All funding opportunities in this newsletter are federal grants. Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments is committed to vetting funding for member governments throughout the region. If you have a project that does align with the opportunities listed here, please reach out to our office so that we may provide technical assistance in supporting project development.

Thank you,

Amanda Lewis

*NOTE: The U.S. Department of Labor is reviewing all Funding Opportunity Announcements for consistency with the Executive Orders titled, “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” issued on January 20, 2025, and “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” issued on January 21, 2025. The Department will take necessary action with the Funding Opportunity Announcement and issue additional guidance including adjusting the close date if appropriate. 

The intent of HVRP, an employment-focused competitive grant program, is to enable America’s veterans to reach their full employment potential and obtain high-quality career outcomes for veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness. The Department encourages applicants to propose strategies to achieve economic prosperity, offering appropriate participant support to marginalized groups and making services accessible for underserved communities.To meet the fluctuations in the population and changing needs of veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness, DOL/VETS requires grant recipients to provide an array of client-centered services utilizing a case management approach that directly assists veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness and provides critical linkages to a variety of support services available in their local communities. The HVRP approach is focused on obtaining high-quality career outcomes for the veteran. Veterans are to receive the job training and employment services required to re-enter and be successful in the labor force. To realize long-term benefits for veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness, Grant recipients must address the complex employment-related requirements and support services necessary to meet the needs of this population. This can be achieved either through direct services or through a robust referral system with established tools, resources, and partnerships to identify, recruit, prepare, and support veterans experiencing and at risk of homelessness for employment success. Through one of these methods, grant recipients will provide job placement, job training, job development, career counseling, and employment preparation services, among other services, to assist with obtaining meaningful, family-sustaining employment. NOFO

Award Range: $150,000 - $500,000

Match: No

The purpose of the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program (HTPCP) is to support community-based projects that promote access to preventive clinical and public health services for underserved children. (NOFO)

Award Range: $0 - $75,000

Match: This program has a cost-sharing requirement. Under 42 CFR § 51a.8(c), award recipients of the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program must contribute non-federal matching funds in years 2 through 5 of the 5-year period of performance equal to two times the amount of the federal grant award (i.e., if the federal grant award is for $75,000, then the matching requirement is $150,000) or such lesser amount determined by the Secretary for good cause shown. The matching funds must come from non-federal funds, including, but not limited to, individuals,

corporations, foundations, in-kind resources, and/or state and local agencies. If you choose to share in the costs of the project beyond the match requirement, we will not consider it during merit review. We will hold you accountable for any funds you add, including through reporting.

The National Park Service’s (NPS) Semiquincentennial Grant Program (NOFO) will support the physical preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources associated with the founding of America as a nation in commemoration of the country's semiquincentennial (250th anniversary). These grants are funded by the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), administered by the NPS, and will fund physical preservation to properties listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, including buildings, sites, structures, objects, or historic districts. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match, though match may be considered as a competitive factor. State owned properties will receive priority per Congressional directive.

Award Range: $15,000 - $750,000

Match: None

Administered by the National Park Service through the American Battlefield Protection Program (NPS ABPP), (NOFO) Preservation Planning Grants support a variety of projects that contribute to the preservation and interpretation of historic battlefields and associated sites of armed conflict on American soil by providing financial assistance to eligible applicants based on the outcome of a competitive merit review process. These grants are funded by direct appropriation from the U.S. Congress and are authorized under 54 U.S.C. § 308102.

Award Range: $20,000 - $200,000

Match: None

Eligible project proposals must contribute to the preservation of one or more historic places

associated with an armed conflict on American soil. NPS ABPP defines “American soil” as

authorized under 54 U.S.C. § 300317, as the 50 States, District of Columbia, U.S. Territories

(Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands),

and Freely Associated States (Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of

Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau), and “armed conflicts” as periods of collective violence

that are characterized by specific events and bounded in time (example: the Battle of Harlem

Heights or the Sand Creek massacre), rather than broad cross-cutting themes throughout

American history. Historic places associated with armed conflicts may include battlefields or

associated sites that fall under one of the following themes:

• Military - sites directly associated with military forces on land or sea.

• Government, Law, Politics, and Diplomacy - sites associated with decision-making,

policy creation, political process, and diplomatic relations during periods of armed

conflict.

• Intellectual History - sites associated with the publication or propagation of ideas and

values that influenced the social, political, economic, and military actions and policies

during periods of armed conflict

• Economics of War - sites associated with economic activities that contributed to battle,

fighting, or war efforts

• Society - sites associated with home front, civilian conduct during periods of armed

conflict

• Transportation - Sites associated with moving people, goods, and information during

periods of armed conflict

The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make grants to museums, Indian Tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations for the purposes of assisting in consultation, documentation, and repatriation of Native American human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, and objects of cultural patrimony (25 U.S.C. 3008). NOFO

NAGPRA Consultation and Documentation grants assist museums, Indian Tribes, and NHOs to undertake projects leading to the repatriation of Native American human remains or cultural items. Project activities may include, but are not limited to:

· Consultation,

· Training and Conferences,

· Coalitions and Partnerships,

· Duty of Care, or

· Other projects.

Grant funds must be used for CONSULTATION and/or DOCUMENTATION projects under

NAGPRA. Consultation projects support efforts related to determinations of cultural affiliation

and making or responding to requests for repatriation. Documentation projects support

determining the geographical origin, cultural affiliation, and other basic facts surrounding the

acquisition of Native American human remains or cultural items. Consultation and

documentation projects should lead to determining control, treatment, and repatriation of

NAGPRA human remains or cultural items.

Award Range: $5,000 - $150,000

Match: None

The purpose of RCORP-Pathways (NOFO) is to create innovative new youth-focused behavioral health care support programs, while also offering behavioral health care career pathway opportunities in rural communities. Award recipients will establish and work within a network of organizations to engage youth in developing and implementing behavioral health care support programming. Through these efforts, RCORP-Pathways will improve behavioral health care in rural areas. Goal 1: Pathway Establish pathway programs to introduce youth to behavioral health careers and facilitate admittance into formalized training programs. Goal 2: Engagement Engage youth to develop and implement peer-driven behavioral health programming in rural communities. Goal 3: Sustainability Develop innovative, multi-sectoral approaches to ensure the continued availability of RCORP-Pathways supported activities in the target rural service area.

Award Range: $0 - $400,000

Match: None

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting FY2025 applications for the Telehealth Rapid Response Center (HRSA-25-044) and the Telehealth Research Center (HRSA-25-045). This funding opportunity (NOFO) aims to support activities to expand the evidence base to inform policy and programs for telehealth services in underserved populations in the

United States. The two announcements under this funding opportunity are as follows:

• The Telehealth Rapid Response Center (HRSA-25-044) will conduct rapid

telehealth data analyses and short-term, issue-specific telehealth research studies

to provide stakeholders and the public with resources to understand the impact of

telehealth policies and regulations. It will also provide information to improve

telehealth access for underserved populations in the United States.

• The Telehealth Research Center (HRSA-25-045) will conduct clinically informed

and policy-relevant health services research to expand the evidence base for

telehealth services.

Award Range: $0 - $950,000

Match: None

The program and awards depend on the appropriation of funds and are subject to

change based on the availability and amount of appropriations. This NOFO is a

contingency action taken to ensure that, should funds become available for this

purpose, HRSA can process applications and award funds appropriately. You should

note that this NOFO may be modified based on the availability and amount of

appropriations.

CThe National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Office of Data and Evaluation is accepting applications for the State and Impact of the Humanities program. This program supports data-grounded research studies that investigate the state, impact, and value of the humanities in the United States. Research designs may be quantitative, qualitative, or mixed, and should involve the active participation of people working in the humanities. (NOFO)

Award Range: Level 1: Up to $75,000 ; Level 2: Up to $150,000

Match: None

Period of Performance: Level 1: Up to 12 months ; Level 2: Up to 24 months

Projects must start between February 1, 2026, and April 1, 2026.

Proposed studies must seek to understand the state, impact, or value of the humanities in one

or more of the following research categories. Note that projects should not primarily be

conducting work within these categories, but rather about them. This program does not fund

evaluation of a single humanities program, product, or event, such as an educational initiative,

podcast, or exhibition.

1. Humanities Education: Elementary (K-5), middle (6-8), and secondary (9-12) education; post-secondary education (associates, undergraduate, and graduate programs); and educational programming outside of degree-granting learning environments.

2. Humanities Research: Scholarship (for academics, general audiences, or both)

conducted within and across humanities disciplines, as well as interdisciplinary research

involving humanities questions in the sciences, medicine, law, and other fields.

3. Public Humanities: Humanities work intended to engage with large and diverse public

audiences through a broad range of public-facing and publicly accessible formats such

as interpretive museum exhibitions, historic site interpretation, public dialogues, public-

facing projects led by educational or cultural organizations, and co-creative community

collaborations.

4. Preservation and Access: Preserving and providing access to humanities collections,

including community and grassroots preservation initiatives.

5. Humanities Infrastructure: Buildings, institutions, and communities and the financial and other resources that support them.

NEH welcomes applications that address topics such as:

• trends in humanities research, teaching, and practice;

• economic, civic, and social impact of the humanities;

• labor and careers in the humanities;

• public perceptions of the humanities;

• humanities infrastructure and funding;

• the humanities and individual or collective well-being;

• broadening participation in the humanities;

• digital technology and the humanities; and

• the coronavirus pandemic and the humanities.

The Rural Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) Planning and Development supports organizations in the development or expansion of sustainable PACE programs to improve delivery of comprehensive medical and social services tailored to the needs of elderly individuals in rural areas. (NOFO) We plan to fund awards in four 12-month budget periods for a total 4-year period of

performance from September 30, 2025 to September 29, 2029.

The program and awards depend on the appropriation of funds and are subject to change based on the availability and amount of appropriations.

Award Range: $0 - $500,000

Match: None

The program goals are to:

• Provide start-up funding for organizations to develop a new PACE site serving the

aging rural population.

• Provide funding for organizations to expand existing PACE programs into rural

areas through service area expansion.

• Implement sustainable PACE programs that will effectively serve critical health

care needs for rural aging populations.

This funding will support organizations to develop an initial PACE program or expand

an existing PACE organization into rural areas. Successful Rural PACE Planning and

Development award recipients will be required to work with their State Administering

Agency (SAA) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on completing and

submitting their PACE application. By the end of the 4-year period of performance,

award recipients are expected have a plan in place for long term financial sustainability

of the new or expanded PACE organization. Note: This funding does not guarantee that an organization will receive approval of their PACE application and does not provide long term funding for the delivery of clinical services to PACE clients.

Challenge America supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. The program welcomes applications from applicants that are primarily small organizations, first-time applicants to the NEA, and/or returning Challenge America applicants. Eligible applicants include: nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3), U.S. organizations; units of state or local government; Federally recognized tribal communities or tribes; and applicants that have not been recommended for funding in any of the three most recent Fiscal Years in the NEA’s Grants for Arts Projects, Our Town, or Research Awards grant programs. Funding in this category is not available for individuals, fiscally sponsored entities, commercial/for-profit enterprises, State Arts Agencies (SAA), or Regional Arts Organizations (RAO).

Award Range: $10,000

Funding Opportunity Announcement No. DE-FOA-0002829, titled BIL-Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants Under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Section 40302 The overall objective of the planned Funding Opportunity Announcement is to support DOE’s current vision of the Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants Program which will illustrate that several incumbent products can be replaced or supplemented with alternatives that are derived from the conversion of anthropogenic carbon oxides, demonstrating that significant net reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are possible. These grants will illustrate that more sustainable alternatives are viable and will promote the deployment of these products even after the grant ends.

Award Range: $1 - $5,000,000

The NEA is committed to supporting arts projects for the benefit of all Americans. Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides funding for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. We welcome applications from first-time and returning applicants; from organizations serving rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities of all sizes; and from organizations with small, medium, or large operating budgets. We fund arts projects in the following disciplines: Artist Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater, and Visual Arts.

Award Range: Applicants may request an amount between $10,000-$100,000.

Local Arts Agencies only: Designated local arts agencies that are eligible to subgrant may request $30,000 to $150,000 for subgranting programs. See the Local Arts Agencies Application Instructions below for more information on subgranting eligibility.

1:1 Cost-share/match required. Sources may include both cash and in-kind.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant programs provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities which they, in turn, pass through to local businesses (ultimate recipients) for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. USDA provides grants to local utility organizations which use the funding to establish Revolving Loan Funds (RLF). Loans are made from the revolving loan fund to projects that will create or retain rural jobs. When the revolving loan fund is terminated, the grant is repaid to USDA.

Who may apply?

To receive funding for a grant and/or loan an entity must be:

• Current Rural Utilities Service (RUS), electric or telecommunication borrower,
• Any former RUS borrower that has repaid or prepaid an insured, direct or guaranteed loan under the Rural Electrification Act,
• Or any not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive an insured or direct loan under such Act.

How much funding is available to local utilities?

• Maximum Grant Amount: $300,000 to establish the Revolving Loan Fund.
• Up to 10 percent of grant funds may be applied toward operating expenses over the life of the Revolving Loan Fund.
• Maximum Loan Amount: $1 million.

How may funds be used?

The local utility passes the funding to ultimate recipients for such eligible projects as:

• Business incubators.
• Community development assistance to nonprofits and public bodies (particularly for job creation or enhancement).
• Facilities and equipment to educate and train rural residents to help economic development.
• Facilities and equipment for medical care for rural residents.
• Start-up venture costs, including, but not limited to, financing fixed assets such as real estate, buildings, equipment, or working capital.
• Business expansion.
• Technical assistance.

The EPA has selected Research Triangle Institute to serve as a pass-through entity for the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program (EJ TCGM) to address environmental justice and public health issues in underserved communities. They will provide subgrants to community-based nonprofits and other eligible subrecipients for assessment, planning, and project development activities. They will alleviate much of the burden that the federal grants process places on small, resource-constrained community-based organizations supporting underserved communities and marginalized populations.

Frequently Asked Questions: FAQ

Dates to Submit for Funding:

• April 30, 2025
• July 31, 2025
• October 31, 2025 (Last date for 2-year projects)
• January 31, 2026
• April 30, 2026
• July 31, 2026
• October 31, 2026 (Last date for 1-year projects)
• January 31, 2027
• April 30, 2027 (Last date for 6-month projects)

Match: No

Program Fact Sheet: One-pager