On October 2nd, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the 2023 round of the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program (NICIP). NICIP offers funding for capital construction projects that improve or maintain the “quality, efficiency, and accessibility” of New York-based not-for-profit human service providers, excluding Article 28 licensed health care providers.
The first round of NICIP projects, totaling approximately $120 million, were awarded to recipients in 2017 and 2018. The 2022-23 New York State (NYS) Enacted Budget appropriated $50 million in total funding for this NICIP round, which will be combined with the withdrawals and forfeitures from previous NICIP awards to make a total of $60 million in funding. Awards will range between $50,000 and $500,000.
The full RFA is available here and an FAQ document is available here. Applications will be processed and scored (based primarily on project viability) on a first-come, first-serve rolling basis between December 1st and January 12, 2024.
Below is a more detailed summary of the program (also available here).
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must be nonprofit human services organizations that provide direct programs and services to individuals and families in NYS. “Direct services” is defined to include prevention, intervention, respite, and/or habilitative services.
Note that hospitals, nursing homes, and Article 28 diagnostic and treatment centers are notdeemed to be human services organizations and are therefore not eligible to apply.
If an applicant has previously received a NICIP grant award, it may only apply for an award under this RFA if it has already used up the existing NICIP award. Specifically, the applicant must have received an executed Grant Disbursement Agreement (GDA) as of April 1, 2023 and either 1) drawn down 100 percent of the award/completed to the project or 2) withdrawn the previous NICIP award.
Eligible Projects
Applicants may submit one application for eligible construction and/or technology projects at one site. Although only one project site will be allowed in an application, the project itself may have a single purpose or multiple purposes. Eligible projects include:
- Renovation or expansion of spaces whose primary use is for direct program services;
- Modifications to make spaces more sustainable and energy efficient, resulting in overall cost and energy savings (which may not include routine maintenance and repairs);
- Technology upgrades, such as the purchase and installation of hardware to improve electronic records/data analysis; and
- Accessibility renovations.
A project eligibility example chart, which outlines eligible and ineligible project costs for each category, is available starting on page 11 of the RFA.
Applicants may not have received any other funding from the State for the same project that they are applying for under NICIP. This includes projects funded under a tax credit structure, such as Low Income Housing Tax Credits.
All projects must:
- Not have started or have incurred costs prior to April 1, 2023 (except for planning activities, which may begin earlier but will not be reimbursed with grant funds); and
- Be completed, and all payment requisitions processed, by December 31, 2026.
Non-capital costs are ineligible for funding, including but not limited to personnel costs, lease payments, computer software, maintenance, and general operating costs. The applicant must demonstrate how ineligible costs will be funded from other sources of committed funding, as applicable. Further, if the estimated cost of a project exceeds the amount of the grant, the applicant must provide evidence of sufficient, committed funding resources to complete the project as described.
Applicants must have site control over the project location at the time of application under its legal name. Projects on leased real property may be eligible as long as the organization’s lease will last for at least five years from the application date.
The applicant must be the primary beneficiary of each project. If DASNY determines that any entity other than the applicant (such as the applicant’s landlord) will benefit more than tangentially from the project, the application will not be accepted.
Application and Timeline
All applications will first be evaluated on a pass/fail basis, based on the following requirements:
- Prequalification on file with the Department of State and IRS;
- Applicant eligibility;
- Project location eligibility (applicants must provide a copy of the deed/lease);
- Project and cost eligibility; and
- Project budget/funding resources eligibility.
Applications must then receive a minimum average score of 95 out of 100 points for “Project Viability,” as evidenced by:
- Project description and support for project costs;
- Anticipated project timeframe;
- Other project funding sources; and
- Project location viability.
Additional details are available on the project scoring matrix here.
Applications will be reviewed and scored in the order they are received, starting on December 1st. There will be a non-mandatory applicant webinar on October 18th at 4pm that may be accessed via Grants Gateway and the DASNY NICIP website.
Questions may be submitted to NICIP@dasny.org with the subject line “NICIP RFA Inquiry” or via this link through October 31st.