Concrete Connection Fund > Grant Criteria

CONCRETE CONNECTION FUND GRANT CRITERIA

BACKGROUND

Established in October of 2003, Colorado Walks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote walking for health, transportation, and fitness. The Concrete Connection Fund (CCF) is an essential element of the Colorado Walks vision to help local communities provide safe and enjoyable pedestrian environments for people of all ages and abilities. CCF is funded with the net profits from Colorado Walks programs, events, memberships, and donations directly to the fund.

• Application Announcement, Review, and Selection Processes
  Colorado Walks will call for grant applications as CCF funding levels allow. Local governments are eligible for CCF grants through a statewide competitive process.
  
  The Colorado Walks Board of Directors and qualified peer reviewers score each application based on the merits of the project.

• Grant Awards
  Grant recipients will receive an award letter at which time Colorado Walks and the Grant Recipient sign a grant agreement. The Grant Recipient must sign the grant agreement within 45 days after receipt of the award letter. After receiving the signed grant agreement, Colorado Walks will issue a written Authorization to Proceed with the end date of the project (one year from the date of the Authorization to Proceed). Applicants have one year to complete the project and will be reimbursed upon completion.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

• Recipients
  Grants are available to local municipalities throughout the State of Colorado. Other government agencies, school districts, nonprofit agencies, etc. with potential projects may partner with their respective local government to submit the grant application, with the local government as the agency of record.

• Project Types
• Complete missing links in the sidewalk system
• Rehabilitate existing sidewalks
  All projects must comply with applicable Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements, as well as State statutes, regulatory requirements, and policies. Grant recipients are responsible for obtaining any permits and/or clearances as appropriate.

Sample Eligible Costs for Projects:

Eligible (including but not limited to)

• Construction, re-construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance of sidewalks
• Bank stabilization, re-vegetation, and erosion control
• Construction supplies and materials
• Supplies, materials, and tools necessary to complete the grant project
• Acquisition of land or permanent easements essential to completion of the sidewalk

Ineligible (including but not limited to)

• Salaries for permanent, seasonal, or non-permanent staff
• Consultant services
• Planning, design, and engineering
• Safety, education and user information programs
• Costs expended that are not included in the project budget submitted with the application
• General overhead, operating expenses, or administrative costs

• Timeline
  Grant recipients may not begin work on a proposed project until they receive the signed Authorization to Proceed from Colorado Walks. Any work performed by the applicant prior to receiving the written authorization is not eligible for reimbursement. The project's timeline begins with the Authorization to Proceed date and projects have one year from this date to complete the project.

• Grant Payments
  Concrete Connection Fund grants are a reimbursement program. Upon completion of the project, grant recipients must submit a final invoice, documentation of project expenses, and final report to receive reimbursement.

• Matching Requirements
  Concrete Connection Fund grants do not require a match. However, projects that present cash or in-kind donations to leverage CCF funds will receive bonus points in the scoring process.

• Maintenance Capability
  The grantee is responsible for continued operation and maintenance of funded facilities. Applicants must submit a statement of the estimated annual maintenance cost for the facility and information on existing financial resources demonstrating the applicant's ability to maintain the proposed project after completion.

• Status of Property
  To receive a grant, applicants must have adequate control and tenure to the property - through ownership, lease, easement, special use agreement, or other long-term interest in the property. Applicants must submit documentation (property deed or long-term lease) that the property will remain under their control for 25 years or more. If another entity owns the property, an Intergovernmental Agreement between the applicant and property owner must be provided.

• Local support
  A support letter or resolution demonstrating support for the proposed project from the governing body with primary jurisdiction must be provided.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

• Read all instructions, incomplete applications will not be considered
• Grant applications and supporting documentation should be prepared in 12-point font size on single-sided 8.5" x 11" white paper, with the exception of maps
• No covers, bindings, double-sided copies, cover letters, newsletters, newspaper articles, CDs, DVDs, Videos.

Grant Application Format - Please arrange your grant application as follows:

CONCRETE CONNECTION FUND GRANT SCORING 100 points