Five for Friday: June 9, 2023
Curated by: The Western Nevada Development District…
This edition of Five for Friday focuses on opportunities for economic development around the region in the areas of infrastructure, access to capital, homeownership, climate change and broadband.
Grant Opportunities & More
Join the Electric Highway:
Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI)
The CFI Grant program provides funding to strategically deploy publicly accessible electric vehicle charging and other alternative fueling infrastructure.
This grant program has two tracks:
Corridor Charging: to deploy electric vehicle charging and hydrogen/propane/natural gas fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors
Community Charging: to install electric vehicle charging and alternative fuel in locations on public roads, schools, parks, and in publicly accessible parking facilities
Community Charging grants will prioritize rural areas as well as low-and moderate-income neighborhoods with low ratios of private parking, or high ratios of multiunit dwellings.
Project Minimum: $500,000
Application Deadline: June 13, 2023
National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements
Strategic Planning Grants to Address Climate Change
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Climate Smart Humanities Organizations supports efforts from organizations such as museums, libraries, archives, historic sites, and colleges and universities for comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans.
Grants of up to $300,000 are available with a 1:1 match required. Through the Climate Smart program, humanities organizations can undertake activities such as energy audits, risk assessments, and meetings with consultants. The resulting climate smart planning will establish goals and prioritize actions that reduce impacts on the environment through mitigation and vulnerability from extreme events through adaptation.
Application Deadline: September 14, 2023
Climate Smart Humanities Organizations
EDA Launches Build to Scale Supporting Innovators, Entrepreneurs, and Startups
The U.S. Economic Development Administration is accepting applications for its $50 million Build to Scale (B2S) Program to support projects that strengthen equitable ecosystems and increase access to capital for innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups. The program strengthens regional economies by supporting scalable startups which help communities and regions grow technology-driven businesses, create high-skill/high-wage jobs, and build industries of the future.
The FY 2023 Build to Scale Program is comprised of two competitions:
Venture Challenge:
Venture Challenge supports programs that enable high-growth technology entrepreneurship and foster inclusive access to proven entrepreneurship support models.
Capital Challenge:
Capital Challenge increases access to capital in communities where risk capital is in short supply by providing operational support for early-stage investment funds, networks, and training programs that focus on both traditional and hybrid equity-based financing.
Application Deadline: July 28, 2023
USDA Rural Development Programs Highlight Homeownership Month
June is National Homeownership Month!
As part of this nationwide celebration, USDA Rural Development (RD) is showcasing programs that help people in rural and Tribal areas buy, build and repair affordable homes in America’s smallest towns and communities.
The USDA has invested $37 billion to help nearly 216,000 families and individuals through RD’s Single Family Housing programs:
Single Family Housing Direct Home Loan Program: provides loans directly to families and individuals to buy or build homes in rural America
Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program: enables USDA to partner with private lending institutions, backing their loans to help families and individuals buy homes in rural areas
Home Repair Loan and Grant Program: provides loans and grants to help families and individuals repair their homes to make them safer, healthier places to live
Mutual Self-Help Housing Grant Program: provides grants to qualified organizations to help them carry out local self-help housing construction projects
Single Family Housing Programs
Single Family Housing Direct Home Loans
Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program
Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants
Single Family Housing Rural Disaster Home Repair Grants
Community Connect Grants Provide Internet Access and Economic Opportunities
The USDA’s Community Connect provides financial assistance to eligible applicants that will provide broadband service in rural, economically challenged communities where service does not exist.
Eligible applicants include:
- Incorporated organizations
- Federally recognized Tribes
- State and local units of government
- Any other legal entity, including cooperatives, private corporations, or limited liability companies organized on a for-profit or not-for-profit basis
Funds may be used for the construction, acquisition, or leasing of facilities, spectrum, land or buildings used to deploy broadband service for all residential and business customers located within the Proposed Funded Service Area and all participating essential community facilities (such as public schools, fire stations, public libraries, and public safety stations).
The Community Connect program helps rural communities receive access where broadband service is least likely to be commercially available, but where it can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life for people and businesses.
Application Deadline: June 20, 2023
