Eligible sponsors are entities listed as Registered Apprenticeship program sponsors under the U.S. DOL Registered Apprenticeship system — this includes single-employer sponsors, employer group sponsors, and consortia that operate a DOL- or state-registered apprenticeship in advanced manufacturing. Required application materials are set by the Arkansas Office of Skills Development and include a Submittable application form and the program’s evidence of registration/registration number; documentation of new apprentice hires (e.g., hire dates and RA sponsor assignment); employer/group contact information; and any supporting attachments specified in the Grant Guidelines (e.g., sponsor agreement or consortium documentation). For exact document checklists, use the Arkansas Submittable application page and the AMAI Fund Grant Guidelines/FAQ.
Payments are paid on a pay-for-performance basis: sponsors receive $3,500 for each eligible new apprentice hired under a Registered Apprenticeship. The Arkansas program is pay-for-performance (payment follows verified hiring/enrollment milestones); sponsors must document new apprentice hires and meet any verification steps before incentive payments are disbursed. (Exact timing/milestones and verification steps are detailed in Arkansas’s Grant Guidelines/FAQ and the Submittable application materials.)
There is no published per-employer cap in the DOL press release; funding is available from the $35.8M pool on a rolling, first-come-first-served basis until funds are fully obligated. The Arkansas Grant Guidelines/FAQ should be consulted for any sponsor-specific limits (the Submittable application and FAQ are the authoritative source for caps or per-sponsor maximums).
Because applications are accepted on a rolling basis, obligation of funds can be rapid and depends on application volume; Arkansas OSD says applications will be accepted until 100% of funds are obligated. The Arkansas Submittable portal and Grant Guidelines/FAQ explain processing steps; timeline from application to payment depends on OSD verification and documentation review (no fixed national timetable published in the DOL release). Contact OSD for expected processing timeframes: OSD.mfgfund@arkansas.gov / (501) 682-6546.
Arkansas Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Services (Office of Skills Development) administers the Incentive Fund program — it operates the application portal (Submittable), processes applications, verifies eligibility and hires, and disburses incentive payments. The DOL’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) provided the cooperative agreement award, oversight, and policy alignment; ETA partners with Arkansas but delegates day‑to‑day program administration to Arkansas OSD.
Sponsored programs that receive payments will be subject to reporting and documentation requirements set in the Arkansas Grant Guidelines/FAQ — typically: submission of hire rosters, proof of apprentice registration/enrollment, quarterly or final performance reports, and records necessary for verification/audit. Sponsors should expect recordkeeping sufficient to allow OSD/DOL verification and possible audit; specifics and reporting templates are in the Grant Guidelines/FAQ and Submittable instructions.
The Incentive Fund complements other federal supports — it is a separate pay‑for‑performance incentive administered in partnership with Arkansas. Sponsors may still use other federal apprenticeship supports or tax credits (for example, Registered Apprenticeship grants, state supports, or applicable tax incentives); applicants should disclose other federal funding and follow rules about stacking/duplication in the Arkansas Grant Guidelines/FAQ. For policy coordination or stacking restrictions consult the Grant Guidelines/OSD contact and DOL’s apprenticeship resources (apprenticeship.gov).