Community Development Block Grant - Economic Development (CDBG-ED)

The Division of Local Government (DLG) manages the CDBG Economic Development program, whose funds are used to aid in the state’s Business Loan Funds. Currently, Colorado has 12 Business Loan Fund (BLF) locations which have service areas covering the majority of the State’s rural areas. These 12 BLF’s are responsible for promoting and fostering Economic Development efforts at the local level by providing financial assistance in the form of loans or grants to businesses in their respective regions.

For information about funding housing activities with CDBG, please visit the Division of Housing CDBG Program.

For information about DLG’s Public Facilities and Infrastructure program, please visit the CDBG Public Facilities Program.

Community Development Block Grant Business Loan

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Business Loan aids business in rural areas by providing loans and loan guarantees. A business needs to create or retain one job for each $35,000 in loan funds, filling at least 51% of the jobs created and/or retained with low-to-moderate income individuals.

If your business has five or fewer employees and all owner(s) qualify as low-to-moderate income persons, a Microenterprise Loan is also available. Microenterprise loans do not need to meet the same job creation and/or retention requirements.

How to Apply

To apply for a CDBG-ED Business Loan, please contact the Business Loan Fund Manager located within your region.

All loans are available at the Business Loan Fund managers discretion.

Community Development Block Grant Economic Development Infrastructure Grant

The CDBG-ED Infrastructure Grant program is designed to provide funding for Infrastructure activities for a business project located within Colorado. Such projects will need to meet an economic development objective and will need to create or retain one job for each $35,000 in loan funds, filling at least 51% of the jobs created and/or retained with low-to-moderate income individuals. Eligible activities include acquisition, design/engineering, construction. reconstruction, rehabilitation or installation of public improvements.

Eligible Applicants

• Must be a Unit of General Local Government (City, County, or other municipality)
• Must be located within a Non-Entitlement Area
  • Non-entitlement areas include those units of general local government which do not receive CDBG funds directly from HUD.
  • Non-entitlement areas are cities with populations of less than 50,000 (except cities that are designated principal cities of Metropolitan Statistical Areas), and counties with populations of less than 200,000.

Application Process

• Eligible applicants must consult with the CDBG-ED Program Manager and their Regional Manager to discuss the project and application.
• All applications must be submitted using the online grants portal to be considered for an award.
• If you do not yet have an account you will need to create one, there is a prompt on the log in page. Log into the system and complete each section of the application.
• You will be able to save and close a completed page of your online application and return to complete it at a later time.
• Certain questions will require the upload of a document. All documents needing to be uploaded are labeled and available below.

Apply or Manage Grant

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Guidebook

This guidebook has been developed by the State of Colorado to assist local governments and subgrantees in the implementation and administration of local public facility, housing, and economic development projects undertaken through the funding from the State administered Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.

Review the Guidebook

Application Documents

CDBG ED Budget Template
CDBG ED Loan Program Pipeline Template
CENST Environmental Review for Activity Form

Program Contact

Robyn Berkey, Program Manager
720-315-1526
robyn.berkey@state.co.us

Audrey Field, Financial Assistance Manager
303-864-7897
audrey.field@state.co.us