In case you missed the announcement last week, all tiers of grant funding are now open. Thank you for your patience as we took necessary time to reassess our processes and other programmatic details to determine how best to meet needs and continue our robust support of circularity across Colorado.

There were several key changes to Impact Grants, including the process. Impact Grants are for projects between $50,000 and $500,000 - double the previous award ceiling. While applications will remain open on a rolling basis, there are three application windows: January-March; April-June; and July-September. Each application will still be reviewed and scored on its own, and these cycles will allow a more structured timeline and expectations. After the application window closes, there will be approximately one month for review, scoring, and deliberation. Selected projects will be presented to the board roughly two months after the window closes.

There were no changes to Mini Grants. Capacity Building Grants are for projects more than $500,000 and remain by invitation only. There are no changes to the Strategic Technical Expertise for the Public Sector (STEPS) program for local governments, tribes, and public K-12 school districts.

C3 wants to make sure potential applicants have information and tools needed to apply. All grant guidelines have been updated, along with updated pre-application videos. More information is online on the C3 Funding Opportunities webpage.

We are excited to continue the important work on circularity in Colorado with you. The C3 Strategic Plan is still a critical component in evaluating grant applications. Applicants must be able to explain precisely how a project meets the Strategic Plan’s goals and strategies, including expanding access and increasing capacity within the state of Colorado’s circular economy.