By: Leslie Black-Plumeau

August 1, 2012

The Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, on behalf of the ECOS Steering Committee, is requesting proposals for projects that will progress the goals and criteria of the ECOS Project. Read more on the ECOS website.

Any public, profit or non-profit entity is eligible as long as the project will meet the goals of the ECOS project and benefit Chittenden County. Requests may be made for any dollar amount between $10,000 and $50,000 to implement qualifying initiatives. Proposals may include but are not limited to implementation activities such as bylaw revisions, capital projects, programs, funding and financing plans, multi-jurisdictional agreements and primary data source collection efforts.

Grant project schedule:
1. If you are thinking about applying, please submit your organization name and 2 sentence description of the project you are considering by Friday, August 10, 2012, at noon. This is not a required step, but it will help us coordinate similar efforts and match up good partners.
2. Questions on the application or submittal requirements may be submitted as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, August 10, 2012, at noon. The questions will be answered by August 15, 2012 in one submittal to all parties who have submitted questions and will be posted on the website.
3. Applications due by 4:00 PM, Friday, September 21, 2012.
4. Letters of Commitment (lead applicant and, if applicable, partners) are requested to be filed with the application. If commitment(s) cannot be submitted with the application any remaining letter(s) of commitment must be received by 9 a.m. on October 23, 2012.
5. Applicants should expect to hear an award decision by November 1, 2012 and funds will be available immediately thereafter. Work undertaken prior to November 1st, or prior to execution of a grant agreement, including in-kind efforts, will not be eligible for reimbursement.
6. All work needs to be completed by December 31, 2013; and all reporting documentation must be submitted by January 15, 2014.

The ECOS Project is funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.