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April Monthly Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Additionally, you can find an extensive list of funding opportunities for local governments run and updated regularly by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs here. This user-friendly dashboard includes federal and state funding opportunities and can be filtered by category, program, award type, awarding agency, and eligible applicants.
Community Project Funding:
The Community Project Funding (CPF) process allows members of Congress to directly advocate for how funding will be directed to specific state or local governments or eligible non-profit recipients through the annual appropriations process.
Last year, I submitted fifteen projects to the House Appropriations Committee for the FY24 CPF process.
Eligibility and deadline guidance for FY25 have not yet been released by the House Appropriations Committee; however, we expect these guidelines in the coming weeks and are encouraging individuals to get their projects in order as the window to submit may be tight.
Please fill out this form if you would like to receive information about the FY25 CPF process as soon as it is released. You can also find a one-pager outlining the CPF process here.
Grant News:
Transportation:
The Federal Highway Administration has an open Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration grant to improve highway transportation. Parties who submitted a required notice of intent to apply by April 16th are eligible to apply by May 28th 2024.
The DOT has an open Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) for state and local governments to improve and expand their pedestrian walkways and bikeways, particularly in ways that connect communities. The deadline to apply is June 17th, 2024.
Additional open DOT grants include:
Public Safety and Law Enforcement:
In mid-April, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the opening of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NPSG) for non-profits (including places of worship) that could be at risk of terrorist attack. Interested parties can find more information about the grant and a series of technical assistance webinars on the program here. Applicants who have not received NPSG funding in the past will be prioritized.
The state of Colorado has its own NPSG program that will open later in the year for applicants not awarded the FEMA grant (more here), and has a collection of resources for applicants here. FEMA also announced the Homeland Security Grant Program, Transit Security Grant Program, and Emergency Management Performance Grant Program. All four FEMA grants have an application deadline of June 24th, 2024.
The Department of Homeland Security has an open Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program for local governments, school districts, and nonprofits. The deadline to apply is May 17th, 2024.
The Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has amicrogrants program (deadline of May 21th, 2024) for law enforcement departments which can be used to support officer recruitment and retention. The COPS office also has an open Promoting Access to Crisis Teams (PACT) grant that funds co-responder programs with mental and behavioral health experts accompanying officers when responding to calls (deadline of May 21st, 2024).
Additional COPS Office grants include:
Clean Energy:
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) created a number of tax credits aimed at incentivizing the development, creation, and implementation of clean energy technologies in the United States. The Biden administration has opened up the Direct Pay program, allowing state and local government entities and nonprofits to directly receive payment of the tax credits for eligible activities, lessening the red tape and paperwork required to receive these payments. Interested parties can find more information on how to partake in the programhere.
The IRA also created the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit §48C Tax Credit program, which institutes a tax credit for up to 30% of investments in projects around clean energy, critical mineral and material processing, and greenhouse gas emission reductions. This historic investment allocated $4 billion for tax credits for qualifying projects, with the program expected to reopen for a second round in the coming months. Interested parties can find more information on the program here.
The Rural Energy of America Program (REAP) provides funding for rural small businesses, farmers, and ranchers to install renewable energy or energy efficiency improvements on their property. They are accepting rolling applications for two rounds of funding with deadlines on June 30th, 2024 and September 30th, 2024.
The Department of Energy has an open Renew America's Schools Program, which funds clean energy installation and energy efficiency improvements in school districts. Interested parties can find more here, and should apply by June 13th, 2024.
The Department of Energy's Clean Energy to Communities Program offers coalitions of local governments, community organizations, and utilities extensive in-depth assistance and funding for implementing clean energy. Interested parties can find more information hereand should apply by June 14th, 2024.
The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $40M in funding for the Training for Residential Energy Contractors Program. This program seeks to reduce the cost of training contractor employees by providing workforce development tools; providing testing and certifications of contractors trained and educated to install home energy efficiency and electrification technologies; and funding states to partner with nonprofit organizations to develop and implement a state sponsored workforce program that attracts and trains a diverse set of local workers. The Letter of Intent deadline is May 9th, 2024, and the full application is due on July 12th, 2024. You can learn more about the program here.
The DOE announced the Concentrating Solar Flux to Heat and Power funding opportunity to support the research and development of large scale solar projects. Interested parties should submit their concept paper by May 16th, 2024 and their full application by August 8th, 2024.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation's Communities Taking Charge Acceleratorprogram invests $54 million towards EV charging infrastructure. The concept paper deadline is May 20th, 2024, and the full application deadline is July 16th, 2024.
The Colorado Energy Office has opened up the Geothermal Electricity Tax Credit application from now through June 30th, 2024. Interested parties can find more information and apply here.
Water:
The Bureau of Reclamation has open WaterSMART grants to fund projects by local governments and nonprofits in the Western United States that conserve water and use it more efficiently. The deadline to apply is October 30th, 2024.
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has Colorado Water Plan Grantswhich support water storage, conservation, and other projects that help implement the Colorado Water plan. Interested parties can find more information here and should apply by July 1st, 2024. DNR also has an open Water Supply Reserve Fund grant for local governments and nonprofits with rolling deadlines on June 1st, August 1st, and October 1st, 2024.
The EPA has an open Healthy Watersheds Consortium grant program for nonprofits working to protect water quality. The deadline to apply is May 10th, 2024.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking rolling applications for Emergency Community Water Assistance grants for rural local governments and nonprofits recovering from a disaster that affected local water quality.
The Colorado Department of Natural Resources has a comprehensive dashboard of water funding opportunities both at the state and federal level.
Rural:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office has an open Socially Disadvantaged Groups grant for technical assistance for rural cooperatives and Cooperative Development Centers. Interested parties can find more information here and should apply by June 3rd, 2024.
Social Services:
The U.S. Department of Homeland Services has an open Shelter and Services program for local governments and nonprofits serving areas which have experienced an influx of migrants. Interested parties can find more information here and should apply by June 13th, 2024.
Workforce Development:
The U.S. Department of Labor has two open grants for nonprofits supporting women in the workforce: the Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity Grant program (deadline of May 28th, 2024) and the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations (WANTO) Technical Assistance Grant Program (deadline of June 10th, 2024). Additionally, they have an open grant for workplace training for older adults open to nonprofits and local governments (deadline of June 10, 2024).
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSA) has an openMinority Fellowship Program to support the recruitment and training of behavioral health providers from minority backgrounds. The deadline to apply is June 10th, 2024.
The U.S. Department of Commerce's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for CHIPS supports small businesses working to develop microelectronics products and services. The application deadline is June 14th, 2024.
Health Care:
The U.S. Department of Education has an open Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant to support the training of mental health professionals in schools. The application deadline is May 15th, 2024.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has an open Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes program open to local governments, school districts, and nonprofits with projects to improve health outcomes. The program closes on May 15th, 2024.
The Health Resources and Services Administration recently announced the Behavioral Health Service Expansion grant program for health care providers to expand mental health and substance abuse disorder services. Interested applicants should apply by May 22nd, 2024.
The Administration for Community Living has a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Program open to for-profit and nonprofit organizations and a Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects Program open to nonprofits. Both have a proposal deadline of May 24th, 2024.
The Health Resources and Services Administration has an open Rural Health Research Center Program open to nonprofit and for-profit organizations working in rural health care. Interested applicants should apply by May 23rd, 2024. They also have an open grant for maternal and infant home health care (deadline of May 29th, 2024) and one for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders screening and intervention (deadline of June 21st, 2024).
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has an open Minority Research Grantprogram for health care researchers at Minority Serving Institutions. Applicants should apply by June 3rd, 2024.
The Administration for Community Living's Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative provides federal funding for local governments and nonprofit organizations to provide community services for individuals with Alzheimer's or dementia. The application deadline is June 11th, 2024.
The Colorado Department of Human Services has an open grant program that provides funding to local governments and nonprofit organizations to provide services to deaf, blind, and disabled individuals. The deadline to apply is June 30th, 2024.
The Administration for Children and Families Next Generation Child Support Employment Services Demonstration grant program is open until July 3rd, 2024.
Food and Agriculture:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a Farmers Market Promotion Programopen to for profit businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local governments. The deadline to apply is May 14th, 2024.
USDA also has an open SNAP Process and Technology Improvement Grant program to improve the duration and experience of the SNAP application process for SNAP applicants. The grant is open to local governments and food insecurity related nonprofits, and is due June 18th, 2024.
The USDA has an open loan program for agricultural producers to build affordable housing for farmworkers both on the farm (rolling applications) and off-site (deadline of June 18th, 2024).
Assistance for Local Governments:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has a Local Planning Capacity Grant Program to assist with planning, infrastructure, and housing projects. The grant program deadline is June 3rd, 2024. Interested parties can find more information here, and should schedule a required pre-application meeting here.
Environment:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has an open Regional Conservation Partnership Program open to local governments, school districts, and nonprofit organizations to carry out conservation programs. The application deadline is July 2nd, 2024.
Science and Technology:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has an open Accelerating Federal Technology Transfer (AFTT) Program that supports technological research and education efforts (deadline of May 28th, 2024) as well as a grant to support workforce development in the cybersecurity field (deadline of May 24th, 2024).
Grants on the Horizon:
The Department of Transportation anticipates opening several major grant programs in the coming months, including the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (expected to open in May), Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) (expected to open in the summer). Additionally, the EPA's Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program is expected to open this summer. The DOT is expected to open up the Low-Carbon Transportation Grants Program to local governments in May or June. Those interested in other future transportation grant announcements can check the DOT key announcement dates webpage here.
FEMA is expected to open up the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant later in the summer to fund preparedness efforts against cyber attacks.
The Department of Energy has announced that it plans to open nearly $5 million in grants through its Water Power Technologies Office to fund water energy programs sometime in late April to May.
The National Institutes of Health has announced that it intends to open a grant program to fund telehealth and digital health care programs later this year in July.
Technical Assistance:
Something I hear constantly when meeting with local governments and organizations is that they are interested in taking advantage of federal funding opportunities, but simply do not have the capacity to to submit a competitive application. The following section lists freeresources to make applying to and managing grants more feasible.
Help for Local Governments:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has a University Technical Assistance Program which connects graduate students with smaller local governments for affordableassistance with planning around architecture, housing, renewable energy, and town processes. Colorado's Division of Local Government has a more extensive list of freeresources and technical assistance for local governments here.
Grant Navigation, Writing, and Local Match Help:
The Office of the Governor established 14 Regional Grant Navigator positions to help provide free technical assistance for local governments looking to apply to Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants. Interested local governments can find the contact information for their grant navigator and find more information on the program here.
The State of Colorado allocated a total of $10 million in aid for local match requirements(the portion of a project that a federal grant does not cover) to help smaller local governments with less resources to apply for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants. Interested parties can find more information here.
The State of Colorado set aside $1 million for grant writing and technical assistance for municipalities and state agencies applying for grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Interested parties can find more information here and apply for assistance here.
Housing and Community Living:
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers free in-depth one on one program assistance to eligible grant applicants. Applicants can apply for such support here, and should note that a determination can take up to 3-6 weeks. For simpler questions, grant applicants can view information on HUD programs here, view trainingshere, and submit questions here. Additionally, interested parties can find a dashboard of open and forecasted grants with tie-ins to housing on the HUD website here.
The Administration for Community Living funded Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network is a national technical assistance center that provides free assistance to organizations that serve families in which grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children. The ACL also funds the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center, which provides free technical assistance organizations that provide support services and career resources for disabled individuals.
Water:
Following the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Environmental Protection Agency expanded the Water Technical Assistance program to help communities take advantage of the historic $50 billion in water funding. Interested parties can apply for freetechnical assistance to address water, wastewater, and stormwater projects here. The EPA's Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center also provides free technical assistance. The EPA offers free technical assistance directly to water utilities through theCreating Resilient Water Utilities program.
Following a webinar for local governments on water grants, the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) posted a list of technical assistance resources and organizations for local governments and organizations. Interested parties can find more information on their website here. Interested local governments can also access free technical assistance from DOLA outlined here by reaching out to their DOLA Regional Manager. The names and contact info for DOLA Regional Managers is listed here.
Clean Energy:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has compiled a list of federal and state technical assistance resources for local governments looking to strengthen their electrical grid resiliency here.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture is providing free technical assistance for rural small businesses, farmers and ranchers interested in applying to the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). Interested parties can find more about and apply for their assistance offerings (including help with completing the technical reports and feasibility studies) here.
Local governments and nonprofit organizations can receive technical assistance around clean energy questions and projects through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Clean Energy to Communities Program. Interested parties can find more information and apply for assistance here.
Local governments interested in implementing solar energy in their communities can reach out to SolSmart, a program funded by the Department of Energy, for free technical assistance. Interested parties can apply here. Additionally, the Department of Energy has compiled a list of technical assistance programs and funding opportunities here, and has a State and Local Solution Center with more resources here. Nonprofits interested in solar can find more resources in a DOE webinar here. The Clean Energy Connector and National Community Solar Partnership are two additional resources from the DOE for communities wishing to implement solar energy.
Transportation:
Local governments and transportation departments can get low-to-no cost technical assistance on transportation projects through the Federal Highway Administration's Local Technical Assistance Program. Interested parties in Colorado can apply for help with the Colorado LTAP here and access free online trainings here. Those interested in highway projects can find a list of grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act here and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law here.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has released technical assistance resources, aRural and Urban Electric Vehicle Project Toolkit, checklist for how to prepare to apply for DOT grants, Benefit-Cost Analysis Template, Rural Grant Application Toolkit, Transportation Data and Equity Hub, an explainer on local match requirements, a Strategic Workforce Development Toolkit, and application checklists for ways to make your application more competitive when it comes to job creation and climate impacts.
The Federal Highway Administration is providing technical assistance to transportation agencies on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while planning and implementing transportation projects. Interested parties can apply for assistance here.
In early April, the DOT announced the selection of their technical assistance provider, which will be housed under the Reconnecting Communities Institute (RCI). Interested parties working on projects to connect previously isolated communities with transportation infrastructure should expect to be able to reach out to RCI for technical assistance later in the year.
Electric Vehicles:
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has Clean Bus Planning Awards to provide technical assistance for school districts hoping to electrify their bus fleet. They have been taking rolling applications for technical assistance since February 20th, 2024.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides free technical assistance to organizations, school districts, transportation agencies, and municipalities on "the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses." Interested parties can find more here. Additionally, they have a Public Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Playbook with more resources on expanding EV infrastructure.
Environmental:
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Environmental Protection Agency has created theCommunity Change Grants Technical Assistance program and the Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance programs for disaster-prone areas. Eligible parties can receive free grant applications, project planning, and post-award assistance through these programs. Interested parties can request assistance here.
The EPA has an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs) Program, which offers free grant writing and research assistance to organizations applying to grants with an environmental justice tie-in. Interested parties in Colorado can apply for assistance here. The EPA also offers free online trainings on how to develop a budget and manage an EPA grant.
Early Childhood Development:
The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, funded through the Department of Education, offers a variety of technical assistance resources for early childhood education and childcare providers.
Broadband:
The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) launched a mapping tool to help grant awardees to identify local requirements around permitting and environmental concerns in areas where they are expanding broadband infrastructure.
Caregiving and Volunteer Program Capacity Building:
The Community Care Corps is a technical assistance center funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) that works to provide assistance to caregiving organizations and organizations with volunteer programs. Interested parties can find more about their technical assistance here and view their library of resources here. The ACL has additional resources for caregivers here.
Scientific Research:
The National Institutes of Health has a Small Business Applicant Assistance Program that provides technical assistance for small businesses with a health care focus applying forPhase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding. Interested applicants can apply here.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is hosting a series of free webinars for early-in-career scientific researchers on how to prepare a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application through July. You can find more information and apply here.
Application Tip of the Month:
When a grant application requires a concept paper as an initial application step, this is often a sign that the agency will require a more in-depth, technical application when compared to other grant opportunities. Agencies often want the chance to confirm that applicants and their proposed projects are a good fit for the grant during the concept paper review phase, so organizations that are a poor fit do not have to complete the entire process to apply.
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
Rural:
The USDA Rural Development office has an open ReConnect Loan and Grant program to aid with the construction, improvement, and acquisition of broadband services in rural areas. Applications are due by May 21st, 2024.
Housing:
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a grant for the development of low-income housing for seniors. Interested applicants can find more information here and apply by June 20th, 2024.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has anInnovation Housing Incentive grant program to fund housing production. They are accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Behavioral Health:
The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) recently opened its Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program, which offers funding for mental health organizations for training programs for staff to provide services to family members of patients with opioid use disorder and substance use disorder. The deadline to apply is May 6th, 2024.
HRSA also has an open Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, which provides funding for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services in rural communities. The deadline to apply is also May 6th, and interested parties can access free technical assistance specific to this grant here.
Environmental:
The EPA has an open Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change grants program with funding for community programs to implement climate action and pollution reduction plans. The rolling application is open until November 21st, 2024. Interested applicants can find more information on and apply for technical assistance specific to this grant here.
Food and Agriculture:
The USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program offers funding to local governments and nonprofits to increase the amount of locally grown produce purchased by low-income families. The application deadline is May 14th, 2024.
The Administration for Community Living has recently announced a cooperative agreement program to fund nutrition programs for seniors. Interested parties can find more of the program here and should apply by May 6th, 2024.
Energy:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has an open Microgrids for Community Resilience Program that provides funding to municipalities and utilities for electric grid resilience planning and construction projects. The application deadline is June 13th, 2024. Interested parties can find more grid resiliency-specific technical assistance resourceshere.
The Department of Energy has announced its Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy grant as part of its Local Government Energy Program. This grant provides funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and has a deadline of May 31st, 2024.
The DOE also recently announced the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementationprogram funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve building energy efficiency and lower energy costs for homeowners. The application deadline is June 6th, 2024. Interested parties can learn more about technical assistance specific to building energy efficiency here.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here. You can also find resources shared in previous grant newsletters here.
If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please send an email to co07grants@mail.house.gov. We ask that those requesting letters of support send their application materials and a draft letter of support, and that applicants allow at least a week to process the request. Letter of support requests within a week of the deadline may not be able to be processed in time.
Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
March Monthly Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Additionally, you can find an extensive list of funding opportunities for local governments run and updated regularly by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs here. This user-friendly dashboard includes federal and state funding opportunities and can be filtered by category, program, award type, awarding agency, and eligible applicants.
Community Project Funding:
In an effort to support eligible projects within the 7th Congressional District, I wanted to share details about the upcoming FY25 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The CPF process allows members of Congress to directly advocate for how funding will be directed to specific state or local governments or eligible non-profit recipients through the annual appropriations process.
Last year, I submitted fifteen projects to the House Appropriations Committee for the FY24 CPF process. Many of you may have partnered with me on one or more of these submissions. Eligibility and deadline guidance for FY25 have not yet been released by the House Appropriations Committee; however, we expect these guidelines in the coming days and are encouraging individuals to get their projects in order as the window to submit may be tight. Please fill out this form if you would like to receive information about the FY25 CPF process as soon as it is released. You can also find a one-pager outlining the CPF processhere.
Grant News:
Rural:
The USDA Rural Development office has an open ReConnect Loan and Grant program to aid with the construction, improvement, and acquisition of broadband services in rural areas. Applications are due by May 21st, 2024.
The USDA also has an open Distance Learning and Telemedicine grant program to fund telemedicine and virtual learning in rural areas for local governments, non and for-profit organizations. The deadline to apply is April 29th, 2024.
Housing:
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a grant for the development of low-income housing for seniors. Interested applicants can find more information here and apply by June 20th, 2024.
The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has anInnovation Housing Incentive grant program to fund housing production. They are accepting applications on a rolling basis.
Workforce Development:
The Department of Labor announced nearly $95 million in competitive grants through the Apprenticeship Building America Grant Program. This program seeks to leverage apprenticeships as a workforce solution while ensuring people from underrepresented and underserved communities can access high-quality training and pre-apprenticeships that lead directly to enrollment in a Registered Apprenticeship program. The department will award 12 to 25 grants, ranging from $1 million to $8 million, in three categories depending on the geographic scope. Applications are due on April 15, 2024. You can learn more about the program here.
Behavioral Health:
The Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) recently opened its Opioid-Impacted Family Support Program, which offers funding for mental health organizations for training programs for staff to provide services to family members of patients with opioid use disorder and substance use disorder. The deadline to apply is May 6th, 2024.
HRSA also has an open Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, which provides funding for substance use disorder treatment and recovery services in rural communities. The deadline to apply is also May 6th, and interested parties can access free technical assistance specific to this grant here.
The Department of Justice has opened its Second Chance Pay for Success Program for funding to local governments to better provide mental health and substance use disorder treatment for formerly incarcerated individuals to reduce recidivism. Interested parties can find more information here and should apply by April 30th, 2024.
Wildfire:
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) recently announced the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to help fund staffing needs for fire departments. This is one of the largest grant programs for fire response and has a deadline of April 12th, 2024.
Environmental:
The EPA has an open Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change grants program with funding for community programs to implement climate action and pollution reduction plans. The rolling application is open until November 21st, 2024.
Food and Agriculture:
The USDA Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program offers funding to local governments and nonprofits to increase the amount of locally grown produce purchased by low-income families. The application deadline is May 14th, 2024.
The Administration for Community Living has recently announced a cooperative agreement program to fund nutrition programs for seniors. Interested parties can find more of the program here and should apply by May 6th, 2024.
Transportation:
Two recently announced grants – the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SSR4A) and Active Transportation Infrastructure Investment Program (ATIIP) – provide funding for improving road safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists. SSR4A planning demonstration grants have a deadline of August 29th at the latest; SSR4A implementation grants are due on May 16th. ATIIP applications are due by June 17th, 2024. Interested parties can learn more at a webinar held on April 9th at 9 am MT here.
The Department of Transportation has the following open grants: the Congestion Relief Program (deadline of April 22nd, 2024), the Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration Program (notice of intent deadline of April 16th, 2024), Clean Bus Planning Awards (takes rolling applications), the Bridge Investment Program (deadline of October 1, 2024 for FY 2025 funds), and four new highway safety related grants (deadline of April 19th, 2024).
Energy:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has an open Microgrids for Community Resilience Program that provides funding to municipalities and utilities for electric grid resilience planning and construction projects. The application deadline is June 13th, 2024. Interested parties can find more grid resiliency-specific technical assistance resourceshere.
The Department of Energy has announced its Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy grant as part of its Local Government Energy Program. This grant provides funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and has a deadline of May 31st, 2024.
The DOE also recently announced the Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementationprogram funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve building energy efficiency and lower energy costs for homeowners. The application deadline is June 6th, 2024. Interested parties can learn more about technical assistance specific to building energy efficiency here.
Grants on the Horizon:
Several major Department of Transportation programs, including the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure and the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT), are expected to open this summer. Those interested in other future transportation grant announcements can check the DOT key announcement dates webpage here.
FEMA is tentatively expected to announce in mid-April the opening of the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NPSG) for non-profits (including places of worship) at high risk of terrorist attack. Interested parties can find more information about the grant and a series of technical assistance webinars on the program here. Applicants who have not received NPSG funding in the past will be prioritized, and the state of Colorado has its own NPSG program that will open later in the year for applicants not awarded the FEMA grant (more here).
FEMA is also expected to open up the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant later in the summer to fund preparedness efforts against cyber attacks.
Technical Assistance:
Something I hear constantly when meeting with local governments and organizations is that they are interested in taking advantage of federal funding opportunities, but simply do not have the capacity to to submit a competitive application. The following section lists free resources to make applying to and managing grants more feasible.
Help for Local Governments:
The Colorado Department of Local Affairs has a University Technical Assistance Programwhich connects graduate students with smaller local governments for affordableassistance with planning around architecture, housing, renewable energy, and town processes.
Grant Navigation, Writing, and Local Match Help:
The Office of the Governor established 14 Regional Grant Navigator positions to help provide free technical assistance for local governments looking to apply to Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants. Interested local governments can find the contact information for their grant navigator and find more information on the program here.
The State of Colorado allocated a total of $10 million in aid for local match requirements(the portion of a project that a federal grant does not cover) to help smaller local governments with less resources to apply for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants. Interested parties can find more information here.
The State of Colorado set aside $1 million for grant writing and technical assistance for municipalities and state agencies applying for grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Interested parties can find more information here and apply for assistance here.
Water:
Following the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Environmental Protection Agency expanded the Water Technical Assistance program to help communities take advantage of the historic $50 billion in water funding. Interested parties can apply for freetechnical assistance to address water, wastewater, and stormwater projects here.
Solar and Energy:
Local governments interested in implementing solar energy in their communities can reach out to SolSmart, a program funded by the Department of Energy, for free technical assistance. Interested parties can apply here. Additionally, the Department of Energy has compiled a list of technical assistance programs and funding opportunities here.
Electric Vehicles:
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides free technical assistance to organizations, school districts, transportation agencies, and municipalities on "the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses." Interested parties can find more here.
Transportation:
Local governments and transportation departments can get low-to-no cost technical assistance on transportation projects through the Federal Highway Administration's Local Technical Assistance Program. Interested parties in Colorado can apply for help with the Colorado LTAP here and access free online trainings here. Those interested in highway projects can find a list of grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act here and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law here.
The Department of Transportation has released technical assistance resources, a Rural andUrban Electric Vehicle Project Toolkit, checklist for how to prepare to apply for DOT grants, Benefit-Cost Analysis Template, Rural Grant Application Toolkit, Transportation Data and Equity Hub, an explainer on local match requirements, and application checklists for ways to make your application more competitive when it comes to job creation and climate impacts.
Environmental:
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Environmental Protection Agency has created theCommunity Change Grants Technical Assistance program and the Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance programs for disaster-prone areas. Eligible parties can receive free grant applications, project planning, and post-award assistance through these programs. Interested parties can request assistance here.
The EPA has an Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs) Program, which offers free grant writing and research assistance to organizations applying to grants with an environmental justice tie-in. Interested parties in Colorado can apply for assistance here. The EPA also offers free online trainings on how to develop a budget and manage an EPA grant.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Office of Just Transition offers free grant writing assistance for organizations in coal communities applying to economic and workforce development projects. Interested parties can find more information here and contact Cassie Mason at cassie.mason@state.co.us to apply for the program.
Scientific Research:
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is hosting a series of free webinars for early-in-career scientific researchers on how to prepare a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application through July. You can find more information and apply here.
Community Living:
The Administration for Community Living funded Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network is a national technical assistance center that provides free assistance to organizations that serve families in which grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children.
Application Tip of the Month:
You can often look at the "background" section of a Notice Of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcement and the "additional info" section of a Grants.gov listing to find the awarding agency's priorities for the grant and overall priorities for that year. Emphasizing the ways in which your proposed project aligns with these priorities can help make your application more competitive.
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
The Federal Transit Administration announced two new busing-related grant programs earlier this year: the Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Buses and Bus Facilities Program. These programs are available to local governments and transportation authorities to replace existing buses with lower-emission buses, and to carry out capital projects for bus facilities. Both have an application deadline of April 25th, 2024. Interested parties can find more information here.
The Department of Energy has an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program which is open to local governments wishing to carry out clean energy programs that cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use. Agency partners have told us that fewer parties than expected have applied, meaning this is a non-competitive funding opportunity for eligible local governments with more funding than expected still available. Cities with more than 35,000 residents and counties with more than 200,000 residents are eligible for this grant. Both grants and vouchers are available under this program. The application deadline is April 30th, 2024, but the DOE asks applicants intending to apply to submit a pre-award information sheet as soon as possible.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here. You can also find resources shared in previous grant newsletters here.
If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please contact my grants program manager at co07grants@mail.house.gov. We ask that those requesting letters of support send their application materials and a draft letter of support, and that applicants allow at least a week to process the request. Letter of support requests within a week of the deadline may not be able to be processed in time.
Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
February Monthly Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Community Project Funding:
In an effort to support eligible projects within the 7th Congressional District, I wanted to share details about the upcoming FY25 Community Project Funding (CPF) process. The CPF process allows members of Congress to directly advocate for how funding will be directed to specific state or local governments or eligible non-profit recipients through the annual appropriations process.
Last year, I submitted fifteen projects to the House Appropriations Committee for the FY24 CPF process. Many of you may have partnered with me on one or more of these submissions. All 15 of my FY24 projects were included in the House version of the appropriation bills which is a crucial step toward entities being awarded funding. However, funding will not be available until the House and Senate pass the FY24 spending bill. We will continue to stay in contact with those who had approved projects as more information becomes available.
Eligibility and deadline guidance for FY25 have not yet been released by the House Appropriations Committee; however, we are here to answer any questions you may have as we prepare for this year’s submission process. Please fill out this form if you would like to receive information about the FY25 CPF process as soon as it is released. You can also find a one-pager outlining the CPF process here.
Grant News:
Fire Grants:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an open Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program with a deadline of March 8th, 2024. This fund can be used by fire departments in a variety of ways, including for equipment, vehicles, and staff training.
The Colorado State Forest Service has a Wildfire Mitigation Outreach Grant Program to help municipalities and nonprofits educate community members in high wildfire-risk areas about wildfire mitigation. The application deadline is February 29th, 2024.
Colorado's Department of Local Affairs also has a fire-related grant program – the Housing Recovery Program – which can be used by homeowners in state-declared disaster areas to rebuild and invest in home hardening efforts. Within the 7th Congressional District, certain households affected by the Chateau Fire in Teller County are eligible for this grant.
Bus grants:
The Federal Transit Administration announced two new busing-related grant programs earlier this month: the Low or No Emission Grant Program and the Buses and Bus Facilities Program. These programs are available to local governments and transportation authorities to replace existing buses with lower-emission buses, and to carry out capital projects for bus facilities. Both have an application deadline of April 25th, 2024. Interested parties can find more information here.
Agriculture Grants:
The Department of Agriculture has announced $5 million in funding for 12 projects, with awards up to $350,000, for community-based outreach education programs that provide individuals and families with information on health care services, good health tips, and awareness of environmental risk factors. Applications are due on March 14, 2024. More information on the program is available here.
The Colorado Department of Agriculture has a Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant program aimed at strengthening the supply chain for Colorado farmers and food processors. Interested parties can find more information here. The deadline to apply is March 7th, 2024.
Others:
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced $24 million in funding for 61 projects, with up to $400,000 in individual funding, for programs to expand substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and recovery support services in existing drug courts. Recipients are expected to provide prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services for individuals with SUD involved with the courts. With this program, SAMHSA aims to improve abstinence from substance use, housing stability, employment status, social connectedness, health, behavioral, and social consequences, and reduce criminal justice involvement. Applications are due on April 1st, 2024. More information on the program is available here.
The Colorado Department of Law has an open Opioid Response Strategic Impact grant for organizations and nonprofits to implement programs to combat the opioid crisis in Colorado. The application deadline is March 8th, 2024.
The Department of Energy recently announced a grant program to advance next-generation batteries and energy storage in an effort to further grid storage and resilience. Interested parties can find more information here. Concept papers are due on March 4th, and full applications are due on May 7th, 2024.
Grants on the Horizon:
Several large transportation grants are anticipated to be announced by the end of February, including the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant and the Congestion Relief Program. Other major Department of Transportation programs such as the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure and the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program (PROTECT) grant programs are expected to open this summer. Those interested in other future transportation grant announcements can check the DOT key announcement dates webpage here.
FEMA is expected to announce the opening of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). This is one of the largest grant programs for fire response, so now is the ideal time for interested parties to prepare. FEMA is also expected to open up applications soon for the Nonprofit Security Grant program for non-profits (including places of worship) at high risk of an attack. Interested parties can find more information about the grant and a series of technical assistance webinars on the program here.
Technical Assistance:
Something I hear constantly when meeting with local governments and organizations is that they are interested in taking advantage of federal funding opportunities, but simply do not have the capacity to to submit a competitive application. The following section lists free resources to make applying to and managing grants more feasible.
The State of Colorado has allocated a total of $10 million for local match requirements (the portion of a project that a federal grant does not cover) to help smaller local governments with less resources to apply for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants. Interested parties can find more information here.
The State of Colorado has set aside $1 million for grant writing and technical assistance for municipalities and state agencies applying for grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Interested parties can find more information here and apply for assistance here.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Environmental Protection Agency has created the Community Change Grants Technical Assistance program and the Community Change Equitable Resilience Technical Assistance programs for disaster-prone areas. Eligible parties can receive free grant applications, project planning, and post-award assistance through these programs. Interested parties can request assistance here.
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is hosting a series of free webinars for early-in-career scientific researchers on how to prepare a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application. You can find more information and apply here.
The Department of Transportation has released technical assistance resources, a Rural and Urban Electric Vehicle Project Toolkit, checklist for how to prepare to apply for DOT grants, Benefit-Cost Analysis Template, Rural Grant Application Toolkit, Transportation Data and Equity Hub, an explainer on local match requirements, and application checklists for ways to make your application more competitive when it comes to job creation and climate impacts.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides free technical assistance to organizations, school districts, transportation agencies, and municipalities on "the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses." Interested parties can find more here.
The Administration for Community Living funded Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network is a national technical assistance center that provides free assistance to organizations that serve families in which grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children.
Application Tip of the Month:
Make sure you thoroughly show how you intend to involve community feedback and involvement as part of executing your project, as well as how your project will help the nearby community. In applications where community involvement is involved, this should not just be an afterthought but a core framework of how you should plan your project. In some grants, such as those run by the Department of Energy, Community Benefit Plans can constitute up to 20% of how an application is scored!
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
The Department of Energy has an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program which is open to local governments wishing to carry out clean energy programs that cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use. Agency partners have told us that fewer parties than expected have applied, meaning this is a non-competitive funding opportunity for eligible local governments with more funding than expected still available. Cities with more than 35,000 residents and counties with more than 200,000 residents are eligible for this grant. Both grants and vouchers are available under this program. The application deadline is April 30th, 2024, but the DOE asks applicants intending to apply to submit a pre-award information sheet as soon as possible.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which will provide individual grants of $2 million or more for municipalities, state agencies, and subgrantees within a coalition to carry out a climate action plan aimed at reducing pollution in their service area. The deadline for the Climate Action Plan is due March 1st, and the application deadline is April 1, 2024.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here. You can also find resources shared in previous grant newsletters here.
If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please contact my grants program manager, David Clark, directly at david.clark@mail.house.gov. We ask that those requesting letters of support send their application materials and a draft letter of support, and that applicants allow at least a week to process the request. Letter of support requests within a week of the deadline may not be able to be processed in time.
Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
January Monthly Grants Newsletter
In 2023, our district was awarded over $74 million in federal grant funding. These resources helped improve our community by aiding projects around scientific research, water quality, transportation, public safety, and health care.
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Grant News:
The Evergreen Creative District is hosting a workshop on Monday, January 29th at 12 pm at Center Stage Theater in Evergreen to discuss navigating the grants landscape and ways to make your grant application more competitive. Interested parties in the area can RSVP and ask any questions by emailing Executive Director Ron Isaacson at ronisaacson@me.com. A member of my staff will also be attending the workshop for any additional questions or needed support.
Grants on the Horizon:
Several large transportation grants are anticipated to be announced soon for the coming months, including the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, Low or No Emission Grant program, and the Congestion Relief Program. Those interested in other future transportation grants announcements can check the Department of Transportation key announcement dates webpage here.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to announce the opening ofStaffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and Assistance for Firefighters Grants (AFG) programs in the coming months. These are some of the largest grant programs for fire response, so now is the ideal time for parties interested in fire response grants to prepare.
Technical Assistance:
Something I hear constantly when meeting with local governments and organizations is that they are interested in taking advantage of federal funding opportunities, but simply do not have the capacity to to submit a competitive application. The following section lists free resources to make applying to and managing grants more feasible.
The State of Colorado has set aside $1 million for grant writing and technical assistance for municipalities and state agencies applying for grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Interested parties can find more information here and apply for assistance here.
The Department of Transportation has released technical assistance resources to help meet this need, including a new Benefit-Cost Analysis Template, Rural Grant Application Toolkit, Transportation Data and Equity Hub, an explainer on local match requirements, and application checklists for ways to make your application more competitive when it comes to job creation and climate impacts.
The Administration for Community Living funded Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network is a national technical assistance center that provides free assistance to organizations that serve families in which grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends are raising children.
The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation provides free technical assistance to organizations, school districts, transportation agencies, and municipalities on "the planning, deployment, operation, and maintenance of a national network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers, zero-emission fueling infrastructure, and zero-emission transit and school buses." Interested parties can find more here.
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced a Rural Business Development grant to aid economic development in rural areas. Any local government or nonprofits serving areas outside of cities with populations of 50,000 people or more are eligible. Grant money can be used for a variety of purposes, including training and technical assistance, community economic development, feasibility studies, business plans, and more. Smaller projects are generally given more priority. Applications are due to the Colorado USDA state office by February 28th, 2024.
The Department of Transportation has announced $1.5 billion in funding for theRebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, a popular "catch-all" program that funds many types of transportation projects. The DOT lists the following factors as selection criteria: "safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation." Applications are due on February 28, 2024.
The Department of Energy has an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program which is open to local governments wishing to carry out clean energy programs that cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use. Agency partners have told us that fewer parties than expected have applied, meaning this is a non-competitive funding opportunity for eligible local governments with more funding than expected still available. Cities with more than 35,000 residents and counties with more than 200,000 residents are eligible for this grant. Both grants and vouchers are available under this program. The application deadline is April 30th, 2024, but the DOE asks applicants intending to apply to submit a pre-award information sheet as soon as possible.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which will provide individual grants of $2 million or more for municipalities, state agencies, and subgrantees within a coalition to carry out a climate action plan aimed at reducing pollution in their service area. The deadline for the optional Notice of Intent to Apply is February 1, 2024, the Climate Action Plan is due March 1st, and the application deadline is April 1, 2024.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here. You can also find resources shared in previous grant newsletters here.
If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please contact my grants program manager, David Clark, directly at david.clark@mail.house.gov. We ask that those requesting letters of support send their application materials and a draft letter of support, and that applicants allow at least a week to process the request. Letter of support requests within a week of the deadline may not be able to be processed in time.
Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
December Grants Newsletter
I hope this newsletter finds you well ahead of the holiday season. As I reflect on our work this year I continue to be honored to have partners like you working every day to improve our communities.
Just this year, our district has been awarded over $74 million in federal grant funding. These resources have helped improve our community through aiding projects around scientific research, water quality, transportation, public safety, and health care.
Over the past month, you may have noticed changes to grants.gov. The site has a new look designed to make grant applications easier and more accessible.
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Grant News:
Rural Business Development:
The US Department of Agriculture Rural Development has recently announced a Rural Business Development grant to aid economic development in rural areas. Any local government or nonprofits serving areas outside of cities with populations of 50,000 people or more are eligible. Grant money can be used for a variety of purposes, including training and technical assistance, community economic development, feasibility studies, business plans, and more. Smaller projects are generally given more priority. Applications are due to the CO USDA state office by February 28th, 2024.
Environment:
The Department of Energy has an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program which is open to local governments wishing to carry out clean energy programs that cut carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy use. Agency partners have told us that fewer parties than expected have applied, meaning this is a non-competitive funding opportunity for eligible local governments with more funding than expected still available. Cities with more than 35,000 residents and counties with more than 200,000 residents are eligible for this grant. Both grants and vouchers are available under this program. The application deadline is April 30th, 2024, but the DOE asks applicants intending to apply to submit a pre-award information sheet as soon as possible.
Transportation:
The Department of Transportation has announced $1.5 billion in funding for theRebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program, a popular "catch-all" program that funds many types of transportation projects. The DOT lists the following factors as selection criteria: "safety, environmental sustainability, quality of life, mobility and community connectivity, economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism, state of good repair, partnership and collaboration, and innovation." Applications are due on February 28, 2024.
In addition to railway and freight transportation projects, the DOT and various federal agencies also have grant programs aimed at supporting pedestrian and bicyclist safety as well as funding charging stations for electric bicycles and scooters. Interested parties can find more information here.
Workforce Development:
The U.S. Department of Labor has opened up this year's funding of YouthBuild, a program that provides pre-apprenticeship training in construction for youth aged 16-24 who have dropped out of high school while providing classroom vocation training for them to earn a high school diploma. This year, grant reviewers are prioritizing projects funded through the Investing in America program and which partner with workforce organizations or unions. Applications are due on February 1, 2024.
Technical Assistance:
Something I hear constantly when meeting with local governments and organizations is that they are interested in taking advantage of federal funding opportunities, but simply do not have the staff capacity to complete application requirements to submit a competitive application. The Department of Transportation recently released technical assistance resources to help meet this need, including a new Benefit-Cost Analysis Template and updated Rural Grant Application Toolkit designed specifically for smaller, rural communities and organizations to be able to more easily navigate the grants landscape and have starting points to build out their applications. Additionally, the DOT recently released a new Transportation Data and Equity Hub to help applicants access and include data and metrics on local transportation needs. With the Biden Administration's ongoing Justice40 Initiative, which directs federal agencies to allocate at least 40% of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act toward historically disadvantaged communities, data tools like these can help applicants in disadvantaged communities show the need for their proposed project.
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
The Environmental Protection Agency has started their Clean School Bus RebatesProgram which offers upfront funding to help schools replace existing diesel school buses with new clean and zero-emissions vehicles. This non-competitive program selects recipients through a random lottery, giving preference to school districts listedhere that serve rural and low-income areas, and aims to offer a simpler, more streamlined application process compared to other funding opportunities. The application deadline is January 21st, 2024.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which will provide individual grants of $2 million or more for municipalities, state agencies, and subgrantees within a coalition to carry out a climate action plan aimed at reducing pollution in their service area. Those interested in applying can find more information at the EPA announcement webinar here. The deadline for the optional Notice of Intent to Apply is February 1, 2024, and the application deadline is April 1, 2024.
As temperatures drop, the Colorado Energy Office has an open Weatherization Assistance Program to aid homeowners with energy audits, insulation, solar energy, heat pumps, and more. Interested parties can find more information and apply here. Low-income families and seniors can also receive assistance for winter heating costs from the Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program here.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here or contact my grants program manager, DavidClark, at david.clark@mail.house.gov. You can also find resources shared in previous grant newsletters here.
Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
November Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Grant News:
The Environmental Protection Agency has started their Clean School Bus RebatesProgram which offers upfront funding to help schools replace existing diesel school buses with new clean and zero-emissions vehicles. This non-competitive program selects recipients through a random lottery, giving preference to school districts listedhere that serve rural and low-income areas, and aims to offer a simpler, more streamlined application process compared to other funding opportunities. The application deadline is January 21st, 2024.
The National Park Service recently announced the Save America's Treasures grant program, which allocated funds towards the preservation of historical sites and properties that have been designated a National Historic Landmark or have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This grant program also includes funding for the preservation of historically relevant collections and is open to museums and libraries. The application deadline is December 19th, 2023.
During the coming year, new rounds of mental health and gun violence prevention grants made possible by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act are expected to be announced. Interested municipalities, school districts, and eligible nonprofits should be on the lookout for mental health grants expected to come out next February and March like Project Aware and Mental Health Awareness Training grants allocated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The Department of Justice STOP School Violence and Enhancing School Capacity to Address Youth Violence grants programs are expected to reopen in March 2024 to help municipalities, school systems, and nonprofits work to address gun violence in schools.
As temperatures drop, the Colorado Energy Office has an open Weatherization Assistance Program to aid homeowners with energy audits, insulation, solar energy, heat pumps, and more. Interested parties can find more information and apply here. Low-income families and seniors can also receive assistance for winter heating costs from the Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program here.
Reminders from last month's newsletter:
The Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which will provide individual grants of $2 million or more for municipalities, state agencies, and subgrantees within a coalition to carry out a climate action plan aimed at reducing pollution in their service area. Those interested in applying can find more information at the EPA announcement webinar here. The deadline for the optional Notice of Intent to Apply is February 1, 2024, and the application deadline is April 1, 2024.
As part of the CHIPS Act and the Biden administration's commitment to strengthening and expanding America's domestic semiconductor supply chain, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a Small Scale Supplier Program. This program will invest in smaller-scale companies wishing to build, expand, or upgrade their facilities that create semiconductors. NIST is accepting concept plans for this grant between December 1st, 2023 and February 1st, 2024. Interested parties can find more information here.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here or contact my grants program manager, David Clark, at david.clark@mail.house.gov.
October Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be frequently updated throughout the month and includes a wide variety of grants related to agriculture, community development, disaster prevention and relief, food and nutrition, transportation, and much more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Grants News:
This month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a new $4.6 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, which will provide individual grants of $2 million or more for municipalities, state agencies, and subgrantees within a coalition to carry out a climate action plan aimed at reducing pollution in their service area. Those interested in applying can find more information at the EPA announcement webinar here. The deadline for the optional Notice of Intent to Apply is February 1, 2024, and the application deadline is April 1, 2024.
The EPA also announced $19 million in grants to address water system infrastructure aimed at helping small, underserved communities conserve water and make their water systems more resilient to climate disasters. This program has no local match requirement and is open to municipal water systems in communities with less than 10,000 people. Interested parties can find more here.
As part of the CHIPS Act and the Biden administration's commitment to strengthening and expanding America's domestic semiconductor supply chain, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced a Small Scale Supplier Program. This program will invest in smaller-scale companies wishing to build, expand, or upgrade their facilities that create semiconductors. NIST is accepting concept plans for this grant between December 1st, 2023 and February 1st, 2024. Interested parties can find more information here.
As a reminder from last month's newsletter, the Department of Transportation has an ongoing Thriving Communities Program to establish regional capacity builders in disadvantaged and under-resourced areas that will provide free technical assistance to community partners. Areas selected for support will receive two years of tailored, deep-dive support with the grants projects and three years of facilitated peer learning and networking. The DOT will be selecting which areas will receive technical assistance based on demonstrated disadvantage and need, as well as the number of letters of interest submitted by a community. Communities who wish to receive this assistance must submit a letter of interest at the web form here by 3 p.m. MT on November 15th.
If you know someone who would like to be added to my monthly grants newsletter, they can sign up for the newsletter here or contact my grants program manager, David Clark, at david.clark@mail.house.gov. You can also find resources shared in previous grants newsletters here. Please reach out with any questions, letter of support requests, or if you would like my office to keep an eye out for federal funding in specific areas.
September Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
You can find up-to-date information on open federal grants here. This spreadsheet will be frequently updated throughout the month and includes grants related to agriculture; arts and culture; business and commerce; community development; consumer protection; disaster prevention and relief; education; employment, labor, and training; energy; environment; food and nutrition; health; infrastructure; income security and social services; natural resources; opportunity zones; regional development; science, technology, and research and development; transportation; and more. The grants can be easily sorted and filtered by category to help find grants relating to specific needs.
Grants News:
The Department of Transportation has recently announced the opening of their Thriving Communities Program to establish regional capacity builders in disadvantaged and underresourced areas that will provide free technical assistance to community partners. Areas selected for support will receive two years of tailored, deep-dive support with the grants projects and three years of facilitated peer learning and networking. The DOT will be selecting which areas will receive technical assistance based on demonstrated disadvantage and need, as well as the number of letters of interest submitted by a community. Communities who wish to receive this assistance should submit a letter of interest through the web form here by 3 p.m. MT on November 15th.
Those interested in free technical assistance and help with finding, applying to, and complying with grants can find more resources from the Federal Interagency Thriving Communities Network. Created to help communities take advantage of the historic federal investments made in the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act, the network works to coordinate between government agencies to increase access to these funding opportunities. Interested parties can find more information at the following links on specific technical assistance programs run by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Economic Development Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the General Services Administration.
August Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Information on grants open through September and beyond can be found here, with subsections of grants related to arts and the humanities, communities, economic development, education, energy, environment, fire and disaster management, food and agriculture, health care, housing, infrastructure, rural assistance, science, technology, and research, transportation, water, workforce development, and Colorado state agency grants. The grants are grouped by category, then ordered by deadline.
Grants News:
Funding and Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency Upgrades:
The Inflation Reduction Act funded programs to help our country’s transition to clean energy and provided resources for nonprofit organizations, larger companies, and individual families and homeowners. One of these programs is the Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program, which provides grants and guaranteed loans for rural agricultural producers and small businesses wishing to install clean energy systems or make energy efficiency improvements. Interested parties can find more on that program here.
It's not just businesses that can receive money for energy efficiency upgrades — homeowners can get in on the action too! This month, the IRS announced that home energy audits that meet certain requirements will now be eligible for the Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credit, making clean energy home improvements more feasible for many households. You can find more information on tax credits and rebates for home energy efficiency improvements, weatherization, and buying electric vehicles at the Department of Energy dashboard here, as well as state-level tax credits for electric vehicle purchases here.
Cybersecurity Grants:
Over the past year, too many municipalities and organizations in our district have had to deal with ransomware attacks extorting already cash and time-strapped communities. That's part of why I was pleased to see that the Federal Emergency Management Agency allocated over $370 million in additional funds for Colorado's State and Local Cybersecurity grants. Interested local governments can find more information here and can contact my office to request letters of support for their applications.
Stormwater and Sewer System Grants:
The Environmental Protection Agency announced $531k in funding this month going towards stormwater collection and sewer system upgrades for Colorado communities. Created specifically for smaller communities with less financial and technical resources, this program has no local match requirement. Interested parties can contact David Piantanida at the EPA at piantanida.david@epa.gov or visit here for more information.
Letters of Support:
In addition to sharing open federal funding opportunities, my office can also help your grant efforts with a letter of support for any federal grant application. Congressional letters of support help show grant reviewers that your project has buy-in from regional stakeholders and make your application more competitive. If you would like to request a letter of support from our office, please contact my grants program manager, David Clark, directly at david.clark@mail.house.gov.
We can also provide a letter of support to any "pass-through" grants, which occur when the federal government allocates federal dollars to the states for state agencies to decide how to disperse. Despite making up over 80% of all federal grant funding, pass-through grants can often be an overlooked avenue for funding — and require applicants to compete only against other CO entities rather than entities across the country.
July Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Information on grants open through August and beyond can be found here, with subsections of grants related to the arts and humanities, children and families, communities, criminal justice, economic development, education, energy, the environment, fire and disaster management, food and agriculture, health care, housing, information technology, infrastructure, the military and national defense, rural assistance, science and research, transportation, water, and workforce development. The grants are grouped by category, then ordered by deadline.
Grants News:
As part of the Biden administration's Investing in America Agenda, the Department of Transportation has announced a new Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This historic investment in our infrastructure puts $5.5 billion toward major projects across the country, including the National Infrastructure Project Assistance Program focused on large complex projects with national and regional impacts, the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program focused on highway and railway projects, and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant focused on rural projects.
In exciting news for Colorado and surrounding states, the Environmental Protection Agency has announced that they are taking applications for a Region 8 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center (TCTAC). In the meantime before a Region 8 TCTAC is selected, Colorado municipalities and organizations can go to the national TCTAC dedicated to our region here for free grant application support and assistance, help with finding relevant available grants, and advice for compliance with grant requirements for any project that has an environmental tie-in or focus.
June Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, businesses, and individuals.
Information on grants open through July and beyond can be found here, with subsections of grants related to arts and culture, children and education, criminal justice, energy, the environment, fire and disaster management, food and agriculture, government,housing, information technology, infrastructure,miscellaneous grants, pipelines and hazardous materials, public health, science and research,specific communities, transportation, water, and the workforce. The grants are grouped by category, then ordered by deadline.
New Grants and Programs:
This month, the Department of Transportation released a new user-friendly online tool to help grant applicants find and sort through available grants from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and transportation-related grants from ten other federal agencies. Applicants can filter by categories of eligible applicants, what the grant money can be used for, local match waivers, and funding opportunities set aside for rural applicants.
DOT has also announced the Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, a new grant program aiming to help partially fund an existing transportation project for rural and tribal areas or make the project more feasible. The grant can go towards technical, financial, and legal support for a project, can be used to hire staff to carry out a project, and can even be used to hire a grant-writer to apply for a specific other transportation-related grant. This grant is non-competitive and has no local match requirement, instead being apportioned to all applicants who meet eligibility requirements on a first-come, first-serve basis when applications open on August 14th. Interested parties can learn more here and direct questions to ruralandtribalta@dot.gov.
The Economic Development Administration announced the Recomplete Pilot Program, a grantsprogram appropriated by the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act. This new grants program looks to invest in economic development in communities with higher than average unemployment for workers aged 25-54 years old. Areas within Fremont, Custer, and Chaffee counties are eligible for this program (more info on eligibility with the EDA mapping tool here), and interested parties can learn more here. The EDA plans to announce when the program will start accepting applications in the coming weeks.
Ways to make your application more competitive:
As part of President Biden's ongoing Justice40 Initiative, federal agencies are directed to allocate at least 40% of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act towards historically disadvantaged communities in an effort to address systemic inequity, racism, and the unequal impacts of pollution on different communities. Applicants can learn more about the Justice40 Initiative here, and are encouraged by grant reviewers to use some of the following data mapping tools to highlight any disadvantaged communities that would stand to benefit from a proposed project: the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, the Department of Transportation Equitable Transportation Community Explorer, the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool, the Center for Disease Control's Social Vulnerability Index, and this Department of Transportation mapping tool for areas of persistent poverty and historically disadvantaged communities.
Additionally, grant reviewers from the Department of Energy have said that community buy-in is a major factor when they review grant applications by private companies for programs covered by President Biden's Invest in America agenda. Applicants who are able to show buy-in from community stakeholders, provide a community benefits plan, have letters of support from their federal elected officials (more info below on how to request a letter of support from my office), show buy-in from labor groups, and commit to neutrality should their workers wish to start a union are often able to make their application more competitive.
May Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share upcoming grants and federal funding opportunities for local governments, universities, community organizations, and individuals.
Information on grants open through June and beyond can be found here, with subsections of grants related to the arts and humanities, children and families, communities, criminal justice, economic development, education, energy, the environment, fire and disaster management, food and agriculture, health care, housing, information technology, infrastructure, the military and national defense, miscellaneous grants, rural grants, science and research, seniors, transportation, water, and the workforce. The grants are grouped by category, then ordered by deadline.
A question federal agencies often get asked is how grant applicants can make their applications stand out. Some advice consistently shared, regardless of agency or grant, is for applicants to thoroughly read the grant announcement to get a sense of what agencies are looking for in an application. Additionally, they recommend reading other agency announcements to see if different grants would be a better fit for the proposed project.
Grantors like to see that a proposed project has buy-in from relevant local stakeholders and support from the local Representative or Senator, particularly when a project could affect neighboring localities. Additionally, granting agencies often prioritize projects from parties that demonstrate they have the technical capacity and a clear financial plan to successfully carry out the project. In instances where local match requirements are a financial barrier to applying for a grant, some agencies also offer grants with match flexibility, local match waivers for disadvantaged communities, and the ability for in-kind contributions such as services, employee time, or office space to meet a match requirement.
Agencies often want grant applicants to use data to create an overall narrative about why the project is needed. Many offer technical assistance resources online to help applicants flesh out this portion of their application. Should you have your grant application rejected, it is often worth asking the agency or reviewers for feedback on how your application could be stronger. Many agencies provide post-award feedback to help groups improve their applications in future funding cycles.
April Grants Newsletter
We are excited to share our first monthly grants newsletter as we work to connect in-district county and local governments, community organizations, and various stakeholders with the many federal funding opportunities that exist.
Information on open grants posted within the past month can be found here, with subsections of grants related to arts and culture, children and education, specific communities, criminal justice,education, energy, the environment, fire and disaster management, food and agriculture, government,housing, information technology, infrastructure,pipelines and hazardous materials, public health,science and research, water, the workforce, and miscellaneous grants. The grants are grouped by category, then ordered by deadline.
As part of the President Biden administration's Investing in America Initiative, the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and Environmental Protection Agency are beginning to allocate more federal grant money from the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Inflation Reduction Act to address areas ranging from state and community energy programs to environmental justice, cybersecurity for utilities to environmental cleanup and water investments. These investments are both included in the links above, and more are expected to be announced in the coming future.
The EPA has recently announced its Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (TCTACs) Program, which offers free grant writing and research assistance to organizations applying to grants with an environmental justice tie-in. The EPA recently announced its first 17 nationwide TCTAC locations here, and they expect to announce a regional TCTAC partner located in Denver in the near future for Colorado groups to be able to take advantage of the program. Created specifically based on community feedback about the many barriers to creating competitive grant applications for smaller community organizations and over-burdened local governments, the TCTAC program is meant to help make the grant writing process more accessible to all interested parties.
