Grant Applicants

The following resources are for people seeking information or assistance applying for Federal Grants. Please contact our office for additional information or assistance.

The following is compiled by the Congressional Research Service.

GRANTS AND FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE

Guidance and key resources to help eligible grantseekers find information on federal grants, loans, and nonfinancial assistance for projects, as well as on private funding. Prepared by the Congressional Research Service for Members of Congress, updated February 2017.

How Best to Find Information
  1. Find out Who is Eligible for a Grant? Other government websites may be more suitable for personal needs, student loans, small business assistance , or other business opportunities such as government contracting. The website Government Benefits, Grants, and Loans may also be of help.
  2. If eligible, search for program information in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA). Includes grants, loans, business and nonfinancial help.
  3. Contact federal office given in CFDA program description: if state or local office is indicated, check Regional Agency Offices at top of CFDA website for addresses.
  4. Go to federal websites given in each CFDA program description for more information and for state administering agencies responsible for managing these programs.
  5. Check current federal grants opportunities at Grants.gov, obtain a Dun and Bradstreet ( DUNS) number, register with System for Award Management (SAM), and apply online (links and instructions given at the website). Additional notices appear at FedConnect.net.
  6. Search foundations for project funding: use the Foundation Center Web site or Foundation Center Funding Information Network resources in libraries to identify national, state, and community foundations.
  7. Learn how to write grant proposals: Take the free online Foundation Center Proposal Writing Short Course or see other tips and sample proposals at Grantspace's How Do I Write a Grant Proposal?
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Key Federal Funding Sources

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (General Services Administration)
The Catalog (CFDA), issued annually and updated continuously on the Web, describes some 1600 federal grants and non financial assistance programs. Grantseekers can identify programs that might support their projects and can learn the program’s objectives, requirements, application procedures and contacts. For current notices of funding availability, see Grants.gov or FedConnect.net.

Grants.gov (managed by Dept. of Health and Human Services)
Federal website that allows eligible grantseekers (see Who is Eligible for a Grant?) to find and apply for current competitive grant opportunities from ALL federal agencies. Grantseekers can check on notices of funding availability (NOFA) posted in the last 7 days; access an RSS feed of grant opportunities; and apply for federal grants through a unified process by downloading the application and submitting online. The website guides grantseekers in obtaining a Dun and Bradstreet (DUNS) number and registering with System for Award Management (SAM) and registering with Grants.gov to apply and to track applications. For full federal program descriptions, see CFDA below. See also website FedConnect.net for additional grants and contracts opportunities.

State Single Points of Contact  (Office of Management and Budget)
Under Executive Order 12372, some states require federal grants applicants to submit a copy of their application for state government level review and comment. The state offices listed here coordinate federal financial assistance and may direct federal development. For help in identifying state-level grants, other state government agencies websites may be found at: State and Local Agencies.

CFDA in Local Libraries (Government Printing Office)
Although the Catalog is available full-text on the Internet, some may prefer a print edition. However, only the Web Catalog is continuously updated. The published volume is annual with no supplements. The Catalog is available in all states in Federal Depository Libraries (click on link FDLP Public Page).

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Related Federal Sources

A-Z Index of U.S. Departments and Agencies (General Services Administration)
To better develop a grant proposal, search a department or agency’s Home Page to learn more about its programs and objectives. The site USA.gov also links to Government Benefits, Grants, and Loans.

USA.gov for Businesses and Nonprofits (GSA)
Includes contracting with the U.S. government, international trade and exporting, and small business. See also financial assistance links at the Small Business Administration website.

FedBizOpps.gov (GSA)
Official website posting business, contracting, and procurement opportunities with the federal government. Useful information for vendors, including FBO Demonstration Videos and Frequently Asked Questions, appear under the Getting Started tab. Search options include an advanced search form for more targeted filtering of current opportunities.

Student Aid on the Web (Dept. of Education)
Information on funding education beyond high school, including grants, loans, and work-study assistance to qualified students.

Benefits.gov (via Department of Labor)
Includes information on over 1,000 government assistance programs, and how to apply. Covers direct payment, loan, insurance, training, or other services.

FTC Consumer Alert (Federal Trade Commission)
The FTC warns consumers to beware of paying "processing fees" for information that is available free to the public. Ads claiming federal grants are available for home repairs, home business, unpaid bills, or other personal expenses are often a scam.

OMB Grants Management Web Site (Office of Management and Budget)
OMB establishes government-wide grants management policies and guidelines through circulars and common rules.  OMB Circulars  are cited in Catalog program descriptions and may be printed out fulltext.

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Community Project Funding Requests

Congressman Dunn has submitted funding requests for important community projects in Florida’s 2nd District to the House Committee on Appropriations.

Under guidelines issued by the Committee, each Representative may request funding for a few select projects in their community for Fiscal Year 2023. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. 

In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Congressman Dunn has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested. The projects below are listed in no particular order.

To read the consolidated community project certification letter, click here

 

Agriculture:

Women’s Dorm at the Calhoun County Jail

Calhoun County Board of Commissioners

$300,000

20859 Central Ave E, Rm G40 Blountstown, FL 32424

The construction of a Women's Dorm at the Calhoun County Jail will allow the Calhoun County Sheriff's Department the capability to safely and effectively house female inmates.

 

Fountain Fire Station in Bay County

Bay County, Florida

$3,500,000

840 West 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401

On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, took a devastating toll on Bay County leaving nothing but destruction in its pathway.  The Fountain Community lies in the Northern part of Bay County and is comprised mostly of low to moderate (LMI) income families living in mobile homes and sub-standard housing. This new fire station will help the County meet the critical fire rating needs of the residents. Currently, the closest “manned” fire station to the Fountain area is 15-18 minutes away, and the two other responding stations are 20 minutes away.

 

Town of Westville Multi-Response Facility

Town of Westville

$1,260,000

Town of Westville, located at 2523 N Pine Street Westville, FL 32464

The Town of Westville is seeking funds for project development and environmental (PD&E) studies, survey, engineering design and permitting, inspection, and site development construction. The Town of Westville currently owns adjoining, vacant, unimproved parcels which are ideal for this type of overall facility. The Multi-Response Facility is proposed to include: the Westville Volunteer Fire Department, an Urgent Care/Rural Health Clinic, and a Special Needs Shelter. Additionally, Holmes County Emergency Medical Services will be located adjacent to the urgent care clinic for immediate transportation, Holmes County Sheriff’s Office Substation will be able to dispatch to the west side of the county, and the Town of Westville Administrative Offices will be located onsite for security purposes and will include a large educational conference room to be used by any of the above for continuing education and for community education.

 

The City of Williston Emergency Response Facility

The City of Williston

$5,391,230

50 Northwest Main Street, Williston, Fl, 32696

This facility will be located in Williston, Florida. The City of Williston Fire Rescue Department is responsible for responding to all types of fire, vehicle accidents, medical calls, alarms, hazardous materials incidents, technical rescues, and other incidents within the 6.75 square miles of the City of Williston along with a contracted response district totaling roughly 128 square miles within Levy County. In addition, they are also the secondary response station when no units are available for Levy County Fire Rescue District 11 and Bronson Fire Rescue which adds an additional 220 square miles of coverage. The new facility is to be located at the City-owned airport and will have direct access to both the Airport, a growing Industrial park adjacent to the airport, and will have immediate access to US 41, the main highway. The existing building is located downtown requiring police and fire vehicles to maneuver through several intersections and traffic lights to get to the main highway.

 

Chipola River Clean-up in Calhoun County

Calhoun County Board of Commissioners

$5,000,000

20859 Central Ave E, Rm G40 Blountstown, FL 32424

The services provided by this project will allow citizens and visitors to be able to safely navigate the river for fishing, floating or other recreational activities that support the local economy without the concern of debris causing safety issues and the nutrient and water height levels will resume to normal levels to protect water quality, wildlife, and property along the river.

 

Homeland Security:

Emergency Operations Center in Suwannee County

Suwannee County Board of County Commissioners

$3,129,045

13150 80th Terrace Live Oak FL. 320

The American Civil Society of Engineers (ACSE) designates the current EOC building as a Category IV structure meaning it is critical for the delivery of emergency services. Despite its importance, the current structure does not meet hurricane building codes. Due to this, the building would need to be evacuated in the event of a serious storm. This puts the safety and well-being of many local residents and first responders at risk. Unfortunately, remodeling the old structure will not be sufficient to completely remove the risk associated with the loss of the structure. To that end, the new facility would alleviate these risks and allow emergency services to continue in an emergency event.

 

Emergency Operations Center in Wakulla County

Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners

$4,737,987

3093 Crawfordville Highway, Crawfordville, FL 32327

This EOC is being built to combine the new EOC with a countywide Public Safety Communications Center. The EOC will serve as a place for first responders and dispatch to respond to citizen needs in an emergency event. The project is aimed to reduce the long-term risk associated with such an event including loss of life, injury, and property damage. This project will increase the overall safety of Wakulla County.

 

Washington County Regional Emergency Shelter, Staging Site, and Commerce Center

Washington County Board of County Commissioners

$5,550,000

1331 South Blvd Chipley, FL 32428

This multipurpose facility would serve as an operations center that would allow for the continuation of education in the event of an ongoing school closure, housing for vulnerable citizens in emergency situations, and sheltering evacuees. Additionally, the site would serve as an emergency supplies staging area with the capacity to handle large amounts of critical resources. Lastly, when not in Emergency use, the facility will be used for various county operations and as a regional meeting facility that will bolster community needs and local economic activity.

 

Transportation Housing and Urban Development:

Gulf County floating dry dock

Gulf County Board of County Commissioners

$1,000,000

1000 Cecil G. Costin Sr. Blvd. Port St. Joe, FL 32456

This dry dock would create infrastructure, create a skilled workforce, and develop an ongoing ship repair and haul-out facility on deep water property in Port St. Joe, Florida. Additionally, the necessary infrastructure would include a self-docking floating dry dock capable of handling vessels up to 10,000 LT weight and would enable Gulf County and the region to become a vessel outfitting and vessel repair center for the northern Gulf of Mexico.

 

Washington Recreational Center

Gulf County Board of County Commissioners

$500,000

1000 Cecil G. Costin Sr. Blvd. Port St. Joe, FL 32456

This recreational center would serve the low and moderate-income community of Port St. Joe, Florida. This center would improve the quality of life for residents by encouraging an active lifestyle and community participation. These funds would be used to fully rehabilitate the current center which sustained damage from Hurricane Michael. Restoring it would allow residents, many of them youth, to receive the full benefits of a thriving recreational center.

 

An airport in Gulf County

Gulf County Board of County Commissioners

$975,000

1000 Cecil G. Costin Sr. Blvd. Port St. Joe, FL 32456

Currently, the county does not have an airport. Not only would the airport improve transportation in the area, it would also make residents safer by serving as a means for evacuating the community in emergency events and being utilized as an arrival point and staging area for supplies and first responders following a natural disaster. Lastly, the airport would provide a much-needed economic kickstart to help the community fully recover from Hurricane Michael.

 

Labor Health and Human Services, and Education:

For simulation and virtual reality labs for clinical instruction at the Florida State University Health Tallahassee Center

Florida State University

$2,492,000

222 S. Copeland Street, Tallahassee, FL 32306

This Center would serve the communities of the greater Tallahassee area through a direct clinical impact on patient care through the opportunity to significantly enhance the education of students (e.g., medical, nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, sports medicine), research (both clinical trials as well as clinical and translational investigations), and training (e.g., residents, physicians, nurses, other clinicians) through a state-of-the-art surgical training suite and learning space (e.g., fully equipped training OR for advanced surgical, cadaveric, simulator, and mannequin training, as well as a fully functional testing area to research new devices and procedures).

 

Funding for The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County, Inc.

The Boys and Girls Club of Bay County, Inc.

$2,000,000

212 Forest Park Circle, Panama City, FL, 32405

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Bay County, Inc. is requesting a dollar-for-dollar match on building back two of our community centers (three buildings) that were severely damaged by Hurricane Michael. The investment into buildings is desperately needed because of the local rise in costs associated with storm recovery as well as the sudden rise in additional costs of construction materials and labor post-pandemic. Our community has suffered greatly over the last several years in our recovery efforts and the pandemic slowed that recovery down even more. We have been providing services to children utilizing the school buildings in the local communities where our sites were, but we are unable to operate at the capacity we were before the storm.

 

NextStep Endeavor Academy Transition Program for Adults with Autism

Endeavor Forward, Inc.

$300,000 

2864 Madison St. Marianna, FL 32448

NextStep at Endeavor Academy will prepare adults with autism for transition beyond secondary school by providing instruction in employment and independent living skills. All participants will have an employment experience where skills will be directly taught based on individualized, targeted goals using evidence-based practices. This will allow these individuals a better quality of life, as well as allow them the opportunity to be productive, contributing members of their communities and the state of Florida.

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Private and Corporate Funding

Foundation Center Grants Space
Gateway to information about private funding sources, the grant seeking process, guidelines on writing a grant proposal, addresses of state libraries with grants reference collections, and links to other useful Internet websites. The Center maintains a comprehensive database on foundations; produces print and electronic directories and guides; conducts research and publishes studies in the field; and offers a variety of training and educational seminars.

Grant Resources by State (Grantsmanship Center)
Click on state map to find links to information about a state’s foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs and the state’s home page.

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More on Grant Applicants

Services

Types of services and help our office may be able to provide, and how to request more information or assistance.