On the Road to the OpenUI Initiative  

In July 2023, USDOL published Unemployment Insurance Program Letter (UIPL) 11-23, which provided funding to states in the focus areas of customer experience, modular/API-driven development, and cloud migration. Following the publication of UIPL 11-23, 18 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands were awarded up to $11.25 million each, for an approximate nationwide total of $204 million in awards. These awards were made based on when the completed state application was received up to the total available amount.  

In addition to the state grants, USDOL engaged with NASWA/UI ITSC to support states’ UIPL 11-23 modernization grant projects and additional long-term strategic activity to further USDOL’s modernization vision. This work was formalized through two Project Task Orders executed in August 2023 and constitutes approximately $10 million in funding. In December 2023, USDOL announced the Open UI Initiative, with the goal to develop a common framework for modular UI system development. Engaging in ​ a new approach to building and buying technology and developing,  new partnerships, the Open UI Initiative will enable an expanded ecosystem of open, interoperable, and scalable solutions.   

In furtherance of the goals of Open UI, a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was created by NASWA/UI ITSC to provide guidance and input on the development of the Open UI framework and its governance. The TAG’s first meeting took place in March 2024. 

Stay informed about the Open UI Initiative by signing up to receive the Initiative’s newsletter currently in development: Open UI Initiative | National Association of State Workforce Agencies (naswa.org).