Deadline: 12-Jul-23
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Community Services (OCS) is soliciting applications for the Community Economic Development Planning Grants (CED) to address barriers to economic self-sufficiency in communities with low incomes by awarding funds to CDCs to implement community economic development projects that create business development and job opportunities.
The CED program recognizes that non-profit CDCs intimately understand the unique assets and challenges in their communities. When CDCs and their partners have sufficient capacity, they are best suited to create new community economic development projects that reflect community needs.
Purpose of the CED Planning Grant
- In 2022, the CED program awarded over $16 million to support 22 community economic development projects across the country, which will ultimately create nearly 700 new jobs for individuals with low incomes living in persistent poverty areas. Although CED is transforming many communities, OCS has learned through communications with award recipients, previous applicants, and potential applicants that there are many areas of the country that need a CED award, but do not have adequate time or resources to plan for the CED application.
- Many of these previous and potential applicants are in some of the highest persistent poverty areas throughout the country. OCS is committed to ensuring that communities in greatest need are supported in their efforts to compete for CED funding and ultimately create new job opportunities for individuals with low incomes. Thus, OCS made this planning grant funding available to support a variety of administrative capacity building activities that will ultimately allow potential applicants adequate time and resources to put together a viable CED application.
Objective and Goal
- The objective of this funding opportunity is to focus resources in persistent high-poverty areas with struggling economies that have been unable to put forth a viable CED project in the past. The goal of this funding opportunity is to provide CDCs with financial assistance for administrative capacity building. With increased administrative capacity, CDCs will be better equipped to design a sustainable business project and package a viable competitive application to be submitted in a CED competition within the 12 months at the end of the project period.
Addressing OCS Priorities
- Ensuring the programs they administer are of the highest quality possible and are reaching those most in need.
- Lifting up voices from the field and using lessons learned to be thoughtful, inclusive, and innovative in the approach.
- Identifying opportunities to break down silos and implement cross-cutting initiatives within OCS and ACF and across the federal government.
Funding Information
- Estimated Total Funding: $1,500,000
- Expected Number of Awards: 10
- Award Ceiling: $150,000 Per Project Period
- Award Floor: $75,000 Per Project Period
- Average Projected Award Amount: $150,000 Per Project Period
- Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2023
- Length of Project Periods: Projects funded under this NOFO will have one 24-month project and budget period.
Eligible Activities
- Convene and organize stakeholders within the target community to strategize on shared economic development efforts, visions, and desired paths forward. Stakeholders include, but are not limited to, local government officials, entrepreneurs, schools, faith-based organizations, social service organizations, non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, or other business support organizations.
- Develop, update, or expand existing community economic development visioning statements and planning documents.
- Obtain and expand community buy-in for planned economic development efforts.
- Inventory existing data and conduct data collection efforts to assess local economic assets and identify viable markets for business development.
- Identify existing federal, state, local, and private funding opportunities that can be leveraged, along with CED funds, to implement business development and job creation projects.
- Develop and secure partnerships with social service providers, such as workforce development agencies and safety net providers to support economic development projects.
- Develop a business plan for an identified business development or economic development opportunity that describes sources and uses of funding; market analysis and strategy; products, services, and target customer base; marketing and sales plan; management plan; and operations plan.
Eligibility Criteria
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To be eligible to apply for a CED Planning grant, an applicant must meet the following three conditions:
- Applicant must be a private, non-profit CDC with 501(c)(3) status;
- Applicant must have articles of incorporation or bylaws demonstrating that the CDC has as a principal purpose the planning, developing, or managing of low-income housing or community economic development activities; and
- The Board of Directors must have representation from each of the following: community residents, business leaders, and civic leaders.
- Note: The CDC designation does not need to be specified on any official documents as long as the three requirements stated above are met.
- Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.
- Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.