External Funding and Related Opportunities
Adult Education and Literacy Act Grants
The Adult Education and Literacy Act (SB23-007), or AELA, requires providers to offer eligible adults basic education in literacy, digital literacy, and numeracy that leads to additional skills acquisition, a high school diploma or an equivalency certificate, postsecondary credential attainment, and employment. The act describes services that providers may offer to eligible adults, which include in-person or online instruction, the development of learning plans, coaching and mentorship. Eligible providers must apply as part of a workforce development partnership or education attainment partnership. The intended funding period is July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029. All applications will be submitted through GAINS.
Intent to apply is due in December 2024.
BURA Façade Improvement Grant
The Brighton Urban Renewal Authority (BURA) Façade Improvement Grant Program is a competitive grant program meant to encourage property owners and tenants of buildings within eligible portions of Brighton’s core downtown plan area to make building improvements that will revitalize the area and attract customers to shop, dine and do business in Brighton.
The application is open and will close on December 15, 2024.
CDPHE’s Community Prevention and Early Intervention (CPEI) Mini Grants
The Community Prevention and Early Intervention (CPEI) Team at CDPHE is excited to announce a mini-grant funding opportunity (between $7,000 and $10,000) for community-based organizations engaged in substance use primary prevention efforts and the promotion of healthy behaviors and positive choices. This mini-grant program is funded through American Recovery and Rescue Plan funding that is part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Use Prevention and Treatment (SUPTR) Block Grant Treatment Program; this program will be managed by CPEI at CDPHE. All awarded entities must complete their work and spend their funds by June 30, 2025.
The application is open and will close on December 18, 2024.
2024-2025 Matching Student Scholarship Program
COSI has released the Request for Proposal for its 2024-2025 Matching Student Scholarship grant. The Spring application is open while Fall applications are currently under review. The grant provides $6.5 million dollars in funding to eligible non-profit organizations to provide tuition support to Colorado residents. Organizations applying must commit to matching the award 1:1 generating up to $13 million dollars in scholarship funds for Coloradans.
The RFP is open and intent to apply is due January 3, 2025.
2024-25 Poetry Out Loud Program
Poetry Out Loud Colorado is a free poetry recitation competition for high school students in Colorado. Students will compete to represent Colorado at the National competition in Washington, D.C. Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) and Empowered are happy to announce that registration for the 2024-25 Poetry Out Loud program is now open and closes Jan. 10, 2025.
SAMHSA Strategic Prevention Framework-Partnerships for Success
The purpose of this program is to help reduce the onset and progression of substance misuse and its related problems by supporting the development and delivery of community-based substance misuse prevention and mental health promotion services. The program is intended to expand and strengthen the capacity of local community prevention providers to implement evidence-based prevention programs.
Applications are due February 21, 2025.
SAMHSA Tribal Behavioral Health
The purpose of this program is to prevent and reduce suicidal behavior and substance use/misuse, reduce the impact of trauma, and promote mental health among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth, up to and including age 24,by building a healthy network of systems, services, and partnerships that impact youth. SAMHSA expects this program will be a model for community change that integrates a community’s culture, resources, and readiness to address suicide prevention and substance use/misuse among AI/AN youth.
Applications are due March 6, 2025.
Innovative Housing Incentive Program (IHIP)
IHIP helps address Colorado’s housing shortage by supporting the development and expansion of the state’s innovative housing manufacturing businesses.
Applications for the IHIP grant are open and accepted on a rolling basis.
Middle Income Housing Authority Applications
The Middle-Income Housing Authority (MIHA) is accepting applications for middle-income housing projects (80% – 120% Area Median Income) to apply for tax-exempt bond financing.
Applications are open and accepted on a rolling basis.
Land Banking Program
Provides grants to eligible local or tribal governments and forgivable loans to eligible nonprofits with a demonstrated history of providing affordable housing. These funds must be used to acquire and preserve land for affordable for-sale housing or affordable rental housing. Mixed use may be allowed so long as the predominate use is affordable housing.
Applications open and are accepted until funds are exhausted.
Brighton Community Loan Fund
The partnership between CEF and Brighton began in 2020 to provide loans to small businesses within the city limits of Brighton. This fund was created to provide an affordable, flexible loan solution for those not able to obtain traditional loan financing to start or grow their business.
Learn more and apply by clicking the button below.
Commercial Historic Preservation Tax Credit (HPTC)
HPTC helps rehabilitate historic, commercial properties. This program can award up to $10 million in credits per year and often supports projects that include new housing units. The program has provided over 350 new housing units since 2018. Starting in 2025, an additional $5 million pool of transferable tax credits will be available for projects utilizing at least 50% of a building’s square footage for new housing units.
OEDIT will reopen the portal for both large and small project applications at 8:00 AM, Jan. 21, 2025, after they receive the annual tax credit allocation of $5 million.
Community Revitalization Tax Credits (CRTC)
HB24-1295 establishes a new community revitalization income tax credit for capital projects that involve the construction, rehabilitation, conversion, remodeling, or other improvement of one or more buildings, structures, or facilities for uses that support creative industries and creative industry workers.
Per statute, program policies and guidelines will be available by Dec. 1, 2024 with the pre-qualifying application opening in early 2025.
Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary Grants
The Office of the Future of Work and Apprenticeship Colorado anticipates launching the application for the Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary Grants in January 2025. The Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary Grants aim to provide capacity building support for organizations that have been officially recognized by the State Apprenticeship Agency as Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediaries.
Applications will open in January 2025.
New & Emerging Industries Apprenticeship Tax Credit
The New & Emerging Industries Apprenticeship Tax Credit was created by HB24-1439 Financial Incentives Expand Apprenticeship Programs to encourage the adoption and expansion of Registered Apprenticeship Programs in the New & Emerging Industries.
Join Apprenticeship Colorado for a Questions and Answers webinar on the New & Emerging Industries Apprenticeship Tax Credit on Tuesday, December 3rd from 3:00- 4:00 PM MST. This webinar is intended for employers and Sponsors of Registered Apprenticeship Programs with occupations in the new & emerging industries to learn more about how to apply for the Tax Credit in the upcoming tax year.
Applications will open in January 2025.