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Minnesota’s Climate Smart Food Systems Initiative
The Climate Smart Food Systems (CSFS) initiative is a project focused on filling investment gaps and accelerating momentum toward a more equitable, climate-smart food system through several focus areas. One area of focus includes scaling up successful programs that keep valuable nutrients in circulation to feed people, livestock, and soil, and prevent significant methane emissions. To do this, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) anticipates distributing up to $33 million in grant and loan funding to prevent wasted food and support organics management.
The $33 million in grant and loan funding for this focus area is broken down into four sub-areas:
- $12.5 million for expanding the MPCA’s Prevention of Wasted Food & Food Rescue grant program.
- $16 million for organics management infrastructure and programming grants.
- $2 million for an MPCA organics management revolving loan program.
- $428,000 for food-to-livestock grant projects.
While MPCA cannot answer any specific questions about this funding until RFPs are released, the following is helpful information and links tied to this funding and similar past funding:
- Minnesota’s Climate Smart Food System’s webpage.
- MPCA grants newsletter.
- Fiscal year 2024 organics grantees announcement.
- Fiscal year 2024 prevention of wasted food and food rescue grantees announcement.
Learn more about the CSFS initiative and funding opportunity.
Southeast Minnesota Small Town Energy Efficiency and Conservation Planning Grants
The Minnesota Department of Commerce is offering grants to help small cities, counties, and school districts in southeastern Minnesota plan for greater energy efficiency and resilience.
Cities, counties, and school districts with populations under 15,000 in Benton, Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Sherburne, Steele, Wabasha, and Winona counties may apply. Applicants must not have already received direct federal funding for energy efficiency and conservation block grants.
The grants will support funding and technical assistance for:
- Long-term energy efficiency and conservation planning.
- Studies or assessments to identify ways to reduce energy use in public buildings.
- Projects that support renewable energy, energy resilience, and energy independence.
Proposals are due on Dec. 8, 2025. Late applications will not be considered. Additional rounds may be held if funds remain.
Learn more and apply for southeast Minnesota energy efficiency planning grants.
State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid Program
The Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz have allocated $1 million to the State Capital Projects Grants-in-Aid program. The program, administered by the Minnesota Historical Society, supports historic preservation construction projects for publicly owned buildings across the state. Eligible properties must be either listed on the National Register of Historic Places or determined to be eligible for listing by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office.
Work proposed and completed using the grant funds must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The deadline for required pre-applications is Jan. 23, 2026.
Learn more and apply for State Capital Projects funding.
Brownfield Assessment Grants
Abandoned gas stations, former dry cleaners, or old manufacturing spaces exist in every community. Properties like these, called brownfields, can be a challenge to redevelop and often sit idle for years due to risks of perceived contamination. This can lead to neighborhood blight, unsafe structures, and polluted spaces that can harm people and the environment.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) can help. The MPCA is now accepting applications to its Brownfield Assessment Grant, which funds environmental investigations on brownfield properties across the state.
Eligible applicants include local units of government, community organizations, nonprofits, small business owners, emerging developers, and tribal nations.
Funding can be used for Phase I and II environmental site assessments, sampling and analysis plans, and preparation of cleanup plans.
Applications accepted on a rolling basis. Learn more and apply for brownfield assessment grant funding.
Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP) Funding
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is accepting applications for the Local Road Improvement Program (LRIP), which helps local governments fund road construction, reconstruction, and safety projects with regional or statewide significance.
A total of $47 million in state bonds is available, including $5 million reserved for townships, and applicants can request up to $1.5 million per project. Funding may be used only for construction costs, not for engineering, right-of-way, or other non-construction expenses.
Eligible applicants include counties, state-aid cities, non-state-aid cities, and townships. Projects that have already received an LRIP grant or legislative earmark, or that begin construction before March 30, 2026, are not eligible.
Applications are due Dec. 12, 2025, with award notifications expected by March 30, 2026.
Learn more and apply for LRIP funding.
Help More First-Time Homebuyers in Your Community
The Minnesota City Participation Program (MCPP) through Minnesota Housing can help you effectively and efficiently provide first-time homebuyer loans in your community with minimal administrative burden and no administrative fees. By partnering with Minnesota Housing, eligible first-time buyers in your area will have access to the affordable Start Up loan program and down payment and closing cost loans up to $18,000. Minnesota Housing will connect you to an approved lenders and help you market this opportunity to homebuyers.
How It Works
Minnesota Housing takes new applications Jan. 2-15 each year. Participants can apply as a city, county, or a multi-county. First-time homebuyers access the program through local, approved lenders. Minnesota Housing provides monthly updates on how many buyers in your community are being served by the program.
For more information, contact Greg Krenz, homeownership program manager, with questions at (651) 297-3623 or [email protected].
Minnesota Broadband Line Extension Connection Program
Minnesota Broadband Line Extension Connection Program, run by the Office of Broadband Development (OBD), helps connect homes and businesses without reliable broadband (defined as speeds below 25 Mbps download/3 Mbps upload) to internet service.
People can report to OBD that a wired broadband service is unavailable at their residence or business by entering information into the online application, by calling (651) 259-7610 and requesting a paper application, or by talking to someone at OBD who will complete the application on their behalf.
A total of $15 million is available for the program. No more than $25,000 can be awarded per line extension.
Timeline
- The application portal is open.
- ISPs are notified of new locations every six months.
- Bidding and evaluation processes follow set timelines, and projects must be completed within 12 months of the contract date.
Learn more about the Broadband Line Extension Connection Program.
Community Innovation grants
The Bush Foundation’s Community Innovation (CI) grant program is a flexible program that invests in great ideas and the people who power them across our region. The program aims to:
- Develop, test, and spread great ideas.
- Inspire, equip, and connect leaders.
Learn more and apply for a CI grant.
Establish a Local Housing Trust Fund With Help From the Minnesota Housing Partnership
The Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP) is offering free assistance to rural communities to establish Local Housing Trust Funds (LHTF). Funds can be used for education on Local Housing Trust Funds, as well as implementation of LHTF programs and community engagement activities.
In 2023, the Minnesota Legislature appropriated $4.8 million to a Local Housing Trust Fund (LHTF) State Match Program; with $1 million appropriated in a prior year, available funds for the state match program total $5.8 million. An application for state match funds is likely to be released in late summer or early fall.
Learn more and apply for free technical assistance from MHP to establish or implement your LHTF.
MNOSHA WSC: Safety Grant Program
The Safety Grant Program awards funds up to $10,000 to qualifying employers for projects designed to reduce the risk of injury and illness to their workers.
To qualify, an employer must meet several conditions, including but not limited to:
- Having been in business for at least two years.
- Having at least one employee to create the employer/employee relationship.
- Having workers’ compensation insurance.
- Having had an on-site hazard survey conducted by a qualified safety professional and a written report of the findings and recommendations to reduce the risk of injury or illness to employees.
- Having the knowledge and experience to complete the project and is committed to its implementation.
- Being able to complete the project within 120 days of a fully executed contract.
To qualify, the project must be supported by all public entities involved and comply with federal, state, and local regulations where applicable.
Businesses that are the current focus of the Minnesota OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation strategic plan will be given added priority. If your grant is approved, you will be notified in writing of the specific approval. Whether we approve your grant application or not, in no way diminishes, delays, or absolves you of any obligation to abate safety and health hazards. When a project is complete, the applicant must submit a certificate of completion form, with invoices and proof of payment, to the grants administrator, to initiate issuance of the grant. An employer that has received a grant for a particular worksite will not be eligible to receive another grant for that worksite during the two years after the date of their award.
Learn more and apply to the MNOSHA WSC: Safety Grant Program.
Cybersecurity Grant Program Now Available Statewide
The state’s IT agency, Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), in partnership with the Minnesota Cybersecurity Task Force recently released the Whole-of-State Cybersecurity Plan that will be used to implement $23.5 million of funding from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program and the Minnesota Legislature.
Eligibility
All state and local government entities are eligible to participate in the SLCGP, including:
- A county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, regional or interstate government entity, or agency or instrumentality of a local government.
- Authorized Tribal governments and organizations.
- A rural community, unincorporated town or village, or other public entity.
How to get involved
- Visit MNIT’s website for more information about the plan, how to participate, and who to contact if you have questions or need help.
- You can also sign up to receive news and updates about the Whole-of-Security Plan and the SLCGP.
- If your organization is ready to get started, complete the Minnesota Whole-of-State survey for SLCGP participants.
Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Program
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is accepting requests for technical assistance for the Thriving Communities technical assistance program. This funding will help local governments ensure housing needs are considered as part of their infrastructure plans. To be eligible, jurisdictions must be a unit of general local government that is receiving federal transportation funding to support a project that coordinates transportation and housing plans, programs, or investments to benefit residents and businesses located in a disadvantaged community. Priority will be given to jurisdictions with populations of less than 250,000 people, as well as to those receiving certain Department of Transportation competitive funds. Requests will be reviewed as they are received, on a rolling basis, beginning on March 15.
Learn more about the interagency Thriving Communities technical assistance program
Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity: Energy Upgrades for Affordable Housing
Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity (R2E2) will provide deep technical assistance to state, local, and tribal governments as well as community-based organizations to jumpstart energy upgrades for single family and multifamily affordable housing, especially in frontline communities. These retrofits will lower utility bills, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve residents’ health, create good-paying local jobs, and help mitigate racial inequity. R2E2 will kick off with training sessions in January for state, local, and community teams on scaling up building energy retrofits and leveraging the unprecedented federal funding available from COVID-19 relief programs, the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and other sources. R2E2 is a partnership of the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Elevate, Emerald Cities Collaborative, and HR&A Advisors, with People’s Climate Innovation Center advising on centering equity in the project and its outcomes and on facilitating community-driven planning processes.
Learn more about Residential Retrofits for Energy Equity
Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program for Rural Areas
Low-interest direct loans, grants, or a combination of the two are available to develop essential community facilities (not including private, commercial, or business undertakings) in rural areas through the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant program. The program is offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development. Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and/or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment, and pay related project expenses. Rural areas, including cities, villages, townships, and federally recognized tribal lands, with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census data, are eligible for this program. Applications for this program are accepted year-round.
Learn more about the Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant program
Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program
The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program provides $10,000 in startup funding for resident-driven groups in small cities and towns to implement the Community Heart & Soul model. Community Heart & Soul engages a motivated and dedicated group of individuals to help your town identify what matters most. The grant program is specifically designed for small cities and towns with populations of 2,500 to 30,000. Grant funding requires a $10,000 cash match from the participating municipality or a partnering organization.