Funding from both the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is expansive in reach, addressing energy and power infrastructure, access to broadband internet, transportation, water infrastructure, and more. Some of the new programs funded by these bills could provide the resources needed to address a variety of needs at the local level.
About the Program
The Colorado legislature passed and Governor Polis signed Senate Bill 22-215 and Senate Bill 23-283 to create the IIJA Cash Fund. The law allows some of the funds to be used for grant writing support and project planning technical assistance in order to assist state agencies, local governments, and the two federally recognized Tribes located in Colorado in obtaining IIJA and IRA funds.
Colorado issued an RFP to hire consultants to be on-call for grant writing and technical assistance for project planning (e.g. site assessments, permitting, cost estimating, design assistance, stakeholder engagement). The consultants will be deployed for priority projects by the Governor’s Office of Economic Recovery at no cost to the awarded entity. Local governments and Tribes may request this assistance through an application process outlined below.
Who Should Apply
Eligible applicants are local governments, special districts and Tribes located in Colorado with limited budgets and limited in-house grant writing capacity. The applicant for grant writing or project planning assistance must be an eligible applicant for the federal funding they are seeking. Eligible applicants must be in good standing with the State of Colorado and include:
- A recognized American Indian Tribe with a government seat within the boundaries of the State of Colorado.
- A county government
- A municipal government
- A city and county government
- A special district
- A school district
- A housing authority
At this time, non-profit organizations and for-profit entities are not eligible. Requests from a local government or Tribe that include partnerships with non-profit organizations or for-profit entities are eligible.
The Application Process
Prior to submitting an application to receive support, applicants should review the Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Program Guide. Applications can be submitted starting on December 19, 2023, and will remain open until all funds have been committed.
Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Application
Amount Available
The total budget for the program is $2 million. This service is also available to state agencies so this budget is shared. Applicants may contact the Office of Economic Recovery to find out the amount remaining at time of application. Applications will be taken on a rolling basis until all funds are depleted.
Program Resources
- Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Program Guide
- Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Application
- Scoring Matrix
- Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Memorandum of Understanding Template
- Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool
- Local Match Program
Contact Information
Grant Writing and Technical Assistance Application Support
Contact alyssa.dinberg@state.co.us.
IIJA and IRA Project Development Assistance
Contact the Regional Grant Navigator of your region.