Grants

Start with a current need!  Creating a new project just to fit a grant is not good…  And local match funding and extra strings on grants are non-negotiable!

Quick Grant Links

Resources

July 2023 flooding: DR-4720.  Towns apply to VEM on behalf of buyouts or other public projects.

  • Applicants do not need to have damages from the July 2023 flooding.
  • Eligible applicants must complete the Pre-Application Form by midnight on June 21, 2024.
  • Pre-Apps will be evaluated for eligibility, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness. Projects meeting these requirements will then be invited to apply, provided technical assistance, and submitted to FEMA, by late 2024.
  • Grants typically require a 25% local match. VEM currently has a General Fund allocation that will be used to cover the match for property buyouts.
  • Damage histories and projections will need to be documented in detail.  This is required!  Projects must be cost-effective through verification that future benefits (losses avoided) are equal to or greater than the project’s cost. This must be shown through a Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA). BCA background
  • See the Notice of Funding Opportunity for Vermont DR-4720 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for more information.

Other Funding Opportunities

Flood Resilient Communities Fund (FRCF) was established by the Vermont Legislature under Act 74 with the intent of improving landscape and community resilience and reducing the future public safety and water quality impacts of flood hazards in Vermont, focusing on buyouts of flood-vulnerable properties. This program will prioritize projects that are not eligible for FEMA funding. Funding is currently limited, although towns and other eligible applicants are still encouraged to submit applications, which can be processed should more funding become available.

Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program to states and local communities for mitigation activities. The funding available in 2023 was $2 million for federal share set-aside for Vermont. Funding can be used for Project Scoping, planning activities, and project implementation. The deadline to submit application to the State for BRIC 2023 has passed. The funding announcement for BRIC 2024 is expected in Fall 2024.

Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program funds states, local communities, tribes, and territories to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The deadline to submit application to the State for FMA 2023 has passed. The funding announcement for FMA 2024 is expected in Fall 2024.

Questions can be directed to: [email protected]. 

Town American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds – Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF)

We are reaching out to remind you that all Towns and Villages that received ARPA (SLFRF) funds are required to submit their annual Project and Expenditure Reports by April 30, 2024. Reporting is required even if your municipality expended all of your funds in a previous reporting period. Failure to report by the deadline could jeopardize your funding.  Treasury’s portal will “open” for reporting on April 1st.

Please note that a confusing message was distributed by Treasury earlier this week. The deadline extension Treasury announced is ONLY for proposals of estimated administrative expenses that a municipality expects to incur after 12/31/24 (NOT recommended). All municipalities are still required to submit their annual reports by April 30, 2024, regardless of whether or not you intend to incur administrative expenses after 12/31/24.

If you have any questions about the reporting process, please feel free to contact [email protected], 802.457.3188 x3007.. When you have completed your reporting, please send me an email to let me know. We are working closely with VLCT to track reporting progress and provide assistance where needed.

VLCT has prepared some helpful guides to walk you through the reporting process, step by step: https://www.vlct.org/resource/arpa-vermont-neus-guide-treasurys-compliance-portal

Treasury Pages: Program recipients with questions about reporting, technical issues, eligible uses of funds, or other items please visit the updated SLFRF Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and self-service resources.

Helpful Tips for Reporting:

  1. This reporting period covers April 1, 2023 through March 31, 2024.
  2. Please note that access to Treasury’s portal is limited to those who have been granted access. If there has been staff/position turnover in your municipality since last April, you will need to track down the person who was assigned to be the account administrator, so that they can go into the portal and grant access to new people. You can assign multiple people to each role, or assign the same person multiple roles.
    • Account Administrator: this is the only person who can give others access to the portal, by designating them as the Authorized Representative for Reporting or the Point of Contact for Reporting.
    • Point of Contact for Reporting: this person is the primary contact for receiving official Treasury notifications. They are also responsible for preparing the SLFRF reports.
    • Authorized Representative for Reporting: this person is responsible for certifying and submitting official reports on behalf of the municipality. Treasury will accept reports or other official communications only when submitted by the Authorized Representative for Reporting.
  3. When adding a project, some of the fields can be a little confusing. Please note these definitions, taken from Treasury’s P&E Report User Guide:  
    • Project Expenditure Category Group: You should select “6 – Revenue Replacement.”
    • Project Expenditure Category: You should select either 6.1 or 6.2, depending on the nature of the project you are reporting. In most cases, the category should be 6.1 (Provision of Government Services).
    • Recipient Project ID: you assign this project number to your project. You can number projects however you wish, just don’t duplicate numbers.
    • Adopted Budget: The amount the municipality budgeted for this particular project. (This should be the same as the amount of funds obligated for the project.)
    • Total Cumulative Obligations: The total amount that you’ve obligated for this particular project since you first received your ARPA award.
    • Total Cumulative Expenditures: The total amount that you’ve spent on this particular project since you first received your ARPA award.
    • Current Period Obligations: The total amount that you’ve obligated for this particular project during this reporting period (see #1 above).
    • Current Period Expenditures: The total amount that you’ve spent on this particular project during this reporting period (see #1 above).
    • Program Income: This only applies if you used your ARPA dollars to fund a program that’s earning income for the municipality. It’s an optional field in the report.
  4. A reminder about obligation: Obligation requires a formal action of your legislative body in an open meeting. It also requires the municipality to place an order for property and services or to enter into contracts, subawards, or similar transactions that require payment. Failure to meet both of these conditions for all of your funds by December 31st, 2024, will result in the loss of unobligated funds. As I explained in my email dated 3/1, the safest and easiest approach is to NOT use your ARPA dollars to pay for any municipal staff time after December 31, 2024, not even ARPA reporting time. If you are concerned about your municipality’s ability to meet the December obligation deadline, please contact me and we’ll discuss your options.
  5. If you need technical assistance directly from Treasury, you can contact them at [email protected] or by calling (844) 529-9527. They also have a FAQ webpage.

All TRORC towns and villages selected the standard revenue loss allowance so with this selection, they can spend the entirety of their awards on the provision of government services, excluding uses prohibited under the Final Rule. Towns will have to report to Treasury in a narrative or another form about the use of the ARPA-SLFRF funds annually, and recipients are encouraged to report based on their existing budget processes and to minimize administrative burden. Excerpted VLCT guidance follows below.

For recipients using ARPA-SLFRF to provide government services to the extent of reduction in revenue, the description of government services reported to Treasury may be narrative or in another form, and recipients are encouraged to report based on their existing budget processes and to minimize administrative burden. For example, a recipient with $100 in revenue replacement funds available could indicate that $50 were used for personnel costs and $50 were used for pay-go building of sidewalk infrastructure.  In addition to describing the government services provided to the extent of reduction in revenue, all recipients will also be required to indicate that Fiscal Recovery Funds are not used directly to make an extraordinary deposit in a pension fund.

Should my town/city/village include ARPA-SLFRF funds in our annual filing of the Subrecipient Annual Report to the State of Vermont?

Yes.  When you are completing the Subrecipient Annual Report (found HERE), you must include only the ARPA-SLFRF* funds that were expended during your fiscal year for which you are reporting.  In Section III – Subrecipient Schedule of Federal Expenditure:

  • CFDA Number (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance) CFDA numbers have been replaced with ALN (Assistance Listing Number).  The ALN for ARPA-SLFRF is 21.027.
  • Granting Agency/Department – U.S. Dept. of the Treasury
  • Grant Number – Use your assigned “Town ID” number which can be found HERE.
  • Expenditures – enter your total ARPA-SLFRF expenditures  for the fiscal year on which you are reporting.  (DO NOT enter the total amount of your award or the total amount of cash you’ve received – you report APRA expenditures only.)

* If you expended any ARPA funds as a “subrecipient” of a grant from an entity other than the U.S. Department of the Treasury (ex. a grant from an Agency or Department of the State of Vermont), then you must also report these funds in the Subrecipient Annual Report and do so separately from your local ARPA-SLFRF funds.  They will have the same CFDA/ALN Number but the Granting Agency and Grant Number will be different.  If you received any ARPA-SLFRF funds as a “beneficiary,” then you do not need to include these funds in this report.  If you are unsure whether you are “subrecipient” or a “beneficiary,” please read this FAQ: What is the difference between a “beneficiary” and a “subrecipient”? and if you are still unsure, then reach out to the Agency, Department or entity that awarded the funds to your town/city/village.

Brownfields

TRORC has funding to assess sites, but the state of Vermont has its own program.  There may also be federal cleanup grants available to towns. 

Contact Sarah Wraight at [email protected].

Conservation and Environment

Grants to improve waters, conserve habitat, recycle, conserve farm or forest land, or to provide outreach and education in these areas have a variety of grants.

Contact Pete Fellows at [email protected]

Designated Downtowns and Villages

This seven-page document is a list of grant programs in Vermont that are available to Designated Downtowns and Villages: CPR Funding Directory

Economic Development

Northern Border Regional Commission NBRC: 50/50 infrastructure and economic development planning grants.  Must have a clear link to wider economic development.  VT Funded project list.  VT ACCD page for NBRC

Some Community Development Block Grants can provide business expansion loans from the Vermont Community Development Program.  These are granted to the town that applies and then loaned to the business, who in turn repays the town.  These funds then stay in the town and must be used for similar purposes.  Other types of loans and grants exist.  Please contact the Small Business Development Center

– Small Grants for Smart Growth: A program run by the Vermont Natural Resources Council that offers between $500-$1500 per smart growth project. It provides seed money for community-based, local initiatives related to smart growth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and require a two page proposal. To learn more and apply contact Kate McCarthy [email protected]

–Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program USDA Rural Development provides funding to build and modernize educational, health care, food system, municipal, child care, public safety, and many more types of essential community facilities in qualified rural areas. Application Deadline: Ongoing

Emergency Grants

There are a variety of grants and other assistance that can help local response agencies and communities better avoid, prepare, plan for, and equip themselves to deal with the variety of emergencies they will face. Since many grants involve applications for federal funds and many local officials are volunteers who may be unfamiliar with the administrative requirements of such grants, TRORC staff are available to help communities apply for and administer grants. 

Vermont Emergency Management hazard mitigation funding programs

Contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected]

Energy

Contact Harry Falconer at [email protected]

Handicapped Access

Towns can access grants to install ramps and elevators, or planning grants to ready themselves for such applications through the Vermont Community Development Program.

Contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected]

Housing

The best source of funding to actually produce affordable housing is through a Community Development Block Grant from the Vermont Community Development Program.

Contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected]

Planning

The main source of grants for writing town plans, zoning and subdivision bylaws, and capital budgets is the Municipal Planning Grant program.  These are usually announced in the summer and due in September.

Contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected]

Transportation

Quick Transportation Guide to Funding for Towns

There are both state and federal grants for highway, pedestrian, transit, and bicycling transportation projects that can fund studying a need and developing a project scope, as well as actually building projects.

–Transportation Alternatives Program– State funding for projects that support transportation alternatives: routes for non-drivers, conversion of abandoned railroad, construction of viewing area, community improvement activities, environmental mitigation activities, and more. Requires a minimum of 20% match, and 50% match of total project cost for scoping studies.

Contact Rita Seto at [email protected]

Utilities and Services

Contact Kevin Geiger at [email protected]