The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region.
Donor Name: Northern Border Regional Commission
State: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont
County: Selected Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 02/27/2026
Size of the Grant: More than $1 million
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Catalyst Program supports a broad range of economic development initiatives that will modernize and expand the region’s basic infrastructure and revitalize communities to support and attract the region’s workforce.
Priorities
Review NBRC Catalyst Program investment priorities:
- Projects that directly benefit communities that have been underrepresented in past NBRC investments will be prioritized. The focus is on rural communities with fewer than 5,000 people and underserved communities.
- Projects that demonstrate how they meet multiple needs within Catalyst project categories and are designed to create efficiencies will be prioritized.
- Projects that demonstrate how communities prevent, reduce, withstand, and recover from extreme weather-related disasters.
Funding Information
- Implementation Award – Construction or non-construction projects—such as assets, facilities, and programs—that align with an eligible purpose, program priorities and economic development goals will be classified as an implementation award. Projects that meet criteria for an infrastructure category are eligible for up to $1,000,000. Projects that meet criteria for multi-infrastructure or multi-jurisdiction infrastructure are eligible for up to $3,000,000. All other projects that meet implementation award criteria and align with an eligible purpose are eligible for up to $500,000.
- Feasibility Award – Early-stage activities—such as planning, engineering, design, cost benefit analysis, permitting, site assessments, and environmental assessments—that align with an eligible purpose, engage community stakeholders, and produce actionable deliverables that support future implementation of projects will be classified as a feasibility award. All projects that meet feasibility award criteria and align with an eligible purpose are eligible for up to $100,000.
Geographical Areas
Only projects within the NBRC’s service area are eligible for funding. For 2026, the NBRC service area is:
- Maine: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties
- New Hampshire: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coös, Grafton, Merrimack, and Sullivan counties
- New York: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Seneca, Sullivan, Warren, Washington, Wayne, and Yates counties With active awards in Schoharie County from another federal commission, the county is not currently eligible for NBRC funding in FY 2026 per NBRC’s statute and has not been included in distress calculations.
- Vermont: all counties within the state.
Eligible Criteria
- State governments of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York
- Local governments and secondary and career technical centers (village, town, city and county)
- Other political subdivisions of states (regional planning commissions, authorities of the state)
- Non-profit entities: Designated 501(c) and exempt from taxation under 501(a). Non-profit entities must be able to demonstrate they have established operations in a member state.
- Federally recognized Indian Tribes; § 200.54 Indian tribe.
For more information, visit NBRC.
