NEW YORK, NY — February 4, 2026 — Leads & Copy — IBM (NYSE: IBM) has announced a global request for proposals (RFP) for the next cohort of the IBM Impact Accelerator, focusing on AI for transformative education and workforce development.
The program invites nonprofits or government organizations, including academic institutions, to collaborate with IBM on developing solutions that help people learn more effectively, navigate career transitions, and access jobs to build economic resilience.
The gap between skills learned and employer needs is widening. IBM Institute For Business Value research indicates that 67% of executives surveyed say job roles are becoming shorter-lived, and by 2030, 57% anticipate most current employee skills will be obsolete. Pearson estimates that slow transitions between education and work cost the U.S. economy an estimated $1.1 trillion annually.
Many education and workforce institutions lack the data infrastructure, tools, and capacity to adapt to the labor market’s changes. Employers face skills mismatches, learners struggle to understand which skills matter most, and public agencies operate under resource constraints.
This IBM Impact Accelerator initiative aims to address these challenges by supporting organizations working on how people learn, upskill, and find meaningful work amid rapid economic, AI-driven change.
“Education and workforce systems are under pressure to adapt faster than ever, but many lack the tools to do so,” said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Vice President and Chief Impact Officer. “Through this global RFP, IBM is supporting organizations that use AI to close the gap between learning and work in real time while strengthening the pathways that connect education to quality jobs.”
The new cohort will support work that applies AI to systemic challenges in teaching, learning, and workforce preparation, potentially including AI-enabled teaching and assessment tools, personalized learning, and career-guidance assistants. Areas of focus may span data platforms that connect learners to opportunities and simulation or governance environments that help educators and policymakers test and refine responsible AI practices, including forecasting education needs.
Selected organizations will receive a two-year, pro bono technology and implementation grant, including access to IBM offerings such as IBM watsonx, Granite AI models, IBM Cloud, IBM Quantum, Red Hat open-source technologies, and support from IBM’s ecosystem of researchers, designers, and consultants. Strategic ally EY will also participate. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, government entities and government-owned enterprises, and nonprofit public or private colleges and universities. Applicants must be able to engage with IBM for a two-year period and conduct project work in English.
The RFP is open, and proposals can be submitted through the IBM Proposal Submission Portal until March 25, 2026. Full eligibility criteria, FAQs, and application guidelines are available on the IBM Impact Accelerator Education and Workforce RFP webpage. Questions may be directed to impact.accelerator@ibm.com.
Launched in 2022, the IBM Impact Accelerator offers grants of IBM resources, including AI technology, hybrid cloud and an ecosystem of experts, to enhance and scale nonprofit and government initiatives. In 2024, IBM announced a commitment to make up to $45 million in cash and in-kind technology and services donations over five years. Including the most recent supply chain modernization cohort, the program has supported 25 organizations, and its projects have directly benefited approximately 2.5 million people.
IBM provides global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. It helps clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of governments and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations. IBM’s innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options. All of this is backed by IBM’s commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service.
Source: IBM
