Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) opened the fiscal year (FY) 2017 funding round for the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program).
The CDFI Fund plans to award $190.5 million in FY 2017 in Financial Assistance (FA) and Technical Assistance (TA) awards (subject to Congressional authority) to be divided as follows: $153 million for CDFI Program awards; $22 million for Healthy Food Financing Initiative Financial Assistance (HFFI-FA) awards; and $15.5 million for NACA Program awards. The awards will support Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) providing affordable financing and related services to low-income communities and populations that lack access to credit, capital, and financial services.
CDFI Program Overview
Through the CDFI Program, the CDFI Fund invests in and builds the capacity of CDFIs to serve low-income people and communities lacking adequate access to affordable financial products and services. The CDFI Fund invests in certified CDFIs by providing FA awards to applicants that have demonstrated the financial and managerial capacity to deliver financial products and services to a low-income target market and to leverage additional resources effectively. Through TA awards, the CDFI Fund enables certified CDFIs and emerging entities working toward CDFI certification to build their capacity as lending institutions. For additional details about eligibility, application requirements, and available funding under the CDFI Program, please view the CDFI Program Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
NACA Program Overview
Through the NACA Program, the CDFI Fund encourages the creation and strengthening of CDFIs that primarily serve Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities (Native Communities). Organizations funded serve a wide range of Native Communities, and reflect a diversity of institutions in various stages of development – from organizations in the early planning stages of creating a CDFI, to tribal entities working to certify an existing lending program, to established CDFIs in need of further assistance. The CDFI Fund makes both FA and TA awards under the NACA Program. For additional details about eligibility, application requirements, and available funding under the NACA Program, please view the NACA Program NOFA.
Healthy Food Financing Initiative-Financial Assistance Overview
In FY 2017, HFFI-FA will serve as a supplemental funding opportunity under the CDFI Program and NACA Program for eligible CDFIs and Native CDFIs that express an interest in expanding their healthy food-focused financing activities and are selected to receive FA awards under the FY 2017 rounds of the CDFI Program or NACA Program. For additional details about eligibility, application requirements, and available funding under the HFFI-FA program, please view the CDFI Program and/or NACA Program NOFAs.
Deadlines
- The deadline for submission of the SF-424 is Friday, March 24, 2017 at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET). All Applicants must submit their SF-424s electronically through Grants.gov.
- The deadline for submission of the CDFI Program and NACA Program applications in AMIS is Friday, April 28, 2017 at 11:59 pm ET.
The CDFI Fund strongly encourages all materials to be submitted at least three days before each corresponding deadline (Grants.gov and AMIS).
- The last day the CDFI Fund will be answering questions about the FY 2017 application round is Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 5:00 pm ET.
Please see the applicable NOFAs for more information on submitting the CDFI Program and NACA Program applications.
Application Materials
Reference copies of the NOFAs and all application materials can be found on the CDFI Fund’s website at:
- CDFI Program: www.cdfifund.gov/cdfi, under Step 2: Apply
- NACA Program: www.cdfifund.gov/native, under Step 2: Apply
The CDFI Fund will be adding guidance materials on a rolling basis to the website. Applicants are strongly encouraged to read and view all application materials, including the NOFA, application guidance, webinars, and presentations.
Required Application Systems
- AMIS: The CDFI Fund’s Awards Management Information System (AMIS) is a system developed to serve as a modern platform to eventually support all CDFI Fund programs through each phase of the programs’ life cycle.
All Applicants must use AMIS to create, complete, and submit applications materials for the CDFI Program and NACA Program. Please see the NOFAs for more information on submitting the CDFI Program and NACA Program applications.
Please note that as of February 23, 2017, the Application in AMIS is not yet available. Once the Application is available in AMIS, Applicants will be updated and additional guidance will be provided on the CDFI Fund’s website.
- Grants.gov: In addition to the application materials submitted through AMIS, all Applicants are required to submit a SF-424 electronically through Grants.gov. The SF-424 can be found in Grants.gov under the funding opportunity number for each program.
Applicants that do not submit an SF-424 electronically through Grants.gov by the stated deadline will not be eligible to submit application materials in AMIS.
- SAM.gov: In order to submit the necessary SF-424 form via Grants.gov, Applicants must have an active System for Awards Management (SAM) account. Each Applicant is advised to first make sure its SAM.gov account is active and valid before beginning its preparation of the other Application materials in Grants.gov or AMIS. Applicants should allow ample time to complete the entire registration and submission process well in advance of the application deadline. The SAM.gov website is www.SAM.gov.
All applicants must be registered in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and AMIS to apply for funding. Organizations should confirm that their accounts are up-to-date as soon as possible in order to avoid potential application submission problems. New potential applicants are encouraged to begin the registration process for each of the systems now and will find registration guidance on each website.
Learn About Applying to the CDFI and NACA Programs
The CDFI Fund is providing the following opportunities to learn more about the FY 2017 CDFI Program and NACA Program funding round:
- In-Person Application Workshops: CDFI Fund staff will conduct six in-person FY 2017 CDFI Program and NACA Program Application Workshops in Washington, DC. Due to security requirements at the federal facility where the workshops will be held, anyone wishing to attend the in-person application workshops must register through the online registration system link provided below. Individuals who do not register before the applicable registration deadlines may not be admitted. In addition, the CDFI Fund will hold a NACA Program-specific workshop in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 13, 2017. More information about this additional training opportunity is forthcoming. View all information about the workshops, including registration information, on the Application Materials section of the CDFI Program and NACA Program webpages.
- Q&A Webinars: The CDFI Fund is conducting three targeted live webinars to provide a forum to answer applicant questions about the FY 2017 CDFI Program and NACA Program applications. Please view the Application Materials section of the CDFI Program and NACA Program webpages for the dates, times, and access information for each webinar.
Additional Guidance Materials
In the coming weeks, the CDFI Fund will continue to update the Application Materials section of the CDFI Program and NACA Program webpages with additional guidance materials and presentations. More information, including pre-recorded webcasts, will also be released when AMIS is available for application submission. Keep an eye on the CDFI Fund’s website for updates.
Questions
For more information on the CDFI Program, the NACA Program, the Q&A webinars, or the application workshops, please contact the CDFI Fund’s Help Desk by e-mailing cdfihelp@cdfi.treas.gov or by calling (202) 653-0421 (option 1).