The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry is seeking applications for its 2024 Building Official Training (BOT) Grant Program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/25/2023
Size of the Grant: Up to $65,000
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The BOT Grant Program will, through funding and training guidance, assist qualified municipalities to establish inclusive training programs that will provide on-the-job training and education under the direct supervision of a Minnesota certified building official. The municipality’s trainee will achieve 20 points for experience in building plan review and building inspections per Minnesota Rules 1301.0300 section C (1) by serving as a construction code inspector as specified in Minn. Stat. 326B.135 and detailed in Minn. R. 1301.1400. The grant program goal for the trainee is to gain a building official-limited (BO-L) certification.
Focus Populations
The Minnesota Office of Grants Management (OGM) Policy 08-02 establishes the expectation that grant programs intentionally identify how the grant serves diverse populations, especially populations experiencing inequities and/or disparities.
Diverse populations include:
- racial and ethnic communities including Native Americans,
- LGBTQI communities, disabled communities,
- veterans and
- geographical diversity.
The BOT Grant Program seeks to promote, encourage and provide support to grantee municipalities who will educate and train individuals on their path to becoming building officials.
Grant Activities
Awardees can achieve the education and training needed to assist the trainee in complying with the competency criteria through a variety of activities. Grant award funding may be applied to cover:
Education
Education to achieve the grant requirements and those detailed in Minn. R. 1301.1400, competency criteria, and BO-Limited prerequisites in Minn. R. 1301.0300 (A.):
- College/trade school courses related to building code enforcement
- ICC courses and certifications
- OSHA 10 safety training. (Grant requirement only)
On-the-job training:
- Building department administration
- Legal aspects of code enforcement
- Plan review
- Building inspection
- Application of the Minnesota Residential Code
- Planning/zoning, city code and ordinances, public works/utilities
Additional Activities
Education that increases a trainee’s knowledge of building code enforcement and administration:
- CCLD Spring and Fall seminars.
- CCLD self-paced courses available through the CCLD Learn
- AMBO Region III seminars
- AIBO U of M seminars
- Building Official Limited and Accessibility Specialist Training Program
- Continued study of the Minnesota Residential Code
- Additional college/trade school courses related to building code enforcement
- Additional or expanded ICC courses and certifications.
Activities that expand the trainee’s skills and value:
- Continued application of the Minnesota Residential Code
- Field trips to other jurisdictions to train in areas not available in the grantee municipality.
- Creating mock scenarios that inform and test a trainee in areas not available at that time.
- Achieving a BO-L or building official certification
Funding Information
Funding for BOT grants for the 2024 grant cycle is as follows:
- Total funds allocated for this grant cycle: $520,000.
- The maximum amount applicants can request is up to $65,000.
Period of Performance
Jan. 1, 2024, or the date the contract is fully executed, whichever occurs later, until Dec. 31, 2024.
Eligibility Criteria
To be considered eligible, all applicants must be a qualifying municipality. For the BOT grant, “municipality” as a city, county or town.
To be a qualifying municipality:
- A municipality must administer and enforce the Minnesota State Building Code by having adopted the code by ordinance in compliance with Minn. Stat
- Education and training must be under the direct supervision of a Minnesota certified building official certified in accordance
- Meet the application deadline.
For more information, visit Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry.
