Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education Notice of Opportunity To Apply for Designation

The Maritime Administrator, after consultation with the United States Coast Guard, may designate a domestic maritime training or education entity as a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE). MARAD's CoE Program focuses on entities other than Federal and State maritime academies that support the needs of the domestic maritime community. CoEs are key to building the maritime workforce and providing the necessary infrastructure for the United States to mobilize the required workforce in times of national need. Designations recognize the critical role these entities play in recruiting and training our Nation's maritime workforce and restoring America's maritime dominance. A CoE designation is valid for a period of five years. This notice solicits applications from eligible entities for the 2026 cycle of CoE designation. The notice also updates CoE Program policy to align with Executive Order (E.O.) 14151, Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing, and announces that MARAD has terminated action on the 2024 application cycle, which was no longer in compliance with current Administration policy.