Charter Schools Program Start-Up Grant Opportunity – Federal Fiscal Year 2026 – Fall 2026 Application
Charter Schools Program Start-Up Grant Opportunity – Federal Fiscal Year 2026 – Fall 2026 Application supports new Minnesota charter schools’ planning and launch to improve academic achievement.
Funder: Minnesota Department of Education
Due Dates: October 30, 2026, 5 p.m. Central Time (Application) | November 6, 2026, 5 p.m. Central Time (Missing receipt confirmation follow-up) | January–February 2027 (Anticipated notification) | February 2027 (Anticipated start)
Funding Amounts: Up to $2,000,000 over 36 months; approximately six start-up grants anticipated
Summary: Supports planning, program design, and initial implementation of developing and newly operational Minnesota charter schools.
Key Information: Applicants must not currently receive funding under Minnesota’s federal CSP Grant Project.
Description
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) Charter Center administers this competitive federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) Start-Up opportunity. It provides financial assistance for planning, program design, and initial implementation of new charter schools operated by eligible local educational agencies. The funding supports opening and preparing new schools for operation, rather than research projects.
Minnesota’s objectives are to increase the number of high-quality, sustainable charter schools and improve academic achievement, particularly for disadvantaged, underserved, and at-risk students. The broader CSP effort also supports technical assistance, sharing best practices, and improving charter school authorizer practices. This start-up competition offers additional priority points for educator engagement, community-centered development, collaboration with traditional public schools or districts, and early inclusion of high school grades.
