Grant Details

Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC): Catalyst Program (Select States) - FY 2025

Agency:	US Other
Office:	Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC)
Multipart Grant:	No

Next Due:	08/29/2025 (Multiple)
Solicitation Date:	Unknown

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	Unspecified
Range:	$87,500,000 (Max)

Summary:

The purpose of this program is to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the funding agency's four-state region. This program is intended to support a broad range of economic development initiatives that will modernize and expand the region’s basic infrastructure and revitalize communities to support and attract the region’s workforce.

Projects must fall under one of the following categories:

Non-infrastructure: Funding will support projects that will address the systems, services, programs, and facilities that will support the foundation for economic activity, ensure people can participate in productive economic activities, and enhance the region’s standard of living. Eligible types of projects include:
- Feasibility projects
- Workforce and business development
- Basic health care
- Resource conservation, tourism, and recreation
Infrastructure: Funding will support projects that will focus on construction in support of infrastructure facilities, systems, and structures that will be open to the general public for use, support day-to-day activities of a modern economy, and enhance the region’s standard of living. Eligible types of projects include:
- Transportation
- Basic public infrastructure, including water and wastewater; solid waste; heat generation systems; outdoor recreation; public meeting spaces; and child care or basic health care facilities
- Telecommunications infrastructure

Refer to pages 5-7 and 13-23 of the NOFA file for additional information regarding each project category.

Applicants for non-infrastructure projects may also request revolving loan funds, as detailed on pages 55-60 of the NOFA file.

Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate both readiness and projected direct impacts on the region’s economy and communities. In addition, the funding agency's investment priorities include:

Projects that provide direct benefits to communities that have been under-represented in past investments made by the funding agency, with a focus rural communities with fewer than 5,000 people and underserved communities
Projects that will meet multiple needs within eligible project categories and are designed to create efficiencies
Projects that will adapt to changing conditions and help communities prevent, reduce, withstand, and recover from extreme weather

All projects must also be consistent with the economic development goals of the region and advance a combination of funding agency and member state economic development strategies. Additional information regarding state economic development strategies can be found online at www.nbrc.gov/content/resources.

Award recipients must use a Local Development District (LDD) for award administration assistance, unless the applicant is an agency of state government or have requested and received a LDD waiver approval from the funding agency, as detailed on page 49 of the NOFA file.

Eligible costs include reasonable fees to contractors; construction and pre-construction costs, such as engineering; costs for bid, performance, and payment bonds; and indirect costs.

Optional pre-application review and office hour sessions are scheduled for this program. Refer to the Application section for details.

Eligibility is limited to projects that are located within the funding agency's service area, which includes select counties in the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and New York, as well as all counties in the state of Vermont. Refer to the Eligibility section for details.

Last Updated: August 05, 2025

Eligibility Notes:

Eligible applicants are:

State governments of Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont
Local governments, including villages, towns, cities, and counties
Secondary and career technical centers
Other political subdivisions of states, such as regional planning commissions and authorities of the state
501(c) nonprofit entities
Federally recognized Indian tribes

Projects must be located within the following counties that comprise the funding agency's service area:

Maine: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington counties
New Hampshire: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coös, Grafton, Merrimack, and Sullivan counties
New York: 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, Wyoming, and Yates counties
Vermont: all counties within the state

Multistate projects are eligible; however, these projects will require review and approval from each state the project is located in. Applicants for projects that cover multiple eligible states must contact the appropriate state program manager(s) listed in the Contact section for each state the proposed project is located in prior to submitting a pre-application.

Priority will be given to projects that will directly benefit communities that have been under-represented in past investments made by the funding agency, with a focus on rural communities with fewer than 5,000 people and underserved communities.

Applicants that are nonprofit entities must demonstrate that they have established operations in the appropriate member state, and have federal grant experience related to economic development.

In general, applicants or co-applicants with an open award under any of the funding agency's programs are not eligible to apply for additional funding through the funding agency, unless the applicant or co-applicant meets the following criteria:

Requested reimbursement for at least 75 percent of the total award amount for the currently funded project
Demonstrate that at least 75 percent of the cost share for the currently funded project has been spent by February 1, 2025, for the spring round, or August 1, 2025, for the fall round

Applicants with an open award that do not meet the above criteria may request a waiver, as detailed on pages 12-13 of the NOFA file.

In general, applicants proposing projects that are located within designated attainment counties are not eligible to apply, unless the applicant or project meets one of the criteria detailed on pages 8-10 of the NOFA file.

For FY 2025, applicants proposing projects that are located within Schoharie County in New York State are not eligible to apply.

The following entities are not eligible to apply:

For-profit entities
Limited liability companies (LLCs)
Other entities that are not a 501(c) organization under Title 40, Section 15101(c) of the USC
Entities acting as channels for ineligible entities or those not listed as co-applicants

FY 2025 award recipients include:

City of Plattsburgh (Clinton County, NY)
Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board (Essex County, NY)
Presque Isle Utilities District (Aroostook County, ME)
Franklin Pierce University (Cheshire County, NH)
Bennington County Industrial Corporation (Bennington County, VT)

Refer to the Award file for additional information on FY 2025 award recipients.

Eligible Applicants:

Local Government
Academic Institutions
Native American Tribe
Non Profits
State Government

Application Notes:

Prior to submitting a pre-application, applicants that meet one or more of the following criteria must must contact the appropriate state program manager(s) listed in the Contact section:

Proposing projects that cover multiple eligible states
Proposing infrastructure projects and requesting awards of more than $1 million

Mandatory pre-applications must be submitted during the following submission windows:

Spring round: February 10, 2025, to 5:00 p.m. ET on February 28, 2025
Fall round: August 1, 2025, to 5:00 p.m. ET on August 29, 2025

The due date for the spring round pre-application has been extended to 5:00 p.m. ET on March 7, 2025. Additional information is included in the revised NOFA file.

Prior to submitting a pre-application, all applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate state program manager to discuss the project. Applicants for projects located in Maine, New York, or Vermont are also recommended to submit an optional project interest form via email to the appropriate state program manager, using the information provided in the Contact section, before meeting with the state program manager.

Pre-applications must be submitted online at nbrcgrants.my.site.com. Hard-copy and emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Pre-applications must include:

Overview:
- Project information
- Contact information
Location information
Budget information
Attachments (as applicable):
- 75 percent prior award expenditure waiver request
- Significant benefit waiver request
- Local Development District (LDD) waiver request

All applications must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number. Applicants may obtain a UEI number via SAM (System for Award Management) by accessing www.ecivis.com/sam.

Prior to submitting a pre-application, applicants for projects located in New Hampshire are encouraged to sign up for optional technical assistance online at nbrc-nh.com.

Optional pre-application review and office hour sessions for this program are scheduled as follows:

August 13, 2025
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Registration: events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com

August 15, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Registration: events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com

A recording of an information session held for this program can be found online at www.nbrc.gov/content/nbrc-program-preapplication.

In addition, recordings of optional pre-recorded program overview videos can be found online at www.nbrc.gov/content/nbrc-program-preapplication.

Pre-applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Eligibility, including eligible project locations, eligible applicant and co-applicant criteria, and waiver completion
The project’s alignment with the funding priorities for this program
Costs and expected benefits associated with the project as well as the benefits provided to the broader community and region
Sustainability of the project beyond the life of the award

Applicants submitting successful pre-applications will be invited to complete a full application, which must be submitted during the following submission windows:

Spring round: March 31, 2025, to 5:00 p.m. ET on April 18, 2025
Fall round: September 22, 2025, to 5:00 p.m. ET on October 10, 2025

Refer to the NOFA, Guide, Overview2, FAQ, Timeline, Timeline2, and ProjectInterestForm files for additional application information.

Match Required:	Yes
Match Type:	Cash/In-Kind
Actual Funds:	Unspecified
Range:	$87,500,000 (Max)

Match Notes:

The required match amount will vary according to the designation of the project location according to annual distress criteria, as follows:

Distressed counties: 20 percent match
Transitional counties: 50 percent match

For projects located within isolated areas of distress in designated attainment counties, applicants must provide a 50 percent match.

For multicounty projects, the required match ratio will be based on the average of the counties that make up the project.

For projects that meet one of the criteria detailed on page 9 of the NOFA file and have an approved significant benefit waiver, the required match amount will be based on the amount of funds invested in designated distressed or transitional counties, as detailed on page 10 of the NOFA file.

The requirement match amount may be provided via cash and/or in-kind contributions. Eligible types of matching contributions include:

Contributions provided by the applicant
Municipal lending
Commitment(s) from project partner(s)
Volunteer services
Municipal force accounts
Land or other donated real property or equipment

Other federal grants may be used as a match when authorized by the other agencies; however, the total of funding provided through this program and other federal grants may not exceed 80 percent of the total project cost.

Matching contributions must be committed within one year of award. In addition, matching funds must be expended alongside the funding provided through the funding agency according to the designated reimbursement rate, as detailed on page 25 of the NOFA file.

The following may not be used as a match:

Costs associated with funds committed prior to issuance of a project notice to proceed
Cash and/or in-kind contributions that have been, or will be, counted towards satisfying a cost sharing requirement of another federal grant agreement, a federal procurement contract, or any other award of federal funds in another project

The sustainability of the project beyond the life of the award will also be considered during the pre-application evaluation process.

Funding Notes:

Up to an estimated total of $87.5 million is expected to available to support awards through this program. A total of $40 million is available to support awards for the fall round.

Maximum award amounts will vary according to project type, as follows:

Non-infrastructure projects: In general, the maximum award amount is $500,000; however, the maximum award amount for feasibility projects is $100,000.
Infrastructure projects: In general, the maximum award amount is $1 million; however, applicants may request larger awards of up to $3 million projects that meet one of the following criteria:
- Involve construction that will place in two or more eligible jurisdictions, including communities, counties, or states
- Involve construction that will address two or more infrastructure project categories

Applicants for infrastructure projects that are requesting awards of more than $1 million must contact the appropriate state program manager listed in the Contact section prior to submitting a pre-application.

Funds will be provided on a reimbursement basis.

Award notifications will be made by one of the following dates:

Spring round: June 12, 2025
Fall round: December 2025

The project period will last three years.

In general, project income received will reduce the total award amount, as detailed on page 25 of the NOFA file.

Property purchased through this program may not be sold or donated to a private entity beneficiary.

In general, funds may not be used for projects that are located within designated attainment counties, unless the applicant or project meets one of the criteria detailed on pages 8-10 of the NOFA file.

For FY 2025, funds may not be used for projects that are located within Schoharie County in New York State.

Funds may not be used for:

Pass-through funding
Assisting any relocation from one area of the region to another
Supplanting existing federal programs
Projects that promote unfair competition between businesses with the same immediate service area
Activities and costs in conflict with federal executive orders
Fee or profit to the recipient or subrecipient
Costs associated with funds committed prior to issuance of a project notice to proceed
Application preparation costs
Food and beverages, unless purchased for the express purpose of a conference or forum held in support of the project and such costs are clearly outlined in the project budget
Alcoholic beverages
Tips associated with the purchase of food or beverages

Refer to pages 12 and 58-59 of the NOFA file for information regarding additional ineligible costs.

For the spring round of FY 2025, a total of $46.3 million was distributed via 64 awards ranging from $39,000 to $3 million through this program. Refer to the Award file for details.

Contacts:

Maine Contact:

Charlotte Mace
State Program Manager
(207) 624-7448
charlotte.mace@maine.gov

New Hampshire Contact:

Ian Carmichael
State Program Manager
(603) 419-9709
ian.m.carmichael@livefree.nh.gov

New York Contact:

Kyle Wilber
State Program Manager
(518) 473-3355
kyle.wilber@dos.ny.gov

Vermont Contact:

Kristie Farnham
State Program Manager
(802) 392-5268
kristie.farnham@vermont.gov

Agency Address
Northern Border Regional Commission
James Cleveland Federal Building, Suite 1501
53 Pleasant Street
Concord, NH 03301

Contact Notes:

Questions should be directed to the appropriate program contact.

Pre-applications must be submitted online at nbrcgrants.my.site.com.

Optional project interest forms must be emailed to the Charlotte Mace, Kyle Wilber, or Kristie Farnham at the appropriate address provided.

The agency address provided is for reference purposes only.

Files:

NOFA File: US17100_NOFA_FY2025.pdf (1.1 Mb)
Guide File: US17100_Guide_FY2025.pdf (2.1 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_Overview_FY2025.pdf (296.3 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_Overview2_FY2025.pdf (1.3 Mb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_FAQ_FY2025.pdf (395.3 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_Timeline_FY2025.pdf (128.6 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_Timeline2_FY2025.pdf (125.2 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_ProjectInterestForm_FY2025.pdf (160.4 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_WebinarPostponement_FY2025.pdf (51.8 Kb)
Other Pre-Award File: US17100_InfoSessionPresentation_FY2025.pdf (2.3 Mb)
Award File: US17100_Award_FY2025.pdf (246.0 Kb)

File Notes:

The NOFA file contains the full solicitation for this program. The Guide file contains detailed pre-application instructions. The Overview and Overview2 files contain general program information, including information regarding optional pre-application review and office hour sessions that are scheduled for this program. The FAQ file contains a list of answers to frequently asked questions regarding this program. The Timeline and Timeline2 files contain a timeline of the application process for the spring and fall rounds. The ProjectInterestForm file contains the required form for project interest form submission. The WebinarPostponement file contains information regarding the postponement of previously scheduled information sessions for this program. The InfoSessionPresentation file contains the presentation slides for the information session held for this program. The Award file contains information on FY 2025 award recipients. Additional program resources can be found online at www.nbrc.gov/content/nbrc-program-preapplication and www.nbrc.gov/content/administration.

August 5, 2025
A revised solicitation containing updated information for the fall funding round has been released and attached as the NOFA file. All relevant sections have been updated accordingly. In addition, information regarding awards through this program has been released and attached as the Award file. A sample of award recipients has been added to the Eligibility section, and a brief summary of the awards has been added to the Financial section.

February 7, 2025
Full solicitation information for this program has been released and attached as the NOFA file. All sections have been updated accordingly.

February 5, 2025
An announcement concerning the postponement of previously scheduled information sessions for this program has been released and attached as the WebinarPostponement file. The Application section has been updated accordingly.

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