Green Guru Network

Community Development Block Grant Program

(up to $44 million)

CDBG funds are available for economic development, small business and microenterprise activities. Each activity must involve the creation or retention of permanent job opportunities that principally benefit low-and moderate-income persons. For microenterprises, an owner that qualifies as a low- and moderate-income person also meets the requirements of the CDBG Program.

Applications for competitive round CDBG funds submitted under the 2011 NOFA may be considered by Regional Economic Development Councils. New applications for these programs will be accepted in connection with future Notices of Funding Availability.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Eligible applicants include non-entitlement villages, towns, cities or counties throughout New York State, excluding metropolitan cities, urban counties, and Indian Tribes that are designated Entitlement communities. Eligible applicants must apply on behalf of the business seeking CDBG funds. Awards are made to the applicant community and not directly to businesses.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Economic development funding is available for the following activities:

Eligible uses of NYS CDBG Economic Development funds include, but are not limited to: acquisition of real property; financing of machinery, furniture, fixtures and equipment; building construction and renovation; working capital; inventory; and employee training expenses. Costs associated with construction, building or other improvements are not eligible uses of NYS CDBG Microenterprise funds.

AWARD, CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Chris Leo at New York State Homes and Community Renewal, 38-40 State St, Albany, New York 12207, call (518) 474-2057 or visithttp://nysdhcr.gov/Programs/NYS-CDBG/EconomicDevelopment.htm

Local Waterfront Revitalization Program Grants

(up to $10.875 million)

The Local Waterfront Revitalization Program provides matching grants on a competitive basis to revitalize communities and waterfronts.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Eligible applicants include municipalities (villages, towns, cities, and counties) located within the State Coastal Area or along a major inland waterway designated pursuant to Executive Law, Article 42.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Funding will be available for the following grant categories:

AWARD, CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS: 

Grants will be available for up to 50% of the total eligible project costs set forth in the application and as approved by the Department.

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Ken Smith at the New York State Department of State, 99 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12231, call (518) 474-6000 or visithttp://www.dos.ny.gov/communityprojects/funding.html.

Canalway Grant Program (up to $1.5 million)

DESCRIPTION:

The Canalway Grants Program includes up to $1 million in competitive grants available to eligible municipalities and non-profit organizations 501-C(3) along the New York State Canal System for canal-related capital projects. An additional $517,000 in funding is available for state agency canal related education and interpretive capital projects.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Projects must preserve and rehabilitate canal infrastructure, enhance recreational opportunities for water-based and land-side users or promote tourism and revitalization of the canal corridor. Projects must be located along one of the four canals of the Canal System (Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca), or trail linkages or connections to existing Canal way Trail segments, or located along the historic canal alignment.

AWARD, CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

The minimum grant request amount is $50,000. The maximum grant request is $150,000. Grant administration and pre-development costs shall not exceed 10% of the grant amount. A 50% match will be required on all grants and must be fully documented according to the requirements of the Canal Corporation and the Office of the State Comptroller.

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Michael Sullivan at the New York State Canal Corporation, 200 Southern Boulevard, Albany, NY, call 518-436-3055 or visithttp://www.canals.ny.gov/corporation/grant.html.

Excelsior Jobs Program ($70 million in tax credits)

Available for strategic businesses such as high tech, bio-tech, clean-tech and manufacturing that create jobs or make significant capital investments.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

The following strategic businesses located in or planning to locate in NYS that will create jobs or retain jobs and make significant capital investments.

Firms in strategic industries that make significant capital investment that have at least 50 employees are also eligible to apply for participation in the Program.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Lois Lawrence at Empire State Development, 30 South Pearl Street, Albany, New York, 12245, call (518) 292-5240 or visithttp://www.empire.state.ny.us/BusinessPrograms/Excelsior.html.

Economic Development Purposes Grants (up to $19.2 million)

Available for economic development initiatives and projects that create or retain jobs, generate increased economic activity and improve the economic and social viability and vitality of local communities.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Eligible applicants include, for-profit businesses; not-for-profit corporations; business improvement districts; local development corporations; public benefit corporations (including industrial development agencies); economic development organizations; research and academic institutions; incubators; technology parks; municipalities; counties; regional planning councils; tourist attractions; and community facilities.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Funds can be used for:

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Edwin Lee at Empire State Development, 633 Third Avenue, New York, New York, 10017, call (212) 803-3618 or visithttp://www.empire.state.ny.us/BusinessPrograms.html.

Environmental Investment Program (up to $1 million)

This program is available to help businesses capture the economic benefits associated with pollution prevention, waste reduction, re-use, recycling and sustainable products and process technologies.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Municipalities, Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) and NYS non-profit organizations are eligible for technical assistance and capital project grants, on behalf of NYS business. Non-profit organizations and small to medium sized firms in NYS are eligible for research and development grants.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Funding will be available for the following grant categories: technical assistance, research and development and capital projects.

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Ann Marie Travis at Empire State Development, 30 South Pearl Street, Albany, New York 12245, call (518) 292-5340 or visithttp://esd.ny.gov/BusinessPrograms/EIP.html.

Energy and Environmental Improvements

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects and Programs (up to $75 million)

To encourage New York businesses to increase energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) will provide financial and technical assistance for commercial and industrial sector energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Program funding is available statewide with the exception of Long Island. Only entities that pay into the System Benefits Charge and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard programs are eligible to participate, LIPA customers do not pay into these programs. A portion of the funding above is limited to only electricity savings measures or gas savings measures.

Eligible applicants include: NYS industrial, commercial, and institutional facilities, state and local governments, not-for-profit and private institutions, public and private K-12 schools, colleges and universities, health care facilities, and other non-residential customers.

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Rolling applications (projects funded on a first come first served basis) are currently open under the following programs, with funding available through calendar year 2011 as follows:

AWARD, CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

Existing Facilities Program - Pre-Qualified Incentives

Pre-Qualified Incentives are provided to encourage applicants to purchase and install more energy-efficient equipment for small-sized energy projects and equipment replacement projects. Incentives are available on a $/unit basis for Pre-Qualified energy efficiency measures. Applicants can receive up to $60,000 in Pre-Qualified Incentives ($30,000 – Electric, $30,000 – Natural Gas) per Facility per calendar year. National Fuel Gas customers using less than 12,000 Mcf per year can receive a maximum natural gas incentive of $25,000 per Facility per calendar year. For a list of the current measures available please visit the Existing Facilities Program website.

Existing Facilities Program – Performance Based Incentives

Incentives are calculated by determining energy savings and multiplying that number by the applicable rate below. Final incentive amounts are based on one full year's savings.

NYSERDA will invest up to $5 million per facility, based on specific eligibility requirements. Please see the Existing Facilities Program website for more information.

Flex Tech Program – Benchmarking

Selected FlexTech Consultants will benchmark participating facilities with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Portfolio Manager and develop site-specific reports recommending operational or system modifications that may result in energy savings. Commercial, industrial and institutional facilities contributing to the electric System Benefits Charge (SBC) and 50,000 square feet or greater are eligible to participate. The benchmarking pilot augments traditional FlexTech incentives by providing the first $7,000 of assistance per building with no cost share required. Additional assistance needed above $7,000 will be cost shared 50% by the applicant and NYSERDA

For more information please visit the Flextech Benchmarking website

Flex Tech Program – Energy Audits

Small businesses and not-for-profits are eligible for a free audit. State and local governments are eligible for an audit on a cost-shared basis, with a fee determined by number of employees. All facilities must have an average electric demand of 100kW or less.

What's the Cost:

For more please visit the FlexTech Energy Audit website.

Flex Tech Program – Cost Shared Energy Studies - Eligible engineering studies can apply for incentives on a 50/50 cost-shared basis up to $1,000,000. Please see the FlexTech Program websitefor more information.

New Construction Program - Incentives are available to conduct technical assessments of energy efficiency improvements in building designs and to offset a portion of the incremental capital costs to purchase and install energy-efficient equipment in these buildings to reduce energy consumption. Please see the New Construction Program incentive worksheets for the current incentive structure. More information can be found on the New Construction Program website.

Industrial and Process Efficiency Program

IPE's goal is to help manufacturers and data centers increase product output and data processing as efficiently as possible. Therefore, our incentives are calculated, when appropriate, based on a reduction in energy usage per unit of production or workload. Incentives are available for:

For more information please visit the Industrial and Process Efficiency Program website.

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact 1-866-NYSERDA
NYSERDA
17 Columbia Circle
Albany, NY 12203
www.nyserda.org

Green Innovation Grant Program (up to $20 million)

The Green Innovation Grant Program (GIGP) provides grants on a competitive basis to projects that improve water quality and demonstrate green stormwater infrastructure in New York.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:

Applicants eligible for a GIGP grant include municipalities, school districts, private or not-for-profit organizations, individuals, firms, partnerships, associations, and soil and water conservation districts.

If the applicant is a non-municipal entity the project must not be required as part of a Long Term Control Plan, Administrative / Judicial Order, or a State Pollution Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) Permit. All applicants must submit an approvable engineering report or an approvable conceptual site plan and feasibility study and a map that depicts the impacted waterbody(ies).

ELIGIBLE PROJECT TYPES:

Funding will be available for the following types of projects:

All projects must meet or exceed the standards set forth in the New York State Stormwater Management Design Manual (http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/29072.html).

AWARD, CONDITIONS & REQUIREMENTS:

Grants will be available for up to 90% of the total eligible project costs set forth in the application. A minimum 10% match from state or local sources is required.

Competitive projects will:

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information, eligible applicants should contact Suzanna Randall at the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, 625 Broadway, Albany, New York 12207, call 800-200-2200 or visit http://www.efc.ny.gov/GIGP.

Private Activity Bond Cap (Industrial Development Bond Cap)

Up to $350 million from the Federal IDB Cap allocation will be available for State and local government issuers to sell tax exempt bonds for private projects that demonstrate a public purpose.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS/PROJECT TYPES:

Qualifying projects must be eligible under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) sections 142-144, and 1394 which include:

CONTACT/ADDITIONAL PROGRAM INFORMATION:

For more information eligible applicants should contact George LaPointe at the Empire State Development, 30 South Pearl St, Albany, NY, call 518 292-5307 or visithttp://www.empire.state.ny.us/BusinessPrograms.html.