Township officials are encouraged to take advantage of the many grant opportunities currently available!

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Broadband Technical Assistance Program: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $20 million to deliver broadband resources for rural communities under the new Broadband Technical Assistance Program. This program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support technical assistance projects and to help organizations access federal resources and conduct data collection. Townships within a defined rural area are eligible to apply through June 20, 2023.

For the purposes of this program, a rural area is defined as “any area not located in a city, town, or incorporated area with a population greater than 20,000, or an urbanized area next to a city, town or incorporated area with a population greater than 50,000 people.” The USDA has developed a mapping tool with additional eligibility information.

Eligible projects include planning for delivering broadband service; identifying resources to finance broadband facilities; preparing studies, reports, and surveys necessary to support broadband services; and improving broadband facilities management and operations. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. For more information, including fact sheets, required application materials, and contact information, please visit the USDA’s program webpage.

Growing Greener Plus Grants: The Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) is now accepting applications for the Growing Greener Plus Grants Program for Growing Greener grants and Bond Forfeiture grants. Townships are eligible to apply for a maximum Growing Greener grant request of $500,000 by Friday, June 23, 2023.

Growing Greener grants provide funding to improve or protect Commonwealth waters from nonpoint source pollution associated with agricultural activities, acid mine drainage (AMD), stormwater runoff, energy resource extraction, and streambank and shoreline degradation. Priority areas include projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution, especially nitrogen, phosphorous and sediment pollution from agricultural and stormwater runoff. DEP is particularly interested in projects that implement effective best management practices to reduce or eliminate pollutant loadings and lead to local water quality improvements.
Bond Forfeiture grants are designed to address legacy mining impacts with a primary focus on preparation or revision of Act 167 plans by counties. AMD projects remain eligible for Growing Greener; however, AMD discharges resulting from coal mining abandoned prior to 1977 are encouraged to apply to DEP’s Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation’s new Abandoned Mine Land (AML)/AMD Grant Program.

Grant applications must be submitted online through the Commonwealth’s Electronic Single Application website, eGrants. For more information, visit DEP’s Growing Greener Plus webpage.

Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Grants: The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications for the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management grant program. Townships, council of governments, and municipal authorities are eligible to apply through June 23, 2023.

Eligible projects must improve and protect Pennsylvania’s waters from nonpoint source pollution associated with acid mine drainage (AMD), energy resource extraction, agricultural activities, stormwater runoff, streambank, and shoreline degradation. New for 2023: applicants may apply for new Watershed Implementation Plan development in Environmental Justice areas. Projects larger than $250,000 must comply with the federal Buy America, Build America Act.

For additional information, including grant guidance, video tutorials, application examples, and the link to apply, visit DEP’s website.

Automated Red Light Enforcement Grants: PennDOT will be accepting applications for the 2023 Automated Red Light Enforcement (ARLE) Funding Program from June 1 through June 30, 2023. Townships are eligible to apply for funding toward safety and mobility projects, including roadway safety, mobility, and capacity upgrades; bicycle and pedestrian improvements; Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) projects; and traffic signal improvements. 

This year, a pre-application scoping form is required prior to submitting an application. Pre-application scoping forms will be accepted only until April 30 to allow time for PennDOT to review and provide feedback prior to the application period in June. For additional information and a link to the pre-application form, visit PennDOT’s Traffic Signal Resource Portal. Questions can be directed to Michael Centi, Bureau of Operations, 400 North Street, 6th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120 at (717) 787-5313 or ARLE@pa.gov.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – Safe Streets and Roads for All Grants: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is now accepting applications for the second round of funding under the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. This program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support local initiatives to prevent transportation-related death and serious injury on roads and streets. Up to $1.18 billion is available for FY2023 grants. 

Townships are eligible to apply now through Monday, July 10, for projects supporting planning, infrastructure, behavioral, and operational initiatives to prevent death and serious injury on roads and streets involving all roadway users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, motorists, and commercial vehicle operators.  The SS4A program provides funding for two main types of grants:  

Planning and Demonstration Grants to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan, as well as carry out activities that inform an Action Plan. 
Implementation Grants to implement strategies or projects that are consistent with an existing Action Plan.

For more information, including the notice of funding, how to apply, frequently asked questions, and webinars, visit the SS4A Program Page on U.S. DOT’s website.

Broadband Infrastructure Grants: The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority is currently accepting applications for the Pennsylvania Broadband Infrastructure Program, funded through the Capital Projects Fund. This program will provide $200 million towards line extension and development projects, targeting locations that do not currently have access to 25/3 Mbps reliable service. Townships are eligible to apply through July 10, 2023. The minimum grant is $500,000 and maximum is $10 million.

Projects must deliver service that meets or exceeds symmetrical download and upload speeds of 100 Megabits per second, with prioritization being given to fiber-optic deployment. Projects must include a viable sustainability strategy to maintain, repair, and upgrade networks to ensure their continued operation. Applicants must participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program and a 25-percent match is required.

The Authority has created a Frequently Asked Questions page to assist townships in applying. For more information, including program guidelines and a link to apply, visit DCED’s website.

Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Fixed Award Grants: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) announced it is now accepting pre-applications for the new Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas grant program. This program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to provide financial investment, technical assistance, and other resources to advance clean energy demonstrations and energy solutions that benefit rural and remote communities. Up to $50 million is available for FY2023. 

Townships with “a population of not more than 10,000 inhabitants” are eligible to submit a pre-application now through Thursday, July 13, 2023. There is no match requirement for funding. 

Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to: installation of stand-alone microgrids in critical facilities or resilience centers; siting or upgrading of transmission and distribution lines, grid stability and resilience with substation improvements, or other electrical infrastructure improvements; energy efficiency improvements for community-owned buildings that reduce electric loads and energy costs; and installation of small-scale energy storage to provide power regulation or backup electricity. For more information, including the notice of funding, guidance documents, and to register for an overview webinar, visit the Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas page on OCED’s website. 

Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program Funding Available Soon: PennDOT has announced that the 2023 application round for the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) will open May 30, 2023. Townships are eligible to apply and no funding match is required. 

Approximately $28 million will be made available this funding round and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to fund the TASA through 2026. Funding will be available for projects and activities defined as transportation alternatives, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, infrastructure projects for improving non-driver access to public transportation, community improvement activities, conversion of abandoned railway corridors to trails, stormwater management, and construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas. A required draft application is due by July 17, 2023 for district review. Final applications may be submitted until September 15. For more information, including a PennDOT webinar program guidance, visit PennDOT’s TASA webpage. Questions can be submitted to RA-pdTASA@pa.gov. 

Ride and Drive Electric Program Grants Available: The Joint Office of Energy and Transportation through the U.S. Department of Energy is accepting applications for the new Ride and Drive Electric grant program. This program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to support electric vehicle charging reliability; up to $51 million is available in FY2023.  Townships are eligible to apply. Cost share requirements range from 0% to 50% depending on the topic area. Required concept papers are due June 16 and full applications are due by July 28.  For more information, please read the full Funding Opportunity Announcement or view PennDOT’s summary of the program at PennDOT Grant Alert – Ride and Drive Electric. 

CFA Multimodal Transportation Fund Grants: The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) is accepting grant applications for its Multimodal Transportation Fund. Townships are eligible to apply through DCED’s online single application for assistance until July 31, 2023. Please note this opportunity is separate from PennDOT’s Multimodal Program.

Eligible projects include the development, rehabilitation, and enhancement of transportation assets to existing communities, streetscape, lighting, sidewalk enhancement, pedestrian safety, connectivity of transportation assets, and transit-oriented development. For more information, including Frequently Asked Questions and an Application Checklist, visit the Multimodal Transportation Fund program on DCED’s website.

Historical & Archival Records Care Grants: The Pennsylvania State Historical Records Advisory Board is accepting applications for Historical & Archival Records Care Grants funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). Townships may apply through August 1, 2023.

Awards will improve the preservation of historically valuable original records. Projects for local government records care include surveying, inventorying, preserving, arranging, describing, and making available historical local government records. Funding may also be requested for reformatting records or purchasing supplies and equipment.

Grant applications must be submitted online through the commonwealth’s Electronic Single Application website, eGrants. For more information, including grant webinars and application process, please visit PHMC’s website. 

Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program Grants: The U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration is now accepting applications for funding via the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. This pilot program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to protect motorists and wildlife by reducing the number of Wildlife Vehicle Collisions and improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. Over $111 million of funding is available in this first round. Townships are eligible to apply by August 1. Recipients must contribute a non-federal local match of at least 20%. 

Construction and non-construction projects are eligible for funding. Construction Projects include engineering, design, permitting, right-of-way acquisition, and other activities related to the construction of infrastructure improvements, such as the building of a wildlife crossing overpass or underpass. Non-construction Projects include planning, research, and educational activities that are not directly related to construction of infrastructure improvements.

All township applications must be reviewed and approved by PennDOT prior to submission. The deadline for requesting PennDOT’s approval is July 11. PennDOT’s Transportation Federal Funding Opportunities Resource Account can be reached via email at RA-PDTRANSFEDFUNDOPP@pa.gov  For more information, including administrative requirements and application guidelines, visit PennDOT’s Grants Alerts page. 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – PROTECT Program Grants: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration is now accepting applications for the first round of funding under the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program. This new program was created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to plan for and strengthen surface transportation to be more resilient to natural hazards. $848 million is available for this first funding round. Townships are eligible to apply directly to FHWA through August 18. 

The PROTECT program provides funding for the following types of projects: 

Planning Grants for resilience planning, predesign, design, or the development of data tools to simulate transportation disruption scenarios; technical capacity building; or evacuation planning and preparation.  
Resilience Improvement Grants to improve or to increase the resilience of surface transportation infrastructure from the impacts of changing conditions, such as sea level rise, flooding, wildfires, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters.  
Community Resilience and Evacuation Route Grants that strengthen and protect essential evacuation routes; the acquisition of evacuation route or traffic incident management equipment or signage; or projects that will ensure access or service to critical destinations, including hospitals and other medical or emergency services facilities, major employers, critical manufacturing centers, ports and intermodal facilities, utilities, and federal facilities.

Grant applications must be submitted online via grants.gov. For more information, including checklists, fact sheet, and webinars, visit FHWA’s PROTECT Program website. 

Abandoned Mine Land and Acid Mine Drainage Grants: The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is accepting applications for the 2023 Abandoned Mine Land (AML) and Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) Grant Program. A total of $96 million is available in three funding rounds. Townships, councils of government, and municipal authorities are eligible to apply through the Commonwealth’s Electronic Single Application. DEP will accept applications during the following application rounds:

Application Round 2—July 3, 2023 through August 25, 2023
Application Round 3—October 2, 2023 through December 2, 2023

Eligible projects must reclaim or enhance AML sites posing a threat to the environment and/or public health and safety. Sites must be determined to be eligible by the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, entered into AML inventory systems, and, in most cases, be associated with a coal mine that was abandoned prior to August 3, 1977. 

For AML/AMD grant program guidance and application instructions, please visit DEP’s website. Questions can be directed to RA-EPAMGrantProgram@pa.gov or (717) 783-2267.

Municipal Assistance Program: DCED’s Governor’s Center for Local Government Services offers the Municipal Assistance Program (MAP) to provide funding to assist local governments to plan for and efficiently implement a variety of services and improvements, and soundly manage development with an emphasis on intergovernmental approaches. Funding is available for two groups of activities: shared services, and community planning. Townships are eligible to apply throughout the year to cover up to 50 percent of eligible costs related to:

Community Planning: Planning activities to support community and economic development, including, the development of comprehensive community plans, land use ordinances, and Transit Revitalization Investment District (TRID) studies
Shared Services: Intergovernmental cooperation initiatives including, regional police and fire services, shared personnel agreements, and boundary change studies

For more information including program fact sheet, guidelines, and link to apply, visit DCED’s MAP website.

Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Grants: The Dirt, Gravel and Low Volume Road Maintenance Program is a non-point source pollution control program for local municipal road officials. Under this program, the State Conservation Commission provides grant funding through county conservation districts to townships to eliminate stream pollution caused by runoff and sediment from dirt, gravel and low volume roads

Grants may be used for expenses related to the implementation of environmentally sound road maintenance practices on dirt and gravel roads and low volume paved roads. Townships may apply to the conservation districts for grant funding. Conservation districts establish their own grant application periods. Applicants must attend a two-day “Environmentally Sensitive Maintenance” training. For additional information, contact your county DGLVR program specialist.

The Pipeline Investment Program Grants: The Pipeline Investment Program (PIPE) provides grants to construct the last few miles of natural gas distribution lines to business parks, existing manufacturing and industrial enterprises, which will result in the creation of new economic base jobs in the commonwealth while providing access to natural gas for residents. Funds may be used for acquisition, construction, and site preparation costs associated with extending natural gas pipelines to serve eligible applicants. Townships are eligible to apply for funding throughout the year. A 50% match of the total project cost is required. For more information, visit DCED’s website or email ra-dcedsitedvpt@pa.gov.

Peer and Circuit Rider Local Capacity Building Project Funding: The PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources offers grant programs to fund projects that help municipalities, multi-municipal partnerships, and council of governments to increase local capacity for recreation, parks and conservation.

The Peer Program is available to assist municipal entities with hiring a professional consultant to study specialized small-scale issues. A minimum ten percent (10%) local cash match is required.
The Circuit Rider Program provides grant funds for regional organizations, including Council of Governments and multi-municipal entities, to hire a professional, full-time staff person. This is a four-year commitment of funding. Match is variable based on the year of funding.

Townships are eligible to apply for funding throughout the year. All applicants must contact Kelly Rossiter before applying at 717-772-3319 or krossiter@pa.gov. For additional information, including frequently asked questions and grant instructions, visit DCNR’s Grants website.