Future Forward Innovation Grant

Who can apply?

Applicants must be organizations from education (K-12 or postsecondary), industry, and nonprofit sectors. There must be an education partner and an industry partner included in the collaboration. Grants can only be awarded to a partner that is a nonprofit entity. If you are a for-profit entity, we encourage you to identify a nonprofit partner. 

Are all applicant partners required to be identified by the application deadline?

At the time of submission, you should have at least two partners committed to designing or launching the pathway program. You must list committed partners in the application and certify that they have agreed to participate. You may add partners later, as needed. If selected, you will be required to submit letters of support from each committed partner.

What do you mean by education partner? 

Education partners can be K-12 districts or schools, charter schools, or postsecondary institutions. If you are an employer or a community organization, you must identify an education partner. 

Are applicant partners required to be in Tennessee?

Industry partners may be based out-of-state but have a presence in Tennessee. The students impacted by SCORE’s grant must be Tennessee students. This means that the pathway must be serving Tennessee students. 

Where is the application? What is the best way to submit it?

The grant application is available via Microsoft Forms. When you open the form, you will be able to view the full application. We recommend drafting answers in a separate document so that you do not lose progress and can copy/paste answers directly into the form. We also recommend that you access and complete these documents on a computer or tablet rather than a mobile device. Submit the completed Microsoft Forms application by the deadline. Email submissions will not be considered. The form will close automatically at 11:59 p.m. on May 15.

Does the grant only support a new program? 

Grant recipients must be designing or launching a new program. Grants will not be awarded to existing programs to supplement their budget and support their existing student body. However, if you have an existing pathway and are launching a second pathway, you may apply.  

How many students must the pathway serve?

SCORE does not have a requirement for the number of students served. This grant is meant to spur innovation and generate proof points, which could mean piloting a pathway with a small number of students initially. In other words, no program is too small if it has potential to make a large impact.

How do you define “student”?

The pathway should support students from high school to age 24. If students are younger than high school age, the applicant should demonstrate clearly how the student is on a pathway to an impact credential and a career. SCORE will not fund pathways that only include career exposure.

Is there a requirement to target a specific population of students?

While pathways are not required to exclusively serve a special population of students, applicants should indicate whether any special populations of students will be served by the pathway. In addition, applicants should explain why the target group of students currently lacks access to this opportunity. 

Are there parameters regarding industries for these pathways? 

SCORE is agnostic to the industry as long as the accelerated pathway leads to a degree or credential that this aligned to a high-demand, high-wage job. For example, in our first cohort, we supported credentials aligned to industries including health care, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and teaching. We’re open to these industries and others, including energy, advanced manufacturing, finance, and more. Importantly, these credentials must help you build a pipeline of talent that employers need in your community. We also expect these pathways to be accelerated. Accelerated means a student can more quickly and seamlessly earn the credential than currently possible. We will only fund pathways that lead to impact credentials, credentials that lead to high-wage, in-demand careers that enable economic independence. (Learn more about impact credentials.) 

What are some common themes across applications not selected last year? 

Last year, we received 92 applications and were impressed by the interest and quality. We chose seven recipients. Applications were not chosen for a variety of reasons: failing to identify an employer partner or an education partner; the pathway was not aligned an impact credential; or pathway did not lead to a clear job opportunity for students. Finally, we did not select applications that did not have a clear, accelerated educational program that included key features that propel student success, such as work-based learning, internships, student supports like advising, just to name a few. 

Are grant recipients required to participate in the Tennessee Pathways Incubator fellowship?

Yes. SCORE will help each pathway select three representatives to participate in the Tennessee Pathways Incubator, which includes expert mentorship, SCORE strategic support, and a cohort-based fellowship. We recommend these representatives are senior leaders in their organizations. Recipients are required to send these three consistent attendees to all three convenings. 

Are all fellowship convenings mandatory?

Yes. There are three in-person convenings for the fellowship, and grant recipient teams must attend all convenings. We anticipate that all convenings will be held in Nashville on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026
• Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2027
• Wednesday, April 28, 2027

Is participation in mentorship mandatory? What types of mentors are available?

Yes. To support the successful launch and scale of the pathway programs, the Tennessee Pathways Incubator includes mentorship tailored to the needs of the partner. SCORE will match grant recipient teams with a mentor based on their individualized needs. Mentors have expertise in education, industry, entrepreneurship, government, policy, business/finance, partner engagement, student success, operations, and more. Past mentors have included Dr. Paul Herdman (Rodel Foundation of Delaware), Regan Kelly (Schusterman Family Philanthropies), and Dr. Russ Wigginton (National Civil Rights Museum).

In addition to the fellowship convenings and mentorship, what can grant recipients expect from SCORE?

Grant recipients will meet regularly with SCORE team members via Zoom to discuss progress and tackle challenges. Twice during the grant year, grant recipients will also submit a narrative grant report and budget.

How should we approach the budget narrative? Are there any activities SCORE will not fund?

Applicants should include costs associated with the design and implementation of the pathway. This includes, but is not limited to, personnel salaries/benefits, contracts, travel, events, advertising, marketing, supplies, materials, and equipment. SCORE will not fund lobbying expenses or gifts/prizes. Applicants should include a short description of the expense, how it contributes to the pathway, and how much of the $75,000 grant would be applied to it. If selected, grantees will be expected to submit a detailed budget.

Do we need to budget for travel and accommodations for the fellowship convenings, or will there be additional funding associated with that travel?

You do not need to budget for travel to the Future Forward Innovation Grant convenings. SCORE will cover travel costs associated with those events. If you allocate any of your budget for travel, the travel budget should reflect travel needed to support the design and launch of your pathway.

Are there opportunities to engage with SCORE if we are not selected? 

Supporting Tennessee students along the path from education to career is a priority of SCORE. Aside from the Future Forward Innovation Grant, we publish resources and data and host convenings and webinars that support policymakers and practitioners across the state. Visit the Connect page on our website and sign up for our monthly newsletter to learn about new resources and opportunities. 

What is the application/grant timeline?

The Future Forward Innovation Grant application timeline is as follows:

• April 6, 2026: Grant application opens
• April 15, 2026: Grant applicant webinar
• May 15, 2026: Application closes
• July 2026: Grant recipients notified

Watch the webinar

2026 Future Forward Innovation Grant Slide Deck

In 2025, seven partnerships from across Tennessee were selected as recipients of the Future Forward Innovation Grant. These partnerships bring together education, community, and industry to develop an accelerated pathway for students to earn a credential that can lead to an in-demand, high-wage career. 

• The University of Memphis, through The Polytechnic @ UofM Initiative, is partnering with Southwest Tennessee Community College, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jackson at Stanton, University High School, UpSkill Mid-South, the Center for Regional Economic Enrichment and Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce to launch a bachelor of applied science pathway that includes high-demand, embedded nondegree credentials, giving students valuable industry-recognized skills.
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is partnering with local education partners to launch a Python and data processing and analysis credential. This innovative program uses the high school computer science course requirement as a launching point for advanced studies in data analytics and data science, with a focus on health care settings.
• Nurses Middle College Nashville (NMC) Nashville is partnering with Vanderbilt University Medical Center and other postsecondary and health care partners to launch an accelerated licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program model. This innovative pathway expands NMC’s current school model by building on their certified nursing assistant (CNA) graduation requirement to allow students to earn their LPN by high school graduation.
• BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) and Chattanooga State Community College are partnering on BlueHorizon, a program launching in 2026 that provides a path to an accelerated associate degree in health science and a career with one of the region’s employers of choice. Participating students work as customer service representatives at BCBST while simultaneously earning their degree.
• Chattanooga 2.0 is partnering with Chattanooga State Community College and Hamilton County Schools to launch the Tutor to Teacher pathway. Through this innovative program students will earn multiple credentials by tutoring in elementary school classrooms while still completing high school and will also take the first steps toward an accelerated early education teaching license.
• Niswonger Foundation is partnering with the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies at UT-Knoxville, high schools in Kingsport City Schools and Sullivan County Schools, and Ballad Health to launch an AI and data science credential. This innovative program leverages the high school computer science course requirement as a gateway to advanced studies in emerging technologies like AI, data analytics and computer science.
• Ballad Health is designing and launching an accelerated surgical technologist (surg tech) apprenticeship pathway with regional high schools. This program enables students to earn credit toward a surg tech certification while in high school, with eligibility for employment at Ballad Health.