The Small Town Economic Assistance Program funds economic development, community conservation and quality of life projects for localities that are ineligible to receive Urban Action bonds.
Donor Name: Connecticut Office of Policy and Management
State: Connecticut
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 08/18/2023
Size of the Grant: $500,000
Grant Duration: 5 years
Details:
Preserving the historical integrity and beauty of the small towns is vital to the economy and quality of life. The Small Town Economic Assistance Program funds economic development, community conservation and quality-of-life capital projects for localities that are ineligible to receive Urban Action bonds. This program is managed by the Office of Policy and Management, and the grants are administered by various state agencies. Municipalities will be notified when the application process is open for the intake of new applications.
Funding Information
- The 2023 round of STEAP grants will be funded from an aggregate amount of $30,000,000. The total STEAP grant amount a municipality can receive each fiscal year is $500,000.
- Grants awarded will have a four (4) year term and may be considered for a one (1) year extension to the grant end date. No grant shall have a term longer than five (5) years.
Eligible Projects and Priority Project Areas
- Projects eligible for STEAP funds include:
- Economic development projects such as constructing or rehabilitating commercial, industrial, or mixed-use structures and constructing, reconstructing, or repairing roads, access ways, and other site improvements;
- Recreation and solid waste disposal projects;
- Social service-related projects, including day care centers, elderly centers, domestic violence and emergency homeless shelters, multi-purpose human resource centers, and food distribution facilities;
- Housing projects;
- Pilot historic preservation and redevelopment programs that leverage private funds;and
- Other kinds of development projects involving economic and community development, transportation, environmental protection, public safety, children and families and social service programs;
- Land acquisition associated with the above types of projects.
- Priority Project Areas:
- Shovel-ready projects which are at a stage where project work canbegin
- Promoting economic growth particularly in transit-oriented areas
- Developing workforce
- Improving the quality of life and fiscal stability of municipality
- Improving the grand list
- Infrastructure
- Making government more effective, efficient and customer friendly
- Pollution control (water, waste, energy) in order to reduce costs and environmental impacts
- Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) Consolidation
Eligibility Criteria
- Municipalities that are eligible to opt into the STEAP program, but are not currently opted in, must submit their opt-in request prior to submitting their STEAP application.
- Municipalities with projects more than five years old or that have expired contracts that have not been closed out with the administering agency are ineligible to apply for new funding.
- For the purposes of the application and any subsequent award, “Authorized Signatory” refers to the municipality’s Chief Executive Officer (Town/City Manager, Mayor, First Selectman, etc.) – the individual who is legally authorized to apply for the grant and who has the authority to enter into any subsequent agreements/contracts per referendum vote or legislative body action.
- A 20% municipal match of the total project is preferred, but not required, in accordance with the following:
- Match funds must be municipal funds, not funds from other state or federal grants
- Municipal salaries and/or expenses cannot be counted toward the municipal match
- Funds spent on studies, planning, design, engineering, cost of land and contract services needed to complete the project are acceptable matches
- Match funds must be spent in their entirety prior to final reimbursement
- Match expenditures can be those allowable project-related expenditures which were incurred before or during the grant contract period
- All funding (other than STEAP funding) for the STEAP project must be secured as of the time of application.
- An authorizing referendum vote and/or resolution by the local legislative body, or, in any town where the legislative body is a town meeting, by a vote of the board of selectmen, which authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to accept such grant if awarded, and enter into and execute any and all agreements, contracts and documents necessary to obtain said 2023 STEAP Grant with the State of Connecticut. This authorizing vote and/or resolution needs to be submitted to the administering agency within thirty (30) days of grant award notice if not available at time of application.
For more information, visit COPM.
