Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program

For eligibility and agency questions:
Adrianne Harrison
603.369.3001
aharrison@nbrc.gov

The Catalyst Program supports a broad range of initiatives to stimulate growth and foster partnerships to improve rural economic vitality in the Northern Border Regional Commission service area. Funds may be used for infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects in the following focus areas:

• Basic Health Care, including:
  • Structural and technological improvements to non-profit medical facilities
  • Health education services
  • Projects that address health inequities and social determinants of health
  • Telehealth projects to expand remote clinical services
  • Technical assistance to health care facilities/networks
  • Provider training and advancement opportunities
  • Recruitment and retention services
• Business and Workforce Development
• Resource Conservation, Tourism, Recreation
• Transportation Infrastructure
• Basic public Infrastructure
• Telecommunications Infrastructure
• Renewable Energy

Priority will be given to projects that demonstrate direct benefits to rural communities with populations of less than 5,000 and disadvantaged communities, including minority, low income, rural, tribal, indigenous, homeless, and limited English populations..

Eligible applicants include:

• State governments
• Local governments and secondary and career technical centers
• Other political subdivisions of states
• Federally recognized tribes
• Nonprofits

Projects must be located within the NBRC service area in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.

Award ceiling:

• $500,000 for non-infrastructure projects
• $1,000,000 for infrastructure projects

Project period: 3 years

Up to $2,000,000 in additional funding is available for infrastructure projects that meet 1 of the following criteria:

1. Construction takes place in 2 or more eligible communities/counties/states
2. The project involves 2 or more infrastructure categories

Links to additional guidance and the application instructions are available on the program website.

Complete the pre-application through the online application system by March 22, 2024. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal, with a deadline of May 3, 2024.