I wanted to take a moment to share the following updates with you:

• The House of Representatives was in session yesterday to vote on nominations and the emergency certification of three bills
• The EDA recently announced they are accepting applications for their Build to Scale program
• AARP Connecticut is accepting applications from community organizations and local governments for their 2021 Community Challenge grant program
• The CT Training and Technical Assistance Program is holding a Roadway Safety Poster Contest for Children

House of Representatives February 24th Session

The House of Representative was in session yesterday to vote on a number of nominations to state agencies, commissions, and to the bench, as well as to pass three bills through emergency certification:

• H.B. No. 6514: AN ACT CONCERNING INCENTIVES FOR
  QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS TO LOCATE IN THE STATE
• H.B. No. 6516: AN ACT MITIGATING ADVERSE TAX
  CONSEQUENCES RESULTING FROM EMPLOYEES WORKING REMOTELY
  DURING COVID-19, AND CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF LIENS ON THE
  PROPERTY OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFICIARIES AND A THREE-TIERED
  GRANTS IN LIEU OF TAXES PROGRAM
• H.B. No. 6515: AN ACT CREATING A RESPECTFUL AND OPEN WORLD FOR
  NATURAL HAIR

Read the House Journal

Watch the Session

EDA Now Accepting Applications for Build to Scale Program

EDA is accepting applications for the Build to Scale program, a $38 million funding opportunity that fuels tech-based economic development in regional economies.

The deadline is April 29, 2021.

Eligibility is open to cities, counties, states, other political subdivisions of states, and Indian tribes; or entities supported by a state or political subdivision of a state that is one of the following: a nonprofit institution of higher education, public-private partnership, research park, federal lab, venture development organization, an economic development organization, or a consortium of the aforementioned.

The Venture Challenge grants have two funding levels – up to $750,000 to build programs and up to $1.5 million to scale programs. The Capital Challenge offers grants up to $400,000.

EDA’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship administers the Build to Scale program, which is authorized under Section 27 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Act.

Questions? Visit www.eda.gov/oie/BuildToScale or email oie@eda.gov. 

AARP 2021 Community Challenge

AARP Connecticut invites community organizations and local governments across the state to apply for the 2021 Community Challenge grant program, now through April 14. Grants fund quick-action projects that can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to several thousand or tens of thousands for larger projects. Now in its fifth year, the grant program is part of AARP’s nationwide Livable Communities initiative, which supports the efforts of cities, towns, neighborhoods and rural areas to become great places to live for people of all ages.

The Community Challenge is open to 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(6) nonprofits and government entities. Other types of organizations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The application deadline is 8:00 p.m. ET, April 14, 2021, and all projects must be completed by November 10, 2021.

To submit an application and view past grantees, visit www.AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

The Connecticut Training & Technical Assistance Center (T2 Center) at UConn, with support from agencies and organizations around the state, is holding the eleventh annual Connecticut Roadway Safety Poster Contest for Children.

Students in grades K-5 are invited to submit their original impressions of pedestrian safety. Students should depict those concepts and actions they think are vital to improving all pedestrian safety.

The contest categories are K-1st grade, 2nd – 3rd grade and 4th – 5th grade. Posters must be
submitted to the UConn T2 Center by March 12, 2021. Once the entries are received, they will be voted on by a panel of roadway safety professionals.

The top posters in each category will receive their awards and prizes in conjunction with Work Zone Safety Week during April 2021. All winners will be featured on the home page of the UConn T2 Center’s website. Winners will be notified in writing by April 9, 2021.

Click here for more information on the contest and how to apply

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