Training Provider: Getting Started with the Express Program

Becoming a registered training provider and getting your courses preapproved for funding allows Massachusetts businesses to use Express Program grants to get reimbursed for your courses. Below is an outline of the main points you need to know to get started. You will find links to our onboarding resources and Training Provider Manual at the end of this resource.

How do I register as a Training Provider?

You can get familiarized with our Express Program page here. Once you are ready to register, visit our Express Provider Portal. You will need to provide:

• Organizational Details: Legal name, address, and website.
• Contact Information: Name and email for the primary program contact.
• Business Documentation: Federal Tax ID (FEIN) and form W-9 with your legal business name and FEIN. If you are a sole proprietor, you may be asked for your Social Security Number (SSN), that value will be stored securely in our system and not viewable to program staff.
  

What types of courses are eligible?

The Express Program funds "off-the-shelf," skills-based training. To be approved, courses must meet these criteria:

• Instructional Method: Must be synchronous (live) and instructor-led (at least 70% of the time).
• Defined Outcomes: Must have specific learning objectives and clear start/end dates. All trainees that take the course should be learning the same standardized material, and any practical components of the course should be done via case studies and standardized practice examples. Application of material to a specific business's use case should generally occur outside of grant-funded training hours.
• Work Hours: Trainees should be paid regular wages while attending training hours.
• Eligible Costs: Only the "Instructional Cost" (the trainer’s time) is covered.
  • Note: We do not cover consulting, coaching, memberships, or miscellaneous fees like exams, materials, food, or travel.

What are the current subsidy caps?

When setting your course pricing in our directory, keep in mind the maximum amounts the program can reimburse:

• Per Trainee: Maximum $3,000 per person, per course.
• Instructional Hour: Maximum $300 per hour of instruction.
  • For group rates, this is calculated at the group level (e.g., an 8-hour course cannot exceed a $2,400 flat rate).
• Annual Limit: Each business is capped at $15,000 in total grant funds per calendar year.

How do I add my courses to the Directory?

Once your registration is approved, you can submit individual courses through your provider portal. Our team reviews each submission to ensure it meets the eligibility guidelines mentioned above. Once approved, your courses will appear in the Express Course Directory for businesses to select. 

• Directions on how to add a course to our system can be located here.

Quick Check: Are my courses eligible?

Please see below for additional resources:

1. Onboarding Information- If you would like to review onboarding materials prior to registering with the Express Provider Portal, please download the attachment below. This document will walk you through the types of courses we approve, the basic functions of our portal, and more. 

Click here to view step-by-step directions on how to register with the Express Provider Portal. 

2. Training Provider Manual- provides an overview of the Express Provider Portal, ways to help grantees, and basic support for marketing your preapproved courses through the Express Program. 

Click here to view the most recent version of the Manual.