NORTHERN BORDER REGIONAL COMMISSION GRANTS AVAILABLE

 

Concord, NH - Mark Scarano, the Federal Co-Chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), announced that the next round of grant funds are now available and can be accessed at the Commission’s website: www.nbrc.gov. The State of Maine is an integral partner with the Federal Government in supporting and guiding the Commission. The Commission’s grant programs cover twelve counties including Androscoggin, Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington.

 

Eligible grant projects must focus on priorities within the NBRC’s new five year strategic plan including revitalization of infrastructure, enhanced telecommunications, energy cost reduction, business and entrepreneurial assistance, leadership, and information sharing. Scarano indicated that each state, including Maine, has developed its own process for scoring and ranking eligible applications. After the ranking is completed, the Governors of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York will certify to the Commission their priority projects. The maximum grant for any applicant will be $500,000 for infrastructure projects and $250,000 for other projects. Created by the US Congress in 2008, the NBRC’s mission is to help alleviate economic distress and encourage job creation throughout the northern counties of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. In its short six-year history, the NBRC has awarded 114 grants amounting to a little over $20.6 million. Since it’s beginning every $1 of NBRC federal funds expended has been leveraged with approximately $3.40 of other funds.

 

To learn more about the NBRC grant program and to obtain an application, interested applicants should contact NBRC State Program Manager for Maine Andrea Smith at (207) 624-9813 or access the NBRC’s website at www.nbrc.gov.