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Submissions Due: April 30, 2026
Making All Learning Count
Advancing interoperable Talent Marketplaces that make learning count wherever it occurs.
Sign up for updatesAbout the Challenge
The Connecting Talent to Opportunity Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, is a $15 million prize competition to strengthen the connections between learners, education and training providers, and employers by fostering the development of integrated Talent Marketplaces.
Session 1: About the Challenge
Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 2 pm ET
Session 2: Building an Integrated Talent Marketplace
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 2 pm ET
Session 3: Setting Your Team Up for Success
Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 2 pm ET
Timeline
Jan-April 2026
Pre-Phase
Four-month submission period. Up to 10 semi-finalists selected.
Submission period: Jan. 13, 2026; 8:00AM ET – Apr. 30, 2026; 8:00PM ET
Semi-finalist announcement: May 2026
Submissions Due: Apr. 30, 2026 at 8 pm ET
Semi-finalist announcement: May 2026
Pre-Phase Prize Pool
$1,000,000
Jun-Nov 2026
Phase 1
Semi-finalists receive six months of tailored technical assistance to incubate their action plans and participate in a community of practice.
Finalist announcement: Jan. 2027
Finalist announcement: Jan. 2027
Phase 1 Prize Pool
$4,000,000
Jan 2027-Mar 2028
Phase 2
A fifteen-month acceleration period during which up to 10 finalists deploy, scale, and measure the impact of their systems with support from intensified technical assistance.
Phase 2 Prize Pool
$10,000,000
Build Your Team
Eligible Entrant / Team Lead
Governor of the State
Required Team Members
State Perkins Agency
AEFLA Agency
State Workforce Agencies
State Workforce Board
What is a Talent
Marketplace?
A Talent Marketplace is a public digital system managed by a State Workforce Agency that helps connect people’s skills and credentials to education and job opportunities. It brings together learning and employment records (LERs), a credential registry, and tools that translate jobs and credentials into clear, skill-based information. Using artificial intelligence, the system allows individuals and employers to securely share, understand, and use skills and achievements to support training and career advancement.
See Official Rules, Terms and Conditions for full definition.
Official Rules, Terms and Conditions