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Governor Cuomo Announces 2021 Economic & Infrastructure Development Grants Available for Northern Border Communities

$4.6 Million Available for Eligible Projects Within 28 New York State Counties

Grant Applications are Available Here and Due by 5 PM on May 14, 2021

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $4.6 million in federal grant funding is available for economic and community development within New York’s Northern Border Region. Competitive grant funding is available for qualified projects within New York’s 28 federally-designated Northern Border Regional Commission Counties.

“We are moving forward to build back better than ever before, and the Northern Border Regional Commission’s grant funding will support economic growth by focusing on critical infrastructure improvements throughout this region.” Governor Cuomo said. “These investments highlight the importance of a strong federal, state and local partnership to strengthen our economy, and I invite community leaders and organizations to take advantage of the opportunity and submit an application for their projects that will benefit local residents.”

The following Counties comprise the Northern Border region of New York State: Cayuga, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Orleans, Oswego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Seneca, Sullivan, Warren, Washington, Wayne and Yates. Local governments and not-for-profit organizations in New York’s NBRC Counties are eligible to apply for these competitive grants.

New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado said, “The impacts of COVID 19 have highlighted how critical investment programs like the Northern Border Regional Commission are in supporting community development efforts. While not specific recovery assistance, the NBRC’s annual funding cycle will continue the support of projects that are core elements of local and regional investment plans throughout these twenty-eight upstate counties.”

The Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services works with the NBRC and regional planning organizations to solicit project applications. To be eligible for grant consideration, projects must fall within one of the following categories:

  1. Transportation infrastructure;
  2. Basic public infrastructure;
  3. Telecommunications infrastructure;
  4. Employment-related education, entrepreneurship, technology, and business development;
  5. Basic health care and other public services to assist economically distressed areas;
  6. Resource conservation, tourism, recreation, and preservation of open space for economic development; and
  7. Development of renewable and alternative energy sources.

Applications are eligible to be funded for up to $1,000,000 for infrastructure projects and $350,000 for other projects. NBRC grants awarded within distressed counties require a 20 percent local match, while the required match in transitional counties is 50 percent.

In 2020, New York State recommended funding for eight NBRC projects for just under  $4.5  million.  Projects funded included:

  • Troy Local Development Corporation (Rensselear County) – $1,000,000 – Infrastructure Development
  • Development Authority of the North Country – $200,000 – Broadband Access
  • Warren and Washington IDA – $600,000 – Infrastructure Development
  • Sullivan County – $320,000 – Broadband Infrastructure
  • St. Lawrence County IDA – $500,359 – Economic Development Infrastructure
  • North Country Community College – $89,700 – Workforce Training
  • Herkimer County IDA – $1,000,000 – Water Transmission Infrastructure
  • Town of Essex – $789,567 – Water Infrastructure

Application forms for NBRC grants and additional information on the Northern Border Region are available at the NBRC website. Applications must be submitted through the NBRC’s online application portal no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday May 14, 2021.

The Northern Border Regional Commission – a regional economic development partnership between federal, state and local government – includes portions of the States of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. The Commission is composed of the Governors of the four Northern Border States and a Federal Co-Chair, who is appointed by the President of the United States.

New York’s Northern Border Regional Commission is administered within the Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services. For more information on programs administered by the Department of State’s Division of Local Government Services, go to https://www.dos.ny.gov/lg/. Follow DOS on Twitter at @NYSDOS or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NewYorkDepartmentOfState/.

Compliments of the Office for the Governor of New York State.