Description
The Missouri Veterans and Job Opportunity Grant Program (Program) disburses Grants to Eligible Employers who employ Missouri individuals from Targeted Groups, including Qualified Veterans who have faced significant barriers to employment. The Program is governed by § 620.3305 RSMo.
DED accepts applications starting January 1 each fiscal year, until the maximum allocation appropriated each year has been met, or April 30, whichever occurs first. Applications are reviewed in timestamp order of electronic application submission.
The Grant for the FY2026 cycle is 25% of the Eligible Employers’ federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) claimed on the most recently filed tax return. At least 50% of the funds available during the fiscal year shall be reserved for Eligible Employers paying wages to a Qualified Veteran. Any reserved funds not claimed may be disbursed for wages paid to a member of any other Targeted Group.
Do I Qualify?
To be an Eligible Employer qualified to apply for the Program, the employer must be registered to do business in Missouri that has paid wages to a Missouri individual in a Targeted Group as defined in 26 U.S.C. §51.
An Eligible Employer must:
- Be registered to do business in Missouri and in good standing with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office;
- Hire and pay wages to certain Missouri individuals who are certified by a designated local agency as being a member of one of ten Targeted Groups, as defined under 26 U.S.C. § 51;
- Be eligible for and claim the federal WOTC,
- Not be delinquent in taxes owed to the State; and
- Be enrolled in E-Verify and provide a copy of its signed Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to DED.
Targeted Groups have the same meaning as defined under 26 U.S.C. §51, relating to the federal WOTC.
An individual is a member of a targeted group if such individual is a:
- Qualified IV-A recipient;
- Qualified veteran;
- Qualified ex-felon;
- Designated community resident;
- Vocational rehabilitation referral;
- Qualified summer youth employee;
- Qualified Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits recipient;
- Qualified Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient;
- Long-term family assistance recipient; or
- Qualified long-term unemployment recipient.
How Do I Apply?
Applications will be accepted via electronic submission during the application period using Submittable, located on DED’s Submittable Application Portal. Submittable is an online application platform that is free to applicants. In Submittable, applicants can enter business information, upload necessary documents, check an application status, and correspond with the program administrator.