Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Innovation and Early Learning Programs: Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Mid-Phase Grants Assistance Listing Number 84.411B | ED GRANTS 091225 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for ED GRANTS 091225 002

The U.S. Department of Education, through the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), is offering a discretionary grant competition under the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program for Mid-Phase Grants (Assistance Listing Number 84.411B). This opportunity is aimed at supporting entrepreneurial, evidence-based, field-initiated education innovations that are intended to improve student achievement and attainment for high-need students. A core feature of the EIR program is that funded projects are not only implemented or expanded in real school settings, but are also rigorously evaluated so that the field can learn what works, for whom, and under what conditions.

This particular notice is for Mid-Phase grants only. In other words, it is focused on innovations that are beyond the earliest idea-and-pilot stage and are ready for broader implementation and stronger evidence-building. The Department notes that a separate notice for Expansion grants is published elsewhere, and it does not plan to run an Early-phase competition at this time, although it may still fund high-scoring applicants that were not funded in prior FY 2024 EIR competitions.

A wide range of applicant types can apply. Eligible applicants include local educational agencies (LEAs), state educational agencies (SEAs), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and consortia of SEAs or LEAs. Nonprofit organizations can also apply directly. In addition, an LEA, SEA, BIE, or consortium may apply in partnership with one or more of the following: a nonprofit organization (as defined in the notice), a business, an educational service agency, or an institution of higher education (IHE). The eligibility language is designed to encourage strong implementation partnerships, such as districts working with research partners or external providers, while still allowing certain entities (including nonprofits) to lead an application when appropriate.

The notice also lays out a specific definition for who qualifies as a rural applicant under EIR, tied to the National Center for Education Statistics urban-centric locale codes. To be considered rural for this program, the applicant must meet two conditions: first, the applicant itself must be an eligible rural-type entity (for example, an LEA with locale code 32, 33, 41, 42, or 43; a consortium of such LEAs; or certain partners applying with such LEAs, including arrangements that involve an SEA), and second, a majority of the schools served by the project must also be designated with one or more of those same rural locale codes. This matters because rural status can affect how an application is categorized or considered under the program design described in the official notice.

Nonprofit status documentation is addressed in detail. If the applicant is a nonprofit organization, it may demonstrate nonprofit status using standard federal grant documentation options under 34 CFR 75.51, such as proof of current IRS recognition under section 501(c)(3), a certification from a state taxing authority or state attorney general, or organizing documents (like a certificate of incorporation) that clearly establish nonprofit status. The notice also clarifies how local affiliates can rely on parent-organization documentation when applicable, as long as the relationship is clearly explained.

The notice includes important clarifications for colleges and universities. IHEs commonly participate in EIR projects as evaluation or research partners, and the notice confirms that an IHE may be included as a partner in an application led by an LEA, SEA, BIE, consortium, or nonprofit. It also explains which higher education entities can apply in their own right: private IHEs that are nonprofits, nonprofit foundations affiliated with public IHEs, and public IHEs that have 501(c)(3) status. A public IHE without 501(c)(3) status does not qualify as a nonprofit for this competition, even if it is otherwise tax-exempt under other provisions (such as Section 115), and therefore would not be eligible to apply as the primary applicant on that basis.

From the funding details provided, the opportunity is listed as ED GRANTS 091225 002, with an application deadline of October 14, 2025. The award ceiling is $10,000,000, and the Department expects to make about 8 awards. While the synopsis provides the high-level program purpose and eligibility framework, applicants are directed to the official Federal Register notice and the Department’s Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs (published August 29, 2025, 90 FR 42234) for the required application components, submission procedures, performance measures, priorities, and other rules that govern how applications must be prepared and reviewed.

• The Department of Education in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE): Innovation and Early Learning Programs: Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Program Mid-Phase Grants Assistance Listing Number 84.411B" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 84.411.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-12.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-14. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $10,000,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 8 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Independent school districts, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Others.

Apply for ED GRANTS 091225 002

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