Blogs

The National Special Districts Coalition provides weekly highlights for CSDA Members on newly-opened federal grant opportunities, as curated by The Ferguson Group (TFG). Districts pursuing grants but are uncertain of their options may complete NSDC’s Project Idea Portal for a connection directly to TFG. This week’s selection of new grant opportunities include:

Department of Agriculture

FY 2023 Community Facilities Program Disaster Repair Grants

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to repair essential community facilities damaged by presidentially declared disasters in calendar year 2022. Projects must be located in rural areas, except for utility-type services such as telecommunications or hydroelectric that serve both rural and non-rural areas; financially feasible; for public use; necessary for orderly community development; and consistent with the state strategic plan. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State and local governments, nonprofit corporations or associations that have significant ties with the local rural community, unless they are nonprofit utilities, and federally recognized Indian tribes

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $50 million

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling 

Department of

Agriculture

FY 2023 Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to provide financial and technical assistance to help local communities relieve imminent threats to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms, and other natural occurrences that impair a watershed. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Sponsors are entities with a legal interest in, or responsibility for, the areas threatened by the watershed emergency, including states, state agencies, and legal subdivisions of a state government, local units of government, including cities, counties, towns, flood and water control districts, soil and water conservation districts, Native American tribes, and Tribal organizations 

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling 

Department of

Agriculture

FY 2023 Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) Grant 

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to help small, financially distressed rural communities pay for predevelopment feasibility studies, design, and technical assistance for proposed water and waste disposal projects. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State and local governments, non-profit organizations, and federally recognized 

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling 

Department of Agriculture

FY 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) Cooperative Agreement

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to support projects that increase the purchase of fluid milk among low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by providing incentives at the point of purchase. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Governmental agencies, including state, local, territorial, and tribal government agencies, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and nonprofit, accredited institutions of higher learning

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $4 million

WHEN'S IT DUE? September 5, 2023

Department of Commerce

FY 2023 Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and Loan Guarantees Program

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to support the construction, maintenance, improvement, and expansion of telephone service and broadband in rural areas. Projects are intended to help maintain a seamless nationwide telecommunications network that also provides access to broadband for education, health care, public safety, and jobs for all Americans regardless of where they live. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State and local governments, federally recognized tribes, nonprofit organizations, including cooperatives and limited dividend or mutual associations, and for-profit businesses that function as a corporation or limited liability company (LLC) 

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling 

Department of Agriculture

FY 2023 Water and Waste Disposal Predevelopment Planning Grants

WHAT DOES IT FUND? This program supports the provision of clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage for households and businesses in eligible rural areas. Funding will help eligible low-income communities plan and develop applications for the funding agency's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State and local government entities, nonprofit organizations, and federally recognized tribes

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling 

Department of Commerce

NOAA Ocean and Coastal Mapping and Request for Partnership Proposals

WHAT DOES IT FUND? This notice invites non-Federal entities to partner with the ocean and coastal mapping programs of NOAA's National Ocean Service on jointly-funded projects of mutual interest. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Non-Federal entities including state and local governments, tribal entities, universities, researchers and academia, the private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and philanthropic partners

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? October 10, 2023

Department of Commerce

FY 2023 Energy Future Grants (EFG) Creating a Community-Led Energy Future 

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to support local, state, and tribal government-led partnership efforts that will advance clean energy program innovation. EFG seeks to enhance energy affordability and access for communities, ensuring the broad benefits of a clean energy economy—including health, economic development and jobs and emissions reductions—flow to disadvantaged communities. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? State governments, county governments, city, or township governments, and federally recognized Native American tribal governments

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? $37 million

WHEN'S IT DUE? September 30, 2023

Department of Commerce

FY 2023 Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program   

WHAT DOES IT FUND? This program provides financing to support economic development, housing, public facilities, infrastructure, and other physical development projects, including improvements to increase resilience against natural disasters. Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? States, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) entitlement recipients, small businesses, incubators, or microenterprises; and non-entitlement communities that are assisted in the submission of applications by states that administer the CDBG program

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling

Department of Commerce

FY 2023 Surplus Property and Military Base Conversions for Airport Purposes

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to transfer surplus real and personal property to eligible airport sponsors for public airport purposes. Property transferred through this program may include military bases that are closed under the Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC), and non-aeronautical use property that generates revenue for airport operations, maintenance, and development.  Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? Eligible airport sponsors, including states, political subdivisions of states, and tax-supported organizations

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Rather than providing monetary awards, this program provides transfers of surplus real and personal property by the federal government for public airport

WHEN'S IT DUE? Rolling

Department of Veterans Affairs

FY 2023 Veterans Cemetery Grants Program (VCGP) 

WHAT DOES IT FUND? The purpose of this program is to establish, expand, and improve veterans' cemeteries that are owned and operated by states, territories, and tribal governments in areas where the Department of Veterans Affairs' national cemeteries cannot fully satisfy veterans' burial needs. Cemeteries must be operated solely for the interment of service members who die on active duty, veterans, and their spouses and eligible children. Cemeteries must have a 20-year life span, at minimum, and should consider a 50- year life span; however, this program develops in 10-year increments.  Click here for more information.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE? States, territories, and tribal governments

TOTAL FUNDING AMOUNT? Unspecified

WHEN'S IT DUE? July 1, 2024