Relocation Opportunity for Outstanding Talent Grant Program (United States)

Focus Areas

• The primary focus of the ROOT program is to support public and private sector employers who are hiring out-of-state job seekers into in-demand occupations. In-demand occupations are determined using the Workforce Development Council’s listing. Funding may also be granted for other high demand occupations and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Funding Information

• Employers can access up to $5,000 of matching funds for each candidate the business is eligible for. A 1:1 match is required. An additional $500 per candidate is available if the applicant is identified in the Find the Good Life Candidate Marketplace. The additional $500 for candidates identified through the Marketplace is not subject to match.

Eligibility Criteria

• Employers must be located and registered in North Dakota. Out-of-state candidates must be relocating to North Dakota and cannot currently live within 100 miles of the job site. Relocation assistance can be used for airfare, moving vehicles, securing rental housing, transfer of licensure, exams or other costs related to relocation and requirements to fill the role for which they have been hired.
  • Employers with 5-20 employees are eligible to apply for up to 5 individuals.
  • Employers with 20-50 employees are eligible to apply for up to 10 individuals.
  • Employers with 50-100 employees are eligible to apply for up to 15 individuals.
  • Employers with 100 or more employees are eligible to apply for up to 20 individuals.

Business Requirements

• Positions must be considered in-demand occupations. Businesses must be able to demonstrate relocation to be possible in the community or within a reasonable commuting distance. The position must be located in North Dakota with the position’s work must be performed in North Dakota.
• Business must include a one-year employment requirement for any position being included in the request for grant funding.

Commerce Recommends the Candidates

• Be a United States citizen or have permanent legal immigration status,
• Meet all requirements to be licensed and practice in North Dakota based on any occupational licensure requirements for the positions.

Application Questions (To be completed in portal)

• Employer name
• Employer Address
• Employer EIN
• Total number of employees
• Total number of relocation grant positions being requested
• Industry: Education, Healthcare, Financial, Engineering & Architecture, Information Technology, Skilled Trade, Social Service, Management, Transportation, Sales, Professional/Other
• Occupation (from In-Demand  Occupations):
  • How many positions for this occupation are currently vacant and are being applied for
  • Is this occupation essential to operations? Explain:
  • How long has this position(s) been vacant:
  • Where have the positions been posted to date:
  • What costs have been used in the recruitment of this position? Job fairs, recruitment services, job posting ads and boosting services, etc.
  • Have any offers been made to candidates that were not accepted?
  • Have any candidates that did not accept job offers share the reason? Was cost to relocate ever indicated as a barrier?
  • Have hiring bonuses or relocation incentives been offered in the past for this occupation, if so, what was the maximum dollar amount?
  • Is this employer enrolled in the Find the Good Life Candidate Marketplace?
• Supplemental documentation to upload include existing job-descriptions/postings, commitment of match, if match is from a third party.
• The portal will ask if there are additional positions being requested for, if yes, additional position dropdowns will open to complete. Employers can request up to the allowed number of positions based on employer size, all at once. Employers can submit more than one request during the grant time period but cannot exceed the total number of positions.

For more information, visit North Dakota Department of Commerce.