal in your format
  • Change orders: written up from a voice note on site, priced, and sent for signature the same day
  • Daily logs: crew texts and photos turned into a dated job report
  • Sub compliance: certificates of insurance and lien waivers tracked, with renewals chased automatically
  • Job costing: receipts and timesheets coded to the right job and phase every night
  • Owner updates: a weekly progress summary drafted from the logs

Roofing, siding and exteriors

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • Storm response: every call answered and every inspection booked when the phones spike
  • Estimates: measurements and inspection photos turned into a good, better, best proposal
  • Insurance paperwork: claim documentation and supplements drafted from the inspection file
  • Material orders: built from the signed scope and sent to the supplier
  • Production schedule: crews, deliveries and weather holds kept in sync, with customers notified
  • Warranty and reviews: registration, follow-up and review requests after final payment

HVAC, plumbing and electrical

Usual course fit: AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

  • After-hours calls: emergencies triaged and dispatched, routine calls booked for the morning
  • Dispatch: jobs matched to the right tech by skill, location and parts on the truck
  • Maintenance plans: renewals, tune-up reminders and booking handled without office time
  • Quotes on site: options priced from the tech's notes before they leave the driveway
  • Invoices: created from the completed work order and sent the same day
  • Parts and inventory: usage logged from work orders, with reorder lists each week

Law, accounting and advisory firms

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices, or AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

  • Client intake: inquiries summarized, conflicts and fit checked, and the consult booked
  • Document requests: the checklist sent, reminders chased, and what arrives filed to the right matter
  • First drafts: engagement letters, routine correspondence and summaries in the firm's voice
  • Time capture: entries drafted from calendars, emails and documents for review
  • Month-end and tax season: client books reconciled and workpapers prepared faster
  • Billing: invoices, reminders and an aging report without a partner chasing it

Medical, dental and wellness offices

Usual course fit: AI for Professional Practices

  • Phones: scheduling, reschedules and common questions handled without putting patients on hold
  • Recall and reminders: overdue patients contacted and open slots filled from the waitlist
  • Front desk paperwork: forms and insurance details read and entered ahead of the visit
  • Billing follow-up: statements, balance reminders and payment plan messages on schedule
  • Staff documents: policies, training checklists and schedules drafted and kept current
  • Reviews: requests sent after visits, with replies drafted for approval

Restaurants and hospitality

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Nightly close: POS sales, tips, deposits and delivery payouts reconciled and booked
  • Phones: reservations, hours and catering inquiries answered during service
  • Ordering: vendor order sheets built from sales and par levels
  • Scheduling: a draft schedule from the forecast, availability and labor targets
  • Catering and events: proposals and follow-ups out within the hour
  • Reviews and social: replies drafted and weekly posts prepared from the specials

Manufacturing and distribution

Usual course fit: Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

  • Order entry: emailed and PDF purchase orders read and keyed into your system
  • Production reporting: shift counts and scrap turned into a daily report by line
  • Quality paperwork: certs and inspection records assembled for each shipment
  • Quoting: RFQs priced from your history and routed for approval
  • Inventory: reorder points watched, with purchase suggestions every week
  • Customer updates: order status and ship dates sent without a phone call

Property management and real estate

Usual course fit: AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

  • Maintenance requests: logged, triaged and dispatched to the right vendor
  • Leasing inquiries: answered at any hour, with showings booked
  • Rent and owner reporting: ledgers reconciled and monthly owner statements drafted
  • Renewals: notices, reminders and paperwork on a schedule
  • Vendor paperwork: insurance certificates and W-9s collected and tracked
  • Listings: descriptions and follow-ups written from the unit details

One thing to keep straight: the Workforce Training Fund pays for the training, not for building these systems. Your trained team can run many of them with tools you already own. When you want one built properly and built fast, that is the work JMK Ventures does, and it starts with a free audit.

Check my eligibility Map my automations (free audit)
How the money works

One state program. It matches your investment dollar for dollar.

Technical Skills Training Grant, Track B

For North Dakota businesses, training providers, non-profits, colleges, municipalities and trade associations registered and in good standing with the North Dakota Secretary of State. Track B covers internal upskilling for existing staff, advancement, onboarding and safety training.

  • $100,000 maximum Track B award over the life of the grant
  • 1:1 match: every grant dollar matched by a private-sector dollar, in cash, equipment, supplies or in-kind
  • No per-trainee cap published
  • Training must take place in North Dakota, and most participants must live and intend to work in North Dakota
  • Jobs being trained for must be on the In-Demand Occupations List. Degree programs are not eligible
  • No approved-provider list. Training funds are paid to the organization providing the training, not to individuals

What the money can go to

Curriculum development by subcontractors, equipment (not automation equipment), tools and supplies for trainees, technology to offer virtual training, participant recruitment, and scholarships (at least 5 participants, aligned with in-demand occupations). Salaries, fringe benefits, operating and indirect costs are not eligible.

The clock

Apply through the Commerce online portal. Applications are reviewed in the order received. Expect follow-up questions in about 3 weeks and an award notice in about 4 weeks.

The example

A 30-person accounting firm trains 6 accountants on one course. Tuition is $18,000. Under a 1:1 match the grant could cover up to $9,000 and the firm the other $9,000, if Commerce approves the course as an eligible cost. We confirm that before you apply.

Track B's match, cap and location rules are confirmed in the state's August 2026 guidance. What we are still confirming with the Department of Commerce is how a purchased course fits the grant's eligible-cost list, whether live virtual sessions for staff in North Dakota count as training that takes place in North Dakota, and whether staff time can count as in-kind match. We will not put a number on your project until we have.
The courses

Five live AI courses. $3,000 per trainee, two-seat minimum.

Every course is 10 instructional hours, live and instructor-led, built around the work your people already do. The price is $300 an hour, so $3,000 per trainee, with a two-seat minimum per cohort. In Massachusetts, $300 an hour is the state's hourly cap, and five seats equals $15,000 in tuition, which is the annual Express cap, so up to the full amount can come back if your application is approved.

COURSE 01

AI Enablement for Small Business Teams

For a mixed group: managers, admins, customer service and the bookkeeper learning the same practical skills together.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 02

Claude Code for Operations and Data Teams

The technical option, for whoever lives in spreadsheets, exports and recurring reports.

2.5 hrs x 4 weeksUp to 6 trainees
COURSE 03

AI for Finance, Accounting and Payroll Teams

For the people who close the month, run payroll and chase receivables.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 04

AI for Field Service and Trades Businesses

For contractors and home services: estimating, dispatch, job documentation and customer follow-up.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees
COURSE 05

AI for Professional Practices

For law, accounting, medical, dental, architecture and advisory offices that run on documents and deadlines.

2 hrs x 5 weeksUp to 8 trainees

Not sure which one fits?

Tell us who you would send and what each person does. We will tell you where we would put them.

Check my eligibility
Course fit

Picking the right course for your North Dakota team

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.

In North Dakota, match the course to a role on the In-Demand Occupations List. Accountants, operations managers, the skilled trades and computer occupations are on it, so the finance, trades and Claude Code courses line up most directly. If the grant's scholarship line is the route, plan for at least 5 participants.

How it works

Four steps from form to funded training

1. Confirm and pick

A 15 minute call to confirm the eligibility points, check your roles against the In-Demand Occupations List, choose the course, and choose the employees who will attend.

2. Apply online

You apply through the North Dakota Commerce online portal as the business. Applications are reviewed in the order received. Expect follow-up questions in about 3 weeks and an award notice in about 4 weeks.

3. Train on paid time

Once the contract is signed, your team takes 10 hours of live, instructor-led training over 4 to 5 weeks. You pay the course invoice and document your match.

4. Draw down and report

The grant pays in stages: 25% when the contract is signed, 25% after you document spending 75% of the first payment, and the rest after the first milestone. You file quarterly progress reports and a final report.

Read this before you budget

The grant pays for training. Not for the build.

What can be funded

  • Training costs paid to the organization providing the training, where approved
  • Curriculum development by subcontractors, and technology to offer virtual training
  • Tools and supplies for trainees
  • Up to $100,000 under Track B, matched dollar for dollar

What the program does not cover

  • Salaries and fringe benefits, including employee wages during training
  • Consulting, implementation and work on your own systems
  • Automation equipment, and operating or indirect costs
  • Travel and lodging for instructor training or certification
  • Degree programs

Plan your AI rollout as two budgets: training through the grant, and implementation as its own project. Our free AI capability audit maps the second one.

Local questions

Questions we hear from employers here

Does North Dakota pay for AI training?

North Dakota funds employee upskilling through the Department of Commerce's Technical Skills Training Grant, and AI training can be part of it if it meets the program's rules. Track B awards up to $100,000 for upskilling existing staff, matched dollar for dollar by the business. The state's materials do not mention AI by name, and we are confirming how a purchased course fits the eligible-cost list.

How much comes back on a $3,000 course seat?

Up to half, if the course is approved as an eligible cost. The 1:1 match means the grant can cover up to $1,500 of a $3,000 seat and you cover $1,500. Six seats on an $18,000 project would mean up to $9,000 from the grant. There is no per-trainee cap, and Track B tops out at $100,000.

Which businesses qualify?

North Dakota businesses registered and in good standing with the North Dakota Secretary of State. Training providers, non-profits, colleges, municipalities and trade associations can also apply. The business can apply on its own behalf.

Who counts as a trainee?

Your existing staff, most of whom must live and intend to work in North Dakota. The jobs they are being trained for have to be on the state's In-Demand Occupations List. Degree programs do not qualify.

Which jobs are on the In-Demand Occupations List?

The July 2026 list includes accountants and auditors, general and operations managers, electricians, plumbers, HVAC mechanics and installers, and the computer and mathematical occupations, including data scientists. It does not include bookkeeping, accounting or payroll clerks, or customer service representatives. We check your roles against the full list on the first call.

Can we use our own trainer, or one from outside North Dakota?

North Dakota keeps no approved-provider list and does not require the trainer to be based in the state, but the training has to take place in North Dakota. Our trainer is based in Massachusetts. Technology for virtual training is an eligible cost, and we are confirming with Commerce whether live virtual sessions for staff in North Dakota meet the location rule before you apply.

Does the grant cover employee wages during training?

No. Salaries and fringe benefits are not eligible costs. We are confirming whether paid staff time can count toward your in-kind match.

When do we apply, and how long does approval take?

Applications are open now and reviewed in the order received, through the Commerce online portal. Expect follow-up questions in about 3 weeks and an award notice in about 4 weeks. Plan the start date after the award.

How is the money paid?

In stages, not as one refund. 25% of the award is released when the contract is signed, another 25% after you document spending 75% of that first payment, and the rest after your first milestone. You file quarterly progress reports and a final report.

What does the grant not pay for?

Salaries, operating and indirect costs, automation equipment, and travel and lodging for instructor certification. Consulting and implementation are not training and belong in a separate budget.

What is Track C, and does it apply to AI?

Track C funds training related to automation you have already put in place, up to $200,000 with the same 1:1 match, plus feasibility studies up to $100,000. It does not pay for automation equipment. If your business has already rolled out AI or automation tools, ask us whether Track C is the better fit.

What is the first step?

Send the form. We confirm the eligibility points on a 15 minute call, check your roles against the In-Demand Occupations List, and share what Commerce has confirmed about how the course fits. Program questions can also go to Evan Moser at the Department of Commerce, ejmoser@nd.gov or 701-328-5324.

Where we work

Five New England states, and a local page for every major Massachusetts city

Each state runs its own training grant with its own rules, so each state has its own page. Massachusetts also gets a page per city, because the program is the same statewide but the businesses are not.

By state
Massachusetts cities
This year's $15,000 does not roll over

Fifteen minutes tells you if the state will cover your team's AI training.

The cap resets each calendar year and the application has to be in 21 days before the course starts. Start with the eligibility check.

Check my eligibility See the five courses
No cost, no obligationApplication help is freeYou pay first, then get reimbursed

Courses are delivered by Support Forge, a registered Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund Express Program training provider based in Haverhill, Massachusetts. JMK Ventures offers these courses as a Support Forge partner and may be compensated when you enroll. Neither company is affiliated with or endorsed by Commonwealth Corporation or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Commonwealth Corporation does not endorse the quality of any listed training provider. Reimbursement depends on your application being approved by Commonwealth Corporation and is not guaranteed. Program terms were checked against Commonwealth Corporation's published guidelines on September 21, 2026 and can change.