Grant Navigator Resources

BACKGROUND

On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” or BIL) into law. IIJA/BIL is the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure and economy in our Nation’s history. It provides $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026 in new Federal investment in infrastructure, including in roads, bridges, mass transit, water infrastructure, resilience, and broadband, delivered through both formula funding programs and competitive grant programs.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed in October 2022, is the largest climate/energy-related investment in our history, and includes funding for clean energy projects, pollution controls, tax breaks on electric vehicles, and solar and battery manufacturing.
 

GRANT NAVIGATOR SERVICES

The Colorado Governor’s Recovery Office is supporting IIJA/BIL and IRA grant applications throughout the state by funding technical assistance, match funds, and Grant Navigators to assist in the planning and application process. Services can include grant writing/review, research, match funds assistance, letters of support, or anything the RGN can do to assist with getting your grant application submitted.

Please contact the Regional Grant Navigator with any questions or assistance needed regarding IIJA/BIL or IRA grants. A request can be submitted at the bottom of this page, or directly to: Isabel Rollins, PACOG Grant Navigator; pacogrgn@gmail.com.
 

DOLA IIJA MATCHING FUNDS PROGRAM

The Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) has created the IIJA Local Match grant program (LOMA) to be used for a non-federal match requirement when applying directly to the federal government for IIJA or IRA funds. See the DOLA LOMA FACT SHEET for more information. Applications should be received at least 45 days before the grant application is due.

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LINKS TO INFORMATION AND RESOURCES
 

• APPLYING FOR IIJA FUNDING – DOLA one-page summary of items to understand and review before launching on an IIJA grant application.
   

• DOLA GRANTWRITING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE – IIJA and IRA assistance is being offered through DOLA with consultants on-call for grant writing and technical assistance for project planning (e.g. site assessments, permitting, cost estimating, design assistance, stakeholder engagement), at no cost to the awarded entity.
   

• IIJA WEBINARS – Monthly webinars regarding various grant topics from December 2023 – July 2024.
   

• USDOT BIL PROGRAM PAGE - Detailed information about the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) official BIL webpage: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/.
   

• DOT NAVIGATOR - A resource to help communities understand how to apply for grants (including data and mapping tools), and plan for and deliver transformative infrastructure projects and services.
   

• KEY NOTICES OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY - Anticipated dates for upcoming NOFOs for key programs within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), as well as adjacent programs that support BIL and IRA objectives.
   

• BIL LAUNCHPAD DATABASE - A user-friendly database of transportation funding notices.
   

• BIL / IRA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GUIDE- A guide to webinars, federal staff, and funding.
   

• LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE HUB BOOTCAMPS - Intensive application assistance for Climate Resilience, Pollution Reduction, Safe Streets and Roads for All, EV Charging Infrastructure, Clean Energy Tax Credits, and Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Additional mapping tools are embedded below.
 

JUSTICE40 INITIATIVE & DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

The Justice40 Initiative is a program set forth by the Federal government to ensure that 40% of the overall benefit of certain investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution, to address decades of underinvestment in these areas.

The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) tool includes an interactive map and datasets that are indicators of burdens in eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development. Census tracts that are overburdened and underserved are highlighted as being disadvantaged on the map. Climate and Economic Justice Analysis Tools can be found at: EQUITY & J40 ANALYSIS TOOLS.

The Justice40 Initiative is being applied differently across all Bipartisan Infrastructure Law programs. Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the USDOT Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer to understand how their community or project area is experiencing disadvantage related to lack of transportation investments or opportunities. The official Justice40 Equitable Transportation Community (ETC) Explorer and Census Tracts Map can be found online here: USDOT EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY (ETC) EXPLORER.
 

AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY & HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES

Areas of Persistent Poverty & Historically Disadvantaged Communities lists U.S. Census tracts that qualify as Areas of Persistent Poverty & Disadvantaged Communities according to Section 6702 of the IIJA. A project is located in an area of persistent poverty if the county had greater than or equal to 20 percent of the population living in poverty across three datasets; or the Census tract has a poverty rate of at least 20 percent as measured by the 2014-2018 American Community Survey; or the project is located in any territory or possession of the United States. AREAS OF PERSISTENT POVERTY & HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES TOOL.
 

COLORADO ENVIROSCREEN

Colorado EnviroScreen is an interactive environmental justice mapping tool and health screening tool for Colorado that identifies areas with current and past environmental inequities, and identifies areas where disproportionately impacted communities have a greater health burden and/or face more environmental risks. This can help users advocate for funding, interventions, and policy changes to avoid, lessen, and mitigate environmental health risks. Pueblo County is shown as one of the most burdened in the state: ENVIROSCREEN SCORE.
 

NEEDS SURVEY

A Needs Survey was sent to PACOG members, TAC members, and others involved with infrastructure and public projects in Pueblo County. A summary of the results can be found here: NEEDS SURVEY POWERPOINT.

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