NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY (NOFA)
FY21 Great Streets Small Business Retail Administration Grant
Request for Application (RFA) Release Date: Friday, August 21, 2020
Grant Identification No.: DMPED – FY21GSADM
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (“DMPED”) is soliciting grant applications from qualified Community Development Financial Institutions (“CDFIs”) and/or Community Based Non-Profit Organizations (“CBOs”) to provide grant application review, award recommendations, funds disbursement, and grant management for the FY21 Great Streets Small Business Retail Administration Grant (the“Grant”).
The Great Streets program grows the District’s local small business economy and bolster neighborhoods with inadequate access to retail opportunities. DMPED seeks to invest in 13 retail priority areas, “Great Streets Corridors,” with the goal of creating livable, walkable, shoppable, community-serving retail experiences across all eight wards. The Grant encourages existing and new neighborhood-based retail-oriented businesses which seek access to capital to improve their place of business, re-imaging their service approach by expanding services, and/or to fill a need in an underserved retail priority area.
The Grant has identified the following funding priorities.
- Applicant must have as a primary focus of its activities the provision of financial services for small businesses in the District of Columbia, including:
a) Track record and volume of small business lending in the District of Columbia and more specifically, designated Great Streets corridors;
b) Successful performance under previous program grants; and,
c) Institutional capacity for grant application review, grantee award recommendations,funds disbursement and grant management.
- Applicant will have an existing infrastructure, including staff capacity, existing policies and procedures, and software and systems, necessary to administer the Grant.
- Applicant must have a cost or fee structure for program administration costs that will allow the Grant capital base to remain intact.
The application deadline is Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. DST.
Purpose: The purpose of the Great Streets Initiative is to transform certain designated emerging commercial corridors into thriving, walkable, shoppable and inviting neighborhood experiences. The Great Streets Initiative does this by supporting existing businesses, attracting new businesses, increasing the District’s tax base, and creating new job opportunities for District residents.
Background Information: Pursuant to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Limited Grant-Making Authority Amendment Act 2016, effective October 8, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-160; D.C. Official Code § 1-328.04); and “Great Streets Neighborhood Retail Priority Area Amendment Act of 2013” effective October 1, 2013 (D.C. Code § 2-1217.73b), DMPED invites the submission of applications for the Grant. As part of this process, DMPED will first select CDFIs to administer the program and, thereafter, the CDFIs will review applications and disburse grant funds to selected applicants of the Grant, pre-screened by DMPED.
Award: Based on the external and internal review panel recommendations, the Mayor’s budget priorities, the resources available, the goal of achieving a balance as to communities served, and the goals of the program, DMPED will make the final funding decision. DMPED will award up to $85,000.00 in grant funds to succesful applicants to provide the above mentioned grant administration activities.
List of the Great Street Corridors:
7th Street/Georgia Ave NW
Connecticut Avenue NW
Georgia Avenue NW
H Street – Bladensburg Road NE
Minnesota/Benning Road NE
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE/
South Capitol Street SE/SW
New York Avenue NE
North Capitol Street NW/NE
Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Wisconsin Avenue NW
Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE
Rhode Island Avenue NE
U Street/14th Street NW (Adams Morgan/Mt. Pleasant/Columbia Heights)
For additional eligibility requirements and exclusions, please review the Request for Application (RFA) which will be posted at http://greatstreets.dc.gov by Friday, August 21, 2020.
Period of Performance: Thursday, October 1, 2020 – Thursday, September 30, 2021
Contact Name: DMPED Grants Team Phone: 202.727-7673 Email: [email protected]
Deadline for Electronic Submission: Applicants must submit a completed online application to DMPED via the Gifts Online system no later than 12:00 PM DST on Tuesday, September 15, 2020.
