OSHA's 2026 Training Grants: How Small Employers Can Find Relevant Training

On October 1, 2026, OSHA announced approximately $10.2 million in Susan Harwood Training Grant awards to 67 organizations. The funding supports workplace safety and health education, including instructor-led opportunities for small-business employers and workers. For an employer planning training, the useful next step is to identify a suitable provider and confirm what that provider can actually offer. Read OSHA's announcement.

The award announcement does not establish a class date, reserve a place for your team or determine whether a course covers your workplace's requirements. Here is a practical way to turn the news into a focused training inquiry.

Understand where the funding goes

The grants fund eligible organizations that develop or deliver training. OSHA's program FAQ says individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply for these grants. Small businesses can be part of the intended training audience; the FAQ identifies businesses with fewer than 250 employees among the target groups. These are different roles in the program. See the program FAQ.

As checked on October 12, OSHA's program page stated that no grant opportunities were available. An ordinary employer looking for instruction should therefore start with training providers, rather than treat the announcement as an open application for money to spend on any chosen course. Check the current program page.

Before contacting a provider, ask your safety lead to write a short brief: the work involved, the hazard or procedure to address, the intended learners and the questions they need answered. Include the location and available training times. That makes it easier to compare relevant options without sharing employee records.

Shortlist providers by topic, audience and location

OSHA's published FY2026 award list describes proposed training, including its topic and intended audience. Examples include warehousing safety through Central Georgia Technical College in Georgia, electrical-hazard training through Texas State University for construction and general-industry audiences in Texas, and fire-safety and hearing-conservation sessions through the Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health. Review the award list.

These examples illustrate why geography and audience matter. A nearby organization may be serving a different industry. A provider elsewhere may have a broader service area. The description is a starting point for questions, not proof that a particular worker is eligible or that enrollment has opened.

Create a shortlist with three fields: the apparent match, the information still missing and the person responsible for checking it. One promising provider with a confirmed fit is more useful than a long list of unverified course names.

Confirm the class before arranging attendance

OSHA's current grantee-training directory directs readers to contact the organizations themselves. When checked on October 12, its FY2026 listing said data was not available. That is a directory limitation, not evidence that every awardee has stopped or has no training planned. Check the current training directory.

Ask the provider:

• Is the proposed training scheduled, and is registration open?
• Does it serve our industry, location and employee group?
• What language, format and accessibility arrangements are available?
• What will participants practice or be assessed on?
• What prerequisites, attendance conditions or costs apply?
• What record will participants receive, and what does that record establish?

Have the responsible safety professional review the answer before committing the team. Confirm what additional workplace-specific instruction, supervised practice or evaluation is needed. A course title alone cannot settle those questions.

Also check the practical arrangements. Who covers the shift? Can participants attend the entire session? Who receives a cancellation notice? Record these decisions alongside the booking so a last-minute change reaches the right manager.

Review downloadable materials before using them

The program also provides grantee-developed materials organized by topic. These can help a qualified subject owner review available resources while waiting for a class. Check the intended audience, publication date, references and fit with your equipment, workplace procedures and current requirements.

Read the permissions carefully. OSHA's materials page explains that material may belong to the grantee and sets conditions on permitted use. It restricts commercial use and modifications without the copyright owner's express written permission. Download access should not be treated as permission to rebrand slides, edit illustrations or turn the material into a commercial video. Review the materials and reuse conditions.

If you need a short video explaining your own approved workplace reporting or escalation steps, prepare an original script from that procedure. Have the responsible subject owner check it. Keep any licensed third-party content within its permitted use, and make the video's purpose clear.

Give the learning a clear follow-up

Once training is confirmed, record the provider, topic, date, assigned participants and agreed completion evidence. Add the manager's next action, such as reviewing a site-specific procedure or arranging required practical instruction. Keep unresolved questions visible instead of marking the whole plan complete when attendance is recorded.

The employee training matrix guide provides a way to organize assignments, owners and evidence. For this project, use it to connect a confirmed outside course with the local follow-up your safety lead approves.

OdyHR's role in that conversation is organizing employee training assignments, records and follow-up. To discuss those needs, contact OdyHR with your team size, locations and the workflow you want to improve. Confirm course suitability with the provider and have your qualified safety or legal adviser review the applicable workplace requirements.