DECEMBER 2024 NEWSLETTER

Northwest Colorado Development Council

Stronger Together!

Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) is an intergovernmental agreement between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their seven communities to collaborate on regional economic development. NWCDC's mission is to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, workforce development, economic prosperity, and diversification through sustainable, community-led development that benefits all people. NWCDC wishes you a Happy Holidays! 

At the December 19, 2024 Meeting, NWCDC Project Manager Christine Rambo updated the group on the project pipeline (above), consisting of 28 economic development and community development projects that could generate $2.36 billion in capital investment and 686 jobs for Northwest Colorado. Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Sasha Nelson reported that 34 business retention and expansion visits were conducted with existing and startup businesses year-to-date. Sasha is meeting with small business owners and entrepreneurs at a monthly Resource Fair, hosted by the Office of Just Transition and NWCDC, held monthly at the Craig Chamber of Commerce. The Resource Fair brings together various state and local agencies to offer transition services, resources, and business consulting. 

Take the Survey for Northwest Colorado Innovation Center

The NWCDC has established a Colorado nonprofit, Northwest Colorado Innovation Center to provide one location for wraparound transition services during the coal transition. The Innovation Center will be a space where various partners such as NWCDC, Colorado Office of Just Transition, and others can collaborate and coordinate services to help our communities, small businesses, and workers during the coal transition. Watch the video by clicking the photo above to learn more about the Innovation Center, then take the survey to tell us what services will help you or your business. Please take the Survey>

Grants Collective Launches: Application is Live!

The NWCDC in partnership with the Yampa Valley Community Foundation  (YVCF) has established a Grants Collective, a network of professional grant writers who can assist our communities, businesses, and nonprofits with securing more funding. The list of grant writers who have applied is live on our website. 

Led by the NWCDC Grants Workgroup and YVCF, we are asking grant writers who are interested in joining the Grant Collective to apply here.

Please share this link with any grant writers who may wish to be part of the Grant Collective. Email: Emily O'Winter if you have questions.  

OJT Hiring a Second Coal Navigator 

The Colorado Office of Just Transition (OJT) opened a Coal Navigator position to be based in Northwest Colorado (Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties). This is the second position in OJT’s navigator team, part of a comprehensive Coal Transition Worker Assistance Program. The team serves as the State’s central point of contact for coal transition workers and their families. It supports coal worker and family transition planning by advising them on preparatory strategies, connecting them as appropriate to services (such as financial planning, career planning, education and training, small business startup, and more), and maintaining a physical center of community support and collaboration. Specifically, this position will focus on outreach, direct service provision, coordination, and follow-up to workers and their families.  Learn more>

Senator Bennet's Office Hiring a Regional Representative

The Office of Senator Michael Bennet seeks applicants for the role of Regional Representative for the Central Mountains or Northwest Colorado. The position will report to the Western Slope Director. The Office provides the opportunity to engage directly on issues of local and national importance, and a highly collaborative and supportive work environment. Work is fast-paced and changes every day. Self-directed, motivated, and entrepreneurial individuals with a desire to serve their local communities and Colorado constituents are highly encouraged to apply. To apply, please email a cover letter and resume to CO_resumes@bennet.senate.gov and
include “Regional Representative'’ in the subject line. The application will remain open until filled with the first review of applications beginning on January 13, 2025. Learn more>

Energy Improvements for Rural and Remote Communities

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) presented information to the NWCDC Grants Workgroup on December 11th about the Energy Improvements for Rural and Remote Communities Program. This grant program funds projects between $2 million to $50 million to spur innovative, community-focused, clean energy solutions in communities with 10,000 or fewer people. This funding will help those rural or remote communities demonstrate the viability of commercially available technologies; de-risk clean energy infrastructure investment; demonstrate replicability; and provide insights for future ventures. Watch the video to learn more>

Applicant teams must address at least one of the following: improving overall cost-effectiveness of energy generation, transmission, or distribution systems; siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines; reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy generation in rural or remote areas; providing or modernizing electric generation facilities; developing microgrids; or increasing energy efficiency. OCED intends to fund 20-50 projects. Applications are now open and concept plans are due 2/27/25. For more information and requirements, click here> 

Colorado REDI Grant Funds Economic Development 

Colorado Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) grant provides $150,000 with a 20%-50% match to help rural communities diversify their local economy. Projects that will be funded include plans, construction, programs, and capacity building. All applications must create and retain jobs, either direct or indirect. Projects should fall into one or more of the following categories:

• Capacity-building - Under special circumstances, the Department of Local Affairs will consider funding local economic development capacity. Staff must be tied to a specific outcome, project, and timeline, which contributes to goals of job creation, business attraction/retention, and economic resilience.
• Economic resilience - Economic resilience is the ability of a community’s economy and systems that support the economy to withstand disruption and thrive in the face of change.
• Supports entrepreneurial ecosystems - Entrepreneurial ecosystems provide trainings, networking opportunities, and infrastructure to support local entrepreneurs. REDI will open on February 12, 2025, and close on March 12, 2025. Applicants have two years to spend funds.  Learn more>

 Geothermal Energy Grants

Colorado Energy Office provides grants of up to $2 million to public and private sector entities to support the development and use of geothermal energy in Colorado. Round 2 of the GEGP includes two grant subtypes: Single-Structure Geothermal and Thermal Energy Networks.

The program offers reimbursement funding for single-structure geothermal energy or thermal network projects to install geothermal loop systems or ground-source heat pumps within groups of non-networked individual single-family residential buildings, individual multifamily residential buildings, or individual nonresidential buildings. Due 01/03/25 Learn more>

Geothermal Workforce Grant:  Geothermal Heat Pumps PATHs Prize aims to catalyze regional outreach-focused partnerships to improve geothermal heat pump workforce pipeline development. The $3 million prize competition funds projects that will hire, certify, and train the current and next generation of geothermal heat pump workers. Competitors leverage the American-Made Network, an innovation engine of more than 475 organizations, including world-class experts at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 17 national labs, clean tech accelerators, incubators, universities, facilities, and more. Due 2/12/25 Learn more>

 Affordable Housing Bond

Colorado Middle Income Housing Authority (MIHA) is a special purpose authority independent from the state whose purpose is to promote affordable rental housing projects for the middle-income workforce throughout Colorado. MIHA is authorized to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance affordable rental housing projects. The bonds will be payable from the project revenues. Once MIHA establishes a portfolio of projects, the bonds may be secured by MIHA’s revenues, assets or property. MIHA is currently accepting applications for projects. Learn more>

Childcare Grants

• Early Childhood Development
• Civic, Community, and Capacity Building
• Crisis Intervention
• Food / Shelter / Homeless
• Low-Income Housing
• People with Disabilities
• Self-Sufficiency / Families / Literacy
• Senior Programs
• Youth Development / Outdoor Programs

Typical grants range between $5,000-$10,000 but generally do not exceed 10 percent of an organization’s annual budget. Deadlines: 1/15/25 or 7/1/25 Learn More>

The Buell Foundation seeks proven, promising, or developing programs that can demonstrate success in helping children thrive. It supports efforts to improve quality and encourage meaningful evaluation and assessment with the goal of partnering with outstanding organizations to improve the systems that serve children. Particular focus is placed on programs that target underserved communities.

Buell's funding strategy includes two primary areas of interest:

• Early Childhood Education and Development
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Three rounds of funding will be open in 2025 with the first deadline on 1/15/25. Learn more>

Grants Database and Other Grants Resources

To help our members sort through the massive volume of grants from state, federal and philanthropic funders, NWCDC is maintaining a Grants Database, curated to support our priority areas: clean energy, economic development, transportation, affordable childcare, and community development. The database is hosted on the NWCDC website. NWCDC Grants Manager Emily O'Winter has prescreened these grants for relevancy. The database is a living document that we will be updating constantly as we find new resources that support our Roadmap strategies. For technical support, you can click this link to email Emily O'Winter.  

Grants Toolkit

In an effort to make grant writing as painless as possible, NWCDC Grant Manager Emily O'Winter has created a Grants Toolkit, which includes templated responses for the most often asked grant questions, as well as data sources.  Browse the Grants Toolkit now for core language and other resources.  

You are receiving this email newsletter from the Northwest Colorado Development Council (NWCDC) because you are a member or a partner or have signed up for more information. The NWCDC is an intergovernmental agreement between Moffat, Rio Blanco, and Routt Counties and their seven communities to collaborate on regional economic development.