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Funding & Technical Assistance
Federal Funding Opportunities
Solar Energy Expansion Grants: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Deadline: October 12 | Details here. The Solar for All competition is to distribute funds to expand existing low-income solar programs or design and deploy new Solar for All programs. Solar for All grantees will provide subsidies and other financial assistance to residential rooftop and residential-serving community solar projects in and benefiting low-income and disadvantaged communities. In addition, grantees will provide project deployment technical assistance such as workforce development, community outreach, and other project-deployment support (e.g., interconnection technical assistance and siting and permitting support) to help overcome barriers to solar deployment.
Community Food Projects Grant Program: USDA
Deadline: October 30 |Details here. Seeks to improve food and nutrition security in low-income communities through a food systems approach and social determinants of health framework. Two types of grants are available: Community Food Project grants support the development of projects with a one-time infusion of federal dollars to make such projects self-sustaining. Planning Project grants provide support to complete a plan toward the improvement of community food security.
USDA Rural Energy Programs: 2 New Programs
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced the availability of nearly $11 billion in grants and loan opportunities to help rural energy and utility providers bring affordable clean energy to communities. Funding will be available through two new programs under the Inflation Reduction Act:
Community Wildfire Defense Grants - USDA
Full details here. Available to municipalities in amounts up to $10 million. The grants, paid for by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are intended to help communities to plan for and mitigate the risk created by wildfire. They can help communities in the wildland urban interface restore and maintain landscapes, prepare for wildfire, and improve wildfire response. The grant program prioritizes at-risk communities in areas with high wildfire hazard potential, as well as low-income communities and communities that have experienced a severe disaster.
State Funding Opportunities
Matching Grant Program - Department of Local Affairs
Full details here. DOLA is accepting applications for the state’s Local Match grant program. The program helps communities access funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The program helps local governments meet their non-federal match requirement when they apply directly to the federal government for grants from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. More information here. All interested local governments must first contact Kodi Johnson, kodi.johnson@state.co.us before starting an application.
Broadband Ready Community Program - Colorado Broadband Office
The Colorado Broadband Office (CBO) will start taking applications for the BEAD funding in 2024 through the Advance Colorado Broadband grant program. Want to be ready? Ensure your community is “Broadband Ready.” Learn more about the program and check out the CBO’s Broadband Ready Community Checklist
Advance Colorado Broadband - Capital Projects Fund
These grants will fund broadband projects that will connect nearly 18,000 unserved Colorado homes to high-speed internet. Learn more.
Other Funding Opportunities
Colorado Brownfields Partnership - Community Builders
Through the Colorado Brownfields Partnership, Community Builders offers free support and guidance in planning assistance, capacity building, education, and financial help to communities with unusual properties - so-called “brownfields.” These properties can be cleaned up and repurposed in order to benefit communities and access significant untapped resources. This work comes at a critical time as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or IIJA creates over $1.5 billion dollars in funding for brownfields clean-up and redevelopment. Read more about the link between brownfields and affordable housing here.
Adolph Coors Foundation: Youth Development & Adult Job Programming Grants
Deadline: November 1. The Adolph Coors Foundation supports organizations that promote the western values of self-reliance, personal responsibility, and integrity to foster an environment where entrepreneurial spirits flourish. Applications are accepted in the areas of youth and youth development, including mentoring, academic tutoring, character development, leadership, STEM, and financial literacy; adult work programs, including paid on-the-job training, vocational training, and job placement.
Resources
Workforce Development Resources: Colorado Department of Labor & Employment
During September, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) and its partners will be featuring resources that Colorado’s workers, employers, and communities can use to advance their careers, grow their businesses, and ensure their future economic prosperity. Resources include important data on in-demand skills and growing industries, labor market trends, upcoming training sessions and events, and more.
Check out more about the month's events here and specific topics below:
Week 1: Future of Work
Week 2: Competitive Edge
Week 3: Serving Communities Across Colorado
Week 4: Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning
Affordable Housing Toolkit for Local Officials
This Toolkit from the Colorado Division of Housing is intended to improve the ability of local officials to understand and respond to the unique sets of housing challenges their communities are facing. fficials to understand and respond to the unique sets of housing challenges their communities are facing.
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