2025 Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) Programs

New York’s Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) was created to support the Regional Economic Development Councils (REDCs), which were established in New York State in 2011 to help foster economic development by empowering regional stakeholders to establish strategic regional plans to develop pathways to prosperity.

Since its inception, REDCs have awarded over $8.2 billion dollars to more than 10,000 projects. The CFA streamlines and expedites grant application processes, by allowing applicants to access multiple state funding sources through one application, making the process quicker, easier, and more productive.

There is over $265 million in funding available in the 2025 CFA application, which closes at the end of the month, on July 31st at 4:00PM. There are a wide range of programs that local governments are eligible to apply for.

APPLICATION DUE JULY 31, 2025, 4:00 PM

PROGRAMS SUBJECT TO JULY 31st DEADLINE

NYS Empire State Development; $68 million:

• Regional Council Capital Funds ($60 million): Funding is available for capital-based economic development projects intended to create or retain jobs; prevent, reduce or eliminate unemployment and underemployment; increase business or economic activity in a community or Region; and/or expand, construct, restore or renovate New York State tourism destinations and attractions.
  
  
• Strategic Planning and Feasibility Studies ($1 million): Funding available for working capital grants of $100,000 each to strategic development plans for a city, county, or municipality or a significant part thereof and feasibility studies for site(s) or facility(ies) assessment and planning.
  
  
•  Market New York ($7 million): Funding is available for tourism marketing initiatives, the recruitment and/or execution of special events like festivals, expos, agritourism/craft beverage events and athletic tournaments, and the recruitment of business events like meetings, conferences, conventions and trade shows

NYS Homes and Community Renewal ($24.2 million):

• New York Main Street Program ($4.2 million): Funding available for projects that provide economic development and housing opportunities in downtown, mixed-use commercial districts. A primary goal of the program is to stimulate reinvestment and leverage additional funds to establish and sustain downtown and neighborhood revitalization efforts
  
  
• Community Development Block Grant Program – Public Infrastructure ($20 million): Funding available for projects that develop viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and expanding opportunities, primarily for people of low and moderate income (LMI).

Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation ($29 million):

• Environmental Protection Fund Grants Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage ($26 million): Funding is available for the acquisition, planning, development, and improvement of parks, historic properties, and heritage areas located within the physical boundaries of the State of New York. Grants can fund up to 50% of the total eligible project cost; up to 75% if the project is located in a high-poverty area. Grant awards are capped at $675,000.
  
  
• Recreational Trails Program ($3 million): Funding available as a reimbursement program for the development and maintenance of recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trails uses.

Department of State ($17.975 million):

• Local Waterfront Revitalization Program ($13.975 million): Funding available as matching grants for planning, design, and construction projects to revitalize communities and waterfronts.
  
  
• Brownfield Opportunity Areas Program ($2 million): Funding available as a 90:10 matching grant reimbursement for pre-planning, the development or updating of Brownfield Opportunity Area Plans and related implementation, Phase II environmental site assessments, and predevelopment activities for defined areas within a state-designated BOA.
  
  
• Smart Growth Community Planning Program ($2 million): Funding available for projects for the preparation and adoption of new or updated comprehensive growth plans that integrates smart growth principles, or amends existing zoning regulations to implement a comprehensive plan that integrates smart growth principles.

NYS Canal Corporation ($1 million):

• Canalway Grant Program ($1 million): Funding available as a 1:1 grant match reimbursement program for canal-related capital projects across the NYS Canal System.

NYSERDA ($25 million):

• Building Cleaner Communities Competition ($15 million): Funding available to administer the Building Cleaner Communities Competition (BCCC), which supports regionally significant, zero emissions, all electric, carbon neutral and resilient projects across the state. Category B applications to the BCCC provides funding for eligible communities, campuses, and owners of large real estate portfolios with incentives for the planning, energy modeling, and design to convert proposed building portfolios to carbon neutral or net zero energy performance.
  
  
• Commercial and Industrial Carbon Challenge ($10 million): Funding available for decarbonization projects for large real estate portfolios across the state, such as energy efficiency improvements, carbon capture, on-site energy systems, and others.

Department of Environmental Conservation ($100 million): 

• Climate Smart Communities Program ($22 million): Funding available for municipalities to address greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and climate change adaptation at the local level.
  
  
• Water Quality Improvement Project Program ($75 million): Funding available to implement projects that directly improve water quality or habitat, promote flood risk reduction, restoration, and enhanced flood and climate resiliency, or protect a drinking water source.
  
  
• Non-Agricultural Nonpoint Source Planning and MS4 Mapping Grant Program ($3 million): Funding provided to help pay for the initial planning of nonagricultural nonpoint source water quality improvement projects.

To learn more about the wide variety of funding programs available to local governments in the CFA application, consult the linked resources below.

CFA Application Manual

REDC Guidebook

Catalog of Available CFA Programs

CFA Application Portal