Grants

Patrick-Murray Administration Announces New Community Innovation Challenge Grant

Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray and Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez today announced the creation of a new $4 million Community Innovation Challenge (CIC) grant program to incentivize and support innovative regionalization and other cost saving initiatives that will change the way local governments do business to maintain service delivery and stretch every tax payer dollar as far as possible. For more information, view the press release on the State's website.

How to Apply: Eligible applicants include for the CICG program include:

• municipalities
• regional schools
• school districts considering forming a regional school district or regionalizing services
• regional planning agencies and councils of government

Regional agencies and councils of governments may also serve as the administrative or fiscal agent on behalf of municipalities. Applicants will be required to submit a project timeline and detailed budget for their proposal. Additionally, applicants must propose a method to measure and evaluate both the success of implementing the proposed project and the success of the initiative or reform going forward once implemented. To qualify for the grants, communities must submit their application to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance via email by January 15, 2012.

Click here for guidelines for submitting a grant application, and here for the application form.

Recreational Trails Grants Program

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) accepts applications for Recreational Trails Grants on an annual basis, with a deadline of October 1. The Recreational Trails Program will award 2-3 new grants focused on statewide trail education initiatives. More information is available at the DCR's webpage.

MassWorks Infrastructure Program

From the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (EOHED): "The MassWorks Infrastructure Program provides a one-stop shop for municipalities and other eligible applicants seeking public infrastructure funding to support economic development. The Program represents an administrative consolidation of six grant programs:

• Public Works Economic Development (PWED) Grants
• Community Development Action Grant (CDAG)
• Growth District Initiative (GDI) Grants
• Massachusetts Opportunity Relocation and Expansion Program (MORE)
• Small Town Rural Assistance Program (STRAP)
• Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Grant Program

The MassWorks Infrastructure Program provides grant funding for publicly owned infrastructure including, but not limited to sewers, utility extensions, streets, roads, curb-cuts, parking facilities, site preparation, demolition, pedestrian walkways, streetscape, and water treatment systems. In recognition of the administration?s commitment to and focus on job creation and economic development, the MassWorks Infrastructure Program will be centrally administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Executive Office for Administration and Finance."

Sustainable Communities Building Blocks

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has announced the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks Program. This program seeks to provide technical assistance to twenty communities for the purposes of economic and environmental sustainability. More information, as well as information on how to apply, is located at the EPA's website.

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