KVCOG can provide technical assistance for these, and other grant projects of interest to your municipality. For assistance, please reach out to Jessie Cyr at  or (207) 453-4258, Ext 220

• Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program- USDA
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) 
• Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Forest Economy Program Grant
• Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Grant
• Shore and Harbor Planning Grants
• Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Projects Grant
• Coastal Community Planning Grant Programs
• Community Broadband Startup and Planning Grants - ConnectME 

Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program-USDA

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. 
Read more about the program at the USDA Website.

For additional information for areas within:
Kennebec County: Jessie L. Archer, Area Specialist (207) 753-9400
Somerset County:  Nathan Persinger, Area Specialist (207) 900-3676

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Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

The following programs are available to Maine Communities and in certain instances, Counties through the Office of Community Development. For specific information on applications dates and program eligible activities, refer to the individual application packages and the current Program Statement.

Full program descriptions and application materials are available on the Maine DECD website.

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Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC)

2024 Forest Economy Program (FEP)

Program Overview

Approximately $7 MM is available for the 4-state NBRC Region, up to a $1,000,000 maximum award to eligible projects.  The purpose of this program is to support the forest-based economy, and to assist in the industry’s evolution to include new technologies and viable business models across the 4-state NBRC region.  

Spring 2024 Application Timeline: TBD

Forest Economy Program Information Sessions                       TBD January/February 2024

Letters of Interest (required)                                                      TBD March 2024

Responses to LOIs including invitations to apply                       TBD April 2024

Applications Due (by invite only)                                                TBD April/May 2024 

NBRC Selection Meeting                                                            TBD June 2024

NBRC notice of awards & notice to unsuccessful applicants     TBD July 2024

Fall 2024 Application Timeline: TBD

Forest Economy Program Information Sessions                       TBD July/August 2024

Letters of Interest (required)                                                       TBD Sept 2024

Responses to LOIs including invitations to apply                       TBD October 2024

Applications Due (by invite only)                                                TBD November 2024

NBRC Selection Meeting                                                           TBD January 2025

NBRC notice of awards & notice to unsuccessful applicants     TBD January/February  2025

 Visit NBRC's website for more information.

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Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) 

2024 Catalyst Program

About the Catalyst Program

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is making available up to $44 million in grant funds to be competitively awarded through the Catalyst Program. The Catalyst Program brings multiple investment priorities together to stimulate growth and inspire partnerships for rural economic vitality in the northern border region. These projects will be partially funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

Non-infrastructure projects will have an award size ranging up to $500,000.
Infrastructure projects will have an award size ranging up to $1,000,000, with consideration of awards up to $3,000,000 for projects that demonstrate their ability to meet the eligibility criteria and address priorities identified by NBRC and member states. To be eligible for the higher maximum, projects must either include multiple infrastructure categories or serve multiple jurisdictions. Eligibility will be determined in the LOI review process conducted by both NBRC and the member States (New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine).

All funds are in the form of reimbursement for eligible expenses incurred after a Notice to Proceed has been fully executed. Maine's program area includes Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties.

2023 Maine Catalyst Program Awards. 

2024 Grant Materials Anticipated Dates: 

• Materials available: TBD March 2024
• Letters of Interest Due By: TBD April 2024
• Application portal open: TBD May 202
• Applications Due By: TBD June 2024 

Visit NBRC's website for full timeline and more information.

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Shore and Harbor Planning Grants

The Shore and Harbor Planning Grant Program supports municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone.  This provides resources on a competitive basis for shoreline access planning, waterfront and harbor planning, identification and resolution of waterfront use conflicts, and planning, feasibility, and design efforts for resilient waterfront infrastructure. Shore and Harbor Planning Grant projects are often well prepared to compete for construction funding through other sources.

Information pertaining to the next round of funding (Fiscal Year 2025) will be available in Early 2024 

View more details about the Shore and Harbor Planning Grant Program on the State of Maine Department of Marine Resources page here. 

FY24 Grant Program Statement

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Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Projects
Watershed-Based Plan Development (Maine DEP)

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) administers Nonpoint Source (NPS) grants to help communities make progress restoring or protecting waters named as NPS Priority Watersheds. Click here to view the Nonpoint Source Priority Watersheds List.

NPS grants are available to:

1. Implement a watershed-based plan.
   A DEP-accepted and active (i.e. not expired) plan is a prerequisite to be eligible to submit a proposal for an implementation grant. List of DEP-accepted active and expired plans with the respective plan expiration dates
2. Develop a watershed-based plan.
   A plan provides assessment and management information and describes actions needed to restore NPS-impaired water bodies or protect water bodies threatened by NPS pollution.

Grants for projects are funded with monies provided to DEP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319(h) or Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act.

Applications and all related materials for the next round are anticipated in March of 2023 and will be made available on the DEP Website.

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Coastal Community Planning Grant Programs

The Coastal Community Planning Grants opportunity for FY24 

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's Municipal Planning Assistance Program (MPAP) is seeking applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants (CCG). FY23 CCG details and the program statement are found on the MPAP website. CCG applications are due Friday, June 2, 2023, by 5:00 pm.

Open to counties, municipalities, unorganized territories, tribal governments, and Regional Planning Organizations in Maine's coastal zone, CCG competitive grants include projects in Maine's coastal zone with a focus on the following priority coastal issues, as identified by the Maine Coastal Program and the Maine Climate Council's Maine Won't Wait: A Four-Year Plan for Climate Action

CCGs are an important element of the MPAP mission to foster innovative and effective approaches to land use management by providing technical and financial assistance to Maine municipalities.

The Municipal Planning Assistance Program anticipates making multiple CCG awards ranging from $20,000 to $50,000. Total funds available for the FY 2024 program are approximately $165,000. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides funding for these grants in cooperation with the Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Coastal Program.

This CCG statement is being released to coincide with the second round of Community Action Grants from the Community Resilience Partnership in the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. CCG applicants are encouraged to examine opportunities for coordinating these two grant programs to maximize project scope and efficiencies. As non-federal funding, CCGs provide an eligible match for the federal Coastal Community Grant opportunity.

Applications are due:  June 2, 2023 no later than 5:00 p.m.

View the grant program statement and more information on MPAP's website. 

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Community Broadband "Connect The Ready" Grants - Maine Connectivity Authority

The Maine Connectivity Authority (MCA) "Connect the Ready" has announced its 2022 competitive grant round of $20 million for the fall application window.  This is round is to encourage proactive partnerships and collaborative efforts to design, fund, and build broadband infrastructure projects in eligible areas.  Detailed Program Guidance and applications will be released September 23, 2022 and are due by November 9, 2022.

The program will optimize broadband deployment in mostly unserved communities and encourage projects that will expand universal broadband service throughout large un(der)served areas.

Eligible applicants are public & private partners: internet service providers, or broadband utility districts, and other governmental entities that have chosen ISP partners. Projects should occur in partnership with communities that are ready to be connected by the proposed project. 
Read more at the Maine Connectivity Authority website.

For additional information, contact: Stephenie MacLagan, Maine Connectivity Authority
(207) 200-3197  

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