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OPEN DEADLINE GRANTS

  • Iowa Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (IA) – Provides up to 150 hours of free traffic engineering expertise to identify cost-effective traffic safety and operational improvements as well as potential funding sources to implement the recommendations. For more information, click here. 
  • Speed Feedback Signs Program (IA) – Install speed feedback signs to improve the safety and overall livability of Iowa’s local communities. These signs are proven traffic calming devices that will be placed along state highways within a community. The Iowa DOT will procure and install the signs at no cost to the city as long as the city agrees to accept ownership and will maintain the sign. For more information, click here.
  • AED Grant Program (IA NE SD) – This program is designed to help institutions and individuals everywhere, place these amazing life-saving devices at an affordable price. For more information, click here.
  • BNSF Foundation (IA NE & SD) – The foundation is dedicated to supporting the communities we serve and in which our employees live, work, and volunteer. Your organization, or program, should exist in or serve a community near one of the BNSF’s rail lines to be eligible to apply for grants. For more information, click here.
  • Career Links Employment Transportation (IA) – Funds awarded through the Career Link Employment Transportation program provide transportation for individuals to travel to job activities or job education opportunities. Funding is provided through local governments to non-profit transportation service providers. For more information, click here.
  • Community Catalyst Building Remediation (IA) – Grant funding for redevelopment, rehabilitation, or deconstruction of buildings to stimulate economic growth or reinvestment in the community. For more information, click here. Applications are by invitation only, after approved pre-application.
  • Enhance Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) Grant (IA) – Funds for capital projects, such as trails, libraries, community centers, pavilions, entertainment venues, museums, recreational facilities, and more. For more information, click here. 
  • Community Facilities Program Disaster Repair Grants (NE & SD) – This program provides grants to repair essential community facilities in rural areas that were damaged by Presidentially Declared Disasters in Calendar Year 2022. 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. For more information, click here.
  • Community Heart & Soul Offering $10,000 in Seed Grant – A funding opportunity for small cities and towns nationwide. The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides startup funding of $10,000 for resident-driven groups in communities with populations of 2,500 to 30,000 to implement the Community Heart & Soul model. The Community Heart & Soul model engages the entire population of a town in identifying what they love most about their community, what future they want for it, and how to achieve it. For more information, click here.
  • Economic Adjustment Assistance – The Economic Adjustment Assistance program is EDA’s most flexible program, and grants made under this program will help hundreds of communities across the nation plan, build, innovate, and put people back to work through construction or non-construction projects designed to meet local needs. For more information, click here. 
  • Economic Development Set-Aside (EDSA) (IA) – The EDSA program provides financial assistance to businesses and industries requiring assistance to create or retain job opportunities in Iowa. Priority is given to projects that create manufacturing jobs, add value to Iowa resources and/or increase exports. For more information, click here.
  • FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant – Hazard mitigation plans and projects, including tornado safe rooms, building and utility retrofits, minor flood control projects, elevations and relocations of buildings in flood hazard areas and stormwater management projects (Eligible: local governments and some nonprofits). For more information, click here.
  • Good Sports Equipment Grants – Good Sports gives all kids the lifelong benefits of sport and physical activity by providing new equipment, apparel, and footwear to those most in need. The award amount if 10% of the total retail value of the items. For more information, click here.
  • Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) – Provides grants for low-cost, systemic safety improvements in the $10,000/mile range, focusing on lane departure crashes. For more information, click here.
  • Iowa CDBG Career Link Employee Training – The Career Link program provides funding to help develop training programs for primarily low to moderate income individuals in an effort to increase employee skills and develop a skilled workforce for employers to draw from. For more information, click here.
  • Iowa CDBG Community Facilities – The program assists projects such as daycare facilities, senior centers, vocational workshops, and other community services such as stormwater projects. For more information, click here. 
  • Iowa CDBG Community Facilities and Services Fund – This annual competitive program assists projects such as daycare facilities, senior centers, vocational workshops, and other community services such as stormwater projects. The goal of this program is to provide economic opportunities for people, especially those of low-and-moderate income. For more information, click here. 
  • Iowa DOT/DNR Fund (IA)– Funding provided for the roadside beautification of primary system corridors with plant materials. Maximum of $100,000 per application per year. For more information, click here.
  • KaBoom! Community Construction Grant – Dr. Pepper Snapple and KaBoom have teamed up to offer $15,00 grants to be used toward the purchase of playground equipment. For more information, click here.
  • Municipal Inland Port Authority Act (NE) – Nebraska is ideally situated as an industrial and logistical hub for multiple industries across the United States. The Municipal Inland Port Authority Act (“Act”) is intended to stimulate the Nebraska economy by incentivizing the development of new industrial hubs and providing the economic development tools necessary to acquire and develop large shovel-ready sites. The creation of one or more inland port authorities in Nebraska will serve as a mechanism to develop both commercial and industrial sites. In addition to the development of commercial and industrial sites, Nebraska’s inland port authorities will serve as regional merging points for multi-modal transportation and the distribution of goods. For more information, click here.
  • Pedestrian Curb Ramp Construction (IA) – Assist cities in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on primary roads in Iowa cities. Improvements must involve a municipal extension of a primary road. Curb ramps must meet ADA standards. For more information, click here.
  • Power of Connection Community Grant Program (IA) – This innovative economic development program is designed to pair rural communities seeking assistance with IRDC resource teams. Those teams drive both community conversations and solution development for problems or projects. Ultimately, grants of up to $5,000 – funded by ITC Midwest and the IRDC – may be awarded to rural communities for capacity building, strategic planning, studies or assessment. For more information, click here.
  • Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance (PWEAA) – EDA supports bottom-up strategies that build on regional assets to spur economic growth and resiliency. EDA encourages its grantees throughout the country to develop initiatives that present new ideas and creative approaches to advance economic prosperity in distressed communities. Through this NOFO EDA intends to advance general economic development in accordance with EDA’s investment priorities, but also to pursue projects that, where practicable, incorporate specific priorities related to equity, workforce development, and climate change resiliency so that investments can benefit everyone for decades to come. For more information, click here.
  • Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant Program (IA) – The RRLG Program is administered by the Office of Rail Transportation at the Iowa Department of Transportation. The program provides financial assistance to improve rail facilities that will create jobs, spur economic activity and improve the rail transportation system in Iowa in three separate categories. When sufficient funds are available, a notice of funding availability is issued that includes an application due date and the approximate amount of funding available. For more information, click here.
  • Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation Community Facilities Fund – Rural Local Initiatives Support Corporation’s Community Facilities Fund is a loan that provides capital to help develop and improve essential community facilities in rural areas, including health care centers, hospitals, educational facilities, and other facilities in rural communities with populations under 20,000. For more information, click here.
  • Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program – Provides loans and grants to help microenterprise startup and grow through a Rural Microloan Revolving Fund and to provide training and technical assistance to microloan borrowers and micro-entrepreneurs. For more information, click here.
  • Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – Program to provide states, local governments, and tribal governments with grants to support project development leading to future applications to DOT credit or grant programs. The grants can support legal, technical, and financial advisors to help advance infrastructure projects. The first notice of funding opportunity includes two fiscal years and makes $3.4 million available to eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, click here.
  • Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants (IA) – Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program, this provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards. For more information, click here.
  • Small Town Sign Replacement Program (IA) – This program will provide up to $5,000 of signs and signposts per applying community on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, click here.
  • State Revolving Fund Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program (WTFAP) (IA) – Grants for water, wastewater, and storm water infrastructure projects and funded with a portion of the taxes paid on metered water. For more information, click here.
  • Storm water Best Management Practices Loan (IA)– This program facilitates low-interest loans to private and public entities for implementing environmentally responsible strategies for storm water management. For more information, click here.
  • T-Mobile Hometown Grants Program – In partnership with Main Street America and Smart Growth America, T-Mobile is committing $25 million toward small-town grants over the next five years through its Hometown Grants program. The program will award up to 100 towns per year with project funding grants of up to $50,000 each. The program will focus on revitalizing community spaces in towns with 50,000 people or less. Main Street programs are encouraged to apply. For more information, click here.
  • Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) (IA) – Provides 100 hours of engineering assistance for operations and traffic safety issues. For more information, click here.
  • Travel, Tourism, & Outdoor Recreation – Through the Travel, Tourism & Outdoor Recreation program, EDA is focused on accelerating the recovery of communities that rely on the travel, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. $750 million of EDA’s American Rescue Plan funds are allocated to support the following efforts:
    • State Tourism Grants: $510 million in non-competitive awards to help states quickly invest in marketing, infrastructure, workforce, and other projects to rejuvenate safe leisure, business and international travel.
    • Competitive Grants: $240 million to help communities that have been hardest hit by challenges facing the travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation sectors to invest in infrastructure, workforce or other projects to support the recovery of the industry and economic resilience of the community in the future. For more information, click here.  State Tourism applications are due 60 days after receiving an invitation.  Competitive Tourism applications are due within 60 days of invitation.
  • Trees Forever (IA) – Grants available across Iowa to help diverse community forests and areas that welcome the public.  Projects may include planting seedling trees and woody shrubs in public spaces including but not limited to county and community parks, trail ways, roadsides, stream corridors, schools and civic buildings, cemeteries, and more. For more information, click here.
  • United Way of Siouxland Small Grants – The intent of the Small Grants Program is to provide support for community projects, programs, or initiatives in need of a small, one-time grant between $1,000 and $5,000, but may not be eligible for funding through other grant opportunities. For more information, click here.
  • USDA Rural Development Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Funds – This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas. For more information, click here.
  • USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program – 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. For more information, click here.