Only minimum grant requests of $2,500,000 or more will be considered for funding. Potential funding will not exceed $10,000,000.

ESD funding awards are offered as an incentive to undertake a project. Therefore, ESD cannot consider assistance for project activities commenced or committed to (such as ordering machinery and equipment and committing to land purchase) prior to the announcement of funding awards. In addition, investment and expenses incurred prior to submission of a CFA should not be included in project budgets. By selecting no, you are confirming that project activity (or, in the case of a project with multiple stages, activity for the project stage described in this application) will not commence or be committed to prior to the announcement of funding awards.  If your project has extenuating circumstances that present a conflict with this requirement, please contact your ESD Regional Office.

Equity is defined as cash injected into the project by the Applicant or by investors and should be auditable through Applicant financial statements or accounts, if so requested by ESD.  Equity cannot be borrowed money secured by the assets in the project or grants from a government source.

Block grant projects and revolving loan funds are not eligible to apply for ESD Grant funds.

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Applicants will be required to provide the specified ID number upon request by the funding agencies.

If applying in the name of a business please type in the name as it appears on your business papers. If applying as an individual insert your name here.

To look up a zip code, click HERE

Please include details relevant to all programs on this application. Programs on this application are: {{program_list}}

Provide a brief summary of the need for the project in the geographic area proposed, the project's financing needs, including funding gaps and, where applicable, describe the additional short and long term jobs that will be created through the development of the proposed project.

Describe how the proposed project advances the REDC/URI plan for the region, specifically linking the project to the region’s goals, strategies, and targeted industry clusters. A response to this question should directly and specifically link the project to a section or sections of REDC/URI plan for the region.

The REDC and Upstate Revitalization Initiative’s (URI) are designed to support projects that will help transform the region’s economy. Applicants seeking these resources should explain why the project is a priority for the region. Providing details on the impact of the project such as the ability to create net new high paying jobs, the extent of private sector support, the impact it has on the community, and how the project will advance, in a meaningful way, the implementation of the REDC/URI plans, will help the REDCs and state during review.

For privately owned companies, IDAs, not-for-profits, educational institutions, start-ups, municipalities, or any business or organization other than publicly traded companies, please provide an organizational chart and/or description of ownership structure, including the percentage of ownership for each individual/entity. If the company is a parent, subsidiary and/or affiliate of another company, please provide a description of the relationship. Additional financial information may be requested

Information and forms can be found at https://www.dec.ny.gov/permits/357.html . If you are a not-for-profit, please complete and attach the following form: https://parks.ny.gov/documents/grants/EnvironmentalReviewFormNotforProfits2021.pdf

 If "yes", the project requires consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). 

 If "yes", the project requires consultation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). 

Applications to the State, including their accompanying documents, are subject to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) found in Article 6 of the N.Y. Public Officer Law. FOIL provides that certain records are exempt from disclosure, including those that contain (1) trade secrets, (2) information that, if disclosed, would cause substantial injury to the competitive position of your organization, or (3) critical infrastructure information. Records may be redacted to protect only the portions of documents that fall within a FOIL exemption. An entire document may not be withheld if only a portion of the document is exempt from disclosure. Blanket assertions that information is a trade secret, confidential, or proprietary are insufficient to justify withholding information under FOIL. The identified information will be reviewed and a determination will be made as to whether the information is exempt from disclosure under FOIL.  The State’s determination may be appealed pursuant to POL §89(5)(c). Pursuant to POL §87(2)(b), the State will redact information that “if disclosed would constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

 Examples:

Q_1234 - The information provided in Line 6 includes the vendor, equipment specifications and a cost structure that will give “John Smith’s Manufacturing Inc.” a competitive disadvantage if our competitors were to find out the specifications of the machines used to manufacture our product.

Q_4321 (Attachment) – Page 3, lines 6, 7, and 8, contains specifics of our manufacturing process that are proprietary and if revealed would put “John Smith’s Manufacturing Inc.” at a competitive disadvantage.

* Eligible investment for ESD Grant Funds; generally not eligible investment for Excelsior Jobs Program.

Municipal Centers are areas of concentrated and mixed land use that serve as centers of various activities (civic, commercial, recreational, and residential, among others).  Specific examples include Central Business Districts; Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOAs); Downtowns in Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) Areas; Transit-Oriented Development, Environmental Justice Areas and Hardship Areas; in many instances, an entire city, village or hamlet can be considered a municipal center.  This definition can include development “adjacent to municipal centers” and a “future municipal center” – an area planned and zoned to be a municipal center.   

For specific guidance on rail/port, aviation, and other transportation projects please refer to Smart Growth Public Infrastructure Policy Act